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

A new definition of family is: a constantly changing, evolving group of people who we feel close to. These folks may or may not be relatives. During the teenage years, changes in family dynamics can challenge the closeness of families. Annie talks with Dr. Susan Smith Kuczmarski about the "soul" of the family (the "stickiness, the glue that holds the family together), the essential role of the Family Caretaker (the "champion of the soul of the family"), and how all of this can help us become a happier family as our children race toward the teen years and beyond.

About Susan Smith Kuczmarski (@sskuczmarski)

Susan Smith Kuczmarski, Ed.D. has the pulse on today's families. Trained as a cultural anthropologist, she has extensively researched how children learn social skills and how teens become leaders. During the course of a career that spans more than three decades, Susan has taught at eight universities, worked in three nonprofit educational organizations, including the United Nations, and co-founded an innovation consulting firm, Kuczmarski Innovation, in Chicago. Her books include: "Becoming A Happy Family: Pathways to the Family Soul" and "The Sacred Flight of the Teenager: A Parent's Guide to Stepping Back and Letting Go". Learn more at http://SacredFlight.com

Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

Our #1 job as parents is to keep our kids safe. To do that we've got to be vigilant. But is it possible to be overly vigilant? Columnist and author, Lenore Skenazy, would emphatically agree that it is not only possible, but very prevalent amongst 21st century parents (especially moms). According to her, "A lot of parents today see no difference between letting their kids walk to school and letting them walk through a firing range." Annie talks with Lenore about what happens, to us and our kids, when we try to prevent every possible danger and difficulty in our child's everyday life.

About Lenore Skenazy (@FreeRangeKids)

Lenore Skenazy is a columnist and the host of Discovery Life Channel's reality show World's Worst Mom. She is also the author of Free Range Kids: How to Raise, Safe, Self-reliant Children (Without Going Nuts With Worry). Her book came out of the response to a newspaper column she wrote about letting her then 9-year-old son take the New York City subway home alone. Lenore started the Free Range Kids Project with the aim of challenging parents in a healthy way. She wants to "fight the belief that our children are in constant danger from creeps, kidnapping, germs, grades, flashers, frustration, failure, baby snatchers, bugs, bullies, men, sleepovers and/or the perils of a non-organic grape." Learn more at http://FreeRangeKids.com

Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

Our #1 job as parents is to keep our kids safe. To do that we've got to be vigilant. But is it possible to be overly vigilant? Columnist and author, Lenore Skenazy, would emphatically agree that it is not only possible, but very prevalent amongst 21st century parents (especially moms). According to her, "A lot of parents today see no difference between letting their kids walk to school and letting them walk through a firing range." Annie talks with Lenore about what happens, to us and our kids, when we try to prevent every possible danger and difficulty in our child's everyday life.

About Lenore Skenazy (@FreeRangeKids)

Lenore Skenazy is a columnist and the host of Discovery Life Channel's reality show World's Worst Mom. She is also the author of Free Range Kids: How to Raise, Safe, Self-reliant Children (Without Going Nuts With Worry). Her book came out of the response to a newspaper column she wrote about letting her then 9-year-old son take the New York City subway home alone. Lenore started the Free Range Kids Project with the aim of challenging parents in a healthy way. She wants to "fight the belief that our children are in constant danger from creeps, kidnapping, germs, grades, flashers, frustration, failure, baby snatchers, bugs, bullies, men, sleepovers and/or the perils of a non-organic grape." Learn more at http://FreeRangeKids.com

Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

When two people marry, and one or both already has children from a previous relationship, there are often unique challenges. According to Judy Graybill, a stepparent coach, the #1 issue that brings couples to her is discipline, specifically, how to mesh different styles of parenting so that what you present, as a couple, is consistent and effective. "When it comes to (step) parenting, there is no 'wrong.' It's about results. Either you get the results you want or you don't." Working together, as a couple, on the differences, without one person feeling like he or she is giving up their core values, is the key to a successful parenting partnership. Annie talks with Judy about working as a team so you're more likely to have a healthy relationship with your stepchildren, one that nurtures you, them, and your marriage.

About Judy Graybill (@StepfamilyCoach)

Judy Graybill has been a certified stepfamily coach since 2007. Because of her own first-hand experience as a stepmom, she is passionate about helping stepparent, parents, and (step) children. In her coaching practice she helps partners understand these fundamental realities:

* a parent can unintentionally sabotage a relationship between his/her biological kids and the partner.

* an ex-spouse can (and will) intentionally sabotage a relationship between their biological kids and the stepparent.

* a healthy step couple's relationship must come first in order to prevent another separation. The key is teamwork.

Learn more at http://StepfamilyCoach.com

Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

When two people marry, and one or both already has children from a previous relationship, there are often unique challenges. According to Judy Graybill, a stepparent coach, the #1 issue that brings couples to her is discipline, specifically, how to mesh different styles of parenting so that what you present, as a couple, is consistent and effective. "When it comes to (step) parenting, there is no 'wrong.' It's about results. Either you get the results you want or you don't." Working together, as a couple, on the differences, without one person feeling like he or she is giving up their core values, is the key to a successful parenting partnership. Annie talks with Judy about working as a team so you're more likely to have a healthy relationship with your stepchildren, one that nurtures you, them, and your marriage.

About Judy Graybill (@StepfamilyCoach)

Judy Graybill has been a certified stepfamily coach since 2007. Because of her own first-hand experience as a stepmom, she is passionate about helping stepparent, parents, and (step) children. In her coaching practice she helps partners understand these fundamental realities:

* a parent can unintentionally sabotage a relationship between his/her biological kids and the partner.

* an ex-spouse can (and will) intentionally sabotage a relationship between their biological kids and the stepparent.

* a healthy step couple's relationship must come first in order to prevent another separation. The key is teamwork.

Learn more at http://StepfamilyCoach.com

Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

I am proud to count myself amongst the many parents and educators who help tweens and teens understand that they have the power to be the change they want to see. But young people are much more likely to get the message (and act on it) when that message comes from other young people. Annie talks with artist, girl power advocate and http://WeStopHate.org Chief Operating Officer, Jeanne Demers about giving girls and guys the key to their own power.

About Jeanne Demers (@JeanneDemers)

Jeanne Demers is an artist, illustrator, writer and creator of The Ruby Books - helping girls use their ruby slippers (their power) to be compassionate heroes. Jeanne is also the founder and director of http://RealizeWhatMatters.org. And if that isn't enough, she's the Chief Operating Officer of http://WeStopHate.org - a non-profit program dedicated to raising self-esteem in teens (teen-esteem) through various social media platforms that engage teens to help each other gain confidence. Why? Because teens who are happy with themselves won't put others down. Stopping bullying means putting an end to the lifelong, painful consequences that each victim suffers. Raising teen-esteem creates a better world for us all. WeStopHate is more than just an anti-bullying program, it's a call-to-action to stop hate: stop hating on yourself, stop hating on others, stop letting others hate on you. Learn more at http://WeStopHate.org

Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

I am proud to count myself amongst the many parents and educators who help tweens and teens understand that they have the power to be the change they want to see. But young people are much more likely to get the message (and act on it) when that message comes from other young people. Annie talks with artist, girl power advocate and http://WeStopHate.org Chief Operating Officer, Jeanne Demers about giving girls and guys the key to their own power.

About Jeanne Demers (@JeanneDemers)

Jeanne Demers is an artist, illustrator, writer and creator of The Ruby Books - helping girls use their ruby slippers (their power) to be compassionate heroes. Jeanne is also the founder and director of http://RealizeWhatMatters.org. And if that isn't enough, she's the Chief Operating Officer of http://WeStopHate.org - a non-profit program dedicated to raising self-esteem in teens (teen-esteem) through various social media platforms that engage teens to help each other gain confidence. Why? Because teens who are happy with themselves won't put others down. Stopping bullying means putting an end to the lifelong, painful consequences that each victim suffers. Raising teen-esteem creates a better world for us all. WeStopHate is more than just an anti-bullying program, it's a call-to-action to stop hate: stop hating on yourself, stop hating on others, stop letting others hate on you. Learn more at http://WeStopHate.org

Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

What's wrong with three- and four-year-old girls prancing around in sparkly dresses and tiaras and dreaming the night away hugging a Disney princess doll in a real princess canopy bed? The problem, according to Rebecca Hains, PhD (author of "The Princess Problem: Guiding Our Girls Through the Princess-Obsessed Years"), is the way the "princess culture" suggests to girls that "most of their value comes from their appearance, while also feeding them stereotypes about race, gender, and beauty that they're really not equipped to handle at such a young age." Annie talks with Rebecca about how to raise an empowered girl in a princess world.

About Rebecca Hains (@RCHains)

Dr. Rebecca Hains is a children's media culture expert. She is a professor of advertising and media studies at Salem State University, where she is the assistant director of the Center for Childhood and Youth Studies. Her research focuses on girls, women, and media. Rebecca's books include "The Princess Problem: Guiding Our Girls through the Princess-Obsessed Years" and "Growing Up With Girl Power: Girlhood On Screen and in Everyday Life". Learn more at http://RebeccaHains.com

Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

What's wrong with three- and four-year-old girls prancing around in sparkly dresses and tiaras and dreaming the night away hugging a Disney princess doll in a real princess canopy bed? The problem, according to Rebecca Hains, PhD (author of "The Princess Problem: Guiding Our Girls Through the Princess-Obsessed Years"), is the way the "princess culture" suggests to girls that "most of their value comes from their appearance, while also feeding them stereotypes about race, gender, and beauty that they're really not equipped to handle at such a young age." Annie talks with Rebecca about how to raise an empowered girl in a princess world.

About Rebecca Hains (@RCHains)

Dr. Rebecca Hains is a children's media culture expert. She is a professor of advertising and media studies at Salem State University, where she is the assistant director of the Center for Childhood and Youth Studies. Her research focuses on girls, women, and media. Rebecca's books include "The Princess Problem: Guiding Our Girls through the Princess-Obsessed Years" and "Growing Up With Girl Power: Girlhood On Screen and in Everyday Life". Learn more at http://RebeccaHains.com

Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.

Once, mentioning a typical "mother-daughter relationship" was code for "contentious struggle." Not so today, says Linda Perlman Gordon, c0-author (with Susan Schaffer) of "Too Close for Comfort: Questioning the Intimacy of Today's New Mother-Daughter Relationship", "This is totally new because this is the first generation where mothers are living longer and daughters are marrying later. That gives you all of your twenties experiencing life as a single woman and your mother is often still working." Annie talks with Linda about the effect of these profound social changes on our changing relationships with our daughters.

About Linda Perlman Gordon

Linda Perlman Gordon, LCSW-C, M.Ed., is a clinical social worker with a private psychotherapy practice in the Washington, DC area working with individuals and families with a special expertise in family communication and divorce. She is the co-author of several books including: "Too Close for Comfort: Questioning the New Intimacy of today's New Mother-Daughter Relationship", "Mom, Can I Move Back in with You? A Survival Guide for Parents of Twentysomethings", and "Why Girls Talk and What They Are Really Saying: A Parent's Survival Guide to Connecting with Your Teen". Learn more at http://Linda-Gordon.net

Copyright © 2009-2018 Annie Fox and Electric Eggplant. All Rights Reserved.