As parents, we want our kids to grow up happy, healthy, and successful. But there’s so much conflicting data and advice out there on everything from parenting techniques to college prep to what a happy, successful life means. So how are we supposed to figure out what works for us? Sandy Fowler joins us today, not just as the Mighty Parenting podcast host, but as a speaker and stress-relief [...]
We’re all well familiar with ads, TV commercials, and magazines full of tips and examples of how girls and women can get and maintain that “perfect body”; it’s an unfortunate staple of our culture uplifting one body type above all others as the “ideal.” However, that staple is not limited to girls and women only—there’s no shortage of movies, magazines and commercials outlining the[...]
It’s common to hear college students joking about pulling all-nighters and drinking truly unwise amounts of caffeine to get through classes and clubs and survive that one irritating professor who likes assigning ten-page papers every week. However, this trend of increasingly sleep deprived teenagers is not limited to college students alone; in 2018, the CDC declared a global public health [...]
The first thing to remember is that trauma is experienced differently and means different things to every individual. There is no comparison or contest; understanding trauma means understanding yourself and what affects you. Meditation teacher and trauma student Sara Shapouri joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to help us recognize that, to help us understand how events and acts [...]
Here's a little fun fact: nobody knows what they're doing when they're holding that first child and thinking, oh my god, I'm a parent. There's no universal parenting manual, and it's easy to spiral into guilt thinking you're screwing up all the time. But that doesn't mean there isn't help. Heather Chauvin, author of Dying to Be a Good Mother, joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler [...]
Rights of passage, especially those of transitioning from a teenager to an adult, are often critical to our teens’ self-identities and their motivation to move in the world. Our society has been shifting, however, and many of those rights of passage don’t quite fit anymore, which leaves our teens floundering and stuck. Dr. Mark Schillinger joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler [...]
These days it seems like every time you turn around, your teen has their face in their phone—or tablet, or laptop, or GameBoy...you get the picture. Our lives revolve around electronics and we can't imagine being without them. Fun interaction with your family becomes a chore to arrange. How can we get ourselves and our teens to take a break from screen time without simply banning tech use [...]
Alcohol, marijuana and other drugs are prevalent in today’s society. They’re present and easy for kids to access. Regardless of where you live or your economic situation, your child will be exposed. So how can you prepare your teen or young adult to avoid use and abuse? Is it better to let them have some exposure at home, in a safe environment? What can parents do-that actually works-to [...]
Anxiety is increasing and teenagers are feeling the effects. It impacts their happiness, their activities, schoolwork, sleep, and more. As our kids deal with all of this, parents wonder how to reduce anxiety in teens. Do we talk to them about it? Change house rules? Dr. Charlotte Reznick has spent her career working with anxious children and teens. She helps them find the answers inside [...]
Parents can do more than they realize to help their teen deal with the roller coaster of emotions that come with the teenage years. As our kids grow and their brains develop, they experience large feelings. Their limited skill set for managing emotions paired with the extra pressure of the pandemic has exacerbated behavioral health issues and increased teen suicide. Mighty Parenting podcast [...]