Lisa Damour, Ph.D. includes Phyllis’s thoughts in this The New York Times article on tween and teen social conflict. “Social discord rarely involves bullying,” explains Fagell, a counselor at the Sheridan School and the author…
Phyllis talks about teen jealousy, FOMO, and teaching girls to support one another in this Facetime Live with Roy Petitfils, the host of Today’s Teenager podcast. Click here to watch.
Popularity matters, but not in the ways you might expect. There’s a “right” and “wrong” way to attain it. A child who is excluded will suffer now, but research shows that a child who steps…
Boys want to share the full range of their feelings, but many of them consider that too risky, feminine and “touchy feely.” If we give them the means to buck male stereotypes and form the…
When this seventh grade boy was shunned for making a mistake, he chose to do something incredibly courageous. His classmates’ reaction blew me away and made all the adults in the room cry. Sean sat…
“I need you to spread the cream cheese on my bagel,” my 9-year-old son told me. I shook my head. “No, you don’t. Last I checked, Alex, you have working hands.” He tested my resolve.…
I still have the handmade pillow I sewed with a friend in fourth grade. We wrote “best friends forever” in puffy paint across the surface. I also have the “slam book” my friends and I…
