About this Episode

Do you struggle to find the balance between setting boundaries and giving freedoms to your kids? Do you worry that your teens are unprepared to leave the nest? Are you concerned you’re spending more time raising your voice than connecting with your toddler? Monica Swanson, author of Boy Mom: What Your Son Needs Most from You and Raising Amazing: Bring Up Kids Who Love God, Like Their Family, and Do the Dishes Without Being Asked shares her wisdom, stories, and suggestions on this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast. Although Monica has raised four boys, these valuable insights—on everything from modeling integrity to allowing your kids to fail—can be applied to any family with children or teens. 

Join Dr. Amy and Sandy as we tackle some common parenting challenges and techniques to either prevent them or approach them from a growth mindset for both parent and child. 

About this Episode

If you’ve struggled to control your own emotions during a toddler tantrum or tween storm, you’re not alone. Parenting is full of everyday challenges that often lead to big feelings, bad behavior, and reactionary responses—and we’re not just talking about the kids.

Parent coach Laura Reardon joined The Brainy Moms podcast to share her insights on effective strategies to get through the toughest, most emotionally charged moments of parenting. From homework meltdowns and how unmet needs can turn into a threat response, Laura walks us through some calming techniques and supportive wording to help diffuse charged moments and refocus on a peaceful path to parenting.

If you’re tired of feeling emotionally drained and want some guidance on how to create more peace in your family without constantly turning to punitive responses, tune in for this parent-focused podcast.

About this Episode

If you’re parenting a differently wired kid, you may have concerns that go beyond the already heavy stressors that can come with parenting. Am I parenting to bring out the best in my child or doing what’s comfortable, easy or socially expected?  Is my child’s IEP just addressing the behavior rather than the stressors that are causing the behavior? Is my neurodivergent student going to be left behind because they don’t perform well on standardized tests despite being very smart? Am I stuck in a cycle of “compare and despair” rather than respecting my child’s unique timeline, interests and gifts?

Dr. Amy and Dr. Jody host this conversation with Debbie Reber, M.A., author of the book, “Differently Wired: A Parent’s Guide to Raising an Atypical Child with Confidence and Hope” and founder of Tilt Parenting. It felt like a lifeline for many of us raising neurodivergent children and teens. Offering insights, personal stories, and guidance for listeners who may be grappling with insecurities around parenting a differently wired child, Debbie provided comfort—and useful tips—to help us all gain perspective.

About this Episode

On this episode of the Brainy Moms parenting podcast, Dr. Amy and Teri welcome the return of trauma therapist Clint Davis to the show to share his insights about an uncomfortable topic: protecting your kids from sexual abuse and trauma. Beyond just recommending parental-control apps, Clint delves into the psychology behind age-appropriate curiosity, the impact of pornography on both children and adults, and the importance of creating a safe space for communication without shame. This is an episode that every parent needs to hear.

About this Episode

Has someone ever told you to “enjoy every minute of parenting because it goes by so fast”? Or that "you only have 18 summers”? For some of us, the extra pressure to feel like we have to relish every touch point with our kids only adds to the stress we feel as busy parents just trying to do our best to juggle it all.  On this episode, Dr. Amy and Sandy interview Dr. Elham Raker, pediatrician and certified parent coach who has worked with parents through telemedicine and her virtual coaching program, Ask Dr. Mom. Dr. El says the pressures and expectations for parents can lead to unnecessary feelings of guilt. We bet you can relate.

In her coaching, Dr. El provides support and guidance to parents looking to strike a balance between punitive and permission parenting. Through Conscious Parenting, she helps parents grow deeper connections with their children in ways that are calmer, more respectful, and enriching for both parent and child. She also shares her knowledge and experience as a pediatrician to clarify which unnecessary “shoulds” we can let go of as parents.

Parents, if you’re constantly worried that you’re not doing enough as a parent or you’re just looking for ways to develop a deeper relationship with your child or teen, this conversation with Dr. El may feel like a breath of fresh air. She’s the trifecta of experts—mom, pediatrician and certified parenting coach—and we hope her expertise will help you enrich your relationship not only with your child, but also yourself.

About this Episode

Are you a working parent who constantly feels overwhelmed, frustrated and/or riddled with guilt? Welcome to the club! For most of us, it’s hard to feel like we’ve got the time, energy, or temperament to balance our lives in a way that feels connected, creative, and inspired. On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy talked to clinical psychologist Dr. Yael Schonbrun who shared her insights and tips to help us get perspective, apply strategies, and find camaraderie in this modern challenge of juggling it all.

