Kids Under Construction

On today's episode of Kids Under Construction, Donna welcomes the very talented Bryce Dallas Howard. She's an acclaimed actress, mother and daughter to Hollywood film director Ron Howard and now she's following in her famous Father's footsteps with her first directorial feature documentary, "Dads" which celebrates the joys and challenges of parenting. In a time that's riddled with so much division, Bryce is honest and candid about the "Black Lives Matter" movement and stresses how it's essential as a white family to constantly talk about race and raise kids who are well-informed and all-inclusive. In her documentary, celebrities and "real life" Dads discuss the different stages of parenthood and reveal the one age they find most difficult. From Conan Obrien to Neil Patrick Harris to Jimmy Fallon, Bryce got these Dads to open up and share their different parenting styles including Will Smith who considers himself a master gardener. Bryce reveals her Dad was hesitant to be a part of the documentary, but explains why he ultimately decided to participate. The mother of two also reveals her emotional journey of isolation and loneliness after her pregnancy and how she was scared to reach out for help. Now, Bryce is returning to film her latest movie "Jurassic World: Dominion" and shares how she feels about being away during a pandemic. 

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In this honest and revealing episode, Donna is joined by two working parents of a beautiful blended family, Mark Paul Gosselaar and his wife Catriona. Mark-Paul has been a model and working actor since the age of five and you know him from the iconic TV show Saved By The Bell and more recently on ABC’s Mixed-Ish. Catriona Gosselaar is an advertising executive and together they have two gorgeous children, Dekker who’s in kindergarten and their younger daughter, Lachlyn. Mark-Paul reveals how production of the reboot of “Saved By The Bell” came to a halt when COVID-19 broke out and sent most of the country into quarantine. Mark-Paul and Cat discuss the many challenges that face them under COVID-19 stay at home orders, including homeschooling. We get a glimpse into the life of this amazing duo and how they juggle and tag team as parents and still are able to maintain their sanity through fitness and using exercise as their own personal time and a healthy break from it all. Together Donna, Mark-Paul and Cat discuss some of the anxieties children might be facing with the idea of reentry into society and school. How do we as parents address our kids’ anxiety while also making sure they’re conscious of their own health and safety? What about separation anxiety? Kids have had Mom and Dad at home practically 24/7 only to separate from them when they go to school in the fall. Mark-Paul and Kat get very honest and candid about seeking outside family help from renowned psychiatrist Dr. Charles Sophy and why professional help should never be stigmatized but promoted and discussed. The thoughtful and collaborative parenting style of this amazing couple is truly inspiring for all who listen!

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After nearly 3 months under stay at home orders due to COVID-19, our country was shocked and horrified by the images of the death of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer. Floyd’s death was the most recent in a series of black lives taken by law enforcement and it has outraged a country in the midst of a pandemic and already anxious and uneasy. Floyd’s death ignited protests, demonstrations and calls for equal justice and the end of police brutality. So, what does this mean for parents of all colors? It means the time to talk to each other about systemic racism is now. This is when our children will need our guidance, insight and wisdom to be able to process what’s is going on in their world. Donna is joined by her friend Lisa Kurtin who’s son Ellis is a dear friend to her son Asher. Lisa also happens to be a proud African-American woman who is willing to have this sometimes-uncomfortable discussion about systemic racism and the Black Lives Matter movement. Together Donna and Lisa have an informative and emotional conversation about race, injustice and white privilege. These two moms discuss what non-black people can do to become an ally to the African American community and help create momentum in a positive direction toward social justice to help end systemic racism. How can we educate ourselves on the history of centuries long racism? How can we really self-reflect and examine our beliefs in order to root out racism in all areas of our lives? What can we do to help in the fight for equality? This deeply provocative episode with two moms of two boys who are best buddies and don't see each other’s race but only the love and camaraderie of friendship.  How can we be more like them? The conversations however uncomfortable need to be had.  We all need to listen, learn and teach our children the value and meaning of equality for all.

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In this episode we explore nutrition, childhood obesity and how COVID-19 has changed our eating habits and nutritional decision-making. Donna is joined by Dr. Melina Jampolis.  Dr. Melina is an internist and board-certified physician nutrition specialist and author. There are many people cooking and baking at home as they spend their days together under stay in place orders. And if people are cooking, surely they’re eating too. So, what we cook or bake and the ingredients we select play a huge part of what’s on the dinner table or on the kitchen counter for snacking.  And if people are staying in place, they’re likely not exercising and that means they’re not burning the calories they consume. In America, childhood obesity affects one in five children and adolescents. Dr. Melina says we can use this time to teach our kids about making better food choices and how all of us can we make better choices for the whole family. Now is a great time to look at our nutrition habits and focus on how to eat healthfully during COVID-19. Dr. Melina breaks down how our diet affects us not only physically but also mentally and emotionally, especially during this extremely difficult time.  In addition to washing our hands, wearing a mask and following the guidelines, there are foods and nutrients that can support your immune health. Foods rich in vitamin C, zinc, beta carotene, and vitamin D. All of these things can really work together to get you to your peak health. It’s a great time to get kids excited about food and nutrition and teach them the importance of the quality of foods they put into their growing bodies!

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Today is the first episode of Daddy Talk With Donna. The role of fatherhood has gone through a huge change in just one generation and Donna wants to give dads a voice in the very mom-centric realm of parenting. What are dad’s thoughts on being a dad and how are they parenting differently from how their own father’s did? How are dads and kids together creating a new set of building blocks for families?  In this episode, Donna sits down with Chris Noth. He’s an actor whose been nominated for two Golden Globe and SAG awards and you know him from films and TV shows like The Good Wife, Law and Order and Sex And The City. Always in demand, Chris reveals projects he has in the pipeline, including a CBS reboot of The Equalizer with Queen Latifah. But what you might not know about him is that he can be found court side with his beautiful wife, Tara cheering on their basketball playing son, 12-year-old Orion.  More recently, Chis and Tara welcomed their second son, Keats just a few months ago. Chris joins Donna today like most of the country under shelter in place orders from the backyard of his California family home he calls “a cocoon of love.” He reveals what his life looks like today in our “new normal” and how his family is spending their time together.  Chris opens up about his own childhood and upbringing with a strong working mother who had her hands full with three boys. He reveals how as a kid growing up in the 1970’s, he had a lot of freedom and he got into his fair share of trouble, including alcohol and experimenting with drugs.  But Chris was able to pull his life together and get back on track when he persuaded his mom to allow him to attend The Barlow School, a progressive, co-educational school, where he thrived and found himself and the world of literature.  Chris sees how his troubled and mischievous younger years give him insight into what kind of father he is and how those early experiences influence his parental choices today. He says he doesn’t want to see his preteen son get into the same stuff he did and staying closely involved in his son’s life makes all the difference. Chris Noth is an accomplished actor and has taken on many roles, but the one that happens to be his favorite is that of being Dad.

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In this episode, Donna talks with two doctors at the top of their fields about recent developments and announcements surrounding COVID-19 and what they really mean. Doctor Shawn Nasseri is a Harvard educated Mayo Clinic trained ear nose and throat surgeon who has been practicing since 2000. He's recognized as one of the most highly sought after doctors of our time. His wife, Dr. Bita Nasseri is an anesthesiologist with 22 years of medical experience. Her training spans across the Mayo Clinic, USC and UCLA, with cardiac transplant, airway and outpatient anesthesia as her expertise. Being physicians and proud parents to three children, they both have a passion for science, medicine, health and wellness that includes preventative and holistic care.

There has been breaking news everyday about COVID-19 and most recently the drug Remdesivir has appeared in headlines. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, Remdesivir is showing significant positive effects as a treatment for Coronavirus.

And now, the US Food and Drug Administration is moving forward with emergency use authorization of Remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19. Dr. Shawn says Remdesivir is a drug that’s been around since the days of SARS but doesn’t come without its side effects. So what does this mean moving forward? Is there a glimmer of hope coming out of the world of medicine in this overwhelming reality of COVID-19 doom and gloom? What about vaccines that are in the pipeline? Dr. Shawn and Dr. Bita say that the fast track for any vaccine is going to be a minimum of 8 to 12 months. It’s a process that normally takes 3 to 5 years.

The doctors then shed light on the theory that heat and summer temperatures significantly weaken and can even kill the virus. Will summer sun and heat bring us out of quarantine?  California’s governor Newsom says he wants to get kids back in school in late July or early August to start the school year with restrictions. How could we possibly create social distancing restrictions in a classroom full of children? What impacts will it have on their anxiety level and how will it affect learning? The Doctors share their own ideas of how staggering school sessions between mornings and afternoons to lower the volume of children cross exposing each other could be a viable solution. They also shared the restrictions they have put on their own three children of varying ages including screen time and socializing. If you’re looking for answers to questions you might have about where we are and where we’re headed with Coronavirus, you’ll want to listen to this episode!

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Donna sits down with some of the helpers of COVID-19. “Look for the helpers” it’s the timeless quote from the late Fred Rogers. His mother reminded him to find these people in times of tragedy and crisis. Today we want to introduce you to three helpers who are working around the clock to help our children; especially children who are most at risk and vulnerable. Marla Knoll is a pediatric clinical social worker at UCLA and Natalie Hill is the president and executive director of the HoldYou Foundation, an organization on the front lines and really feeling the impact of COVID-19. Many families with children who are sick with compromised immune systems are already struggling with only one parent or caretaker able to work to keep the household afloat, while the other tends to the child’s medical needs. Now with the shelter in place orders as a result of COVID-19, many households have two out of work parents with no income and are stressed and anxious about their financial dire straits. Natalie and her foundation work with these families to secure funding so families can pay their bills and put food on the table. Marla Knoll is a pediatric clinical social worker who is on the front lines with families who have children with cancer. She shares the struggles the shelter in place orders present to families who need to take their kids to medical appointments and go grocery shopping with the added anxiety and fear that they might bring a contagion home with them. Marla reveals how her compassion and empathy as a social worker are more important now than ever. Nancy Stiles is the Executive Director of STARS. A nonprofit organization in Pasadena that works to empower, embolden and equip young people to help them create a life of service, purpose and meaning. Before COVID-19 their main focus was on after school programming in grades K -12 with one on one mentoring and summer enrichment programs for low-income families. Now over 85% of the families in Nancy’s area have lost their jobs or are facing reduced hours. STARS has been gathering donations and distributing them through an afterschool program sites with full grocery distribution. With this pandemic affecting almost every aspect of people’s lives, now more than ever we need our helpers. This is an excellent opportunity to teach our kids that you don’t have to help hundreds of people to be a helper. Helping just one person can build compassion, humility and empathy in our kids.

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Donna sits down with members and leaders of Little League Baseball and American Youth Soccer Organization to find out what is being done to bring team sports back to our kids. Millions of kids and parents alike are chomping at the bit to get our kids back on the field. When can we expect our kids to get back into the game and what will that look like in our “new normal?” Will parents be able to attend their kids’ games and cheer them on from the stands? Will players be able to high-five or shake hands? Little League Baseball President and CEO, Stephen Keener answers questions about youth baseball and when he thinks it will make a comeback. He reveals what is he hearing from officials and what we can expect in the months to come. Dave Hilton is President of Encino Little League, one of the largest leagues in Los Angeles with over 700 participants. He shares his perspective on the youth sports community at the local level. Dave knows first hand the way many kids and parents are feeling about having the season brought to a halt and how the financial fallout of COVID-19 is impacting kids sports. Andrew Bunnin has been a Little League Baseball coach for ten years. He’s also Donna’s husband and father to their two baseball-playing boys who are missing their favorite sport. But it’s not just the kids who are anxiously anticipating the return of sports; Andrew shares how many parents are longing to be back in the game, and how they miss watching their children play and experience the community of other parents and families. Then we move to the soccer field where there are over 50,000 teams and 600,000 players. Soccer is a huge part of our kids’ lives and kids have been benched from playing and parents have been sidelined as well. Scott Snyder is the Director of Programs and Education at American Youth Soccer Organization. He has more than 20 years of professional soccer education and management and lots of experience as a coach and instructor. He is also a former professional soccer player in England and the US. Yvonne Lara is the Director of Marketing and Communications at AYSO. Together they reveal how youth soccer has been affected by COVID-19, what’s being done to get our kids back on the field and how the landscape of the game has already changed. Will there be gameplay in the fall? Scott shares how there just might be a silver lining to all of this. If you’re home with restless kids who are longing to suit up and want to know when that might be, you’ll want to listen to this episode!

