We’re all well familiar with ads, TV commercials, and magazines full of tips and examples of how girls and women can get and maintain that “perfect body”; it’s an unfortunate staple of our culture uplifting one body type above all others as the “ideal.” However, that staple is not limited to girls and women only—there’s no shortage of movies, magazines and commercials outlining the “perfect body” type for boys and men as well. Author and body image expert Dr. Charlotte Markey joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler for a serious discussion on how conversations about boys and body image are important, how to be more open and show your sons it’s okay to be vulnerable sometimes, and how to help them understand and become comfortable with their body type, whatever type that may be.

Our Guest: Charlotte Markey

Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 233

From Sandy:

Are you stressed but don't have time to deal with it? Grab Sandy Fowler’s complimentary lesson at http://sandyfowler.com/notime to find out how to start feeling better today.

Our Sponsor: 

Troomi—cell phones that help your child learn to live online safely and in a healthy way while giving parents peace of mind. Visit troomi.com and use the code MIGHTYPARENTING to save $50

It’s a constant around the world that nobody knows what they’re getting into when they first become parents. Parenting problems pop up everywhere and it’s exhausting at times, trying to maintain a decent relationship with your teen while still being an authority figure. So when our teens are struggling or lashing out or having issues, we tend to assume that they’re the problem. Sometimes they are—but sometimes they’re not. Parenting coach Kim Muench joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to discuss how our own limiting beliefs about ourselves may have influenced how we parent our children, how focusing solely on behavior can create power struggles, and how we can alter our parenting style to parent with our kids instead of over them.

Our Guest: Kim Muench

Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 232

From Sandy:

Are you stressed but don't have time to deal with it? Grab Sandy Fowler’s complimentary lesson at http://sandyfowler.com/notime to find out how to start feeling better today.

Our Sponsor: 

Troomi—cell phones that help your child learn to live online safely and in a healthy way while giving parents peace of mind. Visit Troomi.com and use the code MIGHTYPARENTING to save $50

Sorry about the mishap! The audio has been updated. Enjoy!

COVID-19 charged into our world in 2019 and upended our entire lives, regardless of where we lived, how much we made, or whether we had kids or not. Now, three years later, we’re living in a world irrevocably changed and maybe we should be used to that by now—but those changes certainly haven’t made parenting any easier or less stressful. Parenting consultant Carol Muleta is raising twin teens and knows intimately the struggles of parenting in the pandemic. She joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to share parenting strategies, tips for regaining the joy in raising a child, and a reminder that we are not alone and never have been in this effort—even if it feels like we are.

Our Guest: Carol Muleta

Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 231

From Sandy:

Are you stressed but don't have time to deal with it? Grab Sandy Fowler’s complimentary lesson at http://sandyfowler.com/notime to find out how to start feeling better today.

Our Sponsor: 

Troomi—cell phones that help your child learn to live online safely and in a healthy way while giving parents peace of mind. Visit Troomi.com and use the code MIGHTYPARENTING to save $50

COVID-19 charged into our world in 2019 and upended our entire lives, regardless of where we lived, how much we made, or whether we had kids or not. Now, three years later, we’re living in a world irrevocably changed and maybe we should be used to that by now—but those changes certainly haven’t made parenting any easier or less stressful. Parenting consultant Carol Muleta is raising twin teens and knows intimately the struggles of parenting in the pandemic. She joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to share parenting strategies, tips for regaining the joy in raising a child, and a reminder that we are not alone and never have been in this effort—even if it feels like we are.

Our Guest: Carol Muleta

Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 231

From Sandy:

Are you stressed but don't have time to deal with it? Grab Sandy Fowler’s complimentary lesson at http://sandyfowler.com/notime to find out how to start feeling better today.

Our Sponsor: 

Troomi—cell phones that help your child learn to live online safely and in a healthy way while giving parents peace of mind. Visit Troomi.com and use the code MIGHTYPARENTING to save $50

It’s said that once something is on the internet, it’s there forever. Given the rise of the digital age and how intertwined the internet is in our teens’ lives, it’s not a surprise that they post things constantly—the key is that they’re not always aware of the consequences, short- and long-term, of certain comments, posted videos or shared photos on their reputations and futures. Evan Nierman makes his living in PR management and crisis resolution for clients around the world; today he’s joining Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to discuss how teens can fall into social media pit traps, what the legal consequences might be for seemingly innocuous actions, and how we as parents can pull our teens up before they go too far and get into serious trouble.

