Parenting The Adlerian Way

Parenting often targets the Mom demographic and their needs and wants, leaving us to assume Dads don’t engage enough. Turns out, Dads just want to engage differently! My guests Dave Drazen and Dr Brian Lewis are two Dads who have conducted a lot of research to learn about that difference so that Dads who want to step up their parenting get the support they need the way in they want it delivered.&n...

Q1. 7yr old daughter with anxiety has explosive fits when things don’t go as she’d like.   Q2. When to start talking about sexual consent and how? Is 11 too young?  Q3. 16 yr old son embroiled in a power struggle who refuses to communicate about the need to work together instead of living like he’s in a boarding house. Q4. 5 yr old triplets and a 2 yr old sibling. One refuses to own...

Dr. Ben Rader and I discuss the concept of “chosen family”. It turns out that almost everybody has a chosen family if they take a moment to consider the idea. Ben helps us understand the important role a chosen family provides in creating social belonging as well as important opportunities it provides to either perpetuate or change the roles we play in our most important relationships.  Check...

With a thirteen percent increase in drug deaths last year, it seemed fitting to talk to skateboard prodigy Brandon Turner, who overcame his own struggles with addiction and run-ins with the law. We’ll hear his journey to sobriety and how that led him to create a new rehab center that provides skateboard programs (and other types of programs as well) to create a safe, healthy, and healing community...

Q1. How to help a tween adapt to our moving to a new town and high school?  Q2. 7yr old daughter refuses medicine for her cold.  Q3. 6 yr old son is being aggressive and defiant at school. Q4. How do we parent proactively around prevention of addiction? If you have a question for me, email me at alyson@alysonschafer.com   Check out more free parenting advice on my blog at www.alyson...

I sat down with Jim White, a coach and founder of The Family Enrichment Academy to talk about his latest book “How To Be The Parent Your Teenager Needs You To Be”. Jim explains the importance of building connection with your teen and how to set the stage to do so. He also talked to me about empowering our teens by intentionally choosing a “love-based mindset”, which he explains. One of his main ta...

Adlerian therapist, Dr Sara Saeedi works with youth in a counselling centre in British Columbia. She shares research findings and insights into the “good, the bad and the ugly” of social media and how it’s usage can hurt self-esteem or grow social interest and belonging. She offers tips for parents to help manage the content and amount of social media usage.  Follow Dr Saeedi here: FB https:/...

Q1. 7yr old boy is very impatient and screams about small stuff.   Q2. 16yr old girl feels judged by other girls and flees unless friends are with her. Q3. 15 yr old boy won’t listen to parents about getting more sleep.  If you have a question for me, email me at alyson@alysonschafer.com   Check out more free parenting advice on my blog at www.alysonschafer.com   Sign up f...

Dr Vanderloo is the Scientific Director for ParticipACTION and Dr Tremblay is the President of Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance, and the Chief Science Officer for the ParticipACTION Report Card. In this episode we talk about the recent report called the Global Matrix 4.0 and how poorly Canadian children are doing compared to other countries when it comes to initiatives to keep our kids physical...

When we raise our children, we bring our whole selves to the job. But for most of us there are unresolved wounds and hurts from our childhood that can negatively impact our children. In this episode, Sophia Barna and I discuss the self-responsibility of self-care to heal our wounds, and how to love unconditionally.    Find Sophia here: www.crossingyourbridges.ca Facebook YouTube And chec...

Q1. Should I force my 11 yr old to include their 7 yr old twin siblings in their playdates?  Q2. 7yr old grade 2 (who was a premature December baby) wants to see his report card which indicates he is “progressing with difficulty” in all subjects. Do I show him? Q3. Should I pay someone to be a friend for my 14yr old son with Asperger’s who has no friends? Q4. My 7 and 10yr olds make their lun...

Today’s guests are the rock stars of motherhood. They literally fill stadiums with cheering mom fans on their multi-city tours across North America and beyond. Yes, they even travel by tour bus with wine and roadies! They have captured the hearts of moms everywhere with their honest and authentic convos about modern motherhood. With such a huge fan base that they engage with regularly, it was a pe...

