Family Confidential: Secrets of Successful Parenting with Annie Fox, M.Ed.

Michelle Anthony has always been passionate about her work with families and children. As a result of her own daughter becoming involved in a series of "Mean Girl" interactions in first grade, Michelle's interest in this topic was personalized. The empowering book she co-wrote with Reyna Lindert, PhD is Little Girls Can Be Mean: Four Steps to Bully-proofing Girls in the Early Grades. Annie talks with Michelle about how to parents can help their little girls develop the high self-esteem they need to be a good friend to themselves and others. This unpublished conversation was originally recorded on January 12, 2011. About Michelle Anthony Michelle Anthony, M.A., PhD, is a developmental psychologist, an author of a series of parenting guides, a contributing writer for Scholastic's Parent and Child Magazine, as well as the mother of three children. In addition to their book Little Girls Can be Mean, Michelle and Reyna Lindert are also is the co-founders of Wide Eyed Learning and the Signing Smart Baby/Toddler Sign Language Program. Learn more at http://LittleGirlsCanBeMean.com. Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

The Pongo Publishing Teen Writing Project is a volunteer, nonprofit effort with Seattle teens who are in jail, on the streets, or in other ways leading difficult lives. Annie talks with Pongo's founder, Richard Gold, about the important work of helping youth express and empower themselves through poetry. About Richard Gold Richard Gold is an educator, poet and founder of the Pongo Publishing Teen Writing Project where he has served as the project's executive director since its inception in 1992. Richard created the Pongo Method and is the author of "Writing with At-Risk Youth: The Pongo Teen Writing Method," a guide to help educators use the power Pongo Method with their students. Pongo also publishes teen writing to inspire youth everywhere to give voice to their own inner poet. Learn more at http://PongoTeenWriting.org Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

We want our kids to succeed, but choosing a goal and doing what it takes to reach it is rarely easy for children. Annie talks with life coach Alden Mills about how his time as a Navy SEAL shaped his approach to life, to achieving success, and to being an inspirational parent. About Alden Mills Alden Mills is a former US Navy SEAL platoon commander, inventor of the Perfect Pushup, co-founder and CEO of Perfect Fitness, and the author of Be Unstoppable: 8 Essential Actions to Succeed at Anything. He is also the father of four boys. Learn more at http://BeUnStoppableWithAldenMills.com Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

We want our kids to succeed, but choosing a goal and doing what it takes to reach it is rarely easy for children. Annie talks with life coach Alden Mills about how his time as a Navy SEAL shaped his approach to life, to achieving success, and to being an inspirational parent. About Alden Mills Alden Mills is a former US Navy SEAL platoon commander, inventor of the Perfect Pushup, co-founder and CEO of Perfect Fitness, and the author of Be Unstoppable: 8 Essential Actions to Succeed at Anything. He is also the father of four boys. Learn more at http://BeUnStoppableWithAldenMills.com Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

When kids grow into adulthood without a great dad (or mom) they may have a very hard time becoming a great parent to their own children. Annie talks with Keith Zafren, founder of The Great Dads Project, about being a great dad, no matter what kind of father you had. About Keith Zafren Keith Zafren is a Jack Canfield trained certified Success Skills trainer and a founding board member and fatherhood trainer for the Prison Entrepreneurship Program. He is also the founder of The Great Dads Project, the proud and loving father of three sons as well as the author of the award winning book, "How to Be a Great Dad–No Matter What Kind of Father You Had." Learn more at http://TheGreatDadsProject.org Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

When kids grow into adulthood without a great dad (or mom) they may have a very hard time becoming a great parent to their own children. Annie talks with Keith Zafren, founder of The Great Dads Project, about being a great dad, no matter what kind of father you had. About Keith Zafren Keith Zafren is a Jack Canfield trained certified Success Skills trainer and a founding board member and fatherhood trainer for the Prison Entrepreneurship Program. He is also the founder of The Great Dads Project, the proud and loving father of three sons as well as the author of the award winning book, "How to Be a Great Dad–No Matter What Kind of Father You Had." Learn more at http://TheGreatDadsProject.org Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

Judith Warner's original book idea about medicating kids with "issues" was that children were being "stuffed full of meds" to enhance performance and that they were being "over diagnosed" with all kinds of "so-called" flavor of the month disorders that didn't exist a generation ago. The book she wrote We've Got Issues: Children and Parents in the Age of Medication is not that book at all. Annie talks with Judith about kids and medication, what makes sense and why. About Judith Warner Judith Warner is a former correspondent for Newsweek in Paris. She is currently a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and a 2012-2013 recipient of a Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism. A New York Times bestselling author, Judith's books include We've Got Issues: Children and Parents in the Age of Medication and Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety. Learn more at http://JudithWarnerOnline.com. Resources for parents: • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - http://nami.org • Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) - http://chadd.org Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

A decade ago, when Shannon Des Roches Rosa's son was diagnosed with autism Shannon felt devastated and desperate for answers. But available information was often confusing and contradictory. She ended up producing The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism: What you really need to know about autism from autistics, parents, and professionals, which is exactly the kind of book she wished she'd had at that time. Annie talks with Shannon about autism and the need to understand that autistic doesn't mean "broken" or "less than." About Shannon Des Roches Rosa Shannon Des Roches Rosa is a self-proclaimed "kick ass" writer, blogger at The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism and BlogHer Contributing Editor on parenting children with special needs. Shannon is the parent of her own three kids, one of whom is autistic. She is also the co-editor of the outstanding resource: The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism. Learn more at http://ThinkingAutismGuide.com Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

