This Is So Awkward

Join Konika Ray Wong, a passionate health educator and author specializing in body literacy for kids. She dives into the important distinction between knowing body parts and the deeper understanding of body literacy. Konika discusses interoception and attunement, empowering children to recognize their bodies' cues. She shares effective strategies for fostering healthy conversations about puberty and reproduction, emphasizing the importance of normalizing these discussions to promote independence and informed decision-making from a young age.

Dive into essential summer chats for kids and parents! Discover how to approach sensitive topics like body changes, summer clothing, and tech use. The importance of open communication and trust is emphasized, especially before sleepaway camps. Learn strategies to balance screen time while fostering self-regulation. Plus, get tips on discussing safe sex and mental health, ensuring your kids feel supported and prepared for summer adventures!

Navigating the tricky terrain of sharing personal information with kids is no small feat. The discussion highlights the balance between providing information about puberty and respecting boundaries. Amusing anecdotes reveal the challenges of oversharing within families. Techniques for respectful dialogue around sensitive topics like sex and substances are shared, emphasizing tailored communication based on a child's maturity. The importance of clarity and humor shines through, making these conversations less awkward and more meaningful.

In this discussion, the hosts dive into the world of body hair and puberty. They share personal experiences and societal perceptions surrounding hair growth, tackling the emotional complexities that come with these changes. The conversation highlights the importance of open dialogue between parents and kids regarding body image and grooming. Listeners will find humor in generational attitudes towards hair removal and learn about the challenges adolescents face, all while navigating the tricky waters of self-esteem and societal expectations.

Being a steady, calm parent to tweens and teens seems like an impossibility. But there’s decades of research and data supporting this style – not only is it achievable, it has lifelong positive impacts. Enter “lighthouse parenting” from Ken Ginsburg, a framing based on his deep experience as an adolescent medicine doctor and rooted in his optimism that raising teens is an opportunity not a burden. Show Notes: Join our LESS AWKWARD ESSENTIALS Get your Alloy prescription today. Visit https://myalloy.com/SOAWKWARD today for $20 off your first order! 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 parentandteen.com fosteringresilience.com 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 operations@lessawkward.com To submit listener questions email podcast@lessawkward.com Watch the full episode on Youtube! Produced by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the weather warms up, acne becomes more front and center – literally. This episode covers: what causes acne, how warm weather affects kids’ skin (for better and for worse), and how to approach acne on the body at a time of year that calls for fewer and fewer clothes. A combo of science and guidance for addressing this tricky topic! Show Notes: Join our LESS AWKWARD ESSENTIALS Get your Alloy prescription today. Visit https://myalloy.com/SOAWKWARD today for $20 off your first order! 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 operations@lessawkward.com To submit listener questions email podcast@lessawkward.com Watch the full episode on Youtube! Produced by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lynn Lyons, a seasoned psychotherapist focusing on anxiety disorders, shares valuable insights from her three decades of experience. She dives into the complexities of parenting anxiety, discussing the importance of emotion labeling and the pitfalls of avoidance. Listeners learn how parental anxiety can affect children, and she highlights strategies like fostering independence and proactive communication. Humor and practical advice abound, making it easier to navigate the challenges of raising resilient, emotionally intelligent kids.

The recently published Make America Health Again (MAHA) Report has made a big splash, putting the wellness of American children center stage. The report focuses on four issue areas – ultraprocessed foods, environmental chemicals, physical activity/mental health/tech use, and (over)medicalization of kids. We explain what it says, what’s reliable, and  how the positions taken affect tweens and teens. 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 The MAHA Report 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 operations@lessawkward.com To submit listener questions email podcast@lessawkward.com Watch the full episode on Youtube! Produced by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many of us are in the sandwich generation, caring for kids while also caring for aging parents. Caregiving is hard work: it’s physically exhausting when kids are little, and increasingly emotionally exhausting as they get older…meanwhile, elder care can be an intense combination of the two. What if we could reframe caring for others from burdensome slog to hero’s journey? In When We Care, Elissa Strauss leans into research to advocate for a new view of care – one defined by the opportunity to gain wisdom, meaning, and connection. 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 https://www.elissastrauss.com/ 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 operations@lessawkward.com To submit listener questions email podcast@lessawkward.com Watch the full episode on Youtube! Produced by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a house with kids of different ages, it can be challenging to sort through what’s appropriate to discuss with whom. Keeping information siloed can create a culture of secrecy within the family unit, but introducing topics before a given kid is developmentally ready can cause its own harms. Then there’s the very predictable (and yes, awkward) scenario of younger kids educating their close friends or fellow passengers on the school bus by sharing overly sophisticated content. Gotta love that phone call from another parent! We dive into all the permutations of what information should be discussed with all kids under one roof and what information is best saved for family “breakout rooms.” 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 operations@lessawkward.com To submit listener questions email podcast@lessawkward.com Watch the full episode on Youtube! Produced by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices