The Parent Empowerance Podcast

Despite what we see online, rotating toys every 2 weeks is not actually as important as social media makes us think it is. BUT the physical environment in your home DOES matter for your child’s development. Research has consistently found that how a child’s physical environment is arranged influences attention, play quality, self-regulation, independence, language development, and physical activit...

This week on the podcast I welcomed my next guest - Maddie Garcia, a pediatric Occupational Therapist. We talk all things sensory integration, pediatric OT, and how to support your child’s regulatory abilities and sensory needs. This included discussing: What it means to be a pediatric OT (who, where, what, how) The 8 senses and what sensory processing is The differences between sensory seeking, u...

Parents (and society!) often expect toddlers or preschoolers to share, but that’s actually not developmentally appropriate until closer to 5 or 6! And expecting them to do it too early can create bigger power struggles and tantrums because their brains just aren’t ready for sharing toys/snacks/activities yet. This episode focused on what IS developmentally appropriate, and how to build the skills...

Sibling relationships are the longest relationship your children will have across their lives. But these often come with a lot of conflict, especially in early childhood. This episode focuses on understanding the benefit (and risks) of sibling relationships for development, the importance of supporting the bond, and how to navigate conflict between your children. This included: Reviewing research...

Parents are usually quick to say “say sorry” or “give them a hug” when their kid hits/bites/throws/doesn’t share with another child, but these often become ingenuine actions for your child to get out of trouble. This is where empathy comes in! In order to encourage your child’s empathy development, you want to get them thinking! This episode focuses on the importance of empathy for young children...

Getting your young children (especially toddlers) out of the house can feel like a monumental task some days. Frustration and impatience are completely normal with the frequent delay tactics or power struggles that come with getting your kids dressed (and getting them to keep their clothes on), doing their hair, eating breakfast, getting shoes on, all the daily tasks. This episode focuses on under...

This week on the podcast I welcomed my first guest - LE Wolfram, a former kindergarten teacher of 7 years and home school mama of 2. We talk all things kindergarten readiness and the decision to home school. This included: Kindergarten readiness: Why this is important How behavior/regulation plays a role The importance of soft skills and social-emotional learning Realistic expectations from a kind...

You are your child’s safe place, you’re their home and their comfort. This attachment you form with your child plays one of the biggest roles not only in your relationship with them, but in their development and future relationships as well. This episode focuses on what attachment is and how it influences your child’s development. This included: Reviewing research on: What attachment is The four t...

Leaving your child is never easy! And deciding where to take your child and who to leave them with is one of the biggest (and toughest) decisions parents make in early childhood. This episode focuses on strengths and limitations to each care type, as well as strategies for choosing one. This included: Reviewing research on: Why the quality of care matters more than the type of care The strengths a...

“Is this okay?” “I get impatient with my children and don’t know what to do.” “My child has been biting their sibling every day and I can’t get them to stop.” All of these are completely normal questions I’ve gotten from parents about handling their children’s behavior. It can be so difficult to know what to do in the moment or how to implement behavior management strategies. That’s where I come i...

Screens can be such a useful parenting tool, but they are frequently used too often, to the detriment of your child’s behavior and language development. This episode focuses on the impacts of screen time on children under the age of 5, the recommended screen time and how to implement this with your child, as well as how to set and maintain boundaries around screen time. This included: Reviewing re...

Not all of your reactions or responses to your child are you. Sometimes they stem from deeper rooted trauma or stress passed down from your parents or grandparents. Sometimes they pop up from a past experience you had. This episode focuses on what intergenerational trauma is, how it affects your parenting and your child, and what to do to buffer some of these effects. This included: Reviewing rese...

Worrying about your child being able to talk is one of the biggest concerns parents have for their young children. This episode focuses on how to support your child’s language development, specifically by talking and reading to them early and often. This included: Reviewing research on: When language development starts and how it progresses from birth to early and later toddlerhood to preschool ag...

The transition to parenthood is seen as one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences that people go through. This episode focuses on how becoming a parent affects your relationships with your partner and yourself. This included: Reviewing research on: The changes that often occur to your relationship with your partner while becoming parents The way parenthood affects your identity, sleep,...

This episode focuses on why supporting your child’s self-regulation is important, signs you may need more help with your child’s behavior or emotional regulation, and how to practice these skills in early childhood. This included: Reviewing research on: What self-regulation in early childhood helps with now and in the future Why kids needs to practice it in early childhood Providing examples on: W...

This episode focuses on why boundaries are important for young children, what developmentally appropriate boundaries look like at different ages, and how to set and maintain boundaries in early childhood. This included: Reviewing research on: What boundaries help in early childhood and in the future The different needs for boundaries at different ages Providing examples on: How to set and maintain...

This episode focuses on why play is important, what kids learn from play, and how to support your child's play in early childhood. This included: Reviewing research on: What play supports developmentally Why daily play is important Providing examples on: What play looks like at different ages How to use play to support language development and practicing skills Describing strategies to use in your...

This episode focuses on what co-regulation is, why it's important, and how to support your child's co-regulation in early childhood. This included: Reviewing research on: Defining self- and co-regulation How self- and co-regulation develop in early childhood Why co-regulation is important across the lifespan Providing examples on: What this looks like at different ages Why it's hard to do all the...

Welcome to the Parent Empowerance Podcast, where we make early childhood research relatable and actionable for parents. I'm your host, Amara - founder of Parent Empowerance, PhD graduate in human development and family science (specializing in child development and behavior), a former preschool teacher and early childhood intervention specialist, and, most importantly, mom to two littles (a 2 and...