Pimples, Boobs, And Body Hair: On This Podcast, Teens Help Younger Kids Understand Puberty
Kids have LOTS of questions about puberty. The teens on Brains On: Puberty give them real answers.
Hi Friends,
I’m excited to share a new podcast series with you today. It’s called Puberty! (The Podcast), and it’s produced by the team behind the wonderful show Brains On.
I did a little behind-the-scenes work on the scripts, and I appear in “guest expert” mode giving some advice in Episode 4. The real stars, though, are the teen hosts who talk about their recent experiences with puberty. Their honest reflections and smart insights really make the show. Check out the trailer to get a sense of what it’s all about.
Big love,
Christopher
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It’s Here! Brains On Universe Presents…Puberty! (The Podcast)
Puberty! It’s a lot. There are the awkward conversations and the questions we’re too nervous to ask and the sometimes uncomfortable experience of living in a body that’s changing fast (and publicly!).
This podcast is here to help. Hosted by Molly Bloom, of the award-winning science podcast Brains On, and co-hosted by high schoolers who’ve just been through it, Puberty! (The podcast) is for everybody — and every body.
Designed for kids 7-12, the show covers everything from brain chemicals to consent, in a straight-forward and digestible package. This is a safe space for young people to understand their bodies and their brains, and it’s a resource for parents to tackle otherwise difficult topics.
Experts, including Dr. Cara Natterson (Less Awkward), Christopher Pepper (Talk to Your Boys), Nora Gelperin (Advocates for Youth), and Erin Walsh (Spark & Stitch Institute), provide science-filled explanations and answer listener questions.
Find it wherever you listen to podcasts or at brainson.org/puberty.
Episode 1: What Is Puberty Anyway?
Kids grow a lot during puberty, and they also go through changes that make it possible for them to eventually have kids of their own. But it’s not just your body that changes during puberty. Your brain goes through changes, too, as it rewires to become more like an adult brain!
It’s like your whole body is under construction. So it’s no wonder that our listeners have lots of questions about this period in life.
In this episode we’re covering the basics. What is puberty? What’s kicking off these changes? And when can you expect them to happen? Dr. Cara Natterson from Less Awkward is here to help us answer.
And remember: No two people go through puberty exactly the same way. It’s different for everyone!
Episode 2: Skin, Sweat and Hair
In this episode, we’re talking about some of the first body changes you might notice when you go through puberty. We’re answering a lot of listener questions in this episode including: Why do grownups have hair where kids don’t? Why do armpits get stinkier during puberty? Why do zits happen? Why do you get oilier when you’re a teen?
Dr. Cara Natterson, author of The Care and Keeping of You and host of the podcast This is So Awkward, joins us again to help us navigate tricky issues dealing with your skin, sweat and hair.
Episode 3: Growth Spurts
In this episode we’re getting into how hormones kickstart all types of growth, during puberty. We answer kids’ questions like: what’s the deal with growing pains, why and how do our voices change and why do we get breasts. Short answer... it’s hormones. Listen to hear how human growth hormone, and estrogen, progesterone and testosterone activate and change our bodies.
This episode’s word of the day will both put you to sleep AND wake you up! Tune in to find out.
Episode 4: Reproduction
Ovaries and testicles are like hormone factories — and they also make the cells needed to create new humans! But what exactly do these body parts do? And how do they work?
In this episode, we’re getting to know the reproductive organs: ovaries and testicles (because understanding your body gives you the confidence to take care of it!). Pediatrician Dr. Cara Natterson and health educator Christopher Pepper are here to help us break it all down.
More Episodes On The Way!
Find them wherever you listen to podcasts or at brainson.org/puberty
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