The Parenting Horizons Podcast

Birds and bees. We all know what that stands for but why are we being so squeamish? In this episode we talk about talking about sex. Our guest today is parenting educator Amy Lang (www.birdsandbeesandkids.com) who walks us through how parents can overcome their reluctance to talk openly with their kids about sex and sexuality. Some of the topics we cover are: What’s the biggest mistake parents mak...

It may be hard to believe when you watch your one year old eat paste, but the truth is that each of these little beings comes into the world with so much competence.  The ultimate challenge for parents is to trust them, to let them explore the world, to get out of their way and watch them unfold. But what does “getting out of their way” look like? Our guest today is trauma psychologist and be...

One of the more surprising things about being a parent is that we often wind up taking a hard look at our own parents. Most of the time we uncover the unremarkable truth that our parents were just ordinary, flawed people who loved us dearly and did their very best to raise us.  But sometimes we discover a darker truth: that one of our parents may have struggled with something more serious and...

The term “mindfulness” sometimes conjures visions of sitting in a lotus position and becoming one with the universe, to which most parents roll their eyes and think “Sure, my kid can’t find their homework, the dog threw up, the school bus is honking, I just burned breakfast, I’m late for work and you’re telling me to take time to find my inner peace!” Ironically, many stress relieving techniques b...

In this wide ranging (and NSFW!) interview we talk with Dr. J.J. Kelly (www.drjjkelly.com), known as the “Punk Therapist”, about raising resilient and emotionally intelligent children. Today’s social media saturated landscape pushes several myths that hurt our children. Toxic positivity, relentless comparison, unquestioned patriarchy and a culture that routinely represses uncomfortable feelings al...

Today we’re discussing how to deal with your child’s growing sexual agency, and how to discuss consent and bodily autonomy without breaking out in a cold sweat (most of the time.) Our guest is Dr. Laura McGuire (they/them, https://drlauramcguire.com/about.html) trauma-informed expert, activist and author of the new book, The Sexual Misconduct Prevention Guidebook, (https://www.amazon.com...

The college application process is a multi-billion dollar industry that profits from fear, uncertainty and doubt. But there are ways to take back control of the process, or at the very least take the anxiety and stress out of it. Our guest today is Tracy Schaffzin,  a guidance counselor at The Clinton School in New York City. We’ll discuss ways to determine if college is even right for your c...

Studies say that 1 in 3 kids between the ages of 13 and 18 will experience a diagnosable anxiety disorder. Moreover, diagnosed anxiety and depression in children 3 - 17 years old has risen significantly in the past 5 years. So what’s the difference between “normal” anxiety and an “anxiety disorder”? And what can parents do? When there’s “normal” anxiety, how do you validate the anxiety without com...

Some people pride themselves on being “color-blind” when it comes to race, but actually there’s no such thing. In fact, studies show that kids are already noticing race by the age of 3 months and are making race based decisions shortly after. Our brains are wired to see race, so although it can be a sensitive subject, it’s important to take our heads out the sand and talk about it with our kids. I...

Money is an uncomfortable, emotionally charged topic for a lot of parents. In this episode, we discuss how to overcome this last taboo with Anthony Delauney, a financial planner and author of the new book, “Dash and Nikki and the Jellybean Game.” You’ll get practical advice on such sensitive topics as: At what age should you start teaching your kids about money. Spend, save and give jars — what ar...

As of 2020, guns are the leading cause of death among children in the United States. This horrific fact has placed American families in a no-win situation: how and when to talk about it with your kids.  In this episode we discuss how and when to talk to your kids about the epidemic of gun violence. Feelings of anger and despair are prevalent so you can assume your child has heard something, o...

Emotions can run high if a marriage ends in divorce, but when there are children involved, the stakes become even higher. In this episode we’ll be talking with Andy Heller, author of the new book “Take the High Road: Divorce with Compassion for
Yourself and Your Family” Andy brings to the discussion some great insights on how to re-frame divorce and the importance of bringing a business strategy t...

