Karen DeLoach grew up directing plays on the playground with no idea that one day she’d make her own independent films and teach others how to do the same. As both a university instructor and a homeschool teacher, Karen has seen how art can impact both physical and mental health firsthand. She also shares some really powerful stories about how art has changed lives.   Join us for a wonderful conversation about discovering new ways to get creative, finding our ability to express ourselves...

Michelle Steiner is a writer, speaker, and photographer who writes about living with an invisible disability. She believes knowledge is what helps us all be more supportive of one another, and she’s on the show this week to shed light on identifying invisible disabilities in children. Whether you know someone with a learning disability or are wondering what to look out for in your own children, this is going to be a super helpful conversation to keep coming back to.   Michelle shares her...

April Rehrig is a mom, school psychologist, and teacher whose collaborative approach combines special education advocacy with real-world strategies that work. She decided to take parents behind the scenes In the world of special education through online workshops and IEP coaching so they can make informed decisions for their children, and she’s here today to walk us through the world of special education.   April lifts the veil on IEPs and 504s so you can develop a solid action plan for...

Claire Heffron is a pediatric occupational therapist and the co-founder of The Inspired Treehouse where she helps parents and professionals conquer the common developmental roadblocks that come up for kids. Claire is on the podcast this week to help us understand the world of sensory processing.   Listen as Claire explains the three lesser-known sensory systems and why understanding them matters. We’re exploring sensory processing concerns, what certain aversions to sensory inputs can look...

There’s so much in the practice of yoga that parents and teachers can use to help kids have amazing experiences. This week, I’m speaking to Giselle Shardlow, an elementary teacher, yoga instructor, and founder of Kids Yoga Stories, to introduce us to the world of yoga for children.   Join us as Giselle walks us through the five C’s of kids yoga, and why play and yoga work so well together. She’s showing us how yoga empowers children of all ages to self-regulate and manage big emotions, and...

What does it take for kids to become passionate about learning? How can we as parents encourage this process at home? My guest this week, Neil Rosen, has a forthcoming book called Rediscovering the Village: Classic Strategies to Help Children Develop a Lifelong Love of Learning, and he's joining me to share some smart strategies for creating a learning-centered home environment.   Join us this week to hear Neil's fascinating ideas on how to create a culture of kids who are passionate...

What is the correct way to talk to young children about sexual abuse? How do we prevent our children from being abuse victims? And how can we create a comfortable, shame-free environment for our kids to approach us openly about their experiences?    My guest this week is Rachelle Rutherford, the current Mrs World America and Mrs World America Fitness who is using her platform to defend the prevention of all forms of child abuse. As a survivor of child sexual abuse and a mother of a child...

Where do we begin when it comes to equipping our children with healthy emotional regulation skills? Like so many things, it begins with our ability to model the behavior ourselves. My guest on this episode, Dr. Cindy Hovington, is a mom of three, neuroscientist, and expert on children’s emotional health, and she’s here to walk us through our role as parents in creating an emotionally regulated home for our children.   Listen in as Dr. Cindy walks us through the three-part model of parental...

What do you do when your kids are struggling with big emotions? This week, I'm exploring the topic of emotional regulation and I have the perfect guest to help me do it: Jeanne-Marie Paynel, conscious parenting expert and the host of The Art of Parenting Podcast.   Join Jeanne-Marie and me as we discuss why connecting before correcting matters, the importance of modeling self-regulation for your kids, and Jeanne-Marie’s favorite strategies for filling both your and your child’s emotional...

Building our emotional literacy as parents and teachers can have a big impact on our kids, but it’s not always easy. This week, we’re exploring the tricky emotion of anger, and I’m taking tips from Brené Brown’s Altas of the Heart to help you understand how to talk to kids about their anger.   Listen in to learn Brené's philosophy on anger and how we have the opportunity to transform it into something life-giving. You’ll hear why anger isn’t a "bad" emotion, how the energy of anger can fuel...

Recently, my nine-year-old started working on her speech at school, and seeing her progress made me reflect on the milestones we’re looking for in our children at different ages. Which speech milestones should your child be reaching between ages two and five? And how can we tell if those milestones are being hit? I’m sharing my insights with you this week.   Tune in to learn a general guideline for speech milestones in children between the ages of two and five, and my top tips for...

Personality assessments and temperament indicators are popular tools in the business world, and they can be powerful tools in parenting, too! This week, I'm speaking with Kate Mason, "Australia’s personality coach," who is sharing the benefits of deeply understanding our unique personalities and those of our children.    Join us as Kate walks us through the four dichotomies of temperaments, what happens when we learn more about ourselves, and how feeling solid in who we are is the secret to...

