Reaching Roots For Parents

In a time where we currently save every memory and picture online, what's often missing is the voice of our grandparents and great-grandparents. Stories that helped younger generations understand where they come from and gave them tools for the future have been lost to live-streaming and comment sections. Yet, those lessons can provide valuable insight into ourselves and how to overcome some of our biggest struggles. Jill Phillips grew up in a London that no longer exists, London in the early 1960's. The stories of her parents and relatives who struggled to overcome the trauma of WWII touched her deeply. Motivated by the stories, Jill recaptured that unique time to pass on to the younger generation through her lively and hilarious book, Lamlash Street. In this episode, Jill talks to us about how today's families can connect younger generations and kids to their family's history, preserve family stories in writing and the surprising and enlightening lessons that come with understanding her own past family strife. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

In today's world full of screens, parents have to work hard to set boundaries and to enforce them. Screens are everywhere and most times, children binge on video games, Netflix, or YouTube or some form of social media. These technologies also forcing our kids into more mature content sooner, given the difficult of controlling some of this. Drew is the marketing director of at Tonies, a company that created a brightly colored, screen-free smart speaker for kids, the Toniebox. They married technology together with physical kid's toys or figurines that they call ‘Tonies'. Whether it be a Lion King toy or a Cars toy, they have lots of these Tonies that kids can play with and place on top of a magnet, to open up a whole new world of story-telling adventures and imagination. Tonies originally launched in Germany in 2016 and is currently one of the fastest growing toy brands in Europe. They have launched recently in North America and have already sold over 1.7m Tonieboxes. In this episode, Drew talks to us about - Why removing the screen is critical to the creative development process and how we can use the power of storytelling to empower children to be creators, authors, and performers. He also talks about how purely instruction-based toys prevent our kids from developing their creativity. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Most Parents feel awkward or unprepared to have a conversation about sex and relationships with their children. Mandi says "What you think you should be telling your kids about sex, is not what you should tell them." Research tells us that kids and teens who have regular conversations with their parents and caregivers about sex and their bodies are less likely to take risks with their sexual health, and more likely to be safe, have healthy relationships and have higher self-confidence with their bodies. So how do you start this conversation with your kids? Mandi Nutall is the author of The Birthday Suit Books, which teach parents how, when, and what to say as they approach talking to their children about anatomy, sex, fertilization, pregnancy, and safety. She encourages open and honest communication, so our children feel safer coming to us with personal questions. Mandi makes it simple and empowers parents to then empower their children to respect and love their bodies. Her mission is to help amend generations of shame and embarrassment about our body—our greatest gift—into one of admiration and respect. She says “We have one shot to teach our kids to respect their body, and we can't leave that up to the world—it's our job and divine responsibility.” Mandi, is a former high school health teacher, a collegiate volleyball player, a photographer, and a mother of 5. Through a life of struggle, surviving cancer, miscarriages, and helping her 2-year-old daughter fight cancer, Mandi believes in miracles and in the limitless potential within families to do good and raise knowledgeable children. In this episode, Mandi tells us why most teenage kids are clueless about their bodies and sex, and how we can prepare them better. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Many parents fail to recognize that their kids have different ways. Gail Swift recognized this with her young children - that they work in a different way than she does. She describes these differences as “I thrive on having a lot of things going on at once and work best under pressure. I brainstorm with my mouth then see if it's a viable option. Noah, my oldest, needs to finish what he starts. He likes to have a plan before he begins, but if he's put in a room with kids that need the details and kids that want the big picture, he can find the middle ground and bridge the gap. Tyler, my youngest, doesn't need to finish what he starts (which can make chore time difficult), but excels at physical tasks. He's a natural with body language and can usually tell when someone is having a bad day” As a parent, you need to figure out your child's strengths and natural abilities. Identifying this, helps them find an optimal path in life, find a career in which they will excel and to gives them the best chance to succeed. Gail Swift is a proven professional that helps parents find their children's unique natural abilities. She is a speaker, a certified life coach and President of Plans to Prosper. In this episode, Gail talks to us about how every person is uniquely and perfectly capable of creative problem solving, and how our individual creative instincts are the source of mental energy to create our own pattern of taking action. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

