Why Your “Easy” Kid Suddenly Changes (And What They Need From You) | Dr. Sheryl

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

April 1, 2026

Duration

24m

Channel

Good Inside with Dr. Becky

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

You finally feel like you’ve figured out your kid.You know what works! You feel connected! Things make sense!And then… something shifts.Suddenly your child is making choices that don’t add up. They’re lying, cutting corners, or acting in ways that feel completely unlike them. And you’re left wondering:*Am I losing influence? Should I step in more? Or am I about to become too controlling?*In today’s episode, Dr. Sheryl sits down with a mom navigating exactly this moment with her 11-year-old son — a child who had always been “easy”… until he wasn’t.Together, they unpack what’s really happening underneath these confusing behaviors — including:

• Why kids this age start making choices that don’t make sense
• How shame (not “badness”) drives more problematic behavior
• The difference between discipline that controls vs. discipline that teaches
• Why “good kids” can suddenly seem like they’re going off track
• And a simple phrase that can completely change your conversations: *“Help me understand”*

This episode is about one of the hardest — and most important — parenting shifts: Letting go of control, while staying deeply connected. New episodes drop every Wednesday; follow the show on Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-in-between-years/id1883164211 or Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11zHzFPVMQEqVPETjAkCOh?si=177f2355e366401b so you don't miss a single one! Follow Dr. Sheryl on Instagram: @drsherylatgoodinside Get the Good Inside app: https://www.goodinside.com/lp/teen-parenting/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=evergreen&utm_content=utm_content%20=%20shownotes_20260201_expert_sheryl Thank you to our partners for making this episode of The In-Between Years possible! -Equip: https://equip.health/goodinside: Learn about Equip's at-home eating disorder treatment at equip.health/goodinside

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Dr. Sheryl

  host

  Host of the episode and parenting expert who guides the conversation and offers clinical-style coaching.

• Unnamed Mom

  guest

  A New York City mom calling in about challenges with her 11-year-old son and seeking parenting guidance.

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Good Inside with Dr. Becky, featuring Dr. Sheryl and Unnamed Mom, Why Your “Easy” Kid Suddenly Changes (And What They Need From You) | Dr. Sheryl explores When an “easy” tween shifts: respond with connection, not control An 11-year-old’s abrupt school-related rule-breaking (missing assignments, AI use, cheating via Apple Watch) is framed as developmental data about autonomy and agency rather than evidence of a “bad kid.”

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