March and April herald the arrival of standardized testing for most of the nation’s school children. On this week’s show, I talk with historian, professor, and education activist, Dr. Jessie Ramey about whether standardized testing helps or hurts our kids and why a growing number of parents are opting out of testing for their children. If you have a school aged child, or will have one, you will encounter standardized testing. Listen in to learn: Subscribe with your favorite podcast player Androi...
Apr 22, 2013•1 hr 3 min
What if your darling little girl wants nothing more than to be a boy or your son insists on wearing dresses to kindergarten? What does it mean to be a transgender person, how do you respond if your child wants to transition to the opposite gender, and where do you turn for advice if your family is struggling with this challenge? What if your daughter’s best female friend was born a boy or her first boyfriend was born a girl? Times are changing and transgender children and adults are coming out m...
Apr 15, 2013•57 min
On this week’s show, I talk with dad bloggers, Adam Dolgin , Kevin McKeever , and Lance Somerfeld about the changing role of fathers. Modern dads are not only more involved than our fathers were, but many (like my guests) are passionately invested in thinking about, talking about, and writing about, the importance of being a father. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about everything from bra shopping from a dad’s perspective to why moms should encourage dads to dive in as parents and make mis...
Apr 08, 2013•1 hr 5 min
This week’s fascinating show may fundamentally change how you look at parenting. I talk with economist, writer, and father of four, Bryan Caplan , about the impact of parenting on the long term outcome of our kids. Bryan says the science is clear: kids are basically genetically pre-programmed to turn out a certain way; the influence we have as parents is minimal at best. Our parenting efforts don’t influence our kids’ future health, religious practice, financial success, self-esteem, or even the...
Apr 01, 2013•58 min
From the magic of Mary Poppins and Nanny McPhee to the miracle interventions of Super Nanny and Nanny 911, we are enamored with the wisdom of the professional nanny. Someone with knowledge and experience who can step in and have the kids ship-shape in no time. But entrusting the care of your child to someone else is an extremely difficult decision. If you decide to hire a nanny, how do you make sure that person is right for your family and safe for your child? On this week’s show, I speak with r...
Mar 25, 2013•58 min
We talk a lot about date rape and teenage pregnancy in this country, but I don’t think there’s enough discussion about how parents can help raise their children to make good sexual decisions. So, on this week’s show, I speak with Mike Dormitz, founder of the Date Safe Project and the creator of HELP! My Teen is Dating . He suggests ways that parents can help guide their children to make smart, healthy, and safe decisions about dating and sexual contact. Listen in to learn: Subscribe with your fa...
Mar 18, 2013•1 hr 2 min
Would you like a higher salary, a longer maternity leave, or a more flexible work schedule? Most of us would scream yes to that! Our society has moved away from the traditional notion that dad’s job is to bring home the bacon and mom’s job is to fry it up in the pan (and feed it to junior in bite sized morsels). Many moms want a career and don’t want to stay at home full time. Other families need the dual income. And in some families, the husband is at home either by choice, because of the econo...
Mar 11, 2013•55 min
Bullying has become a national epidemic. It seems as though we hear about a new story on a weekly basis and, of course, those are only the situations that happen to catch the media’s attention. On this week’s show, I seek out concrete advice on what we can do to prevent bullying in our schools and how parents can protect their children from bullying expert, J Richard Knapp. Jim is the founder and CEO of Stop-Bullies.com , a company dedicated to helping schools and families address bullying. In a...
Mar 04, 2013•1 hr 1 min
Parenting is tough. And the early years can be especially difficult dealing with sleep deprivation, picky eaters, temper tantrums, and potty training! How are you to know if you are doing the job the best way possible? Subscribe with your favorite podcast player Android RSS On this week’s show, I speak with child psychologist and child development expert, Dr. Heather Wittenberg , known on the Web as the Baby Shrink, to set us straight. In addition to her academic credentials, Dr. Heather is rais...
Feb 25, 2013•1 hr 1 min
Marlaine Cover is on a mission to form a network of professionals who can provide expert advice to parents on how to teach children important non-academic life skills. On this week’s show, she and I talk about these essential life skills and how we can impart these skills to our children. In schools, children learn academics from trained teachers with a standardized curriculum. But when it comes to learning how to take care of themselves, how to communicate with others, how to budget and handle ...
Feb 18, 2013•55 min
There’s lots of important life skills that aren’t taught in school, and one of the big ones is handling money. As parents, that job is left to us. And if we don’t teach them well, our children might never be able to afford to live on their own! On this week’s show, I get guidance on what we need to teach our children from financial expert Neale Godfrey , who is leading the conversation in this country about children and money. She began her career as one of the first female executives at Chase M...
Feb 11, 2013•47 min
In the wake of the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school, moms around the country were forced to once again confront our greatest fear – the loss of a child – and grapple with how to make our society safer for all of our children. Many moms have decided that they are unwilling to sit by any longer and wait for the next news story to flash across their television screens. Some mothers think more guns are the answer. Others believe that it is time to get rid of assault weapons and r...
Feb 04, 2013•59 min
Facebook, Cell Phones, and Video Games . . . what is a parent to do? When should you let your children have access to all of this new, and constantly changing, technology? How do you monitor it? When is it too much? These particular questions are not ones that our parents faced, but we have to tackle them nevertheless. On this week’s show, my guest is super-mom, blogger, and writer, Samantha Kemp-Jackson. Sam dishes out wonderful parenting advice on her website, Multiple Mayhem Mamma , and recen...
