The Brainy Moms

Have you ever tried a diet and lost weight, only to put the weight back on a few months or a year later? Research shows that as many as 80% of overweight people who manage to slim down noticeably after a diet gain some or all of the weight back within one year. That staggering figure can be overwhelming and discouraging when we’re trying to lose weight.  Dr. Amy sat down with Matty Lansdown, found...

Are you a new mom? Do you love a new or soon-to-be mom? If you do, then this podcast episode is for you! It’s been a while since Dr. Amy and Dr. Jody were mothers of newborns, but the story hasn’t changed much: we are all just wondering if our babies are okay! Becoming a first-time mother may seem like an instinctual rite of passage for many women, but once baby is born, many of us find that we ha...

If you’ve ever felt stressed (like, you know, every other mom who’s lived through the past two years), and if you’ve ever tried to do something about it, it’s likely that someone, somewhere along the way, has asked you this question: “What do you do for self-care?” We know, we know, that can cause quite a visceral reaction! In fact, it does just that for our very own Dr. Amy. But—here’s the good n...

Every family has their own set of goals for their children after they graduate high school and fly the nest. No matter whether your family’s goals are secondary education at an Ivy League institution, learning a trade at a vocational school, or heading straight into the workforce, parents can play an active role in their child’s education and help them safely experience both successes and failures...

Whether we know it or not, each of us is carrying trauma inside of our bodies. Even with a charmed childhood, there are moments in your life when you experienced a feeling of overwhelm. Each time we don’t work through those feelings, they add to our unresolved trauma. We carry all of that trauma into our adulthood—and into motherhood.  Dr. Amy Moore and Teri Miller sat down with Dr. Aimie Apigian,...

What’s the big deal if we don’t get enough sleep? On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Sandy asked psychiatrist and insomnia expert, Dr. Jennifer Reid that question and she shared several ways that sleep deprivation impacts both our physical and mental health. We talk about the basics of sleep, the difference between sleep deprivation and insomnia, and the impact of sleep on weight, metabol...

Did you know that as parents, we are the best partner to support early language skills in our children? On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Teri interview speech and language specialist teacher, Sarah Billingham of Confident Kids .  Sarah shares how parents are the most “tuned in” to the speech and language skills of young children and how we are uniquely suited to help them develop those...

Middle School is a time filled with big changes and big stressors for many adolescents. On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Teri interview Jessica Speer, social scientist and author of the new book, Middle School: Safety Goggles Advised . Jessica shares what she discovered from interviewing middle schoolers about what they defined as their top stressors. The big ones? Social media, judgeme...

Communication and language in early childhood is intricately connected to behavior and social-emotional development. Every temper tantrum is an attempt to communicate an unmet need. How do we help young children develop effective communication skills? On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Sandy interview the Mentor Mom, Jill Urbane. Jill is an early childhood interventionist and social worke...

Hey Moms! Are you ready to silence that inner “mean girl” who says you’re not enough? Are you exhausted from doing all the things and ready to shed your Supermom cape? On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Sandy interview licensed therapist and host of Moms without Capes , Onnie Michalsky, about how to quiet our inner mean girls and take off our supermom capes. Onnie shares tips on identifyi...

With so many scary things happening in the world today, it’s easy to understand why kids are struggling with anxiety. On this episode, Dr. Amy and Teri interview licensed mental health counselor, Stacie Boyar, LMHC, MS Ed, who shares tips and specific strategies for managing anxiety. She’s uniquely qualified to give advice on this topic as a therapist in Parkland, FL who worked with teens from the...

On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Teri interview Lainie Liberti, teen mentor and author of the book, Seen, Heard, and Understood: Parenting and Partnering with Teens for Greater Mental Health . Lainie shares a radical approach to relating to teens through a partnership parenting paradigm. Although unconventional, it's an approach that promotes connection and cooperation with your te...

Are you running out of ways to get your kids to eat better? Do you struggle with yo-yo dieting or emotional eating? Want some tips for adopting a healthier lifestyle for your whole family? On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Teri interview Dr. Orlena Kerek – a pediatrician, health coach, and author of the book, Building Simple Habits to a Healthy Me. Dr. Orlena talks about the four pillars...

