Raising OKC Kids – Conversations with MetroFamily

From its amazing and inspiring roots, Bethany Children’s Health Center still provides loving and quality care to the youngest members of our community. Listen in as CEO Nico Gomez talks about the amazing in-patient and out-patient services BCHC offers, inspiring stories of resilience, and new developments and programs as the hospital enters its 125th year.

After writing a year-long series in MetroFamily Magazine about Talking to Kids About Sex with advice for every age and stage, the experts at Thrive are answering parent questions on how to talk to kids about sexual health, sex education in schools, pornography, body posivity, gender inclusivity and more. Plus, if you parent a tween or teen who's especially uncomfortable talking with you about sexu...

New York Times bestselling and multi-award-winning author, acclaimed speaker and father of four boys Derrick Barnes joins us to talk about his new book Like Lava in my Veins and the realities of conscious and subconscious biases in education. Derrick shares how those biases affect Black boys in particular, how educators and parents can challenge racial inequities and how parents can instill compas...

Karen Orsi with the Oklahoma Mental Health & Aging Coalition provides advice for listeners on supporting the mental health of aging relatives, including signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, tips to initiate conversations about mental health with older family members and ways to encourage positive mental well-being. Karen also shares important statistics and warning signs about the preva...

OKC journalist, Thunder hype guy and new dad Malcolm Tubbs joins us to share his passion for nonprofit Heroes In Waiting, which provides free anti-bullying curriculum to schools, youth programs and families. With a focus on developing peace-building, empathy and emotional regulation skills, the trauma-informed, research-based program seeks to teach students to care for their mental health and that...

Freedom City OKC’s founder, Brittany Carter-Thomas, Esq., joins us today to talk about their mission: to support and improve education in Oklahoma City. Freedom City's vision is for 100% of students to be at or exceeding grade-level standards, confident, and exposed to numerous extracurriculars. Meeting each student "where they are" through programs such as Freedom Girls, Afterschool Programming,...

This National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Commissioner Carrie Slatton-Hodges of the Oklahoma State Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse joins us to provide parents with tips on talking with kids about suicide and depression, signs and symptoms to be aware of, and steps to take if we suspect a child we love is contemplating suicide. She shares details on the new 988 statewide men...

Dad, author-illustrator and award-winning creator Jarrett Lerner joins us to give advice in parenting around the issues of body image, disordered eating and self-acceptance, especially for boys. His new illustrated novel A Work in Progress is based on some of his own struggles with body image and disordered eating. As reported by NBC Nightly News, one in three people diagnosed with an eating disor...

Educator and author Henry Rice joins us to discuss how teaching our children the principles of love and kindness can counteract violence. Currently the music teacher at Putnam Heights Academy, Henry has worked in education for 30 years and recently put his 12 strategies of teaching nonviolence in book form for use by families, schools and youth organizations:  Hey TEENS Workbook: Teaching Everyone...

In honor of MetroFamily’s 25th anniversary and three years of our Raising OKC Kids podcast, we are welcoming back one of our most popular guests to speak on one of our most downloaded topics: mental health professional and dad Michael Dickerson joins us to give an update on mental health in the workplace. Michael shares how awareness around mental health practices has changed in Oklahoma since the...

Did you know shared family meals have a positive impact on our kids mental health, in addition to their physical health? Therapist, author and psychology professor Dr. Anne Fishel shares why family mealtimes are so important as well as how busy families can set reasonable expectations for shared meals. Listen in for easy how-tos to schedule time together, make meal planning and prep easier, encour...

In honor of Pediatric Optometry Month, Dr. Kim Hefner, 2023 Family Favorites winner in the category of “Eye Care Provider” joins us to talk about frequently asked questions about our kids' eyesight, eye health and how to care for our eyes in an emergency. Learn about the warning signs for everything from poor depth perception to more serious eye disease, and how degenerative progression, with prop...

Parenting older kids can be challenging, so Meg Cannon with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services joins us to share how parents can balance giving kids more independence while also maintaining a strong relationship. Meg addresses how to asses tween and teen mental health, promote body positivity, teach kids to "fail" and talk about difficult subjects like pornography...

Tiffany Hammond, the voice behind the Fidgets and Fries platform, shares tips for supporting, celebrating and advocating for people with Autism. Tiffany is an Autistic mother, advocate and storyteller — and she uses her personal experiences with Autism, and those of her two Autistic sons, to guide others on their journeys. Tiffany has a master's degree in Developmental Psychology and spends her ti...

In honor of MetroFamily's 25th anniversary and three years of our Raising OKC Kids podcast, we are welcoming back another popular guest to speak on one of our most downloaded topics: Dr. Tamecca Rogers joins us to discuss talking with kids about racism. Dr. Rogers shares what's changed for the better in our state regarding racial equity over the past three years, as well as her biggest concerns re...

In honor of MetroFamily’s 25th anniversary, we have a very special podcast planned for you. Listen in as we hear from publisher Sarah Taylor, editor Erin Page, digital editor Lindsay Cuomo and special projects manager Kirsten Holder about how MetroFamily has shaped our community — and each of us — and our vision for the future.

Kiva Schuler, founder of the Jai Institute for Parenting, joins us to share the organization's mission to change the world by changing how parents parent. Her focus on peaceful parenting encourages parents to stop thinking so much about how we want our kids to behave — and instead really examine our own behaviors, expectations and values as parents. She also shares tips to rethink discipline, focu...

Local mom and public health professional Cara Gluck joins us to recognize June as  Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Awareness Month . This virus affects 1 in 200 babies born in the United States and can have long-term, significant developmental impacts on a baby if a mom contracts the virus while pregnant. Cara joins us to share her family’s journey with CMV, simple steps pregnant moms can take to reduce the...

Father-son duo Brian and Avery Baker share the keys to developing long-lasting parent-child relationships through strengthening trust in our households and creating an environment of open, honest communication. They also provide tips for conflict resolution and developing social emotional intelligence, for both ourselves as parents and our children.

In honor of MetroFamily’s 25th anniversary and 3 years of our Raising OKC Kids podcast, we are welcoming back some of our most popular guests for an update on one of our most-downloaded podcast topics: affirming resources for LGBTQIA+ youth and those who love them. Kylee Holland with Sisu Youth Services and Sara Cunningham and Katrina Kalb with Free Mom Hugs discuss what has changed since our last...

There's nothing sweeter than a dog that blends into your family and enhances your life, but it’s so tough having a “problem” dog when you’re also raising children. So how do we get there? Dog behaviorist Angel Soriano MS joins us today to talk about when families first bring their puppy or rescue dog home, and what the immediate next steps should be. Angel founded and operates the largest dog-trai...

Many new moms (or even veteran moms!) need support as they embark on their  breastfeeding journey. Joining us on the podcast today is Becky Mannel, board chair for the Coalition of Oklahoma  Breastfeeding  Advocates and the executive director of the nonprofit Oklahoma Mothers’ Milk Bank, as well as Heidi Russell, the first executive director of the Coalition of Oklahoma  Breastfeeding  Advocates (...

Summer camp is a fun part of growing up, and it can be foundational in teaching life skills as well. Joining us today is Matthew Weinrich, director of Rose State's Kids College, to talk about what kind of summer activities might be the best fit for your child, as well as how to get them ready for summer camps. Whether it be sessions such as fun with alpacas, archery, esports, 3-D printing, and eve...

M.J. Clausen with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services joins us to talk about ways families can improve our mental health, warning signs that adults or kids in our lives are struggling with mental health, authentic ways to ask a loved one about their mental health and the programs and resources the department offers (including 988, Oklahoma's Mental Health Lifeline...