Shows
Being A Parent Is Hard!Handling Holiday Stress Welcome to Being a Parent is Hard! This week's episode, Handling Holiday Stress, focuses on how you and your kids can best manage the busy holiday season. We explore the emotional, financial and time-related pressures that we all feel during the holidays, including feelings of loss and sadness related to life events such as divorce or death.. Join us as we talk about creating new family rituals, "don't go there" zones such as politics for family get-togethers, and unique ways that your kids can learn the value giving to others. And we highlight the need for self-care such as exercise, sleep, eating well, and talking about how you are feeling, as more essential than ever during
2025-12-0121 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Mom Myths and StereotypesWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! In this week's episode, Mom Myths and Stereotypes we talk about the common struggles and concerns that result in today's moms being referred to as "helicopter" or "snowplow" moms. We focus on the pros and cons of these types of parenting styles for our kids and offer practical suggestions. We also touch on the potential pitfalls of being a "stay at home mom" and being a "working mom"--all of which have to do with having a deeper understanding of ourselves, including our anxieties. Let's put away the judgements and take a...
2025-11-1730 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Cultivating Self Esteem in Our Kids: Recipes to Combat Low Self-Esteem Welcome to the latest episode of Being a Parent is Hard! In “Cultivating Self-Esteem in Our Kids: Recipes to Combat Low Self-Esteem", we focus on why self-esteem is at the core of our emotional universe and some of the difficulties we see when kids struggle with low self-esteem. We offer strategies and insights as to what truly cultivates self-esteem in children and teens and what simply allays a parent’s concern about enhancing their child’s self-image. For example, focusing on attractiveness, thinness, and performance are rarely direct routes to helping a child build a stronger, more secure and positive s...
2025-11-0427 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Discussing Death and Loss with Our KidsWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! This week's episode explores one of the most difficult aspects of parenting, discussing death and loss with our children and teenagers. We talk about how to tell our kids about a loss in the family or community and what to expect as they struggle to understand, never mind accept, the loss. Please join us for some insight, guidance, and personal memories as we talk about the challenge of discussing death with our kids.Please contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2025-10-1324 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Understanding AutismWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! This week's episode focuses on understanding autism and how we can best help children, adults, and parents who are touched by this very complicated disorder. We will talk about the different levels of impairment across the autism spectrum, ranging from issues with social awareness, rigid adherence to routines, and communication difficulties to intellectual impairment and chronic self-injurious behavior, Perhaps most importantly, we will look at the scientific information and the misinformation that is flooding our news feeds and help you tease out fact from fiction. Please join us!...
2025-10-0126 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!What I Wish I Knew ThenWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! This week's podcast, "What I Wish I Knew Then" focuses on personal and professional insights about the challenges of parenting that one only realizes in hindsight. Whether it's about the sleepless nights of our child's infancy, the stress of managing temper tantrums and busy schedules, or the pain of our adolescent's age-appropriate rejection of us-we eventually realize that none of this lasts forever and some of it, we might just miss. Please join us for the humor and guidance that we hope emerges, as we look back and think, "Wow! I wish...
2025-09-1825 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Back to School Anxieties: Theirs and OursWelcome to Being aParent is Hard! This episode tackles the timely topic of back to school anxiety, for our kids and for us as parents. Whether the structure of the school year can't come fast enough or you are mourning the end of summer, the start of the school year always comes with a flurry of anxiety. Children often have anxiety around separation and social issues. Teenagers deal with anxiety connected to social issues, academic performance, and the social/developmental challenges around sexuality, substance use, and the long process of planning for college. As parents, we are...
2025-09-0327 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!The Dangers of Teenage GamblingWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! In this episode, our special guest Patrick Viviano discusses the dangers and warning signs of problematic gambling among our adolescents.. Video games, sports betting, online gambling and more, all tempt our kids--sometimes leading them into a dangerous and all-consuming addiction. Please join us for a close-up look at adolescent gambling and a discussion about warning signs and what parents can do when they are concerned.Contact us at:beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com.
2025-07-1527 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!The Challenge of Raising Adult ChildrenWelcome to the new episode of Being a Parent is Hard! "The Challenge of Parenting Young Adults" focuses on our struggles as parents to understand and meet the unique developmental needs of our young adult children. This includes their often painful but appropriate need to separate from us and make their own choices about fundamental issues such as choosing a partner, a career, or even the decision to have children. This is a time when the stakes are high, as important life decisions are being made. As parents, our challenge is to accept our lack of control, while still...
