235: No Phones at School. How Do I Help My Kid Cope?

Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens

Dr. Lisa Damour/Reena Ninan

Kids & Family, Mental Health, Parenting, Health & Fitness

4.8 • 720 Ratings

🗓️ 2 September 2025

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Your teen just found out their school is banning phones, and they’re furious, anxious, or both! What now? If you’re the parent of a tween or teen, you know how quickly a rule about phones can spiral into conflict. Phone bans at school can feel like a loss of freedom for kids and a source of anxiety for everyone. But what if this change could actually strengthen your child’s focus, coping skills, and resilience, while also giving your family new ways to connect? In this episode of Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens, renowned clinical psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Lisa Damour and Reena Ninan dig into the real impact of school phone bans. They share practical strategies for talking with your kids about this shift, helping them adjust, and surprising upsides you may not have considered. You’ll learn: - Why phone bans can actually support teen mental health - How to frame the conversation with your child so they feel understood - The unexpected benefits beyond classroom focus - Simple strategies to help teens cope with new restrictions What do you think? Should schools have bell-to-bell phone bans, or should kids be allowed access during breaks? Share your thoughts in the comments! Follow and subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can see all our latest video episodes: https://youtube.com/@asklisapodcast And follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn @AskLisaPodcast, @Lisa.Damour, @ReenaNinan. Checkout Dr. Lisa’s website for more resources: https://www.drlisadamour.com/ Ask Lisa is produced by: https://www.goodtroubleproductions.com Episode keywords: teen phone ban, school cell phone rules, parenting digital teens, school phone policy, helping teens unplug, teen anxiety phones, parenting tech tips Podcast keywords: ask lisa podcast, dr lisa damour, reena ninan, psychology, parenting, podcast, teens, tweens, parenting teens, parenting tweens, teen parenting, tween parenting, parenting tips, parenting advice, positive parenting, parenting podcast, teen behavior, tween challenges, raising tweens, raising teens, parenting hacks, parenting help, family dynamics, kids podcast, mental health, teen mental health, attachment styles, emotional intelligence

Transcript

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0:00.0	Tell me a parenting issue everyone struggles with with tweens and teens, but no one talks about.
0:06.6	Rina, I think a lot of people feel like they just don't know how to connect to their kid anymore.
0:12.7	I'm Rina Nainen and welcome to Ask Lisa the psychology of raising tweens and teens.
0:17.6	And I'm Dr. Lisa DeMore.
0:19.1	We bring you science-back strategies for managing anxiety, discipline, intense emotions, and more.
0:24.6	We decode tough parenting issues with tips you can use right now.
0:28.6	So subscribe to Ask Lisa the psychology of raising tweens and teens and join our YouTube community today.
0:35.6	Just Google, Ask Lisa Podcast.
0:38.0	We're here to help you untangle family life.
0:43.4	Episode 235, no phones at school.
0:46.3	How do I help my kid cope?
0:54.1	So how was your summer?
0:57.1	It was good. It was busy and productive.
1:01.6	We took a family trip to Dublin.
1:04.2	Of all weird things, there is a direct flight from Cleveland to Dublin.
1:07.3	So the four of us were like, well, let's go to Dublin.
1:10.1	And we had a great time. How about you? Oh, my gosh. I feel like every year the summer just goes by so fast and everything I had in my to-do list, I got nothing done. And I hate that feeling when the school year starts that there's so much left to do that you haven't finished. Any advice on that? Well, okay, so actually, here's something I have often found. Once the school year starts, I feel like I have better
1:30.5	control of my time. You know, that once the routine set in, I actually feel like my to do list is a little bit more easy to wrangle. I think it's often in the summer when there's so much unpredictability. And also, I think a little bit of a sense, I don't know if you feel this of like, I shouldn't really be working quite so hard. And so then you don't work quite so
1:48.0	hard. so much unpredictability. And also, I think a little bit of a sense, I don't know if you feel this, of like,
2:03.1	I shouldn't really be working quite so hard. And so then you don't work quite so hard. What do you think? Oh, yeah. No, definitely. I think everyone needs a break in the summer and trying to figure that balance is so important. But you're right. There's something you have always told us about the importance of warmth and structure and why that's important in a household. So I love that. You know,
2:01.4	one thing we're seeing in schools across the... told us about the importance of warmth and structure and why that's important in a household.
2:02.3	So I love that.
	...

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