Think raising teens is tough? Try doing it in a world where achievement pressure is as relentless as your kid’s TikTok scrolling. In this episode, we’re joined by Jennifer Wallace, an award-winning journalist and author of the New York Times bestseller Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic -- and What We Can Do About It. And she sheds light on why “mattering” matters and how the cult of toxic achievement messes with our kids’ self-worth. We explore how a touch of curiosity in your parenting can help you understand what’s really going on and how to navigate teacher relationships without needing a degree in diplomacy.

We also tackle how teens can thrive in healthy competition and recognize when envy turns toxic. Plus, we break down how achievement pressure messes with their heads through negativity bias and why building your own resilience is crucial for their sake. So join us for practical, relatable insights to help you go from barely surviving to truly thriving in this high-stakes parenting game.

Resources We Shared:

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Learn more about Jennifer HERE!

On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good by Elise Loehnen 

The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté MD

No Guilt Mom Podcast Episode 304: How to Go from Rejected to Accepted: Your Toolkit for College Admissions Success with Eric Tipler, MA 

No Guilt Mom Podcast Episode 147: Why You Need Healthy Anxiety vs. Unhealthy Anxiety with Dr. Lisa Damour

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