Understanding sibling relationships + Is it okay to spy on our kids? [26:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

11/30/08
Guest 1: Vikki Stark, Author of My Sister, My Self.
Topic: Understanding the sibling relationship that shapes our lives, our loves, and ourselves.
Issues: Having grown up as an older, younger, middle, or twin sister influences a woman’s choice of occupation, your circle of friends, your love life—even how she feels about her own body.

Guest 2: Gregg Stebben, Editor of Best Life Magazine
Topic: Is it okay to spy on our kids?
Issues: Cell phones let you pinpoint your child’s exact location, car gadgets let you record everywhere your teens go and how fast they drive, software lets you log every keystroke your child makes on his computer, “Geo-Fencing” systems let you program his cell phone so that when your child enters or leaves a specified zone, you will be alerted … just because these products are available (and affordable) does that mean you should use them?

 

 A dad's perspective on infertility and assisted reproduction + Raising athletic, balanced, coordinated kids [26:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

11/23/08
Guest 1: Matthew Miller, author of Maybe Baby.
Topic: The story of assisted reproduction and attempted parenthood—from the dad’s perspective
Issues: The anguish of infertility; the anger, frustration, humor, and heartbreak that dads (and moms) experience;

Guest 2: Karen Ronney, author of Proud Parents Guide to Raising Athletic, Balanced, and Coordinated Kids.
Topic: A lifetime of benefit in just 10 minutes a day
Issues: How to jump-start your child’s developmental skills; creating a lifestyle of family fitness; maximizing your child’s learning style while enjoying positive, consistent playtime.

 

 How to tell if your teen needs help + Supporting self-esteem and positive body image [26:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

11/16/08
Guest 1: Lisa Boesky, author of When to Worry.
Topic: How to tell if your teen needs help and what to do about it.
Issues: How to spot the warning signs of serious problems like depression, cutting, bipolar disorder, and drug abuse; specific dos and don’ts for decreasing teen struggles and suffering in the family; how and where to get professional help.

Guest 2: Marcia Herrin, author of The Parent’s Guide to Eating Disorders.
Topic: Supporting self-esteem, healthy eating, and positive body image.
Issues: How to broach the subject with your child; why blame doesn’t work; how to tell bad eating habits from dangerous behavior; the Maudsley Method: what it is and how parents can use it to treat their children.

 

 Which siblings succeed and why + Outrageous lies we tell our children [26:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Guest 1: Dalton Conley, author of The Pecking Order.
Topic: Which siblings succeed and why
Issues: Inequality in families is not the exception but the norm; children who grow up in the same house frequently wind up on opposite sides of the class divide; in each family there is a pecking order among siblings

Guest 2: Dr. Chuck Borsellino, author of Pinocchio Parenting.
Topic: 21 outrageous lies we tell our kids
Issues: Seemingly innocent statements like “looks don’t matter” can cause children a lifetime of failure; encouraging parents to help their kids be the people they want to become; regularly setting aside quality time keep the lines of communicate open; teaching children that talent and potential are nothing without hard work and perseverance; helping children define their goals by discussing them often and being realistic.

 

 How casual sex is affecting our children + Getting kids to read [26:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Guest 1: Joe McIlhaney, Jr., coauthor of Hooked.
Topic: New science on how casual sex is affecting our children.
Issues: Chemicals released in the brain during sex can become addictive; the human brain isn’t fully developed until mid-twenties—until then, it’s harder to make wise relationship decisions; how to steer young people away from making life-changing mistakes.

Guest 2: Emma Walton Hamilton, author of Raising Bookworms.
Topic: Getting kids reading for pleasure and empowerment.
Issues: Why it’s important for kids to grow up with the skills and appetite for reading; studies show that elective reading has declined dramatically over the past 50 years, but in over to participate in today’s and tomorrow’s workplace, young people will need powerful literacy skills to succeed; how to instill a love of reading in children from infants through teens.

 

 Helping children with articulation and speech problems + Why we're overstretched, overbooked, and ready to snap [26:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Guest 1: Dorothy Dougherty, author of Teach Me to Say it Right.
Topic: Helping children with articulation and speech problems.
Issues: Understanding the difference between actual speech-related problems and issues that the child will outgrow; how childhood speech problems affect schoolwork and future successes, when and how to get professional help.

Guest 2: Edward Hallowell, author of Crazy Busy.
Topic: Why we’re overstretched, overbooked, and ready to snap.
Issues: The effect of insanely busy schedules on our physical and emotional health; the importance of prioritizing and pursuing what’s important instead of what someone else thinks needs to be done; breaking the “crackberry” addiction; how to relax more, still get everything done, and be happy in the process.

 

 When labels don't fit + How military families prepare for, cope with, and survive deployment [26:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Guest 1: Barbara Probst, author of When the Labels Don’t Fit.
Topic: A new approach to raising a challenging child.
Issues: Discovering your child’s essential nature and temperament; respecting your child’s inner world; changing the way you think, talk, and respond; knowing when and how to help; taking care of yourself.

Guest 2: Karen Pavlicin, author of Life After Deployment.
Topic: How military families prepare for, cope with, and survive deployment.
Issues: Types of deployment; emotional and psychological stages of deployment; ways to keep in touch across time and distance; the effects of deployment on the soldier, spouse, and children; keeping reasonable expectations when coming home.

 

 What teens and tweens are really doing online + What communities must do to raise responsible children [26:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Guest 1: Anastasia Goodstein, author of Totally Wired.
Topic: What teens and tweens are really doing online.
Issues: The ins and outs of the online socializing that children participate in every day; which sites are appropriate for certain age groups; recognizing the differences between healthy, harmless internet usage and potential dangers; how to effectively communicate to children about safe, responsible internet usage

Guest 2: Peter Benson, author of All Kids Are Our Kids.
Topic: What communities must do to raise caring and responsible children.
Issues: 40 “developmental assets” which are the building blocks of healthy development; recommendations for what parents, coaches, teachers, can do to energize children, families, and entire communities.

 

 When grandparents become babysitters + Raising well-adjusted kids in an age of instant everyting [26:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Guest 1: Ruth Meyer Brown, author of A Grandmother’s Guide to Babysitting.
Topic: Times-have-changed practical advice and space for important information.
Issues: Schedules and getting organized; how rules make life run smoothly; making time for fun; the importance of grandparents in children’s lives; handling emergencies (all the forms and permissions every parent needs to leave with the grandparents).

Guest 2: Michael Osit, author of Generation Text.
Topic: Raising well-adjusted kids in an age of instant everything.
Issues: The ways in which children’s identities are shaped by the world around them; how—with an absence of meaningful barriers between impulses and ability to act on them—parents can help children learn to make intelligent choices and effectively manage overload.

 

 Hiding healthy foods in kids’ favorite meals + Taking back family life in a world gone crazy over youth sports [26:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Guest 1: Missy Chase Lapine, author of The Sneaky Chef.
Topic: Simple strategies for hiding healthy foods in kids’ favorite meals.
Issues: Outsmarting even the pickiest eaters; rescuing dinner from becoming a battlefield; 13 ways to get nutrition into foods that kids already love.

Guest 2: Regan McMahon, author of Revolution in the Bleachers.
Topic: How parents can take back family life in a world gone crazy over youth sports.
Issues: The impact of sports on family life; the physical risks involved in getting into sports too young; stress and burnout; understanding coaches’ and parents’ roles.