The Brainy Moms

Are you a military or special needs family feeling torn between stability, services, and what your child actually needs to thrive? We sit down with Natalie Mack and Ashley Barta, two military homeschool leaders who have navigated frequent moves, special needs, and high school planning—then turned those lessons into practical guidance for families everywhere. Their stories show how homeschooling ca...

Teen pain often wants proof, and too many families discover self-harm the hardest way—by finding the evidence. Dr. Amy sits down with returning guest Stacy Schaffer, a licensed professional counselor, to unpack non-suicidal self-injury with clarity and care. We name what NSSI is and isn’t, explore why it seems to provide fast relief to hurting teens, and talk through what to do the moment a teen o...

Teens today live at the intersection of real mental health risks and viral misused language like gaslighting, narcissism, and DID. On this episode of The Brainy Moms podcast, Dr. Amy sat down with children’s therapist Stacy Schaffer to unpack how parents can support mental health without turning every rough patch into a diagnosis. Stacy shares the story behind her new book and the core idea that g...

What if helping your kid find “the right career” starts with removing the pressure to choose one? On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy sit down with counselor and career coach Dr. Tega Edwin to rethink how families approach work, college, and the messy middle in between. From fifth-grade classrooms to college advising offices, she’s seen how early biases about gender and p...

The temperature of public disagreement feels scorching—and that heat is seeping into our homes. We dig into what it means to hold strong convictions while still honoring people, then connect that idea to everyday parenting: how we talk with our kids, how we set boundaries without shaming, and how we handle it when we don't agree. From there, we pull back the curtain on the forces shaping our...

Homeschooling or thinking about it? Wondering if 'open education' is right for your homeschooled child? What if everything we thought we knew about education was designed for a world that no longer exists? Matt Bowman, founder of OpenEd and international bestselling author, joins Dr. Amy and Sandy on this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast to challenge the foundations of traditional educ...

When your child is drowning in mental health struggles, the weight of helplessness can feel crushing. Where do you turn? How do you fight a battle you can't even see? Nurse practitioner and author Jen Robb knows this battlefield intimately. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, she tells Dr. Amy all about it.  "We were the white picket fence, typical all-American kind of family,&qu...

Ever feel like you're failing at work if you don't give 110%, and failing at home if you try? You're not alone in this impossible balancing act. In this conversation between Dr. Amy and returning guest Leah Remillet, balance strategist and host of the Balancing Busy podcast, they tackle the myth of perfect balance head-on. Leah redefines balance not as equal attention to everything,...

The gap between being "smart" and "struggling" often confuses parents, especially when school accommodations don't seem to be working. Dr. Amy and Sandy dive into this critical topic, exploring how cognitive processing differs from academic learning and why this distinction matters for your child's future. Your child's brain isn't just responsible for thinki...

Sleep struggles can feel like a nightly battle when parenting a child with ADHD. But what if the solution isn't another sticker chart or stricter routine—but understanding the unique way your child's brain processes sensory information? Dr. Amy and Teri talk about how during a recent webinar on focus and attention for homeschooling families, one question dominated our Q&A session: &q...

Ever wondered why ADHD meltdowns seem so extreme and hard to manage? The answer lies in a crucial but often overlooked aspect of ADHD—emotional dysregulation—which surprisingly isn't even included in diagnostic criteria. On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, Dr. Amy and Teri dive into some neuroscience behind these emotional challenges, exploring fascinating brain differences that expla...

What if we approached teen technology and social media use more like teaching someone to drive rather than simply restricting access until they're "old enough"? Media literacy expert Jennifer Berger joins Dr. Amy and Sandy on the Brainy Moms podcast to introduce her groundbreaking program, the Social Media Driver's License , which does exactly that. After two decades of teachin...

Wondering what all the social media chatter about genes and genetic variants (like MTHFR) really have to do with your child's health? On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy talk to  functional medicine physician Dr. Randy James about the connections between our genes, our environment, and our overall wellbeing. Dr. James unpacks the philosophy of functional medicine, wh...

