Allyson Schrier's husband was descending into dementia.  Here's how she grew into caregiving, eventually founding Zinnia TV, programming for those living with dementia and other challenges.  Allyson is an award-winning leader in the field of technological and human support for those with cognitive deficits and speaks to us with expertise, yet candidly from the heart as she tells her story.  Be aware that some parts of this interview may disturb youngsters.

Additional resources:

thrivingwithdementia.com

zinniatv.com

[email protected]

C.S. Lewis expert Jerry Root explains the mysterious place that Christmas holds in the beloved children's classic The Chronicles of Narnia.  Why is Lewis called a grinch by some?  What does Santa Claus have to do with Jesus, and the White Witch with Herod?  And where might you meet Mr. Tumnus the Faun on Thursdays at 4:00?  It's all here.  Merry Christmas!

Additional resources:

By C.S. Lewis (seven fiction books): 

The Chronicles of Narnia (particularly The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe)

Essays (available online): 

"What Christmas Means to Me"

"Xmas and Christmas"

"Delinquents in the Snow"

"A Christmas Sermon for Pagans"

By Jerry Root (website):www.drjerryroot.com

(books):
The Surprising Imagination of C.S. Lewis

The Soul of C.S. Lewis

The Neglected C.S. Lewis

The Quotable Lewis

An advocate for true gender equity, Bettina Arndt is an Aussie sex therapist who became a popular media personality and sex expert.  Then her years of hearing men confiding their experience in bed, police custody, courtroom, and campus changed her viewpoint.  This one's touching, amusing, and truth-filled, but probably not for little ones to hear. 

Additional resources:

Books by Bettina Arndt

--The Sex Diaries

What Men Want

#MenToo

https://bettinaarndt.substack.com/

https://www.bettinaarndt.com.au

Aging-care mavens Kim and Mike Barnes partake in an informative and heartwarming discussion about how to help our parents in the last stages of their lives.  

Additional resources:

--ParentingAgingParents.com

--The Caregiver's Key

Linda Shrewsbury--Harvard graduate, entrepreneur, educator, and dear friend of Leah--explains why handwriting is important, and recounts her breakthrough in how to teach cursive to a special-needs adult who wanted to be able to sign his name.  Linda's discovery, Cursive Logic, has become a popular series endorsed by educators and parents alike.  

Additional resources:

--Cursivelogic.com

--Campaignforcursive.com

--"Biological and Psychological Benefits of Learning Cursive" by William R. Klemm, PhD, Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/memory-medic/201308/biological-and-psychology-benefits-learning-cursive

--"Digitizing literacy" by Anne Mangen and Jean-Luc Velay, Psychology, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6e17/5bbc271bb87cd7bfb8d4610b6a9955fe40a9.pdf

--"Why Cursive Handwriting is Good for Your Brain" by Christopher Bergland, Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/202010/why-cursive-handwriting-is-good-your-brain

--"Grammar Students Celebrate Handwriting" https://www.genevaschooltx.org/grammar-students-celebrate-handwriting/

--"Gen Z never learned cursive" --https://www.deseret.com/2022/9/21/23363871/cursive-writing-practice-genz-never-learned-cursive--"How cursive can help students" https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/connecting-dots-role-cursive-dyslexia-therapy

--"The importance of handwriting" https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/09/14/the-importance-of-handwriting-is-becoming-better-understood

A father describes the hardship of raising kids in a region where his religion is harshly persecuted.  His teenage daughter speaks up about how she handles bullying.  Leah says she has thought about this conversation more than any other episode afterwards, and she is attempting to help the family.  Names and location are being concealed because of the danger these brave people are facing, even as they offer hope to others.

Parenting coach and communication expert Julie King gets specific and practical on effective talking with squirming, distracted, disgruntled young children.  Leah has questions on apologizing, getting kids out the door in the morning, moral vocabulary, and socks that can talk. 

Additional resources:

JulieKing.org
Book: How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen by Julie King and Joanna Faber

App: How to Talk: Parenting Tips in Your Pocket 

App: Parenting Hero

Book: How to Talk When Kids Won't Listen by Julie King and Joanna Faber

What's it like to raise kids in a persecuting culture?  We interview a charming and courageous couple in North Africa and then reap keen insights from Shelli Alaniz of Ananias House about her organization's new release, Through the Eyes of a Child.

If you have trouble understanding the couple, a transcript will be available on YouTube.  We bleeped out names and locations that might endanger this dear family.  

Additional resources: 

Through the Eyes of a Child: Encounters with God in the Middle East, available through Ananiashouse.org

Upcoming: interview with another family on a different continent!

Physician Julia Mason describes the medical steps of gender transition for children, explaining to your astonished host why she opposes each one.  Puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex change surgery all have unintended consequences yet are steamrolling through American society without empirical basis, even while being second-guessed in most European nations.  

Additional resources: 

SEGM.org

Genspect.org

"Reconsidering Informed Consent for Trans-Identified Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults" Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy 2022, Levin, Abbruzzese, and Mason, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35300570/ 

A day (and evening) in the life of a school principal
and insights into how to relate to your child's principal. Teachers
too will benefit from this freewheeling chat about "rubrics,"
"emotional snacks," and getting sued.  William D. Parker is an
award-winning school administrator and just finished 6 years as
executive director of our state Association of Secondary Principals
and Middle Level Association.  He consults and speaks around the
country now as an author and podcaster, and director of Principal
Matters, LLC.

Additional resources:
https://williamdparker.com/2023/07/05/pmp351-understanding-how-to-serve-generations-with-will-parker-and-jen-schwanke/
Williamdparker.com
Principal Matters Podcast
Books by Will Parker:
--Principal Matters: The Motivation, Courage, Action and Teamwork
Needed for School Leaders
--Messaging Matters: How to Motivate Students, Inspire Teachers and
Reach Communities
--Pause. Breathe. Flourish: Living Your Best Life as an Educator