Securely Attached

In honor of World Autism Month I am speaking with an expert in the field of autism treatment and the author of the new book, Hidden Brilliance: Unlocking the Intelligence of Autism, Dr. Lynn Kern Koegel.   Whether your child has Autism or not, her strength-based approach that uses a child's natural interests to drive their motivation and help them tap into their full potential will resonate with p...

Eve Rodsky's Fair Play method has swept the nation and become a cultural phenomenon. By being intentional about how we definite our roles, rebalancing our to-do list, and feeling aligned with our partners, we are able to challenge societal norms to find a fair balance of the mental load of parenthood that works best for us.   Joining me this week is certified Fair Play method facilitator and LMSW,...

Every postpartum is different! So whether this is your first time being pregnant or you have done this before, surrounding yourself with the proper support during this period of transition is key.   Here to offer you tools for a smoother adjustment is the co-author of Not Your Mother's Postpartum Book and co-creator of @mamapsychologists, Chelsea Bodie.   This episode covers a lot, because honestl...

When it comes to childhood development, sleep is not a linear process. It's normal for young children to have ups and downs, regressions, and growth spurts with their sleep.   Here to talk about how you can help your toddler say goodnight without the struggle is sleep specialist and RIE associate Eileen Henry.   Beyond just tips and tricks, this episode will allow you to truly understand how to us...

When we become parents, time management strategies become more important than ever! Juggling activities and social calendars for ourselves, with our spouse, and for our children can feel like a full time job.   Here to talk about her approach to systemizing the lives of busy parents in order to help us feel more in control of our days with less stress, overwhelm, and burnout is Chelsi Jo.   From t...

The General Social Survey's findings on Americans' happiness levels are troubling. Only 19% of those polled in 2022 said they were very happy, the lowest percentage since this survey began collecting data in 1972.   So what can we do to feel more joy? One huge factor may involve how and how much time we devote to play. Here to discuss ways we can infuse more fun into parenthood is the author of th...

Do you feel the pressure to get everything "right"? We know the scientifically proven effects stress has on parents. And what's more, how this parental stress can negatively impact our children. And yet, we still lack proper support systems for caregivers and families.   Joining me today is Dr. Sterling, a board-certified OB/GYN who has made it her mission to provide comprehensive support to peopl...

Toddlers are often misunderstood. They're no longer babies, yet they still have very little knowledge of the world and the way things work—something that is easy to forget when we are constantly being blown away by their maturity and developmental leaps at this age.   I am so excited to be joined this week by the co-authors of the Terrific Toddlers series, Carol Zeavin and Rhona Silverbush to talk...

Life is all about who we spend it with. But relationships—with ourselves, our partners, our children, and especially our extended family—can be complicated.   Joining me to talk about his new book, Making Great Relationships , and to offer strategies for fostering healthy, effective, and fulfilling relationships of all kinds is neuropsychologist and NY Times best-selling author, Dr. Rick Hanson ....

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussions about postpartum psychosis, infanticide, and suicide.   As the tragic news of the mother of 3 in MA who took the lives of her children and then attempted to take her own life has spread, there has been a great deal of misunderstanding in the media and on social media.   In order to prevent the spread of misinformation, I invited Paige Bellenbaum o...

How can you raise your children to be resilient, confident, and proud when you are raising them in a non-traditional family? And how can everyone raise our children to value inclusivity and acceptance no matter what shape or size our family is?    I am honored that Dr. Erica Miller is back on the podcast to share her personal story of being a gay parent and the lessons she has learned from her own...

When our kids hit 3 years old we can start to see some new behaviors and attitudes come online. At this age children often want to exert their power and independence, and seem to find a new favorite word—"no!"   Back on the podcast to help a listener and any parents who are looking for help navigating what some refer to as the "threenager" stage is Dr. Emily Upshur.   In this episode, we'll help y...

