Talking Body Changes with Our Tweens & Teens

A tough subject, tackled!

This week we’re diving right into a big part of parenting tweens and teens (ages 12-18): helping them understand their changing bodies. I’m excited to have the fabulous Nancy Redd back on the podcast to guide us through this. Nancy is a bestselling author, and her new book, The Real Body Manual: Your Visual Guide to Health and Wellness, is a game-changer for families with growing kids.

In this episode, Nancy shares how her own experiences as a mom inspired her to write books that tackle topics with honesty and care. She wrote Bedtime Bonnet to help her daughter understand the importance of protecting her hair overnight with a bonnet, and The Real Santa to address her son’s curiosity about Santa’s identity. Now, as her son is navigating the teen years, she’s taken on puberty and body changes with The Real Body Manual.

This refreshingly candid, medically-vetted book covers everything tweens and teens need to know about their bodies—from puberty and hygiene to mental health and self-esteem. It includes topics like breast size, penis size, and skin conditions, and has LOTS of photos. Nancy believes that removing shame from body conversations is key, which is why she included photos of real people with different body types and skin tones: to help normalize what’s normal. Some images might surprise parents at first, but as Nancy says, “The more you see it, the less shocking it becomes. Shock is often just fear, and the more comfortable we get with looking at different parts of the body, the better off we are.”  Nancy and I talk about how parents can use this book to start those tough conversations in an open and supportive way.

Nancy is justifiably proud of this book because “it offers an opportunity to break open a lot of taboo issues, a lot of confusing issues.” She points out that many of the concerns our children have about their changing bodies are completely normal, but without proper information, these worries can lead to unnecessary anxiety and stress. When young people know what to expect, they're better equipped to handle changes with confidence.

Listen now to Real Conversations about Tween & Teen Bodies with Nancy Redd to hear us dive deeply into these issues, and be sure to pick up Nancy’s new book The Real Body Manual: Your Visual Guide to Health and Wellness.  Whether you have tweens, teens, or even adult children, this book offers valuable insights for understanding and discussing body changes and health. It's the kind of resource I wish existed when my children were growing up!

Thanks as always to Paramount and Seneca Women Podcast Network for their support.  And I can’t say it often enough: I'm so grateful to have you all with us on this parenting journey. We're all learning and growing together. After you listen to the episode, I'd love to hear what you think.  What body or puberty conversations are you finding tough to have with your tweens and teens? Let’s support each other. And please let friends know about this newsletter and podcast: help GCP grow!

Here's to raising healthy, confident children who understand and appreciate their bodies!

Enjoy,