Parents of the Year

In this week's episode, Caroline and Andy dive into the relationships we have with our kids, and how they line up to the types of relationships we want to have with them. Every parent views the relationship between them and their child differently: some subscribe to a teacher/student model, others more of a BFF model. Over time our relationships change whether we want them to or not and this...

In this week's episode, we had the fantastic opportunity to chat with Dr. Todd Kashdan about the importance of parents being involved in helping their kids decipher what they are presented with from the outside world and how to communicate with them in an inquisitive manner (versus dictation). It's a great conversation about reshaping our interactions with our kids to help them build the...

Caroline starts out by asking Andy a question and immediately saying he was wrong. This episode is going to be a bumpy ride. From there they dive into discussing money and kids and what allowances are really intended to do. Highlighting the lessons they hope to teach kids about how they earn money, and what to do with the money once they have it. Follow us on Twitter @POTYPodcast and be sure to jo...

As a parent, chances are that at least one of your daily routines are hectic and stressful, whether getting ready for school in the morning or going to bed at night. your mornings can be a bit hectic… not to mention, stressful. However, that doesn’t need to be the case.  Listen in to today’s episode where Caroline and Andrew share insights on how to make routines easier on you and your family (whi...

It seems there have been more and more tragic events happening in our world. With the stress of COVID the past two years, followed by the war in Ukraine, and now mass shootings - the most recent last week at an elementary school, it has been emotionally overwhelming, to say the least. It can be very difficult to know whether to talk about these events with our children and what to share. In today&...

It's a big day as Caroline and Andrew welcome their very first guest on the POTY Podcast, Dr. Hendrie Weisinger, who is a leading authority on the application of emotional intelligence and anger management and the originator of the highly regarded techniques of criticism training as well as a pioneer in the emerging field of "pressure management" He joins the POTY Podcast to talk ab...

Caroline starts the show by admitting she's grumpy. Andrew tries not to make any moves that can be perceived as aggression. From there the episode becomes a bit more philosophical in terms of taking a good long look at our lives.... before it's too late. To kick things off, Andrew drops a bombshell on Caroline by letting her know that he's no longer in his fantasy hockey pools. Bigg...

Everyone has an expectation of what being a parent is going to be like, and in this episode, we dive into how reality actually lines up. From being terrified of the evenings to having to clean up way more poo than can be imagined, the reality was vastly different from anything we could have imagined. Regardless of expectations, there were things we did to get through it that made the reality beara...

In light of a mistake one of the kids made on an exam, Caroline and Andy discuss what they think a parent's role is in their child's education. Andy, being the less educated of the duo shocks the world with the admission that he didn't enjoy his scholastic years, which led to his parents needing to ride him more to get his school work done. More than what he finds he needs to do wit...

Caroline kicks off the episode by calling back to a previous episode where Andy called her out on her planning skills.  Andy highlights that free-spirited living requires someone to work on keeping the details straight. Caroline calls Andy an enabler.  From there they move on to the actual topic of conversation, which is how to protect those unique traits that make your kids unique. With all that...

 Today Andrew and Caroline talk about this important topic about how much screen time should kids get. Screens have become a large part of our everyday life.  Although there are recommended guidelines for screen use, most kids get fare more access than they should. And its only gotten worse since COVID. Unfortunately, screens affect kids’ cognitive, social, and emotional development, as well as th...

The greatest challenge to parents at one point or another is getting your kids to JUST GO TO SLEEP! A good sleep schedule is crucial to a happy home life. When your kid or kids aren't sleeping well, nobody is and it can make life harder than it needs to be.  After clarifying which Ninja Turtle she feels she really is, followed by telling the world just how gross her favourite pizza toppings a...

If you have more than one child, chances are pretty darn good that there is some sibling rivalry happening. They might love each other and play beautifully one second and the next they are screaming at each other or punching each other in the face.   Younger children tend to be more physically aggressive, whereas older kiddos tend to get verbally argumentative.   Sibling rivalry can actually be he...

In today's episode, Andrew and I chat about what we think are the most important traits for kids to develop. We talk all about resilience, accountability, creativity, and inspiration. (And skydiving vs. base-jumping. What would you choose!?) Follow us on Twitter @POTYPodcast and be sure to join our Facebook Community ! Access resources, get support from other parents, and ask Caroline and And...

In today's episode, Caroline asks about what she and Andrew do well as parents and what they do poorly (individually as parents). They each take a turn talking about what they think they do well and what they can work on for themselves AND for each other. Apparently, Caroline is the gong show of the parent... Find out why! She also talks a lot about communicating effectively with your kids. H...

In today's episode, Andy asks Caroline when kids could benefit from therapy. Caroline talks about the importance of early intervention. And how, things like anxiety, only get worse over time. Children don't outgrow it.  They also talk about how anxious parents = anxious kids. And how our own anxiety as parents gets in the way of our children's own resilience and self-regulation. Fol...

Everyone seems to have an opinion on disciplining our children. In today's episode, Andy & Caroline talk about their beliefs about discipline and punishment. Check out this BEHAVIOUR RESOURCE to help you analyze behaviors and think purposefully about how you can be proactive when dealing with behaviours. Follow us on Twitter @POTYPodcast and be sure to join our Facebook Community ! Access...

We all have them. Parenting regrets. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes.  In today's episode, Caroline shares her regrets.  Warning! She becomes a blubbering mess.  What are your regrets? What have you learned that can help you be a little bit better tomorrow? Yay parenting! Follow us on Twitter @POTYPodcast and be sure to join our Facebook Community ! Access resources, get support fr...

In this episode, Caroline & Andrew discuss their individual philosophies around parenting.  There is no one way to parent. Although so many of us fly by the seats of our pants when it comes to parenting, it can be really helpful to develop your own parenting philosophy, or set of guiding principles, that you follow as a parent. Your philosophy influences everything from what you say, what you...