2025-07-0225 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Managing the Emotional Struggles of Being a New Mother (AKA Where Did the Real Me Go and How Do I Get Her Back?)"Welcome to Being a Parent is Hard! In this episode, we have a particularly honest talk about the emotional stressors experienced by new mothers. We focus on the issues underlying unspoken questions such as, "Where did the old me go and how do I get myself back?" Or, "Am I a horrible person for sometimes hating my kid?" We share personal stories, including our own experiences of exhaustion, guilt, rage, and more guilt, as mothers of babies and young kids. And we offer our clinical guidance about how to manage these conflicting, upsetting, and very human feelings. We hope...
2025-06-0924 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Understanding Teenage Substance Use and Substance AbuseWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! This episode focuses on teenage drug and alcohol use and how and when it can slip into substance abuse. We talk about how parents can help their teens navigate a social landscape that often includes drugs and alcohol, and manage academic and social pressures that sometimes result in them abusing substances. Tune in for professional guidance and hands-ons strategies offered to help parents with this very dicey topic. We hope you can join us!Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2025-05-2128 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Managing the Stress of Social StrugglesWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! Does your pre-teen or teen struggle socially? Are they sad or anxious because of difficulties they are having fitting in with peers? In this episode, we focus on understanding the different types of social struggles that our kids experience, including the difficulties that pre-teens and teens with ADHD, learning disabilities, and anxiety disorders may have. We offer hands-on guidance as to how best to help your kids when they are having trouble fitting in with their peers and managing social situations. We hope you can join us!Contact...
2025-04-2826 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Dating, Curfews and Other Dicey TopicsWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! This episode focuses on helping parents survive the storm of adolescence by focusing on limit-setting around curfews, dating and other tricky topics. We share stories from our lives and our offices and offer hands-on guidance around limit-setting that focuses on your values rather than your anxiety. We discuss questions such as when to allow your teen to go into the city with friends, how to set an appropriate curfew and manage the inevitable curfew violations, and how to respond to your teen's alcohol and drug use when they are out with friends...
2025-04-1625 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Understanding Disordered Eating in Children and AdolescentsWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! Pediatrician Dr. Maggie Chalson joins us in this episode to discuss disordered eating in children and teenagers. Problems such as a distorted body image, feelings of self-hate related to one’s appearance, restricting food intake, overeating, and full-blown eating disorders all plague today’s children and adolescents. Social media and many parents’ preoccupation with their own weight and appearance all serve to stress and pressure our kids. Dr. Chalson shares stories from her pediatric practice and offers valuable insights and strategies to identify, understand and address disordered eating. Please join us! We can be found o...
2025-03-2530 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!When Parents DisagreeWelcome to Being A Parent is Hard. Step into our office as we discuss the thorny issue of how best to manage parenting disagreements. We will be talking about why it is inevitable that parents will disagree about child-rearing issues. We will explore how you and your partner can serve the best interest of your children and protect your relationshiip when tackling these disagreements. From disagreeing on methods of disciplilne to differing views about gradually giving your teenager more freedom and responsibility, parenting disagreements require thoughtfulness, patience, and good communication. Please join us. Contact us at:bei...
2025-03-1122 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!OCD in Kids: What it Is and What it Isn'tWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! Join us as we talk about the signs and symptoms of OCD in both kids and parents. Did you ever wonder why your child has to do things in a particular order, repeatedly asks the same question, or relentlessly insists that you phrase something a certain way? We share clinical stories about the nature and treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and help parents distinguish between a headstrong kid and one who is rigid, anxious, and in need of therapy. We will also discuss hands on strategies for helping our children and teenagers...
2025-02-2530 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!When is it Time to Talk about Medication?Welcome to Being a Parent is Hard! When kids are struggling with painful symptoms of anxiety, depression or ADHD, parents often ask whether they should be considering medication for their child. In this episode, we offer insight and guidance about when a consultation for medication is indicated. We share clinical stories, concrete information, and hands-on advice about the pros and cons of different kinds of medication and when they should be considered. We hope you can join us! We can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Overcast.Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2025-02-1026 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Exercise and Kids: A Family AffairWelcome to our latest episode of Being A Parent is Hard! This episode focuses importance of exercise for children and teens. Our special guest Rocky Ribacoff, a personal trainer, group fitness coordinator, and nutrition coach, offers us invaluable information about the different types of exercise for kids of different ages. And she offers us some hands-on advice about how best to help our kids enjoy and integrate exercise and good nutrition into their busy lives. Please join us! We can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Overcast
2025-01-2028 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!When They Come Home: Surviving the College BreakWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! Pease join us for our latest episode, "When They Come Home: Surviving the College Break". Our college students come home on break after living independently-without the rules, structure, hands-on nurturance and guidance that were in place for the first eighteen or so years of their ives. Re-entering the family system as more autonomous humans, coupled with the inevitable pull of old parent/child and family dynamics, can make this a challenging time. From renegotiating the concept of a curfew to understanding new aspects of your kid's identity, we will tackle it all...
