Raising Healthy Kid Brains
Raising Healthy Kid Brains helps moms and teachers understand how children’s brains work and what they can do to set them up for success. Discover the critical elements of supporting a child’s healthy brain development, psychological factors that influence emotional development, and simple suggestions to encourage the creativity and curiosity of life-long learners. Join your host, Amy Nielson, Founder of Planning Playtime, a provider of game-changing educational programs and resources to moms and teachers, as she and her guests discuss the importance of understanding child development. This is the show for you if you find yourself asking questions like: *Am I communicating effectively with my child? *How can I build a bonding experience with my child? *What exactly are the structures, limits, and boundaries for children? *Why are good parent-teacher relationships important? *What benchmarks should I focus on in early childhood? To learn more, visit planningplaytime.com
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76. Everyone Is Creative: How Art Improves Our Kids’ Brain Function with Karen DeLoach
06/06/2024
76. Everyone Is Creative: How Art Improves Our Kids’ Brain Function with Karen DeLoach
Karen DeLoach grew up directing plays on the playground with no idea that one day she’d make her own independent films and teach others how to do the same. As both a university instructor and a homeschool teacher, Karen has seen how art can impact both physical and mental health firsthand. She also shares some really powerful stories about how art has changed lives. Join us for a wonderful conversation about discovering new ways to get creative, finding our ability to express ourselves through art, and the science behind what art can do for our kids—and for us! We discuss how the right and left brain are different, how art helps people who are neurodiverse, and what you can do to support your kids and their love for art. Get full show notes and more information here:
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75. Neurodivergence in Children: When a Disability Isn’t Visible with Michelle Steiner
05/23/2024
75. Neurodivergence in Children: When a Disability Isn’t Visible with Michelle Steiner
Michelle Steiner is a writer, speaker, and photographer who writes about living with an invisible disability. She believes knowledge is what helps us all be more supportive of one another, and she’s on the show this week to shed light on identifying invisible disabilities in children. Whether you know someone with a learning disability or are wondering what to look out for in your own children, this is going to be a super helpful conversation to keep coming back to. Michelle shares her experience of getting diagnosed as a child and why she feels empowered by her disability rather than held back by it. We’re exploring the pros and cons of labeling someone with a disability, when it might be time to seek professional help, and how you can best empower your children if they have an invisible disability. Get full show notes and more information here:
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74. IEPs and 504s: What You Need to Know with April Rehrig
05/09/2024
74. IEPs and 504s: What You Need to Know with April Rehrig
April Rehrig is a mom, school psychologist, and teacher whose collaborative approach combines special education advocacy with real-world strategies that work. She decided to take parents behind the scenes In the world of special education through online workshops and IEP coaching so they can make informed decisions for their children, and she’s here today to walk us through the world of special education. April lifts the veil on IEPs and 504s so you can develop a solid action plan for your child. Learn how to identify when to seek out an IEP or 504 plan for your child, the pros and cons of getting a special education assessment through your child’s school versus going private, and April’s top tips for preparing yourself for an IEP meeting. Get full show notes and more information here:
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73. Understanding Sensory Processing with Claire Heffron
04/25/2024
73. Understanding Sensory Processing with Claire Heffron
Claire Heffron is a pediatric occupational therapist and the co-founder of The Inspired Treehouse where she helps parents and professionals conquer the common developmental roadblocks that come up for kids. Claire is on the podcast this week to help us understand the world of sensory processing. Listen as Claire explains the three lesser-known sensory systems and why understanding them matters. We’re exploring sensory processing concerns, what certain aversions to sensory inputs can look like, and how having this understanding can build connections that lead to more cooperation. Get full show notes and more information here:
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72. Yoga and Mindfulness for Kids with Giselle Shardlow
04/11/2024
72. Yoga and Mindfulness for Kids with Giselle Shardlow
There’s so much in the practice of yoga that parents and teachers can use to help kids have amazing experiences. This week, I’m speaking to Giselle Shardlow, an elementary teacher, yoga instructor, and founder of Kids Yoga Stories, to introduce us to the world of yoga for children. Join us as Giselle walks us through the five C’s of kids yoga, and why play and yoga work so well together. She’s showing us how yoga empowers children of all ages to self-regulate and manage big emotions, and some of the biggest benefits that come from practicing yoga and mindfulness. Get full show notes and more information here:
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71. How to Help Your Children Become Passionate Lifelong Learners with Neil Rosen
03/28/2024
71. How to Help Your Children Become Passionate Lifelong Learners with Neil Rosen
What does it take for kids to become passionate about learning? How can we as parents encourage this process at home? My guest this week, Neil Rosen, has a forthcoming book called Rediscovering the Village: Classic Strategies to Help Children Develop a Lifelong Love of Learning, and he's joining me to share some smart strategies for creating a learning-centered home environment. Join us this week to hear Neil's fascinating ideas on how to create a culture of kids who are passionate lifelong learners, the importance of developing strong family-school relationships, and how we can model this kind of behavior as parents. Get full show notes and more information here:
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70. Preventing Abuse: How to Empower and Be Advocates for Our Children with Rachelle Rutherford
03/21/2024
70. Preventing Abuse: How to Empower and Be Advocates for Our Children with Rachelle Rutherford
What is the correct way to talk to young children about sexual abuse? How do we prevent our children from being abuse victims? And how can we create a comfortable, shame-free environment for our kids to approach us openly about their experiences? My guest this week is Rachelle Rutherford, the current Mrs World America and Mrs World America Fitness who is using her platform to defend the prevention of all forms of child abuse. As a survivor of child sexual abuse and a mother of a child who experienced abuse, she knows that terrible things can happen to our children, even with the most protective of parents, and she’s here to shed light on what we can do to be in conversation with our kids about abuse. Get full show notes and more information here:
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69. The Parent’s Role in Children’s Emotional Regulation with Dr. Cindy Hovington, Ph.D.
03/14/2024
69. The Parent’s Role in Children’s Emotional Regulation with Dr. Cindy Hovington, Ph.D.
Where do we begin when it comes to equipping our children with healthy emotional regulation skills? Like so many things, it begins with our ability to model the behavior ourselves. My guest on this episode, Dr. Cindy Hovington, is a mom of three, neuroscientist, and expert on children’s emotional health, and she’s here to walk us through our role as parents in creating an emotionally regulated home for our children. Listen in as Dr. Cindy walks us through the three-part model of parental socialization, how to embrace healthy conflict resolution within your household, and her top tips for modeling strong emotional regulation for your kids. Get full show notes and more information here:
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68. When Your Kids Are Having a Hard Time: Strategies for Filling Their Emotional Bucket with Jeanne-Marie Paynel
03/07/2024
68. When Your Kids Are Having a Hard Time: Strategies for Filling Their Emotional Bucket with Jeanne-Marie Paynel
What do you do when your kids are struggling with big emotions? This week, I'm exploring the topic of emotional regulation and I have the perfect guest to help me do it: Jeanne-Marie Paynel, conscious parenting expert and the host of The Art of Parenting Podcast. Join Jeanne-Marie and me as we discuss why connecting before correcting matters, the importance of modeling self-regulation for your kids, and Jeanne-Marie’s favorite strategies for filling both your and your child’s emotional buckets together. Get full show notes and more information here:
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67. From Angry to Empowered: How to Model Anger for Your Kids
02/29/2024
67. From Angry to Empowered: How to Model Anger for Your Kids
Building our emotional literacy as parents and teachers can have a big impact on our kids, but it’s not always easy. This week, we’re exploring the tricky emotion of anger, and I’m taking tips from Brené Brown’s Altas of the Heart to help you understand how to talk to kids about their anger. Listen in to learn Brené's philosophy on anger and how we have the opportunity to transform it into something life-giving. You’ll hear why anger isn’t a "bad" emotion, how the energy of anger can fuel change, and how to empower the kids you serve through their experience of anger. Get full show notes and more information here:
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66. How to Support Your Child’s Speech Development
02/22/2024
66. How to Support Your Child’s Speech Development
Recently, my nine-year-old started working on her speech at school, and seeing her progress made me reflect on the milestones we’re looking for in our children at different ages. Which speech milestones should your child be reaching between ages two and five? And how can we tell if those milestones are being hit? I’m sharing my insights with you this week. Tune in to learn a general guideline for speech milestones in children between the ages of two and five, and my top tips for supporting your child in each growth phase. You’ll also hear why play is essential in building vocabulary and my favorite suggestions for integrating play as you help your child reach communication milestones. Get full show notes and more information here:
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65. Adapting Your Parenting to Your Child’s Unique Personality with Kate Mason
02/15/2024
65. Adapting Your Parenting to Your Child’s Unique Personality with Kate Mason
