Art Creativity & Wellbeing

The gist of this show is, we take care of each other. It's going to be okay. This morning I woke up to pandemonium, with Canadian loved ones seriously offering their homes… Some of the calmest people that I know terrified and freaking out… My Facebook feed – like yours, I'm sure – filled with tears and panic. Because half the country was pro--her, and the other half of the country pro-him, we were...

What worries you about technology and your kids? Is it online predators? Cyber bullying? The idea that they'll disappear into their little devices and you'll never see them again? My guest today, Devorah Heitner, is an expert at helping us understand technology and our kids – and ourselves. Because like it or not, we are raising digital natives; we need to get this right! Devorah has appeared on t...

In the final chapter in our three-part series (click here for Part 1 about good sleep, and here for Part 2 about the antidote to anxiety), The Modern Parent's Guide to Surviving This Election Cycle, I share about how you can become as educated as possible on the candidates… Because knowledge IS power. I'll be voting a week from today – I share in this episode about why voting at all is so importan...

This past Tuesday, my conversation with mom and broadcast journalist Cheryl Tan ranged among many important topics, including how to talk to our kids about current events and tough stuff, and how to feel better about this election. (Go to weturnedoutokay.com/113 for my conversation with Cheryl.) One aspect of our talk resonated with me as a great subject to dive into in a Your Child Explained epis...

I knew I wanted to speak with a journalist regarding next month's presidential election, so I was thrilled when today's guest, veteran TV reporter/anchor Cheryl Tan, agreed to come on the show! Cheryl has appeared on CNN and Fox News, and currently hosts her own entrepreneurial TV show, Hampton Roads Business Weekly, the Standout podcast, and teaches entrepreneurs how to connect with journalists i...

Here are the top 2 reasons to listen to today's episode: 1) With all the fear in the air right now, you might benefit from a story about becoming fearless – so, here it is! I told this hilarious and inspiring story last week, about becoming fearless while sitting in front of my mom's sewing machine as a young woman, and it took second place in the Massmouth Story Slam competition! I'm semifinals b...

According to this article last week at Vox.com , 55% of voters were "disgusted" with the campaign… back in September. I'm betting that that number has gone up a bit as this election has changed from PG to R-rated. And if we are that freaked out – how are our kids? When our fear and upset level goes up, so does theirs. You can make both you and your kids feel better by coming to my FREE online clas...

I start out today by speaking a little bit more about homework for young kids and the remarks that American Academy of Pediatrics president Dr. Benard Dreyer made regarding this in episode 107 . After hearing episode 106 (the homework backlash episode), a mom got in touch with me to share about the heaps of homework her first grader receives each night, and the fact that three missed homework assi...

If you are nervous about the sense of unrest in the air, about the upcoming contentious election, about the threats of violence from all quarters; if you're feeling a little powerless as to how to protect your home and family in the midst of the toxic vibes, you are going to LOVE this show. Beloved children's television host Fred Rogers famously said: "When I was a boy and I would see scary things...

How bad is the vague sense of fear, of atmospheric worry, in your life? Because if you feel it, you can bet that your child is getting those vibes from you (and now she's worrying, too.) It's very difficult to escape the news and mudslinging around this contentious election. That's what started me thinking about how to help you feel better during this time of year when it always seems to feel a bi...

About episode 108: During my recent conversation with American Academy of Pediatrics president Dr. Benard Dreyer, about the key role that parents play in preventing their kids from getting something scary called toxic stress, different parenting styles came up. Today, in this Your Child Explained episode where we are always figuring out what's going on inside our kids heads, we take a closer look...

Welcome! To listen to today's episode , school on down to the bottom of this post and hit the triangular "play" button. About today's episode: With the school year starting, a contentious election giving the feeling of continual hate and negativity in the air, and reports of yet another thing for parents to be worried about – toxic stress in their young children – I knew we needed some voices of r...

