The A-Parently Podcast

More men are present in their children's lives today than ever before. This is something to celebrate, but it is important to recognize how many of these fathers may be lost, unsure, and making mistakes when it comes to parenting. Jason Frishman is on the front line of providing fathers with the resources they need to build loving relationships. Join us as we explore how seemingly minor gestu...

Whether you're a divorced parent, a stepparent, someone supporting a family in transition, or none of the above, we all know about the negative effects divorce can have on a child. This episode is an excellent guide to creating a positive and thriving environment for the children caught in the crossroads of a separation. Join Gabe Chernov today as we explore the delicate balance of co-parenti...

Building anchors in a child's life is essential for them to feel safe enough to take the risks they need to take. But how do we as parents balance that line of being in the supporting role whilst also encouraging kids to step outside of their comfort zone? Join us today with Jeff and Brooke as we learn about important takeaways from camp and the right time to drop, or more importantly, pull u...

One of our most important roles as parents is to help our kids understand their minds and bodies. With neurodiverse children, sometimes a bit of extra care is needed to help them succeed in a school program that is likely not geared towards the way that their brain works. Public speaker and entrepreneur Peter Shankman joins us today with tips for parents and teachers to help neurodiverse children...

It's impossible to deny the value of spending time in nature. In our worlds of construction and traffic, it's more important than ever to get our kids outside to explore and have fun. Mandi Baker hops on the A-parently Podcast today to examine the science and data of nature's incredible benefits. Join us for some tips on incorporating these benefits into your kid's lives! Guest...

It can be easy to forget, but the way that we respond to our children's actions can play a huge role in their learning process. So when our children demonstrate exemplary qualities, it's important to take the time and give them the praise they deserve to help them learn from those moments. Michael Brandwein, one of the biggest names in the industry, has been teaching parents for years th...

Being a kid can be overwhelming! New experiences and unknown feelings are hidden around every corner of life. We as parents have our work cut out for us too, however! In between the parts of our own overwhelming lives, it can be so hard to capitalize on every learning moment our kids go through. Even when there is a long to-do list, there are still plenty of ways to set our children up for success...

What is really going on inside our kids' heads'?It's easy to think that we are the experts and have the answer to everything our children are experiencing. We're the ones raising them after all, right? But the farther we lean into this mindset, the harder it becomes for our children to open up to us about the difficulties in their lives. We are excited to welcome Gabe Chernov b...

A lot of our world is focused on final products. Due dates, numbers, and letter grades can completely overwrite the creative thinking, problem-solving, and learning experienced along the way. We know that we cannot help our children overcome every adversity. But what is the role of the parent in this learning cycle of setting up and taking down supports? And how do we shift our focus (and our chil...

We know that a strong, independent child is something that we, as parents, should strive to raise. We also know that in order for kids to be independent they need to be prepared for the consequences of being independent. And what we ALSO know, (that our children may not know) is that with the privilege of independence, comes the distinct possibility of failure. It's a tricky balance to naviga...

Change is hard. It's hard for us when our patterns are interrupted, our expectations aren't met or a new reality is set before us. Bundle in kids, and dealing with change goes from "hard" to feeling impossible. We not only have to figure it out for ourselves but really coach kids through what may be a new and scary experience for them. Changes of all sizes can be hard, but can...

Getting your kid to have an "intercultural experience" may feel like one of those things that would be great to be able to do, but that in reality, is hard to make time for. What if you didn't have to hop on a plane to help your kids get some of the benefits that come with an experience like that? It turns out, that you can do just that! Kids are exposed to new cultures all the time...

Of all of the child-raising topics out there, childhood nutrition may be one of the most baffling. It’s something that most of us don’t have any formal education on (for instance is it a food-wheel or a pyramid?) and one where there are thousands of philosophies on. And it’s not just what to eat, how to get kids to eat takes your down a whole other rabbit hole of differing opinions. Dianne Neumark...

How do you help your child navigate something that feels too big for even you to tackle? There is no denying that climate change is a real, giant problem staring us right in the face. What makes it even harder to deal with mentally is that unlike many of the conflicts and upsetting things that we are exposed to, it sometimes feels like something that we a) can't do anything to fix and b) can&...

As a parent, it's easy to get caught up in how every single moment of your parenting needs to be incredibly well planned out and that our child's long-term well-being is solely in our hands. While it's important to be intentional, Kevin Kelly will tell you that we should be focusing more of our efforts on first, helping our kids understand how they learn best and then using that lea...

As a parenting buzzword, "autonomy" is certainly right up there with "grit" and "resilience". But what if what we've come to think of as true autonomy is wrong? Even more, what if the way that we're interpreting autonomy - a synonym of independence - is actually making things harder for us as parents? Over years of professional and personal research, Michael...

It's undeniable that the mental health conversation has taken a front seat in our society. With national ad campaigns, the integration of it in the school curriculum and the saturation of it in the media, kids and parents are trying to figure out how to navigate this new landscape together. However, when it gets down to it, we really just want to know if our kids are okay. We want to know if...

This is a conversation beyond just "screen time management". It certainly includes some great advice, but it is also so much more. Anya Kamenetz joins Travis and Debi to unpack her years of research, reporting and writing on how both the digital media landscape and the COVID-19 pandemic have fundamentally affected our children. While this subject may seem full of doom and gloom, it'...

A sense of wonder, independence and confidence. It's something we all want for our kids - and it's a big reason why we send them to camp! However, more and more, there are a lot of factors working against us and our kids here. In a world that promotes convenience, over-coddling and even the slightest bit of uncomforted is interpreted as a threat, parents have to be more intentional than...

Independence. One of the most confounding parts of child development. The journey from a completely helpless and dependent newborn, to a strong-willed teen can be a confounding one. How do we know our kids are ready to detach from us? How do we know if we're pushing them too hard? While there isn't a clear playbook, there are certain goals that we can constantly strive for - and that&apo...

This is part 2 of our conversation with former sex crimes and child abuse prosecutor Rahel Bayar. If you missed part one, make sure you go back and listen because it was a fantastic episode! This time, Rahel, Debi and Travis dig into approaching these conversations and situations with middle schoolers and teens. As well, they dig into the things that both kids and their parents need to take action...

This may be one of the most serious episodes of A-Parently, but it may also be the most necessary one. On this episode, Rahel Bayar shares that between 1 and 4 and 1 and 13 children will experience some form of sexual exploitation or abuse. This isn't something we can just hope doesn't happen and unfortunately, isn't something that can always be prevented. Like many things with pare...

There are a lot of differences between a camper's time at home and their time at camp, but there's one part that is definitely the same...Both at camp, and at home, it's busy. Things to do, places to get to and so many moments of stimulus for a young mind. It can be hard for a child to take a breath, but that's where an intentional and caring adult (ie. camp counselor or parent...

When you look at your child and have the words "it's time for bed" on the tip of your tongue, do you clam up a bit? You're not alone! For parents and caregivers around the world, the bedtime battle is a tough one. So for a battle this big, we've brought in the big guns. Dr. Sujay Kansagra, a pediatric sleep expert joins the show to share his years of research into not only...

Why is participation in sport so important for kids? You can probably understand some of it off the top of your head...collaboration, achievement, exercise - these are all great! However, something that we, and society too often overlook is the power that sport has to teach our kids about emotional regulation and responsiveness. Through the drama of a close game, a coach that pushes you to be your...