Ever wonder why your child can't sit still during lessons? Why they melt down when they're wearing certain clothes? Or why they're suddenly screaming at you when they haven't eaten in hours? The answer might lie in sensory processing—a critical yet often overlooked component of learning and behavior. In this illuminating conversation, occupational therapist Sarah Collins unpack...

Wondering how to best parent your competitive athlete or dancer? Dr. Chelsea Pierotti joins Dr. Amy and Sandy on this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast to reveal the psychology behind peak performance and what parents can do to help—and sometimes, what they should stop doing. Drawing from her background as both a sports psychologist and professional ballet dancer, Dr. Chelsea shares why dancers f...

Are you struggling to launch your adult child? Have you ever found yourself wondering if you're overstepping boundaries with your adult child? Maybe you're caught in the cycle of questioning how often to text them, whether to offer advice, or if you're supporting them the right way? You're not alone.  On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy talk with Dr. J...

America faces a reading crisis that's worsening despite decades of curriculum changes and interventions. In this eye-opening continuation of our Brainy Moms series on reading, Dr. Amy and Sandy interview reading and dyslexia specialist Donesa Walker. We explore why reading scores keep declining nationwide and what parents can do about it. Louisiana's dramatic rise from near-bottom to 16t...

Wondering why America's children are struggling to read fluently? Is your child struggling with reading? Reading and dyslexia specialist Donesa Walker joins Dr. Amy and Sandy on this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast to unpack the alarming decline in America's reading performance revealed in the latest Nation's Report Card.   With the wisdom gained from 30+ years working with dysle...

Does your teen have an unhealthy relationship with food? Want to learn some tips for nurturing and teaching your teen some heathy eating habits? Join Dr. Amy and Sandy on this episode of the Brainy Moms podcasts as they interview Claire Ketchum, the innovator of the Peaceful Eating Method.  Drawing from her own challenges with yo-yo dieting, Claire joins us to illuminate pathways for teens to deve...

Feeling overwhelmed over the tumultuous teen years? Confused about your teen’s eating habits? Join us for a conversation with Bryn Miller, an experienced adolescent eating disorder therapist turned parent coach, about the profound impact of parental support on adolescent mental health and eating disorders. On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, Bryn joins Dr. Amy and Sandy to help parents to...

Want to help your whole family make financial decisions and manage their money in a shame-free way? On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, discover how to transform your relationship with money as financial therapist Lindsey Konchar joins Sandy for a compelling discussion into the world of money management for the whole family. Lindsey skillfully combines her training and expertise in behavio...

Want more calm and less conflict with your teen? What if transforming your family's communication dynamic could be as simple as a shift in mindset? Join Dr. Amy and Sandy for an engaging episode with guest Jeanine Mouchawar, a seasoned life coach for parents, as she shares her journey from conflict to connection with teenagers. Jeanine's personal parenting experiences with academic stres...

At your wits end with trying to find effective consequences for your teen's behavior? Maybe loosening the reins rather than tightening them might work better! (Hint: Stop 'helicopter parenting' your teen!) On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy interview Ann Coleman, an attorney, parent educator, and host of the podcast, Speaking of Teens.  Ann shares a deeply...

Dr. Jodi Aman, renowned psychotherapist and TEDx speaker, joins Dr. Amy and Sandy on this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast to uncover the root causes behind the escalating anxiety epidemic among teenagers. It's a bold statement, but modern conveniences might be making things worse. Dr. Aman suggests that the reduction in problem-solving opportunities due to cultural shifts has led to increa...

On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, we dive into the emotional and practical aspects of parenting teens, focusing on the importance of flexibility, trust, and communication. Dr. Amy and Dr. Jody interview educator, author, and mom of 5 Amy Betters-Midtvedt who highlights the challenges faced by parents as their kids grow, the necessity of establishing boundaries with technology, and the va...