The Parenting 411

Welcome to our podcast episode featuring Danielle Craddock, Non-Profit Consultant and the founder of Girls Inspired & Ready to Lead (GIRL). In this empowering conversation, we explore Danielle's background and the journey that led her to establish GIRL—an organization dedicated to helping young women identify their passions and pursue their dream careers. We also learn the inspiration behind h...

Join us for an insightful episode as we sit down with an esteemed expert, Sam Hassell, founder of Westchester Prep, a renowned tutoring and advisory company specializing in college admissions. In this episode, we delve into the intricacies of the competitive college admissions landscape, uncovering what it takes for students to stand out and gain acceptance into their dream schools. Sam shares his...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Gina Duncan, the lead mental health expert for The Steve Fund, to shed light on the unique mental health challenges faced by college students of color. Dr. Duncan discusses the vital work of The Steve Fund, an organization dedicated to promoting mental health support for young people of color. We examine the impact of recent events, such as the pandemic, racial...

In this episode, we speak with two licensed clinicians who specialize in maternal mental health for Black women, Tiffany Bishop and Whitney Coble, co-founders of Raising Resilience. We discuss the increasing reports of disparate maternal health outcomes for Black mothers and the resulting mental health challenges during pregnancy, delivery, and post-partum. We explore the unique challenges that Bl...

In today's episode, I will sit down with Amberlee Venti to explore the mental health challenges that some women may face when breastfeeding and discuss strategies for coping and seeking support. Amberlee is the CEO and Co-Founder of Pippy Sips, the creators of the award-winning all-in-one storing, cooling and monitoring system for breastmilk (Maia ®). Amberlee has spent her entire professional car...

Join us in this episode as we talk to Sophia A. Nelson, Esq. - an award-winning author, journalist, and speaker - about the challenges that parents, especially moms, face when it comes to taking care of themselves. We'll discuss not only the physical and logistical barriers, but also the mental blocks that hinder us from prioritizing our own well-being. Ms. Nelson is a contributing editor to theGr...

Our guest today is Dr. LaToya Wiggins, a wellness advocate and self-care strategist for busy Christian moms. Dr. Wiggins shares her personal journey of transitioning from feeling worn out to winning and how she is now passionate about coaching women of faith with children to adopt healthy habits using biblical principles. Dr. Wiggins firmly believes that no woman should struggle to take care of he...

Meet Donald James, retired NASA engineer and author of "Manners Will Take You Where Brains and Money Won't: Lessons from 35 Years at NASA and Momma’s Wisdom". We explore the concept of "good manners" and their significance in our daily lives and why it’s so important that we teach them to our children. Donald James shares his experiences on how having good manners helped him in his career, and why...

Today, I sat down with Brad Baldridge, a college financial planning expert, to talk about financing strategies for parents. He shares valuable insights and strategies that parents can use to plan ahead, so they can finance their children's education. His strategies cover the various stages of a child’s life, allowing parents to consider various options for covering their children’s college costs....

Meet Jill Wright, Alignment Coach, Mindset Mentor, and Time Management Guru. She helps women get clarity by identifying their mindset blocks and helping them reconnect with their inner selves in the midst of managing real-world commitments to career, family and parenting. Tune in to learn her strategies for moms that will help you better manage your time, you calendar, and your life. Learn more ab...

Over 69 million U.S. households have dogs. They bring a lot of joy, energy, and companionship into your home. Dogs can be great fun for kids and a source of rewarding life experiences. But, let's be honest. Dogs also bring extra WORK to your already full plate. The benefits usually outweigh the challenges IF you're prepared. I invited professional dog trainer, Jake Schneider to sit down with me to...

Our country is facing a literacy crisis with 130 million adults reading below 6th grade level according to the U.S. Department of Education. At the other end of the continuum, Prosperity for All reports that only 35% of public school students in the U.S. are proficient readers by 4th grade. Literacy attainment, and academic achievement are two vital catalysts for a population's growth, economicall...

