A Tween Parenting Shift for the AI Era (Introducing The In-Between Years)

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Mar 17, 2026

Dr. Sheryl Ziegler, a clinical psychologist who supports tweens, teens, and families, guides parents through today’s tech-driven adolescence. She names the core fears around AI and reframes parenting challenges. Short conversations cover joining your child’s curiosity, modeling human-first problem solving, and simple family agreements for using AI.

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INSIGHT

Focus On Relationship Not Tech Expertise

Parenting around AI is less about technical expertise and more about relationship maintenance.
Sheryl Ziegler reframes parental fear: unknown tech is the tip of an iceberg, underneath lies raising kids who can tell real from fake and come to adults.

ADVICE

Be Curious With Your Child About AI

Be curious alongside your child rather than pretending to be the tech expert.
Ask what they're learning about AI, normalize your own limited use (e.g., recipes, room design) and invite conversation without judgement.

ADVICE

Explain How Chatbots Feel Like People

Teach kids that AI is designed to mimic conversation and can replace human help in tempting ways.
Explain calmly that chatbots are always available and nonjudgmental, so set household norms about turning first to people for important personal issues.

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If you’re parenting right now, it can feel like the world your kids are growing up in is changing faster than you can understand it. AI. Social media. Phones. New technology showing up everywhere. And many parents are wondering the same thing: How am I supposed to guide my kids through something I barely understand myself?

Today, we're sharing a short clip from a new Good Inside podcast called The In-Between Years, hosted by clinical psychologist Dr. Sheryl Ziegler. Each week on the show, Dr. Sheryl talks with real parents about the questions that start showing up during the tween and teen years — the moments that feel confusing, scary, or totally new. In this conversation, a mom of a 9-year-old admits something many parents feel right now: AI feels like the big bad wolf and she has no idea how to talk about it with her kids. What Dr. Sheryl says next reframes the entire problem. If you have a tween or teen — or you know those years are coming — I think you’re going to love The In-Between Years.

New episodes drop every Wednesday; follow the show on Apple or Spotify so you don't miss a single one!

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For a full transcript of the episode, go to goodinside.com/podcast.

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Good Inside is growing up! Listen to The In-Between Years with Dr. Sheryl, for parents of teens and tweens!

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