Susan Stone has over 40 years of experience as a licensed marriage and family therapist in the Los Angeles area. She has had a special focus on parenting skills and on helping parents find their way through the complex issues around of raising happy, responsible, and productive kids. Along with seeing clients, Susan speaks often to parents and educators on topics of interest about children of all ages. She has appeared on radio and television as a parenting expert, and is the author of the...

This episode is about how to find the right preschool for your family. It covers different philosophies, what to look for in a school and how to find the right match.

Children at school can be quite different than they are at home. The most important thing? Communication. Luisa Donatti is the executive director of Cassidy Preschool in Santa Monica, CA. Cassidy Preschool serves 125 children between the ages of 2 1/5- 5 1/2 and their families, and 100 additional families that take part in Cassidy's parenting classes and toddler enrichment experiences.  Host Joanna Port is Director at Crestwood Hills Preschool. She has a Masters in Education from Pepperdine...

Did you know that asparagus is nature's bug repellant? That the word "organic" means something, but the word "natural" doesn't? Dr. Cara Natterson has all the tips for worry-proof parenting. Dr. Natterson is a pediatrician, consultant, and New York Times best-selling author of the updated version of The Care and Keeping of You series of books for young girls. Whether in the office or on the stage she has a unique ability to make cutting edge research understandable, even entertaining.  Host...

"We're not raising children, we're raising adults. They're already children." Find out how parents can undermine a child's sense of self-reliance, and what to do when that happens. Betsy Brown Braun is the author of "Just Tell Me What To Say"  and "You're Not The Boss of Me", and child development and behavior specialist, parent educator, multiple birth parenting consultant, and the founder of Parenting Pathways. Host Joanna Port is Director at Crestwood Hills Preschool. She has a Masters in...

Who are the "tricky people" in your child's life? Pattie Fitzgerald is the founder of safelyeverafter.com and is a leading expert in the field of childhood sexual abuse prevention. She is a former pre-school teacher and a child visitation monitor and her workshops and classroom curriculum are used at schools throughout the United States. Pattie is the author of two children's books "No Trespassing – This is My Body!" and "Super Duper Safety School." She has been featured on Good Morning...

Welcome to Parenting Portal, a series of discussions between me, Joanna Port, and an expert in the field of parenting.  We cover topics such as sleep, nutrition, self-reliance, safety, social media, preschool information and more.  I am a mom of four and the Director of Crestwood Hills Preschool.  I have Master's Degrees in education and in social work and I have worked for over 25 years as a therapist and an educator.