Bite Your Tongue: The Podcast

We delve into the world of pregnancy and fertility challenges that our young adult children are facing. With couples taking longer to marry or start families, this has become a significant issue for young adults, and as parents, it’s crucial for us to understand the landscape. A listener reached out to request an exploration of this topic, so we invited Elizabeth King, a Certified Life Coach speci...

What if simply engaging in thoughtful conversations could transform your understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community? In our latest episode of Bite Your Tongue, we celebrate Pride Month with the Emmy-nominated Matthew Rodriguez , the insightful host and executive producer of "It's Okay to Ask Questions." Through heartfelt narratives and candid discussions, we unravel the complexities su...

What happens when your sweet, funny, smart, enthusiastic child turns out to have a mental illness? Where do you go for help? Who do you turn to for advice? And what if those institutions and experts fail you and more importantly, fail your young adult? What happens when everywhere you look for help or support you come up disappointed and alone?  In today’s episode we hear from a couple whose famil...

This episode will defy nearly everything we've talked about over the past few years. Our guest Jeffrey Arnett , Ph. D is renowned for proposing coined the theory and term “emerging adult” in the early 2000’s.   He characterizes this stage of life by exploration, instability, and boundless optimism. But when we talk about technology, sex, and societal patterns he outwardly rejects much of the...

When we think of Mother's Day, we often envision breakfast in bed or a sweet card, but the truth is, the gifts that mothers cherish most are the bonds they share with their children, no matter their age.  That is what we hear today from our guests. Mary Dell Harrington and Lisa Heffernan. They are the founders of Grown & Flown , the very popular website and social media stops. Together, w...

This episode dives deep into resilience.  We talk to a resilience expert and parenting coach about how to build resilience - in ourselves and our adult children. Why do we sometimes look at the bad and forget to remember and be grateful for the positive?  Our guests explain that neuroscience tells us that we are programmed to look at the negative and much more difficult to remind ourselves of the...

Maybe you've recently read these headlines in the New York Times or The Wall Street Journal . "Well Into Adulthood and Still Getting Money From Their Parents.   Nearly 60% of parents provide financial help to their adult kids, a new study finds." WSJ "Parents Are Highly Involved in Their Adult Children’s Lives, and Fine With ItNew surveys show that today’s intensive parenting h...

Do you have a favorite child?  Maybe you think you don't but there are things you do or say that show something different. Today we delve into the much overlooked topic of sibling relationships.  We speak with Fern Schumer Chapman author o the book Brothers, Sisters, Strangers.  Siblings are the longest relationship we will have in our lives - and our children's.  They share our history...

For today's episode we brought back Tony and Alisa DiLorenzo to discuss their new book "The Secret to Breaking the Conflict Cycle in Your Marriage," and to share their wisdom on maintaining strong connections in all our relationships - and that means with our adult kids too! We talk about  the need to actively engage in conflict resolution rather than avoiding or ignoring issues. (w...

Today we speak with the legendary Charles Fay, Ph. D. who, with his father Jim Fay and Dr. Foster W. Cline founded Love and Logic.   For many years parents have turned to Love and Logic for guidance for their young children.  It is a trusted research-driven, whole child approach to child-rearing. And now - guess what?  Dr. Fay is talking about how Love and Logic works for building healthy relation...

In today’s episode Denise and Kirsten chat with renowned matchmaker Rachel Greenwald. Do you ever worry your adult child will never find a partner?  Do they spend too much time with their career rather than love?  Do you feel like they are always picking the wrong person?  Today we discuss whether parents should meddle in their adult child's dating life.  Greenwald offers insights about if, w...

Today we discuss the sometimes difficult, yet rewarding relationships between mothers and daughters.  We speak with Pam Tronson, parenting coach with a special certification in mother/daughter relationships.  The connection between a mother and daughter is one of the strongest and most important family relationships. Accepting that it can be difficult and messy is key to being able to navigate the...

