Podcasts about parents

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 2519: Most students expect to graduate with student loan debt, yet many fail to research how much they'll owe or what their monthly payments will be. Jeff Rose emphasizes the importance of financial conversations between parents and their college-bound children, covering crucial topics like borrowing limits, interest rates, repayment strategies, and the long-term impact of student loans. Teaching financial responsibility early can help students make smarter choices, avoid unnecessary debt, and set themselves up for a more secure future. Quotes to ponder: "Borrowing for college should never involve agreeing to ‘whatever it takes' to get the job done." "Making payments while still in school, even as small as $25 a month, can help save money over the life of the loan." "Being proactive doesn't stop once you graduate from college." Episode references: Bureau of Labor Statistics – Social Workers Salary Data: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm College Ave Student Loans Student Loan Calculator: https://www.collegeavestudentloans.com/calculator/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ep. 95 - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic: 3 types of embarrassmentSara wishes she could never feel embarrassed!FREE quiz: Is Your Child a Good Friend? https://eileenkennedymoore.ck.page/e37dcc098fWould YOUR KID like to be featured on the podcast?SUBMIT A QUESTION TO DR. FRIENDTASTIC at https://DrFriendtastic.com/submit (Obviously, this is not psychotherapy, and it's not for emergency situations.)For an easy-to-read TRANSCRIPT, go to: https://DrFriendtastic.com/podcast/Like the podcast? Check out my books and webinars at https://EileenKennedyMoore.com.Subscribe to my NEWSLETTER, https://DrFriendtastic.substack.com, to get podcast episodes sent to your email plus articles for parents.*** DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:- Think of a time when you felt embarrassed. What happened? How did you handle it?- What does it mean to “own your mistakes”? What is one way to do this?- Why is it sometimes uncomfortable for kids to be the center of attention? (Hint: What might they be afraid will happen?)- Why is it important not to argue or make excuses if someone gives you a compliment? What should you do instead?*** You might also like these podcast episodes:Ep. 22 - Managing your social reputation (Scarlet, Age 13)https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/kids-ask-dr-friendtastic-ep-22-scarlettEp. 52 - Friend's parents don't like him (Tyler, Age 12)https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/tyler-age-12-friends-parents-dontEp. 49 - Feeling different and rejected (Charlotte, Age 8)https://drfriendtastic.substack.com/p/charlotte-age-8-feeling-different Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe

Story at-a-glance Recent studies show toddlers are spending 60 to 90 minutes daily on screens, primarily television, despite recommendations against screen time for children under 2 years old A 2025 Latin American study found that passive TV viewing negatively impacts language development in toddlers Early exposure to screens, particularly before age 2, consistently shows negative effects on both receptive and expressive language skills, with fast-paced content being especially harmful EMF exposure and blue light from screens disrupts cellular health and sleep cycles in toddlers, making it important to limit device exposure, especially before bedtime Parents can protect language development by creating screen-free zones, prioritizing outdoor activities, emphasizing real-world interactions and maintaining dedicated daily reading time with their toddlers

After probably the WILDEST intro in Dear Old Dads' history, the dudes answer a listener email about recreational drug usage after becoming a dad, and provide advice to another listener wanting to provide for their partner more financial and social independence. Join the Facebook Group! facebook.com/groups/dearolddadsFor comments, email thedads@dearolddads.com For extended episodes, bonus content, and most importantly, for an AD FREE SHOW, make sure to pledge on Patreon!

In this In Session episode, Lynn talks to Kaitlin, mom to a 7 year old boy with social anxiety and selective mutism. While her son has made impressive gains over the last year, Kaitlin feels stuck when it comes to her son's rigidity and his inability to join in with children on the playground. How does this family build upon a great foundation in dealing with anxiety and change it up in ways that keep the progress going?  Here's the link to Lynn's new parenting webinar: A Two Part Webinar: The DO's and DON'Ts of Parenting Your Anxious Child WE'VE MADE PLAYLISTS OF OUR EPISODES TO HELP YOU FIND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC TOPICS. Here is our first: Parents of Anxious Kids, Start Here For those brand new to the podcast, we suggest starting with this playlist featuring Lynn Lyons and the 7-part anxiety disruptor series as well as a 3-part series on the skills most helpful in managing anxious kids: flexibility, problem solving, and autonomy. Consult our Spotify profile for the most up-to-date selection.   WIN A COPY OF THE ANXIETY AUDIT COURSE! We will select two listeners who complete our listener survey. We hope it is you!   FOLLOW US Join the Facebook group to get news on the upcoming courses for parents, teens, and kids. Follow Flusterclux on Facebook and Instagram. Follow Lynn Lyons on Twitter and Youtube. VISIT OUR SPONSORS FOR SPECIAL OFFERS JUST FOR YOU: Head to jlobeauty.com/flusterclux for 20% off and three free limited time offer gifts - a $175.00 value. Right now, our listeners get an additional 15% off any annual membership at MASTER CLASS.com/FLUSTER. Go to PrettyLitter.com/flusterclux to save twenty percent on your FIRST order and get a free cat toy. Go to Quince.com/fluster for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Ready for a junk-free start to 2025? Head to thrivemarket.com/fluster and get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you struggling with parenting challenges during the preschool years? Join Whinypaluza host Rebecca Greene as she chats with Danielle Lindner, an award-winning author, parenting coach, and early childhood education expert. Danielle shares her journey from aspiring lawyer to educator and entrepreneur, offering insights from her book Parent's Pocket Guide to Surviving the Preschool Years and her work as the founder of The London Day School. Key Takeaways → ➡️ Parenting is a journey, not perfection. Social media portrays perfect parents, but real parenting is about doing your best. ➡️ Transitions are tough—but manageable. Preparing children for transitions, from preschool to college, helps build confidence. ➡️ Tantrums aren't just for toddlers. Identifying triggers and responding calmly can help kids of all ages navigate emotions. ➡️ Separation anxiety? Keep it positive. Parents set the emotional tone—confidence and consistency ease the process. ➡️ Technology needs boundaries. Creating a family tech contract promotes healthy screen habits.

Is it time to start holding parents criminally responsible for their kids? Hour 2 3/14/2025 full 2172 Fri, 14 Mar 2025 20:00:00 +0000 I8nDUtohI6bDizyoHOmgtF9I77QPXHP0 news The Dana & Parks Podcast news Is it time to start holding parents criminally responsible for their kids? Hour 2 3/14/2025 You wanted it... Now here it is! Listen to each hour of the Dana & Parks Show whenever and wherever you want! 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. News False h

