Untangled

Outline

Untangled (2016) guides parents through the normal stages of development that girls go through during their teenage years. Lisa Damour describes seven transitions, such as parting with childhood, joining a new peer group, managing emotions, and planning for the future, and explains what each looks like and how parents can help. The book reassures parents and offers practical advice for supporting daughters with confidence.

• Many behaviours that worry parents of teenage girls are normal stages of development, not signs that something has gone wrong.
• Lisa Damour describes seven transitions that girls move through on their way to adulthood.
• Parting with childhood, joining a new peer group, managing emotions and planning for the future are among those transitions.
• Knowing what each transition looks like helps parents respond with more confidence and less worry.
• Practical support from parents can strengthen a daughter's emotional growth, ease conflict and deepen their connection.

Lisa Damour is an American clinical psychologist, author, and speaker who specialises in the emotional lives of teenagers. She has written a monthly column for The New York Times and co-hosts a popular parenting podcast. Her books include Untangled, Under Pressure, and The Emotional Lives of Teenagers.