With the pandemic, so many kids have gained weight or developed unhealthy eating habits...along with too much screen time and perhaps a decrease in their sports or daily exercise. Lori Fishman says “At this point, we all need an immunity-booster”. Lori is a child and adolescent psychologist, a parenting coach, and an Instructor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She has worked with thousands of parents and families, helping them to improve eating behaviors, increase exercise, and ultimately achieve a healthier lifestyle and stronger, leaner bodies. What if there was a way to dramatically cut down the amount of snacking your family does on a daily basis without being on a "diet" or shaming? Lori spent 12 Years at Boston Children's Hospital, providing families with behavioral strategies for weight management. She has helped over 10,000 families and provides training to medical providers, school nurses, gymnastics coaches and girl scout troop leaders. In this episode, Lori shares with us how parents can safely talk to their children about weight, and improve their family's eating and exercise behaviors...quickly and easily. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Children growing up today are alarmingly consumed by technology, at a detriment to their social upbringing. Talking and listening to children fosters bonds, encourages listening and helps develop stronger relationships. Conversation helps kids express themselves, resolve conflicts, ask for help, and learn. It helps them make friends, create social relationships, build self-esteem, and increase confidence. Yet, technology can distance children from this fundamental element and skill of everyday life. John Schwind, an entrepreneur, was inspired by his two kids and the desire to give them a tangible childhood filled with thoughtful and meaningful exchanges. John created a series of self-guided workshops for families between the ages of 9 to 14, where a child and a parent exchange thoughts, ideas, and feelings that build and strengthen their relationship in the digital age. He calls his platform, Converlation. In this episode, John explains the importance of talking with each other, the impact of technology and what we can to regain the lost art of conversation in a digital world. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Did you know that Preschool math scores predict 5th grade performance, and 8th grade math scores predict high school drop-out rates? Most high paying jobs, from software development to engineering, from data analysis to architecture – all need math, yet only 25% of high school students are meeting the math standards. Aditya Nagrath is the CEO and Co-Founder at Elephant Learning Math Academy, an automated math academy that guarantees your child will learn one year of math in three months with only 30 minutes a day. Elephant Learning was founded by two university mathematicians who based their methods on hundreds of years of research, and have now taught over a million months of math to students. In this episode, Aditya talks about how to find out your kids' math age, how e-learning help and how his approach equips parents and children with the tools necessary for math success. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Not every girl wants to be a princess. Some want to run the castle. Design the moat. Or break the glass slipper and open a company with better footwear. The Startup Squad empowers girls with an entrepreneurial mindset so they can realize their potential, whatever their passions. It is about helping them become more than they can imagine, by exploring entrepreneurship at an early age. It teaches them basic business skills and helps them learn grit, a growth mindset, and how to fail, and then start again. And again. Brian Weisfeld, after a rewarding career with world-class brands, like IMAX and Coupons.com, found inspiration through his daughters to create The Startup Squad. He says “When my oldest daughter was 8 years old, she struggled to sell Girl Scout cookies, and then fumbled around trying to run a charity bake sale with a friend. She was incredibly enthusiastic! But she didn't know what to do while she stood at the end of our driveway, surrounded by delicious baked goods.” In this episode, Brian shares with us advice on how to inspire and develop the entrepreneurial spirit in young girls, for them to change the world and improve lives around them. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Joy and her husband Rod made it their life's mission in adopting harder-to-place children. With three biological sons, they adopted ten abandoned and abused babies and toddlers of various ethnic backgrounds from two weeks to four years old. Joy VanDertuin is the author of a children's book, Gizelle's Silly, Soggy Day.  The message she tries to get across, is that all types of people, no matter their skin color, or where they live, or how they look, can work together for a common cause. The story is based on a real incident that happened to Gizelle, a sheep that lived on Joy's farm that fell through a bridge into a rushing creek during a rain storm. She believes that people can put their differences aside, and turn them into strengths to help each other, a lesson played out by animals in her book. Unable to drive or bus her 12 kids around for a year, after a grand mal seizure in 1996, Joy suffered from severe depression. Though, even in this time of despair, she found strength in helping a stray injured bunny recover that led her to become a licensed animal rehabber to help wild, abandoned, and injured animals. In this episode, we talk to Joy about raising 13 children, her experiences bringing people and animals together from different walks of life, and how we can achieve greater good from all of this. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Math is a critical skill for children to make sense of the world around them. It starts early with play, observing patterns and shapes, looking at and counting objects. Math then becomes an important component of education and a requirement, if a student is to have any success in STEM , which stands for Science, Technology, Math, Engineering. Many students don't even consider STEM fields because they lack confidence in their own math skills. For Marsha, it was not grades, but all the hobbies and creative projects… things that she dreamed up, problem-solved, and figured out on her own that kept her on course. Math is so important to success in STEM fields, and Marsha has created fun experiments that show the magic and power of math. She also encourages girls in STEM and enjoys developing experiments to give girls fun experiences with science, engineering, and math. Marsha spent 35 years at GE Aviation, and has a PhD in engineering. Today, her passion, as an engineer and an author, is to help students survive and thrive in STEM. In this episode, we talk to Marsha, about how you can help set your kids up for success in Math, build the resilience that comes from learning from failure, and empower them to follow their dreams, even when it gets tough. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Michele Benyo is a mom of two, a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist, early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter's heartbreaking statement – "Mommy, half of is gone" – defined Michele's life purpose. Michele says “Childhood sibling loss has deep ramifications that few people recognize; it impacts the most basic of day-to-day interactions. My daughter spoke it so well one day on the playground when she said to me, "No one can know the pain that we feel." My daughter's loss will never ever be okay. Yet I couldn't change it. I simply had to make the best lemonade that I possibly could. I had to figure out how to do the rest of our lives—how to help her cope with her loss, shine light into the void, and remake a meaning-full life around her altered identity as a sibling by heart.” Michele's mission today is twofold: to help parents through the challenges of parenting while grieving the death of a young child, and to help parents meet the unique needs of a child who has lost a sibling in the early childhood years. Michele's heart's desire is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy. In this episode, Michele tells her story, what she needed as a bereaved parent of a young child, and provides some guidance on how to cope, build resilience and live after such a devastating loss. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