For some, failure is a motivator, a chance to prove themselves and strive for something even greater. But for others—especially highly sensitive kids, gifted kids, kids with ADHD, or strong-willed Gladiator kids—failure feels catastrophic. Even minor setbacks can trigger overwhelming self-doubt, anxiety, and shame.The truth is, failure is an essential part of growth. It's how we learn, build resilience, and ultimately succeed. But for kids who struggle with stress tolerance, failure can feel like an unbearable weight.In this episode, we'll explore why some children react so strongly to failure, and more importantly, how we as parents can help them shift their perspective. You'll learn strategies to help your child develop stress tolerance, reframe failure as a stepping stone to success, and build the emotional resilience they need to thrive.Let's turn failure into an opportunity for growth—together. Jennifer's Takeaways:Understanding Failure and Its Impact on Children (00:00)Parents' Relationship with Failure (01:58)The Role of Parental Response (04:15)Brain Processes During Failure (04:52)Building Failure Tolerance in Children (08:25)Practical Strategies for Parents (13:55)Challenges and Final Thoughts (14:17)Meet Jennifer KolariJennifer Kolari is the host of the “Connected Parenting” weekly podcast and the co-host of “The Mental Health Comedy” podcast. Kolari is a frequent guest on Nationwide morning shows and podcasts in th US and Canada. Her advice can also be found in many Canadian and US magazines such as; Today's Parent, Parents Magazine and Canadian Family.Kolari's powerful parenting model is based on the neurobiology of love, teaching parents how to use compassion and empathy as powerful medicine to transform challenging behavior and build children's emotional resilience and emotional shock absorbers.Jennifer's wisdom, quick wit and down to earth style help parents navigate modern-day parenting problems, offering real-life examples as well as practical and effective tools and strategies.Her highly entertaining, inspiring workshops are shared with warmth and humour, making her a crowd-pleasing speaker with schools, medical professionals, corporations and agencies throughout North America, Europe and Asia.One of the nation's leading parenting experts, Jennifer Kolari, is a highly sought- after international speaker and the founder of Connected Parenting. A child and family therapist with a busy practice based in San Diego and Toronto, Kolari is also the author of Connected Parenting: How to Raise A Great Kid (Penguin Group USA and Penguin Canada, 2009) and You're Ruining My Life! (But Not Really): Surviving the Teenage Years with Connected Parenting (Penguin Canada, 2011).

Parents!Listen to this podcast, audiobooks and more on Storybutton, without your kids needing to use a screened device or your phone. Listen with no fees or subscriptions.—> Order Storybutton Today The Spy Starter Pack

5 TN Republicans DENY parents the right to Homeschool their own children without TN government oversight... because you will abuse your kids!!! Are Reps. William Slater, Scott Cepicky, Chris Hurt, Jay Reedy & Mark White right on this?

Comme chaque vendredi, un médecin spécialisé répond aux questions des auditrices de Priorité Santé. Cette semaine, nous parlons des soins de bébé. Comment prendre soin de la peau du bébé ? À quelle fréquence le laver ? Qu'est-ce que l'acné du nourrisson ? Comment et quand lui couper les ongles ? Comment lui déboucher le nez ? Pr Papa Moctar FAYE, Professeur Titulaire de Pédiatrie à l'Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar. Chef du service de néonatologie et réanimation pédiatrique polyvalente à l'Hôpital d'enfants Albert Royer de Dakar, au Sénégal. La palabre au féminin de Charlie DUPIOTProgrammation musicale :► Céline Dion – Goodbye's► Mariana Froes – Gabriela

Today, I want to take a minute to offer some encouragement to parents who are enduring difficult times with their kids. If you're currently struggling as a parent, you are not alone. All of us are broken people raising broken kids. But there's another way in which you are not alone. The Psalmist reminds us in Psalm fifty-five of God's never-ending presence and faithfulness, even when it seems like he's not there. We read, “I call to God and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress and he hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Parents, when God seems silent, His work in your life is moving forward in powerful ways. Don't decide to be fooled by what seems like silence. God is always at work for His glory and our good. So even though the burden is heavy today, be encouraged.

Comme chaque vendredi, un médecin spécialisé répond aux questions des auditrices de Priorité Santé. Cette semaine, nous parlons des soins de bébé. Comment prendre soin de la peau du bébé ? À quelle fréquence le laver ? Qu'est-ce que l'acné du nourrisson ? Comment et quand lui couper les ongles ? Comment lui déboucher le nez ? Pr Papa Moctar FAYE, Professeur Titulaire de Pédiatrie à l'Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar. Chef du service de néonatologie et réanimation pédiatrique polyvalente à l'Hôpital d'enfants Albert Royer de Dakar, au Sénégal. La palabre au féminin de Charlie DUPIOTProgrammation musicale :► Céline Dion – Goodbye's► Mariana Froes – Gabriela

After a short break from creating and broadcasting episodes of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, in episode #275, David discusses a change in format to the podcast for the rest of 2025.  He also highlights the benefits of having a support system and the benefits of reading and acting on advice from The 12 Week Year, book written by Brian F Moran and Michael Lemmington.  Key Learning Points: ·         Taking a break can revive our motivation and creativity similar to the power of periodisation in sport or strength training. ·         The next episode will be published on Friday 04 April. ·         An 8-week series of episodes focusing on the youth sport experience will follow. ·         David's Irish based colleagues Gerard Fitzgerald and Colm O'Donoghue will provide support for David in these episodes sharing their perspective. ·         Challenges that youth athletes, sporting parents and youth coaches regularly come across will be a feature of our discussions. Connect with David Charlton Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN Podcast Episodes Related To The Youth Sport Experience Ep049: James Maurice – How Does Sport Psychology in Elite Football Academies Help  Ep082: David Charlton – Supporting Children in Sport with Positive Feedback Ep122: Prof Camilla Knight – Helping Your Children Get The Most From Their Sporting Experiences Ep131 David Charlton – How to Deal with Self-Criticism using Self Compassion – FINAL PART Ep141: David Charlton – How to Help a Child Who Wants to Quit Sport Other Valuable Resources To Help Children, Young Athletes, Parents and Youth Sport Coaches Youth Sports Psychology Library Conversations With Kids Ideas Frequently Asked Questions - Sport Psychology for Children and Parents

Assurances, conso, nouvelles technologies… "On en parle" vous oriente dans tout ce qui fait votre quotidien. Au programme aujourd'hui: 1. Semaine nationale d'action pour les enfants de parents avec une addiction 2. Deuxième service 3. Guichet: la cuisine éco-responsable, avec Francesca Fucci et Isabelle Horner

Today on the radio show. 1 - Smoko chat. Greg Murphy. 6 - Daily dump. https://www.facebook.com/builttofish https://www.tiktok.com/@builttofish 10 - Bryan Cranston is the man. 13 - What’s China up to? 15 - The Sharp Blacks Butchery team. 20 - Dad vs Principal. 24 - Parents are the best. 29 - You choose news. 31 - Best mates split lottery. 35 - Late mail. 37 - Last drinks. Get in touch with us: https://linktr.ee/therockdrive

Where can we find how to walk with God and live with Him in a pleasing way? Dr. Jay and Amazing Larry dig their way through Psalm Chapter 15 to reveal specific ways that God wants us to live. | Frothy Thoughts with the Truth Barista | HighBeamMinistry.com

We asked, and you delivered! We are back for a second round of parent questions, and how they apply to the coaches out there. Team Selection, Structures for development, and even how to choose the correct shoes feature in this week! Coops fills us in on his Japan trip, we have a Coach Shout in there (keep sending those in), and we have our Social Split Talk back for another week too.

Dealing with rebellious dog vomit...Kid Fury | Crissle  Thisistheread.com Patreon: patreon.com/theread Merch: shoptheread.com/ IG: @thisistheread

On this week's episode of The New Mason Jar, Cindy and Dawn are joined by Denise Gaskins, veteran homeschool mom and math coach and tutor What are math logbooks, and why are they a helpful learning tool? Would Charlotte Mason have encouraged math games? How can math games progress as students gain proficiency with them? What is wrong with traditional math curricula, and do we need to change it? Denise gives Cindy and Dawn a math game prompt to show how these practices can work What are some ideas for students with math anxiety? To view the full show notes for this episode, including links to all the resources mentioned, please visit https://thenewmasonjar.com/106. 

