Navigating the turbulent waters of your child’s 20s can be challenging, especially as they face significant uncertainty in their lives. In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks to Dr. Meg Jay, a developmental clinical psychologist, author, speaker and mom.
Dr. Jay emphasizes the importance of understanding this decade as a critical period for mental health and emotional well-being. With societal milestones shifting later in life, parents must adapt their expectations and focus on fostering independence and resilience in their young adults.
This episode dives into key trends affecting today’s 20-somethings, including the impact of social media, device usage, and the importance of communication regarding consent and relationships.
By adopting a coaching mindset rather than a concierge approach, parents can better support their children in building identity capital and navigating the complexities of adulthood, while also addressing the hormonal, physical, and emotional health challenges they may encounter.
DR. MEG JAY
Developmental Clinical Psychologist
Associate Professor of Human Development, University of Virginia
Author
Speaker
Mother of 2
“it is very common for twentysomethings to feel very anxious and stressed about their reality because it feels Dangerous. It makes evolutionary sense to be worried about I don’t know what’s going to happen, I don’t know if things are going to work out. That does not mean there’s something wrong with your twentysomething. That does not mean that person necessarily has a mental health disorder. It just means that their brain does not like the uncertainty that they’re dealing with. Another thing to understand about 20 somethings is that their brains skew negatively, more negatively than even older adults.”