It is so hard for all of us, but in particular children, to do something that does not involve a digital device. On today's episode we talk about why that is so bad for kids and some strategies to help them find non digital hobbies.

Episode 125 “Are We the Problem?”

Dec 2nd, 2023 11m 59s

We spend so much time talking about our kids as it relates to cell phone usage. But how much of that problem is actually our, the parents/adults, fault? We are more addicted to cell phones than them. So are we the cause of the problem, or at

Episode 124 “Break the Routine”

Nov 16th, 2023 16m 45s

Routines are habits, and not all habits are good for you. When we get in a routine, we are basically on autopilot and therefore remove real emotional and physical pleasure from our lives. On today's episode we discuss how routines can be detr

Episode 123 “Life is Boring”

Nov 3rd, 2023 16m 45s

With all of the digital devices our kids have available to them, life void of digital inputs is just plain old boring. How do we combat this? How do we get our kids to love and be pleasured by life outside of the phone, ipad, TV, social media

Episode 122 “I Am So Sorry”

Jun 1st, 2023 11m 36s

I have been away for 3 months, and I am so sorry for that. But in that time, I looked inside myself, and learned. On today's episode I share my learnings and hope you resonate with what I found.

Episode 121 “Don’t Be Nervous”

Jan 31st, 2023 15m 5s

So many times we might hear our kids, or even ourself say "I'm nervous" about something we are doing. On this episode, we talk about a different way of looking at being "nervous". Rather than being nervous, be excited! In fact, I argue we sh

Episode 120 “Just a Few Friends”

Jan 12th, 2023 13m 46s

Humans need healthy relationships to help them through the challenges of life. One concept younger kids have a hard time understanding is with friends, less is more. It's not the number of friends we have, but it's the quality of the friendsh

Episode 119 “Confidence is Critical”

Nov 14th, 2022 19m 9s

The digital, online word kids grow up in can cause real problems as they are constantly being critiqued and compared. How can we counter this? Today we discuss the the only true answer to this question.On this episode we disc

Episode 118 “Embrace Confusion”

Oct 17th, 2022 14m 18s

As humans and parents in particular, we want to immediately address feelings of confusion for our kids. The idea of them struggling with something should worry us, but would should not rush to fix the problem. What should we do? Take a liste

Episode 117 “Post Your Life”

Sep 14th, 2022 15m 5s

So many of us post the details of our life on social media for the world to see. Why do we do it, what does it mean for your mental health, for your kids? Join me as we answer these questions.

Episode 116 “Communication is Key”

Aug 19th, 2022 14m 31s

Communication is key to living a healthy, mentally strong life. On Episode 116 we talk about why communication is so important and ways to improve yours.

Episode 115 “Kid Panic Attacks”

Aug 19th, 2022 14m 25s

Kid's can have panic attacks just like adults. Recently my son suffered a panic attack at his summer camp and we spent some time working through it. On Episode 115 I talk about this experience, what I learned, and how we talked him through it

Episode 114 “Learn From the Arrow”

Jul 9th, 2022 12m 38s

Life is all about learning from your past to help you in your present and future. In other words, you have to be Ok going back before forward. In order for an arrow to fly it must first be drawn back, held with strength, and let go. On tod

Episode 113 “School Shooting Anxiety”

Jun 14th, 2022 17m 41s

School shootings are here to stay and we need to start focusing on how we will harden our schools for when another happens. Not only will this help save lives, it will help us reassure our children that serious measures are in place to keep th

Episode 112 “Sexting and Sextortion”

May 25th, 2022 17m 56s

Sexting is something all kids will have to deal with and it's our job as parents to talk to them about it. Lately there has been a rise in "Sextortion" where kids are being blackmailed by strangers after they send pictures of themselves. The

Episode 111 “Sad Teenagers”

May 6th, 2022 25m 44s

Over 40% of teenagers surveyed reported feeling depressed or persistent sadness. This is a trend that has been on the rise even before the pandemic. Why is it happening? On this episode I discuss an article written by Derek Thompson that cit

Episode 110 “Anxiety Benefits”

Apr 29th, 2022 19m 8s

Anxiety is a normal response to a potentially dangerous or threatening situation. While we typically think about anxiety as a bad thing, numerous studies suggest that anxiety has many benefits to humans. What are they? We discuss on Episode

Episode 109 “TikTok Brain”

Apr 21st, 2022 20m 7s

A new study recently showed how addicting TikTok is on young brains. The result of this addiction is the wiring of brains to think the world exists as a fast paced, loud, bright, pleasurable place. The problem is, the world does not work that

Episode 108 “Too Much Pleasure”

Apr 13th, 2022 20m 6s

Our world today is saturated with pleasures. The problem? Our brains are designed to handle very limited, fleeting amounts. Things like sugary foods, social media, TV binging, and other additive substances all leave us in constant state of

Episode 107 “The Oscars, Will Smith, and Mental Health”

Apr 5th, 2022 21m 3s

Last week Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, and all I kept reading were debates as to who was wrong. For me, I saw something completely different. I saw two humans suffering and their mental health disease manifest in violence in fr

Episode 106 “Why are we so defensive?”

Mar 25th, 2022 22m 23s

Being defensive is a common behavior of many humans and can wreak havoc on our ability to communicate and form healthy relationships. Why are humans so defensive? How can we become less defensive? How can we raise our kids to be less defensi

Episode 105 “Family Dinner Benefits”

Mar 17th, 2022 15m 17s

The family dinner is becoming a lost tradition and it is needed now more than ever. Sitting together as a family for a meal has a long list of documented benefits for the overall health (mental and physical) of both adults and kids. On Episod

Episode 104 “Anxiety of War”

Mar 9th, 2022 22m 3s

War is terrible, and for for kids in particular, it can evoke anxieties around feeling safe. When kids hear about or see images of war, they often don't understand why or where it is happening. This unknown can make them feel like it will hap

Episode 103 “Raising Imperfect Kids”

Mar 2nd, 2022 19m 56s

The world is imperfect, so we should teach kids how to embrace imperfection. This is not an easy task in a society that promotes perfection ubiquitously. On today's show we discuss strategies to help kids learn to embrace imperfection. On

Episode 102 ” Kids, Masks, & Mental Health”

Feb 15th, 2022 21m 5s

Masks have been a critical tool in the battle against COVID. While they have been effective, it didn't come without a cost. For the past two years our kids had to navigate their first experiences of learning to read, taking the bus to school,