Jason Rantz, Seattle-based radio host of The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH 770AM/94.5 FM and author of What's Killing America, joined The Guy Benson Show to discuss the latest wave of radical policies by Democrats in Washington state and beyond. Rantz broke down the shocking appointment of a leftist trans activist and OnlyFans sex worker to the Lynwood City Council, a move that sparked outrage, causing the activist to step down. Rantz also took aim at the media's meltdown over every government worker firing under DOGE and the Trump administration. Plus, Guy and Rantz discussed a disturbing new bill from Washington Democrats that would offer free rent and early release for violent felons--including child molesters and murderers. Listen to the full interview below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of In It, hosts Gretchen Vierstra and Rachel Bozek welcome parenting coach Mary Van Geffen. Mary offers online classes including a special one for moms of what she calls “spicy ones.” She also shares fun, funny, and relatable posts every day on Instagram.Mary talks with Gretchen and Rachel about parenting spicy kids and how to know if you, too, are spicy. What does it mean to be spicy? Are you spicy? And what should you do about it?Related resourcesParenting tips when you and your child have ADHDBody doubling for ADHD: What it is and how it works5 oddly specific ADHD strategies that help me workListen: ADHD and: Parenting failsListen: Double trouble: ADHD moms share what it's like to parent kids with ADHDMary Van Geffen: Parent Coach for the Spicy OnesTMTimestamps  (1:10) Defining “spicy ones”(4:41) Parents' worries about themselves as parent  (7:36) What impacts children most(8:59) Dealing with sensory overload as a parent(16:51) Organization challenges for parents with ADHD(18:55) Body doublingFor a transcript and more resources, visit the In It page on Understood.We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at init@understood.org. Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give

Are strict parents better parents?

At 28 weeks pregnant with her third child, Rachel experienced the unimaginable—losing her husband in a sudden tragedy. What followed was a whirlwind of grief, survival mode, and a cross-country move while still carrying her son, Wells. But it wasn't until after his birth that another challenge emerged: developmental delays, medical concerns, and the beginning of a diagnostic odyssey.In this episode, Rachel shares her family's long road to a rare diagnosis, the complicated emotions of realizing your child's future won't look like you imagined, and the unique challenges of raising a disabled child as a solo parent. She shares the unique challenges of raising a hyper-social child who struggles with deep friendships and the sibling dynamics that come with disability.If you've ever found yourself grieving what could have been while still trying to embrace what is, Rachel's story will resonate.Also, huge thank you to our sponsor Functional Formularies! They make incredible, nutritious food for our tube-fed kids that's easy to access and use. Honestly, if our kids are eating Functional Formularies formula, they're probably eating better than us!Links:Visit the Functional Formularies website and get easy, nutritious, tube-friendly meals for your child!Fill out our contact form to join upcoming discussion groups!Follow Rachel on Instagram @rachel_horne!Follow the JdVS Foundation on Instagram @jdvs_foundation!Follow us on Instagram @the_rare_life!Donate to the podcast or Contact me about sponsoring an episode.Follow the Facebook page.Join the Facebook group Parents of Children with Rare Conditions.Access the transcript on the website here.And if you love this podcast, please leave us a rating or review in your favorite podcast app!

Is mealtime a battlefield in your home? You're definitely not alone! In this heart-warming episode, real parents just like you share their “OMG it worked!” moments using my picky eating reversal method. Listen as they reveal how previously veggie-phobic kids started willingly trying new foods (no bribes required!), the simple strategy that turned their little […] The post Tiny Taste Victories: Real Parents Share Their Picky Eating Success Stories appeared first on Nutrition for Littles.

Beat Migs! And we get to chat with a real life leprechaun!

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In this special episode of the Love Is Fearless podcast, we're excited to launch something deeply personal and transformative—our manifesto: “Restoring the Lost Art of Being Family.” These aren't just words on a page; they're an invitation to reimagine what's possible for your family.  

Today we will hear about Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz. Parents, keep talking with your kids using these prompts:*Ages 2-4: Ruth worked hard to pick up grain in the field. Have a challenge to see how fast you can pick up your toys! (or, how many sticks/rocks/leaves can you pick up in one minute) Ask, “who takes care of you?”*Ages 5-9: God took care of Ruth and Naomi even when they were going through hard times. Can you think of a time when God helped you through a hard time?One last thing! This week, Miss Hannah asked you, " Who did God put in your life to help you?”. Send in your kid's answer by texting a voice memo to 636-280-5433 and they could be featured in next week's episode! *By sending in a voice memo, you're providing consent for your minor's voice to be on the podcast*Normal Goes A Long Way Website: https://www.normalgoesalongway.com/Normal Goes A Long Way Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/normalgoesalongway/Normal Goes A Long Way Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Normal-Goes-A-Long-Way-110089491250735Normal Goes A Long Way is brought to you by Messiah St. Charles: https://messiahstcharles.org/Normal Goes A Long Way is hosted on Zencastr. Create your podcast today! Get 20% off when you choose Zencastr for your podcasting needs: https://zencastr.com/?via=jill#madeonzencastr

The 126 members of the Akron Association of Classified Personnel - one of five unions representing educators in Akron - have their work cut out for them when it comes to overcoming challenges in their district and community. But, they understand the power of standing together. And, they're willing to try new strategies to connect with stakeholders and build their strength. AACP Vice President Lola Booker-Brewer joins us for this episode to talk about some of the many new community and member engagement opportunities the local has created in the last year or so alone.  SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Public Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to listen on Spotify so you don't miss a thing. You can also find Public Education Matters on many other platforms, including YouTube. Click here for links for other platforms so you can listen anywhere. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.SHARE YOUR LOCAL'S STORY | Public Education Matters continues to lift up the good work of OEA members and OEA locals across the state. Help us tell your local's story! Please send us an email at educationmatters@ohea.org to let us know about what educators you know are doing to help their schools, students, co-workers, and communities.Featured Public Education Matters guest: Lola Booker-Brewer, Akron Association of Classified Personnel Vice PresidentConnect with OEA:Email educationmatters@ohea.org with your feedback or ideas for future Public Education Matters topicsLike OEA on FacebookFollow OEA on TwitterFollow OEA on InstagramGet the latest news and statements from OEA hereLearn more about where OEA stands on the issues Keep up to date on the legislation affecting Ohio public schools and educators with OEA's Legislative WatchAbout us:The Ohio Education Association represents nearly 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio's schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio's children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio's schools.Public Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. She joined OEA in May 2020, after a ten-year career as an Emmy Award winning television reporter, anchor, and producer. Katie comes from a family of educators and is passionate about telling educators' stories and advocating for Ohio's students. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband and two young children. This episode was recorded on February 18, 2025.

The Trump administration wants to move Columbia University graduate and green-card holder Mahmoud Khalil's deportation case out of New York City while he remains detained in Louisiana. Meanwhile, after a sharp decline during the pandemic, New York City's population is growing again. Plus, parents are urging the Adams administration to expand free childcare to two-year-olds, arguing high costs are pushing families out of the city. Finally, Khalil's detention is fueling political backlash over free speech concerns, as the city remembers a longtime civil rights leader.

Adam and Jordana 11a hour!