Jan 28, 2013•1 hr 2 min
No parent wants to end their marriage or relationship, but it happens. A lot. About 40% of marriages with children end in divorce. So it’s likely that you or someone you know and love will have to co-parent through this challenging time. What’s the best way to handle the situation for our kids? And how do we find the strength to find that higher ground? My guest this week is blogging pioneer Melinda Roberts , author of 42 Rules for Divorcing With Children . She’s a child of divorce, has herself ...
Jan 21, 2013•54 min
Almost immediately, parents have to make an important medical decision for their children. Do they agree to start their babies on a vaccination schedule? The Center for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and The American Academy of Pediatrics are all strongly in favor of vaccination. Yet, an increasing number of parents refuse this option. Why is that? Is there really a legitimate risk of injury from these vaccines? Or are those parents taking a bigger risk with the health of their ...
Jan 14, 2013•1 hr 7 min
On this week’s show, I talk with literacy expert, educator, and mom Melissa Taylor about her new book for parents called Book Love: Help Your Child Grow from Reluctant to Enthusiastic Reader . Melissa explains the four main reasons why your child might not be the reader you wish she were, and how you can help her become a lifelong lover of reading. We also discuss what books might pique your child’s interest and get him hooked. As a bookworm myself, I was painfully surprised when my first-born s...
Dec 31, 2012•49 min
I want to wish all of my listeners happy holidays and a joyous and healthy new year! Subscribe with your favorite podcast player Android RSS We love our children, but at some point they have to leave the nest and start facing life’s challenges on their own. So how can we make sure that we are raising resilient, self-reliant kids who will be able to successfully launch into adulthood? In today’s show, we’ll get plenty of concrete suggestions for things we can do with our children at each stage of...
Dec 24, 2012•59 min
In this week’s show, I speak with child psychiatrist Dr. David Axelson about how parents can tell if their child’s quirkiness, high energy level, anxiety, or sad mood is typical child behavior or warrants assessment from a professional. Dr. Axelson is an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Director of the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Services out-patient program at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC. He is a recognized expert in ...
Dec 17, 2012•58 min
In today’s show, instead of focusing on parenting, we focus on the parents. That’s right – this show is about us! In this episode, I speak with folks who have developed expertise and products specifically designed to make our lives easier. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Subscribe with your favorite podcast player Android RSS Specifically, you’ll hear from America’s Time Management Expert and author of Take Back Your Time – 101 Simple Tips To Shrink Your Work-Week and Conquer the Chaos in Your Life, Sh...
Dec 10, 2012•1 hr 1 min
In a word – yes! On this week’s episode, I speak with civility expert, Vicki Fleming, a Certified Etiquette Coach who specializes in working with children and teens. You’ll learn why she believes manners are critical to our kids’ future success and how we can help our children gain the necessary skills to make and keep friends, ace a job interview, or gain respect from adults and peers. Vicki works with all ages and she shares great suggestions and resources to tackle all challenges from sloppy ...
Dec 03, 2012•1 hr 4 min
Girls face their own unique challenges. If you’re a mom, you’ve been there yourself. If you’re the parent of a girl, you’ve either faced some of these issues already or you will down the road. How do you deal with mean girls? What if your daughter turns out to be the class bully? How do you keep the lines of communication open? What do you do when your daughter gets disrespectful? The questions can seem never-ending. Subscribe with your favorite podcast player Android RSS In this episode’s show,...
Nov 26, 2012•1 hr 3 min
Have you heard about bath salts? Do you know what ordinary spice has become a popular choice for getting high? Do you think parents can protect their children from drug and alcohol addiction? If you have children, you need to listen to this week’s show. I speak with Denise Krotcha, an expert on helping loved ones of addicts. She’s the author of Sweat: A Practical Plan for Keeping your Heart Intact While Loving an Addict , and the radio show host of Addicted to Addicts Survival 101 . Subscribe wi...
Nov 19, 2012•59 min
It would be wonderful if we could eradicate unhappiness and worries from our children’s lives, but unfortunately none of us has that magic power. Instead, we have to help our kids through life’s painful moments the best we can. In this show, I speak with Susan Weaver. certified grief recovery specialist, and the author of a wonderful series of workbooks designed to help children coping with the loss of a pet, the loss of a loved one, the deployment of a loved one, or worries. Join me as we explo...
Nov 12, 2012•59 min
In light of the upcoming holidays and because at Playdate Planet we love all things play related, I thought it would be fun to devote a show to some of my family’s favorite toys and products. Subscribe with your favorite podcast player Android RSS Are you looking for holiday gift ideas? You’ll learn about: an easy, low-maintenance, low cost pet that your child will adore; the newest hit in the best-selling Perplexus line of toys; a ride-on toy that even adults enjoy; the latest and greatest idea...
Nov 05, 2012•1 hr 12 min
No matter how wonderful our angels are, all kids make mistakes. So how do we help our children to understand what they did wrong and how to avoid repeating those same mistakes? Join us as we talk with Dr. Robert Pennington, an educational psychologist and award winning speaker and writer. Dr. Rob co-founded MindOh! Character Educational Services , a revolutionary web-based program with modules that help children in school and at home take responsibility for their actions and make better choices....
Oct 22, 2012•49 min
Education is a top priority for every parent. But can we trust our kids’ futures to the current system? How bad are things really and what do we need to know to make the right choices for our children? Join me as I talk with Dr. Jessie Ramey, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, whose blog Yinzercation began as the hub for a grassroots public education advocacy movement in Southwest Pennsylvania, but catapulted her to national attention and two invited meetings at the White House with Pr...
Oct 15, 2012•56 min
