TPP 477: A Conversation About All Things Puberty, with Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett
episode
Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
41 min
1 speaker
8 chapters
transcribed 9 hours ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
What is the early onset of puberty and why is it happening now?
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I'm Debbie Reber, and this is Full Tilt Parenting. And I am thrilled to bring back to the podcast, Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll-Bennett, the dynamic duo behind This Is So Awkward, Modern Puberty Explained, and the co-host of the This Is So Awkward podcast. Cara is a pediatrician, consultant, and New York Times bestselling author whose Care and Keeping of You series, you might have heard of it, has sold more than 7 million copies. Vanessa is a puberty educator, writer, and entrepreneur who founded Dynamo Girl, which helps kids build confidence through sports, puberty education, and parent workshops. So together, they are transforming how we all talk about this stage of development, making it more inclusive, informed, and a lot less uncomfortable.
So Cara and Vanessa were on the show a few years ago when their This is So Awkward book was first published. And I was really excited to have them back on for a deeper conversation about this often awkward but incredibly important stage of growing up called puberty and how parents can better support their kids through it, especially when neurodivergence adds an extra layer of complexity. In this conversation today, we're going to dive into the early onset of puberty, what's new in the updated paperback edition of This is So Awkward, which just came out this fall, and their vision for a more comprehensive, affirming approach to health education. We also talk about the unique challenges for parents of neurodivergent kids and why all of us, parents, educators, and communities need better tools and language to support young people through this pivotal time.
I mean, we are talking about whole child development because every child, no matter their age, their race, their socioeconomic status, their brain wiring, they're all going to go through this stage of life. And as it turns out, what all kids need to emerge more seen and whole is the exact same thing. I really love this conversation and I hope you do too. And please don't forget to share this episode with someone in your world who could use Cara and Vanessa's grounded wisdom right now. You can share the podcast episode or share the video on YouTube over at my Full Tilt Parenting YouTube channel. So here's my conversation with Cara and Vanessa on all things puberty. Hey, Cara and Vanessa, welcome back to the podcast.
Thanks, Debbie. Thank
you. We're so happy to be here.
I'm really excited to have you back when your publicist reached out and said, there's a paperback edition of This is So Awkward. I was like, great, bring them on. I just love getting to chat with you and consider you very wise about all things, teens and tweens and puberty. And so I just wanted to get into conversation with you. So in case people haven't listened to our first episode together, which if you haven't, listeners, there's a link in the show notes, definitely check that out. But would you guys just take a few minutes and talk about who you are in your collaboration together? Because it's really pretty magical what you've got going on.
This is Cara. My origin story is that I'm a pediatrician and I was in practice for a while in Los Angeles and ended up flipping into a career of writing books, which landed me at American Girl and writing their puberty series, The Care and Keeping of You. And that opened so many very interesting, amazing doors for me. And maybe the most exciting door it opened was the door to Vanessa Carole Bennett. because she hasn't heard this version of my story. I
was like, where is it going? Where is this going?
You get to choose in life if you're a collaborator or if you're a sole operator, and there's nothing wrong with either one.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the early onset of puberty and why is it happening now?
0:00–6:16
2
How do neurodivergent children experience puberty differently?
6:16–10:32
3
What updates were made in the new paperback edition of *This Is So Awkward*?
10:32–17:25
4
Why is it important to include boys in puberty conversations and how can parents support them?
17:25–22:54
5
How does the school‑based curriculum “That Health Class” address diverse learner needs?
22:54–29:51
6
What resources and tools do the authors provide for parents and educators?
29:51–34:46
7
How can families create language and advocacy skills for neurodivergent kids during puberty?
34:46–39:45
8
What is the long‑term vision for whole‑child development and inclusive health education?
39:45–41:58
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
TPP 266a: A Conversation with Poet and Advocate LeDerick Horne
TPP 522: A Whole Child Approach to ADHD with Phil Boucher, M.D.
TPP 091a: A Conversation With Steve Silberman About His Book “Neurotribes”
TPP 521: A Conversation with Dr. Peter Gray About Restoring Childhood
TPP 253a: Advocate and Author Jonathan Mooney on Why Normal Sucks
TPP 520: Dr. Özgür Bolat on Why Rewards Backfire and the Real Science of Motivating Kids