Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens
Teen psychology parenting Q&A; principles trace to developmental psychology
49:33Olympic champion chose local play-up over elite club for her talented daughter
Her daughter was spotted by elite coaches at nine, but instead of joining an intense touring circuit, the family stayed local—competing against kids two to three years older and matching their level with just two training sessions.
29:11Teenagers' pornography addiction may stem from untreated ADHD
Adolescents with ADHD have weaker impulse control and emotional regulation, are prone to hyperfocus, and process dopamine differently—making it harder for them to disengage from pornography than other teens. Parents should first confirm that ADHD itself is being treated effectively.
30:01When your child is excluded, stepping in to mediate actually closes the door
When your child is excluded from their friend group, the instinct to reconcile or confront the other parents usually backfires. What matters is handling your own anger first, then asking what your child wants to do about it.
43:37Forcing a twenty-year-old to grow on your terms may plant seeds for a midlife crisis
A clinical psychologist points out: twenty-somethings who have dropped out but are already working are actually in better circumstances than most families with adult children at home; the real decision about whether to force a child back to school has always been the child's, not the parents'.
34:18When Your Kid Starts Eating Healthy, It Might Be the Start of an Eating Disorder
Eating disorders survive on secrecy, so when parents see the first signs they should say it out loud. The kid won't get worse — she may actually feel relief, because finally someone is making the decision for her.
37:18A Kid Who Loses Everything Isn't Lazy — The Prefrontal Cortex Isn't Done Yet
A 14-year-old boy's prefrontal cortex won't finish developing until 25, so losing things isn't an attitude problem. The real problem: parents whose own executive function is already stretched thin are supposed to build a system the kid can't possibly hold up.
23:53When a Friend Kicks Your Kid Out of the Group, the Problem Isn't Your Kid — It's the Group
Friendship conflict isn't about something the kid did wrong; it's a group shoring itself up by squeezing a member out — and what parents can offer is perspective, not a fight on their behalf.
48:14There Is No Formula for Getting In: The Anti-Anxiety Truth About U.S. College Admissions
Low admit rates are a story about roughly 80 selective schools nationally; for most families there is no formula, and the most useful thing a parent can do is hold a standing meeting and control what is controllable.
32:45You Can't Make a Kid Want to Work: Structure and Consequences Beat Enthusiasm
Building a work ethic doesn't run on making a kid enjoy the work. It runs on three things: rules that structure the household, privileges tied to responsibilities, and the sense that someone is counting on him — plus, when needed, letting him take his own fall at school.
47:23Don't stand between your kid and the screen — stand on your kid's side
The real mechanism of toxic stress is the absence of an adult buffer when a child is exposed; the more you stand on your kid's side and treat technology as a shared opponent, the more the relationship becomes the strongest protection in the digital age.
23:42Getting Kicked Out of the Friend Group Isn't a Verdict: It's a Chemical Bond Reinforcing Itself
A kid being pushed out of a friend group, or wanting to end a friendship on their own, is a normal chapter of adolescence; the parent's job is to give perspective and concrete scripts, not to charge in on their behalf.