Parenting in the Digital Age

This week on the podcast is Briton Kolber—a seasoned psychologist with a unique focus on geek-centered therapy. Since 2012, Briton has run a private practice, aiding clients by integrating elements of geek culture into the therapeutic process. With an intimate understanding of human behavior, he brings invaluable insights into mental wellness, particularly for those who resonate with geek culture.
But that's not all! Briton is also the author of the enthralling book, 'Not Fishy Enough: A Ridiculous Parable About Finding Worth Through Self-Acceptance.' Perfect for kids aged 8-12, this captivating journey comes complete with a 'Commentary, Self-Help, & Discussion' section that deep-dives into crucial topics like self-esteem, societal expectations, and critical thinking, offering actionable strategies for you and your youngsters.
Briton joins us to shed light on how digitalization influences our kids' mental health, the unique benefits of geek-centered therapy, and tips on how parents can better navigate and support their children in this fast-moving, tech-infused world. Get ready for an enlightening conversation with Briton Kolber!

 Connect with Briton

· Instagram: @psychologyMetaphors

In this episode, we have Dr. Lorea Martínez Pérez joining us. An award-winning advocate for Social Emotional Learning, Dr. Martínez is the founder of HEART in Mind, where she has worked tirelessly to help schools, districts, and organizations infuse SEL into their practices. Her extensive background includes training teachers, leadership teams, and guiding ed-tech companies in integrating SEL into their products.

An esteemed faculty member at Columbia University Teachers College, Dr. Martínez's contributions to Emotional Intelligence and SEL are well recognized, and her research has made a significant impact.

She is the author of the book, "Teaching with the HEART in Mind," where she shares valuable insights on creating a supportive school environment, a 3-step process for lesson planning, and over 90 activities for SEL implementation.

We are thrilled to have her on the show to share her wisdom on the integration of social and emotional learning in teaching practices, leadership, and parenting. Her insights will surely illuminate new pathways for us as we strive to navigate this ever-evolving digital age.  

In this episode, we are joined by Morgan Ryza, a homeschooling and unschooling advocate with over 12 years of experience. Morgan's mission is to help parents build lasting relationships, create shared memories, and customize their child's education. With a master's degree in education and a wealth of firsthand experience, Morgan is here to share her expertise and insights. Get ready for an engaging and enlightening conversation about homeschooling, unschooling, and the power of personalised education.

Today we are joined by Dr. Bibi Pirayesh. Dr. Bibi is an educational therapist based in Los Angeles who has been in private practice for over a decade. She has a Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience and Education, a Master's in Developmental Psychology and she also has a Doctoral degree in education and social justice.

Dr. Bibi is a sought-after speaker who is passionate about helping children with learning differences, and she speaks on topics such as neurodiversity, educational therapy, and learning disability as a social justice issue. She tarted the "Difference Not Deficit Project" to help shift special education one story at a time. 

Today, we're joined by Helen Wills on our show. Helen, a vibrant midlife mom to two teens, and the host of the Teenage Kicks podcast. Through her blog 'Actually Mummy,' Helen shares her candid parenting experiences and life as a woman over 50. She's a passionate traveller, an advocate for Type 1 diabetes, and believes in making life after 50 more visible and celebrated.

Join us for an insightful conversation with Helen about her journey as a mom and advocate, and how she navigates parenting in today's tech-driven world. Stay tuned!

In today's episode, we have a special guest joining us, Matthew Eyler. Matthew is a former New York State General and Special Education teacher with a decade of experience in the classroom. However, feeling frustrated with the state of public education, he made a bold decision to follow his passion and utilize martial arts to empower students mentally, physically, and emotionally.

With over 20 years of martial arts training and a 5th Degree Black Belt in Tang Soo Do, Matthew brings a unique perspective to parenting in the digital age. He has developed a martial arts curriculum and character development program that not only strengthens families within the studio but also extends its positive impact into the community.

 Connect with Matthew Eyler

Welcome to "Parenting in the Digital Age," the podcast where we delve into the unique challenges and opportunities of raising kids in today's tech-driven world. In this episode, we have a special guest joining us, Rehn Boothey, the Director of Renaissance Youth, a visionary organisation empowering young people to navigate their social and emotional lives with resilience and confidence.

With over a decade of experience working closely with youth, Rehn has developed a profound passion for seeing young individuals thrive. In a rapidly evolving and increasingly complex society, many young people face tremendous challenges in navigating their social and emotional landscapes. Unfortunately, the lack of effective support and resources has led to significant harm, including loss of life.

