Episode 372: When to Push and When to Pull Back in the Middle School Years with Dr. Lisa Damour

Raising Boys & Girls

That Sounds Fun Network

Religion & Spirituality, Kids & Family, Christianity, Parenting

4.9 • 1.9K Ratings

🗓️ 5 May 2026

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Dr. Lisa Damour explains that resilience comes from learning to handle discomfort, not avoiding it, and reminds parents that mental health isn’t about always feeling happy. Especially in the middle school years, kids face rapid changes and self-doubt, making it crucial for parents to support rather than rescue. By allowing kids to work through hard moments while staying gently connected, we help them build the confidence and capability they need for life. Resources mentioned: Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Dr. Lisa Damour Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls by Dr. Lisa Damour The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents by Dr. Lisa Damour . . . . . . Sign up to receive the⁠ bi-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠monthly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Pre-order our new book, Capable and grab tickets for Capable - The Book Tour here! See our speaking dates, purchase books and check out our courses here.. . . . . . If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Advertise With Us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ form. QUINCE: Go to ⁠Quince.com/rbg⁠ for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns. BOLL & BRANCH: Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at Bollandbranch.com/rbg⁠. Exclusions apply. SHOPIFY: Go to https://tinyurl.com/RBGShopify to learn more about Shopify! LEGACY BOX: Legacybox is running their Mother’s Day sale and they’re also offering an additional $10 off your order. Visit Legacybox.com and use discount code: RBG GO MINNO: Visit GoMinno.com to get a one month FREE TRIAL using code: RBG Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Do you remember when we first started the podcast?
0:04.0	I remember. We had microphones, big feelings, and absolutely no idea what we were doing.
0:09.7	We laugh all the time about how it's a miracle two therapist who struggled to open a Google Doc,
0:14.8	ever got a podcast off the ground. Starting something new is terrifying. And if I know then, what I know now,
0:23.2	I would have said, get a partner like Shopify.
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0:55.5	So if you're sitting on a what-if, maybe it's time.
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1:09.3	Go to Shopify.com slash RBG. That's Shopify.com slash RBG. Go to Shopify.com slash RBG.
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1:15.0	Okay.
1:17.1	Hey, friends. Welcome to the Raising Boys and Girls podcast.
1:29.9	I'm Sissy Goff.
1:31.0	And I'm David Thomas, and we're so glad you've joined us for this conversation.
1:35.6	Let's dive in.
1:42.2	Dr. Lisa DeMore is the author of three New York Times bestsellers, Untangled, Under Pressure, and the Emotional Lives of Teenagers, which have been translated into 23 languages.
1:53.8	She co-hosts the Ask Lisa podcast, works in collaboration with UNICEF, and is recognized as a thought leader by the American Psychological
	...

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