Our Guest: Evan Nierman

Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 229

Our Sponsor: 

Inward Bound Mindfulness Education — Mindfulness courses and retreats for teens and adults 

iBme offers online and in-person retreats, mindfulness courses, and weekly meditations tailored for various communities of teens and young adults (and even parents!) Visit iBme.com/mightyparenting  to learn more and register for programs, including in-person summer retreats.

Troomi—cell phones that help your child learn to live online safely and in a healthy way while giving parents peace of mind. Visit Troomi.com and use the code MIGHTYPARENTING to save $50

One of the major problems our kids have with education after high school is that there are so many options to choose from, and those options don’t narrow much if they decide they want to go to college—there’s everything from the degree type, to the area of study, to the scholarship and financial aid options, to the commute, and so on. Student mentor Emma B Perez is back to answer parents’ and students’ most burning question: What is the best way to choose a college? She joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to give us choices and answers to narrow down our kids’ options and reduce their stress levels surrounding choosing the next step in their future.

Our Guest: Emma B Perez

Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 226

Our Sponsor: 

Inward Bound Mindfulness Education — Mindfulness courses and retreats for teens and adults 

iBme offers online and in-person retreats, mindfulness courses, and weekly meditations tailored for various communities of teens and young adults (and even parents!) Visit iBme.com/mightyparenting  to learn more and register for programs, including in-person summer retreats.

When we were in high school and college, smoking a joint of marijuana was a way to be cool, to get a little high and have a little fun. Today's marijuana is a very different beast. Laura Stack lost her son to suicide after he became addicted to marijuana; today, she joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to discuss how marijuana has changed from our school days, what it means to smoke marijuana today, and how we can protect our kids from addiction and worse.

Our Guest: Laura Stack

Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 224

Our Sponsor: 

Inward Bound Mindfulness Education — Mindfulness courses and retreats for teens and adults 

iBme offers online and in-person retreats, mindfulness courses, and weekly meditations tailored for various communities of teens and young adults (and even parents!) Visit iBme.com/mightyparenting  to learn more and register for programs, including in-person summer retreats.

The first thing to remember is that trauma is experienced differently and means different things to every individual. There is no comparison or contest; understanding trauma means understanding yourself and what affects you. Meditation teacher and trauma student Sara Shapouri joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to help us recognize that, to help us understand how events and acts like racial micro-aggressions can build up to a traumatic point, to see where trauma hides in wisdom passed from generation to generation; and to show us that there is no shame or weakness in having experienced it.

Our Guest: Sara Shapouri

Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 223

Our Sponsor: 

Inward Bound Mindfulness Education — Mindfulness courses and retreats for teens and adults 

iBme offers online and in-person retreats, mindfulness courses, and weekly meditations tailored for various communities of teens and young adults (and even parents!) Visit iBme.com/mightyparenting  to learn more and register for programs, including in-person summer retreats.

Everyone is assigned a gender when they're born. For some people that's fine, and they keep using that gender in their lives. For others, it's not—it's uncomfortable or downright painful, and they're not sure why, or what other options they have to feel truly comfortable with themselves. Rae McDaniel has experienced this and understands it; they're here with Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to discuss what gender means, the gender and sexuality spectrum, and how you can work with your child to understand their struggle and help them feel safe as they explore this part of living for the first time.

Our Guest: Rae McDaniel

Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 221

Our Sponsor: 

Inward Bound Mindfulness Education — Mindfulness courses and retreats for teens and adults 

iBme offers online and in-person retreats, mindfulness courses, and weekly meditations tailored for various communities of teens and young adults. Visit iBme.com/mightyparenting  to learn more and register for programs, including in-person summer retreats.

There's nothing quite so intimidating for teens as putting themselves out there and interviewing for their first job, whether it's waiting tables or fixing computers. Choosing a career can be a complicated process with a number of factors from personal skills to college class choices. Career and life design coach Emma B Perez knows this and is here to help us, parents and teens alike. Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler interviews Emma about changing freelance job market trends, varied options for education after high school, and how our teens need to look at choosing a career path for their futures.

Our Guest: Emma B Perez

Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 217

From Sandy: 

It’s easier to listen and connect with your teenager when you are calm. Grab Sandy’s complimentary lesson on finding calm at https://sandyfowler.com