Campfire Guide to Parenting

Out of seven days, how many does the average teenager get one real hour of moving? The answer is 2.7. And it was 2.7 in 2010, too, before there was a phone in every kid's back pocket. A new study in The Lancet Global Health tracked more than 3 million teens in 140 countries from 2010-25. One in four had zero active days in the past week, and girls moved less than boys in almost every country. In t...

Winston Churchill finished at the bottom of his class at Harrow and went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. So what was his school missing? Mike McDonell puts that question to Gráinne O'Reilly, an international school leader who has opened and led schools around the world, including as founding principal of Foshan EtonHouse International School in China. They talk about what every parent wan...

Mike McDonell's family got the call they had been waiting for. On December 30th, his son Michael gets a new kidney. Mike set aside the episode he had planned to record a thank-you instead. It goes to the friends, family, and strangers who heard Michael needed a kidney and said "test me." It goes to an anonymous backup donor, cleared and ready in case they're needed. And it goes to Michael's big br...

OpenAI's CEO says his kids will never be smarter than AI. Mike McDonell has one question: smarter at what? After more than 30 years around 100,000 kids, Mike has never watched a child become confident by being right. In his experience, confidence comes from being wrong in front of people and surviving it. In this solo episode, he looks at what happens to kids who never have to be wrong, now that a...

In third grade, Miller Peoples was asked to speak to his whole school about disability inclusion, and he said no. He's been saying yes ever since. Miller, a Best Buddies ambassador in Central Texas and a longtime friend of the show's host, sits down with Mike McDonell, with his mom Stephanie alongside. They talk about his work as an ambassador: the regret that turned into years of school visits to...

Two nervous girls stood alone at overnight camp drop-off. Years later, one was the other's maid of honor. Mike McDonell, a father of four, has spent decades creating places where kids make friends, and he still worries about his youngest finding a close one. In this episode he looks at why friendship is harder to come by today and what parents can do about it. Monitoring the Future data shows 10th...

She let her 9-year-old ride the New York City subway home alone, wrote about it, and two days later was on national TV being called "America's worst mom." Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids and president of Let Grow, joins Mike McDonell around the campfire to talk about what it costs a parent to trust their kid. They get into why half of parents of 9 to 11 year olds won't let their child go...

In 1981, thirteen-year-old Mike McDonell found his friends by riding his bike until he spotted a driveway full of tipped-over bikes. In 2026, his thirteen-year-old son finds the day in his pocket. In this relaunch episode of Campfire Guide to Parenting, Mike, founder of Kidventure and a youth leader for more than 30 years, looks at four ways childhood has changed: more screen time, fewer in-person...

The conversation explores the intersection of professional and personal life, focusing on the challenges and rewards of motherhood and community building. Meagan Clanahan shares her journey of building Houston Moms while navigating the complexities of parenting and work-life balance. The conversation covers topics such as work-life balance, parenting, mental health, and the impact of technology on...

Want to help your kids develop grit and resilience? In this episode of The Campfire Guide to Parenting , Mike McDonell sits down with Michael Blasdell to talk about what grit really looks like in kids, and how parents can help build it without stepping in too fast or clearing every obstacle out of the way. They unpack how kids learn resilience through everyday challenges like friendship drama, mid...

In this episode of Campfire Guide to Parenting , Kidventure President and father of four Mike McDonell sits down with licensed clinical social worker Taylor Blunsen to explore what emotional wellness really looks like for kids today. Together, they unpack the everyday challenges families face — from anxiety and screen time to meltdowns, family rituals, and emotional connection . You’ll hear simple...

How can parents raise confident, money-smart kids in a cashless, screen-filled world? In this episode of The Campfire Guide to Parenting , Mike McDonell and Zack Mattos share real-life stories and practical tips on allowance, chores, entrepreneurship, and screen time. You’ll hear how to separate family responsibilities from paid work, spark your child’s entrepreneurial spirit, teach generosity, an...