episodes

Margaret talks with cultural critic Jamilah Lemieux about her book Black Single Mother. They discuss stigma, stereotypes, healing through storytelling, and the complex realities of Black single motherhood in America.

Is social media ruining childhood? Or is TikTok merely this decade's version of a moral panic? We explore the long history of social panics, and whether change must always be scary.

Anxious kids don’t always behave like anxious adults. What works to help anxious kids also differs. Dr. Lisa Damour, host of “Ask Dr. Lisa” and author of UNDER PRESSURE, gives strategies to help kids “settle their glitter.”

Susan Sutton discusses the systemic and generational barriers teen moms face when trying to succeed, and how her nonprofit, The Ember Project, helps them overcome those barriers.

Emotional dysregulation is a type of reactivity where someone's reactions are out of proportion to whatever might have provoked them. Teenagers and toddlers are like that. Sometimes parents are too.

We often get anxious when our kids deviate from what we've all been told is the one path to success and happiness. Gabrielle Blair, author of the book THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, explains how to help our kids become themselves.

Health and science journalist Catherine Price discusses her book THE AMAZING GENERATION, a bold guide empowering kids to resist Big Tech, and to choose real friendship and fun over screens.

Do siblings need to be close? We explore why closeness doesn’t mean low conflict, how rivalry shapes identity, and what parents can—and can’t—control about sibling relationships over a lifetime.

Can we get bored teens excited about school—or anything at all? Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, authors of the book THE DISENGAGED TEEN, explain how we can encourage our kids' enthusiasm.

Dr. Allison Alford, author of the new book GOOD DAUGHTERING, explains how "daughtering” is the invisible emotional and mental labor adult daughters carry. Learn how to make it visible, set boundaries, and finally feel like enough in family relationships.

Why are some kids more shy than others? Is it the same thing as introversion? Is it a problem when our kids are slow to warm up, and how do we know when they might need extra support?

Julie Lythcott-Haims explains why many of us old enough to be “grown-ups” don't feel ready to be in charge of anything. Trying and failing doesn't mean we’re not adults; it’s at the core of what adulting means.

Safety expert Dannah Eve, author of the new book STREET SMARTS, discusses digital safety, online scams, and why trusting your instincts helps parents and kids navigate the world with confidence instead of fear.

Sometimes we have to admit the painful truth: our moms were right. From questionable relationships to dressing poorly for the weather, we reflect on advice we once rejected—and now repeat to our own kids.

Powerful emotions in teenagers are a feature, not a bug–but when our kids are dysregulated it can feel like something parents are supposed to fix. Dr. Lisa Damour, author of THE EMOTIONAL LIVES OF TEENAGERS, tells us how to become "safe containers."

How are we supposed to talk to our children about what's happening in Minnesota and in our own communities? How do we react when we're feeling angry and frightened ourselves? Here's how we can make one another feel more safe and supported during unsettling times.

New Year's resolutions fail 87% of the time. That's because January is actually the WORST time to force new beginnings. Here's why slowing down at this time of year is both natural and necessary.

Peer pressure affects everyone in the human species, and even some self-conscious monkeys. What is it about sitting with the cool kids, and how can we help our own kids understand they don’t have to follow all of the other lemmings over the cliff?

Developmental psychologists Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Golinkoff, authors of EINSTEIN NEVER USED FLASHCARDS, explain why play—not pressure—is how kids really learn. They share research-backed ways parents can support healthy development.

Why do our brains create "stories" about our own lives? And what happens when those stories don't serve us? We discuss "narrative identity," and how questioning and rewriting our stories can boost our mental health.

When our kids aren't good at making friends, we feel their pain and want to help them. Here's what we can do to give our kids the skills they'll need to be good friends.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Meredith Elkins, author of the new book PARENTING ANXIETY, explains why anxiety isn’t the enemy—and how avoidance makes it worse. Learn how to raise resilient kids without reinforcing fear.

Missing spoons, stolen chargers, and intense clouds of AXE body spray. Amy and Margaret break down the funniest, most frustrating tween and teen crimes—and why so many of these baffling behaviors are (unfortunately) normal.

How can we help kids who aren't great at making friends—who don't pick up on the subtle social rules that make friendships work? Here's how to teach kids to make—and keep—peer connections.