Personality assessments and temperament indicators are popular tools in the business world, and they can be powerful tools in parenting, too! This week, I'm speaking with Kate Mason, "Australia’s personality coach," who is sharing the benefits of deeply understanding our unique personalities and those of our children. Join us as Kate walks us through the four dichotomies of temperaments, what happens when we learn more about ourselves, and how feeling solid in who we are is the secret to confidently connecting with anyone in life. Get full show notes and more information here:
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64. A Day in a Reggio Emilia-Inspired Classroom with Jayda Rivera
02/08/2024
64. A Day in a Reggio Emilia-Inspired Classroom with Jayda Rivera
Jayda Rivera is a teacher at Bloom Learning Center in New York, where the approach is inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy. This philosophy views children as active participants in their learning journey. Jayda takes us through what a day of preschool looks like in a Reggio Emilia and nature-based classroom. Discover what happens in Jayda’s classroom based on that approach, how she structures her day, and how learning activities are conducted. Learn how the individualized notes she takes influence what she teaches the next day, and how she manages to spend one-on-one time with the children. Get full show notes and more information here:
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63. Raising Kids with an Unwavering Sense of Self
02/01/2024
63. Raising Kids with an Unwavering Sense of Self
Human behavior is motivated by the desire to belong, but the challenge is we first need to belong to ourselves before we can ever experience true belonging in a group. To foster belonging, we need to develop a strong and secure sense of self. In this episode, I’m walking you through what this looks like for your children. I unlock the ‘why’ behind fostering a sense of self in our kids and five key practices that you can implement into your daily life. I’m exploring what happens when our children develop an unwavering sense of self, the role of our sense of self in belonging, and some fun activity ideas for facilitating a strong sense of identity, family, and autonomy. Get full show notes and more information here:
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62. Serve and Return: 5 Steps in Building the Structure of Your Child’s Brain
01/25/2024
62. Serve and Return: 5 Steps in Building the Structure of Your Child’s Brain
In this episode, I’m discussing articles from Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child, all about and a key concept called . It explores how, the more sensitive and responsive we are to a child’s ‘serve,’ the more we can provide a rich environment of ‘returns,’ and, as a result, build a sturdy foundation for healthy brain architecture. Discover how Serve and Return interactions shape brain architecture, 5 key elements that help increase and strengthen neural pathways in children’s brains, and how you can add more of these brain-building tips into your everyday life. Get full show notes and more information here:
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61. What Is Developmental Movement? With Sukey Molloy
01/18/2024
61. What Is Developmental Movement? With Sukey Molloy
Sukey Molloy was a professional modern dancer in New York City before an injury led her down a different path. She embarked on a career as an award-winning children’s music performer and recording artist, centering her work around movement and sensory play using the philosophy of Developmental Movement first coined by Garland O’Quinn. She’s joining me to share her insights on engaging children in movement that supports developing brains. Discover what the framework of Developmental Movement entails, and Sukey’s top tips for inviting movement that calls children into their own bodies. Hear how movement helps the growth of a developing brain, what it means to become a magnet for children’s attention, and how to acknowledge children without judgment. Get full show notes and more information here:
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60. Strategies for Greater Communication with Your Children with Kathy Bowers
01/11/2024
60. Strategies for Greater Communication with Your Children with Kathy Bowers
Do we have the correct expectations when we ask our kids to do something? Are we expecting them to remember multiple things at once and to know the correct order? What are some strategies for timing communication, especially when there’s already tension? And how can we allow our kids to take ownership of certain tasks? This week, I’m speaking to parenting coach Kathy Bowers on how we can improve our communication with our children. Kathy helps parents who are struggling with communication find solutions to improve their parenting skills and relationship with their children, and she’s here this week to walk us through her top tips around routines, boundaries, and expectations of our children. Get full show notes and more information here:
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59. Harnessing Emotions: The Secret to Achieving Your New Year’s Goals with Bree Nelson
01/04/2024
59. Harnessing Emotions: The Secret to Achieving Your New Year’s Goals with Bree Nelson
