Click for full show notes, exercises, and parenting scripts from this episodeAre you are paralyzed by the thought of your teen failing? What if they never pass French or Algebra 2 or bomb their piano concert? As parents, it’s hard to watch your kids mess up, especially when if they had just listened to your suggestions in the first place they wouldn’t be stuck in a hole they only seem to be digging deeper. But rather than throwing down a rope to help them climb out of that hole, maybe there’s a better way to help them out. In our interview this week with Jessica Lahey, author of The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed, we talk about just that. A storied middle school and high school educator for more than 20 years (and mom to her own teens), Jessica has seen it all: from student outbursts in class to pens thrown at her head to lockers that are so full you’d need a crowbar to wedge out the mess of binders, papers and textbooks. In addition to her decades in education, Jessica has spent years researching the most effective techniques to use with teens, or as she sometimes refers to them “people in progress.” Her tactics to help teens learn from failures are all based on the science and psychology of teens’ developing brains. Executive functioning, like organization and emotional regulation are still developing in teens, which is why parents (and teachers and coaches) all have a part to play in raising future adults. In addition to learning how to help your teen learn and move on from failures, you will discover:
The fine line between “social jostling” and bullying
How to correct your teen’s mistakes to avoid repetitive errors
Why and how middle school is a “set up” for teens to fail
The importance of identifying your teens signals
How to institute a routine “clean out” to promote organization in your teen
 Jessica’s book is everywhere—I even found a copy in bookstore in Argentina!—and I’m so excited to be sharing her expertise with our listeners!