Conflict is inevitable. We are unique individuals with different personalities, perspectives, and plans about what happens to us and around us. Resolution of our differences can be tense, uncomfortable, and downright maddening. We see conflict in the professional world with contentious legal cases, mediation proceedings, and workplace disputes. We also see conflict in our personal interactions. Un...

Among the top concerns parents have today, keeping their children healthy ranks at the top of the list. Nutrition is a critical tool in meeting this need. With today's busy lifestyles, families often find themselves eating on the go or consuming easy-to-prepare, processed foods at home. Done to excess, these practices can lead to very unhealthy outcomes for kids like obesity, diabetes, poor brain...

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, an estimated 25 to 50 percent of children and 40 percent of adolescents experience sleep problems. The quality of sleep our children get affects attention, cognitive performance, mood, resiliency, vocabulary acquisition, learning and memory. Not only that, a recent study found that getting a solid seven hours of sleep at night could add up to 5 year...

The last few years have amplified the challenges faced by moms trying to feed their babies. There was the recall of a major baby formula brand in February 2021 that ignited panic among mothers of infants. Accommodation of the needs of nursing moms is anything but consistent amongst employers. Then there's the fact that breastfeeding, while 'natural', is not always easy. Whatever approach moms choo...

Life as a parent comes at you fast. Between school, work, and recreation, we're running in a lot of different directions, usually with our kids. It can be hard to keep track of everything they need, especially their STUFF. Today's guest can help you get a handle on that. She is Organizing Expert and Educator, C. Lee Cawley. She shares so many hacks for getting and staying organized. She knows that...

To say I am sitting down with an extraordinary pianist and composer does not do justice to the dynamic Tony Small. Tony is passionate about music and peerless in every way that he expresses his musical gifts. Whether he is creating, performing or transferring his knowledge and love of music on to young people, he is really one to watch and hear. We talk here about how he got started in music as a...

Today, I offer you a message of inspiration as you pursue your BIG dreams. I was honored to speak these words to a global audience of new, emerging and seasoned entrepreneurs on their way to building and growing their businesses. Be encouraged!! If you want to read more insights and revelations from me as well as other successful business owners, grab a copy of You Are Enough, a powerful anthology...

This enlightening episode comes from my trove of conversations collected during my time as a talk radio host. You will hear from Dr. James Jones as he describes his personal journey toward healing of childhood trauma as shared in his book, I'm Alright: Overcoming Physical and Emotional Abuse Through Faith. His colleague, Dr. Lynnette Crews joins the conversation to discuss interventions for adults...

Motherhood is as much a journey of discovery about self as it is about the children you're nurturing and guiding. For those who are immersed in the experience with very young children, it sure can be nice to hear a little wisdom from someone who's been there. Kim Sorrelle does that for us today. She shares lessons learned from life, loss, and crisis that she would love to have known in her early d...

Expectant parents experience a wide range of emotions over the months leading up to their child's birth -- joy, excitement, anxiety, fear, and uncertainty. They plan, prepare their home, and envision what their child will be like. As thrilled as they are when their little one arrives, reality sets in that caring for their newborn is WAY more work than they imagined. Those early months are called t...

Title IX paved the way for girls to participate and compete in sports at school. It's been thrilling to watch the strides they've made. What many may not know is that participation in competitive sports can present some unique challenges for young girls during puberty. Here to talk with me about this is Dr. Cortney Yarbrough, who specializes in Obstetrics & Gynecology and is an advocate for ad...

I am back with my guest, Chris Lake to further demistify toddler behavior and set you on the course to helping your toddlers meet their milestones. As Chris speaks, you can hear his passion and the depth of his commitment to guiding parents to make the most of those early years when toddler brains are ripe to voraciously soak up stimuli from their environment (and YOU) while making critical neural...

If you have a toddler, you've likely asked yourself the question "Why won't she listen to me?" and/or "Why did he just do that?" Lucky for you, today's guest can give you some clues. He's educator and child health advocate, Chris Lake. Also the Executive Director of Community for a Cause, a non-profit child advocacy organization in New York, he's spent a lot of time working to help young children...