This is Ask Lisa, a podcast to help people understand the psychology of parenting, now in the midst of a pandemic.

Psychologist Dr. Lisa DeMore, author of two New York Times best-selling parenting books, takes your questions.

And I'm co-host, Rina Ninan, a journalist and mom of two.

Some of what we talk about comes from raising children ourselves. Most of the time, I'll be

getting answers to your parenting questions. So send your questions to Ask Lisa at

Dr.Lisademore.com. Episode 26, my child is turning into a teenager.

How do I handle it?

I feel like everyone is so irritable.

I know we're at various phases of this pandemic,

but I'm at the incredibly irritable phase,

and I feel like we all are in my

household at this point. You know, the phrase I have seen over and over again on social media

and places is that sense of hitting a wall. Yeah. The people are just like, come on. Is this still going on?

I mean, I'm doing the chocolate, like you say,

something to look forward to in the afternoon,

as you recommended, planned a vacation,

might get canceled if we're not vaccinated in the summer.

But, you know, it makes me feel almost like right when I was becoming a teenager,

just cranky, and I'm like, at 41, am I, like, regressing here?

Have you become irritable and reactive like a young person?

Exactly.

I know that feeling all too well.

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