The Vital Role of DEI in a Child's Education
Little Feet Community
Diversity Equity & Inclusion is under attack, so we spoke to about why it is important, in early childhood education, especially in predominantly white communities. If your classroom is mostly white, we talked about how to raise children who will be allies. Iruka also addresses the challenges faced by white teachers in diverse classrooms and suggests strategies for building relationships and fostering empathy. She highlights the significance of Head Start, which supports children and families holistically, and advocates for inclusive curricula and materials. Dr. Iruka is a...
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An Episode for Immigrant Parents
Little Feet Community
Immigrant families live under a tremendous amount of stress in the United States of America, especially right now. In this episode, we speak with Bolivian American licensed professional counselor Yesseinia Arias and Dominican American Ana Victoria Morales, both daughters of immigrant parents. Morales shares her history with ICE and offers advice for families currently at risk of separation and deportation. Together, Arias and Morales make a case for stress management and open communication within the family unit. Our podcast featuring advice for helping kids navigate...
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Un Episodio Para Padres Inmigrantes
Little Feet Community
Las familias inmigrantes viven bajo un estrés tremendo en Estados Unidos, especialmente en estos momentos. En este episodio, hablamos con la consejera profesional boliviano-estadounidense Yesseinia Arias y la dominicana-estadounidense Ana Victoria Morales, ambas hijas de padres inmigrantes. Morales comparte su experiencia con ICE y ofrece consejos para familias que actualmente corren el riesgo de separación y deportación. Juntas, Arias y Morales defienden el manejo del estrés y la comunicación abierta dentro de la familia.
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Yikes, My Friend's a Yeller! : Parenting Styles
Little Feet Community
There are many ways to parent a child. What do you do if your style is at odds with others? In this episode we speak with Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Perinatal Mental Health Counselor (PMH-C) . Kripke has worked supporting mothers and families for more than 20 years in various organizations and settings, most recently as the founding director of the Postpartum Wellness Center in Boulder, Colorado. Kate Kripke is author of and is the host of , a weekly unscripted podcast where she candidly explores all facets of motherhood. In this episode, we have a...
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Is It Their Personality or a Phase?
Little Feet Community
Have you ever referred to your kid as the shy one, what about the bossy one? In this episode of Little Feet Community podcast, we will discuss personality types with psychotherapist, best-selling author and national media commentator . We discuss personality tendencies present at birth and how experiences, as well as nurturing, influences how a personality evolves. Niro is the author of the TODAY.com column “Is This Normal?” as well as . Her second book, will be released for the 2025 holiday season. Takeaways: While some personality traits are present at birth,...
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How to Raise a Confident Child
Little Feet Community
In this episode of Little Feet Community podcast, we speak with author and clinical physchologist about critical areas of child development that impact self confidence. We discuss Dr. Edlynn's publication , a user friendly guide that offers easy to implement action items and techniques that will help support strengthened confidence and autonomy for your child (and your students). Her book is a must read for all those working with children. She is also one of the hosts of , a podcast about the science and practice of living well. Takeaways: So, research shows that it’s important to...
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Talking About Mental Health with Kids
Little Feet Community
Mental health challenges are common and chances are, you or someone you care about lives with this challenge. In this episode, we spoke to Leslie Cohen-Rubury, a psychotherapist, LCSW and podcast host of, “”, about how to support your child and educate them about mental health as well as address mental health concerns in the family. Cohen-Rubury discusses strategies for parents to support their children when exposed to unhealthy mental health episodes, the significance of teaching emotional intelligence, modeling healthy behavior, and fostering connection and how to have...
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Self Care for Kids & Why It's Important
Little Feet Community
Kids who practice self care have fewer meltdowns, more giggles and are more likely to grow up to be emotionally intelligent adults. Self-care practices can be taught and modeled to young children. Nora Painten, Director of the Abigail Lundquist Botstein Nursery School at Bard College in New York’s Hudson Valley, speaks with host Patty O’Connor about ways to teach self-care at home. Little Feet Community is an online resource for parents, caregivers, and educators seeking to support healthy growth in young children. Takeaways: It is vital to intentionally care for...
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Tough Topics: Talking to Kids about Current Events
Little Feet Community
How do you talk to kids about difficult current events, like the LA Wildfires? How do you field questions about news children may hear discussed around them? How can a parent or caregiver offer appropriate levels of reassurance using words a child can understand? In this week’s episode of Little Feet Community, , Clinical Psychologist at , discusses strategies to address complex current events with their children aged three through adolescence. Dr. Button advises simple, factual explanations and reassurance for young children (3-5 years). She suggests soothing routines and...
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Tough Topics: Talking to Kids about Death
Little Feet Community
How do we talk to kids about death? Unfortunately death is inevitable and when a pet or a grandparent dies your child will have questions. To answer these questions Patty O’Connor spoke to , MD, FAAP. Schonfeld established and directs the , located at For over 30 years, Dr. Schonfeld has provided consultation and training to schools on supporting students and staff at times of crisis and loss in the aftermath of numerous school crisis events and disasters within the United States and abroad. Schonfeld is also a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Keck School of Medicine. Key...
info_outlineHow do we talk to kids about death? Unfortunately death is inevitable and when a pet or a grandparent dies your child will have questions. To answer these questions Patty O’Connor spoke to David J Schonfeld, MD, FAAP. Schonfeld established and directs the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement, located at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles For over 30 years, Dr. Schonfeld has provided consultation and training to schools on supporting students and staff at times of crisis and loss in the aftermath of numerous school crisis events and disasters within the United States and abroad. Schonfeld is also a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Keck School of Medicine.
Key Takeaways:
Don’t wait for the “right” moment to discuss death with a child. Do discuss death when an opportunity presents itself organically. If/when the moment presents itself (a pet dies or a child raises a question related to mortality), talk about it then.
Do use words like “death” or “dead”. Don’t confuse children by saying that the dead person or creature is “sleeping.”
When talking about death with kids:
- Use repetitive language
- Use short sentence structure
Four KEY concepts that kids need to understand:
- Finality. Death is irreversible.
- Bodies stop. All life functions stop. (This way, a child won’t worry about the dead person being hungry or cold in the coffin.)
- Causality. Children need to understand why people die, which ties into the 4th concept:
- Inevitability - all living things must die.
Above all:
Know this: It’s okay to tell kids if you don’t have all the answers and it's okay to get emotional when talking about death.