The Parenting Horizons Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Teresa Stern, LCSW, somatic therapist, and founder of Mindful Therapy Brooklyn (https://www.mindfultherapybrooklyn.com) , to explore how children’s behavior is deeply connected to their nervous systems, sensory needs, and body awareness. Drawing from her training in somatic therapy, TheraPlay, sensory integration, and experiential modalities, Teresa explains why b...

What does it really feel like to be a teenager today—and what do teens wish their parents understood? Our guest today is Sonia Suthar, Founder of Cloud9, a unique platform that combines life skills, personal growth, and community-building for teenagers In this eye-opening episode, we sit down with Sonia for a candid, unfiltered crash course on navigating the parent-teen relationship from the insid...

Dr. Gertrude Lyons ( www.drgertrudelyons.com) invites us to rethink what it means to mother—starting with the radical idea that we all mother, and the most important person we nurture is ourselves. In this episode, she explores how cultural “mother codes” shape our beliefs: that there’s a right way to parent, that we should instinctively know how to do it all, and that success means doing it alone...

"A crying baby is the best form of birth control..." Between sleep deprivation, stress, and the general chaos of having children, it’s no wonder many couples see a dip (or a cliff) when it comes to sex after kids. But just because this is common, it doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to it. Join us as we have a lively and highly informative discussion with Dr. Rebecca Eudy, author of "Parent...

If a kid is LGBTQ+, it may take an enormous amount of courage to come out to their parents, even if their parents love them unconditionally. So what can parents do to assure their children that they are safe in talking to them about something so personal and profound. We talk today with Heather Hester, author of the book “Parenting with Pride: Unlearn Bias and Embrace, Empower, and Love Your LGBTQ...

Would you drop your kid off in a strange part of town and leave them to find their way home when it gets dark? When you sit at a restaurant and give your kids tech to keep them quiet, you’re doing the very same thing. Tom Arnold, (https://www.idigitaldetective.com), cyber security expert and author of “The Digital Detective: First Intervention“ explains the subtle and not-so-subtle ways strangers...

“Hey Mom, did you lock the door? Are you sure? Are you SURE? How do I know you locked the door? Tell me the truth, did you lock the door? Can you check again? Can I check again?” What can a parent do when a child asks questions over and over like: “Are you sure you locked the door?” or “How do I know you’ll be home when I get home from school today?” How can a parent know if this behavior is just...

We all manage to be relatively productive during our daily life, putting one small task after another, one small step after another. But have you ever wondered how you actually learned how to do this? Executive functioning is the ability to organize tasks in such a way as to accomplish goals, but how we do it can vary wildly from person to person. We see this especially in the ways our children ap...

Summer’s coming up fast, so what’s it going to be for your kids? Summer job? Lazing around? Day camp? Sleep-away camp? TikTok and video games 24/7? Even if your options are limited, a plan is always a good idea. Julie and Elizabeth talk about how to include your child in making plans for the summer and how you can help them benefit from the experience. A fulfilling summer doesn’t have to cost mone...

For many families, the dinner table has become a war zone. Because there are so many emotions tied up in how we feel about food and eating, these feelings can mold your child’s relationship with food in ways that we never even suspected. Counselor and parenting expert, Emilie Vogas M.Ed, discusses some of the common issues that come up around food including picky eating, over eating, eating disord...

It’s no secret that children develop emotionally, intellectually and physically at different speeds. The part that often gets overlooked, however, is that we as parents are also continually growing and changing. All these transitions going on at the same time can lead to some occasional collisions. But is there a way to make these transitions smoother and create opportunities for connection instea...

In this episode, Elizabeth Cohen and Julie Ross help you determine what feelings disarm you as an individual parent and, in turn, make you less effective in teaching, protecting and supporting your child. They will also give you tools to handle your feelings so that you can be the best parent you can be. Also, Julie Ross opens up about how one four word sentence helped her handle her feelings and...

The world is full of people, especially on social media, telling your kids that they just aren’t good enough, that they should just “quit while they’re ahead.” But there are ways you can help your kids counter these negative thoughts and replace them a positive view of themselves and their potential. In this episode we talk with “Coach” Kevin Baker, a certified Life Coach for Tweens and Teens abou...