2025-01-0726 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!The Challenge of Being a Good Role ModelWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! In this episode we share stories from our homes and our offices about the challenge of being a good role model for our kids. Authenticity, boundaries, and the ability for transparent communication are all essential qualities in being a good role model. But we are also human and have many conflicting and intense feelings. Join us as we navigate the choppy waters of being a good role model, especially in these trying timesContact us at:beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2024-12-0227 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Helping Teens Manage Strong Emotions: Tips from Dialectical Behavior TherapyWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! Does your teen struggle with managing their intense emotions? Do they tend to react with rage or manage their feelings with drugs, alcohol, food or even sexual behavior? Please join us and our special guest Dr. Aaron Drucker to learn about the tools and techniques of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. He offers insights and hands-on strategies to help you and your teenager communicate more effectively and better manage conflicts and the intense emotions that often accompany them. Please join us! We can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Overcast.Contact...
2024-11-1932 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!You Can't Make Me! Understanding and Managing Oppositional BehaviorWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! Join us as we talk about why children and teenagers become oppositional and how to best manage their frustrating, sometime enraging behavior. We will share personal and clinical stories and offer both insights and hands-on advice. We can be found on Apple Podcast, Overcast, and Spotify.
2024-11-0430 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!So, Your Kid is Applying to College: Survival Strategies for Parents and TeensWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! In this episode we talk about strategies to help parents help their kids get through the college application process. From deciding where they should apply to helping teens take ownership of this long and stressful process-this episode addresses it all. Learn how to turn this difficult time into a learning experience for your teen in which they hone their motivation, organization, communication, and planning skills- all strengths that they will need in college. Join us as we share stories and insights about the emotional pressures for both parents and teens during the...
2024-10-2332 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Feeling Overwhelmed-Join Our Very Large Club!Welcome to Being a Parent is Hard! Are you feeling overwhelmed and exhausted much of the time? Maybe you are even feeling that your wants and needs never make it to the to-do list. And you can't remember where you put the list anyway! Life is super busy for parents and there are no easy answers. But it does help to talk about it and muddle through together. Join us as we share stories and strategies for managing the stress of being a parent while also trying to be a person.Contact us at:beingaparentishardpodcast...
2024-10-0330 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Surviving Sibling RivalryWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! In this episode we tackle the complicated issue of sibling rivalry. What are forces that intensify competition and envy among siblings and what are the conditions that encourage closeness and attachment? Join us as we talk about understanding and managing the powerful influence of sibling rivalry in our lives and in the lives of our children.Contact us at:beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2024-09-1729 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!OMG- It's September Already:Managing Back-to-School StressWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! Are your kids nervous about the new school year? Are they having trouble sleeping or are they extra cranky? Do you find yourself overwhelmed by your new scheduling, childcare, and chauffeuring responsibilities? Step into our office as we offer stories, insights, and strategies to help you and your children manage back-to-school stress. Please join us! We can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Overcast.Contact us at:beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2024-09-0431 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Juggling Priorities: Raising Busy FamiliesWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! Step into our office as we tackle the challenge of juggling priorities as we raise busy families. We run ourselves ragged trying to meet each child's needs, our family's needs, our partner's needs, and maybe even our own needs. We talk about the pros and cons of over-scheduling, and focus on strategies for managing this issue most effectively. Please join us for a discussion of how we juggle our priorities, a challenge that is synonymous with raising a family in 2024. We can be found on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Overcast.
2024-08-2026 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Social Media Struggles: Helping Kids Navigate the Risks and RewardsWelcome to "Being a Parent is Hard!" Are you concerned about your child's exposure to social media? Do you worry about the social pressures and potential safety risks that social media can pose? Please join us and our special guest, Dr. Jamie Lanzilotta, as we take a close look at the pros and cons of social media and how we can best help our kids navigate the challenges that social media presents. We hope you will tune in. We can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Overcast.Contact us at:beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail...
2024-07-2939 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Meltdowns at the Mall: Helping Kids Manage AngerWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! Does your teenager always seem angry with you? Is your child prone to throwing fits when they don't get their way? Please join us for our latest podcast,"Meltdowns at the Mall: Helping Kids Manage Anger". Anger is a normal and healthy emotion, but one that needs to be expressed in a productive-or at least not destructive way. We offer psychological insights and hands-on advice to help both parents and kids learn to better manage and communicate their anger. We hope you will tune in. We can be found on Apple Podcasts...