Working parents have traditionally been forced to compartmentalize their roles. Make sure we don't hear the baby crying on the Zoom. Be fully present as a parent without any distractions or interruptions. But we are whole beings, with both of those vital parts integrated to form who we are.    Here to help parents bridge that gap and shift the narrative to see how being both career-driven AND fami...

From striking up conversations with other parents at the playground, hosting playdates with our child's new best friend, attending a birthday party without knowing the other parents there, and even just navigating the perceived (and sometimes very real) judgment from others, once we become parents we often find ourselves in social situations we may never have been in before.   Here to help parents...

Family planning isn't easy for all parents. And having an uncomplicated or full-term pregnancy once does not guarantee the same results the next time around.   Parenting while coping with any form of reproductive loss, be that unsuccessful IVF attempts, miscarriages, stillbirths, and beyond can be a grueling reality for many families.   Here to discuss how to navigate fertility struggles in parent...

Are you dreading your upcoming family trip? Traveling with kids can be a lot to handle and the stress of this can leave us feeling defeated, even before we board the plane or hit the road.   So joining me this week to help you feel prepared and ready for traveling with your kids is the queen of play herself, Jennie Monness.   In this episode, we'll help you set proper expectations for travel days,...

It's developmentally normal, even typical, for toddlers and young children to bite. But that doesn't mean we just sit back and let it happen.    Here to talk about the many reasons children bite and how parents can effectively respond to this behavior is the co-founder of Upshur Bren Psychology Group, Dr. Emily Upshur.   In this episode we'll talk about exactly what to do when your child bites, pl...

One of the things that I hear time and time again from parents is that it feels like parenthood is a constant tightrope walk. And knowing how to meet our children's curiosity about sex without projecting our own (often complicated) feelings onto the conversation is certainly no exception.   Here to offer some clarity on how we can set developmentally appropriate expectations of our kids and gentle...

When our children feel anxious or afraid, it can be difficult for parents to know exactly how they should respond. Many parents put pressure on themselves to solve or fix this problem for their child, which is often impossible and a less than ideal way to handle this tricky situation.   Joining me to talk about childhood anxiety and offer support for parents navigating this in their own family is...

As parents, we don't always get it right. But having the tools and skills to process our own big feelings and navigate emotion regulation in ourselves can have a big impact on how we support our children.   Joining me to talk about ways we can establish a healthy relationship to our emotions and teach our children to do the same is the founder of Curious Neuron, Dr. Cindy Hovington.   This episode...

While it's wonderful that there is much more talk about postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and other perineal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) than ever before, the flip side of that coin is that sometimes when new parents experience a PMAD after the birth of their child they feel ashamed for not seeing it coming.   The reality is there is nothing you did or didn't do that causes you to...

We talk a lot about secure attachment on this podcast—which is certainly the best case scenario. But the reality is that not everyone forms a secure attachment bond. So what can we learn about insecure attachment patterns? And are there some forms of insecure attachments that are better than others?   Here to answer these questions and discuss the finding of his research on attachment theory is Dr...

RIE, which stands for Resources for Infant Educarers, is a parenting philosophy created by Magda Gerber that has gained a lot of attention in recent years. Yet, there are still some common misconceptions many parents have about this approach.   Here to shed some light on the teachings of RIE is the founder of Beech Street Parenting, Courtney Dern.   If you are pregnant or a new parent, you won't w...

Were you uninvited to a birthday party, laughed at by a group of mean girls, or maybe even bullied? If you had some tough times in elementary, middle, or high school, it's easy to inadvertently be projecting your own experiences onto your child as they develop their own social group.   Last week's Securely Attached episode was all about peer rejection in toddlerhood—how to make space for a dialogu...

When we hear our children say things like, "I don't want to play with her" or "that's my toy" it's easy for us to feel flooded and want to shut down the situations with comments like, "that's not very nice" or "you need to share."   But peer rejection is a normal and healthy part of development. While it may take some work for us to calm our own fight or flight response so we can be open to this,...