When I first recorded this episode it was in response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary that was preceded by the supermarket shooting days earlier. With gun violence on the rise, more mass shootings, war in many countries, there is no time better than now to help our kids understand and make sense of what seems like senseless violence. Please listen to my brilliant guest, Barbara Rubel and how she shares her own story and provides us with a path forward for us and our kids. Please listen a...
Oct 31, 2023•40 min•Ep. 225
In this episode, I’m talking about eating disorders, what they are, the different kinds, why they develop, what are at their core and how you can support your child. My guest is Dr. Elizabeth Easton who is an expert in this area. She wants you to know that there is hope for those who are suffering, those that love them, and treatment is possible. Dr. Easton talks about how our kids are navigating a stressful world and temporarily, eating disorders can allow a person to feel soo...
Oct 24, 2023•39 min•Ep. 224
Bedwetting is no joke when it impacts your child. In fact, my guest on this episode, considers it a “life spoiling issue.” It’s not just your child wetting the bed, it’s our reaction to it that is usually based in fear and leads us to shame or punish the child. Before you read any further, you must know that this is NOT.YOUR.CHILD’S.FAULT nor is it your fault! Let’s end the shame and punishments around bedwetting here. My guest is Dr. Danielle Sweeney, of Austin, Texas who is a...
Oct 17, 2023•31 min•Ep. 223
What’s for dinner? The question that is asked around the world in every single family! For me personally, it’s enough to make my head spin. I know many of my listeners struggle with dinner planning, options and variety. Thankfully we have people like Jessica Formicola to help us navigate meal decision paralysis! My guest is founder of Savory Experiments, former Psychotherapist, food critic, TV personality and mom to two, Jessica Formicola. She is helping us to reframe how ...
Oct 10, 2023•45 min•Ep. 222
Apart from our 5 senses, we have THREE MORE that we were most likely never taught about! I always say that parenting is the hardest, most important job we do and we do it with no training or basic understanding about the way the brain, nervous system or sensory system works (not to mention developmental stages) so it’s no wonder we are so often perplexed at our kids’ behaviors! Thankfully, guests like I have on this episode are rockstars at helping us help our kids who have sensory challe...
Oct 03, 2023•51 min•Ep. 221
My guest for this episode is Kyle Carnohan who has gone from being a stressed out, sleep deprived and angry dad of five and husband, to being a fitness powerhouse, connected dad, loving husband and purpose driven man. Kyle is here to talk about changing the lives of dads who have found themselves complacent in their lives and living without drive and purpose. He’s redefining what masculinity is and explains how men can take their power back in their lives through discipline and...
Sep 26, 2023•35 min•Ep. 220
In this episode of "Parenting Our Future," I am talking to one of my most favorite people in the world! I’m so excited to share my conversation with the wonderful Katie Keen, a homeschooling expert and advocate. Join me as we explore the world of homeschooling and discover some amazing hacks that can make this educational journey a success for your family. In this episode, we delve into the world of homeschooling with Katie, who shares her valuable insights and practical hacks. We discuss ...
Sep 19, 2023•38 min•Ep. 219
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare…to find out someone has physically or sexually abused your child. It’s gut wrenching, heartbreaking; enraging. Unfortunately it’s a topic we have to talk to our children about so they know what to do, and who to tell. But of course, it’s not as easy as that. My guest, Dr. Tiffanie Tate is an abuse survivor who wants to help parents and kids to know what to do if they are faced with the unthinkable. In this episode we talk about what to ...
Sep 12, 2023•28 min•Ep. 218
We all know that divorce can cause trauma in your children’s lives but there is a way through that doesn’t have to leave a path of destruction in its wake. My guest, Janet Price, is helping divorced and divorcing couples do exactly that. She helps parents to consciously co-parent so they can rise above pettiness, and build skills to communicate and build strong and lasting relationships. Parenting is hard enough without adding in the stress of a broken marriage, so taking the t...
Sep 05, 2023•34 min•Ep. 217
Get ready to meet ADHD Royalty, Peter Shankman! He is known globally for his entrepreneurial prowess, and work on educating himself and the world about ADHD. I’ve known of Peter’s work for years and it’s truly an honour to speak with him! He wants both kids and parents to know that a diagnosis of ADHD doesn’t mean you’re broken, but brilliant! That if you have an ADHD brain, you have been given a gift of a brain that’s equal to a Ferrari, but society and the school system want...
