# How To Deal With the Adolescent Rollercoaster | With Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-to-deal-6351386/how-to-deal-with-the-adolescent-rollercoaster-with-dr-cara-natterson-and-vanessa-kroll-bennett
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-to-deal-6351386/how-to-deal-with-the-adolescent-rollercoaster-with-dr-cara-natterson-and-vanessa-kroll-bennett.md
Podcast: [How To Deal](https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-to-deal-6351386)
Published: 2026-05-01T15:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcast.attachmentnerd.com/episode/how-to-deal-with-the-adolescent-rollercoaster-with-dr-cara-natterson-and-vanessa-kroll-bennett
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/9929b1d3-24c7-490f-9743-55540968af54.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/how-to-deal-6351386/episodes/how-to-deal-with-the-adolescent-rollercoaster-with-dr-cara-natterson-and-vanessa-kroll-bennett
Duration seconds: 2283

## Resource

How to Deal with Raising Tweens & Teens with Dr. Cara Natterson & Vanessa Kroll Bennett Episode Summary If you're a parent staring down the tunnel of adolescence and feeling the dread building — this episode is your permission slip to exhale. Eli sits down with Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett of Less Awkward for a warm, wildly informative, and surprisingly funny conversation about what puberty actually is, why it's happening earlier than ever, and how to be the parent your tween or teen genuinely needs — even when they're slamming doors and rolling their eyes. Expect real science, real talk, and a boxing metaphor that will change how you show up for your kid. Key Takeaways Adolescence is not something to survive — it's something to lean into. The mood swings, the push-back, the withdrawal: it's developmental, it's hormonal, and most importantly, it's not personal . Puberty is starting 2–3 years earlier than it did a generation ago. Average onset is now ages 8–9 for girls and 9–10 for boys. The first sign? According to pediatric endocrinologist Louise Greenspan: a slamming door. ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and socioeconomic stress accelerate puberty through chronic cortisol release — not race. Kids of color are often entering puberty earlier, and this intersects with data showing that adults tend to age children of color as older than they are, creating an unfair double burden. Sex hormones surge and drop every 6–12 hours — which is why your kid can seem perfectly reasonable at breakfast and completely dysregulated by dinner. It's not you, it's biology. Your job is to be the corner person, not get in the ring. Like a boxing coach, your role is to offer a place to rest, encouragement, and steady presence — not to fight their battles or fight…

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## Transcript

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