Episode Overview Most martial arts school owners focus on bringing in new students, but what if retention is actually more important than recruitment? In this episode, Duane and Allie break down the real cost of losing students, how to calculate the true value of retention, and strategies to build a community that keeps students engaged for years—not just months. If you've ever wondered why your school isn't growing despite consistent new enrollments, this episode is a must-listen! Key Takeaways from This Episode 1. The Real Cost of Acquiring vs. Retaining a Student Recruiting new students requires significant marketing expenses, including Google ads, social media campaigns, and events. Retaining a student is significantly more cost-effective and leads to a stronger school culture. Duane and Allie discuss how to calculate both costs and why understanding this metric is crucial for school owners. 2. Why Retention is the Real Growth Strategy Many school owners believe they only need more students, but their stagnant numbers suggest a deeper retention issue. Retaining students longer means increased participation in events, additional purchases of gear, and a greater sense of community. Understanding why students quit can help school owners create better engagement strategies. 3. Common Reasons Students Quit and How to Prevent It Lack of progression: Students feel stuck and unmotivated. Loss of interest: Classes that are not engaging or structured properly lead to dropouts. Negative experiences: A poor interaction with an instructor or fellow student can drive students away. Parents' perceptions: If parents do not see the value in martial arts training, they are less likely to continue paying for it. Life changes: Scheduling conflicts, financial difficulties, or changing interests. 4. Building a Strong Martial Arts Community The importance of student identity and belonging within a school. The role of upgrades (e.g., Black Belt Club, leadership programs) in creating deeper engagement. How fostering peer relationships can significantly impact long-term retention. 5. Practical Retention Strategies Every School Owner Should Implement Setting clear goal structures, such as belt progression and skill achievements. Implementing student recognition programs, such as perfect attendance awards or leadership roles. Engaging with parents to reinforce the value of training. Hosting regular events and community-building activities. Final Thoughts Retention is the foundation of a long-term successful martial arts school. While marketing and recruitment are necessary, school owners must prioritize keeping students engaged and committed to their training. Action Step for School Owners Pick one retention strategy from today's episode and implement it in your school this week. Whether it's engaging more with parents, tracking student progress more closely, or adding an upgrade program, small changes can lead to big results.

In Episode 127 of White Canes Connect, hosts Lisa Bryant and David Goldstein welcome Stacie Leap and Marva Hall from the Pennsylvania Organization of Blind Parents. This newly chartered division of the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania (NFB of PA) is only the second of its kind in the entire NFB, marking a historic moment for blind parents nationwide. Stacie Leap, the division's president, shares her personal journey of navigating blindness and parenthood, which led her to establish a support group that has now grown into an official division. Marva Hall, the treasurer, discusses how the group provides critical support, resources, and advocacy for blind parents, helping them navigate challenges in education, healthcare, and daily life. The discussion highlights the importance of accessible digital tools for parents, the impact of societal misconceptions, and the division's commitment to empowering blind parents through mentorship and fundraising. Upcoming initiatives include a cookbook fundraiser and a collaborative piano bar event with the Parents of Blind Children division. Listeners are encouraged to support the division by attending meetings, contributing to fundraisers, or simply spreading awareness. For more information, email blindparents@nfbofpa.org or connect via their monthly meetings on Zoom. This episode is a must-listen for those interested in advocacy, accessibility, and the power of community-driven change. Show notes at https://www.whitecanesconnect.com/127    Links Mentioned Submit your recipes by emailing blindparents@nfbofpa.org. Want NFB-NEWSLINE®? Live in PA? Use the form at https://nfbofpa.org/nfb-newsline/  An Easy Way to Help the NFB of PA Support the NFB of PA with every purchase at White Cane Coffee Company by going to https://www.whitecanecoffee.com/ref/nfbp. When you use that link to purchase from White Cane Coffee, the NFB of PA earns a 10% commission! Share the link with your family and friends! Listen to Erin and Bob Willman from White Cane Coffee on episode 072 of White Canes Connect. Donate to the NFB of PA Like what you hear on White Canes Connect? Support us and donate to the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania, visit https://www.NFBofPA.org/give/. We Want to Hear Your Story Reach out with questions and comments, or share ideas! We want to hear from you. Call us at (267) 338-4495 or at whitecanesconnect@gmail.com. Follow White Canes Connect Find out why White Canes Connect is currently ranked at #13 of the 100 Best Visually Impaired Podcast. Find the show on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/white-canes-connect/id1592248709  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1YDQSJqpoteGb1UMPwRSuI  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pablindpodcast 