When your young child reaches school age, there is anxiety for both parents and children to start kids in school. For parents - doubt of whether their child is ready for school, are they going to be ok, how will the kids survive without us? For kids, they might even be a little scared – new teachers and a new environment, without mom and dad. Dr. Christopher Brown is a professor of early childhood education at the University of Texas at Austin. Christopher left his job as a teacher to pursue his Ph.D., because he was troubled by how teachers and families were forced to focus on standards and assessments rather than on the children he worked with daily. Chris is the author of 2 books, Ready for Kindergarten and Kinder-Race. He devoted these books to helping parents free themselves from the readiness trap, so your child will succeed in kindergarten. In this episode, Christopher provides insight into what is known about school readiness, how to support your child's learning, how to address common issues that might arise during the kindergarten year and how we could help reform the current early childhood methods. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Is there a way to backward design a process to raise successful kids from birth onwards? This is the question that Nate Turner helps answer in this episode. Society's chief responsibility is to raise children who will become the best possible citizens of the world and who will maximize their ability, so they fulfill their potential. Parents, guardians, educators bear upon them this responsibility to raise children who are productive citizens. As a zealous advocate that every person has an opportunity to maximize their human potential, Nate Turner created a backward design life process to help his unborn child become a great global citizen without means of wealth, privilege, legacy status, or wrong-doing. Nate's son not only met Harvard's admission benchmarks, but scored in the top 1%, learned four languages, played soccer in Brazil, started a foundation to address teen homelessness, and went on to do his engineering Ph.D. In this episode, we talk to Nate about the techniques and strategies that helped him raise a successful Gen Zer, and the blueprint that he shared with his parents, through his history-making book “Raising Supaman”. Nathaniel Turner, is an author, a TED speaker, and describes himself as a “Humanity Propulsion Engineer.” He is the author of several books, including the children's book series, “The Amazing World of STEM and has been featured in The Washington Post, Black Enterprise, iHeartRadio, The Good Men Project, Sirius XM, and U.S. News & World Report. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Student debt has just reached an all-time high amounting to $1.4 trillion dollars! Kids are getting out of college with tens of thousands of dollars in debt that they can't pay off while supporting themselves. Many have had to move back in with their parents to make ends meet. Shellee Howard is the founder of College Ready who sent her son to Harvard debt-free and has helped hundreds of families enter and graduate from their dream college, debt-free. She is the author of “How to Send Your Student to College Without Losing Your Mind or Your Money”. In her book, she covers a range of topics - what are the top things that colleges are looking for you, how to avoid student loans, what are the ingredients for a successful college application, and above all how to avoid costly mistakes that most families make. Shellee is a mother of 4 young adults. Her oldest son graduated from Harvard in and UC San Diego Medical school debt free, while her oldest daughter graduated from University of Alabama, also without any debt. In this episode, we talk to Shellee on how each student can create their -- “Stand out Strategy" --, so they can find the best academic, financial and social fit college to thrive at, and graduate debt free. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

As kids across the country finish their school year on Zoom—— more and more parents are wondering if homeschooling is the answer. Many parents fear they won't be able to juggle it on top of their own jobs and obligations. Linsey Knerl is a mother of six and a freelance journalist whose own children learn at home. She has now committed to help making homeschool work for every family who wants it. In her book, Homeschool Hacks, Linsey shares stories of homeschooling families with different backgrounds and motivations, dispelling the myth that it's only for religious folks or stay-at-home parents. Linsey has been a trusted source for families since 2008. Her writing has appeared in various publications, including Time, Shape, Better Homes & Gardens, Reader's Digest, Family Circle, All You, and Woman's World. In this episode, we talk to Linsey about her experiences teaching 6 kids at home, how you can create your own schedule, curriculum and what tools you can access to navigate the world of homeschooling. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

