Life Kit: Parenting · NPR
A better way to support your teens as they go back to school
August 19, 2025·23 min·2 clips
94% of teens felt happy yesterday, yet we often focus only on their stress and anxiety.
As heard by us
A calm reset for parents trying to make sense of teen school-year nerves.
Life Kit frames back-to-school as an emotional reset, opening with Marielle's sixth-grade memory of a plaid skirt and maroon cardigan beside girls in gym shorts and athletic sneakers.
Why you'd press play
If back-to-school makes your teen feel hard to read, this helps you read the room.
Listen to the show on