Through his organisation, Renaissance Youth, Rehn aims to equip young adults with the tools they need to develop meaningful relationships, communicate effectively, make responsible decisions, and manage their emotions in healthy and positive ways.

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Our guest today is Estelle Lloyd, the founder of Macademia—an award-winning global EdTech company behind Da Vinci and Azoomee.

Macademia is dedicated to providing educational programming and interactive learning activities for families. Through their platforms, Azoomee and Da Vinci, they deliver premium TV shows, documentaries, and interactive experiences in 22 languages, reaching an audience of 250 million kids and families worldwide.

Let's dive into this insightful conversation and explore the remarkable work being done by Macademia in shaping the digital learning landscape.

Welcome to Parenting in the Digital Age, where we explore the challenges and opportunities of raising kids in a world filled with technology.

Today we have a very special guest with us - Lainie Liberti.

Lainie is an author, speaker, community leader, and advocate for alternative education who has been pioneering the worldschooling movement.

She has founded Transformative Mentoring for Teens, co-founded Project World School, and has recently released her first book, "Seen, Heard & Understood", which quickly climbed to the top of the Parenting New Releases category on Amazon.

Through her work and travels, Lainie has developed a wealth of knowledge on the subject of personalised learning and adolescent mental health.

Welcome to Parenting in the Digital Age, where we explore the challenges and opportunities of raising kids in a world filled with technology. Today, we have the pleasure of hosting Dr. Megan Connell, a board-certified psychologist, author, speaker, and game master.

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In her work, Dr. Connell utilises tabletop role-playing games as a clinical intervention, and in 2017, she co-founded the media company Geeks Like Us, which focuses on geek and gaming culture. She is also the author of the book Tabletop Role-Playing Therapy and serves as a board member for Geek Therapeutics, a training platform that develops professional programs teaching the inclusion of games in clinical practices.

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Join us in this fascinating episode as we discuss how tabletop Role Playing games can help kids thrive.

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Today, we are excited to have Maya Payne Smart, an author, book lover, and literacy advocate. Maya is dedicated to helping parents raise kids who thrive through her work as a writer and speaker on topics that revolve around reading, education, and advocating for literacy for all. She shares her knowledge and experience in her book, "Reading for Our Lives: A Literacy Action Plan from Birth to Six," which offers developmentally appropriate reading activities for parents to help their children become fluent readers. Maya's focus is to help parents understand what it takes to raise fluent readers and to connect people of all ages to great books and authors. She aims to expand children's possibilities and build a more equitable, connected society.

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Maya Payne Smart is an author, journalist, and literacy advocate based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She holds a master's degree in journalism from the Medill School at Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree in social studies with honors from Harvard University.

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Welcome to Parenting in the Digital Age, where we explore the challenges and opportunities of raising kids in a world filled with technology. In today's episode, we are delighted to have Karen Gibson as our guest.

Karen is a renowned author, parent coach, and founder of Letting Go with Aloha and Brain Builders.

With over 25 years of experience working with students and parents, Karen has developed invaluable insights into the art of parenting. Through her books, online courses, and mentoring, she helps parents navigate the complexities of raising adolescents and empowers them to practice compassion and trust in their children's journey.

Karen's passion for helping parents and children extends beyond her coaching, as she is actively involved in hosting and co-hosting various parenting and healing summits. Join us as we dive into Karen's wealth of knowledge and learn practical strategies to foster a healthy parent-child relationship in the digital age.

Links:

YouTube channel: Letting Go with Aloha

Instagram: Lettinggowithaloha

TikTok: Letting Go with Aloha

Welcome to Parenting in the Digital Age, where we explore the challenges and opportunities of raising kids in a world filled with technology. Today, we are thrilled to have the multi-talented Carolyn Sloan with us.

An award-winning author, composer, educator, and entrepreneur, Carolyn has dedicated her life to creating interactive music experiences for children. Her songs have been performed in theatres, concert halls, and schools across the US, as well as far abroad as Moscow and Switzerland.

With her best-selling children's books, Welcome to the Symphony and Welcome to Jazz, she has introduced countless young minds to the world of music.

Now, with her latest project, TeachMe TV, Carolyn aims to bring her passion for education and music to even more children around the world. Join us as we dive into her inspiring journey and learn about her dedication to empowering children through education and the arts.

Welcome to Parenting in the Digital Age, where we explore the challenges and opportunities of raising kids in a world filled with technology. For many parents, the way we entertain our children can be a concern. Are they spending too much time in front of devices? Are they learning the right lessons and being exposed to the right things?

