The Turning Teen Mission
Turning Teen starts the conversation about puberty and sexual health with pediatrician-developed educational programs in classrooms, community settings, or at home.
Talking about puberty and answering kids’ questions is hard to do for most adults. They might have difficulty using correct names for body parts, or explaining how babies are made. Fear, embarrassment, or even shame, can make amazing moms, dads, and other trusted adults retreat and say nothing at all.
Developed by medical and mental health professionals, Turning Teen makes it easier to talk about bodies, puberty, and sex. We help trusted adults start conversations with their children, whether at home, in school, or other safe community settings.
Conversations about sexual health are vital to a child’s healthy growth and development. Direct, comprehensive and honest information about puberty, sexuality, social pressures, and mental health empowers tweens to become more self-assured teens.
Meet the Turning Teen Team
We are medical and mental health professionals and parents. We guide comfortable, fact-based, personal conversations between parents or trusted adults and children about changing bodies. Our decades of combined experience in child growth and development help families and communities make difficult topics and challenging phases of life easier, more comfortable, and even fun to talk about.
We understand the physiological side of puberty. As parents, we worry about the emotional side of puberty. Getting children to understand their changing bodies and minds can be a confusing journey, and we all need a map. We can help you navigate this exciting (and awkward) transition.
Learn More About Our Founders
Dr. Lisa Klein and Dr. Carrie Leff became friends during their pediatric residency. They shared a passion for adolescent health and open, honest, puberty talk. They formed Turning Teen to help tweens make smoother transitions into adolescence by supporting the puberty education efforts of parents, schools, and communities.
Turning Teen in the Media:
Opinion | Our book on puberty has been banned. This only puts kids at risk. Washington Post (May 2022)
Banned Books in Walton County, Florida (our book got banned!)– Viral Tweet (April 2022)
Time for “The Talk?” – My Jewish Detroit (Jan 2018)
“Teaching Your Daughter How To Use a Tampon” – Metro Parent Magazine (May 2016)
“Turning Teen helps Moms, Daughters Talk Puberty” – Metro Parent Magazine (April 2016)
“Program helps moms, daughters who have puberty questions”– WDIV Channel 4 News Segment (March 2016)
“The Talk”– Turning Teen helps moms, girls ease into puberty knowledgeably (November, 2015)
Turning Teen Explained– Informational video
Our Affiliates
