Raising Healthy Kid Brains

I talk with the founder of Knightlamp Consulting and child trauma specialist, Stephan Friedrich, about the misconceptions around developmental trauma and what actually happens in early childhood that can lead to lasting impacts. Knightlamp is Australia's leading consultancy in trauma-informed practice and uses their expertise to effect healing, change, and an improved life trajectory for children,...

This week, I'm joined by Siris Raquel Rivas-Verdejo for a fascinating conversation about the deep connection between language, communication, and our bodies. As a coach, speech-language pathologist, learning behavioral specialist, and therapeutic energy worker, Siris brings a unique perspective to helping children build language skills and improve their quality of life.   Join us in this episode a...

This week, I'm joined by school counselor and Peaceful Parent Coach Kristina Manning who is on a mission to help overwhelmed parents stop yelling at their kids. She breaks down the principles of peaceful parenting, highlights the science behind why yelling ultimately doesn't work, and what we can do instead to teach our kids emotional regulation skills that will serve them well into adulthood.   I...

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Ali Navidi, a licensed clinical psychologist and co-founder of GI Psychology. He specializes in innovative treatments for GI disorders using clinical hypnosis and cognitive behavioral therapy. With his expertise, we dive deep into the brain-gut connection and explore why so many children experience stomach discomfort related to stress and anxiety.   If your child...

Dr. Simone Alicia noticed that many of the children and adults she worked with struggled with self-esteem issues. She realized that there was a need for a new approach to help people feel good about themselves from the inside out. By combining her background in education, modeling, and later studying neurolinguistic programming (NLP) and divinity, Dr. Simone developed powerful tools for boosting s...

This week, I'm joined by early childhood interventionist, Jill Urbane, as she shares her expertise on toddler speech development. Jill has been working with families for over 25 years, and in that time, she has created a comprehensive system that gives parents the tools they need to encourage their child's development and set a strong foundation for learning and success.   Listen in to hear Jill b...

As recent data shows that a staggering 67% of fourth graders in the United States have fallen behind in reading, Valerie and Amanda are on the front lines combating this crisis. Through the Elite Reading Coach Academy, they have gained the skills and tools to teach children to read using engaging, play-based methods that deliver real results.   Hear how Valerie and Amanda took the leap and became...

This week, I sit down with integrative pediatrician Dr. Joel Warsh to discuss his balanced approach to raising resilient kids. While he shares eye-opening data on the state of children's health today, Dr. Warsh focuses on small, gradual changes busy parents can make to nourish their families—no extreme lifestyle overhaul required.   Discover how reading labels, cooking one extra meal at home per w...

Celia Kibler is a parenting expert with over 45 years of experience. She's also a bestselling author, international speaker, and founder of the International Day of Calm. Her acclaimed 21 Days to Stop Yelling course is designed to guide you through a journey of self-reflection and practical skill-building to help you replace yelling with constructive and compassionate communication, and she's shar...

Anthony Delauney has been a financial planner for two decades and calls himself the Financial Dadvisor for kids and families. He is the author of five children's books that focus on financial literacy, with a sixth releasing soon, and is a huge advocate for teaching children the financial know-how they need to make informed decisions now and in the future.   Anthony shares his insights on the impo...

Bryn Lottig is an educator who uses the wilderness and adventure as a medium to teach children character development. Written for educators, parents, and leaders, her book, No Child Left Inside: Transforming the Next Generation Through Experiential Learning , explores how we can create an experiential learning cycle for kids where they can develop skills and safely explore personal strengths as we...

Welcome to my first co-hosted podcast episode with my dear friend, Kelsey Sorenson. Kelsey is a former teacher, current homeschool mom to three kids, founder of Educate & Rejuvenate, and a certified life coach. She's also the host of the Educate & Rejuvenate Summer Conference: the virtual education event of the year that will have you ready to take on the next school year with joy and ease, and we...