The food and nutrition landscape in our schools is really important. School meals affect the health, wellbeing, energy, vitality, and ability to learn for millions and millions of children. And for those whose family struggled to buy food, the importance of school meals cannot be overstated. This makes decisions about what foods are served in schools and where they come from. Highly consequential and raises issues about national and state nutrition policies, the influence of big food companies in shaping this picture and lots more.  It's a good time to unravel all this, which we can do today. Thanks to two experts with us. Dr. Marlene Schwartz is Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences and Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy health at the University of Connecticut. Mara Fleishman is CEO of the Chef Ann Foundation, where she has been a leader advancing school food change, advocating for scratch cook meals that promote children's health and for more sustainable food systems.   Interview Summary In discussions about school food, it seems there first came a nutrition part, which in more recent years has been joined with a concern about where foods come from. Better connections, say between schools and low whole food systems. Let's talk about both, Marlene, let's start with nutrition. You have been a pioneer in working with schools, an interest that goes back a number of years. What was this food environment like in schools before change began to occur? It was my impression it was sort of a free for all. So, yes, I would agree that it was a free for all. The actual school lunch, what we call the reimbursable school lunch, which is the meal that the federal government gives states and then states give the local food service directors funds to support, that has actually always had nutrition standards. But historically the problem was under nutrition. The standards were very focused on making sure students had enough to eat. There were no maximums. It was really all about making sure that there was at least the minimum number of calories and foods available. But the other foods that were sold in schools, which we call competitive foods, so these are foods that were vending machines and school stores and fundraisers and things like that, were hardly regulated at all. And that is really where we saw a complete free for all. We saw ice cream and chips and soda and sports drinks and things like that. And I remember going to one school here in Connecticut and counting 13 vending machines in the high school. It really was remarkable the amount of unhealthy food that was being sold in schools. You know, I was thinking of that same thing when I was living in Connecticut, I went to my son's high school, a different school than what you're talking about. And I forget the number of soft drink machines they had around the school, but it was in the teens. And when I was a boy, I don't remember any soft drink machines in my schools. Maybe they hadn't been invented yet. I'm so old. But it was really pretty remarkable how much access children had to these things. And as I understand, the importance of those machines in the schools to the companies was more than just what food was being sold. There was a real branding opportunity. Is that right? I think that's exactly right. And I remember over 20 years ago when we were talking to some of the soft drink companies about the vending machines, they were quick to point out that they didn't make all that much money selling soft drinks in schools. Which I felt was them basically admitting that they weren't there because of the income from the sales in schools. But rather it was a hundred percent branding. And that was also really evident by the fact that you had to have a contract. So, the school districts had to have contracts with Coke or Pepsi or Cadbury Schwepps to only sell that company's products. It was blatantly obvious that this was all about marketing and marketing to an audience that they had to go to school, and they were going to be exposed to those logos every time they walked past one of those machines. Yeah. I remember in those days it felt like a victory when the companies agreed to change what was in the machines, but it was what was on the machines that was more important. So, you know, once again, that was a sign of the industry having upper hand. Let me ask you a different question. So there have been some important systemic changes discussed in context to school meals, ones that really could affect the nutrition landscape nationwide. And I'm thinking in particular universal free school meals. Can you tell us what this means and why it's important and what do you think ought to be done? Sure. So universal free school meals, or as the advocates call it Healthy School Meals for All, is a policy that is providing meals at no cost to all students. So typically the way it works in most school districts is there's three categories of payment. There are students who pay quote, full price. There are students who pay a reduced price and there are students who receive the meal at no cost, and it has to do with the income of their household. But what has been shown, interestingly most significantly during the pandemic, there was a policy from the USDA that all students would receive meals at no cost because we were clearly in a national crisis. And in some ways, it was this silver lining of that time because what it showed, those of us who study school meals, is how wonderful it is to be able to provide meals at no cost for everyone there. There are a lot of benefits. Some of it is just the administrative burden of having to figure out each and every household and which category they're in is lifted. You don't have to track which student is which as they're picking up their lunch. But it also really removed the stigma. One of the most surprising things that we've seen in our data is that even students who would have gotten their meal at no cost already were more likely to take a meal when it was provided at no cost for everyone. Because it just became part of what you did. Everybody was eating the school meal. And I think that it always leads to higher rates of participation among all of those sorts of categories of kids. And I think it also really allows the people running the food service to focus on preparing the food and making it the best it can be and not having that burden of the paperwork. And will there come a day, in your belief where this will happen? I hope so. What we've seen is that a number of states, I think it's eight right now, actually passed state policy to keep universal free school meals after the federal guidance that had been out there was lifted after the pandemic was over. And so my hope is that they'll really demonstrate the benefits and that other states will join in. There's certainly a lot of advocacy in a lot of other states to try to do this. And some of the benefits that have also been shown are outcomes like attendance and academic achievement and just really showing that just like we use our public funds to fund the teachers and the building and the water and the library books. It's sort of seen as a basic tool that the school needs to make available to students so that they can succeed academically. And I think that shift in attitude as opposed to seeing the lunchroom as this sort of separate thing from the rest of the school building. I think that shift in attitude will be really helpful overall. That makes good sense. Mara, let's turn to you. I'm really eager to hear about the work of the Chef Ann Foundation. I've followed its work for a number of years, but I'm eager to hear what the most recent iteration of this. So, I'm hoping you can tell us, and also give us some sense of why you got interested in these issues.   Well, the Chef Ann Foundation is actually celebrating its 15th birthday this year. And we help school food programs move from serving more processed heat and serve food to serving more freshly prepared scratch made meals in schools. And we do that through looking at what are the barriers to school food programs actually serving this freshly prepared meal. And there are a number of barriers: training, skill sets, equipment, access to healthier food, local farmers. The reimbursement rate, you know, how much money they get actually for serving these meals. What about the power of the companies that are providing the prepared foods to schools? Yes, that's a big piece. So those are very loud voices that have a [00:09:00] lot of power behind them. Through the passing of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010, there was an increase in nutrition standards change and what Marlene was saying is that while there was some basic before that, after Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, we had saturated fat standard, sodium, whole grain. But what happened was these big food companies just kind of R&D'd their food to meet these standards. So, we are in a better place today, right? Because we are serving more whole grains. We are serving less saturated fat, less sodium. But one of the big things that the passage of that Child Nutrition Reauthorization did not do was really reduce ultra processed food in school. And that I think is the next horizon for school food, is how to actually help them reduce that ultra processed food. Because there is, you know, a lot of research out there, I'm sure Marlene is familiar with this, that is linking more ultra processed food to diet related disease. So, we go in and really help these school food programs with more culinary training, we do assessments to tell them what kind of equipment they need to serve fresh food. A lot of it is financial training. So, when you're serving a chicken nugget. One chicken nugget that meets the standards. You bring it in frozen. All you have to do is reheat it and put it on the line. If you're making a chicken strip from scratch, you know you have to buy the chicken, you have to buy the breadcrumbs. You have to buy all the ingredients. You have to start looking at your program through a different lens. Your financial modeling is different. Your labor resources are different. Meeting meals per labor hour is different. We provide training on all these fronts to help them run that program. Well, it sounds enormously beneficial. How much do, in the modern day, how much do schools care about these things and how much do parents care about them? Well, I think something that's really exciting, and I think we have the best vantage point for it, is that schools, parents, communities, even government cares way more about it today than they did when the Chef Ann Foundation was launched. We were definitely considered more of a niche nonprofit organization that only worked with kind of districts that were very progressive. But today, we have, waiting lists for our grants. we work in every state in the country. And we now have a cooperative agreement with the USDA, which would never have really been possible 15 years ago. They just weren't looking for partnerships with organizations that were pushing the envelope to this level. So, I think now's our time. It's so nice to hear that because I remember back when the Chef Ann Foundation got started. And that niche role that it played was clear, but there was so much hope that it would expand and it's really nice that it has. And the fact that you're in every state and the USDA is working with you, those are all really good signs. Well, let me ask you another question. This one about equity. How does this work fit into an equity point of view? I mean, that's pretty much the heart of the matter, I think in many ways. I started this work because I worked for Whole Foods Market for 13 years and I was very interested in food systems work. I have three children and my oldest, who's now 23, when she started in kindergarten, I went to lunch with her. They were serving, this was before the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, they were serving a very highly processed, high sugar, low protein meal. And I was looking around at the cafeteria really looking at who is eating this meal and thinking to myself, what are we doing here? We are not providing the same springboard for every kindergartner to thrive and meet their true potential, right? There were kids coming to school with their very healthy packed lunches and little baby organic carrots and whole wheat bread and no-nitrate turkey sandwiches. And then there was a whole host of kids eating this very ultra processed high sugar, low fiber, no protein meal. And the equity issue that you're speaking of was right there and very blatant. And if we're not going to provide children that same springboard to thrive from, which, you know, is what K 12 is about, right? That's what we're trying to do for everyone then we have some big issues. And to Marlene's point, we disregard food in that equity issue. So, we don't make higher income kids pay for their bus rides or anything else. And we don't kind of create that divide. We don't devalue anything as significantly as we do food. And it's what makes you thrive. I heard once a very interesting statement from a physician who worked on brain development. And he said that if children are not fed correctly during critical stages of their development amounts to a life sentence. That there are just certain things that will never recover no matter what happens. Having a better school food environment helps erase some of that for sure. Not all of it, but at least some of it. And then each of the children are more on a level playing field in terms of their academic achievement because some aren't so much more burdened by a terrible food environment. I can see why this would, would really be so important. Marlene, let's talk about what changes have been made. Both you and Mara have alluded to this, but specifically what's happened over the years in terms of school meals and have there been studies on the impacts on children? Sure. Well, I completely agree with Mara that the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act was a really bright spot, certainly in, in my career, in terms of seeing changes to school meals. So, as I mentioned before, we used to have only minimum calories and things like that. And now we finally have maximum calories based on the age of the child as well as sodium, saturated fat, increasing whole grains, low fat dairy, things like that. The other thing with the smart snacks, so the competitive foods that started to have nutrition regulations. That was a perfect example though of where the companies use their research and development dollars to essentially make a Dorito that fit the standards and a cookie that fit the standards. And I think in some ways that has highlighted the fact that our society is starting to look much more skeptically at highly processed foods. Because I remember standing in my kids' high school a number of years ago after smart snacks went into a fat, and I was in front of the vending machine, and a parent came up to me who knew this was what I studied and said: 'What are you talking about? That school food is healthier. Look at that!' And sort of pointing to all the packaged chips and cookies and other snacks. And I tried, I was like, well, but those are reduced fat Doritos and those cookies are lower in sugar and probably have some whole grains and nobody cared. Parents basically can recognize junk food when they see it. I one hundred percent agree that processed food is the next dimension that we need to really be able to assess, measure it so that we can start to regulate it. And to have that be a new way in which we try to manage the quality of school meals. Before we get to the issue of what sort of research has been done to show the impact on kids, let me follow up on the Doritos example. Well, it sounds like what we were talking about earlier with a Coke machine being so important because of the logo and branding and stuff like that. Sounds like exactly the same things that work here. That the company wants to have Doritos in the school, not because they sell so much or make so much money. But that they brand, it's a chance to brand that particular product or that particular company. And then of course, kids want those when they get out of school and they talk to their parents about getting them. So, it seems like the fact that they get reformulated to be a tad healthier isn't much of a victory is it. No, and I feel like it's almost like the worst of all situations. So, we've done some research on this at the Rudd Center and have a graphic where we show like the school version and then the grocery store version. And it's completely clear that it's the same branding. Nobody would mistake or not think it was the same product. But the grocery store version is not as healthy as the school version. So you're simultaneously - if someone were to know, for example, that about smart snacks and the nutrition standards they could say, well, they sell it in schools maybe it's better. They might be more likely to buy it in the grocery store, but of course what they're buying in the grocery store is worse. And then if you ask folks from the food industry, which I've done, well, why don't you just reformulate all of it? Why don't you only sell the school version in the grocery store? They say, 'oh, well, we are just worried that people won't like it because it's not, you know, as palatable.' It's like a lose-lose proposition. I would like, personally, to see all of those foods removed from schools. And to answer your question about the research though, it's really promising. I mean, there have been a couple of studies that I always go to, to sort of