Cara Natterson's Blog, page 25

Connecting Obvious Dots: Unhealthy Living and Bad Grades

The other night, my 14-year old daughter was craving something desserty after dinner. We usually have something sweet to graze on in the house, particularly because I am big on moderation but not on deprivation. She searched the fridge, the freezer, and the pantry, threw up her hands and proclaimed, “I hate that we’re healthy!” We all cracked up because we’ve all been there. Maybe, though, if she had read this article, she would have worded her complaints slightly differently. Then again, dessert doesn’t make this article’s list. PS Yes, I just replenished the ice cream supply.

CDC: Unhealthy behavior and bad grades linked for high schoolers



























There’s a link between unhealthy behavior and bad grades, according to a new study of high school students by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study doesn’t show that one causes the other, the authors said. But it underlines that good grades are far from just a matter of intelligence....  READ MORE

Girl Talk... Because with All of My Boy Content Lately, I've Missed It!

Even though I am deep in it with boys these days, I haven’t forgotten about the girls! Puberty is human, after all. Thanks, Your Teen for Parents Mag, for the great interview and putting this info out into the world. 

Talking About Periods: Don’t Leave Your Daughter Unprepared



























Growing up, talking about periods wasn’t really a thing. My mother and I didn’t discuss menstruation. In fact, I learned the basics from a combination of my preteen friends, a dreadful 20-minute lecture in health class by the female gym teacher, and Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Read More

Listen now: Life of Dad Show Interviews Dr. Cara

PODCAST host, Art Eddy talks with Dr. Cara Natterson about her latest book, Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys. Guy Stuff provides boys with the answers that will help them take care of themselves better, from hair care to healthy eating, bad breath to shaving, acne to voice changes, and everything in between. With tips, how-tos, and facts from a real pediatrician, it’s the perfect book to help boys learn about their body’s changes.

One More Review... Because I Couldn't Help It (Thanks TIME Magazine!)

I am not the type to post a slew of positive reviews, but I couldn't help it. Thank you, TIME Magazine, for recounting the amazing history of "The Care and Keeping" series and placing "Guy Stuff" on par.  

This Classic Puberty Book for Girls Is Now Getting a Boy Edition



























In 1998, American Girl accomplished something truly remarkable: the doll company published a puberty book that girls actually liked.For many girls born in the last 30 years,  The Care and Keeping of You has been a bible of awkward adolescence. Aimed at girls aged 8 to 12, it used a conversational tone and relatable illustrations to talk girls through everything from basic hygiene to the more pubic side of puberty. Girls kept copies of the book close at hand READ MORE...

GUY STUFF Launches... and the AP Raves. YAY!

Thank you to Leanne Italie and the Associated Press for the early praise for Guy Stuff. This was a true labor of love - I am so excited to put it out into the world. Take home message: boy puberty and girl puberty aren't as different as everyone might think, and boys deserve to be included in the conversation. Welcome, boys!

Doctor who wrote 'The Care & Keeping of You' offers boy bookNEW YORK (AP) — Attention boys: You will grow taller, sprout hair, sweat more, develop muscles, fight breakouts, acquire deeper voices and experience changes to your private parts.And those are just the basics!Dr. Cara Natterson, the pediatrician and Los Angeles mom who has connected with millions of young girls through her... READ MORE

Boys Will Be Boys... Because We Reinforce It

Spoiler alert: I have a boy book on the way. It's called Guy Stuff, and it's the boy version of my series The Care and Keeping of You. I have spent the last year submerged deeply in the world of boy development - partially thanks to the book and partially thanks to the existence of a now-12-year old boy under my own roof. This article says so much about how we socialize our boys to withhold emotional expression. Hopefully, Guy Stuff will give them - and their parents - some tools to reverse this. 

Talking to Boys the Way We Talk to GirlsAt a Father’s Day breakfast, my 5-year-old son and his classmates sang a song about fathers, crooning about “my dad who’s big and strong” and “fixes things with his hammer” and, above all else, “is really... Read More

Should You Navigate Your Kid's Secret Online Life?

This is a tricky one: while hands-off parents who allow their kids free reign in the digital world are accused of putting their children at risk, hands-on parents who hover and follow and even curate their kids' online life are often accused of the same. We are all trying to strike the right middle ground. So where is that?

The Secret Social Media Lives of TeenagersEarlier this week, Harvard University revealed that it had rescinded admissions offers to at least 10 students who shared offensive images within what they thought was a private Facebook group chat. The students posted memes and images that mocked minority groups, child abuse, sexual assault and the... Read more  

A Legal Development Related to Brain Development

Anyone who knows me knows that I preach the gospel of Dr. Jay Giedd and others who have documented the slow development of the tween and teen brain. Graduating high school seniors are not, in fact, adults, at least in the fully-formed-brain sense. Neither are graduating college seniors. While lots of doctors know this, it's a pair of San Francisco lawyers who are doing something about it.

A California Court for Young Adults Calls on ScienceSAN FRANCISCO — On a cloudy afternoon in the Bayview district, Shaquille, 21, was riding in his sister’s 1991 Acura when another car ran a stop sign, narrowly missing them. Both cars screeched to a halt, and... Read More

Cell Phone High

For parents who are looking for an upside to cell phone use among your kids, look no further.

Are Teenagers Replacing Drugs With Smartphones?Amid an opioid epidemic, the rise of deadly synthetic drugs and the widening legalization of marijuana, a curious bright spot has emerged in the youth drug culture: American teenagers are growing less likely to try or regularly use drugs, including alcohol. With minor fits and starts, the trend has been building for a decade, with no clear understanding as to why.   Read More

The Teenage Brain, Global Edition

Throughout the world, adolescent brains develop in the same stepwise manner. This leads to a peak in risk-taking in the late teen years, well before good old rational decision making predominates (usually not until the mid-20s). So why, then, do some countries see more thrill-seeking teenagers than others?

Teenagers Do Dumb Things, but There Are Ways to Limit RecklessnessBy now parents are familiar with the worrisome finding that the thrill-seeking centers of the adolescent brain can readily outmatch the teenage brain’s emerging rational control systems.I count myself among the adults who... Read More