How a pediatrician-turned-entrepreneur helps EO members communicate with tweens

Similar to entrepreneurship, parenthood doesn’t come with a manual. Parents are left on their own to learn how to raise well-adjusted, informed, self-starter adults. But even with an EO-level thirst for learning, parenting isn’t always easy.

Even the best parents find it difficult to talk to their kids about tough topics like puberty, sex, and porn. Amazing moms and dads, out of fear of saying the wrong thing, sometimes say nothing at all! That’s a grave disservice to children, who naturally want information and insights about the physical changes they experience during puberty.

Fortunately for EO members who are part of MyEO Families, the entrepreneurial and parenting paths are intersecting at just the right time to provide you with the learning you need to address this challenge.

Pediatricians on a mission

Pediatricians Dr. Lisa Klein and Dr. Carrie Leff are entrepreneurs on a mission to help parents share positive, productive discussions with their kids around awkward topics.

“It started in 2015 when our kids were ‘that age’, and people asked us how we, as pediatricians, talked to our kids about puberty,” Dr. Klein explained. “Turning Teen started as a passion project to help friends talk to their kids, and eventually turned into a business. We’re providing kids with lifelong lessons that will continue to benefit them as they grow and mature.”

Turning Teen provides virtual educational workshops to help parents start awkward conversations with their kids. The programs, tailored for parents together with their children, help engage your child in learning about their body with you by their side. The various programs offered include Body Basics for Girls, Body Basics for Boys, Body Image, Being my Best Self for Girls, Managing Emotions, and a “parent-only” discussion called Surviving Puberty a Second Time.

The interactive, virtual programs teach kids about anatomy and puberty, providing age-appropriate, medically accurate information that your child will understand. Parents benefit from resources and suggestions for how to “continue the conversation” at home. The pediatricians ask (and answer!) the hard questions so parents don’t have to. The virtual program serves as a springboard for other, similar questions and topics.

Empowering parents to broach awkward topics

“Basically, our parent-and-child programs help facilitate that awkward opening of starting the conversation,” Dr. Lisa said. “Data shows that if you start such conversations with kids early, in the 8-to-10-year-old range, you can talk about potentially uncomfortable topics such as sex and drugs before they have any other knowledge basis on the topics. They then begin to view their parent as a trusted source of quality information, and you can share your family beliefs and values that go with it.”

Vladimir Gendelman (EO Detroit), founder and CEO of Company Folders, Inc., and his wife attended Turning Teen programs with their kids. “Together, my son and I attended an enlightening, conversational program with Dr. Lisa. It opened the door for us to talk more openly after the program ended. Thanks to Turning Teen, we have the language and mutual common ground that extends to other topics, because we both were in the class together. We have referenced that class numerous times since.”

MyEO Families hosts Talking Teen event

Vladimir shared the Turning Teen information with Ab DeWeese (EO Fort Worth), who leads a group of EO Dads that want to up-level their Dad skills. As a result, Dr. Lisa Klein will deliver a free, parents-only program for MyEO Families’ members called “How to Talk to Your Kids About Puberty, Sex and Porn” on 13 July at 5pm ET.  All EO members, their spouses and life partners, and EO staff are invited to join MyEO Families and attend the program.

“As entrepreneurs and parents, we want to give our kids the tools to succeed,” Ab stated. “In talking to other EO Dads, I realized that a lot of us have the same questions: How do I raise my kids and launch them into the world as self-sufficient human beings who will grow into self-starter adults with enough motivation to create a successful life?”

“Another thing that keeps coming up in our group is, ‘How do I have “The Talk”? What’s the right age?’ They’re exposed to so much at such a young age now. How do we guide them through what they see on the internet and hear in school, and how do we talk to them about it in a way they will understand?”

The pediatricians-turned-entrepreneurs of Turning Teen believe in helping parents start these tricky conversations with their children. They provide direct, informative and honest information about puberty and sexuality.

“If you know about your body, you do less internet searching, you take better care of your body, and make good choices around body safety,” Dr. Lisa stated. “It’s so important to talk about these things with your kids. Body literacy—knowing the proper names for all parts of the anatomy—decreases a child’s risk of experiencing sexual abuse and other bad situations.”

Do you want to learn more? The event on Wednesday, 13 July is designed to give MyEO Families’ members a strong start on some basics as far as what age parents should broach specific topics and provide attendees with resources to talk with your kids.

Register for the MyEO Families event

Join MyEO Families today and register for this free, life-enhancing event!

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog. 

 

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