About this Episode

If we asked you, “who’s taking care of you?” what would your response be? We bet the responses would range from a spit-take to a chuckle, from a frown to actual tears. Nancy Colier, author of The Emotionally Exhausted Woman, Why You're Feeling Depleted, and How to Get What you Need has asked a number of women this question as she worked on her book and, almost without fail, the women cried—they were desperate for her book and desperate for someone to care for them. We’re sure you can relate—do you have someone who takes care of you?

In her book, Nancy investigates why women have such a hard time with this concept, and how our friends, our partners, and we ourselves have conspired to create a culture in which women are expected to make themselves small, put others first, and ignore our own needs in favor of being easygoing and likeable.

Listen, ladies: if you’ve ever been told you’re hysterical, too much, angry, unlikeable, difficult, or overreacting, this one’s for you. (Isn’t that all of us?) Nancy’s approach to emotional exhaustion was truly revolutionary for us—and we hope it will help you approach your feelings of emotional exhaustion and overwhelm from a new perspective.

About this Episode

If you want to set yourself (and your kids!) up for a successful relationship as they enter their teen years, it starts with deep connection with tweens! Research shows that kids between the ages of 9 and 12 are starting to think for themselves, but they still listen to what mom and dad have to say. That makes tweens the perfect age for building deep connections that will last them into and beyond their teenage years! This conversation with Dr. Amanda Craig, author of the book, Who Are You and What Have You Done with My Kid? Connect with your Tween While They're Still Listening was a fascinating look at the four pillars of connection.

Even as they parent older kids, Dr. Amy and Teri were able to glean some great ideas for deepening connection, from creating daily and nightly rituals, to owning our mistakes and being vulnerable in our relationships with our kids. Dr. Craig’s four pillars are instinctual, but so incredibly helpful in framing our approach to parenting.

About this Episode

Dr. Amy sat down with Matty Lansdown, founder of the Healthy Mums Collective, to discuss why so many diets leave us feeling frustrated and why the weight often comes back on, even with careful changes and restrictions. It was a fascinating conversation about our relationship with food and our inner child-inner parent relationship!

If you are looking for a gentle approach to healthy living—regardless of your current size—Matty takes an innovative approach to food, nutrition, and lifestyle that might get you started on a journey to self-love and caring for your body. These are tough topics, especially if you struggle with an eating disorder or body issues. But this is a no-shame conversation. Matty is an encourager and educates us on some different ways to think about and understand our ongoing relationship with food. As a yo-yo dieter, Dr. Amy appreciated Matty’s tip to just make “one tweak a week” to our eating habits. That seemed manageable to her. Our hope is that you’ll hear a tip that resonates with you as well. It’s a food-for-thought episode without judgement for anyone who wants to dig in a little to the topic of eating for better health.

A quick note: Here at the Brainy Moms, we are covering many of the hardest and most important topics related to motherhood, mental health, and the human experience, and today’s episode may be a complicated one for some of our listeners. We know that this topic can be difficult, but we urge our listeners to press in with openness whenever possible. Because that’s how we grow—it’s why we created this podcast in the first place!  However, if you find that any of our episodes are more than you are comfortable with, we understand. You need to take care of your heart, mind, and body in the best way you can—and we are supporting you from afar.

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About this Episode

Are you a new or expecting mom? Do you love a new or soon-to-be mom? If you do, then this podcast episode is for you! It’s been a while since Dr. Amy and Dr. Jody were mothers of newborns, but the story hasn’t changed much: we are all just wondering if our babies are okay! Becoming a first-time mother may seem like an instinctual rite of passage for many women, but once baby is born, many of us find that we have more questions than answers. And it can be hard to know where to turn in the middle of the night when baby is crying! 

Dr. Amy and Dr. Jody sat down with Dr. Emeka Obidi, board-certified pediatrician and CEO of the Newborn Prep Academy, to talk about parenting a newborn. We asked some doozies: should baby boys be circumcised? When should we worry about a fever? What about vaccinations? Breastfeeding or formula feeding? Dr. Obidi shared his wisdom after more than 17 years as a practicing pediatrician, and we found his answers incredibly helpful—and graciously gentle. Join Dr. Obidi as he provides new moms with a Confident Mom Mindset!  

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