In this episode, we are joined by Danielle DuBosie, co-Founder of Sakara Life, which merges modern science and ancient healing wisdom. We explore the intricate connection between nutrition, emotions, and childhood development. Danielle, who had a background in functional medicine, delves into the emerging research on the gut microbiome's impact on emotional well-being, emphasizing how food directly influences gut health, which in turn affects mood and mental health. She also advocate for teaching children to discern how different foods make them feel.  Danielle shares strategies for fostering a positive relationship with food, such as involving children in meal preparation and emphasizing diversity in food choices. We also discuss practical meal ideas and the importance of avoiding processed foods. Throughout, Danielle highlights the complexity of nutrition and the importance of nurturing a holistic approach to well-being.

To learn more about Danielle and her work please visit her on instagram @danielleduboise and @sakaralife and listen to The Sakara Life podcast. 

In this latest episode, Professor Noguera argues for a shift in education, prioritizing both academic achievement and social-emotional development. He highlights how schools often neglect fostering positive student-adult relationships, which are crucial for well-being. Dr. Noguera proposes a holistic approach, emphasizing a supportive environment in schools. Further, we discuss how parents are key in promoting balanced lifestyles and social interactions. We also touch on broader societal trends and the potential impact of AI in education, acknowledging both its potential benefits and concerns about hindering critical thinking skills.

To learn more about Dr. Pedro Noguera and his work please visit:

Dr. Noguera-UCLA

In this episode, we are joined by Drs Marc Brackett and Niobe Way to discuss the importance of human connection for children, teenagers, and adults. We talk about the significance of supportive relationships for healthy social emotional development, and the potential negative effects of a lack of supportive relationships, including violence and self-harm. Further, Marc and Niobe dive into the topic of relational intelligence and ways in which this can be understood and learned. Finally, we discuss how parents can find ways to be the person their children can turn to and how they can go from passing judgment to being curious role models.

To learn more about Dr. Marc Brackett please visit:

https://www.marcbrackett.com and howwefeel.org

To learn more about Dr. Niobe Way please visit: 

https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/people/niobe-way and listen to her Ted talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFsZsn7SRAc

To learn more about Dr. Way’s research and the movie Close please visit: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-01-27/lukas-dhont-close-oscar-nominee

In this episode we speak with Dr. Keegan Tangeman about the use of dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) to support children and adults in overcoming difficult thoughts and behaviors. We speak about the use of this type of therapy in general, as well as with suicidal adolescents. Further, we discuss how the principles of DBT can be used to support children not only in therapy but in their interactions with others. 

Dr. Tangeman is a licensed, child and adolescent psychologist. He received his doctorate from Pepperdine University and completed his pre-doctoral internship at Morrison Child and Family Services, an APA-Accredited clinical internship in Portland, Oregon with rotations in community mental health and juvenile forensic settings. Dr. Tangeman completed two, APA-Accredited postdoctoral fellowships in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry program at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he specialized in child and adolescent trauma, child psychological assessment, as well as evidence-based treatments for children and adolescents. Dr. Tangeman developed and directed the Behavioral Assessment and Treatment clinic for disruptive behavior disorders at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and served the role of Clinical Project Director for a multi-site, randomized controlled trial of Dialectical Behavior Therapy with adolescents, affiliated with the University of Washington and the University of California at Los Angeles.

To learn more about Dr. Keegan visit https://www.drkeegan.com/drtangeman

In this episode, Dr. Whitney discusses her book "Doing It All: Stop Over-Functioning and Become the Mom and Person You're Meant to Be." She addresses the challenges faced by mothers who feel overwhelmed and pulled in multiple directions, offering strategies for self-compassion, setting boundaries, and prioritizing what matters most. Dr. Whitney emphasizes the importance of being sensitive and responsive to children's needs, establishing routines, nurturing internal motivation, and modeling emotional regulation. She also advises stressed moms to practice self-compassion, commit to doing less, and focus on the things that matter most to them.

Throughout the discussion, we delve into the challenges of parenting in a fast-paced, media-driven society, emphasizing the importance of self-compassion and mindful prioritization. We highlight the significance of allowing children time for unconstrained skill development, encouraging parents to focus on what truly matters in the midst of overwhelming demands. Dr. Whitney's personal experiences and academic insights provide a relatable and evidence-based approach to parenting, offering practical guidance for mothers seeking to navigate the complexities of modern parenting with grace and resilience.

Links: 

https://modernmommydoc.com/

@modermommydoc 

Modern Mommy Doc Podcast

In this episode, we are joined by Professor Susan Neuman to explore early literacy and how parents can best support their young children. Susan emphasizes the importance of understanding the science of reading and highlights key skills that contribute to a child's success as a reader.

