Talking To Kids About Puberty, Boundaries, & Consent | Dr. Cara Natterson & Dr. Nadine Thornhill | A Kids Co.

Full Episode description

When puberty hits earlier and emotions run higher, the conversations we have with our kids about their bodies, sex, and consent matter more than ever. Kids are already learning about these topics earlier and earlier from peers, media and the world around them. To help parents keep up, host Elise Hu revisits earlier conversations with Dr. Cara Natterson and Dr. Nadine Thornhill with their expert guidance for parents supporting kids through puberty, adulthood, and relationships. Dr. Natterson first offers advice on answering tough questions, sharing the science behind changing bodies, and how parents can start – and restart – hard conversations again and again. Dr. Thornhill later breaks down how parents can start teaching consent with age-appropriate language early, and shares her strategies for creating judgment-free spaces for open conversations, curiosity, and the foundation for healthy relationships.

Key Takeaways:

Practice humility when having conversations that might not have landed the first time.

Teach kids the science behind puberty, to make it feel less foreign.

Cooperatively create strategies with your child ahead of time to tackle mood swings or big emotions as they happen.

Own your values, state the facts, avoid myths when tackling harder conversations.

Mirror consent in your relationship with your kids, to encourage healthy relationships of their own.

⏱️ Timestamps:

Keep the conversation going at home with our FREE Conversation Kit companion guides: 

Puberty: https://delivery.shopifyapps.com/-/635fc50075e16277/a79a12e9a0e00e65

Sex & Consent: https://delivery.shopifyapps.com/-/9b568f6658d0ea66/888e268eaecfb4cd

Follow Dr. Cara Natterson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caranatterson

Learn more from Dr. Nadine Thornhill: https://everybodycurious.com

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ABOUT THE SHOW

Raising Us | Parenting Podcast for Kids, Tweens, & Conscious Caregivers

Award-winning journalist Elise Hu (TED Talks Daily, Forever35) hosts Raising Us, a parenting podcast for grownups raising Big-Question Kids. From puberty and identity to tech and body image, each episode gives you tools to spark real conversations with the kids in your life.

Created by A Kids Co. (a family media company) the show blends expert-backed insights with real, lived experiences featuring trusted doctors, educators and purpose-driven public figures sharing age-appropriate advice so you don’t have to wing the hard stuff.

Follow on:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AKidsCo

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-us-a-parenting-podcast/id1552286967

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2bIRVxM8hbriNxydkSv6VG

Or wherever you get your podcasts.

If you like parenting podcasts like Good Inside with Dr. Becky, The Longest Shortest Time, Raising Good Humans or Ask Lisa, this podcast is for you.

Topics Covered on Raising Us:

Parenting kids and tweens

Mental health for kids

Talking to kids about racism, identity, and inclusion

Screen time and social media

Puberty, anxiety, and big feelings

Building emotional intelligence in families

Conscious and values-driven parenting

Elise Hu parenting podcast

A Kids Co. podcast series

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