Teens' Stress Explained: Healthy vs. Unhealthy Stress (and how parents can help)

In this episode of The Parenting Pair Podcast, Dr. Suzanne Allen and Dr. Annalise Caron unpack how parents and teens experience stress—both healthy and unhealthy—offering practical insights and actionable advice for families who want to build resilience and balance at home.Together, they explore:How the way we think about stress shapes how we manage itWhy some stress is healthy and helps kids growWhen stress tips into overload and becomes unhealthyThe warning signs of burnout in teensThe role of comparison and perfectionism in fueling stressPractical tools to prioritise and scale back commitmentsHow parents can model healthy stress managementChapters:00:00 – Back-to-school stress for parents and teens02:14 – The way we think about stress shapes how we manage it03:41 – Why some stress is healthy and helps kids grow04:50 – Real-life examples of healthy stress in teens and tweens06:40 – How parents can reframe stress for their kids08:30 – Temporary healthy stress vs. unhealthy stress10:05 – Unhealthy stress and achievement overload11:33 – Comparison, Perfectionism and Unhealthy Stress15:30 – Warning signs of unhealthy stress: sleep, irritability, burnout18:20 – Tool: The 24-hour reality check for overloaded schedules21:00 – Deciding what to scale back and saying no23:06 – Shifting the community narrative and supporting kids’ well-being25:50 – Parents modeling healthy stress managementIf you’ve ever worried about your teen being overbooked, anxious, or struggling to keep up with unrealistic expectations, this episode will give you tools to reframe stress, set healthy boundaries, and support your teen’s well-being.🎧 Listen now and discover how to raise more resilient, confident, and balanced teens.👉 Don’t forget to subscribe and follow us for more parenting tips, expert insights, and real talk about raising teens in today’s world.The Parenting Pair podcast is designed for informational and educational purposes only.  Do not rely on the information presented in this podcast as a substitute or replacement for professional -- psychological or medical -- advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  If you have concerns about you or a family member's well being, please contact a licensed mental health professional or physician_______________________________________________________________________________________________