Parenting For The Present

Anxiety and OCD can be dehabilitating for anyone to live with - so how do we care for children facing these struggles so early in life? Natasha Daniels, founder of AT Parenting Survival ( anxioustoddlers.com ), has been both guiding parents on this journey as an Anxiety and OCD Child Therapist, and walking the road herself as a mother of three children with anxiety and OCD. Her unique blend of tra...

Welcome to Season 4 of Parenting For The Present! We are thilled to be back with you, engaging in conversations aimed at helping you understand your children - and yourself - more fully. To start this new chapter, we welcome Dr. Denise Walker to the podcast. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and current Adjunct Instructor at Southern Methodist University, where she mentors students through...

According to Dr. Josh Packard , "Gen Z is the most unique generation that has ever existed, and earning their trust requires that you do things more differently than ever." Anyone with personal experience with members of this generation (including parents of Gen Z kids) are likely to agree. Josh has spent the better part of two decades devoting his time, effort, and research into better understand...

In your most anxious moments, do you find yourself stopping and saying, "Oh, my anxiety is back! What a useful and clarifying tool this is. I'm so grateful I feel this way right now!" While that sounds outlandish at best, you may reconsider your position after listening to this conversation. Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary (anxiety researcher & author, psychology and neuroscience professor, and founder of...

Preparing our children for college is undeniably daunting. But for them to make use of that preparation, they have to get in first! Beth and Greg Langston understand how challenging and overwhelming the college application process can be, and have set out to guide teens (and their parents) through the process. They bring their decades of experience in leadership, education, parenting and the corpo...

Whether it's from her boots-on-the-ground experience as a teacher, or her nose-in-the-research experience as an author, Deborah Farmer Kris has done the work when it comes to studying childhood development. SIn addition to her work as a for PBS KIDS for Parents and MindShift, an NPR learning blog, she is now the author of the critically-acclaimed "All The Time" children's book series.  Deborah joi...

As any parent knows, these kids don't come with an instruction manual. They DEFINITLY don't come with turn-by-turn directions. But, what if we had a compass? Something that didn't hold all the specific answers we might be seeking, but instead continually pointed us in the right direction? Jenn Curtis and Cindy Muchnick, authors of the book The Parent Compass ,  had this very thought. They saw how...

Whether it's due to frustration, or anger, or just pure exhaustion - we all have moments with our kids we wish we could take back. And while that's not truly an option, we do have the opportunity to look forward, learn from our mistakes, and develop our skills as parents to better handle future situations that will arise.  This is essentially the origin story of Positive Parenting Solutions, found...

Welcome to Season 3 of Parenting For The Present! Any time we enter a new season - of life, or of a podcast - it can be useful to reflect and reset. As the new school year begins and we begin to see glimmers of a new post-COVID reality, we decided to pause and examine both where we've been and where we're headed next. We also discuss family rhythms, routines, and rituals, from overarching philosop...

As our guest today, Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, says, depression and anxiety are pediatric illnesses. These are pervasive issues that affect a large number of children and teens. He has seen this not only anecdotally as many of us have, but in his distinguished career as a psychiatrist and researcher. Madhukar H. Trivedi, M.D., is Professor, Chief of the Division of Mood Disorders, and Director of the C...

The world of social media can be a staggering and scary one when it comes to our kids. It's vastly complex, always changing, and filled with potential harm. At the same time, it can provide inspiration and connection. So how do we help our children acclimate well to the virtual world? Dr. Angela Patterson joins us, for the second time, to discuss this ever-evolving challenge. Her recently complete...

Anxiety is rampant in our world today. And, on the whole, it's getting worse; reports of anxiety have literally doubled in the last two years since the start of the pandemic. Unfortunately, this is not just a grown-up problem; children are facing anxiety at record rates as well. But, as Dr. Eli Lebowitz points out in this episode, there is hope. Dr. Lebowitz is Director of the Program for Anxiety...