Aug 29, 2023•33 min•Ep. 216
I'm back with Dana Kay from the ADHD Thrive Institute. Today, we're diving into some helpful tips on reducing ADHD symptoms naturally. If you missed our previous chat on diet and nutrition, you will find the link to that episode below. In this episode, we are talking about inflammation, the root of many health issues, including ADHD symptoms. Diet plays a role, but there's more to it. Chronic inflammation is becoming more common, affecting our kids' bodies and brains, even contributing to diseas...
Aug 22, 2023•48 min•Ep. 215
I like to share guests and stories that are uplifting, helpful and inspiring but sometimes a subject is so important that it needs a special focus. The crisis that’s taking place in the adoption and foster care system is something my guest, Jenell Jones knows all too well. A mom of seven; three bio, two bonus (step child and nephew) and two adopted kids has shown her how broken the system is. Jenell explains why this is an EVERYBODY PROBLEM because these kids are our future, and thei...
Aug 15, 2023•44 min•Ep. 214
Educational environments for students with disabilities range from a complete denial of formal educational services to equal participation in all aspects of the education system. Educational experiences of students with disabilities fall into one of four categories: exclusion, segregation, integration and inclusive. (from the Alana Report) My guest today is director and filmmaker, Olivier Bernier, who among many attributes, is the dad to 6-year-old Emilio, who was born with Down Syndrome. In his...
Aug 08, 2023•32 min•Ep. 213
I’m sure you can guess that one of the top three issues causing conflict in families is technology. How much we use it, when, where, and on which devices and apps. The problem isn’t going away, but solutions are getting better and better! Meet Forest Bronzan who is the CEO at Digital Detox! Forest is clear that in no way is he or his company anti tech or social media but he wants to help people around the world (in over 80 countries!) have better phone-life balance and experience more of life - ...
Aug 01, 2023•42 min•Ep. 212
You might not think this episode is for you…but I PROMISE you, you will want to hear it! I am forever changed by this conversation with my guest, Chris Jankulovski. As I write these show notes, after our conversation, I’m vibrating with excitement, gratitude, inspiration and love. Chris has a very rare condition that (along with some teenage shenanigans), have caused him to have EIGHT near death experiences. He has gone from complaining about life, his condition, adversities, and limitations, to...
Jul 25, 2023•44 min•Ep. 211
It's no surprise that so many of us have been struggling with our mental health for all the reasons you already know. Growing up today is no joke and we are all navigating a generation of kids who have never not had a device, access to the internet or social media. My guest is Dr. Deborah Offner, a child psychologist and author, provides valuable insights and strategies for parents and teachers. Our conversation highlights the importance of understanding children's perception of parental stress,...
Jul 18, 2023•30 min•Ep. 210
This interview blew my mind!! You are going to love it! And not only that, you’re going to want to share it with everyone you know! Cyber security expert, Maria-Kristina is my guest and not only does she have an impressive resume (worked at the Pentagon to name one), she is so fun to talk to! We are talking about how to protect your family from cyber criminals. Maria-Kristina breaks things down in a really simple to understand way which is one of the reasons I love her! We talk about the two mai...
Jul 11, 2023•42 min•Ep. 209
It’s pretty obvious that when your child has sleep issues, you take them to the dentist…right? Well, as counterintuitive as that might sound, it might be the one thing you never knew about that could literally change your life, and most importantly, your child’s! Sleep is a HUGE issue for parents from the moment our kids are born all the way through the teen years. I talk to my clients frequently about sleep strategies for their kids who resist going to sleep, have regular pop ups, nightly wakin...
Jul 04, 2023•38 min•Ep. 208
If you want a boost of positivity, enthusiasm and encouragement, you have come to the right episode! I’m over the moon excited to introduce you to the three women behind, “I Believe in Me” which is a mentorship program for tween girls! We are hearing it more and more, that mental health in girls is declining because of multiple factors. When we can reach them during the adolescent years, and equip them with empowering messages, mindset tools, and strategies to handle difficult situations, it set...
Jun 27, 2023•57 min•Ep. 207
I know the subject of racism makes many people uncomfortable; myself included. As a white woman, I am trying to better understand the history of racism in North America and how it has created our present reality. In this episode, I’m talking to David Mura, who is an accomplished writer and subject matter expert. He and I discuss what “whiteness” is and some of the roots of racism in America, that goes back as far as the 1800’s when social scientists declared “blackness” criminal. We talk about h...
Jun 20, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 206
When it comes to Black History, there are so many stories that aren’t told. You can’t know what you don’t know or what is ignored. We aren’t here to talk about the past trauma of Black History in North America, but rather, their strengths and triumphs. In this episode, I’m talking to Dr. Crystal Menzies about honouring the history of slavery forced upon Black people, but also , recognizing that the Black history is not only tied to that trauma. There is a deep and rich history of power, influenc...
Jun 13, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 205
How many times has your child come to you with questions that have left you feeling at a loss for what to say? Thankfully, my guest, Dr. Lauren Starnes, has you covered! In this episode, Dr. Starnes and I talk about how to talk about hard things with our children. We are talking about miscarriage, death of a pet, divorce, and gun violence. Regardless of the topic, she says that we want to get into the practice of giving ourselves a moment to respond. In other words, to pause. This practice lets ...
Jun 06, 2023•36 min•Ep. 204
My guest, Stephanie Malia Krauss, is an expert on helping you help your kiddos to thrive in this complicated world! How do we make sure our kids are well? We have a youth mental health crisis. How can we support them to support their mental wellbeing? Stephanie, as a mom, she wants her own kids to thrive so what she shares comes straight from her mama heart. She starts by looking at the whole child. Who there are in their entirety. Then she looks at practices they can adopt for a lifetime to hel...
May 30, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 203
The last thing you want for your kids is for them to start their life off as an adult buried in debt (like a lot of us were!). It doesn’t have to be that way! Even a small amount can add up to tens of thousands of dollars for your child when they become adults! This can be the start of generational wealth! It’s possible for anyone! My guest Ksenia Yudina is a CFA and the founder & CEO of UNest, a mobile investment app to help parents save for their kid’s futures! She shares how the app uses ...
May 23, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 202
You read that right! Too often we thing when we struggle, have stress and anxiety, there is something WRONG with us! That we might have a mental illness…but what if it was actually something else entirely? Dr. Sasha Heinz is not only BRILLIANT, she will help you see things in a completely different way! We start out by talking about self-compassion, but we quickly turn into a conversation like I’ve never had before. I’ll be forever changed from it. Dr. Heinz talks about how we, as women, as moms...
May 16, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 201
I’m celebrating the 200th episode of my podcast! I can't even believe it! This episode is for all the moms who listen to my show and follow my work. I’m forever grateful to you. I’m just a mom who loves her kids and felt so lost and overwhelmed when I became a parent. I know that moms bear the brunt of societal pressure and we receive so much judgement (from ourselves and others). We are overworked, underpaid, and often unacknowledged for all that we do. Moms, you are HEROES! My message to you i...
May 09, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 200
When you are faced with a diagnosis given to your child, it can feel like the rug has been pulled out from under you or, conversely, you might feel relieved! Whether you feel like the diagnosis has confirmed your suspicions, or you feel angry, confused and grief, all of it is normal and natural and OK! BUT the one thing that isn’t ok, is you not taking care of yourself. being the parent of a neurodivergent child can be a rollercoaster of challenging moments, fun, laughter, joy and sadness all at...
May 02, 2023•43 min•Season 1Ep. 199
As we’re moving closer to summer break, it’s the perfect time to look at your kids’ screen use, gaming habits and the apps they’re using. Chances are that your kids will be spending more time on screens when they’re off for the summer, than in any other time of the year. In this episode, I’m talking to Titania Jordan who’s the CMO and Chief Parent officer of the online safety company, Bark Technologies. I’ve been a fan of hers for a while and follow her posts on Instagram. She shares the most cu...
Apr 25, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 198
We hear a lot about the nervous system these days, but what is it we are actually talking about? Before talking to my guest, Lauren Isaacs, I had a basic knowledge of the nervous system but she’s made me understand it’s workings and purpose in a whole new way! We are talking about “Polyvagal Theory” which is all about learning the biological order of human response that we ALL experience. So, when you LOSE IT, know that it’s not your fault, you’re triggered and your nervous system is reacting. N...
Apr 18, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 197
If you are reading this right now, take it as a sign. As an invitation to stop for a minute, and check in about your own needs and if you’re meeting them. The costs of not meeting your needs is too high to ignore. MANY MOMS are struggling and it’s costing them their happiness, peace, patience, physical and mental wellbeing, relationships, connection, and deep shame. My guest Leslie Forde and I are talking about how so many moms are plagued by trying to manage the unimaginable. We are in a world ...
Apr 11, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 196
