EP32: From a Pile of Puppies to Too Cool For School: Parenting Tweens

This week's episode focuses on the period of development in children from ages 11 to 14: the tween years. During this age, the human brain goes through as much growth and change as it does between 0 and 3. Children start exploring their new feelings of independence and begin to clarify distinct aspects of who they are, and will become. This week Dr. Laura Anderson is excited to bring on a really talented clinician and dear friend, Dr. Annie Chung. Dr. Chung has more than twenty years' experience working primarily with tweens. The two talk about the concept of an emotional piggy bank, setting a framework for your child, and how to stay positive when going through challenges and periods of high emotion.

Dr. Annie Chung is a Hawaii Licensed Psychologist with over 20 years of experience. Her specialty lies in promoting healthy parental/family/adolescent functioning and focus on women's issues utilizing patient-centered and solution-focused approaches in psychotherapy.

What You Will Learn:

• Children need their parents "less", but also differently

• How to make deposits to your child's emotional piggy bank based on who they are instead of their accomplishments

• Separation is healthy to help your child learn values, problem solving, and life skills

• Understand the brain and body are changing rapidly

• Practice active listening

• Remember that they need boundaries even when they tell you they don't

• Ask open-ended questions

• Build a bridge to them.. keep crossing back and forth and invite them to do the same