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Today's guest, Ross Fisher, is the author and creator of the Bobby & Morph stories, which aim to bridge this gap.

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The collection introduces important morals and lessons into children's lives in the style of a classic. Chapters explore subjects such as thinking of others, the importance of being polite, and even the value of tidy up time.

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Welcome to Parenting in the Digital Age, where we explore the challenges and opportunities of raising kids in a world filled with technology. Today's guest is Brett Hoffstadt, a father of two teenage children, who have consistently encouraged and supported non-digital learning and activities for his kids.

He believes that physical, analog formats such as books, hands-on activities, and museums can help children to develop a deep understanding of the world around them.

After a long and rewarding career in the aviation industry, Brett began a book writing and publishing business. He saw a need to help kids and young adults realize they could create their own innovative path into the aviation and aerospace fields. He gave them 10 powerful tips to do this in his book, "How To Be a Rocket Scientist". Since then, Brett has continued to use the classic retro format of colouring books, activity books, and bedtime stories to inspire and educate kids on many modern STEM topics such as cybersecurity, smart cities, electric cars, and of course, space exploration.

Brett is a strong advocate of introducing digital-age topics to kids in physical, analog formats such as paperback colouring and activity books.

He joins us today to share his insights on how parents can help their kids navigate the digital world while fostering a love of learning and exploration through hands-on experiences.

Today's podcast is about helping neuro-diverse kids thrive in the modern world.

To help us explore this topic, I am joined by Sivan Hong, a best-selling children's book author and illustrator.

Sivan's books, the Super Fun Day Series, focus on neurodiverse children and how they can succeed. Her inspiring stories have touched the hearts of many and have been featured on NBC and News12.

Sivan is also a Trustee on the Boards of the Rita Allen Foundation, Read Your World, and the ASPCA.

To connect with Sivan:

Peter Anthony is a consultant and author with over 40 years of experience in influencing customers, stakeholders, and donors. He is an expert in helping businesses win pitches and has worked with clients all over the world, from Australia to the Middle East, China, and the US. Peter is also passionate about working with non-profit organizations such as Fred Hollows Foundation, International Justice Mission, and UNICEF.

Peter has distilled his expertise into a storytelling pitching method, which he has taught to others and has written about in his book, "Collabradabra: The Magic of Collaborative Conversations". He has a Master's degree in Communication from Sydney University, and his work has been recognized for its effectiveness and impact.

Peter shares the story of his teenage daughter and her journey battling peer pressure and self-esteem.

Our guest today is Chris Lake, a native New Yorker who works with toddlers with delays to help them meet their milestones. He trains staff and parents to do the same.

He earned his Masters in both General and Special Education.

In 2014, Chris started a nonprofit; 'Community for a Cause' and has successfully worked to aid New Yorkers as well as people abroad.

Chris is also a best-selling author, his book “How to Help Your Toddler Meet Their Milestones: 101 Developmental Behaviour Hacks.”

His goal is to give families and child care providers a time-tested blueprint of how to develop children using an evidence-based practice.

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Dr. Shoshana Levin Fox is a Jerusalem-based child psychologist, play therapist and autism specialist who has worked with typical and special needs children for over 35 years. 

While working at the Feuerstein Institute in Jerusalem between 1992 and 2017, Shoshana used Feuerstein outside-the-box perspective on autism combined with interactive play (DIR/Floortime) to assess and treat children thought to be autistic. 

In her recently-published book, An Autism Casebook for Parents and Practitioners: The Child Behind the Symptoms, Dr. Levin Fox shares how her creative and effective approach helped so many children and their parents.

Connect With Dr. Shoshana

On this episode, our special guest is Dr. Fiona Tassoni who is a Registered Doctor of Chinese Medicine Specializing in Fertility. Fiona is a Fertility Coach with a Master’s degree in Chinese Herbal Medicine, with 21 years of medical practice and over 32,000 hours of clinical experience. Fiona is also the founder of the Pregnancy Accelerator Program.

Dr. Fiona primarily focuses on women’s reproductive health conditions such as infertility (natural conception and IVF assisted), pregnancy, preparation for birth, labor and postnatal care. Fiona also works with an array of complex health disorders such as endometriosis, ovulatory disorders, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) just to name a few.

In this episode we discuss Preconception care, preparation, egg and sperm quality and mental health. It's full of practical tips to help parents and those aspiring.