We tend to take speech for granted but some parents become anxious when their infants and toddlers don’t hit certain milestones. Realistically, when are these concerns founded and what can parents do to avoid the misinformation and bad advice from the internet?  In this episode we interview a speech-language pathologist Tala Hershey, M.S. CCC-SLP, TSSLD  (https://www.hersheytherapypractice.com/)  ...

When it comes to drug and alcohol use, it’s very tempting as parents to put your head in the sand and say "Not my kid” but that strategy never works, even if your kid isn’t actively experimenting (yet.) Since the most important component of prevention is education, the first step for parents is to get educated and be honest with yourself. In this episode we’ll talk about what you need to know as a...

In this episode we talk with author Rebecca Vitsmun about her new book "Eliza Dee’s Universes." As an autistic mother with neurodivergent children, Vitsmun was inspired by her personal experiences to provide an accessible story that inspires creative imagination in readers of all ages and backgrounds. You’ll not only learn more about autism but also EDS, hyperphantasia and other “invisible” disabi...

Have you ever gotten into an argument with your three year old and wondered “How did it come to this? I’m bigger, stronger, smarter and yet this little tyke has me on the ropes!!!!” Have you tried to set a boundary with your teenager, only to have them“flip the script” and suddenly you’re on the defensive. In this special podcast we interview certified hostage and conflict negotiator Karleen Savag...

Even parents of grown children sometimes wake up in a cold sweat reliving the battles in getting their 4 year old to go to sleep. In this episode we tackle head on the thorny but solvable challenge of getting your young child to go to sleep. After listening to this podcast, you’ll be primed to make bedtime more effective and relaxing for everybody. Some of the topics we cover are: When is the idea...

In this episode we interview clinical psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Cohen clinical about the huge uptick in anxiety and depression in our kids since the pandemic and how CBT is providing a lifeline for many families. Therapists using CBT work with anxious and depressed children and teens to help them identify the specific triggers that lead to their anxiety and give them strategies to develop resilie...

“Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds.” Sleep isn’t a luxury, and this is especially true among our tweens and teens. 77% of teens nationwide do not get the minimum number of hours of sleep they need each night (8 hours is the minimum.) And it’s no surprise that sleep deprivation leads to short-temperedness, risky behaviors; poor learning; inability to absorb, retain and retrieve...

It’s okay to not be okay: Self-care vs. that never ending, ever expanding TO DO list Being a parent is A LOT of work and often very stressful. But there’s stress and then there’s STRESS, and a parent’s relationship to that stress can occasionally  dip into unhealthy territory. But if that happens, there are ways to get back into balance and find a healthy way to cope. In today’s episode we talk wi...

It’s a fact of life; at some point in their life, your kid is going to get knocked down by circumstances out of their control. But as uncomfortable as that truth may be, there are concrete steps you can take as a parent to foster resilience in your kid, the kind of grit that allows them to get up, dust off and get back on the horse. In this episode we interview Kate Lund, the author of “Bounce: He...

It’s going to happen sooner or later; you catch your kid in a lie. But what do you do? Is it a teachable moment or a warning sign? In this episode we talk with Colleen Doyle Bryant (https://colleendoylebryant.com), the author the book “Rooted in Decency: Finding Inner Peace In A World Gone Sideways.” We’ll tackle the big questions: Why do kids lie? What are the 4 myths that parents buy into that c...

Technology is not a “one size fits all” proposition. Children’s developing brains process digital media differently at different stages. The challenge for parents is how to embrace their role as “gate keeper” for younger children and then how to navigate into the role of “support system” as they get older. In today’s episode we talk with Dr. Katie Davis, (https://katiedavisresearch.com) psychologi...

In even the most sex positive families, talking particularly about pornography can be tricky at best. In this episode we continue our conversation with Amy Lang ( BirdsAndBeesAndKids.com) , about how to talk to your children about this complicated subject. It’s important for parents to acknowledge that in today’s culture, it is unrealistic to assume your children will never see pornography. The av...