The Puberty Podcast

Plot Summary: The Puberty Podcast is about the changes that preteen's and teen's bodies go through when they go through puberty. The two hosts go through the physical and emotional events. They go through the differences of development for different sexes, why some adolescents go through puberty earlier than others. They also talk to parents about how to help their children get through the difficult changes that occur during puberty. Sometimes, the podcast hosts bring on special guests to discuss special topics. The podcast uses medical and scientific data to explain what is happening to teen bodies during puberty.  Sex education from a scientific viewpoint is also discussed.

Author Background: Dr. Cara Natterson is a pediatrician who writes books for young people to teach them about their health. She received her medical degrees from Harvard and Johns Hopkins Medical School. Vanessa Kroll Bennett is a podcaster and writer. As an entrepreneur she built companies Dynamo Girl and OOMLA to guide girls and their parents through puberty and the physical changes related to it (OOMLA, n.d.).

Critical Evaluation: This podcast is aimed at having preteens, teens, and their guardians listening together. The reviews are generally very good. They are grateful that a pediatrician has a podcast that helps them with how to deal with how to help their kids. The podcast also has a fair amount of humor without turning teens into a laughing stock. They are still respectful while telling jokes (Apple Podcast Previews, n.d.). This can help teens accept and understand what is going on. I think that, at least near the beginning, teens need to have an adult listen with them just in case they have questions and concerns.

Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer: Are you struggling with the hormonal and physical changes that are occuring in your body due to puberty? Do you have worries about sex or how to know if you are ready for it? Listen to Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett discuss these issues in a fun and informative way.

Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: Puberty and sex are private subjects that make people nervous. Parents have different ideas about how much they want to talk about it and when to breach the subjects. However, "the talk" needs to be brought up and talked about before too long. It's a natural process that all kids go through at some age. This podcast is meant to be a way for parents and their children to better understand what is happening.

Reason for Inclusion: This podcast isn't necessarily only for teens. It is aimed at the parents as well. Including both groups is important to guide teens safely through puberty.

References

AMAZE Org. (2018, May 10). Puberty: Feeling depressed, happy and other emotions. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAPLTaRM48Y.

Apple Podcasts Previews. (n.d.). The puberty podcast- customer reviews. Apple Music Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-puberty-podcast/id1576221880?see-all=reviews.

OOMLA. (n.d.). Our team. https://myoomla.com/pages/our-team.

SamK. Tween & Teens. (2021, July 16). What are the stages of puberty? Boy puberty. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWFLnkE9rh4.

Watchwellcast. (2013, April 13). What is puberty? Decoding puberty in girls. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_mFJ2d0qxQ.