AdoLessons

ADOLESSONS is a resource on the subjects of puberty, child and adolescent health and development, and parenting through it all.

The ADOLESSONS FB page is designed as an educational resource for parents, educators, and anyone that works with elementary, middle- and high-school aged kids. Puberty and adolescence bring unique challenges to kids and the adults that care for them. This site will provide a curated collection of articles, studies, and blog posts to help adults start important conversations with their children. Legal Disclaimer: ADOLESSONS is designed as an educational resource on the topics of puberty, child and adolescent health and development, and parenting. Neither ADOLESSONS nor Dolly Klock, MD provide any individualized medical advice in this forum or in connection with ADOLESSONS. If you have medical or mental health questions or issues specific to your health or that of your family, you must contact your physician, or in the event you are having a medical or mental health emergency, call 911 immediately.

03/17/2026

Grateful that I get to work with the best school communities. Thank you for inviting me to speak with your middle school students and parents. Talking about substance use prevention is particularly impactful at this age and this group of teens and parents made my job easy and fun. Keep the conversation going and, as always, reach out if you need support! 🧡

03/16/2026

Will talking with teens about alcohol and drugs put the idea in their heads? Quite the opposite! Talking (from a calm place, without shame or judgement) opens the lines of communication and can help teens navigate a complex landscape. ❤️

03/10/2026

This video from is spot on.😆 I hear this from so many teens and young adults and their PARENTS! It all stems from a place of love and caring, leading parents to manage all the details when it comes to their kids’ healthcare.

Here’s how to reverse-engineer the process, so your future young adult can make their own appointments and advocate for themselves in a healthcare setting. (And avoid the tantrum. 😂)

Elementary school:
👩🏻‍⚕️ When the doctor asks “What brings you in today?”let your child do the talking. You can fill in any gaps later, if necessary (they might surprise you). Encourage your child to ask questions from their provider.
📋 Start teaching your tween the names of any medical diagnoses they may have, as well as names of their medications, their allergies, and family history.
💊 If your child is prescribed medication, teach them to make sure their name is on the bottle and how to only take medication prescribed for them and as directed.

Middle School/Early High School:
☑️ encourage your teen to check in for their appointment themself
🧑🏽‍⚕️ The doctor may ask for some time alone with your teen to take their medical history. This is an important part of independence building in a medical setting. You can still ask to be present for the physical exam.

High School:
☎️ Teens should know the contact info for their physician, dentist, orthodontist, etc and should practice making their own appointments (they will need your guidance at first).
🪪 know their insurance info/ carry their own insurance card (If they don’t have insurance they should know their options).
💊Call the pharmacy to refill their prescriptions.

18 and up:
⚖️ Once your teen is 18, HIPAA laws prevent doctors and hospitals from sharing their medical records and health information with you. Consider talking with your teen about signing a HIPAA release form, and under what circumstances you might use it.
🏫 Heading off to college/moving away from home? Have your teen explore where they will be receiving health care BEFORE they arrive/need it, transfer any medical records and consider insurance options for this stage.

Already done this? Struggling? I’d love to hear!

03/03/2026

New study published in JAMA (I’ll link to it in my stories) looking at teens and cannabis, based on the records of 463,396 adolescents aged 13-17 who were screened for past-year cannabis use at Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

We already knew from previous evidence that there was an association between teen cannabis use and psychiatric disorders with daily use of cannabis or cannabis use disorder. This study (with a large cohort!) builds on that evidence in that it screened for ANY cannabis use in the last year, suggesting that the risk may not be due to heavy/ frequent use alone.

As always, when talking with teens, lead with curiosity. “I just heard about this study. Have you learned anything about the potential risks of weed?” “What do you think?” Listen and learn before diving into a lecture. Keep the focus on health and safety and remember these are never one and done conversations. ❤️

02/26/2026

I couldn’t love this video from more! This is how you teach boys empathy for what their classmates are going through. And as someone who has personally taught thousands of boys about menstruation, I’m here to tell you they LISTEN! I have literally had boys turn to their moms in my classes to say “OMG that happens to you every month!!?? I had no idea!” Chipping away at shame and stigma happens one conversation at a time— in a bathroom, on a car ride, shooting hoops. These little moments are pure GOLD🥇

01/09/2026

Last night I had the honor of hosting an event to mark the one year anniversary of the Palisades Fire. My goal was to bring together the Palisades community —my local Adolessons clients, friends new and old, neighbors, and anyone who wanted to process the enormity of what happened last January 7th and how it has continued to impact us over the past 12 months.

I was thrilled when Dr. Zelana Montminy and Michelle Villemaire agreed to join me in leading this conversation. .zelana brought her usual grace, calming presence, and brilliant mental health expertise, just as I knew she would. , who has brought so much sparkle to Palisades community-building over the years showed up with her incredible creativity and the perfect blend of humor and warmth.

It’s hard to rebuild community without community spaces, and I’m incredibly grateful that Calvary Christian School generously offered space for us to gather in.

Thank you to everyone who showed up. Your presence meant the world to me. There were so many hugs, lots of tears, and just as much laughter. Humor and grief truly can live side by side. Thanks also to those who wanted to be there, but couldn’t make it. Life is full, logistics are exhausting, and flu is making its rounds. I felt your presence too, and it was healing. As I said at my event at Zibby’s Bookshop for the one month anniversary with and Dr Courtney Karp, we have a long road ahead of us and I’m committed to doing more events like this.

I love you, 90272. I see your adaptability, your resolve, and your resilience and it gives me so much hope for the future of this precious community. ❤️❤️❤️

01/07/2026

Sending lots of love and strength to the Palisades (and Altadena!!) community today! ❤️❤️❤️

01/04/2026

Seriously, this is a great time of year for a reset— bedtimes, tech use, getting out of the house in the morning…just don’t forget to involve your teens in coming up with some workable solutions. More buy in = higher chance of successful habit change.
Thanks to for the laugh!

01/01/2026

If you’re into resolutions and fresh starts and big changes, awesome! Do it! Just remember, you don’t need to start a diet or a new intense exercise regimen or change your body or create giant lofty goals just because the calendar page (or screen!) turned to a new year. You are awesome just the way you are. Happy New Year! ❤️

12/19/2025

Winter break has arrived!!! Thank you to all my Adolessons families and schools for a a fantastic fall! I hope you enjoy some rest, family, community and fun, with a sprinkle of humor and magic this holiday season. As far as this dad is concerned, can we please give him a round of applause, or at least a bowl of spaghetti with maple syrup??! 😉

🎥 Video of the world’s most memorable school pickup by

12/11/2025

It’s so fun for parents and peers to see where people are going for college and I’m right here cheering people on. Just remember, these college decision accounts are only telling part of the story, especially when it comes to the early decision round, when it can feel like everyone is getting good news, especially if you aren’t. Good luck and hang in there—this process requires a whole lot of patience. Good news is coming for you, too! ❤️

12/10/2025

Every college student home for the holidays.
Thanks for capturing this

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Mary Kay Cocharo, MFT
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