The Puberty Talk: What Every Parent Actually Needs to Know with Dr. Cara Natterson & Vanessa Curl Bennett

About this episode

Leslie Heaney discusses puberty and parenting with Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Curl Bennett, covering essential topics for parents of teens.

If there was ever an episode to send to every parent you know, this is it. I sat down with Dr. Cara Natterson — pediatrician and author — and Vanessa Curl Bennett, and we went there. All the way there. Breast buds, NARBs, vaginal discharge (yes, we said it out loud), the sex talk, consent with kindergartners, and what to do when your kid's been watching porn before you've ever had the conversation. Their book, This Is So Awkward, is one of the most practical, honest, funny, and genuinely useful things I've read as a parent of teens. It walks you through the science of what's happening in your kid's body, helps you recognize your own baggage so it doesn't derail the conversation, gives you scripts for the actual hard moments, and — my favorite part — ends each section with perspective from young adults who've already been through it. We talked about: what breast buds actually mean (and why they're showing up years before a period), how to handle the first bra conversation without making it weird, what the NARB is and why your son needs a strategy for it, the concept of "not now" vs. "never" when it comes to alcohol, sex, and body hair, how the average age of first porn exposure is…

People in this episode

Host: Leslie Heaney

Guests: Dr. Cara Natterson, Vanessa Curl Bennett

Topics covered

• parenting
• puberty
• sex education
• consent
• teenagers
• communication

Keywords

• puberty talk
• parenting advice
• breast buds
• consent education
• teen communication
• porn exposure
• NARB

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: lessawkward.com

Books & works: This Is So Awkward

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