When Deborah McNelis started teaching kindergarten 30 years ago, parents' involvement in their children's education was very limited. Today's parents are highly motivated to help their kids progress. Knowing about brain development is key to that progress! Annie talks with Deborah McNelis about ways to use current data on early brain development to help children become all they can be. About Deborah McNelis Deborah McNelis is a educator with 30+ years experience. She is also a presenter/author on early brain development for the benefit of families, schools & business, as well as the founder of Brain Insights, a company dedicated to "making early brain development common knowledge." Deborah's workshops topics for parents and educators include: "Pink or Blue Gender Difference Related to Learning" and "The Possible Effects of Poverty on Brain Development." She presented at the National Association for Early Childhood Education, International Parenting 2.0 Summit and the National Family Literacy Conference. Learn more at http://braininsightsonline.com and http://www.braininsightsnow.com Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

When Deborah McNelis started teaching kindergarten 30 years ago, parents' involvement in their children's education was very limited. Today's parents are highly motivated to help their kids progress. Knowing about brain development is key to that progress! Annie talks with Deborah McNelis about ways to use current data on early brain development to help children become all they can be. About Deborah McNelis Deborah McNelis is a educator with 30+ years experience. She is also a presenter/author on early brain development for the benefit of families, schools & business, as well as the founder of Brain Insights, a company dedicated to "making early brain development common knowledge." Deborah's workshops topics for parents and educators include: "Pink or Blue Gender Difference Related to Learning" and "The Possible Effects of Poverty on Brain Development." She presented at the National Association for Early Childhood Education, International Parenting 2.0 Summit and the National Family Literacy Conference. Learn more at http://braininsightsonline.com and http://www.braininsightsnow.com Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

Current data suggests that one out of every 68 American children is living with Autism Spectrum Disorder. For many, communication is a major challenge that prevents families from understanding what it's like to live with ASD. Annie talks with Arthur Fleischmann about being the parent of an autistic child and how his daughter Carly learned to type and open the door into her world. About Arthur Fleischmann Arthur Fleischmann lives with his wife, Tammy Starr, and their three children, Matthew, Taryn, and Carly, in Toronto, Canada. An autism advocate, Arthur is the co-author (with Carly Fleischmann) of Carly's Voice: Breaking Through Autism, one of the first books to explore firsthand the challenges of living with autism. It brings readers inside a once-secret world and into the thoughts and feelings of an inspiring young woman who has found her voice and her mission. Learn more at http://CarlysVoice.com Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

The hearts of adoptive parents overflow with love. But sometimes love is not enough, especially when their child has come from difficult circumstances. Annie talks with Dr. Karyn Purvis about the challenges and rewards of helping children from hard places learn to be "at home" with their new family. About Karyn Purvis Dr. Karyn Purvis, Ph.D. is a Developmental Psychologist and Director of the Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas. For the past decade, she and her colleagues have been developing research-based interventions for at-risk children. Dr. Purvis, is also the co-author of The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family, a book that has helped countless adoptive and foster parents better connect with their children who have come from "hard" places. Learn more at http://EmpoweredToConnect.org and http://www.child.tcu.edu Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

Whether teens are talking about the way they look, the way they learn, or who they are attracted to, they crave acceptance from peers. Annie talks with Dr. Jennifer "Jena" Wider, MD, about helping teens break free from the myth of what's "normal" so they can learn to love and accept themselves. About Jennifer Wider Jennifer Wider, MD, is a nationally renowned women's health expert, author, and radio host. Her weekly radio segment on Cosmo Radio is called "Am I Normal?" Dr. Wider's latest book (co-authored with Logan Levkoff, PhD) is "Got Teens? The Doctor Moms' Guide to Sexuality, Social Media and Other Adolescent Realities". Learn more at http://DrWider.com Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

Whether teens are talking about the way they look, the way they learn, or who they are attracted to, they crave acceptance from peers. Annie talks with Dr. Jennifer "Jena" Wider, MD, about helping teens break free from the myth of what's "normal" so they can learn to love and accept themselves. About Jennifer Wider Jennifer Wider, MD, is a nationally renowned women's health expert, author, and radio host. Her weekly radio segment on Cosmo Radio is called "Am I Normal?" Dr. Wider's latest book (co-authored with Logan Levkoff, PhD) is "Got Teens? The Doctor Moms' Guide to Sexuality, Social Media and Other Adolescent Realities". Learn more at http://DrWider.com Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

When autistic teens show interest in sex and dating, they need special guidance. Dr. Schlegelmilch's approach helps ASD teens navigate their social lives. About Andrew Schlegelmilch Dr. Andrew Schlegelmilch, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with individuals who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. He's also the Head Psychologist at Orion Academy, a preparatory high school for ASD teens in Moraga, California. Andrew's straight-talking guide to parenting teenagers on the autism spectrum, Parenting ASD Teens: A Guide to Making it Up as You Go Along, will be available in May 2014. Learn more at http://DocSchleg.com Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.