279: ENCORE: The Summer of Building Independence

279: ENCORE: The Summer of Building Independence

From Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life by Dr. Lisa Damour

July 7, 2026 · 31 min

About this episode

Dr. Lisa Damour discusses how to foster independence in tweens and teens during the summer months.

If you feel like you're doing too much for your kids — and it’s time for them to do more for themselves — this episode is your roadmap out. Dr. Lisa Damour makes the case for using summer to foster independence in our kids. The summer months provide the perfect window to hand off real responsibilities to your tween or teen in a way that actually sticks. From laundry to cooking dinner to managing their own appointments, this encore episode gives you a practical, step-by-step approach to raising a more capable kid. 💡 YOU'LL LEARN: - Why summer is the single best time of year to teach independence — and how to take advantage of the slower pace before fall routines kick back in - The four-step sequence for handing off any task — and how to adjust if your kid gets overwhelmed - Why independence is just as good for kids as it is for parents — and how being genuinely counted on builds competence, purpose, and mental health - How to respond to pushback and resistance without turning every chore into a negotiation - How to use structured choice to get teens to actually buy in — and why letting them pick their responsibilities makes a bigger difference than you'd expect GET DR. DAMOUR'S…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Lisa Damour

Topics covered

  • independence
  • parenting
  • responsibility
  • summer activities
  • tweens
  • teens

Keywords

  • independence
  • parenting
  • summer
  • responsibilities
  • tweens
  • teens
  • mental health

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: drlisadamour.com

Books & works: Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood

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