In this episode we interview Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe (https://www.robynehd.ca), the author of “Calm Within The Storm: A Pathway to Everyday Resiliency.” Many parents wonder why some kids “get up” while other just “give up.” Is the ability to pick yourself and dust yourself off a matter of temperament or can it be learned?  And what is resiliency? Is it about “sucking it up” or is it something...

Your kids are your greatest treasure AND they sometimes drive you to the brink. It’s perfectly normal for parents to feel all kinds of uncomfortable emotions about your kids (frustration, fear, anger) and it's often tempting to vent these feelings by blowing our lids. But while this may feel good in the moment, it almost always backfires. In this episode we look at some of our favorite techniques...

Are The Kids Still Alright? We’re seeing increased anxiety and depression in kids these days in the wake of so many events that are simply out of our control. The long tail of the pandemic, climate change, the war in Ukraine, just to name a few, are causing children and parents alike to despair. So what can we do in the face of wave after wave of seemingly overwhelming crises. In this episode we c...

Do’s and Dont’s Around Food In this episode, we continue our discussion with Amy Bernsten ( www. ABodyOfBeing.com ) about countering some of the forces that foster eating disorders among children. We offer concrete ways to de-escalate some of the more common battles around food and eating. Tuning in to your kid is key, and not just about food and body image. These are often symptoms of something e...

Food. At  its most basic, we need it to live. But it can also be a source of pleasure and community. Unfortunately, our society benefits from propagating shame around food, eating and weight and this can result in parents passing on and projecting their own issues around food to their children. In this episode, we speak with Amy Bernstein ( www. ABodyOfBeing.com ), a clinical social worker an...

In this episode, we start the new year by revisiting some of Julie’s core principles and techniques. Communication 101 Refresher:  Respectful communication is the best conflict resolution tool. We’ll talk about real techniques you can implement to open up healthy dialogue with your kids (even when they are getting on your last nerve.) Listening: Listening is the purest act of love that regene...

In this holiday themed episode we talk about the value in preserving the magic in some of our cherished myths and fantasies: Santa, the tooth fairy, the Easter bunny and more! But of course this opens up a deeper discussion: What’s the difference between something that’s a secret, something that’s private and something that’s just an outright lie?  Parents are often at a loss about how to han...

The holidays are upon us and with them comes a whole host of expectations, some realistic and some…not.   Emotions (positive and negative) run high at the holidays but there are ways to manage expectations, handle the “greedy gimmies” and keep your values at the center of whatever holiday you celebrate.  We’ll look at the persistent but unattainable ideal of the “Norman Rockwell” family...

DON'T PANIC! Myths and Fears When Your Child Comes Out As LGBTQ+ If your child comes out as LGBTQ+  many parents must confront head on a host of widespread but patently false myths about what it means when a young person identifies on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. In this episode, we’ll expose the myths and falsehoods surrounding coming out and shine light on the irrational fears these myths may provo...

My child just came out as LGBTQ+ to me. What does that mean and what do I do? Even in the most accepting and loving families, coming out is never easy for the child. If your child trusts you enough to come out, it’s extremely important that you don’t let them down. So how do you do that? In this episode we bust some of the misconceptions surrounding the spectrum of gender and sexuality, and the be...

As our children return to school, parents and children alike are facing an entirely new, and potentially frightening, landscape. In this episode, we lay out a strategy for dealing with the six to eight week transition period that almost all kids and parents must travel through as we adjust to a new school year. Even if your kids love school, there will be ups and downs during this transition perio...

In this episode our guest is psychologist Dr. Barbara Nussbaum, who has written extensively on the topic of resiliency. We’ll discuss the hidden (and not so hidden) effect that the pandemic has had on our children and how we, as parents, can  model resiliency. It can be hard, if not extremely painful, to see our children in pain or discomfort. We may want to ignore it, or pretend  that t...

Mature, rational conflict resolution isn't in vogue much these days (have you seen an episode of "Real Housewives" lately?)  When siblings fight, parents are tempted to either bury their heads in the sand and try to ignore it, or to play judge, jury and executioner, usually meting out arbitrary punishment to whomever they think is the "guilty" party.  But what if there was a third way? T...