We're thrilled to be joined by Julie Lythcott-Haims, the author of "How to Raise an Adult" and "Your Turn." As a former dean at Stanford University, Julie offers a unique lens to view the nuanced world of parenting, and the perils that lurk within the shadows of over-involvement. This captivating episode is a deep dive into the challenging world of raising children into re...

We had a fantastic time chatting with the talented author and journalist, Jessica Grose , who helped us understand the intricate landscape of parenting today and how she fares as a young adult.  We talk about how we can support our young adult children today.    Her book, Screaming on the Inside, the Unsustainability of American Motherhood, is both an historical look at motherhood and a sounding a...

Today's episode we speak with the "Godmother of Silicon Valley,"  Esther Wojcicki.  If you have not heard of her - you must listen to this episode. She is the author of the best selling book "How to Raise Successful People - Simple Lessons for Radical Results"   She's as expert no doubt because she has raised three enormously successful daughters including Susan Wojci...

 This is a not to be missed episode! We talk to Dr. Gene Beresin, Executive director of The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a full professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and senior educator in child and adolescent psychiatry at MGH His 40-years of experience working with youth and young adults has given him an enormous breath of knowledge. A...

Struggling with your adult kids?  Are they about to cut you out of their lives or you just want to build a stronger relationship?  We cover it all in this episode, where we speak with Dr. Joshua Coleman about two of his books: When Parents Hurt: Compassionate Strategies When You and Your Grown Child Don't Get Along   Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Confl...

Today we speak with Kimberly Damon.  Kim, a certified life coach who wears a multitude of hats.  Kim discusses the importance of finding a lesson in everything, practicing self-reflection and embracing acceptance. These themes highlight the transformative power of personal growth and understanding in relationships, particularly between parents and their adult children. Kim shares her own journey o...

 On Mother's Day 2023, my daughter Catie sent me a link to a book and wrote, "the author and her mom would make great guests on your podcast." The book “ What to Do When I’m Gone, A Mother’s Wisdom to her Daughter” sparked my interest. I ordered the book and loved it. I told my daughter I would love to do an episode with the authors of this book - as long as she was the guest co-hos...

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Laurence Steinberg about his new book - You and Your Adult Child:  How to Grow Together During Challenging Times. He brings us a whole new perspective. Touted as the first comprehensive guide for parents navigating the crucial decades of their children's lives, we explore everything so many issues. We delve into the complexities of the parent-adult child relati...

It's June and that is typically wedding season.  So we thought we'd combine our two wedding episodes into one BEST OF THE BEST.  You will hear first from fAleigh Huston-Lyons, a therapist and coach at AisleTalk: Consultation & Therapy .  A boutique practice devoted to helping brides and grooms cope with the stresses that arise during wedding planning and anticipation of marriage. Fro...

It's Pride Month and we are taking a second look at the LGBTQ+ community. We have two guests.  The first is Linda K. Reeves,   a licensed marriage and family therapist certified as a gender specialist by the  World Professional Association for Transgender Health.  She is the founder of Linda K. Reeves Therapy. Her therapy utilizes her clinical  skills in the treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexua...

Welcome back to THE most downloaded episode of Season 2.  Our guest today, one of the foremost experts who studies how individuals and families develop and change throughout their lives, tells us that as we age, we regret not reconciling with family members we may be estranged or distant from.  Today we welcome Dr. Karl Pillemer, Professor of Human Development at Cornell University, where he is al...

Happy Mother’s Day!     Today we are joined by two amazing moms with great advice for keeping our relationships with our adult children healthy, fun and spirited.      Also listen for some special Mother’s Day messages of support and advice from some young adults!   This will be an episode that will get you thinking, make you smile and lift you up.    We hope you enjoy it!     Thanks so much to Co...

Street Interviews with Young Adults and Parents from Around the World! As the old saying goes, “the best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray.” That is exactly what happened. Denise's plan to visit Ellen in Prague took a turn when Ellen, then in Boston, tested positive for COVID just a few days before her planned trip to Prague for Denise's arrival. She thought she might join a few d...