Layne Burkette is a life-loving mother of four, a Professional Counselor, and a Yoga Psychology & Meditation Teacher. She is passionate about helping individuals and families improve emotional regulation, balance their energy, and cultivate calm and connection through Somatic Skills, Breathwork, Yoga, Meditation, and Counseling. With 20 years of experience, Layne guides people toward healing, emotional resilience, self-compassion, and connection by helping them regulate their nervous systems, rewire trauma responses, create balance, and raise the vibration of love in their bodies, hearts, families, and the world.

SUMMARY:
Layne Burkette specializes in somatic therapy–she explains what that means and how these techniques create more peace and presence in the body. Layne takes us through a fun experiential practice to show us easy things that parents can do, either in the moment or preventatively, to help regulate our emotions. You won’t want to miss this interview. You’ll feel amazing afterward, and these simple techniques are things you can do with your kids, too.

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Barby Jimenez emphasizes connection over control in parenting. She shares her transformative journey from traditional discipline to a more compassionate approach, and highlights the importance of self-awareness and emotional regulation. Barby shares her 3-step “Pause and Reframe” framework, which encourages parents to reflect before reacting. She addresses common parenting challenges (including beliefs like “I don’t have time.” “My child’s behavior is unacceptable.” “This feels unnatural.”), advocates for parents to have self-compassion and offers connection-building strategies, while sharing practical tips so parents can “heal through reflection”.

Dr. Natasha Ching (Doctor Tash) is a Melbourne-based pediatrician and proud mother of two, who is passionate about child development, responsive parenting, and empowering families. She trained at the Royal Children’s and Monash Children’s Hospitals and became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. She champions the belief that “connected kids thrive” and provides practical tools and compassionate guidance to help families grow together.

SUMMARY:
As a pediatrician and a parent, Dr. Natasha Ching understands how difficult parenting can be, especially when we feel overwhelmed, time-pressed, or are parenting solo. How can we survive everyday triggers when we already feel stretched thin? Tash leads us through a 3-step process, so we can regulate our emotions, identify the trigger, and help ourselves to show up the way we want to in tough moments. This doesn’t mean that our kids need us to be perfect, nor do we need them to be perfect. What is more important is replacing any guilt and shame with compassion. Tash says that “unless we are able to show compassion to ourselves, we cannot extend it to others,” and kids who’ve been treated with kindness will have more kindness to give to others.

Unsure of Your Parenting? Take the Next BEST Step

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Debbie Simmons says that “progress in parenting doesn’t come from perfection but from moving forward.” She shows us how to use the BEST strategy, her 4-step process for choosing what to do next. She shares about how we can release the guilt we might feel in parenting when things don’t work out the way we wanted them to. Debbie’s stories are inspiring, her advice is reassuring, and smile is infectious. When Debbie says that “parenting is a journey of a thousand moments” it helps us keep things in perspective and keep moving forward.

Dr. Kirstin Barchia is a clinical psychologist who has worked with teenagers and their families for the past 25 years. She developed the Calm Connection Program and other online resources to help parents of teens because she’s watched so many great parents unknowingly make mistakes, because they didn’t get the support they needed. As a researcher who has conducted studies on teen bullying and aggression, lying, delinquent behavior, and resilience, Kirstin wants parents to have access to strategies that are based on scientific and psychological research, along with practical support and guidance.

SUMMARY:
For parents of teens (and tweens) who are dealing with eye rolls, moodiness, or slammed doors, it might seem like the only choices are: 1. punishments and consequences that don’t work, 2. ignoring them and walking on eggshells, or 3. waiting until they’re 25 years old. Dr. Kirstin Barchia talks about what is going on with our teens and shares what parents can do to make things better. She talks about the most common mistakes that good, well-intended parents make with their teens and simple things that we can do differently. Kirstin says that many teens are sad about losing the closeness and connection with their parents. For teens, growing up is inevitable; growing apart is not.

