260: Is My Son Too Obsessed With His Girlfriend?

Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens

Dr. Lisa Damour/Reena Ninan

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

4.7 • 824 Ratings

🗓️ 24 February 2026

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Is your teen too obsessed with their girlfriend or boyfriend? Constant texting, ditching friends, and living on their phone. Perhaps you're watching them disappear into this relationship and you don't know what to do. If you're worried your teen's relationship is too intense and wondering how to talk to them about healthy balance without pushing them away, this episode is for you. Dr. Lisa Damour and Reena Ninan tackle a question from a mom whose high school son is texting his girlfriend 24/7, barely seeing his friends anymore, and disappearing onto what Lisa calls a "relationship island." Sound familiar? If you're wondering how to manage your teen's dating relationship without making things worse, or you're seeing your teen losing friends because of their relationship, this episode is for you. 💡 IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL DISCOVER: - Why today's teen relationships are more consuming than the ones we had - The real danger: Why teen isolation from friends is the biggest risk - Where you actually have power as a parent - The #1 mistake that backfires every time - What to say (and NOT say) when the relationship ends and your teen is devastated ________________ Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens is the essential podcast for parents seeking expert guidance, tested strategies, and psychological insights on raising kids, especially tweens and teens. Join renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour and former journalist and mom of two Reena Ninan as they explore real-life parenting challenges. Looking to learn more about how to boost kids’ resilience, build their confidence, or support their emotional well-being? Dr. Lisa and Reena have got you covered! Together they address listener questions about stress, anxiety, social media concerns, school pressures, and challenges in peer relationships. Each episode provides practical advice and science-backed solutions to help parents raise resilient, confident, and emotionally healthy kids. Tune in every week for the latest topics in parenting, child psychology, and family wellness. Get answers to your most pressing parenting questions. New episodes drop every Tuesday. ________________ Episode keywords: teen relationship too intense, teenage son has girlfriend, teen spending too much time with girlfriend, teen ignoring friends for girlfriend, how to talk to teen about intense relationship, teen relationship healthy balance, high school relationship advice, teen losing friends because of relationship, teen constant texting girlfriend, managing teen dating relationships 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.
0:12.8	I'm Rina Nainan 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 260 is my son too obsessed with his girlfriend.
0:59.8	Love, love in the time of the teenage years. What's your take on all that, Lisa?
1:05.7	Oh, man. You know, we're like fresh off Valentine's Day. This is top of mind for a lot of people.
1:29.0	You know, in general, teens are not dating as much as they used to be. And I think it's one of those things where, like, we can end up with the, like, no matter what teens do, people give them a hard time. Like, if they're, like, very, very, you know, emotionally entangled with one another, we freak out. If they don't date enough, we freak out, you know. But, you know, it's intense. I have cared for teenagers who are in some pretty intense relationships,
1:34.9	and I don't think we should ever underestimate the power of these. I was so glad to get this letter. Yeah, let's get right into it. I want to read this to you. Hello, Dr. Lisa and Rina.
1:39.5	My son is a sophomore in high school and has had a girlfriend for almost six months now. The relationship has grown from hanging out occasionally to spending nearly every weekend together
1:48.7	and communicating constantly over text, Snapchat, phone. She's a really sweet girl, and I can tell
1:54.1	she makes him happy. But I'm worried that things might be a bit too serious for their age.
1:59.5	I'm also concerned about how this might affect his
2:01.9	friendships and his ability to continue figuring out who he is at this stage. He used to spend time
2:07.9	gaming online with his friends, but that doesn't happen anymore. Even when his friends are over,
2:13.0	I notice he's often on his phone, texting, or snapping his girlfriend. The constant communication seems intense.
2:20.1	I know that his friends are getting together and I don't hear him mentioning anything about it.
	...

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