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Every second in America 30,000 people are watching porn, and every day 40 million people visit porn sites. Online porn sites get more visitors each month than Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined. About 1/3 of all web downloads in the United States are porn related. 1/3 of kids say they've seen porn by the age of 12 and the negative impact of this can be seen in teen pregnancies, low self-esteem and depression. My First guest, Gail Dines is a specialist in the study of pornography, Professor of Sociology and Women's Studies at Wheelock College in Boston. She is also the author of “Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality”. Gail says developing sexual templates in children are vulnerable to the negative impacts of early exposure to pornography. It's not just girls who are vulnerable, boys too can be traumatized and create unhealthy ideas of what sex is supposed to be, including violence and misogynistic scenarios. Porn talk is the new sex talk and we're going to find out from Gail why we must have this talk with our kids. Gail says if we as parents don’t talk to them, somebody else will. And potentially, that person could be a predator. Then we welcome Pattie Fitzgerald. She's the founder of Safety Ever After, a child safety educator, family coach and former preschool teacher. She penned the book, “No Trespassing: This Is My Body”. Pattie says we need to start teaching our kids about boundaries and ownership of their bodies when they are as young as two years old. She stresses that if don’t teach kids to own their bodies, they’ll grow up to make assumptions and be vulnerable to porn addiction and feelings of shame and low self-esteem. She wants to teach children that they are the bosses of their bodies. Pattie says 90% of children know their abusers and 35% are within the family. She reveals her simple “Stop-Go-Tell” method for children and how it can empower them to say no and stop an unwanted and possibly dangerous situation. Pattie says parents who come to her for help don't just want tips on how to talk to their children about pornography and sex; they want her to write the whole script. Many parents are very uncomfortable having this conversation. But after listening to this episode the hope is that you will feel empowered and walk away with some useful tools on how you can talk to your child about pornography and sex and teach them to have the confidence to create boundaries and make the right decision when it comes to their bodies.

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Now more than ever we need our journalists to provide the information we need to stay informed, be prepared and know what to expect in an almost constantly changing world. But whether it’s in a newsroom, on the street or in most cases, working from home, the responsibility is huge. Tara Finestone is Vice President and News Director at KCBS and KCAL in Los Angeles. She oversees one of the largest local broadcast and digital news departments in the country. She’s a veteran journalist with twenty years of local and national news experience, with four Emmy awards under her belt. Tara is a wife and mother to three sons, who happens to be a former colleague from my days at KNBC. Tara reveals a behind the scenes look into how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the newsroom and how she’s managing and keeping safe a staff of 180 people. What are journalists doing to protect themselves when they’re out on the beat gathering information for daily news reports? And how is the news itself changing? Tara reveals how she feels about the politicizing of the pandemic by some national news outlets and why it’s even more important now for local news to deliver unbiased information on what’s going on in our local communities. How the content of local news is evolving to be even more helpful to the community with new segments to help the unemployed find jobs and even resources for those encountering mental health issues. Tara gives her tips for how other working parents can manage their lives, do their jobs and be there for their children. She reveals her secret to managing her kids’ exposure to the news and how to talk to them about what they’re seeing and hearing. I hope you learn a little more about what goes into your local news reports and the awesome people behind them.

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