It's easy for parents of a boy to reason that their number one job is to turn him into a good man. And while the heart behind that sentiment is pure, it can lead to approaches that are less than helpful in achieving that goal. We carry with us the way we were raised, and what we see presented culturally and historically as the journey from boyhood to manhood. While some of these methods are good a...

Adolescence is a strange, wonderful journey. We get to watch our children begin their journey into adulthood, with all the pitfalls and joys that accompany it. Middle school is an especially pivotal time, when our kids start to form their own identities and beliefs - and when we as parents see our role begin to change in their lives as well. Our guest today, Phyllis Fagell, has taken a particular...

Sometimes, in the midst of difficult parenting moments, it's hard to pull back and gain perspective. So what can we do to equip ourselves to give our best to our kids in the hardest moments? Reverend Kim Meyers, Pastor of Family Ministry and Community Outreach at St. Andrew United Methodist Church, has sought answers to this question. Her search, combined with her experience as a mother of two, ha...

As our hosts discussed amongst themselves what they hoped for Season 2, a theme emerged; how do we navigate stress, conflict, and anxiety? Even though they look different in each of our stories, these realities are universal to the human experience. So if we can't avoid these challenges, how do we handle them well? Both personally, and for our families? They thought it best to turn the mics on and...

Invariably, we all want what is best for our children. As parents, we would give anything for them to be happy, successful, and fulfilled. But that eagerness to give them the world can create problems. If we move from being a teacher and advocate to something more, we run the risk of stripping them of the opportunity to learn and grow into the fullness of who they could be.  This conundrum fascina...

Welcome to Season 2 of Parenting For The Present! We're back to continue the conversation on how to be a proactive parent. We're all looking for tools and wisdom that will help us on our parenting journey; our good friend Joey Schewee joins us today to share something that has shaped not only her parenting, but her marriage and professional life as well. As an Enneagram 8 who has been a student of...

Get ready! Season 2 premieres this coming Monday, October 11. This season, Early, Matthew and Andy ask the question, "What are the virtues of proactive families?" With each guest, they build the case for a virtue through parenting for the present. Listen and learn with them as, together, they dig deep into the powerful practices of experts and friends along the way. You won't want to miss it - sub...

We're taking a bit of a break for the summer as we prepare for Season 2 - give this trailer a quick listen to hear how it's all coming together, and when we'll be premiering the first episode of the new season!

After a fantastic first year of our podcast, we thought it was time to take a look back with appreciation, and a look ahead with anticipation. Up to this point, all of our conversations about the direction of the show have been away from the microphone - but no more. Today, come sit at our table as we hash out what Season 2 of Parenting For The Present might hold. 

When it comes to standardized tests for our kids, preparations matters - just maybe not in the way you think. Ned Johnson, an expert on such preparation, doesn't just focus on the material; he addresses stress reduction, anxiety management, and intrinsic motivation. He reveals how grade hunting doesn't prepare our kids for adulthood near as well as developing their own passionate pursuits, and has...

We've likely all heard the idiom "happy campers" thrown around - maybe even from our own mouths as we wish a better attitude on our kids! But for Audrey Monke, those two words have taken on a whole new meaning. She has taken her 36 years of experience as a summer camp owner/director and turned it into a parenting website, a podcast, and now a book - titled "Happy Campers". In the book, and on this...

We all want to keep our children safe. But we also want them to become self-sufficient, fully formed adults; so how do we balance both? This question is always challenging to answer, but particularly so when it comes to exposure to drugs and alcohol. New York Times bestselling author Jessica Lahey joins us today to discuss her new book, The Addiction Inoculation, in which she details, through stor...

The world is changing. Rapidly. And while that's news to no one, its effects can sometimes range further than we initially realize. Teenage lives are far from untouched; actually, it seems like they may be more affected than almost any other age group. And when it comes to parenting those teenagers, the methods that may have worked when we were growing up seem less and less relevant, and less and...