Complicated Kids

In this episode of The Complicated Kids Podcast , I dive into the concept of the neutrality of circumstances with guest Penny Williams. We explore how circumstances themselves—things happening in the world—are neutral and only gain meaning through the thoughts and emotions we assign to them. Drawing on personal experiences and insights, Penny discusses how reframing our perspectives can transform...

Ever wonder why some kids struggle so deeply with eating—and why it's not just about being picky? In this episode of The Complicated Kids Podcast , I sit down with Jaclyn Pederson, CEO of Feeding Matters, to unpack the complexities of pediatric feeding disorders (PFD). Jaclyn shares how Feeding Matters supports families and educates professionals on challenges that go far beyond food preferences—t...

I'm here solo today to talk about holiday survival tips. First, start with YOURSELF. Be kind and compassionate with yourself: you're allowed. Prioritize your nervous system so that you can co-regulate with your kiddos. Next, what accommodations might your kids need in order to make it through changes in food, routine and personnel? Can you set those up in advance? Sending you so much love for this...

How do you keep your cool—and help your child feel safe—when the world around you feels out of control? Penny Williams joins me to explore how external stressors—like natural disasters—can heighten family tension and impact our kids' behavior. We talk about how staying mindful of our own responses and building emotional resilience can make a big difference, especially when supporting children who...

Claire Lerner came back to the Complicated Kids Podcast to talk about inflexibility in kids. We talked about so much more! Parents and educators alike will want to listen for scripts to use when kids are having a hard time and when they're testing limits. Turns out: limits are loving and boundaries are scaffolds for learning resilience and flexibility! Did you know?! Have a listen.   To find out m...

In this week's Complicated Kids Podcast I am joined by Dr. Emily King with some deep insights for parents, teachers, and therapists on supporting neurodivergent kids. Dr. King is a child psychologist specializing in neurodivergent kids and teens. We tackle key challenges, like modifying the definition of success, accommodating different learning styles, and supporting asynchronous development. We...

What if the key to helping your child thrive isn't just more therapy—but understanding the nervous system beneath their behavior? In this episode of the Complicated Kids Podcast , I talk with Veronica Alkon, who saw firsthand how early intervention helped her son—but wanted to go deeper. She shares her journey with the Musgatova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration Method (MNRI) and how it transfo...

In this episode of The Complicated Kids Podcast, I sit down with Caroline Turner, a social worker passionate about supporting children with autism, to talk about Quirky Buds.   Turner's project, Quirky Buds, is a platform that she created to help neurodiverse individuals find friends based on shared interests. Turner explains the inspiration behind Quirky Buds and the need for creating community c...

Christi Hay, a pediatrician in private practice, joins me on the podcast today to share tips for how parents can partner with their pediatrician -- even when they don't have a lot of time. We also talk about brains, talking to kids about their brains, how to celebrate brain-based differences and see the person in front of us.   To find out more about Christi, visit her website at www.palisadespeds...

Sarice Holley stopped by to chat about how to get kids to make healthier food choices. Hint: it involves adults providing fruits and veggies instead of snack bags and treats. And, it also involves allowing children to be the boss of their own meals through simple strategies.   To learn more about Sarice, visit her website at www.sariceholley.com .

Are you confused about why your kiddo was doing fine at the beginning of the year, but now seems to be melting down more often? In this solo episode, I'll break down why that might be happening and give you some practical strategies for what to do to help your complicated kid through this challenge.

Breath Taking: a Memoir of Family, Dreams and Broken Genes by Jessica Fein is the moving story about a mother navigating her daughter's rare, life-threatening illness. Jessica came to share perspectives and lessons learned on the Complicated Kids Podcast. Her story highlights the strength required to face adversity as well as how she advocated and navigated all the twists and turns along the way....

This week I am joined by Author, Parent Coach, and mother of an autistic child, Susanna Peace Lovell to talk about her experience raising a child with special needs.   Susanna gets vulnerable with us to share some of the lessons she learned through her experiences with her daughter and how she came to learn that she and her daughter were both on their own journeys in life, and that they were both...