Do you worry that your child is getting too much homework for his or her young age? Do you stress out over the nightly fits as said homework is being accomplished? Then, you're going to love today's episode – it turns out that homework and young children do not mix, and this fall people are standing up and saying "I'm protecting my kid from the scourge of homework!" For key links and expanded show...

Today, Ninja Parenting Community member Sabrina Rizk – the very same Sabrina from Tuesday's guest interview #104 – gets help solving a problem that plagues many parents: when your child's first reaction to something negative is to scream. When I asked Sabrina what aspect of parenting she wanted our parent-coaching call to be about, she said "I want to talk about how to get my six-year-old to have...

What if your child, while perfectly capable of speech, simply can't speak in certain situations, like at preschool, school or daycare? That's the situation that Sabrina Rizk and her husband, Anthony, found themselves with their now-nine-year-old daughter Hannah was entering preschool. My conversation with Sabrina starts off in another really cool direction: we get to talk about the round-the-world...

When our oldest, Max, started kindergarten, he morphed from the enthusiastic, curious, good-natured boy we had known since the day he was born, and into a truly anxious child with frequent night terrors; in first grade he even sustained the loss of 20% of his body weight and was diagnosed with migraine at age 6. Do you have an anxious kid, who's worried about starting preschool or kindergarten, or...

In today's last Summer Camp episode, we talk about how to get kids the musical and sensory experiences they need – and why they need these experiences so much. My first job out of college, I worked in the infant room of a day care center with kids age about 6 months old to about 1-year-old. Each week, the center brought in a guitarist to sing and play to the babies, and I was absolutely amazed at...

Maybe you've heard of studies showing that, the more facts you place in front of someone who disagrees with your position, the less likely they are to agree with you? Science Versus, a new podcast from the juggernaut Gimlet Media, takes an unusual approach to looking at the many things we humans can disagree on, and I love it. Host Wendy Zuckerman, with her delightful Australian accent and ability...

How lucky that episode 100 landed during Summer Camp, creating the perfect moment for a conversation with the man behind the great sound of this podcast, my husband and Max and Jay's dad, Benjamin Kolp. We geek out over sound technology, the origins of We Turned Out Okay, and best of all Ben shares many awesome tips on fishing with kids for you guys! This is a man who really, really loves fishing....

On today's podcast field trip, we head for a new favorite of mine: Gimlet's Sampler, hosted by Britanny Luse! Go to weturnedoutokay.com/099 for links to this new favorite (along with another great Gimlet show, Surprisingly Awesome) and to listen! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

Childhood friendships are something that a lot of us adults kind of don't get. Go to weturnedoutokay.com/098 to hear the best way to help your child make friends! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

Today we visit a podcast that will stimulate your creativity and help you learn about some really great and cool things – Innovation Hub with host Kara Miller! I share two recent episodes, plus one from a year or so ago, that really stand out in my mind and will be relevant for you. Go to weturnedoutokay.com/097 for links to Innovation Hub, and to listen! This is a public episode. If you'd like to...

Today's show is all about puppets – good fun, and an often-unrecognized key tool to getting to know your child on a whole new level. Kids talk to puppets. They see puppets as people, as their own individual entities, not cloth or paper stuck on the end of somebody's arm… As I think about it, even though I'm a grown woman myself, I still see puppets in this way! Maybe you do too. If you want to rea...

Today, our podcast field trip takes us to one of the first podcasts I ever listened to: Freakonomics Radio with host Stephen J. Dubner. Freakonomics is such a great podcast because, like the book series of the same name which Dubner wrote with Steve Levitt, a frequent contributor to Freakonomics Radio, each episode digs into the field of behavioral economics, showing us humans stuff we never would...

It's probably not an essential skill, but sandcastle-building really appeals to our imaginations. Plus, it's fun! Today I share a fantastic and fun book which, in addition to giving the secret to building truly epic sandcastles, also gives strategies to win many of your favorite games, like Risk, Jenga, Connect Four, and pillow fighting. Go to weturnedoutokay.com/094 to read about the sandcastle s...