Talking To Teens: Expert Tips for Parenting Teenagers
Kids & Family
Sometimes teens behave in ways that seem truly inexplicable. One day they'd rather die than miss a trip to the mall with their friends...and the next they can’t stand a single one of those same friends! They want to join the lacrosse team but won’t go to a single practice, date someone new every week, and change their future career three times in one day. It seems like they’re being motivated by something behind the scenes…something that even they don’t understand!
In reality, teens are acting under the influence of all sorts of brain chemicals that developed as a result of evolution. Beyond just the reproductive hormones like testosterone and estrogen that we often associate with adolescence, kids are motivated by their internal reward system, including chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins. These chemicals cause teens to form habits and reward-seeking patterns that not only shape their teenage lives, but potentially their adult lives too!
To understand how these chemical forces work in the teenage brain, we’re talking to Loretta Breuning, author of Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin, & Endorphin Levels. Loretta is the founder of the Inner Mammal Institute, which provides resources for people to understand their pleasure-seeking brain chemicals and cultivate a happier life!
In our interview, Loretta explains how oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin and endorphins work, how these chemicals change teens’ behavior, and what happens when teens don’t get enough of them.
Ep 274: Escaping the Villain Role
Ep 273: Lowering the Drama in Big Family Choices
Ep 272: Helping Teens Discuss Anxiety
Ep 271: Navigating the Teen Loneliness Epidemic
Ep 270: Parenting Beyond Social Media
Ep 269: Are You a Consistent Parent?
Ep 268: How to Convince Stubborn Teens
Ep 267: Neurodivergent Teens and Communication
Ep 266: Is Social Media Making Our Teens Angry?
Ep 265: Turning Teens Into Savvy Investors
Ep 264: Overcoming Anxiety, Finding Well-Being
Ep 263: Sex, Puberty and Parenting
Ep 262: Built to Move: Healthy Teens
Ep 261: What Your Teen’s Music Says About Them
Ep 260: How to Turn Setbacks into Success
Ep 259: What’s Your Pronoun?
Ep 258: Privacy Versus Parenting
Ep 257: From Grieving to Resilient Parent
Ep 256: Tricky Talks: Weight, Food, and Exercise
Ep 255: How Much Should Parents Push?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
History Storytime - For Kids
Privacy Boys
Nonsensical Show
The Count of Monte Cristo
Grimms’ Fairy Tales
Dr. Laura Call of the Day
Focus on the Family with Jim Daly