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Kristina Nation supports parents of teenagers with depression, a topic that is intensely personal to her. She knows firsthand the fear and helplessness that parents often feel when their child is struggling. Kristina talks about the importance of self-care for parents, maintaining a strong relationship with your teen while still having healthy boundaries, and building a support system around your family. Kristina shares advice about how to create a safety plan with your teen, how to find professional help, and how parents can work through their own feelings of shame or guilt. Finally, Kristina urges parents to keep your relationship with your teen strong and to have hope by “believing it can get better”.

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Want a parenting tool that will help get you out of overwhelm, unstuck from patterns that don't work for you, and build closeness and connection in your family? Sheryl Ang says to try a family meeting. Family meetings aren’t just another thing to add to an already overflowing to-do list; rather, they will make the “to-dos” disappear by creating the kind of family that you want to have now and for the future. Listen to this interview to hear how to get started with family meetings.

Managing Meltdowns During the Toddler Years

SUMMARY:
Heather Schalk explains that if a young child is having a meltdown and the parent solves it by distracting them with a phone, or saying “no, stop that!” or removing them from the situation, the child misses a learning opportunity to develop their advocacy skills. In this interview, you’ll find out what advocacy means, why it’s important, and how to help your child develop their advocacy skills. Heather shares her 5-step process for handling using emotional moments, like meltdowns, as learning opportunities for kids and their parents, and explains how to use these steps with a child who has limited verbal ability.

Dr. Carrie Mackensen brings 25 years of clinical expertise and real-world experience as both a psychologist and a mother of two boys. Her diverse background spans Cedars Sinai Hospital, K-12 schools, private practices in Beverly Hills and Manhattan Beach, and serving as Clinical Director for premier treatment programs. With a Ph.D. in Individual, Family, and Child Psychology, Dr. Carrie combines professional wisdom with the practical insights of a “battle-tested” mom, offering evidence-based strategies with warmth and humor.

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Screens are in our kids’ lives. Dr. Carrie Mackensen helps parents know about how to navigate our kids’ digital world without evoking parental panic, guilt, shame, or the desire to trade in your home and move your family to a cave. Carrie shares what the research says about how screens are impacting brain development, the current recommendations for screentime by age group, and simple, easy ways that parents can say no to screens with their kids using her CARE framework. She also talks about how and when to do a digital detox.

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Caroline Griswold talks about how to help kids with aggressive behavior. The first step is to understand the fears and needs underneath kids' behavior, so that parents can respond with warmth rather than anger. Caroline shares how to stop kids from hurting others, when to jump in, and when to allow them to fight, and how to remember their goodness, even during a tough time. With warmth and encouragement, Caroline reminds parents to go slowly, take breaks, get support for our feelings, care for ourselves, and build a support network.

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If you are wondering how to talk to your child about sex, Rebecca Reber, has answers. She explains why parents can’t rely on the school alone to teach sex education, how to increase the odds that your child will feel comfortable coming to you for information about sex, and what to say at each age and stage. Research shows that if we have these (perhaps uncomfortable) conversations with our kids early and often it makes it less likely that they will become a victim of sexual violence, or have an unwanted pregnancy.

Why Young People Stop Talking to Their Parents & How to Change That

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It’s natural for parents to want to fix and solve your child’s problems, but Emma Gleadhill recommends doing something else instead. She advises parents to slow down, move into curiosity, bear witness, and observe. We chat with her about why it’s so hard–but so important–to stay in those moments when our child or teen is in touch with their pain. Emma says, “healthy relationships–secure attachments–are characterized by the capacity to be vulnerable”. Emma shows us that when we can be open to our kids, they can be more open to us.

Dana Denning is the founder of Nourished Nest, an online holistic interior design and coaching resource that helps families create homes designed to meet core needs—nervous system regulation, connection, rest, and the reduction of environmental triggers. As a mother of a differently wired child, Dana understands the transformative power of small, affordable changes in fostering family well-being.

