News and Happenings

Tabitha St. Bernard-Jacobs, activist, organizer, and artist, talks about how to raise anti-racist children, both in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and long-term, when police brutality and racial injustice have left the news cycle. She provides actionable steps for parents who don’t know where to start, including educating yourself, asking critical questions, and showing up for other communities. Plus, why Tabitha believes there’s no right or wrong time to talk with kids about racism. “If you’re wondering when is the right time to talk to your kids about race, I think the first step is to unpack the white privilege that exists in your home and in your family.”

Jessica Lahey, writer, teacher, and public speaker, opens up about her lifelong relationship with alcohol: growing up with an alcoholic parent, becoming an alcohol peer counselor in college, and realizing that she, too, had become an alcoholic in her 40s. “It’s really hard to admit that something you tried to stay away from your whole entire life has snuck up on you through some deep, dark back door that you didn’t even know was there.” Jessica gives practical advice for parents and teachers talking to kids about substance abuse, and reveals why she’s decided to change her messaging around alcohol with her second child.

Nicole J Georges always felt like an outsider in her family. She didn’t look like anyone else. Everyone was taller than her. But at 23 years old, a chance encounter with a palm reader changed her life in an instant. “I had grandparents that were looking for me. I had brothers and sisters I never knew about.” Plus, Nicole’s advice for teens who feel like the black sheep of their own family. “You’re going to find your people and your place and it is going to make you even stronger and much cooler.”

Craig Spencer, ER doctor and Ebola survivor, knew COVID was going to be a big deal before most people did. While this gave him and his family plenty of time to stock up on food and supplies, it also meant having to ask tough questions early on about how he’d keep his family safe while battling the virus on the frontline in New York City: “What happens if you get sick, Craig? What do we do? How do we isolate you? What happens if you bring this home?” Hear about Craig’s grueling 12-hour shifts in the emergency room, and his silver lining of the past year.

Growing up, the conversation around mental health in Anastasia Vlasova’s home was simple: “Get over it. It’s all in your head. Relax.” But in 7th grade, family financial hardships, social isolation, and a newfound self-consciousness about her body lead Anastasia down a dark spiral of anxiety, depression, and eventually an eating disorder. Hear how she built up the courage to ask for help, how she’s doing now, and how she’s using her story to speak out against mental health stigma. “If there’s one thing you take away from this episode, it’s definitely to reach out for help.”

When Tyler Greene first met his husband, one thing was clear: his husband wanted kids, and Tyler didn’t. But after going to a Men Having Babies conference, and seeing other, happy gay couples with genetically-linked children, Tyler did a 180: “If we’re able to do that, I would have a hard time not trying.” Listen as Tyler takes us through his family’s journey with surrogacy: finding their son’s surrogate, being there for his birth, and gearing up to embark on the journey a second time.

Dr. Janice Johnson Dias, sociologist, philanthropist, and mother of activist Marley Dias, talks about how to raise joyful, change-making kids. For her, it’s all about creating the conditions of joyfulness, which begins with listening to your child, asking them questions, and sharing what’s happening in your own life. Plus, why family and culture are so critical to creating joy, and how you can find your own joy as a parent. “Those of us who have found access to joy are those of us who are in the business of change-making, because every day we are doing something to improve the conditions under which we live and improve in the society in which we exist.”

Podcast host Jody Avirgan’s daughter has learned a lot from the hit kids’ TV show Daniel Tiger: how to say thank you, how to deal with anger, and even how to use the potty. The show’s songs have been so effective for her that Jody’s started implementing them into his parenting strategy. “I found myself doing what I’ve come to call the Gaslight Daniel Tiger technique, which is trying to convince my daughter that there are Daniel Tiger songs about very specific things that I want her to do or situations that we’ve encountered.” The catch is, that means Jody has to come up with his own Daniel Tiger-style songs on the spot. Hear Jody sing about putting away the vacuum cord, taking off your muddy shoes, and more!

Dr. Gabor Maté, physician and child development expert, takes a deep dive into healthy child development: what conditions are necessary for it, which of those factors are missing from our society, and what parents can do to compensate for it. To unlock the key to healthy child development, he says we need to look towards our ancestors. “Human beings evolved originally in small-band hunter-gatherer groups… children were parented by multiple nurturing adults… and children were held all the time. They had multiple playmates of different ages to play with. And so they grew up confident in themselves and connected to the group.” Plus, why Gabor believes too much influence from peers and the Internet is a developmental disaster for young kids.

Fitness trainer Jillian Michaels shares her number one principle when it comes to parenting: always lead by example. She tries to set a good example for her kids in every aspect of life, not just with fitness and nutrition, but with the hard stuff, too – like owning up to your mistakes or knowing when to say sorry. “I find that if I want my kids to be polite, say please and thank you, look people in the eye when they greet them, I have to do the exact same.” Plus, hear about one of Jillian’s “colossal” parenting mistakes, and how she recovered with grace.