Notes from the Backpack: A PTA Podcast

Whether your child is transitioning to a new school or a new country, change can be hard. We can learn a lot from military families who experience these types of transitions more frequently than most. Dr. Keith Mispagel, superintendent of Fort Leavenworth Unified School District, talks with our hosts about helping children adjust to new environments.

Resources:

• Learn more about Keith Mispagel and his school district at usd207.org and follow Keith on social media at @KMispagel 
• Discover resources for military families at militaryfamily.org and militaryimpactedschoolsassociation.org

Celebrity chef, Duff Goldman, joins the show to help you and your family have a blast in the kitchen. Duff shares tips for teaching your kids science while cooking and helping them develop independence and confidence using tools and appliances. The hosts also discuss his parenting style and cooking journey!

Resources:

• Watch Duff’s Happy Fun Bake Time with the whole family and check out Duff’s cookbook, Super Good Baking for Kids 
• Read “7 Tips to Get Kids into Cooking at Home” on PTA’s Our Children online magazine
• Follow Duff on social media @DuffGoldman 

From people who mispronounce your child’s name to teachers who expect them to explain your family’s holiday traditions to the class, your child may be struggling with the pressure to represent an entire culture. Actress and author Sheetal Sheth joins the show to discuss how families can help kids embrace their identities and explains how she shared her own identity and experience as a mother in her children’s books Always Anjali and Bravo Anjali.

Resources:

• Read Always Anjali and the sequel, Bravo Anjali, with your kids
• Follow Sheetal on social media @SheetalSheth
• Listen to Talking Race & KidLit with Kwame Alexander to learn more about diversifying your children’s library

Help your child channel their frustrations into social action! This week, our hosts chatted with author and founder of 1000 Black Girl Books, Marley Dias, and her mom, Dr. Janice Johnson Dias, who is an educator and author as well. They share how you can help your child develop their entrepreneurial spirit and enhance their problem solving skills—all while making the world a better place!

Resources:

• Learn more about the 1000 Black Girl Books Campaign and how you can get involved
• Watch Marley in the Netflix series, Bookmarks
• Follow Marley on social media @IAmMarleyDias and read her book Marley Dias Gets It Done and So Can You
• Follow Dr. Janice on social media @DrJaniceJohnsonDias and read her book Parent Like It Matters: How to Raise Joyful, Changemaking Girls

How can schools do a better job affirming children’s racial identities? Dr. Shawn Jones, psychologist and professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University, joined the podcast to offer guidance on creating schools that better serve students of color. He shares how families can help by talking openly and honestly about their own experiences with race. He also offers suggestions for how white families can be part of the effort to create more affirming schools for students of color.

• For more advice on talking to your children about race, listen to our podcast episode Raising Kids Who Embrace Race
• Learn more from Dr. Shawn Jones in Embrace Race’s webinar, “Managing Racial Stress and Teaching Kids to Do the Same”
• Read “How To Talk To Your Child About Racism” on PTA’s Our Children online magazine
• Follow Dr. Shawn Jones on social media @SCTJones and his podcast Our Mental Health Minute @OurMHM

From the cyberbullying risks to dangerous social media challenges, many parents feel terrified when their child enters the world of social media. How can families have proactive discussions about navigating the online world responsibly? Dr. Sameer Hinduja, director of the Cyberbullying Research Center joins the show to share practical tips and respond to some of your most commonly asked questions!

• Visit cyberbullying.org for lots of helpful resources for parents, educators and students!
• Learn more about our guest—and reach out to him directly with your own questions—at hinduja.org. You can also follow him on social media @Hinduja  
• Explore the SEL in Digital Life Resource Center from Common Sense Media 
• Have a conversation with your children about technology using tips from TheSmartTalk.org 

Thanks to NortonLifeLock, a longtime Proud National PTA Sponsor, for supporting this episode. 

What life skills does your child need to thrive? There’s a lot of learning happening in schools that goes beyond academics. Karen Van Ausdal joined our hosts to talk about Social and Emotional Learning. She shares what Social and Emotional Learning looks like, why it’s important and how families can support.

Resources:

• Explore CASEL’s helpful tools including the SEL Roadmap, the CASEL Guide to Schoolwide SEL and the SEL Discussion Series for Parents and Caregivers (also available in Spanish)
• Don’t miss CASEL’s videos, What is SEL and Schoolwide SEL: Authentic Family Partnerships 
• Follow CASEL on social media @CASELOrg 
• Read “Teaching Social and Emotional Skills at Home” in PTA’s Our Children online magazine
• Check out even more SEL resources at PTA.org/socialemotional

As we enter our second Back-to-School season filled with COVID-19 safety precautions, it’s vital that you stay informed. We invited a special guest, Captain Erin Sauber-Schatz, community guidance subject matter expert for CDC's COVID-19 Response, to share the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

Resources:

• Watch National PTA’s Back to Class Virtual Town Hall hosted in partnership with the CDC.
• Read through the CDC’s Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools, their Back to School Reminders and information about School Testing for COVID-19 .
• Listen to the CDC’s five-minute podcast episode Transitioning Back to School or Early Child Education
• Explore the CDC’s COVID-19 Parental Resources Kit available in English & Spanish
• Follow the CDC on social media at @CDCgov

Did your last power struggle with your child leave you feeling burnt out? What if we shifted our mindset around parenting, and stopped trying to make our kids happy all the time? Dr. Shefali, a clinical psychologist and author, whose work has been endorsed by Oprah, joins our hosts to discuss parent self-care. She shares her own parenting experiences and philosophy and offers advice on letting go and learning to live in the now. 

Resources:

• Read Self Care in the Time of Coronavirus in Our Children, PTA’s online magazine
• Get a copy of Superpowered: Transforming Anxiety into Courage, Confidence and Resilience for your child (ages 8-15) 
• Learn more about our expert guest at drshefali.com

Let’s start talking about mental health! For too long, we’ve stigmatized mental health issues and it’s time to have open conversations with our friends and family. We talked to mental health advocate, Allison Raskin, about her personal journey and work to destigmatize these topics. She offers advice for normalizing discussions of mental health in your family and community!

Resources:

• Follow Allison’s mental health social media channel @EmotionalSupportLady and join her Patreon community.
• Visit NAMI’s webpage to learn more about mental health stigma and pledge to be StigmaFree. 
• For more information about OCD, visit the International OCD Foundation website.