You finally feel like you’ve figured out your kid.

You know what works! You feel connected! Things make sense!

And then… something shifts.

Suddenly your child is making choices that don’t add up. They’re lying, cutting corners, or acting in ways that feel completely unlike them. And you’re left wondering:
Am I losing influence? Should I step in more? Or am I about to become too controlling?

In today’s episode, Dr. Sheryl sits down with a mom navigating exactly this moment with her 11-year-old son — a child who had always been “easy”… until he wasn’t.

Together, they unpack what’s really happening underneath these confusing behaviors — including:

• Why kids this age start making choices that don’t make sense
• How shame (not “badness”) drives more problematic behavior
• The difference between discipline that controls vs. discipline that teaches
• Why “good kids” can suddenly seem like they’re going off track
• And a simple phrase that can completely change your conversations: “Help me understand”

This episode is about one of the hardest — and most important — parenting shifts:
Letting go of control, while staying deeply connected.

New episodes drop every Wednesday; follow the show on Apple or Spotify so you don't miss a single one!

Follow Dr. Sheryl on Instagram: @drsherylatgoodinside

Get the Good Inside app: Good Inside Teen

Thank you to our partners for making this episode of The In-Between Years possible!

• Equip: Learn about Equip's at-home eating disorder treatment at equip.health/goodinside.

Follow Dr. Sheryl on Instagram

Learn more about Good Inside

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Friendships get more complicated around age 10 — and sometimes kids find themselves caught in the middle of dynamics they don’t know how to handle.

In this episode, Dr. Sheryl sits down with a mom named Erin, whose daughter is trying to stay close with two friends who don’t get along… and keeps getting pulled into the conflict.

Together, they unpack a question so many parents face:
How do I help my child without stepping in too much — or not enough?

You’ll hear:

• Why kids this age often feel responsible for “fixing” friendships
• The subtle shift from giving advice to staying connected
• What to say (and what not to say) when your kid is in the middle
• How to help your child set boundaries without taking over

This episode is about more than friendship drama — it’s about the moment parenting starts to change, and how to stay close while your child learns to navigate the social world on their own.

Follow Dr. Sheryl on Instagram

Learn more about Good Inside

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.