document the positive impact of the regulations that came from the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act. One was a study showing that basically the meals that students eat in school for most American children are the healthiest meals that they eat all day. So that it's sort of the best source of nutrition. And then another study that was looking at BMI trajectories over time and found that particularly among lower income children there was a measurable impact on BMI in terms of reducing the risk of childhood obesity after the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act regulations were put into place. So, I feel like when you have those sort of large national data sets and you can look at impact across the country, it's pretty clear that even though we of course, want to see more change and keep going forward, even the changes we've made so far have had an important impact. Do you think the changes are sufficient to produce impacts on learning and academic achievement and things like that? We have a hard time having enough data to really get at that very specific outcome because so many things have impact on academic achievement. But there definitely have been some studies that have been able to show some impact. But it's a tricky thing to measure. Mara, let's talk a little bit about how the school can be part of a vital and healthy food system overall. Tell us about your work in that space. We look at health in its kind of larger capacity, right? So direct related nutrition results with kids eating certain foods. But in addition, the school lunch program is funded to the tune of $17 billion a year, right? So, if we think about spending those dollars in the food system and how we're going to change the food system we have to really think about how we empower these school food professionals to make the best choices they can to affect change. With approximately about a $4.30 reimbursable rate price of a lunch, it's not easy right now. Labor prices are going up and you have to pay for labor out of that. You have to pay for food cost out of that. But you can prioritize your choices. Some of the things that we work with districts on are what are their top 20 highest volume purchases in the school food program. And how can we look at that top 20 and make some adjustments to purchase things that can impact the environment in a more significant way. Often it is animal protein that's in their top 20. That is really an opportunity for districts to make better choices. Local choices. Higher quality choices. You know, choices that impact not only the health of the environment, but the health of their local economy. But it is challenging because your district has to be able to manage raw animal protein. A lot of the processed animal protein products coming to the districts are pre-cooked, and so they don't have to always know how to manage in a kitchen raw animal protein. And that's usually this barrier that we help districts get over. But once we do, there is this huge opportunity for them to purchase higher quality animal protein. Also fruits and vegetables, right? I always get asked this from parent groups who are looking to change school food. Why can't we just purchase everything organic in schools, right? So that's hard on $4.30, right? You can't. But you can make choices and you can look at the highest volume products or the products that are more affected by pesticides, right? So, if you have a salad bar you know you're serving lettuce every day. You can move to serving an organic lettuce, and that is a huge opportunity to move forward. I think things like that are how we look at the food system in terms of school food. But it's really important not just for us food systems people to be looking at it like this, but for us to be training and teaching the school food professionals about their job and the impact they can make, both on student nutrition and environmental impact. And that's a lot of what we do in our workforce development initiatives. How does seasonal things figure in? Because schools are in session during the months when it's colder in most parts of the country, and the agricultural system isn't going full bore like it might in the summer months. How do you deal with that?  It's really a great point. I know whenever I bring up any kind of exemplary food program in California, people say to me, 'Ugh, California. You can do a lot in California, but what can you do elsewhere?' Well, here where I live in Boulder, the Boulder Valley School district serves close to 15,000 lunches a day. They have 55 schools. It's kind of that perfect midsize district example. And they purchase 40% of their products locally. This is a Northern Climate District. This is Colorado. It takes time. It takes a real steadfast plan. But you, you know, you can purchase potatoes through December. There's a lot of indoor growing right now locally too. So that's also this great opportunity to purchase things like if you have a salad bar purchase, things like lettuce locally, all year long. There's, there's a lot of local wheat production that is happening these days in northern climates and then it's getting milled and processed into different products that you can buy locally. It's very much possible. Can you get to a hundred percent local procurement? Not right now, not at the current reimbursable rate, but there's a lot of room for improvement even in northern climates. When the schools are buying such foods that come from local sources, are they buying directly from the farmers or is there some agent in the middle? It depends. Mostly for local farmers, small local farmers, they're buying direct. And that's a challenge for small and even some midsize districts because of their capacity, their procurement capacity, their administrative capacity. But it is possible. Obviously, it's in some ways easier for big districts like, you know, LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District). We work with LAUSD. It's an amazing district that buys a lot locally. But they have the volume, they have the capacity, they have the administrative support. That's why a lot of our work focuses on small and midsize districts to actually provide them with that kind of structure and support to do it. And to really prioritize the buying processes through their local purveyors. There are some local distributors that have more local products than others. You know, gold Star is a distributor on the West coast that has more local products. But in reality, the prime vendors for these districts are mostly Sysco or US Foods. And they don't carry a ton of local farm product for these districts. So, they're really going to have to create those partnerships. I'm thinking of the farmers and what impact it might have on them. And I could imagine for some farmers at least, it would provide a reliable income source and a reliable customer for their products, which would be helpful financially. And I imagine, although I don't know that there are probably cases where the schools are inviting the farmers to come in and meet the kids, and that's probably good for everybody. Does that kind of thing happen? Yeah, I mean that is huge and as I kind of talked about ultra processed food being the next horizon to look at reducing in school food, I also think how we work with school food programs to connect them and actually have them be stronger customers of local farmers is also this next horizon. One of the new projects that we're working on is called Values Align Purchasing Collectives. So, we're currently doing assessments to determine how we can group small and mid-size districts together to form buying cohorts, basically, to purchase from local farmers. So how can we get them to look at serving some of the same menu items, purchasing together, working together to relieve some of the administrative stress on the districts, but also on the farmer side. So how do we create hubs to do and look at creating a process that can better support? And I think that's the future. Oh boy. That sounds like a very exciting development. Marlene, just you have something you wanted add? Yeah, I'm just so exciting to hear all of that. I was going to mention that we have a new project in Connecticut looking at farm-to-school practices across the state, and really trying to work with districts on both the procurement part of it as well as incorporating more into the classroom. So having that connection with local farmers, having that being part of the sort of educational curriculum. And then really what I've always thought was the goal was to have the cafeteria more of a learning lab. Not having it as this, I guess I said before, separate part of the school, but rather incorporating nutrition education, incorporating this is where that apple came from and teaching students where the food is from and particularly if it's from a local producer. I think there's a lot of excitement around there. I think the USDA is funding a lot of states to do more work in this area, and so it's a pretty exciting time. You know, connecting up what the two of you have just said, Marlene, I remember in the time I was living in Connecticut. Connecticut has a lot of small to midsize towns that are feeding kids and the collaborative that Mara was talking about sounds like it might be a really interesting solution in that kind of a context. I completely agree. I know some of the New England states, and maybe this happens in other parts of the country too, but it does feel like each school food authority is tiny. I mean, we have towns with one high school and to try to have any kind of buying power when you're so small, I think, is a real challenge. So, I know there are some collaboratives in Connecticut, but absolutely supporting, bringing people together to try to negotiate the best prices and things like that, and make those relationships with the local farmers. It feels like a really great strategy to pursue. I'd like to ask you both, what is it going to take or what does it take to make these things happen? You're talking about some very good things when they do happen, but what does it take to make them happen? And Mara, let's start with you. What are the factors you think are really important? We approach our work from a systems perspective. What is the system and what is the biggest barriers in the system that we can kind of selectively tackle, and kind of dig into from a programmatic engineering perspective. For us, and Marlene, I love that you brought up the lunchroom as a classroom, because I think that is really important. I think that's the kind of the ultimate goal and we're so grateful for programs across the country that are working on that kind of thing. What we want to stay focused on at the Chef Ann Foundation is school food professionals. We want to actually educate them. We want to figure out how to provide more professional development, learning, education so that they can start looking at their jobs differently. And the country can start looking at what they're doing differently; and start really looking at the value that they're providing during a school day. So, what it takes, back to your question, is it really takes breaking down the problem to understand how to put some pieces together to test out programs that can look at breaking down that barrier. And for us right now, we're doing a lot with workforce because what we believe is that in 10 years from now, if we have a workforce in school food that has a different perspective of their job, has different skill sets, is a kind of a different workforce than is right now, than a lot of these things we want to tackle as food systems people will be a lot easier. That makes good sense. And Marlene, you've been involved for many years in local and state and national policies. In your mind, what sort of things lead to change? So, that's a good question. I would love to be able to say, oh, it's the research, clearly. That people do studies and they document, this is what we need to do. I think that's necessary, but not sufficient. I think the real answer is parents and people. I had a similar experience going to my daughter's when she was in first grade going and having lunch at her school and looking around and thinking, oh my goodness, what are we doing? I think that it's the fact that even though this is my profession, this is something I study, It's deeply personal. And I think there's a lot of passion behind the importance of making sure our children are healthy. And if I think about the policy makers along the way who have really been the ones that have made the biggest difference, it was off often because they cared about this deeply, personally. And so, I think continuing to tap into that and reminding people how important this is, is how you get the political will to pass the policies that make the real changes. Well, you know, you both made that really important point about how important parents can be. But really impressive that this started as a personal thing, and you were caring for the welfare of your children and that helped inspire your professional work and look where it's gone. It's really very impressive. I'd like to end with a following question. Are you hopeful for the future? Mara, let's start with you. I am very hopeful for the future. I think when you look at what's important to our society, school food is often the answer. I feel like when you look at achievement, school food is often the answer. When you look at diet related illness, school food is often the answer. When you look at building local economies, school food is often the answer. And I am really hopeful because I think there's a lot of incredible work being done right now, and we are moving past piloting and we're moving into research. And we're moving into institutionalizing the work. And I think you can see that through policies, through USDA cooperative agreements with organizations and work that they're doing and through the guidelines. And through the excitement and integration you're seeing in communities with superintendents, school food directors, parents, and advocates. And Marlene, are you hopeful? I am hopeful. I mean, if I think back to, you know, kind of the early days of working on this issue, I feel like we were met with a lot of skepticism. People felt like, oh, the industry's so powerful, you'll never be able to do anything. I feel like there have been a lot of changes. And I think another shift that I've sort of seen over the course of my career is early on, because of the rates of childhood obesity increasing, a lot of these initiatives that was the hook, that was sort of the anchor. And there were positive things about that because it was such a dramatic change that had occurred that you could point to. But sort of the downside is it wasn't just about that. It's about all children. It doesn't matter what your body weight is, it's about diet quality and having food security and getting adequate nutrition. I feel like we've broadened a lot in the field in terms of how we think about the reason why we're doing that. And that has made it much more inclusive, and we've been able to talk about, as Mara said, how it's affecting lots and lots of things outside of individual children. Bios Marlene Schwartz Marlene Schwartz, Ph.D. is Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Health and Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences at UConn. Dr. Schwartz studies how nutrition and wellness policies implemented in schools, food banks, and local communities can improve food security, diet quality, and health outcomes. Dr. Schwartz earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from Yale University in 1996. Prior to joining the Rudd Center, she served as Co-Director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders from 1996 to 2006. She has received research grants from a variety of funders including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Institutes of Health to study federal food programs, school wellness policies, the effect of food marketing on children, and strategies to address food insecurity and diet quality. She is also the recipient of the 2014 Sarah Samuels Award from the Food and Nutrition Section of the American Public Health Association; the 2020 Faculty Service Award from the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences; and the 2021 Community-Engaged Health Research Excellence Award from the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention and Policy at UConn. Mara Fleishman Mara Fleishman's career in food systems advocacy started in her early 20's when she looked to the power of food after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Mara has over 20 years of experience in leading systems change initiatives in the for-profit and non-profit sectors including over a decade at Whole Foods Market where she served as Global Director of Partnerships. In Mara's current role, CEO of the Chef Ann Foundation, she has spent the last 10 years fighting for healthier food for our nation's kids. Mara's niche is system-based change and although she takes on many roles as a leader, her favorite is programmatic engineering; breaking down problems to their foundation and building programmatic solutions through dynamic and integrated approaches. This type of programmatic engineering can be seen through the work of the Chef Ann Foundation, an organization recognized as the national leader in driving fresh, healthy scratch cook food in schools. Mara also serves on regional and national boards, has spoken at conferences and academic institutions across the country, and has been recognized in publications as a champion and national advocate for change.  

