Ep. 23: Creating Resilience in Teens with Becky Goddard Hill

Do you think your teenager is moody and negative? Becky Goddard Hill is co-author of Be Happy, Be You - a teenage guide to happiness [https://actuallymummy.co.uk/the-secret-to-raising-confident-teenagers/]. Her book - and this podcast episode - is packed with small tips that teens can easily fit into their lives to help improve how they're feeling. Our teens are happier than we think they are However, beneath the sometimes surly demeanor, Becky says our teenagers are coping really well with the stress in their lives. During lockdown children's charity Childline had a 40% increase in calls from under 11's, but calls from teenagers reduced. The assumption is that the reduced burden of schoolwork and real-time relationship pressures meant that teens actually felt calmer than usual during lockdown. In contrast, re-entering the new normal of Covid life has found teenagers more worried than they were before, so Becky's tips on helping them to cope are super relevant right now. Accepting that teens have a different reality What I loved most about my chat with Becky though was how she puts into perspective the frustrations I might have with my own teenagers, and helps me to understand that they're coming at life from a totally different place to me! She says we're all born with negativity bias, and that giving into that as parents could be a modelling behaviour we need to address in ourselves. Becky made me think about role modelling positivity and optimism with my kids, because it will be contagious - especially during the pandemic! Why teens make us despair! There's also a reason why our teenagers indulge in risky behaviours. Apparently dopamine levels are reduced in the teenage years, meaning that young people start to up their risk factors in order to get the happiness hit they're looking for. Who knew! Have a listen to the episode for more brilliant nuggets of information and advice from Becky. Useful links to things we spoke about: * News from Childline [https://www.childline.org.uk/] about the increase in calls from under 11s [https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/53355529#:~:text=Childline%20reports%2037%25%20increase%20in%20contacts%20from%20kids%20aged%2011%20and%20under,-16%20Jul%202020&text=The%20charity%20reports%20that%20counselling,of%20sessions%20before%20lockdown%20began.] * Paul Dolan - Happiness by Design [https://pauldolan.co.uk/happiness-by-design-finding-pleasure-and-purpose-in-everyday-life] * Rainy Day Mum's bread recipe [https://rainydaymum.co.uk/easy-bread-dough-cooking-with-kids/] Where to find more from Becky: * Becky's books - Be Happy Be You [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Be-Happy-You-Teenage-Guide/dp/0008367566/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=be+happy+be+you&qid=1605104310&sr=8-1], Create Your Own Calm [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Create-Your-Calm-Becky-Goddard-Hill/dp/0008367582/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=create+your+own+calm&qid=1605104404&sr=8-1], and you can pre-order Create Your Own Kindness [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Create-your-own-kindness-Activities/dp/0008439583/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=create+your+own+kindness&qid=1604939451&sr=8-1] on Amazon. * Becky is also on Twitter [https://twitter.com/BeckyGoddardH], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/beckygoddardhill/], and has her own website A Beautiful Space [https://abeautifulspace.co.uk/]. More teenage parenting tips: There are lots more episodes of the Teenage Kicks podcast. You can email me on