The conversation delves into various aspects of early literacy, such as phonological awareness, representational language, and the significance of play. Susan encourages parents to engage in activities that align with their child's interests and emphasizes the need for a balance between structured learning and maintaining the joy of childhood.

A specific focus is placed on evaluating school reading programs, especially in the context of New York City's changes in literacy education. Susan advises parents to look for structured reading programs while being cautious of excessive time spent on specific activities, ensuring that children still have time for play and diverse learning experiences. We also speak about the importance of the home-school connection.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Richard Weissbourd to speak about achievement pressure. We discuss how parents can be mindful of the messages they send and how to prioritize children’s well-being over external validation. Dr. Weissbourd speaks as to how collective action is critical to address systemic issues that are fueling achievement pressure. 

Richard Weissbourd is a Senior Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Kennedy School of Government. His work focuses on moral development, the nature of hope, vulnerability and resilience in childhood, parenting and effective schools and services for children. He directs the Making Caring Common Project, a national effort to make moral and social development priorities in child-raising and to provide strategies to schools and parents for promoting in children caring, a commitment to justice and other key moral and social capacities. He leads an initiative to reform college admissions, Turning the Tide, which has engaged over 300 college admissions offices. This initiative seeks to elevate ethical character, reduce excessive achievement pressure and increase equity and access in the college admissions process. He is also conducting research on how older adults can better mentor young adults and teenagers in developing caring, ethical, mature romantic relationships.   

He is a founder of several interventions for children facing risks, including ReadBoston and WriteBoston, city-wide literacy initiatives led by Mayor Menino. He is also a founder of a pilot school in Boston, the Lee Academy, that begins with children at 3 years old. He has advised on the city, state and federal levels on family policy, parenting and school reform and has written for numerous scholarly and popular publications and blogs, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today and NPR.  He is the author of The Vulnerable Child: What Really Hurts America’s Children and What We Can Do About It (Addison-Wesley, 1996), named by the American School Board Journal as one of the top 10 education books of all time.  His most recent book, The Parents We Mean to Be: How Well-Intentioned Adults Undermine Children's Moral and Emotional Development (Houghton Mifflin 2009), was named by The New Yorker as one of the top 24 books of 2009. 

To learn more about Dr. Weissbourd’s work visit https://www.gse.harvard.edu/directory/faculty/richard-weissbourd

In this episode, we are thrilled to welcome back Dr. Jeanne Donaldson to speak with her on the topic of behavior basics and creating a foundation of a warm, loving, safe, nurturing environment in our homes. We take on a variety of topics including establishing the foundations of sleep, nutrition, movement, safety, parental attention, and building and supporting independence through choice making. With all of the information out online and on social media, we wanted to take a moment to do an episode where we sift through it all and look at the evidence based basics. We hope you enjoy it!

To learn more about Michelle’s Q&A membership, please visit https://www.thrivingtoddler.com/offers/u9UQ2BgG

 To learn more about Dr. Donaldson, you can visit her website at https://www.lsu.edu/hss/psychology/faculty/school/donaldson.php or by email at jdonaldson@lsu.edu

As we head into the holiday season, we are re-airing our interview with Eve Rodsky, a mom of 3, an attorney, an activist, and NY Times Best Seller Author of “Fair Play” and “Find Your Unicorn Space.” In this episode, we discuss what “Unicorn Space” is, and what we can do to help discover this space. We also discuss the mental load of motherhood, an especially pertinent topic during these times. 

You can learn more about Eve Rodsky and purchase “Find Your Unicorn Space” at her website:

https://www.everodsky.com/ and by following her on Instagram @everodsky 

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Damour about the emotional lives of teenagers. We pay especial attention to the pressures that both genders feel yet how those may be manifested differently across genders, at times. Dr. Damour unpacks parent-child relationships, especially the mother-daughter relationship, and the role of identification in that relationship as girls mature. We also discuss how research methods may not always allow for the identification of areas of concern for boys. 

Dr. Lisa Damour is the author of three New York Times best sellers: Untangled, Under Pressure, and The Emotional Lives of Teenagers. She co-hosts the Ask Lisa podcast, works in collaboration with UNICEF, and is recognized as a thought leader by the American Psychological Association. Dr. Damour is also a regular contributor to The New York Times and CBS News.

Dr. Damour serves as a Senior Advisor to the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve University and has written numerous academic papers, chapters, and books related to education and child development. She maintains a clinical practice and also speaks to schools, professional organizations, and corporate groups around the world on the topics of child and adolescent development, family mental health, and adult well-being.

Dr. Damour graduated with honors from Yale University and worked for the Yale Child Study Center before earning her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Michigan. She has been a fellow at Yale’s Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy and the University of Michigan’s Power Foundation. She and her husband are the proud parents of two daughters.

To learn more about Dr. Damour and her work please visit https://drlisadamour.com/ and follow her on instagram @lisa.damour 

In this brief episode, Michelle and I discuss techniques to support young children in their listening. This is our last episode of the year as we take a month break. During our break, we will be re-airing episodes on selective eating, the emotional lives of children and developing emotional self-awareness. Wishing you and your families a joyous holiday season and New Year!

In this episode, we discuss with Chloe Massey, Cooper Education Team Parenting Expert and Doctoral Candidate- parenting, teaching, and learning challenges. We dig into some of the behavioral, social, and academic challenges that might surface around this time of year among school aged children. Chloe brings her knowledge and experience as a former classroom teacher, as well as a parent navigating all of this herself. We talk through strategies on how to communicate best with your child's teacher, how to handle the hard conversations - especially when you disagree with your child's teacher, how to provide support at home, and the importance of getting all caregivers aligned and consistent.

In this episode we speak with Dr. Aliza Pressman about her new book, The Five Principles of Parenting: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humans. Aliza outlines what those five science backed principles are, and what they look like in parenting. We further discuss how these principles apply across a broad range of children’s ages, and the various roles that temperament and family values play in their application. To learn more about Aliza visit her website and to pre-order her book visit Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, Books-A-Million, Apple or SImon & Schuster. When you pre-order, submit your receipt to preorder , and receive a preview chapter on resilience.

As we head into the holiday season, we are re-airing our interview with Eve Rodsky, a mom of 3, an attorney, an activist, and NY Times Best Seller Author of “Fair Play” and “Find Your Unicorn Space.” In this episode, we discuss what “Unicorn Space” is, and what we can do to help discover this space. We also discuss the mental load of motherhood, an especially pertinent topic during these times. 

You can learn more about Eve Rodsky and purchase “Find Your Unicorn Space” at her website:

https://www.everodsky.com/ and by following her on Instagram @everodsky 

In this episode, we have a slightly different format, as we bring my class to the podcast. Michelle guest lectures on anxiety in childhood. She outlines what childhood anxiety is, how it manifests, and ways to support children experiencing anxiety. Michelle weaves in examples from her practice to illustrate concepts. We discuss anxiety in the home and school contexts. 

To learn more about Michelle and her practice visit: https://michelletangeman.com/

In this episode, we are thrilled to be joined by members of the Fisher Price development team. We discuss the research and development that goes into the making of a toy. As we learn, it takes a lot to get a toy to completion! We also talk about the many ways to engage children with toys, and how we can build emotional connections to toys. To learn more about Fisher Price and their play lab visit: Fisher Price 

In this episode, we follow up from episode 106 where we discussed a situation in which recess was taken away from a kindergarten class in response to the behavior of a few children. We speak about the importance of caregiver-school communication to ensure appropriate supports for our children in school. We also discuss what may be potential barriers to effective home-school partnerships. 

The Article We Refence In This Episode: 

https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/131/1/183/30893/The-Crucial-Role-of-Recess-in-School?autologincheck=redirected

https://www.edutopia.org/video/why-recess-should-never-be-withheld-punishment/

In this episode, we speak with Duygu Balan about intergenerational trauma, and ways to break the cycle. Duygu discusses how the therapeutic relationship can support one in rewriting one’s narrative in a healthy manner. We also speak about how to develop a healthier relationship with oneself, and the importance of self-curiosity. We finish our conversation with a discussion of how parenting has impacted our professional lives and vice versa. For more information on Duygu, please visit her website and follow her on Instagram: @duygubalan

In this episode, we discuss with Dr Heather Woodley, the roles of play and toys in teaching children about diversity, equity and inclusion. Heather outlines how toys and children’s programming can act as both windows and mirrors for children - windows into others’ experiences and reflections of their own. We discuss the importance of providing children with materials that are both windows and mirrors, and how to do this. 

Dr. Heather Homonoff Woodley, PhD is a Clinical Associate Professor of TESOL, Bilingual Education and World Language Education and the Director of Childhood Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning at New York University. Her research and courses focus on anti-racist, social justice-based, and multilingual education collaboratively with communities, families and youth. She has published articles, chapters and curriculum on multilingual classrooms, mother-scholars, and teaching for justice with comics and the arts. Heather received a 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Faculty Award at NYU, a 2019 Steinhardt Teaching Excellence Award, a 2018 Steinhardt Diversity & Innovation Grant, and a 2014 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the National Association of Bilingual Education. She was a Fulbright Scholar in Morocco, and earned her PhD in Urban Education at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, her MS in Education (TESOL) from City College of New York, CUNY, and her BA in History from Wesleyan University. See her full bio and works at www.HeatherWoodley.com