52 Essential Conversations to Inspire Children

In this episode, I chat with Andy Reimer about the concept of Compassion. We discuss the concept of "suffering with" and how it relates to empathy, generosity, and altruism. How do we become open and even seek out the discomfort of "suffering with" ourselves and others? Andy shares his thoughts about fostering the willingness to go on a journey with others, but also cautions the importance of being mindful about the stories and biases that we bring with us.

Hear my conversation with Amelia, Harvard-trained childhood educator and former UK nanny, on how parents can empower children to build life skills through responsible risk-taking. We discuss: How nature-based learning can help children practice impulse control. How to set boundaries on responsible risk-taking. How parents can deal with frustrations and fear within themselves in risk-taking.

I chat with Marion Geiger, the Head of School of Capucine Montessori, a French-English Bilingual Wildflower school. We discuss how to foster agency from autonomy in preschoolers to inspired independence in older students. We share tips on how to "sit on your hands" and "be the railing of the bridge" for your children and students.

"How do I teach my child to recognize others' feelings?" In this episode, I interview Amanda Hsu, a Montessori Head of School on the topic of "kindness." She shares an effective anecdote on how she learned about kindness as a child. She also discusses what parents can do to introduce the concept of inclusivity in relation to kindness. Lastly, she shares a number of educator-approved books on kindness and feelings.

"How can I get my kid to stop going through the motions?" This episode features Nora Rodriguez, arts and museum educator who shares two simple yet profound questions she uses to ignite curiosity in young people. She provides tips on how to empower children to use concrete evidence to construct a productive process of inquiry and information gathering.

Tony DelaRosa, educator and founder of Boston Pulse Poetry, shares his personal journey and teaching experience in building a platform for truth. He provides practical ways that parents and teachers can foster children's development of identities and voice. He shares ideas on how to create opportunities to help children process the world and articulate their needs.

"How do I get my child to be more creative?" Featuring Chelsea Myers as she reflects on her experience working as a 5-12th grade teacher in project-based learning schools and as a neuroscience researcher. We discuss topics such as "The Fourth Grade Slump" in creative thinking, raising "Problem Finders," Growth mindset and the "Undermining Effect" noted in neuroscience research.

Why is it important for my child to trust his/her teacher? And vice versa? Hear my interview with Audra Irvine, a passionate high school biology teacher on how effective teachers build trust with students in the classroom starting from day one. She shares educator tips that help parents and children foster shared mutual respect and confidence in each other, especially when early adolescents act like know-it-alls. Lastly, she reflects on the connection between trusting in oneself and self-confidence.

Featuring Tori Todd, teacher and instructional coach and Marissa, neuroscience researcher on ways to foster mindfulness for yourself and your children. As co-founders of Calm Body Active Minds providing mindful yoga to support teachers of Elementary students, Tori and Marissa provide practical ways on how busy parents can incorporate mindfulness into their family lives. Hear them share the latest research and clarify misconceptions related to mindfulness.

Featuring Susan Johnson McCabe, educator, entrepreneur, and former Director of Digital Strategy for Harvard University. Susan discusses the challenges and opportunities that children face in digital literacy and ways to build competencies in becoming responsible media consumers. She shares her research in children's media usage habits and her work in cyberbullying. Lastly, she leaves us with several useful resources on media literacy.

Featuring Kara Mohler, Jeopardy winner, High School teacher, and former Middle School special education teacher. Kara discusses ways to build resilience in children by recognizing the differences between productive, tolerable and toxic stress. She also discusses how to support the unique needs of each child based on their needs on the emotional spectrum: is your child an orchid or a dandelion?

Hear from Kate James, a mother of 3, a graduate of Harvard and MIT, and director of NuVu Makerspace studio on everyday things you could do to help your child develop the inner drive to take charge. She answers the following questions: "How do I get my child to voluntarily get things done?" "How do I get my child to be passionate in something?" "When can I stop dangling the carrot of reward?"

"How can I get my shy child out of his shell?" "How do I get my child to stand up for herself?" In this episode, I chat with Kira Repici, Montessori and Yoga teacher, about ways to support your child's own process of unfolding into healthy friendships. In addition, hear how conflict resolution process works in her Montessori classroom. Lastly, important playdate etiquettes for adults.

Featuring Lindsay Clements reflecting on her experience as a teacher and discussing her latest projects as a researcher. Get easy parenting tips on how to encourage perspective-taking in your child to reduce sibling rivalry and build empathy. Hear about research out of Stanford University with researchers around the country on Executive Function skills.

Learn how to co-create responsibility to inspire agency. Host Jenny Woo chats with Jordan Harrison, who reflects on his experience working with over 2500 8th - 11th graders as the former Director of College Town at Reality Changers. In this conversation, we discuss how the role of adults' mindset on failure could get in the way of delegating responsibilities. What parents can do to help their children develop a sense of identity through their responsibilities.