STEM is science, technology, engineering, and math - critical requirements for several of today's well-paid careers. Introducing your children to simple STEM ideas at an early age can prepare them to be more successful in life. STEM-based education teaches children more than science and math. It focuses on hands-on learning and real-world applications to help develop broader skill sets, that include creativity, problem-solving, acceptance of failure, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Stephanie Ryan is the author of Let's Learn about Chemistry. Inspired by her son and her love of chemistry, she wrote this creative and fun book to introduce young kids to the key concepts and vocabulary of science, using everyday objects. This book ignites curiosity in your children and makes it easy to introduce the basic fundamentals of science. Stephanie Ryan is also the CEO of Stephanie Ryan Consulting, where she provides services to schools for curriculum development, assessment, training staff, and other research projects. Stephanie earned her Ph.D. in the Learning Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago, her Masters from the University of Illinois, and her B.S. from Saint Mary's College. In this episode, we talk to Stephanie about the importance of STEM education and how your children can begin their journey of learning science. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Sleepless nights, life changes causing stress, and even postpartum depression are things most new parents know are possible when baby comes home. Sudden relationship and personal challenges might come as a big surprise to new parents. Navigating life as a family can be harder than you expect. Between unwanted parenting advice from outsiders and no time for self-care, communication with your partner can halt to a standstill. Your once-steady partner suddenly feels like part of the problem. Catherine O'Brien is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the founder of HappyWithBaby.com. In this episode, we talk to Catherine about the advice she wishes she could have had when managing expectations of parenthood and relationships, and her guidance on how to build a happier and more passionate relationship with your partner. Catherine acts as a California state co-coordinator for Postpartum Support International, serves the Maternal Mental Health Collaborative and has helped establish A Mother's Heart in Sacramento, where mothers with perinatal and anxiety disorders go to receive support. Catherine is married to her husband, Rick and has 2 kids, a son and daughter. She coaches soccer, enjoys paddle boarding and rowing, and lives with her family in Sacramento, California. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Moms, do you have days when you feel like your entire life is about your kids, your family and NOT about you at all? Maria and Zelmira, authors of the book Happy Mom, Happy Kid, say "Motherhood is a gift of unimaginable love and happiness. But in between playdates and nap-time, you can't help but miss certain things from your old life…and answering to your real name instead of “Mom.”" Being 'you' and being a 'mom' confuses your identify, where the 'you' part gets filed into the far flung corners of your brain and starts to fade away. Motherhood's nurturing responsibilities and emotions of anxiety and guilt can provide ample room and reason to occupy all your time, focus and energy. In their book, close friends Maria Luisa Montt, founder of Expert Secrets Academy and writer Zelmira Crespi reveal strategies and five steps on how to reclaim yourself from motherhood to more positively impact your life and your family. Today, we talk to Maria and Zelmira about what they learned from studying over 600 women who are struggling to achieve a balanced life, and why guilt, shame, and unrealistic expectations are robbing you of joy—and skills to stop the cycle. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Don't you wish someone would've taken the time to teach you money-management concepts at a young age? Think for a moment what your life would be like. How important would that be to share with your child or grandchild?” says Holly Reid, award-winning author, speaker, and certified financial educator. “The unfortunate reality is the absence of financial literacy at home and in our schools creates a society filled with victims of the consumer culture, bound in debt, and working well beyond retirement age - not because they want to, but because they have to. Today's youth face a future of similar obstacles because they are learning financial concepts and practicing ideal money-management habits too late in life." Holly Reid is dedicated to helping adults and the next generation manage their finances as responsible stewards. She believes that as parents, you can break the chain of poor money habits so your child will never face mounds of consumer debt or the dreaded paycheck-to-paycheck living. You can develop your child's financial intelligence and establish a foundation for your son or daughter to build wealth simply by practicing five money habits that she wrote about in her book "Teach Your Child to Fish". Holly is the creator of The Master Playbook, a website with resources to help you create your game plan for financial freedom. In this episode, we talk to Holly about her journey of overcoming debt, creating wealth and how she is helping other parents do the same. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Kids might start to feel "different" throughout childhood, but they don't know what these feelings mean. Kids might be gay, lesbian, bi, trans or queer - but are not sure. How do kids figure out what to do with these feelings and even what they are? "Coming out" is a gradual process to understand, accept and share one's gender and sexual identity. This is scary and confusing. Overwhelming emotions bring dark clouds over this journey creating serious mental health risks caused from feelings of isolation, fear, anxiety and depression. Societal discrimination, stigma and harassment further complicate this, forcing children to suppress their feelings to fit in or avoid angering parents & family. Today, in some places in the world, we are more accepting and young people are coming out at earlier ages than they did in the past. As such, parents have an important role to support their children through the process of coming out. Mercedes Killeen is an award-winning author, editor, and social media marketer based out of Toronto. Since coming out in her early twenties, Mercedes' writing has been specifically informed by her queer identity and how that intersects with "taboo" topics like mental illness. Her work has been published widely in periodicals such as Shameless Magazine, The Innis Review, Half a Grapefruit Magazine, and The UC Review. As a poet, she revised her first book, tulips, in 2018, and after that published her second collection of poetry, Using a spoon as a knife. She has been invited by Toronto Poet Laureate, A.F. Moritz. to tell her story in several guest lectures at the University of Toronto. In this episode, we learn from Mercedes' about her struggles with coming out and mental illness, with a view to informing parents on how they can support their children to a healthier and happier LGBTQ life. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Computers are part of the fabric of every aspect of our life today. Computers are made to work by coding, and coding is the language of the technology in our environment. It is no longer something that we opted in to learn in computer class. Instead, today coding is the basic literacy skill of the 21st century – it is the language that makes everything around us actually work – cars, homes, education, banking, farms, shopping, travel and more. So, it should come as no surprise, that our kids will have to figure out how to navigate through this new world. Coding is a language that our children need, to understand and speak to the technology around them. It lets them experiment, test and iterate - fosters creativity and helps them learn problem-solving skills. The issue, however, is where and how do we start? As a parent, it might be daunting to figure out what the right way is to teach your kids this skill. There are so many choices, different languages, different classes, and opinions. You might have also tried it and seen your kids repeat the same material with little forward progress, even after multiple coding classes. In this episode, we talk to David Dodge about the importance and the approaches we can take to help our kids learn coding. David Dodge is the CEO of CodaKid, a company with a mission to each kids how to code, write apps and games. Prior to his current job, David was a veteran game designer and software architect who is credited on over 30 games for the Sony PlayStation, SEGA, and the PC. In his free time, David enjoys chasing his three-year-old daughter Dylan around, playing guitar, traveling, and cooking with his wife Lauren. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Kids like to spend money! But are they thinking it through? Responsible spending habits will help your child learn how to make the right choices. Kids want to save money for many things, but don't know how. As a parent, we all want the best for our children, for them to be happy and do well in life. Sam Renick, co-creator of Sammy Rabbit says “Without a working knowledge of money, it is extraordinarily difficult to do well in life. Money is central to transacting life, day-in and day-out. Where we live, what we eat, the clothes we wear, the car we drive, health care, education, child-rearing, gift giving, vacations, entertainment, heat, air-conditioning, insurance—you name it, money is involved.” When kids reach school age, they begin to understand the difference between $1 and $100 and how much money you need to buy candy from the corner store. This is when you need to start teaching them about money, the important concept of being content, being grateful, learning how to give and figuring out the value of work, time, money and opportunity cost. Pam Liyanage created MoneyPrep because as a mother of 4 she knew it mattered and wanted kids all over the world to benefit from learning about the universal language of money! Creating a new generation of money-smart kids, MoneyPrep is an edu-tech company that was designed to teach kids money skills that they can conceptualize, practice and retain. In this episode, we talk to Pam about how we can teach our kids the various aspects of money – how it works, bank cards, budgeting, saving, giving, earning, and investing. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

When people make you question your beliefs, decisions or preferences in a way that causes shame, it is demoralizing. So, how do you deal with the anxiety from this negative judgement. We hear a lot about knowing your own strengths and limitations, not letting others define you, and finding your own inner confidence. This is really hard stuff, but allowing someone else's judgment to take over your thoughts gives them power over you. Janette Shearer has had her share of difficult times in her family life, her parents separating, conflicts with siblings, rejection in business and life. A lot of us can relate with our share of challenges. The question is how do we react to these and overcome the obstacles. 5 years ago Janette joined a casual running group formed to foster a meet up of neighborhood moms. Unfortunately, she was kicked out of this group and told that she was not good enough. Finding strength from this rejection, she is now a Sports Clinic Coordinator helping other runners reach their goal of running 10km safely. She has completed, countless 10km runs, 2 half marathons, and been training for a full marathon. Janette started her blog, AvaToZoe with the hope to create a space where she can be real and relatable. Her goal is to show women regardless of age, size, and lifestyle that running is possible but so is living a normal life too. Janette is a mom of two girls Ava and Zoe and lives in Vancouver, BC. In this episode, we talk to Janette about her feelings on being judged, rejected and how she channeled these negative experiences into something that made her a stronger person and a better mother. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

If you have teens, you have probably seen everything from anger, screaming, sadness, shame, defiance, happiness and the plethora of other emotions in the rollercoaster we call growing up.  It is hard to keep up with these ups and down, as emotions swing from one extreme to the other. As our children grow into adolescence, these emotions are more complicated.  As we grow up, getting to know our emotions better allows us to identify what we feel and why and put it into words.  This emotional awareness helps us create better relationships because we can talk about our feelings more clearly, resolve conflicts and recover faster from emotional distress.   Building such emotional intelligence and learning to self-regulate are important skills that serve young people well for success in life. In this episode, we talk to Megan about how teens can become more emotionally aware and intelligent. Megan Saxelby is a career educator who specializes in emotional intelligence, prosocial critical thinking, and dignity. Her work combines research in neuroscience, conflict resolution, and social emotional learning.   At Cultures of Dignity, an organization that supports the physical and emotional wellbeing of young people,  Megan has created valuable resources for young people.   She calls these Tiny Guides, which address emotions ranging from Emotional Hijacking, Shame and Vulnerability to Anxiety, Helplessness and Self Compassion.   These tools are designed to help teens build emotional skills, quickly comprehend social and emotional concepts, understand their impact, and provide tools to put them into action. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Parents choose to homeschool their children for various reasons. Usually, because they believe they can give their child a better education than the local school can, integrate teachings on religion or there is some other reason that their child may not be able to attend school. Homeschooling provides a more flexible schedule for kids, who benefit from the one-on-one attention. Kids get to learn at their own pace without dependence on the progress of a whole class. Homeschooling builds close family and community relationships, and and creates better engagement, because kids have the opportunity to learn in unique ways that interest them. They also can experience more hands-on education at museums, libraries & community resources. However, homeschooling does take a tremendous amount of parental time and energy. Some parents lack the formal training to teach, kids lack social connection and the convenience of school facilities, such as a gyms and science labs. In this episode, we talk to Krystin Godfrey about the benefits and challenges of homeschooling. Krystin is the owner and creator of Growing Up Godfrey — a family lifestyle blog. She is also a mom to 4 children that she homeschools. She says "We are a homeschool family with 4 kiddos, one tween girl, two toddler boys, and a baby girl. So, you can usually find me in leggings under a sleeping babe, teaching pre-algebra, or playing monster trucks”. If that is not enough, Krystin also leads courses to teach others how to earn money from blogging. In her free time, you can find her road tripping with her family to Disney World, trying a new restaurant, or planning a trip. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

The recent Boulder, Colorado shooting once again has America considering what if anything can be done to improve gun safety. Over 20 years since the massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado, there are more than 248,000 children at 258 schools that have experienced these unspeakable acts of violence, according to a Washington Post database. Mass shootings shake our sense of safety and our immediate reaction is to erect fences, barriers, metal detectors and video cameras. This has spawned a $2.7 billion school security industry, and it drives calls for see-through backpacks, bulletproof vests, armored whiteboards and armed teachers. Back in the 1950s, students went through "duck and cover" drills in anticipation of a nuclear bomb blast. Today, students in K-12 classrooms go through regular school lockdown drills. Lockdown drills, required in most states in the US and in Canada, are a response to school shooting events. Tizzie Nuss asks “Why are kids and teachers not being protected at schools as part of lockdown drills rolled out across the country? Tizzie struggled to process this question. In 2017, Tizzie lost her eyesight for a few days, and during this dark time figured out that her mission had to be to help protect kids. Fueled by faith, the topic of school shootings ignited Tizze and she created the Spark Project in 2018. Over the next 2 years she would develop her patent pending SPARK™ Shield - a lightweight, bullet resistant, usable school folder that easily transports in and out of backpacks. In this episode, we talk to Tizzie about the subject of schools shootings and what schools should be doing to protect children more. Tizzie started her career in education working for the YMCA of Central Ohio. Her love for people eventually drew her to Human Resources where she worked alongside brilliant minds at innovative companies like Honda, Battelle, and IGS Energy. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

As a parent, you want your kids to be confident and resilient with high self-esteem and ambition to achieve great things in life. Alexandra says “You want them to have a positive outlook on life and try new things. And at the same time, you don't want them to be afraid of making a mistake or think they "can't do" before they even try.” This is where having a growth mindset comes into play. It can help you overcome obstacles you face when learning something new or developing a new skill. People with Growth Mindsets understand the importance of persistence, determination and realize that changing the way you think can help change the way you learn. Developing a growth mindset isn't an easy task and you have to cultivate self-acceptance, you need to know that your talents and intelligence can be developed, and you must reject fear of failure and embarrassment. Alexandra Eidens and Scott, as parents created the Big Life Journal for their son Mikey so that he can grow up to be a positive, resilient, and confident human being who strives to achieve great things in life. In this episode, we talk to Alexandra Eidens about what it takes to create this growth mindset. The Big Life Journal community includes over 500,000 parents and educators at home and in school worldwide. They offer science-based journals for kids of all ages to help them grow their confidence and resilience. Their journals feature engaging activities, inspiring stories, and colorful illustrations meant to wire your kids' brains for resilience, gratitude, and self-love. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Why is Reading so important for kids? Reading for pleasure can benefit a child's education, social and cognitive development, their wellbeing, and their mental health. When children read, it provides them with a deep understanding about their world and fills them with knowledge that they use make sense of what they see, hear, and experience. A book can take kids anywhere - to a different city, country or an alternate world widening their imagination and sparking creativity. It allows children to develop empathy through seeing the lives of other characters and how they are feeling. In addition to this cognitive and emotional development, reading helps create a larger vocabulary, improve academic performance and self-confidence. Allison McDonald is the founder of the popular blog No Time for Flash Cards. She is passionate about Early Childhood Education and says “Whether in a classroom or family room I want to help adults make learning fun and meaningful for the children they care for”. Allison co-wrote the book Raising A Rock-Star Reader as a must-have parents' guide to raise lifelong readers and learners. She followed this with the book, Setting the Stage for Rock-Star Readers, as an important resource for teachers in daycare, preschool, and kindergarten, explaining the whys and hows of early literacy to help teachers better develop young readers. In this episode, Allison discusses the importance of reading early and provides us with easy-to-implement tips and activities to create a literate environment and build your child's early reading and writing skills. Allison McDonald has been teaching children in various capacities since 1993 – from teaching pre-school age kids to leading a pre-school, as it's Director. Through her journey, she has partnered with wonderful brands like Melissa & Doug, written pre-school curriculums for Itty-Bitty Bookworm and MeMeTales, and today shares hands on ways to learn on PBS's new Adventures in Learning blog. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

In 2012, Sara Oshler, left her marriage with an 18-month old and was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017. Life is not always happy times. Every family has their challenges and struggles. Difficult situations like divorce, cancer, crime, or family death creates stress for parents and children. Our children pick up on and internalize our emotions and attitudes. They look at adults for cues about what to think and how to respond, and they too experience similar anxiety and stress. Sara Oshler believes in fighting for our kids, in not letting our darkest times define us, and in coming out the other side a total rock star. She believes in grit and resilience. Sara says “In your hardest moments, you just want it to be over. But we also know that going through rough times — each and every miserable day — makes us stronger, teaches us lessons, and helps us be better role models for our children” When we're facing the worst times in our lives, it's hard to know what and how to tell our kids. We feel that we're protecting them by keeping our struggles private. But studies show that kids understand a lot more than we give them credit for and being in the dark on the truth leaves space for kids to make up their own stories. Finding inspiration from her own hard times, Sara founded Mighty and Bright where she is the author of six children's books and spends her time talking about things that make many people want to crawl into a deep, dark hole. In this episode, Sara provides us with strategies on how to talk to your kids about the uncomfortable topics, be it divorce, death or other situations. Her work has been featured in POPSUGAR, Reader's Digest, and Good Housekeeping, and she regularly speaks on the topic on how to handle major life changes like divorce and cancer. She truly believes that each of us has the strength to overcome unimaginable hardship to make this world a much better place. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Every parent has been there before - you need to find a babysitter for date night, or you wake up one morning to discover your child is too sick for school or daycare. You call around to find someone to watch the kids but strike out. Many parents find themselves unable to secure their regular sitters, due to short notice and other commitments. Liz Oertle is the CEO and Founder of Nanno, an app that provides parents with an easier way to find safe childcare with short notice, so parents can get comfortable and confident in who they leave their children with. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Does class and race change the course of our lives? Annette Lareau studied African American and white families to understand the impact of how social class makes a difference in children's lives. 10 years later, Lareau revisited these families to examine the impact of social class as these children became adults. Looking at pathways each of their lives had followed, Annette says "their lives had diverged in a profound way" and she wrote about the influence of class and race on their lives in the second edition of her book Unequal Childhoods. In this episode, we talk to Annette about the impact, benefit and disadvantages that social class has on our education and life - who we will marry, where we will live and how we find jobs. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Children can face significant childhood adversity: the loss of a parent through death or divorce, domestic violence, an alcoholic parent, sexual abuse, and bullying at home or school. Meg Jay says these people are not abnormal, but beyond normal, exceptional, extraordinary and heroic in many ways. In her book Supernormal, Meg points out the resourcefulness kids develop when they're surrounded by chaos and trauma. In this episode, we talk about what are some of the ingredients that help our children develop resilience and how we can help. Meg Jay, PhD, is a Clinical Psychologist, and an Associate Professor of Human Development at the University of Virginia. She is also the author of the books “Supernormal” and “The Defining Decade”. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Kids outgrown baby equipment, clothes, sports gear, and more at a rapid pace from the time they are babies to their teen years. You are cluttering up your house, adding to the 12 million tons each year of waste in landfills, or selling used items. Today, parents' options are to sell used items on generic marketplaces or local social groups. This involves taking pictures and posting, meeting strangers, haggling on price and dealing with scams and no-shows. In this episode, Stephanie talks about why parents should be recycling and reNewing and she provides a simpler way to do it while making money. Stephanie Cartin is the co-founder of Markid, a marketplace for parents to buy and sell baby and kids gently used items. She is also the co-founder of Socialflyand Entreprenista Media. Recognized as a Top Female CEO in New York, she is the Co-Author of the book "Like, Love, Follow”, Co-Host of the Entreprenista Podcast, and been featured in Bloomberg, Forbes, entrepreneur.com, and more. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Any current education system must continually adapt and change to keep pace with the needs of the future. For large schools with a “one-size-fits-all” curriculum, this change can be a struggle. Micro Schools provide flexibility in terms of learning environments, schedules and curriculum and might do a better job teaching your children 21st century skills. In this episode we talk to Chris Bennett about the benefits and challenges of micro schools for your children. Chris Bennett is a co-founder and the CEO of Wonderschool, a network of early childhood programs or micro schools that combine the quality standards of world-class educators with the warmth of an in-home program. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

In this episode, we talk about the positive and negative impacts of COVID on your children's mental health. Dr. Ashley Miller talks about practical tips for you to nurture positive growth and learning in your children during this time. She provides ways for you to understand your kids' behaviour and feelings, validate them, and support your children, so everyone feels better. Dr. Ashley Miller is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the BC Children's Hospital, speaker, award-winning educator and co-author of the book "What to Say to Kids When Nothing Seems to Work” Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Parents struggle to how to talk to their Tweens and Teens about thorny topics like friends, sex, money, hygiene, privilege and more. In this episode, Michelle Icard provides practical approaches and tools on how and when to have these with your kids and steer clear of landmines that shut down the conversation. Michelle Icard in the author of her new book FOURTEEN TALKS BY AGE FOURTEEN and Middle School Makeover. She is a member of the TODAY show parenting team, NBC News Learn and her work has been featured in the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Time, and People. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Over-parenting has the potential to ruin a child's confidence and undermine their education. Parents who rush to school to deliver forgotten assignments, challenge teachers on report cards, interfere in children's friendships and on the playing field, might be depriving their kids of important life skills. In this episode Jessica Lahey talks about how parents can step back from their instincts and embrace their children's failure. She provides advice for handling everyday school & social situations and how, by letting our children fail, we can set them up to succeed. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Do your kids wait until the night before to do their homework? Students don't procrastinate because they are lazy, but instead due to deeper issues of fear and difficulty. Procrastination can become a bad habit - the more we defer action, the more apprehensive we become, the less we accomplish. For your kids, this can start a cycle of low self-confidence that sabotages their success in school and life. In this Episode Leslie Josel, author of “How to Do it Now Because it's Not Going Away” dives into the deeper issues on why your child procrastinates and ways for them to focus and get stuff done. Leslie Josel is an ADHD-academic, parenting coach, award-winning author and a columnist for ADDtitude Magazine and recognized as a top 20 Time Management expert in the world. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Today, our 'digitally distracted' way of life creates social disconnect, poor mental health, obesity and unhappiness. Basic movement skills, like jumping, running, skipping, throwing are difficult activities for some kids they don't know how to move. This adds to issues of increased screen time and decreased outdoor free play. In this episode Melanie, talks to us about going beyond physical fitness and developing Physical Literacy in our children, which is a combination of motivation, confidence, and physical competence to be active. Melanie Levenberg is an author, teacher and expert in children's fitness. In 2020 alone, over 1 million kids participated in PL3Y fitness programs that follow 3 rules: Be Positive. Be Fun. Be Yourself. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Dawn Lopez is the owner of Cutefetti, an award-winning blog with over 300,000 community members. Cutefetti provides practical resources that inspire and help families celebrate life's most important occasions. People who cultivate a daily attitude of celebration and gratitude are happier. In a pandemic year - your birthdays, thanksgiving and other occasions were very different. Who knew that large family get-togethers & group celebrations would be a risk to our health? Online or physical – celebrations involve stresses of finding resources, coming up with ideas, figuring out online platforms, shopping, baking and gifting. In this episode, Dawn Lopez gives us ideas and time saving shortcuts for pandemic celebrations. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Monica Tanner is a relationship and intimacy expert. She helps couples strengthen their marriages given the challenges of work, kids and life. There are lots of ups and downs in a marriage and sometimes it is too much. A study at the University of California at Berkeley found that after children, couples' marital satisfaction declines and there is a gradual increase of conflict, negatively affecting kids. As children grow, there is a cumulative erosion of satisfaction over time. Complicating this further are the demands of work, business and everyday life that may leave you feeling guilty, unsupported by your spouse or resentful. In this episode, we talk to Monica about how you can navigate these, work on your marriage, make it wonderful, feel better and make your children thrive. Monica says “It's easier than you might think..." Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Camille Walker is the founder of MyMommyStyle.com, a lifestyle parenting blog. She is also the host of the “Call me CEO” podcast, and a champion to help mothers find their passion and creativity, while balancing motherhood and being their own boss. A mother of 4 children, Camille writes about a range of family topics and is the creator of the popular screen freeze program that she developed after discovering a health condition with her son, made worse by screens, which Camille explains to us. Beth Berry of MotherWhelmed says “Motherhood heavily engages some aspects of self, while leaving almost no room for the growth of other essential parts". It is difficult to balance family life, while finding jobs that respect a healthy work/life balance and provide the required income. In this episode, Camilles talks about how a Virtual Assistant role might be a good fit for some mothers to help them put their skills to work, while feeling fulfilled and doing it on their own terms. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

In this episode, we talk about the dangers of kids not getting enough sleep and what parents can do to help their children develop healthy sleep habits. Megan Copeland is a certified sleep consultant and the founder of SlumberFeed, a company she founded to help tired parents and kids figure out how to improve their sleep. Sleep brings your child a wide range of physical and mental benefits. Lack of sleep has serious negative consequences for your overtired child including unhealthy weight gain, bad moods, accidents and bad judgement due to trouble regulating their emotions. Kids suffer from trouble in school, because memory development slows and makes it more difficult for kids to recall what they've learned. If your kids don't sleep, you as parents don't sleep - and there are consequences to this. Megan is a mother of 2 toddlers. She has a Bachelor in Elementary Education, a Masters of Science in Nursing from Rush University. She is a Registered Nurse and a Professional Educator Certified School Nurse. She has spent more than a decade as a teacher, an ICU nurse, a School nurse, a certified sleep consultant and now an entrepreneur. Visit https://wishslate.com/podcasts for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Teresa says that “As the holiday gift-giving season approaches, we often are filled with a sense of dread: How will we ever find the perfect gift for everyone on our list, the time to finish our shopping and the money to pay for all the stuff we need to buy?” Her latest article “How to stop the exchange of useless holiday junk” was published recently and in this Episode, Teresa talks to us about holiday gift-giving and saving during the holiday season. Teresa Mears has spent her career as a newspaper editor & writer for some of the nation's most prestigious newspapers including the Miami Herald, LA Times, Boston Globe, MSN.com and The New York Times. Today, Teresa is the CEO of LivingOnTheCheap.com, a network of over 30 hyperlocal online websites across the USA that cover lifestyle, family and personal finance topics in communities. She is the queen of saving and through her blog network, finds and shares the best deals and tips on saving more everywhere. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Jessica is a sought-after thought leader, and bestselling author. Her book, Unfiltered: How To Be As Happy As You Look On Social Media, sold out on its first day. Women's Health Magazine named it #1 on its list of self-love books. It was chosen for the official GRAMMY Awards Gift Bag. Social Media sites like Instagram & Facebook have been found to have many negative effects, especially on young people's mental health . These includes negative body image , loss of sleep, increased bullying , “FOMO” (fear of missing out), feeling more insecure, anxiety, depression, and loneliness ----- now that's a long list. However, there are also positive effects of social media that include self-expression, self-identity, community building and emotional support. Jessica has appeared as a social media and relationship expert on various media outlets and TV shows, including The TODAY Show, Access Hollywood and ABC News. In this Episode, Jessica talks about how to identify what makes you unhappy, how to navigate toxic relationships that chip away at your self-esteem, and how to build a more positive life on social media. Click here for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

JP Michel is the creator of the Challenge mindset and the founder of SparkPath, the company that helps kids answer the question “What do I want to be when I grow up?” A common answer parents get from their children to this question is “I don't know.”. Now what. In this episode, JP talks about how traditional career resources have failed young people by focusing on obsolete job titles. JP provides a better way for parents to help their kids understand themselves, what they enjoy and figure out how to navigate the modern world of work, so our kids can have hope & confidence that that the world needs them. Click here for Episode Transcript & Links to Resources --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Diana Graber is the author of “Raising Humans in a Digital World”, a book about Helping Kids Build a Healthy Relationship with Technology. She is also the creator of the internationally recognized Cyber-Civics middle school program that is actively taught in schools across 47 US states and many other countries. Today 1 in 3 children will use phones before they learn how to talk. Our average attention span is less than that of a gold-fish. Research tells us that a brain on games looks similar to a brain on drugs. In this episode, Diana's provides guidance on how we can teach our kids to safely connect and collaborate with technology. Her Cyber Civics education reflects the true realties of what kids may encounter online. Click here for Resource Links, Episode Details & Episode Transcripts --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Julie is CEO of Wee School, and previously the founder of Baby Einstein, an infant products company sold to Disney, an Emmy-Award winning creator of children's videos and a New York Times best selling author of over 30 children's books.  Recognized by President George W. Bush in his State of the Union address,  Julie has been featured in People, Oprah, Kiplingers, USA Today, The Today Show & The View. In this episode Julie talks about how we as parents are underserving our kids when it comes to education.    She has devoted her life to educating children and shares her insights with us and provides a curriculum that can help parents better serve their children.   Click here for Resource Links, Episode Details & Episode Transcripts --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

Carlee Krtolica is a mom and the editor-in-chief and founder of Styled to Sparkle, a lifestyle blog for mom's and parents. It is no secret that mothers working full-time always grapple with the guilt that they are not giving enough time to their children. Managing kids, taking care of the family and juggling responsibilities at home and at work creates lots of pressure. After working a 9 to 5 job, Carlee felt that her lifestyle did not suit her family ambitions, which led her to take more control of her life and find something she loves. Carlee is an interior designer, loves DIY home decor, traveling, and wine. In this episode, Carlee shares with us her story, her journey, and family stresses. Click here for Resource Links, Episode Details & Episode Transcripts --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message

My name is Jaison Dolvane. I am the host of this podcast, “Reaching Roots” and also the founder of WishSlate, which is a company I founded to change the way we gift. This is a short intro to who I am, my story and why we are doing this Podcast. Click here for Resource Links, Episode Details & Episode Transcripts --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wishslate/message