2024-07-0831 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Understanding and Managing Bedtime BattlesDoes your child or teen have difficulty settling down at night and going to sleep? Are both of you exhausted from the endless ploys to stay up later and battles around bedtime? Tune in to understand why settling down and going to sleep is so difficult for some children and teens. We cover hands-on strategies to help your kids and you avoid these battles and get the sleep you need. Please join us! We are on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Overcast.Contact us at:beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2024-06-2426 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Understanding ADHD in Children and TeensWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! Join us as we talk about how ADHD affects a child's ability to function in the classroom, fit in with their peers, and develop sound self-esteem. We offer strategies to manage the challenges of living with ADHD for parents and kids, as well as ways to unleash the superpowers that children and teens with ADHD often have. Please tune in for a deeper understanding of ADHD and some actionable advice.Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2024-06-1031 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Learning to Let Go as Our Kids Get Older: Strategies for ParentsWelcome to "Being a Parent is Hard!" In this. episode, we focus on the challenge of letting go as our children get older. From putting them on the kindergarten bus to helping them successfully launch in college, we cover it all. Join us as we talk about the emotional and practical challenges we face as our job as parents changes dramatically. Join us for some heartfelt talk and actionable advice.Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2024-05-3125 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Why Do Kids Lie?Welcome to Being a Parent is Hard! Step into our office as we talk about the very complicated issue of lying in childhood and adolescence. We will cover what lying may mean and how best to respond at different stages of development. Please join us for a deep dive into helping our kids learn to be honest with us.Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2024-05-3129 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Welcome To our OfficeParenting is a challenging journey filled with obstacles and dilemmas. Like many parents, do you struggle to understand and meet your child's ever-changing emotional needs and shifting moods? Have you ever wondered what kind of advice a therapist would offer for the issues that you and your family are struggling with? Our first episode introduces the wide variety of concerns that parents and children bring into the psychotherapy office and our ideas about how parents can approach the very difficult of job parenting to best help their kids. Please join us! Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmai...
2024-05-3133 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Understanding Teenage Moodiness & DepressionWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! Step into our office as we talk about the many faces of teenage moodiness and depression. Whether you are seeing sadness, irritability, decreased motivation, disordered eating or substance use, we focus on what is normal in adolescence and what feelings and behaviors are cause for concern. We also offer parents tips to better help their teens understand and manage their sad and angry moods. Please join us!Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2024-04-2929 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Food, Weight, and Crazy MessagesWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! In this episode we tackle the thorny issues of food and weight, and we look at the crazy messages that we have all received about both. Toxic messages about food and weight permeate our homes and our culture and undermine both physical and emotional health. Tune in as we identify and debunk these messages. We will reframe our understanding of food and weight with a focus on health, enjoyment and working together as a family. Please join us!Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2024-04-1530 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Sometimes We Are The Anxious OnesWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard! Step into our office as we discuss what happens when we're the ones struggling with anxiety, insecurity and even anger in our role as parents. Has your teenager's attitude ever made you see red? Have you ever felt mortified at your five year old's meltdown at the mall? Are you anxious about your college student and dating, drinking, and drugs? We will share stories and suggestions about managing these very human and very overwhelming feelngs. Please join us!Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2024-04-0232 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Helping Kids Manage AnxietyBeing a parent is hard! Step into our office as we explore how to help our children and teenagers when they are struggling with anxiety. We discuss common sources of stress and anxiety and the different, sometimes surpising ways our kids may be expressing their struggles. Perhaps most importantly, we share hands-on strategies and tools for kids to use when they are feeling stressed or anxious. Please join us!Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2024-03-1731 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!The Do's and Don'ts of DisciplineWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard. Step into our office as we talk about the all-important topic of discipline. We understand discipline as a means of keeping our children safe, sculpting their moral development. and helping our homes run in a safer, saner, and more manageable way. Done well, discipline helps our kids feel more secure and become independent, empathic and successful humans. Please join us!Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2024-02-2821 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Pressure-Cooker KidsBeing a Parent is Hard! Step into our office as we discuss the intense academic and social pressure to perform and to conform that our kids face today. We will talk about the toxic effects of these pressures as they play out in school, on social media, and even on the athletic field. We will also explore ways we can help our kids cope with and navigate the pressure that is all around them. Please join us! Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2024-02-1218 minBeing A Parent Is Hard!Battling BullyingWelcome to Being a Parent is Hard: Battling Bullying. Step into our office as we tackle the very painful issue of bullying. We will be sharing stories from our own practices, including ways in which we help kids learn to respond when they are being bullied or excluded by peers, and strategies for parents to use when their child is being bullied. Please join us!Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com
2024-01-2128 min