A Canterbury school for young parents is seeing a bump in enrolments, with mainly new mums wanting to return to class and finish their education. Karanga Mai Young Parent College in Kaiapoi near Christchurch offers NCEA and some tertiary courses for young people who left school to have or raise kids. Kaiwhakahaere Whitney Misiuata spoke to Lisa Owen.

Rio Richards, Grief & Trauma Recovery Therapist, is BACK to discuss all things grief. She opens up about what she struggles with after losing her father 4 years ago. We specifically talk about the 8 Ways That Perfectionism Makes Grieving Harder founded on an Instagram post that she made.Here's what we unpack:Constantly wondering if you're feeling the "right" thing at the "right" timeHiding your feelings because they don't feel "appropriate"Starting but never finishing memorial projects because nothing feels "worthy" enoughAvoiding support because you "should handle this on your own"Comparing your grief to others and always finding yourself lackingApologizing for talking about your loss or for "bringing everyone down"Exhausting yourself by trying to appear "strong" or "put together"Criticizing yourself for not being "over it" by some arbitrary timelineFollow Rio on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andthatsgrief/Substack: https://substack.com/@touchingthefire?utm_source=top-search BROUGHT TO YOU BY LOSSLINK.COM! Join today and find your loss mom posse!    *************************************NOTE: I am not a doctor or a therapist. The views of my guests are not always reflective of my own.  I am just a real life loss mom describing her experiences with life after loss. These are my experiences, and I'm putting it out there so you feel less alone. Always do your own research and make informed decisions!For more REAL TALK about baby loss and grief, hit subscribe to be notified when another episode drops!Support the podcast and shop the store!  At a Total Loss Shop Instagram @thekatherinelazar Youtube: @thekatherinelazarEmail: thekatherinelazar@gmail.comWebsite: www.katherinelazar.com Some helpful resources:https://countthekicks.org/https://www.measuretheplacenta.org/https://www.pushpregnancy.org/https://www.tommys.org/ Local to Atlanta:https://www.northsidepnl.com/ 

Elisa Song, MD, joins Integrative Practitioner Content Specialist Avery St. Onge to discuss the connection between environmental toxins and chronic disease in children in a live interview at the 2025 Integrative Healthcare Symposium. About the Experts Dr. Elisa Song, MD is a Stanford-, NYU-, UCSF-trained integrative pediatrician, pediatric functional medicine expert, and mom to 2 thriving children – and she is on a mission to revolutionize the future of children's health. Dr. Song is the author of the national bestseller Healthy Kids, Happy Kids: An Integrative Pediatrician's Guide to Whole Child Resilience. Dr. Song created Healthy Kids Happy Kids (www.healthykidshappykids.com) as an online holistic pediatric resource to help practitioners and parents bridge the gap between conventional and integrative pediatrics with an evidence-based, pediatrician-backed, mom-approved approach. In her integrative pediatric practice, she's helped 1000s of kids get to the root causes of their health concerns and empowered parents to help their children thrive by integrating conventional pediatrics with functional medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and essential oils. Dr. Song is chair of A4M's pediatric education and has lectured around the world at leading integrative and functional medicine conferences and premier parenting events. She has also been featured in hundreds of top podcasts, print and online media outlets, including the Wellness Mama podcast, BloomTV, Forbes, Healthline, MindBodyGreen, National Geographic, PopSugar, Parents, Motherly, Parade, Verywell Health, and New York Post.

“We did it, and we turned out ok.” Perhaps you've heard that line of reasoning from other parents regarding today's teens and marijuana use. In fact, a government survey indicates that since 2015, the number of parents who believe there is a risk of harm from using marijuana has dropped, from just over thirty percent of parents, to just over twenty percent today. But researchers and medical professionals will tell you that we should actually be more concerned about the risks from marijuana use, as the impact of smoking today's marijuana is actually greater on the developing and vulnerable brains of our kids. Experts report that in the 1960's, the THC content of marijuana was two to three percent. Today, it is twenty percent or more, making it ten times more potent. Doctors are seeing increased psychotic events attributed to this increased potency. Parents, monitor your kids, and don't approve of the use of marijuana or any other substances kids are choosing to abuse.

This is an open letter to parents of autistic and neurodivergent people. It may be confronting. Please take care when listening. Love, Hugh See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greg talks to Jonathan Morrow, creator of the Refresh Roadmap online course, about strategies to help parents navigate screen time and social media with their kids.   Topics: Interview: Jonathan Morrow, creator of the Refresh Roadmap course, on navigating screen time and social media with your kids (00:00)   Mentioned on the Show:  Jonathan Morrow's website Refresh Roadmap: A Practical Guide for Parents to Navigate Screen Time and Social Media with Confidence – This link automatically includes the 20% discount. 20% off code for listeners at refreshcourse.net: STR Impact 360 The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt  

One of the biggest FAQs I receive weekly is how to tackle tough sexuality topics with our kids–one of the chief of which is pornography. Parents feel ill-equipped to handle this in an age-appropriate way. And yet, the world is more than eager to fill in the gaps and give our children images and words that aren't appropriate for any age. In this episode, we tackle practical ways to equip parents with the tools they need to confidently address issues like what to do when being shown explicit images on a phone by a friend or family member, how to react when taunted by peers about sexual purity, and so much more. Be encouraged you are not alone in this fight and that your voice and guidance are crucial to helping your kids successfully navigate the murky waters of sexual temptation.Guest Info:Greta Eskridge - MaAndPaModernOrder Her Book Now: It's Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn (Available Wherever Books Are Sold)Visit Her Website: Gretaeskridge.comSponsor Info:Summit MinistriesFind Out More About Summit ⁠Here!⁠⁠⁠Use This Link For $400 Off Summit Registration (Before March 31st)Voetberg Music AcademyCheck Out Voetberg Music Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Code: misformama20Bible References:1 Peter 3:15Genesis 50:20Genesis 1:28Daniel 1:12-16Proverbs 24:11Genesis 39:7-20Galatians 5:22-23James 1:5Matthew 5:28Psalm 139:24Psalm 119:57Philippians 4:10-11John 10:10John 1:7Ephesians 6:13-17Links:⁠⁠⁠The Gentleness Challenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Penny Reward System⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paint & Prose⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠M Is for Mama⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Penny Reward System⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What a bizarre encounter with our dental hygienist taught Josh about prayer, and why we cannot attune to both God and our kids at the same time—but the encouraging insight this offers us. This week's episode offers lessons Josh and Christi are learning in their own spiritual journeys as parents, and a few behind the scenes happenings of what's coming with Famous at Home.Registration for Cohort II of Tender & Fierce and The Field Experience ends soon. See show notes for details. Time Stamps:0:00 Introduction1:10 Behind-the-scenes updates from Famous at Home5:15 Introduction to what's happening in season 47:00 Josh's lesson of the week 10:12 Christi's lesson of the week Show Notes:  Men, registration for The Field Experience Cohort II is now open!Register here: https://www.famousathome.com/offers/6fze43iaLadies, registration for Tender & Fierce Coaching Cohort II is now open! Register here:  https://www.famousathome.com/offers/9J9DwypnOrder a copy of the Famous at Home book to put your family center stage.  Click here: https://amzn.to/3y1jJFzDownload NONAH's brand new single Find My Way Home by clicking here: https://bellpartners.ffm.to/findmywayhomeThe Famous at Home podcast is made possible by listeners like you. We'd be honored to have you partner with us in helping bring revival to today's family. Click here to donate. https://newhorizonsfoundation.com/project/single-project/2504/

Austin shares 9 things that your parents never told you about searching for a job!Time Stamped Show Notes:[0:30] - Advice is everywhere, so what advice are you supposed to take?[1:32] - A degree is not a guarantee[2:23] - The odds are terrible[3:03] - 75% of job seekers are applying online[3:32] - It's all about WHO you know[4:34] - Looking for a job is all about sales[5:02] - A resume is not enough[6:57] - Results win jobs, not actions[8:15] - The most qualified candidate doesn't always win the job[9:09] - You don't need 100% of the qualifications to get the jobWant To Level Up Your Job Search?Click here to learn more about 1:1 career coaching to help you land your dream job without applying online.Check out Austin's courses and, as a thank you for listening to the show, use the code PODCAST to get 5% off any digital course:The Interview Preparation System - Austin's proven, all-in-one process for turning your next job interview into a job offer.Value Validation Project Starter Kit - Everything you need to create a job-winning VVP that will blow hiring managers away and set you apart from the competition.No Experience, No Problem - Austin's proven framework for building the skills and experience you need to break into a new industry (even if you have *zero* experience right now).Try Austin's Job Search ToolsResyBuild.io - Build a beautiful, job-winning resume in minutes.ResyMatch.io - Score your resume vs. your target job description and get feedback.ResyBullet.io - Learn how to write attention grabbing resume bullets.Mailscoop.io - Find anyone's professional email in seconds.Connect with Austin for daily job search content:Cultivated CultureLinkedInTwitterThanks for listening!

In this episode of the Celebrate Kids podcast, Dr. Kathy addresses the nuances between normal anxiety and chronic anxiety in young people. She highlights the alarming statistics surrounding depression among teens, emphasizing the importance of creating a safe environment for open conversations about mental health. Dr. Kathy encourages parents to foster courage in discussing these sensitive topics, reassuring them that while it may lead to uncovering troubling issues, engaging in these conversations is crucial for supporting their children's well-being. Tune in for valuable insights on navigating mental health discussions with your kids.

When what should have been a carefree date goes horribly wrong, the city of Houston realizes there's a monster in their midst. Will they be caught in time?If you have any information about the murders of Cheryl Henry & Andy Atkinson in Houston in 1990, please call the Houston Crime Stoppers tip line at 713-222-TIPS (8477).In honor of Andy & Cheryl, we made a donation to the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children. If you'd like to join us, or learn more, please visit this link.If you are interested in listening to INFAMOUS: The Lake Waco Murders Part 1 & Part 2, please visit the Crime Junkie website, or listen wherever you get your podcasts! We're officially on the road! Crime Junkie Life Rule #10 Tour is in full swing and we can't wait to see you soon!Visit crimejunkiepodcast.com to grab tickets to a show near you AND don't forget to check out our brand new exclusive tour merch collection while you're there