Talking To Kids About Puberty, Boundaries, & Consent | Dr. Cara Natterson & Dr. Nadine Thornhill | A Kids Co.
Raising Us: A Parenting Podcast | Jun 09 2026 | 00:33:50

When puberty hits earlier and emotions run higher, the conversations we have with our kids about their bodies, sex, and consent matter more than ever. Kids are already learning about these topics earlier and earlier from peers, media and the world around them. To help parents keep up, host Elise Hu revisits earlier conversations with Dr. Cara Natterson and Dr. Nadine Thornhill with their expert guidance for parents supporting kids through puberty, adulthood, and relationships. Dr. Natterson first offers advice on answering tough questions, sharing the science behind changing bodies, and how parents can start – and restart – hard conversations again and again. Dr. Thornhill later breaks down how parents can start teaching consent with age-appropriate language early, and shares her strategies for creating judgment-free spaces for open conversations, curiosity, and the foundation for healthy relationships.
Key Takeaways:
Practice humility when having conversations that might not have landed the first time.
Teach kids the science behind puberty, to make it feel less foreign.
Cooperatively create strategies with your child ahead of time to tackle mood swings or big emotions as they happen.
Own your values, state the facts, avoid myths when tackling harder conversations.
Mirror consent in your relationship with your kids, to encourage healthy relationships of their own.
⏱️ Timestamps:
Keep the conversation going at home with our FREE Conversation Kit companion guides:
Puberty: https://delivery.shopifyapps.com/-/635fc50075e16277/a79a12e9a0e00e65
Sex & Consent: https://delivery.shopifyapps.com/-/9b568f6658d0ea66/888e268eaecfb4cd
Follow Dr. Cara Natterson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caranatterson
Learn more from Dr. Nadine Thornhill: https://everybodycurious.com
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