Doug Price is a riot! And he is on a mission to teach 17 year olds financial literacy so they become millionaires. What 17 year old isn’t going to perk up their ears when someone asks if they want to be a millionaire?! In this episode we discuss his book and how he is resonating with youth to teach this important life skill - a skill parents often fail at themselves.     His book, “...

Q1. 17 year old watching porn Q2. 6 year old who stomps his feet when he is angry or frustrated Q3. 12 year old girl crying and sharing she feels she is weird and not fitting in Check out the information on porn at www.truthaboutporn.com Do you have a parenting question for me? Email me at alyson@alysonschafer.com   Sign up for my monthly newsletter at www.alysonschafer.com and receive a free...

Leslie Forde is a researcher and consultant. During the pandemic, she began researching the topics of caregiving, career growth, equal partnership, and self-care. In this interview we discuss the best practices for improving workplace culture, and how to empower working mothers with the tactics they need to navigate their career growth, domestic commitments, and their own well-being.  You can...

Dr. Amoneeta discusses the positive impact of beginning a meditation practice at the youngest of ages. Squirming kids seems like a tough request for sitting still on a cushion, and that is why Dr. Amoneeta created the A-E-I-O-U and Y vowel version of teaching children in engaging ways the components and skills that are fun to learn and practice. Any teacher or parent can work with children using h...

Q1. My son says he doesn’t like that other people make the rules and then hurts us so we feel sad too.   Q2. How do I manage the ubiquitous opportunities for my children to eat sugary foods? Q3. My sons act out when my ex and I are together briefly at hand-off time between households. Q4. My 9 yr old has troubles with her emotions especially anger towards her younger sister.  Do you...

In this episode of the podcast, I interview Carolyn Hays, the author (pen name) of “A Girlhood: Letter to my Transgender Daughter”, which takes parents along her family’s personal journey of raising a transgender daughter. In our conversation we discuss the science, and the hurdles, joys and challenges of parenting a transgender child. We also discuss how to be an ally to the LGBTQ2+ community.&nb...

November is will month. Do you have a will? Is it up to date? Do your parents have a will? Do you know who has been named executor? David Edey is a Certified Executor Advisor with over 35 years’ experience. He also spent 7 years in court when a sibling contested their parent’s written will, so he is passionate about helping families get their affairs in order to save them from strained family rela...

Q1. 3yr old girl who is shunning her mother and preferring her father.  Q2. 6yr old girl who is perfectionistic and gets angry when things don’t go the way she wants. Q3. How to connect with an 11yr old boy who acts like he is 17, is defiant, and doesn’t think his parents know anything.  Details and registration information for Alyson’s webinar on Nov 16th, 2022 on “Managing Kids And Tec...

Dr. Rebecca Jackson and I discuss how to help learners get caught up this year by helping parents create a homework strategy that includes considerations for the state of the child’s brain. Dr. Jackson explains the individual and daily fluctuations in the status of the brain that can impact a child’s ability to focus, concentrate, control impulses and more. She offers ways to improve these skills...

In this episode of the podcast, I speak with a fellow senior Adlerian teacher, practitioner and friend, Wes Wingett. We discuss one of the most practical tools for understanding human behaviour and how to mine our memories of the past in order to bring about change in the way we solve problems, behave and function today.  North American Society of Adlerian Psychology website is here .  W...

Q1. How do I street proof my 11yr old daughter for going to the park independently? Q2. My 17yr old daughter is spending her paycheques on fast food instead of saving for university.  Q3. My teen can’t get a girl to stop naming calling and the school won’t help.  If you’d like to purchase access to my webinar “Parenting Strategies For Teens and Tweens”, you can email my operations manage...

Meet Cameron Davis, a 17yr old youth activist, athlete, entrepreneur, teen traveler, content creator, and role model for youth, as he shares his journey to becoming a world youth leader and how your kids can too!  Check out his charity clothing line which supports disenfranchised youth: www.721mech.ca Follow Cameron here: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/CameronTravels IG @ogcammyd and @721m...

Julietta Skoog is a fellow Adlerian parent educator with years of experience working with children through her career as a school counsellor. Because so many parents complain of their children not getting along, I wanted to invite Julietta on the podcast to discuss tools for parents who are dealing with fights and squabbles utilizing Adlerian methods.   You can follow Julietta here:&nbsp...