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

Parents have obsessed over what goes into their kids' mouths since the dawn of dinner time. And for good reason. If your kid doesn't eat s/he won't thrive or even survive. Lack of food is a real problem in many underdeveloped countries. Food distribution is also a real problem in countries where some families starve while others have access to more than enough quality food for their families. It's probably safe to assume that most of us with the resources to access this podcast are fortunate enough to have the resources to provide food in abundance to our families. And yet we still obsess. According to mental healthy professional and parenting expert Iréné Celcer, all this obsessing isn't healthy for the child or the parent. She says, "A successful parent gets out of his or her child's plate and allows children to eat according to the child's hunger. The successful parent does not impinge on the child's sense of being hungry." Annie talks with Iréne about stepping back and letting your child develop their own sense of what it feels like to be hungry and how to satisfy that hunger with healthy amounts of healthy food.

About Iréné Celcer (@irenecelcer)

Iréné Celcer, MA, LCSW, is originally from Argentina. A mental health professional and parenting expert, her specialities include cultural issues that may affect individuals who need to adapt to their new country. Iréne works with parents whose children are affected by ADD, bullying, eating problems, or body image issues. A regular guest on CNN, she has extensive expertise in eating disorders, body image perceptions, and women's issues. She is the author of 99 Tips to Reset the Table: Parenting in a Society Obsessed with Food, Weight, Obesity, and Body Image. In addition to her writing and philanthropic work, she maintains a private practice. Iréné Celcer lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia. Learn more at http://IreCelcer.com

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

Back in the day, students only met with school counselors to discuss test scores and schedule classes. With today's students' increasing social and emotional needs, counselors play an essential role in helping teens navigate life. Yet some parents might be uncomfortable with what their kids discuss in "confidentiality" with a school counselor. High School counselor Kevin Kuczynski acknowledges that "confidentiality is something that very important with teens," however he also says that "I try really hard to keep the lines of communication open with parents, so that anything that is even a remote concern, I will encourage (kids) to talk to their parents about it." Annie talks with Kevin about what goes on behind the counselor's door and how parents and counselors can become partners in helping tweens and teens.

About Kevin Kuczynski

Kevin Kuczynski, MA, LLPC, LSC is a high school guidance counselor providing responsive services including counseling, consultation, referral, and peer mediation. He also helps students establish personal goals and develop future plans including college and career planning. Kevin is the author of Behind the Counselor's Door: Teenagers' Ture Confessions, Trials, and Triumphs. Learn more at http://facebook.com/BehindTheCounselorsDoor and http://KevinKuczynski.wix.com/AchieveGreatness

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

Back in the day, students only met with school counselors to discuss test scores and schedule classes. With today's students' increasing social and emotional needs, counselors play an essential role in helping teens navigate life. Yet some parents might be uncomfortable with what their kids discuss in "confidentiality" with a school counselor. High School counselor Kevin Kuczynski acknowledges that "confidentiality is something that very important with teens," however he also says that "I try really hard to keep the lines of communication open with parents, so that anything that is even a remote concern, I will encourage (kids) to talk to their parents about it." Annie talks with Kevin about what goes on behind the counselor's door and how parents and counselors can become partners in helping tweens and teens.

About Kevin Kuczynski

Kevin Kuczynski, MA, LLPC, LSC is a high school guidance counselor providing responsive services including counseling, consultation, referral, and peer mediation. He also helps students establish personal goals and develop future plans including college and career planning. Kevin is the author of Behind the Counselor's Door: Teenagers' Ture Confessions, Trials, and Triumphs. Learn more at http://facebook.com/BehindTheCounselorsDoor and http://KevinKuczynski.wix.com/AchieveGreatness

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

Today's tweens and teens spend a lot of time connected to each other on social media. Some of it is just chatter (like many of the texts we send to our friends and family!). But heart-to-heart connections also happen for teens via social media and they know the difference. Parents want to maintain the heart connection with their kids, but kids have ambivalence when it comes to "how close" to be with their parents. As Clinical psychologist Dr. Laura Markham says, "Parents make all kinds of missteps that make teens feel they don't want to be close (to us). When we parent out of fear we push them away." Annie talks with Laura about how to make fewer missteps and keep that parent-teen connection respectful and positive.

About Laura Markham (@DrLauraMarkham)

Dr. Laura Markham trained as a Clinical Psychologist, earning her PhD from Columbia University. She is the founding editor of AhaParenting.com and also serves as a parenting expert for Mothering.com, Psychology Today, The Natural Parent Magazine and others.

Dr. Laura's books include "Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting" and "Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings: How to Stop the Fighting and Raise Friends for Life." Her relationship-based parenting model has helped thousands of families across the U.S. and Canada find compassionate, common-sense solutions to everything from separation anxiety and sleep problems to sass talk and cell phones. Learn more at http://AhaParenting.com

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

Today's tweens and teens spend a lot of time connected to each other on social media. Some of it is just chatter (like many of the texts we send to our friends and family!). But heart-to-heart connections also happen for teens via social media and they know the difference. Parents want to maintain the heart connection with their kids, but kids have ambivalence when it comes to "how close" to be with their parents. As Clinical psychologist Dr. Laura Markham says, "Parents make all kinds of missteps that make teens feel they don't want to be close (to us). When we parent out of fear we push them away." Annie talks with Laura about how to make fewer missteps and keep that parent-teen connection respectful and positive.

About Laura Markham (@DrLauraMarkham)

Dr. Laura Markham trained as a Clinical Psychologist, earning her PhD from Columbia University. She is the founding editor of AhaParenting.com and also serves as a parenting expert for Mothering.com, Psychology Today, The Natural Parent Magazine and others.

Dr. Laura's books include "Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting" and "Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings: How to Stop the Fighting and Raise Friends for Life." Her relationship-based parenting model has helped thousands of families across the U.S. and Canada find compassionate, common-sense solutions to everything from separation anxiety and sleep problems to sass talk and cell phones. Learn more at http://AhaParenting.com

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

Gender Spectrum, a San Francisco Bay Area non-profit, has a mission to create gender sensitive and inclusive environments for all children and teens. That means places where kids have permission to be their full selves in terms of gender, without being harassed or discriminated against in any way. Joel Baum, Gender Spectrum's Senior Director of Professional Development &Family Services puts it this way, "In creating spaces for every child to be their true selves, my greatest motivation is that all children grow up in a world in which all genders are valued and respected." Annie talks with Joel about the role of families, educators, youth leaders and institutions in creating that world for all kids.

About Joel Baum and Gender Spectrum

Joel Baum is Gender Spectrum's Senior Director of Professional Development &Family Services. San Francisco Bay Area-based Gender Spectrum provides consultation, training and events designed to help youth, families, and organizations understand and address the concepts of gender identity and expression. The accessible, practical approach they use is based on research and experience, enabling our clients to gain a deeper understanding of gender all along the spectrum. In addition, Gender Spectrum provides an array of resources and services to address concepts of gender identity/expression, including how societal definitions of gender can be detrimental to any young person who does not fit neatly into these categories. Learn more at http://GenderSpectrum.org

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

Gender Spectrum, a San Francisco Bay Area non-profit, has a mission to create gender sensitive and inclusive environments for all children and teens. That means places where kids have permission to be their full selves in terms of gender, without being harassed or discriminated against in any way. Joel Baum, Gender Spectrum's Senior Director of Professional Development &Family Services puts it this way, "In creating spaces for every child to be their true selves, my greatest motivation is that all children grow up in a world in which all genders are valued and respected." Annie talks with Joel about the role of families, educators, youth leaders and institutions in creating that world for all kids.

