As parents, we have a general idea of the conversations we need to have with our kids before they to the throes of teendom – like the sex talk, and the drugs and alcohol talk – for example. But there are actually a whole lot more conversations that we need to be having, and we need to be having them sooner than later.
That’s why I’m so excited I got to chat with author Michelle Icard, whose new book Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen does just that: help guide parents through all the talks (from the easy to the thorny ones) from how to have them to what to address to how to get your kids to actually talk (note: the book is not called “14 lectures…”).
You can listen right now to Michelle’s helpful hints and fantastic insights, then be sure to subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode!
Links and topics from our show
– The B.R.I.E.F acronym that will help you have these conversations (or really, any conversations in your life) with ease.
– When to have these conversations… Is it okay to jump around? Start early? And how do you know when they’re ready?
– Why these conversations can help you build a trust and rapport with your kids (and why that’s important).
– The talk that was surprisingly the hardest (hint: It’s not sexuality or drugs and alcohol)
– What NOT to do when you’re trying to have these conversations, and common mistakes parents make
– Where to find Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen (it’s so good!) Affiliate link. You can also find Michelle on her website.
If you like this episode, you’ll love our episode about middle schoolers with Judith Warner, and our chat with Jordan Shapiro about parenting digital natives.
From our sponsor
We’re so excited to welcome our sponsor The Great Courses Plus, with whom we’re teaming up for our We Time Project. We’ve been missing the connection and community so we’ve decided to create some shared experiences! We’ll be taking this awesome How to grow anything: Food Gardening course, and we hope you’ll take it (or any of the 13,000 + courses at The Great Courses Plus) then chatting about on Monday, March 15, at 9pm ET on Facebook.
And, it’s free! They’re offering Spawned listeners a free month trial, so you’ll get unlimited access to their amazing courses taught by fantastic instructors and experts. We love the idea of connecting with our community over something that’s also enriching our lives (not that binge watching Bridgerton is not enriching but…).
So, sign up for The Great Courses Plus to get your free month trial today, then watch the Food Gardening course! And stay tuned for another We Time Project course next month (though you may have some suggestions for what we should do yourself). Yay!
Our Cool Picks of the Week
Michelle: With all this time spent hunched over a computer, Michelle is loving her tiger balm, neck heating pad, and Calm app combination. We’ll definitely have to give it a try ourselves.
Kristen: I’m obsessed with What We Do in the Shadows, a hilarious mockumentary about vampires living in Staten Island. You must binge this immediately.
This post contains affiliate links.
