See Me Hear Me Love Me

Here are two moms who still enjoy planning and cooking for their families, even with busy schedules. Be inspired by a love of healthy food and sharing meals together. And learn the secrets of prep to cut down on tons of mealtime stress. At the table with Lauren and Nancy....

The power of comfort objects is to hold "love" in your hands - to feel safe, secure, to find emotional comfort, competence and courage that comes from connection and loving attachment. Listen to this conversation about the benefits of comfort objects for children and the lasting relationship of comfort objects into adulthood. Comfort objects are emotional "training wheels", encouraging emotional growth, risk-taking and enhancing social connections. At the table with Jennifer, Michele and Dustin

"Who knew I'd feel every emotion known to man? Who knew I'd love so much? Who knew I'd have 3 mirrors walking around imitating my behavior". After seeing the vlog by Jennifer Alembik from Wise Owl Coaching, I knew I needed to have a podcast conversation with her. Hope you enjoy the wisdom and warmth of Jenny's reflection on her parenting and how her coaching others informs her relationship with own three children. At the table with Jennifer....

In this very special conversation with Emily Teck, Jewish Early Childhood Educator-Musician-Mom, we explore creating Jewish family experiences that engage and include our youngest children. Emily shares her parenting experiences and her Ph.D. research to connect with young children's developmental and spiritual needs and understanding.

Parents might feel like they are suppose to love every age and stage of children's development...can't be! Some love the baby stage. Some love powerful, independent stages. I believe reflecting on our favorite and least favorite developmental stages gives us tremendous insight into knowing our parenting strengths and struggles. It allows us to understand the stages of parent development that accompany each stage of child development and allows us to grow into their fullest selves. At the table with Susie and Brette

The goal of this podcast is to open the door to conversations about gun safety in homes, to begin to acknowledge the reality that a significant number of families with young children keep guns in their home and children a playing and visiting those homes with different levels of adult supervision. Let's talk about the conversations parents have with other parents and the conversations parents with their children about guns. At the table with Rabbi David Englander, Jonathan, Bea and Charles

It's Springtime at The Ruth and Edward Taubman Early Childhood Center and the chicks are hatching!!! Listen to the magic of this experience! At the table With Ms. Debbie

Sharing this special conversation with an extraordinary teacher and woman - the woman who generously gives to children and to parents every day, who shares her heart, her experience and her wisdom with all of us at Family Time, and the person who adds joy and sunshine (and a ton of efficiency) to my day!!! Thank you Amy!!!!

Sensory play is essential to learning, to growing, to mastery, to problem solving, to self-direction, to self-regulation, to playing well with others! And...it's even more valuable in a world of structured activities and screen time. Enjoy this short conversation with OT, Jodi Dietz from Dietz Pediatric Therapy who shows me how sensory play is also essential to Emotional Intelligence - WOW! Thanks Jodi!

A few gender-neutral parenting suggestions from Karen...because the differences between boys and girls may be real but the differences from child to child are far more interesting. And children need the best social-emotional skills have to help them grow and learn.

A few thoughts on managing the difficult emotions and the crisis in our community after the shootings at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School. The concept of "holding space" might help and is an essential part of emotional literacy and emotional intelligence that we, as Early Childhood Educators, hope to teach every day.

What could be more fun that giving your child a "Yes Day", based on the book by Amy Krause Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld? As with all parenting ideas, it will play out differently for each parent and each child. So, listen to this Yes Day stories so you can create the best Yes Day that works for you and allows your child to feel safe with all that new freedom. At the table with Amy, Logan and Jessica

Today we celebrate the power and the strengths of the quiet child - the watchful child, the slow-to-warm-up temperament.

Language learning is magical when we connect it to thinking and feelings. Language gives us the power to capture our world in words, to share it with others and to understand experiences. It is so much more than "use our words" which adds to frustration and confusion. Let's choose skill-building and deep understanding.

Make it a Yes Day and say YES to play, YES to mistakes, YES to time, YES to creativity....and thank you for being "enough".

Children learn body image not from a mirror on the wall. They learn it reflected in your eyes Show your child with words and actions that her body is a source of pride and joy. Be sure to revisit earlier podcasts #29 and #36 for great conversations with moms and dads on Body Image

Here's one mom's story of raising her son from babyhood to college. Sandy had a mission to be Neil's personal coach, guide and teacher. Like every parent, she also had to learn who Neil was and wanted to be, and help him find his own voice and path in the world. I hope one day Sandy will share with the world all her stories, games, conversations and video she has talking to Neil, explaining the world the Neil, celebrating questions and teaching problem solving so that Neil would grow with curiosity and wonder. At the table with Sandy and Neil...

Talking with children is connecting and being present to their thoughts, feelings and experiences. It takes a bit of trial-n-error to discover how to talk to your child with respect while understanding what they can and can't understand, and how to avoid over-talking. At the table with Alexis

Parents, especially moms, are master multi-taskers. Yet, there are times when times when multi-tasking is efficient and helpful and others when it's not. Children need to feel connected in order to listen, learn and grow. Here are a few suggestions of how to connect to your child through all the busyness of a day.

Children with autistic characteristics need all the same things as children who do not have any autistic behaviors - love, respect, emotions, attachment and understanding of their wants and needs. We can all open our hearts to the differentness in our world and support one another through the fear and anxiety of parenting. As Dr. Darling says, "the child you get is the kind of parent you become". This podcast is about hope, courage and love. At the table with Dr. Sharon Darling from the Department of Exceptional Student Education at Florida Atlantic University.