SUMMARY:
Dana Denning looks at how the environment impacts the emotions and behavior of a child (and parents, too!). She shares tips about how to create calming corners, lighting, indoor air quality, and how to set up things for sleep, especially if your child is neurodivergent. Without buying anything new, families who make small, intentional changes to their home can significantly boost their well-being, nervous system regulation, and connection.

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Dr. Glorianne Vazquez understands that all parents, but especially parents of neurodivergent kids, have some degree of worry and anxiety. She explains the purpose of worry and why we do it even when it doesn’t actually help the situation. Glorianne explains the difference between worry and anxiety, and shares her 3-step process to address worry both “in the moment” or “outside the moment”. She also shares how we can use these same steps to help when kids worry.

NEWrodiversity: Minds decoded, Potential unlocked

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Dr. Poling Bork became a researcher of selective mutism (SM) when she couldn’t find effective therapies for her own children. She explains what selective mutism is and how video self-modeling works to address SM as well as other phobias and issues. Video self-modelling allows kids can see themselves as competent, which motivates them to further develop their skills.

Getting Unstuck When You and Your Child Are Neurodivergent

Dr. Daniel Siegel is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and the Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute. He has authored or co-authored several books including Parenting from the Inside Out, the Whole Brain Child, Brainstorm, The Yes Brain, The Power of Showing Up, and Intraconnected.

SUMMARY:
We asked Dr. Daniel Siegel our toughest questions. We ask him what parents can do if they want to help their teen, but their teen does not want help. We talk about how to be a supportive presence, especially if your child is struggling with anxiety or depression. Dan explains that the brain has two states: a reactive state and a receptive state. The best parenting is done when parents are in a receptive state of mind. A receptive state means that we are open, ready to connect, curious, loving, and accepting. But acceptance is not approval; it's not being passive. In parenting, we can still have boundaries, and we can teach our kids. As adults, we have a chance to look at difficulties and really see them as opportunities to support our kids, especially during the tough times.

SUMMARY:
Vibha Arora understands why parents might be tempted to try to control their kids–to keep them safe, focused, achieving, or behaving. But is it possible to actually control another person, even a small person? And even if we could control someone else, is that the kind of parent you want to be? Vibha says, “connection–not control–is the true currency of resilient relationships.” In this interview, we explore practical tools, insights, and the advantages of forming a relationship with kids based on connection, rather than coercion.

Empowering Ourselves and Holding Space for Our Kids

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We talked with Sandy about not just how to show up for our kids, but how to show up for ourselves. She says that “it is okay and important to want what we want, so our kids can feel the deep motivation to strive towards something they value”. Sandy shared tips on how to release strong emotions, hear and trust our inner intuitive knowing, be fully present with our kids, and balance our needs and wants while also supporting our child’s needs and wants. She shares how parents can shift to more empowering beliefs, from “I am responsible for everyone and everything” to “I trust and know that I am responsible for myself, and I hold space for others”. Ultimately, this conversation doesn’t just apply to parenting; these are tools to live an empowered life, while among other humans who also need our support and care.

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Michelle Godfrey shares the pitfalls of people pleasing in parenting; it doesn’t teach kids to have healthy boundaries and leaves parents exhausted and overwhelmed. In the Positive Intelligence approach, Michelle explains each of the “saboteurs” (people pleasing being one of them) and leads us through an experience to get back in touch with our “sage” qualities. The Positive Intelligence approach was brand new for us, and this conversation with Michelle is highly recommended.

Discover Your Child’s Temperament & Love Language

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As an educator, Susan Notis understands the importance of seeing the strengths and gifts in each child. She explains how parents can be more effective if we identify and understand our child’s temperament, figure out what our child’s love language is, and find joy in our child even during difficult times. These perspective shifts don’t mean that you ignore your child’s behavior, but rather that you see your child through a lens of unconditional love.