My guest this week is legendary children's musician and global troubadour, Raffi. In addition to his five-decade-long career as the most popular children's entertainer in the English-speaking world, Raffi has started a global movement called the Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring, where he shares his philosophy on valuing and respecting children. He's here to give us a brief introduction to his...

Karen DeLoach grew up directing plays on the playground with no idea that one day she'd make her own independent films and teach others how to do the same. As both a university instructor and a homeschool teacher, Karen has seen how art can impact both physical and mental health firsthand. She also shares some really powerful stories about how art has changed lives.   Join us for a wonderful conve...

Michelle Steiner is a writer, speaker, and photographer who writes about living with an invisible disability. She believes knowledge is what helps us all be more supportive of one another, and she's on the show this week to shed light on identifying invisible disabilities in children. Whether you know someone with a learning disability or are wondering what to look out for in your own children, th...

April Rehrig is a mom, school psychologist, and teacher whose collaborative approach combines special education advocacy with real-world strategies that work. She decided to take parents behind the scenes In the world of special education through online workshops and IEP coaching so they can make informed decisions for their children, and she's here today to walk us through the world of special ed...

Claire Heffron is a pediatric occupational therapist and the co-founder of The Inspired Treehouse where she helps parents and professionals conquer the common developmental roadblocks that come up for kids. Claire is on the podcast this week to help us understand the world of sensory processing.   Listen as Claire explains the three lesser-known sensory systems and why understanding them matters....

There's so much in the practice of yoga that parents and teachers can use to help kids have amazing experiences. This week, I'm speaking to Giselle Shardlow, an elementary teacher, yoga instructor, and founder of Kids Yoga Stories , to introduce us to the world of yoga for children.   Join us as Giselle walks us through the five C's of kids yoga, and why play and yoga work so well together. She's...

What does it take for kids to become passionate about learning? How can we as parents encourage this process at home? My guest this week, Neil Rosen, has a forthcoming book called Rediscovering the Village: Classic Strategies to Help Children Develop a Lifelong Love of Learning , and he's joining me to share some smart strategies for creating a learning-centered home environment.   Join us this we...

What is the correct way to talk to young children about sexual abuse? How do we prevent our children from being abuse victims? And how can we create a comfortable, shame-free environment for our kids to approach us openly about their experiences?    My guest this week is Rachelle Rutherford, the current Mrs World America and Mrs World America Fitness who is using her platform to defend the prevent...

Where do we begin when it comes to equipping our children with healthy emotional regulation skills? Like so many things, it begins with our ability to model the behavior ourselves. My guest on this episode, Dr. Cindy Hovington, is a mom of three, neuroscientist, and expert on children's emotional health, and she's here to walk us through our role as parents in creating an emotionally regulated hom...

What do you do when your kids are struggling with big emotions? This week, I'm exploring the topic of emotional regulation and I have the perfect guest to help me do it: Jeanne-Marie Paynel, conscious parenting expert and the host of The Art of Parenting Podcast.   Join Jeanne-Marie and me as we discuss why connecting before correcting matters, the importance of modeling self-regulation for your k...

Building our emotional literacy as parents and teachers can have a big impact on our kids, but it's not always easy. This week, we're exploring the tricky emotion of anger, and I'm taking tips from Brené Brown's Altas of the Heart to help you understand how to talk to kids about their anger.   Listen in to learn Brené's philosophy on anger and how we have the opportunity to transform it into somet...

Recently, my nine-year-old started working on her speech at school, and seeing her progress made me reflect on the milestones we're looking for in our children at different ages. Which speech milestones should your child be reaching between ages two and five? And how can we tell if those milestones are being hit? I'm sharing my insights with you this week.   Tune in to learn a general guideline fo...

Personality assessments and temperament indicators are popular tools in the business world, and they can be powerful tools in parenting, too! This week, I'm speaking with Kate Mason, "Australia's personality coach," who is sharing the benefits of deeply understanding our unique personalities and those of our children.    Join us as Kate walks us through the four dichotomies of temperaments, what h...