Although many kids go through a picky eating phase, some kids will experience extremely picky eating. Picky eating is expected; extremely picky eating is not. Jennifer Friedman, RDN helps me unpack the terminology and provides us with strategies for picky eaters that parents can use while they search for the right feeding therapist, dietician, or occupational therapist to diagnose and treat their...

Marian Flaxmann, Holistic Health Coach, chef, and Biomedical Science Policy Wonk joined me on the Complicated Kids podcast to talk about food allergies, food as medicine and her journey to health.   Fussy, colicky, rash-y, and uncomfortable are the words Marian uses to describe her first child as a newborn. She cried all the time; she needed to be held all the time. The doctors said this was 'fine...

Why would a child want to crash into everything and everybody, but NOT tolerate when someone lightly brushes past them? Because: Sensory Processing. Join me and Occupational Therapist, Pia Seltmann, to unpack all things Sensory and how OT helps with motor, attention and regulation abilities. Find out more about Pia and her practice at https://www.tareducationinmotion.com .

Information Asymmetry abounds in the world of special education. Luckily, Seth Besse is on the scene! At Undivided, he is helping level the playing field for parents of complicated kids in California and (soon) beyond. Navigating Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), waivers and other government programs, as well as the healthcare system can be totally overwhelming, which is why the team at Undiv...

Emily and I went TO TOWN talking about tech in schools. Have a listen to this spirited conversation about how tech gets used in schools (for good and for ill); the implications on child development of introducing tech into learning so early; as well as some things parents can do to mediate the effects of technology use at school.   To find out more about Emily and her work, go to www.thescreentime...

Founder of the Free Range Kids movement, Lenore Skenazy, joined me on the podcast today to talk about the importance of fostering independence in kids. She doesn't want much: just a social and cultural shift in the way we think about kids' safety (they're safer now than they've been since the 1970's); adult discomfort (anxiety rates are skyrocketing); and supervision more generally.   Lenore remin...

When we're thinking about early speech and language delays, parents, pediatricians and other well-meaning people often take a "wait and see" approach. "He'll grow out of it"; "My daughter didn't talk till she was 3"; "You were a Late Talker and you're fine" are some of the things parents hear from other folks.   Jen Branchini and I will dive into why this is actually terrible advice and what to do...

We promise! Your child is not a monster. Leslie Cohen Rubury, LCSW and host of the "Is My Child a Monster?" Podcast, joined me today to talk about her approach to helping parents with their challenging kiddos. As the parent of a controlling anxious child, Leslie learned early on what parenting strategies were and were not working. As a therapist trained in DBT, she brings her non judgemental curio...

There are so many nuggets (including chicken nuggets!) in this podcast, you won't want to miss it.    Amy Burkholder came on the podcast today to talk about picky eating and some of the factors that might be at play when kids are picky eaters. In particular, pay attention to the part where Amy reminds us that the dietary needs of toddlers - pound per pound -- are LESS than those of infants. That o...

When Jessica's son was diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), she spent some time grieving and asking "why me". And then she went into action to help other mom caregivers not feel alone through their own experience of parenting a child with disabilities. The result was her organization, We Are Brave Together, and her book, "Becoming Brave Together: heroic, extraordinary caregiving stories fro...

Amanda Diekman, author of the book Low Demand Parenting, joined me today for some "yellow bubble" time. Our conversation ran the gamut from autistic burnout, the problems with masking, and how our children are not empty vessels to be filled to how to think differently about the relationship with ourselves and our children while also dropping demands. This was a powerful conversation that you won't...

Join me and Emily Cherkin for a spirited discussion about Tech-Intentional Screen Use. We'll cover what it means to be tech-intentional, how the battles that parents have with tech and their kids isn't a fair fight, some of the research around kids and screens, and how parents can manage screen use at home using Emily's judgement-free tech-intentional approach. You won't want to miss this one!   F...