Are you tired of the bedtime battles with your kids? Are you at your wits end most nights when your child gets out of bed again and again? On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Teri interview sleep coach Maisie Ruttan. Maisie shares powerful insights about why bedtime is so hard. She reveals that maybe our timing is wrong, that we are rushing through our routines, and that we aren’t turning...

Are you tired of arguing with your kids? Do you feel like every other conversation with your child ends in a conflict? Are there days when your kids just won’t listen? Imagine a relationship with your child that was full of cooperation rather than conflict. On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Teri interviewed Cynthia Klein, parenting coach and author of the book, Ally Parenting: A Non-Adve...

On this Brainy Moms bonus episode for Father’s Day, Dr. Amy and Teri interview Dr. Wayne Hanson, pastor and host of The Jesus Taxi show. Pastor Wayne shares 10 parenting tips just for dads based on his Christian faith and lessons he learned from his own father. It’s a candid conversation with an all around great guy.   As always, this episode is brought to you by LearningRx brain training centers....

As a parent, do you fly by the seat of your pants, or do you have a plan in place for setting curfews, teaching your kids how to manage their money, who’s going to talk to them about the birds and the bees, who’s in charge of potty training, and all 1001 decisions we have to make about raising our kids? On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Teri interviewed Kristin Buchtel, author of the boo...

As moms, we second guess ourselves all the time. We question our worth as women, we experience mom guilt for a million reasons, and we fail to appreciate what’s beautiful about ourselves. On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Teri interviewed Kelly Falardeau, best-selling author of the book, Still Beautiful . When Kelly was a child, she suffered burns over 75% of her body and grew up feeling...

Are you chasing happiness but feel like you keep coming up short? Wishing you could experience more joy in your life? Want to have more fun with your kids? On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Teri interview Dr. Mike Rucker, an organizational psychologist who specializes in the research of fun. Dr. Rucker tells us that pursuing happiness might not be the right goal. He shares so much from r...

Want to help cultivate your child’s creativity? Wondering how to help your child integrate the creative and logical parts of their mind? On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Teri interview clinical psychologist, Dr. Michael Alcee who specializes in the psychology of creativity. He shares how we as parents can help nurture creativity in our children while also supporting the development of l...

Does your child struggle with reading or spelling? Wondering what to do for a child with dyslexia? On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Teri interview Reading and Dyslexia Specialist, Donesa Walker, M Ed, BCCS. Donesa tells us what’s happening in the brain of struggling readers, how there are different types of dyslexia that show up in a variety of ways, what some warning signs are that par...

On this special Mother’s Day episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Teri interview Kim Hanson, the CEO of LearningRx. Kim shares 10 ways to be a cool and caring mom. Some are cute and fun –like making sure you’ve got a great pair of sunglasses. But most parenting tips she shares are pearls of wisdom on connecting well with your kids. Our favorite? Always say yes to lunch or coffee. Join us to pick up...

Do you have a toddler who won’t listen? Are you frustrated and burning out with the terrible twos and other challenges of parenting littles? On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Teri interview Sara Rose Whaley, a board-certified behavior analyst and parent coach specializing in working with parents of toddlers. Sara shares lots of tips on how to find joy in parenting toddlers, including how...

Interested in learning what some educators think is the best school model? Heard about hybrid schooling but aren’t sure what it’s all about? On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Teri interview Dr. Brent Goldman from XCEED Preparatory Academy , a network of private college-prep schools providing a personalized curriculum with flexible schedules along with hybrid and online learning options....

Wondering what to do first when your child is diagnosed with autism? Overwhelmed or feeling like a failure as a parent of a child with autism? On this episode of Brainy Moms, Dr. Amy and Teri interview the founder of Autism Parent Solutions, Andrea Pollack, MS Ed. Andrea shares that parents of children on the autism spectrum need help with their own mindset and perspective before they can confiden...