253: How to Future-Proof Your Kids in 2026

Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens

Dr. Lisa Damour/Reena Ninan

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

4.8 • 720 Ratings

🗓️ 6 January 2026

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Are you worried about how your tween or teen will navigate an unpredictable future? With AI accelerating, the economy shifting, and the world feeling increasingly fragile, many parents are asking, “How do I prepare my child for what’s ahead?” In this New Year’s episode of Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens, Dr. Lisa Damour and Reena Ninan break down what kids actually need to thrive in 2026 and beyond. Drawing on psychology, developmental research, and decades of clinical experience, Lisa shares a powerful new framework to help kids grow into adaptable, ethical, and emotionally steady young adults, no matter what the future holds. 💡 YOU'LL LEARN: - Dr. Lisa’s ACED framework for building lifelong resilience - What quality best predicts long-term adult wellbeing - Practical language you can use to help kids face frustration, setbacks, and ethical dilemmas If you’ve ever wondered how to raise a good human in chaotic times, you’re in the right place. 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: resilience, adaptability, future-proof, emotional durability, conscientiousness 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.
0:43.2	Episode 253, how to future-proof your kids in 2026.
0:56.4	Here we are, 26.
0:57.5	Yep.
0:58.8	Happy New Year. Happy New Year to you too.
1:02.2	I love doing this in the New Year's episode with you because every year you kind of get us to open up our aperture and think a little widely. And so I'm curious what
1:13.0	you have for us to think about in 2026. Okay. So I have this idea of like, how do we future
1:21.2	proof our kits? And the term future proof, actually, I didn't make it up, but I thought it
1:27.1	was super cool. It was in an article that I was interviewed for in the Atlantic. And I was like, that's a great term. And I think a lot of what families think, you know, are kind of wondering about these days is like, where is this all headed? Like, what does AI mean for my kid? What does, you know, economic change mean for my kid? What does climate change mean for my kid?
1:44.5	Like some scary stuff in here, too. And so I've been thinking a lot about what we can do in the
1:51.8	here and now to help our kids get ready for the future ahead that does feel more and in some
1:59.4	way stranger. That's it. I'm not like, happy New Year, everybody. I feel like don't say anything, don't break anything. Like, it just feels like everything's a little fragile. It does. It does. And like no one wants to parent from that position. Like, that's not a place we want to be. Okay. So now, I always like to come up with acronyms, and I've only ever come up with one good one. Do you remember when we did the summer one? And it was sun, it was sleep, unplug in nature. Okay. I will never do a better one than that. Like, that was the best one ever. Okay, but this one is ACE or East. You can decide, ACE or A-C-E-D. It's up to you. Okay. So the A, in terms of what are we
2:38.5	going to do to future proof our kids, we're going to help them be adaptable. Adaptability is going
2:44.9	to be a key thing that, like, obviously, all of our kids are going to do. How do you teach adaptability?
	...

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