Good Inside with Dr. Becky

Episode: A Tween Parenting Shift for the AI Era (Introducing The In-Between Years)

Date: March 17, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Good Inside centers on the challenges parents face as their children move into the tween and teen years, particularly in the context of rapidly evolving technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Dr. Becky introduces a new companion podcast, The In-Between Years, hosted by her colleague Dr. Cheryl Ziggler, which will focus specifically on supporting parents with older children. The episode includes an insightful conversation between Dr. Cheryl and a parent concerned about equipping her children to navigate technology and AI—a subject many caregivers find daunting.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Evolving Parent-Child Dynamic in the Tween/Teen/AI Era

• Dr. Becky highlights how parenting gets more complicated as kids grow older, especially with the increasing presence of technology and AI:

  “Between and teen years just bring new territory. Phones, social media, shifting friendships, dating, independence, identity, and now things like AI and technology that we're still figuring out ourselves.”
  (01:19)

• Announcement: Launch of The In-Between Years podcast addressing parenting during the complex, tech-centered tween and teen stages. Dr. Cheryl Ziggler will lead, bringing her expertise with tweens and families.
  (02:01–02:47)

2. The Core Parental Fears in the Age of AI

• Dr. Cheryl Ziggler empathizes with the parent's sense of overwhelm, breaking down parental anxieties into three main fears:
  1. The unknown about AI and its consequences.
  2. The ever-changing nature of technology, making parents feel perpetually behind.
  3. The fear of being unprepared—“If I can't prepare myself for this, how am I supposed to prepare my kid?”
     (04:09–04:42)

3. Reframing the AI “Problem”: It’s Not Just About Tech

• Dr. Cheryl uses an iceberg metaphor for AI concerns; the visible tip (AI itself) obscures the deeper anxieties underneath—raising children who can think for themselves, discern real vs. fake, and protect themselves online:

  “All the stuff underneath... is not really about technology. Right. It's really about how do I raise my kid so that they can think for themselves… so that they know the difference between… real and fake.”
  (05:00–05:28)

• Dr. Becky emphasizes that it's also about connection:

  “How do I raise my kids so that when they do watch something next year at a sleepover on someone else's iPad, they still feel comfortable to come home to me and say, ‘I saw this thing. I don't know, Mommy. It was confusing.’”
  (05:29–05:44)

4. The Role of Parental Curiosity and Humility

• Dr. Cheryl advises parents to focus on being curious alongside their child, rather than needing to be an expert or authority on technology:

  “I want you to be curious about the things your kid's curious about... Eventually. It's like, I'm curious about this thing called AI. I heard it can do really cool things. And I want you to be right alongside with her, being curious with her.”
  (06:48–07:11)

• She notes the importance of humility as kids hit the tween years, pointing out the shift from being a child’s all-knowing hero to collaborating in learning:

  “You're gonna go from that, and then all of a sudden, she's gonna be like, I heard this thing and my friends are talking about it, and maybe they seem a little sneaky about it. So, like, am I not supposed to be going and talking to my mom about it?”
  (07:50–08:12)

5. Practical Dialogue Starters About AI

• Dr. Cheryl provides sample language parents can use to open conversations:

  “You know what? This might be the year where at school or maybe even with your friends, they might start using something called ChatGPT or Claude, right? ... It's changing so fast that I used to know kind of things on it, but, like, I don't know if I do anymore.”
  (08:25–08:54)

• She recommends parents normalize the technology and share their own simple uses of AI (e.g., recipes, room design), setting a context of moderation and curiosity rather than fear or panic.
  (08:54–09:13)

6. Setting Boundaries and Modeling Human Connection

• Dr. Cheryl discusses the potential downsides of AI replacing parental or peer advice, illustrating with a story about her own daughter going to ChatGPT about sore legs instead of her:

  “In that moment I thought, see that? That chat replaced me. And that's a pretty benign—like, that was good advice… But if I have an 11-year-old... do I want them going to artificial intelligence or do I want them coming to me?”
  (12:06–13:07)

• She advises forming a “deal” or pact with children: first go to trusted adults, then possibly explore what AI says together.

  “Let's make a deal. Let's just, let's start with a person who actually knows us and we actually know, we'll start there. And then maybe if together we want to see what it says we can do that together.”
  (15:40–16:22)

7. Key Takeaway: It’s About Relationship, Not Expertise

• Dr. Becky summarizes the heart of the message:

  “Learning to live with technology or AI isn't about being an expert... It's about staying connected to your kid. It's about curiosity. And actually you can only be curious if you don't fully understand something.”
  (16:26–16:53)

• The episode closes with reassurance for parents: even as their role evolves, the parent-child relationship is the most important “strategy” for supporting kids in a tech-heavy world.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

On Parental Vulnerability:

• “A lot of the things that are good for kids don't always feel good to kids... as kids get older, that relationship gets more complicated.” — Dr. Becky Kennedy (00:17)

On the Core of Parenting in the AI Era:

• “Your kids don't need you less, they need you differently.” — Dr. Becky Kennedy (16:53)

On Reframing the Problem:

• “It's not really about technology… it's about how do I raise my kid so that they can think for themselves, so that they can protect themselves.” — Dr. Cheryl Ziggler (05:00–05:28)

On Modeling Openness:

• “You are so clear. I want to be prepared. I want to just be equipped to deal with what might come. So the first thing I want you to do is I want you to be curious about the things your kid's curious about.” — Dr. Cheryl Ziggler (06:48–07:11)

On Maintaining Relationship in the Face of AI:

• “By you saying I want to be ahead of it, it just sounds something like this: You know what? This might be the year where… they might start using something called ChatGPT or Claude, right?... It's changing so fast that I used to know kind of things on it, but, like, I don't know if I do anymore.” — Dr. Cheryl Ziggler (08:17–08:54)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:19–02:47 — Dr. Becky introduces the need for “growing up” advice for parents and announces the new tween/teen-focused podcast.
• 03:40–04:42 — Parent describes her fears; Dr. Cheryl breaks down the core anxieties.
• 05:00–05:44 — The “iceberg” metaphor and discussion of what’s really under parental fears about tech.
• 06:48–09:13 — Dr. Cheryl on curiosity, humility, and how to model dialogue about new technology and AI.
• 11:26–13:07 — Story about Dr. Cheryl’s daughter using ChatGPT for advice, and the discussion of maintaining real human connection.
• 13:27–16:22 — Practical steps for making “deals” with kids to encourage them to come to parents first.
• 16:26–16:53 — Dr. Becky’s wrap-up emphasizing connection and curiosity over technological expertise.

Tone and Language

• Empathetic, honest, and accessible—Dr. Becky and Dr. Cheryl speak in a warm, reassuring tone, normalizing parental fears and emphasizing connection, humility, and curiosity.
• Action-oriented—Listeners leave with practical advice and scripts, as well as encouragement to stay engaged and curious with their children.

Summary

This episode introduces parents to a new resource (The In-Between Years podcast) for navigating the complex world of tweens, teens, and technology. Dr. Becky and Dr. Cheryl skillfully reframe the challenge of AI: rather than being about tech expertise, it’s about maintaining an open, curious, and connected relationship with your child as they grow. The episode arms listeners with specific conversation starters, role-modeling strategies, and, above all, reassurance: as technology evolves, so too must the ways parents stay engaged and support their children’s development—always anchored in connection.