Jayda Rivera is a teacher at Bloom Learning Center in New York, where the approach is inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy. This philosophy views children as active participants in their learning journey. Jayda takes us through what a day of preschool looks like in a Reggio Emilia and nature-based classroom.   Discover what happens in Jayda’s classroom based on that approach, how she structures her day, and how learning activities are conducted. Learn how the individualized notes she...

Human behavior is motivated by the desire to belong, but the challenge is we first need to belong to ourselves before we can ever experience true belonging in a group. To foster belonging, we need to develop a strong and secure sense of self. In this episode, I’m walking you through what this looks like for your children.    I unlock the ‘why’ behind fostering a sense of self in our kids and five key practices that you can implement into your daily life. I’m exploring what happens when our...

In this episode, I’m discussing articles from Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, all about Brain Architecture and a key concept called Serve and Return. It explores how, the more sensitive and responsive we are to a child’s ‘serve,’ the more we can provide a rich environment of ‘returns,’ and, as a result, build a sturdy foundation for healthy brain architecture.   Discover how Serve and Return interactions shape brain architecture, 5 key elements that help increase and...

Sukey Molloy was a professional modern dancer in New York City before an injury led her down a different path. She embarked on a career as an award-winning children’s music performer and recording artist, centering her work around movement and sensory play using the philosophy of Developmental Movement first coined by Garland O’Quinn. She’s joining me to share her insights on engaging children in movement that supports developing brains.   Discover what the framework of Developmental...

Do we have the correct expectations when we ask our kids to do something? Are we expecting them to remember multiple things at once and to know the correct order? What are some strategies for timing communication, especially when there’s already tension? And how can we allow our kids to take ownership of certain tasks?   This week, I’m speaking to parenting coach Kathy Bowers on how we can improve our communication with our children. Kathy helps parents who are struggling with communication...

Bree Nelson is a life coach for moms and children who is on a mission to create emotionally intelligent kids. She empowers them to create a life they love, and she’s here this week to offer a goal-setting practice that will transform the way you set goals for 2024.   Hear Bree’s top tips for setting and achieving your goals this year, and how these strategies can be applied to both you and your children. We’re exploring the importance of measuring your goals and including checkpoints, how...

You’re hearing my conversation with child psychologist and parent coach, Sarah Conway. Sarah empowers parents to ditch punitive tactics and embrace brain-based strategies that nurture emotional intelligence. She’s here to illuminate the power of doing emotional regulation work, and why it’s never too late to start. Join us this week for a dose of hope and courage this Holiday season as Sarah shares her insights on all things emotional regulation. Learn how to build secure attachment with...

As we near the end of the year, I’m bringing together the Planning Playtime team to celebrate our amazing community. Steffani and Kara are joining me on this episode to dive into our favorite community stories that we’ve heard. They’ve both played a huge part in creating our programs and connecting with our members, and we’re here to honor the work our listeners have done.   Join us on this episode as Steffani, Kara and I come together for an end-of-year roundup to celebrate our Planning...

The Holiday season tends to be a time of extreme stress and anxiety for most of us. There are long to-do lists, full calendars, visitors, and activities, so it’s no surprise if you’re starting to feel overwhelmed by it all. But did you know that anxiety is contagious and that you might be infecting your children with it?   Learn how to cultivate the feeling of calm, and why it’s just as infectious as anxiety. I’m sharing some of the unhelpful coping mechanisms we lean on to manage stress...

Giving is a topic that’s top of mind for most of us as we head into the Holiday season, but it’s also a powerful skill that transcends the festivities. We want our kids to be kind and generous people who have the desire to give throughout their lives, and I’ve discovered some interesting research about teaching our kids how to love the act of giving.   Hear five steps for getting your children excited about giving. Learn how kids have a naturally strong propensity for generosity, the...

Internal Family Systems therapy suggests that we all have parts of us that aren’t necessarily our identity. Whether it’s sadness, anger, or anxiety, they aren’t really us, but they all have jobs that they’re doing and need to be heard.   To walk us through Internal Family Systems therapy and the practice of personifying our parts, I’m speaking to Bekkilyn Toone this week, a licensed marriage and family therapist who currently works with children, teenagers, and their families. Bekkilyn is...

Gratitude is a game-changing life skill that all of us can start and improve at any point in our lives. It is a beautiful gift you can give your children right now that will change the way they approach their lives forever, but it all starts with you modeling it for them first because kids learn from what we do more than what we say.   Hear what happens when we teach our children the practice of gratitude, and why it’s about so much more than just learning to say thank you. I’m sharing four...