We can always count on science journalist Melinda Wenner Moyer to delve into the latest research and distill it down to nuggets of wisdom. Chock full of data and analysis, Melinda’s writing ultimately helps us help our kids. Her newest book, Hello, Cruel World!, chronicles how to build coping skills, find connection with others, and cultivate meaningful lives – all of which allows our kids (and ourselves) to stand strong in a turbulent world.

Show Notes:

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Hello Cruel World! Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times 

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Nicotine… alcohol… prescription drugs… illicit drugs. All of these fall under the overwhelmingly gigantic umbrella of “substances.” Teen experimentation ranges from none to a little to A LOT. And while some of these substances are similar to what was around when we were growing up, others are radically different or brand new. This episode catches everyone up on the current landscape, covering the different classes of drugs, the science of how each affects the body, and how culture impacts use.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD ESSENTIALS

Head to http://lumen.me/AWKWARD for 10% off your purchase.

Go to Quince.com/AWKWARD for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns. 

Go to everyplate.com/podcast and use code AWKWARD199 to get started. 

Get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets, at BollAndBranch.com/AWKWARD

Head to phyla.com and use code PUBERTY for 25% off your first order

Download the FREE Playbook for Getting Your Kid to Talk

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Kids between 6-12 are generally called pre-tweens and tweens. But some say they’re living in the “forgotten years,” almost as if there’s a lull in development during this time span. That couldn’t be further from the truth! Especially as we understand more about brain development and as puberty starts earlier and earlier. Dr. Sheryl Ziegler, clinical psychologist and author of The Crucial Years, explains why the school-aged years mark an age of opportunity for the in-betweener kids and their parents.

Show Notes:

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Get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets, at BollAndBranch.com slash AWKWARD. 

New customers can enjoy this special offer of only $1.99 a meal at Everyplate. Go to everyplate.com/podcast and use code AWKWARD199 to get started.

Download the FREE Playbook for Getting Your Kid to Talk

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

To submit listener questions email [email protected]

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Produced by Peoples Media

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If we had a dollar for every time a kid says “but everyone else is…” Whether about a sleepover, screentime, spring break trip, or a newly-hatched plan to try hang gliding, that phrase puts parents and caregivers in a tough spot. We want our kids to feel included, but at the same time there may be concerns about what they’re hoping to do, have, see, or experience. The decision tree becomes further complicated when a kid lacks reliable information about what the heck is actually going on! This episode offers lots of paths through tackling a request that “everyone” else is doing, including how to make decisions and the conversations that go hand-in-hand. 

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD ESSENTIALS

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Head to phyla.com and use code PUBERTY for 25% off your first order

Get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets, at BollAndBranch.com slash AWKWARD. 

New customers can enjoy this special offer of only $1.99 a meal at Everyplate. Go to everyplate.com/podcast and use code AWKWARD199 to get started.

Download the FREE Playbook for Getting Your Kid to Talk

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

To submit listener questions email [email protected]

Watch the full episode on Youtube!

Produced by Peoples Media

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Teaching kids about their changing bodies is as much about the delivery as it is about the content. Kids thrive when information is delivered with joy in authentic and interactive ways, honoring their natural curiosity and quest for knowledge. Enter Melissa Pintor Carnagey founder of Sex Positive Families and author of the new book for kids Growing Into You. 

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD ESSENTIALS

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Head to phyla.com and use code PUBERTY for 25% off your first order

Get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets, at BollAndBranch.com slash AWKWARD. 

New customers can enjoy this special offer of only $1.99 a meal at Everyplate. Go to everyplate.com/podcast and use code AWKWARD199 to get started.

Download the FREE Playbook for Getting Your Kid to Talk

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

To submit listener questions email [email protected]

Watch the full episode on Youtube!

Produced by Peoples Media

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Educating kids about healthy relationships is a modern phenomenon we can get behind. It makes us cringe to look back on the harmful relationship, sex, and gender tropes we were taught back in the day. This episode takes that hindsight and flips it, offering tools to help kids build their own healthy relationships.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD ESSENTIALS

Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

Head to phyla.com and use code PUBERTY for 25% off your first order

Get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets, at BollAndBranch.com slash AWKWARD. 

New customers can enjoy this special offer of only $1.99 a meal at Everyplate. Go to everyplate.com/podcast and use code AWKWARD199 to get started.

Download the FREE Playbook for Getting Your Kid to Talk

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

To submit listener questions email [email protected]

Watch the full episode on Youtube!

Produced by Peoples Media

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There is no secret sauce to raising successful children, but it sure is fascinating to understand some of the elements that result in a family filled with high-achieving siblings. And it raises lots of important questions, too, like: What even is success? When are the sacrifices to reach goals too great? And what do parents ultimately want for their children? New York Times writer and author of The Family Dynamic, Susan Dominus, helps us dive into all these complicated questions.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD ESSENTIALS

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Head to phyla.com and use code PUBERTY for 25% off your first order

Get 15% off, plus free shipping on your first set of sheets, at BollAndBranch.com slash AWKWARD. 

New customers can enjoy this special offer of only $1.99 a meal at Everyplate. Go to everyplate.com/podcast and use code AWKWARD199 to get started.

Download the FREE Playbook for Getting Your Kid to Talk

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

To submit listener questions email [email protected]

Watch the full episode on Youtube!

Produced by Peoples Media

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We’ve lost track of how many times we get asked when to move on from pediatric care. Some people ask because of personality – usually a clash between parents and doctors – but mostly they ask because they know there’s a time for kids to move on to adult practitioners, they just don’t understand when. In this episode we share details around how pediatric care is different from adult care, why people might stay with their pediatrician a little longer than anticipated, the list of clear reasons why you really should move on, and much more.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD ESSENTIALS

Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

Head to phyla.com and use code PUBERTY for 25% off your first order

Visit equip.health/AWKWARD to get a free consultation from Equip

Download the FREE Playbook for Getting Your Kid to Talk

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

To submit listener questions email [email protected]

Watch the full episode on Youtube!

Produced by Peoples Media

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Fentanyl is a truly terrifying drug because even a tiny amount can be deadly. When fentanyl is added to illicit drugs (like cocaine) and counterfeit prescription “medications” (xanax purchased online, for instance), unknowing users can ingest tiny – but fatal – doses. Listen to the expert advice of Marcia Lee Taylor, strategy advisor to Song for Charlie and the former President and CEO of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. She explains not just how fentanyl gets into the drug supply and how it affects the body, but also how to talk about it in ways your kids can hear.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD ESSENTIALS

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Song for Charlie 

Signs of an Overdose

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Produced by Peoples Media

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April, May, and June are packed with big (and small) celebratory events. While these rites of passage often build wonderful memories, they’re not without complications. This episode offers lots of ways to get ahead of any worries about safety, how to navigate complex family dynamics, and ways to manage our own big emotions. All of this helps us have the important conversations our kids need. 

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD ESSENTIALS

Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

Head to phyla.com and use code PUBERTY for 25% off your first order

Download the FREE Playbook for Getting Your Kid to Talk

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

To submit listener questions email [email protected]

Watch the full episode on Youtube!

Produced by Peoples Media

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices