Episodes
As parents, we want our kids to grow up happy, healthy, and successful. But there’s so much conflicting data and advice out there on everything from parenting techniques to college prep to what a happy, successful life means. So how are we supposed to figure out what works for us? Sandy Fowler joins us today, not just as the Mighty Parenting podcast host, but as a speaker and stress-relief coach, to help us answer that question. She summarizes and shares info from guest experts in her past...
Published 06/27/22
We’re all well familiar with ads, TV commercials, and magazines full of tips and examples of how girls and women can get and maintain that “perfect body”; it’s an unfortunate staple of our culture uplifting one body type above all others as the “ideal.” However, that staple is not limited to girls and women only—there’s no shortage of movies, magazines and commercials outlining the “perfect body” type for boys and men as well. Author and body image expert Dr. Charlotte Markey joins Mighty...
Published 06/13/22
It’s a constant around the world that nobody knows what they’re getting into when they first become parents. Parenting problems pop up everywhere and it’s exhausting at times, trying to maintain a decent relationship with your teen while still being an authority figure. So when our teens are struggling or lashing out or having issues, we tend to assume that they’re the problem. Sometimes they are—but sometimes they’re not. Parenting coach Kim Muench joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy...
Published 06/06/22
Sorry about the mishap! The audio has been updated. Enjoy! COVID-19 charged into our world in 2019 and upended our entire lives, regardless of where we lived, how much we made, or whether we had kids or not. Now, three years later, we’re living in a world irrevocably changed and maybe we should be used to that by now—but those changes certainly haven’t made parenting any easier or less stressful. Parenting consultant Carol Muleta is raising twin teens and knows intimately the struggles of...
Published 06/01/22
COVID-19 charged into our world in 2019 and upended our entire lives, regardless of where we lived, how much we made, or whether we had kids or not. Now, three years later, we’re living in a world irrevocably changed and maybe we should be used to that by now—but those changes certainly haven’t made parenting any easier or less stressful. Parenting consultant Carol Muleta is raising twin teens and knows intimately the struggles of parenting in the pandemic. She joins Mighty Parenting podcast...
Published 05/30/22
We’ve had to adjust to (and sometimes struggle with) the rapid changes in economics, information distribution and communication in the past few decades—but our kids have had this from the beginning. Generation Z is the first generation to have grown up alongside the digital age; from when they were young, they’ve had access to the internet, computers, cell phones and other forms of digital connection. How has this upbringing shaped their worldview, morals, and plans for the future? And how...
Published 05/23/22
It’s said that once something is on the internet, it’s there forever. Given the rise of the digital age and how intertwined the internet is in our teens’ lives, it’s not a surprise that they post things constantly—the key is that they’re not always aware of the consequences, short- and long-term, of certain comments, posted videos or shared photos on their reputations and futures. Evan Nierman makes his living in PR management and crisis resolution for clients around the world; today he’s...
Published 05/16/22
It’s common to hear college students joking about pulling all-nighters and drinking truly unwise amounts of caffeine to get through classes and clubs and survive that one irritating professor who likes assigning ten-page papers every week. However, this trend of increasingly sleep deprived teenagers is not limited to college students alone; in 2018, the CDC declared a global public health crisis for high school students after many studies showed they too were sleeping far too little to be...
Published 05/09/22
We don’t want to believe that we could lose our children to something that we can’t fight for them; unfortunately, depression, addiction and suicidal tendencies have become significantly more evident in teenagers around the world in recent years. And that is terrifying to every one of us who have teens of our own. How do you fight your child’s own mind? Judy Davis is one such parent, who nearly lost her son to addiction and suicide before she even realized he was struggling so much. She...
Published 05/02/22
One of the major problems our kids have with education after high school is that there are so many options to choose from, and those options don’t narrow much if they decide they want to go to college—there’s everything from the degree type, to the area of study, to the scholarship and financial aid options, to the commute, and so on. Student mentor Emma B Perez is back to answer parents’ and students’ most burning question: What is the best way to choose a college? She joins Mighty Parenting...
Published 04/25/22
Being confident and being bold are not, in fact, the same qualities. Confidence is a state of mind; boldness is taking action. However, both of these are all too often difficult for our kids to develop for themselves. Entrepreneur and author Fred Joyal joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler and explains to us how we can adjust our parenting styles to increase confidence and encourage boldness in our kids, to help them find security in themselves and take joy in life even when...
Published 04/18/22
When we were in high school and college, smoking a joint of marijuana was a way to be cool, to get a little high and have a little fun. Today's marijuana is a very different beast. Laura Stack lost her son to suicide after he became addicted to marijuana; today, she joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to discuss how marijuana has changed from our school days, what it means to smoke marijuana today, and how we can protect our kids from addiction and worse. Our Guest: Laura...
Published 04/11/22
The first thing to remember is that trauma is experienced differently and means different things to every individual. There is no comparison or contest; understanding trauma means understanding yourself and what affects you. Meditation teacher and trauma student Sara Shapouri joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to help us recognize that, to help us understand how events and acts like racial micro-aggressions can build up to a traumatic point, to see where trauma hides in wisdom...
Published 04/04/22
Here's a little fun fact: nobody knows what they're doing when they're holding that first child and thinking, oh my god, I'm a parent. There's no universal parenting manual, and it's easy to spiral into guilt thinking you're screwing up all the time. But that doesn't mean there isn't help. Heather Chauvin, author of Dying to Be a Good Mother, joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler in discussing how to deal with guilt and shame, and how to keep them from preventing you from giving...
Published 03/28/22
Everyone is assigned a gender when they're born. For some people that's fine, and they keep using that gender in their lives. For others, it's not—it's uncomfortable or downright painful, and they're not sure why, or what other options they have to feel truly comfortable with themselves. Rae McDaniel has experienced this and understands it; they're here with Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to discuss what gender means, the gender and sexuality spectrum, and how you can work with...
Published 03/21/22
The beliefs we learn when we're young form the cornerstone of our morals, opinions, speech and behaviors for the rest of our lives. So how do we make sure that our children internalize beliefs that will help, not hinder, their futures? Shelly Lefkoe is here to show us how beliefs affect behavior; she talks with Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler on learned beliefs and behaviors, common beliefs that can be harmful, and opening up your child to share what they believe and how you can...
Published 03/14/22
People tell us that constant push back is normal for teenagers and parents need to be grateful because it means they’re growing up. But this push back can leave parents feeling disconnected from their teen. And what happens when the pushback takes the form of breaking curfew, failing exams, and talking back, or constantly butting heads? We can feel like we’re living in a constant struggle. What if there was a different way, one that helped your child grow and mature while fostering a deeper...
Published 03/07/22
For those of us juggling parenthood, adulthood, work and COVID-19 habits, cooking often seems like just one more item on the to-do list, and many times gets dropped in favor of take-out when we just can't find the time. Chef Kibby talks us through taking that chore and using it for connecting with teens. He and Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler discuss the power of cooking with others, the life skills our teens gain from cooking, and how we can use everything from shopping to...
Published 02/28/22
There's nothing quite so intimidating for teens as putting themselves out there and interviewing for their first job, whether it's waiting tables or fixing computers. Choosing a career can be a complicated process with a number of factors from personal skills to college class choices. Career and life design coach Emma B Perez knows this and is here to help us, parents and teens alike. Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler interviews Emma about changing freelance job market trends, varied...
Published 02/21/22
Is your teen trampling over your last nerve? Do you get tired of constantly feeling like the disciplinarian, where your relationship with your teen gets more strained by the day? Dr. Karin Jakubowski knows how that feels, and she joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler in discussing dealing with challenging behaviors in our teens. We learn how to stay calm, how to be patient, how to interpret those behaviors, how to connect, and how to strengthen that strained relationship. Our...
Published 02/14/22
Marriage is a beautiful commitment, but that doesn't mean that every moment is going to be easy and wonderful. Yana Gil de Montes has been married for over 15 years and she and her partner were getting mired down in complaints, stress and fear regarding each other and their marriage. Yana talks with Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler about how to make a better marriage through self-reflection, communication, and showing up as a partner and spouse. Let’s teach our teens what a healthy...
Published 02/07/22
Does your teen struggle with finding their purpose in life? It’s common to get caught in thought spirals of existentialism and lose motivation because we lose our direction. But purpose doesn’t have to be this enormous responsibility or the entire reason we think we exist. It’s unique to every person, yes—but this giftedness, this pattern of behavior, can be as simple as wanting to write a book or as complex as wanting to solve world hunger in their lifetime. Bill Hendricks and Bev Hendricks...
Published 01/31/22
Many of the socially pivotal moments in history were triggered by, driven by or accompanied with protests, small or large. The Black Lives Matter Movement is the most recent socially pivotal moment in U.S. history and has driven many teens to start or join protests and start asking questions about racism, black culture and black cultural history, and their role in this movement. Veronica Chambers, author of Call and Response: The Story of Black Lives Matter,  joins Mighty Parenting podcast...
Published 01/24/22
Rights of passage, especially those of transitioning from a teenager to an adult, are often critical to our teens’ self-identities and their motivation to move in the world. Our society has been shifting, however, and many of those rights of passage don’t quite fit anymore, which leaves our teens floundering and stuck. Dr. Mark Schillinger joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler in discussing how our current society and cultural habits have impacted our teens’ emotions, habits and...
Published 01/17/22