Connect with Dr. Fiona Tassoni:

This is a MUST WATCH for all parents with pre-teens. 

Joining us today is Richard Capriola. Richard has been a mental health and addictions counsellor for over two decades. He recently retired from Menninger Clinic in Houston Texas where for over a decade he treated both teens and adults diagnosed with mental health and substance use disorders. He is also the author of The Addicted Child: A Parent's Guide to Adolescent Substance Abuse which is available on Amazon.

Connect with Richard: https://helptheaddictedchild.com/ 

On today's podcast we're diving into STEM education and Digital education for disadvantaged kids. 

Craig Polk is a passionate volunteer, and works in developing products for communications. Craig has a rich history of inspiring students around the world. 

Craig has worked with many great education programs such as IEEE pre-University, Girl Scouts, Goals Ahead, VIPS, Greenlight for Girls, Junior Achievement, Young Science Achievers, and Take our Daughters and Sons to Work.

Craig is passionate about bringing opportunities to children of all backgrounds to enrich their lives through education.

Connect with Craig;

In this episode, Jamie is joined by Kristina Lucia, an artist, creator, and author who ignites the imaginations of children and their parents through her hand made animal characters and book series, Curiously Curated Creations .

In this episode we explore parent/child communication and some of the ways parents can have more authentic conversations with their children. This is important in early years to ensure that our children always feel comfortable to open up and share their feelings and challenges, especially as they become teenagers and adults.

Jamie and Kristina also discuss family traditions and why parents need to actively create them.

Be it a conversation with friends, teachers or family, children should be able to express their thoughts. Public speaking is one way to help children to capture their audience’s attention and voice their opinions openly.

Communication helps kids successfully navigate relationships and their future success. When children can express themselves, they build confidence and resilience, build better social groups, get better grades which ultimately, leads to a better quality of life.

Today we are joined by Brenden Kumarasamy, is the founder of MasterTalk, a Youtube channel that helps the world master the art of public speaking and communication.

Brenden shares some amazingly practical advice for parents wanting to help their child thrive. 

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Many parents struggle with their children's consumption of social media . It's difficult to monitor and set boundaries. It impacts their mood and behaviour. Add to this, the media's focus on negativity, chaos and controversy… all cleverly orchestrated to keep our attention and influence our thoughts and behaviour.    

In this episode, Dr. Lynda Ulrich gives us a plan (4 Simple Shifts) to find less fear and more joy in our online lives. We also discuss device addiction and ways to help our children.    

Dr. Lynda Ulrich is the founder of the Goodness Exchange. Dr. Lynda is an author, a 3-time TEDx speaker, a media contributor, and a regular podcast guest. She is also the host of The Conspiracy of Goodness Podcast.  

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Joining us from Cabo, San Lucas, Mexico, is Allison Maynard; Former public school teacher turned fearless education thought leader and entrepreneur.

Allison is intimately aware of the learning gaps in today's children, and is on a mission to help today's parents fill in those gaps that schools are NOT focusing on.

She has created an online course that is all about teaching parents and educators HOW to teach and establish a foundation for learning for young children.

Her program, MINDFUL MATTERS centres around four modules based on the skills necessary to succeed in any class at any level: study skills and organization, critical thinking and reading, writing, and emotional well-being.
 

In this episode we explore Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. 

Joining us from Israel, is Avigail Gimpel.

Avigail is a teacher who has worked with students in NY, Moscow and Israel. While teaching, she developed an intervention program for students struggling with ADHD symptoms.

Avigail has spent a great deal of her life emersed in studying and developing treatment options for ADHD for her own six kids and many struggling students. She collaborated with Dr. Amnon Gimpel (psychiatrist and neurologist), and developed a parent training program. 

She recently published her first book “HyperHealing”, a powerful, easy-to-follow program for parents of HEALTHY children struggling with ADHD symptoms.

Connect with Avigail: 

In today's episode, we're joined by Darren Lewis, former winner of QLD Father of the Year Award.

We'll be discussing how men can be the Dads they want to be, and (perhaps more importantly) the Dads their kids need them to be.

Darren Lewis founded 'Fathering Adventures' in 2008 .

Fathering Adventures is a purpose driven organisation that helps Dads and their kids build stronger and healthier relationships.

In this episode, we discuss shaping mindset, skillset, and behaviours during early childhood development.

Our guest, Dr. Ravi Rajaratnam is a strategic advisor, executive coach, speaker, and author of 'Hardwiring vs. Rewiring', a book about shaping the mindset, skillset, and behaviours during early childhood development.