Peeling Back the Layers: "Adolescence" and the Real Talk We Need

Everyone's talking about "Adolescence" on Netflix, and honestly, it hit me hard. This resonated with me deeply - because my work is all about fostering love and connection in families and communities, but also because I have an 11-year-old, and we feel like we are standing on the cusp of all of this. It's like, you think you've got parenting figured out, and then BAM! Your kid hits 11, and suddenly you're facing difficulties you didn't even know existed. It's not just the kids going through it; it's us parents too.

This documentary just lays it all out there: the raw, messy reality of adolescence. The kids are trying to figure themselves out, and we're trying to keep it together while drowning in exhaustion, social media pressure, and this world that just keeps getting more expensive - not just in money, but in time and energy. And don't even get me started on the constant doom-scrolling and the news cycle of fear.

It's so easy to just blame someone, isn't it? Blame the parents, blame society, blame the phones. But watching "Adolescence" made me wonder, what if it's not about blame at all? What if we're all just trying to peel back these layers of difficulty, trying to figure out how to navigate this mess together?

Because that's what it feels like. We're all peeling back this onion of challenges: the money worries, the social stuff, the digital overload, the feeling like we're losing our grip. And our kids, especially during adolescence, they're right there with us, feeling it all even more intensely.

The documentary shows us that we need to stop pretending we've got it all together and start connecting. We need to create spaces where we can be real, where we can be vulnerable.

Steve Biddulph, the author of the influential book "Raising Boys," posted his thoughts on "Adolescence," and they really stuck with me. He raised the point that a child raised in a home like Jamie's is far less likely to commit such extreme acts. Why do people do such awful acts? Is it that basic need for safety and love that they just aren't getting?

And don't let me forget - Jamie's dad, tucking that teddy into bed? Heartbreaking. It's a reminder we all just want our kids to be safe and loved. This is your reminder that it's not too late for your children - and it's not too late for you.

"Adolescence" is a wake-up call. We need to start peeling back these layers together, with more love and connection. There's still time to understand our kids, to understand what's going on for us, and to be able to create strong, supportive, and relationally based communities. Let's ditch the blame game and start building a world where we're all a little less alone in this crazy onion of life.