Why Making Friends Is Harder Than It Looks (And How to Help Your Teen) | Deirdre Flores

What's in this episode

Is your teen struggling to make friends, maintain friendships, or navigate their social world? Many parents worry when their tween or teen seems lonely, has difficulty connecting with peers, misses social cues, or struggles to maintain friendships. But social communication is a complex set of skills—and many young people need support learning them. In this episode of The Parenting Pair Podcast, clinical psychologists Dr. Annalise Caron and Dr. Suzanne Allen welcome Deirdre Flores, M.S., CCC-SLP, founder of The Teen SLP, to discuss the social communication skills that help tweens, teens, and young adults build meaningful relationships. Together, they explore: ✔️ What social communication skills actually are ✔️ Why making friends is harder for some teens than others ✔️ The connection between executive functioning, ADHD, and friendships ✔️ How parents can provide support without taking over ✔️ Why social struggles are often about skills, not shyness ✔️ Ways to coach teens around texting, planning hangouts, and maintaining friendships ✔️ Why clubs, hobbies, jobs, and shared interests matter so much socially ✔️ How to reduce shame and build confidence in socially struggling teens Here a

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