About Joel Baum and Gender Spectrum

Joel Baum is Gender Spectrum's Senior Director of Professional Development &Family Services. San Francisco Bay Area-based Gender Spectrum provides consultation, training and events designed to help youth, families, and organizations understand and address the concepts of gender identity and expression. The accessible, practical approach they use is based on research and experience, enabling our clients to gain a deeper understanding of gender all along the spectrum. In addition, Gender Spectrum provides an array of resources and services to address concepts of gender identity/expression, including how societal definitions of gender can be detrimental to any young person who does not fit neatly into these categories. Learn more at http://GenderSpectrum.org

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

More than 80 percent of tweens and teens are frequent social media users and that number hasn't yet peaked. Through their constant plugged-in time they immerse themselves in pop culture and in the nuances of what their peers think and feel about everything. While our kids are often much more savvy about the latest apps, they are woefully ignorant of the ramifications of their online behavior. Deborah Owen says the most important thing parents can drive home to kids is the fact that "everything they put out there is available for everyone to see. Even if they (kids) think it's not. We tell kids that but they still don't get it!" Annie talks with Debbie about the role of parents in guiding kids in the Digital Age.

About Deborah C. Owen (@DeborahCOwen)

Deborah C. Owen is a former public school educator and parenting expert/coach. As the school librarian at several high schools, a middle school, and an elementary school, she saw many kids who were hurting, confused, angry, and unmotivated. She made it her mission in the library to create new kinds of projects that would inspire teenagers, that would be relevant to their daily issues, and that would instill the love of learning in their hearts and minds. Deborah is the founder of http://YouCanRaiseGreatKids.com and the author of Social Media Fascination: Embracing Social Media to Build Community, Trust, and Rapport. Learn more at http://YouCanRaiseGreatKids.com

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

More than 80 percent of tweens and teens are frequent social media users and that number hasn't yet peaked. Through their constant plugged-in time they immerse themselves in pop culture and in the nuances of what their peers think and feel about everything. While our kids are often much more savvy about the latest apps, they are woefully ignorant of the ramifications of their online behavior. Deborah Owen says the most important thing parents can drive home to kids is the fact that "everything they put out there is available for everyone to see. Even if they (kids) think it's not. We tell kids that but they still don't get it!" Annie talks with Debbie about the role of parents in guiding kids in the Digital Age.

About Deborah C. Owen (@DeborahCOwen)

Deborah C. Owen is a former public school educator and parenting expert/coach. As the school librarian at several high schools, a middle school, and an elementary school, she saw many kids who were hurting, confused, angry, and unmotivated. She made it her mission in the library to create new kinds of projects that would inspire teenagers, that would be relevant to their daily issues, and that would instill the love of learning in their hearts and minds. Deborah is the founder of http://YouCanRaiseGreatKids.com and the author of Social Media Fascination: Embracing Social Media to Build Community, Trust, and Rapport. Learn more at http://YouCanRaiseGreatKids.com

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

It's not easy being a teen. Being the parent of one is no walk in the park either. Actor/singer/songwriter Maggie Baird puts it this way, "You're so involved in your little kids' lives. You feel so needed. And then they get to be teenagers. They really really need you, but they don't display it in the same way. They don't necessarily want you to be quite as present, and you find yourself at a loss. How do you be this present parent without going out of your mind?" Annie talks with Maggie about her new film, "Life Inside Out," in which she co-stars with her son, songwriter, Finneas O'Connell. Life Inside Out is an honest and beautifully textured mother-son story, based on Maggie's family. Watch the film trailer.

About Maggie Baird (@MaggieBMusic)

Maggie Baird began her theatrical career in NYC performing on and Off Broadway and in theatres around the country. After moving to Los Angeles she became a company member of The Groundlings where she wrote and performed for many years, while working extensively in Television and Film on such productions as The X-Files, Chicago Hope, Six Feet Under, Manic, and countless others. She is also known for her work as a voice over artist both as a looper and in commercials, animation, and video games, most prominently as Samara in the Mass Effect series. As a singer/songwriter, she has released two CD's and performs her original music in clubs around Los Angeles. She is the co-writer and star of the feature film, "Life Inside Out." Learn more at http://LifeInsideOutTheMovie.com

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