Good Inside with Dr. Becky

Parenting Teens While Navigating Perimenopause: One Mom’s Honest Story

**Can't Tap Out: One Mom on Single Parenting, Perimenopause, and Repair** What happens when your teenager is deep in puberty, your tween is just starting to feel the first shifts — and meanwhile, you're navigating perimenopause on your own? In this episode, Dr. Sheryl talks with Camille, a single mom of two outside Nashville, who's living that exact season right now. They talk about what it really means to parent alone — not just the logistics, but the emotional weight of having no one to tap out to, no one to download the day to at night. They get into the "mom AND dad" myth (and why letting go of it changed everything), the strange grief that comes from giving your kids what you never had, and what it actually looks and feels like to repair yourself while you're raising them. Good Inside now supports the entire parenting journey: pregnancy, babies, big kids, tweens, and teens — because the questions change as kids grow, but parents still need support. Thank you to our partners for making this episode possible: - Kt by Knix: Use the code GOODINSIDE for 15% off period underwear

Dr. SherylhostCamilleguest

Jun 3, 202632mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Single mom navigates teen puberty and perimenopause with grace daily

Parenting feels uniquely chaotic when kids’ puberty and a parent’s perimenopause happen simultaneously, stretching everyone’s nervous system.
Camille describes the day-to-day challenge of meeting two children in different developmental stages while managing her own fatigue, mood shifts, and limited emotional bandwidth.
Single parenting adds logistical and emotional labor—no co-parent to “tap out” with—making community support and asking for help essential.
The discussion highlights “re-parenting” as Camille heals her own childhood gaps while giving her kids what she didn’t receive, alongside grief about lost time and alternate life paths.
Both emphasize that consistency over perfection builds trust and connection, and it’s never too late to start new supportive rituals or repairs.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

When everyone is transitioning, expect amplified family chaos.

Simultaneous hormonal and developmental changes (tween/teen puberty plus perimenopause) can increase irritability, fatigue, and conflict; naming the season helps normalize it and reduce shame.

Match connection to the child’s stage: one foot in, one foot out.

Camille’s teen needs autonomy with periodic closeness, while her tween still seeks high proximity; parenting gets easier when you stop expecting the same “style” of connection from both.

Single parenting isn’t just logistics—it’s missing a place to emotionally “download.”

Camille uses group chats, friends, and bedtime talks to share highs/lows that partnered parents often process with a spouse, reducing isolation and emotional buildup.

You don’t have to “be mom and dad”; you can be one steady, multi-hat parent.

Camille initially tried to fill a stereotyped “dad role” (e.g., learning football) but found more relief and effectiveness in being a consistent mom while leveraging community and the other parent when available.

Build safety so teens talk to you about the awkward stuff.

Camille’s goal is that her son can say, “This is a dad thing” or “I want to talk to you,” which requires nonjudgment, calm curiosity, and repeated proof that honesty won’t be punished.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

There's a particular kind of chaos that can happen in a family when everyone is going through a developmental transition at the same time.

— Dr. Sheryl

Every day is different, and I have to parent m- in the moment. I can't parent the way I want to. I have to be intentional about parenting where I'm at.

— Camille

It's sink or swim. Either you lean on your community, or it's gonna get really hard for you.

— Camille

You're giving your kids this amazing thing... but at the same time, you're like, "Ouch, I didn't get this." So you're, like, sad but excited at the same time. It's like two things can be true at one time.

— Camille

This in-between stage feels hard because it is hard. If you remember nothing else, remember this: They act like they don't need you, they still need you.

— Dr. Sheryl

Puberty and perimenopause overlapTween-versus-teen attachment needsSingle parenting and emotional laborAsking for help and building communityBoundaries, self-care, and burnout preventionRe-parenting and intergenerational healingGrief, lost time, and self-compassion

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