Bree Nelson is a life coach for moms and children who is on a mission to create emotionally intelligent kids. She empowers them to create a life they love, and she’s here this week to offer a goal-setting practice that will transform the way you set goals for 2024. Hear Bree’s top tips for setting and achieving your goals this year, and how these strategies can be applied to both you and your children. We’re exploring the importance of measuring your goals and including checkpoints, how to use the CTFAR model to set your goals, and why we must focus on determination rather than motivation to achieve them. Get full show notes and more information here:
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58. Cultivating Secure Attachment with Sarah Conway
12/28/2023
58. Cultivating Secure Attachment with Sarah Conway
You’re hearing my conversation with child psychologist and parent coach, Sarah Conway. Sarah empowers parents to ditch punitive tactics and embrace brain-based strategies that nurture emotional intelligence. She’s here to illuminate the power of doing emotional regulation work, and why it’s never too late to start. Join us this week for a dose of hope and courage this Holiday season as Sarah shares her insights on all things emotional regulation. Learn how to build secure attachment with your children, how to avoid falling into dysregulation, and her top co-regulation strategies for supporting kids through big emotions. Get full show notes and more information here:
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57. Celebrating the Planning Playtime Community
12/21/2023
57. Celebrating the Planning Playtime Community
As we near the end of the year, I’m bringing together the Planning Playtime team to celebrate our amazing community. Steffani and Kara are joining me on this episode to dive into our favorite community stories that we’ve heard. They’ve both played a huge part in creating our programs and connecting with our members, and we’re here to honor the work our listeners have done. Join us on this episode as Steffani, Kara and I come together for an end-of-year roundup to celebrate our Planning Playtime community! We’re each sharing our favorite stories that have touched our hearts to show you the power of our programs and the incredible work our members are committed to doing on their journey of teaching and learning. Get full show notes and more information here:
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56. How to Turn Anxiety into Calm This Holiday Season
12/14/2023
56. How to Turn Anxiety into Calm This Holiday Season
The Holiday season tends to be a time of extreme stress and anxiety for most of us. There are long to-do lists, full calendars, visitors, and activities, so it’s no surprise if you’re starting to feel overwhelmed by it all. But did you know that anxiety is contagious and that you might be infecting your children with it? Learn how to cultivate the feeling of calm, and why it’s just as infectious as anxiety. I’m sharing some of the unhelpful coping mechanisms we lean on to manage stress and anxiety, how to channel excitement when you’re feeling anxious, and questions to ask yourself that will help you access a sense of calm. Get full show notes and more information here:
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55. 5 Ways to Get Kids Excited About Giving
12/07/2023
55. 5 Ways to Get Kids Excited About Giving
Giving is a topic that’s top of mind for most of us as we head into the Holiday season, but it’s also a powerful skill that transcends the festivities. We want our kids to be kind and generous people who have the desire to give throughout their lives, and I’ve discovered some interesting research about teaching our kids how to love the act of giving. Hear five steps for getting your children excited about giving. Learn how kids have a naturally strong propensity for generosity, the benefits of building a habit of giving, and tips for making giving a part of their identity. Get full show notes and more information here:
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54. Internal Family Systems Therapy for Kids with Bekkilyn Toone
11/30/2023
54. Internal Family Systems Therapy for Kids with Bekkilyn Toone
Internal Family Systems therapy suggests that we all have parts of us that aren’t necessarily our identity. Whether it’s sadness, anger, or anxiety, they aren’t really us, but they all have jobs that they’re doing and need to be heard. To walk us through Internal Family Systems therapy and the practice of personifying our parts, I’m speaking to Bekkilyn Toone this week, a licensed marriage and family therapist who currently works with children, teenagers, and their families. Bekkilyn is sharing what happens when you allow space for all your parts, how this practice separates what we’re feeling from who we actually are, and her top tips and ideas for using this concept with your children. Get full show notes and more information here:
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53. Helping Kids Develop the Habit of Gratitude
11/23/2023
53. Helping Kids Develop the Habit of Gratitude
Gratitude is a game-changing life skill that all of us can start and improve at any point in our lives. It is a beautiful gift you can give your children right now that will change the way they approach their lives forever, but it all starts with you modeling it for them first because kids learn from what we do more than what we say. Hear what happens when we teach our children the practice of gratitude, and why it’s about so much more than just learning to say thank you. I’m sharing four steps to helping your children develop the habit of gratitude, and my top suggestions for modeling it with consistency so it becomes an automatic lifestyle choice for them. Get full show notes and more information here:
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52. Teaching Your Child to Read: Homeschool Edition
11/16/2023
52. Teaching Your Child to Read: Homeschool Edition
My guest this week is Hillary Ruprecht, a long-time member of our Planning Playtime community. She’s a mom of one who started homeschooling when her daughter was three and a half years old. Hillary felt inadequate and uncertain about her ability to teach her daughter how to read, and then she found Play to Read, and she’s here to tell us about her journey. Hear Hillary’s experience of using the Play to Read program with her daughter as a homeschooling mom. She’s openly sharing some of the objections she initially had to using Play to Read, what changed her mind, and how the incorporation of play was a game-changer in her daughter’s love of reading. Get full show notes and more information here:
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51. Creative Ways to Get Kids Excited About Reading with Dr. Victoria Waller
11/09/2023
51. Creative Ways to Get Kids Excited About Reading with Dr. Victoria Waller
Dr. Victoria Waller is a creative child educator, rockstar tutor, and author of Yes! Your Child Can: Creating Success for Children with Learning Differences. She’s got some amazing insights on helping children with learning differences harness their strengths and build an identity as a reader, and she's sharing them with us today. Join us on this episode to hear Dr. Victoria Waller’s expertise on getting children to love reading and the value of starting as early as possible. She’s sharing the brilliance she’s witnessed in children with learning differences throughout her career, and how you can begin translating your children’s unique strengths into a love of reading. Get full show notes and more information here:
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50. Peaceful Parenting without Punishments or Rewards with Michelle Kenney
11/02/2023
50. Peaceful Parenting without Punishments or Rewards with Michelle Kenney
This week, I’m speaking to M.Ed Certified Parenting Coach, Michelle Kenney. Michelle is a mother of two girls and a former high school teacher and counselor who transitioned into a certified parenting instructor. After years of parenting using consequences, bribes, and gold stars, she completely reshaped the sacred relationship she shares with her daughters, and she credits connected parenting for it. Hear Michelle’s insights on connected parenting and why difficult behaviors naturally fall into place when you focus on your relationship rather than on punishments and rewards. Learn why rewards don’t exemplify unconditional love, how connection increases cooperation, and her top tips for harnessing connection whenever your children are having a hard time, whether they're in adolescence or toddlerhood. Get full show notes and more information here:
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49. Autism in Children: The Importance of Early Intervention with Shannon Urquiola
10/26/2023
49. Autism in Children: The Importance of Early Intervention with Shannon Urquiola
Shannon Urquiola is the founder of Not Your Average Autism Mom, a non-profit organization that equips families raising children on the Autism spectrum with resources, trainings, coaching, and a sense of community. She entered the special education advocacy space after her own son was diagnosed with Autism, and she’s here to shed light on how to make this journey easier if you, too, are navigating parenting a special needs child. Discover some of the early signs of Autism in young children and why early intervention is critical. Shannon is walking us through the options of evaluations that are available to you, the difference between various therapies, and her top tips for next steps if you receive an Autism diagnosis. Get full show notes and more information here:
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48. Create a Culture of Learning in Your Home or Classroom
10/19/2023
48. Create a Culture of Learning in Your Home or Classroom
A culture of learning can be a very organic, natural, and beautiful thing to create, and it doesn’t have to be hard. This week, I’m sharing what this culture can look like and how you can start creating one in your own kiddos’ environment. Discover the different types of curiosity and how curiosity plays a role in your child’s future success. I invite you to add a little bit of curiosity to your child’s learning so you can inspire them to gain more knowledge, gain more curiosity, and continue that loop as they age. Get full show notes and more information here:
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47. How to Reverse Picky Eating with Katie Kimball
10/12/2023
47. How to Reverse Picky Eating with Katie Kimball
I’m bringing you a conversation with Katie Kimball, the creator of Kids Cook Real Food and a trusted authority and advocate for children’s health. She is a former teacher, a two-time TEDx speaker, a writer, and a mother of four kids. Her Kids Cook Real Food course is recommended by the Wall Street Journal as the best online cooking class for kids, and she’s full of amazing tips and insightful advice for parenting picky eaters. Discover how to tell if your kids are picky eaters. We’re discussing why it seems like picky eaters are increasingly common, how to stop your toddlers from becoming picky eaters, some basic steps parents can take to start reversing picky eating habits, and some general tips on how to assist your children in building a healthy relationship with food. Get full show notes and more information here:
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