How can you tactfully coach a child toward motivation and routine when they’ve experienced a major loss? Liz, a mother of two, asks herself this every day. After losing her middle daughter in 2020, she has watched her oldest struggle to do chores and make plans. Liz knows her middle child’s death was devastating on the entire family unit, and yet she wants her 18-year-old to move forward with her plans for college and her career. This conversation is about being curious with a child who is both hurting and growing, and the care our kids need as they enter adulthood, especially in the most unexpected of circumstances.

Talkaboutable is produced by Lemonada Media, in partnership with the Ohana Center for Child and Family Mental Health at Montage Health, and made possible through funding from the Montage Health Foundation. Together, we are committed to helping families talk about the issues children, teens, and young adults are facing today. We believe that when these conversations happen at home — even about the most challenging subjects — children build the skills they need to flourish. Because when families are connected, the hard moments become more bearable, the good moments become even better, and it all becomes Talkaboutable.

Stay up to date with Lemonada on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our shows and get bonus content. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can you be the best stepparent you can be when half of your stepchild’s life is out of your hands? Jamie is a stepmother trying to find the most helpful and healthy way to show up for her husband and his son, a role she cherishes though sometimes finds hard and confusing, particularly when it comes to the rules and expectations set by the bio mom. This is an episode about unconventional arrangements and the challenges that they can bring, as well as the unique opportunities they present for connection, growth, and love.

Talkaboutable is produced by Lemonada Media, in partnership with the Ohana Center for Child and Family Mental Health at Montage Health, and made possible through funding from the Montage Health Foundation. Together, we are committed to helping families talk about the issues children, teens, and young adults are facing today. We believe that when these conversations happen at home — even about the most challenging subjects — children build the skills they need to flourish. Because when families are connected, the hard moments become more bearable, the good moments become even better, and it all becomes Talkaboutable.

Stay up to date with Lemonada on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our shows and get bonus content. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you reassure your young child that you’re healthy and strong in the aftermath of cancer? How do you tell him that his feelings are okay but his actions are not? This mother says that, together, she and her son have endured a trifecta of trauma: a cancer diagnosis, a divorce, and a death in the family. Today’s episode explores how she can help her son open up about his biggest fears and work through them in a way that doesn’t result in hitting or biting.

Talkaboutable is produced by Lemonada Media, in partnership with the Ohana Center for Child and Family Mental Health at Montage Health, and made possible through funding from the Montage Health Foundation. Together, we are committed to helping families talk about the issues children, teens, and young adults are facing today. We believe that when these conversations happen at home — even about the most challenging subjects — children build the skills they need to flourish. Because when families are connected, the hard moments become more bearable, the good moments become even better, and it all becomes Talkaboutable.

Stay up to date with Lemonada on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our shows and get bonus content. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.