‘Teenhood’ offers parents “a counterpoint to the prevailing cultural negativity around teens,” says the author and podcast host of her forthcoming book
Credit: Rodale Books; Kate Jones
NEED TO KNOW
- Vanessa Kroll Bennett’s new book Teenhood aims to challenge negative stereotypes about parenting teenagers
- The author and podcast host combines personal parenting experiences with research in the guidebook
- “I’m excited to provide parents a counterpoint to the prevailing cultural negativity around teens,” Bennett tells PEOPLE
Raising teenagers doesn’t have to be a challenge, according to Vanessa Kroll Bennett.
PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at the author and speaker’s upcoming book Teenhood: Confessions and Lessons for the Trickiest Phase of Parenting. Rodale Books will publish the title in early 2027.
Bennett is no stranger to digging into up the ups and downs of parenthood. She offers tips on how to navigate adolescence on her podcast, This Is So Awkward, which she co-hosts with Dr. Natterson. The duo interviews a range of guests, from psychologists to comedians, like Bennett’s brother, Nick Kroll. Bennett and Natterson also collaborated on a 2023 book of the same name.
Credit: Rodale Books
In her new book, Bennett takes on the teenage years from a new angle, arguing against the age-old narrative that the life stage is “a nightmare” for parents, per the book’s synopsis.
“I wrote Teenhood to flip the narrative that parents should dread the teen years,” Bennett tells PEOPLE. “Yes, raising teens can be incredibly challenging, but it can also be full of joy.”
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The author combines her own experience as a parent with research about teenage development, as well as “sanity-saving stories.” She also offers tips for parents to best navigate the challenges of this time period, like tricky behavior and the stress of technology.
Credit: Kate Jones
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Teenhood, however, is more than just a guidebook — it’s also a reassurance for adults who may need it.
“Combining cutting-edge research about teens with my own stories from the trenches raising four teenagers, the book offers practical tools and a big dose of optimism and laughter,” Bennett says. “I’m excited to provide parents a counterpoint to the prevailing cultural negativity around teens, and instead gift them with the belief that raising teenagers can be amazing.”
Teenhood: Confessions and Lessons for the Trickiest Phase of Parenting will be published on Jan. 19, 2027 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.
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