Parenting Our Future

My guest, Florence Ann Romano, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our discussion. In this episode, we are talking about keeping your kids safe when they are online, but also how to create safety within a family and community.

Our discussion starts with us talking about when it's the right time to give your child a phone or device and how we need to do some work to make sure they stay safe online.

Keeping your child safe requires communication and connection. Your kids also need connection with people outside your family so they have “trusted adults”. These are people they can come to and trust if for some reason, they can’t talk to their parents.

Florence Ann has given the best tool to help parents set this up! The “Village Building Chart” will guide you though who to pick for your family’s village! Every family need this and I SO ENCOURAGE you to fill this out with your kids and talk about who they feel is safe and who makes sense for the whole family!

For a copy of the “Village Building Chart”, you can download it from the Parent Toolbox. www.parent-toolbox.com

About Florence Ann Romano

Florence Ann Romano is a Village and Childcare Advocate, author, and philanthropist who has always had a special place in her heart for children. Romano worked as a nanny for over 15 years and believes the key to a family’s success lies in focusing on what she calls THE TRIFECTA - parent, child, and caretaker working in unison toward common, family goals.

Romano is the co-host of the podcast Finger Painting the Future, and her YouTube Series, Windy City Nanny, sheds light on the variety of childcare challenges we see across the country. Her children’s book, Nanny and Me, prepares children for the transition from being cared for solely by their parents to having a nanny in their home.

She has been featured on many national programs including Home & Family, The Doctor & The Diva, FOX News, Good Day Chicago, WGN, The Jenny McCarthy Show, SiriusXM, and more.

Born and raised just outside of Chicago, Romano earned a degree in performance theatre at Bradley University in Peoria, IL. She has served as President and Founder of a non-profit board dedicated to autism awareness and now serves on the Executive Board of the Children's Research Fund at Lurie's Children's Hospital and on the Leadership Council of The Sesame Workshop.

Contact Information:

Email: [email protected]

Social Media:

Book: Nanny and Me

Website: https://www.florenceann.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlorenceARomano/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/florenceann.romano

Milkshake Link in Bio: http://msha.ke/florenceannromano

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/florenceannromano/

Thanks for listening!

It means so much to me that you listened to my podcast! If you resonate with my message and would like my personal help in your parenting journey, I’d love to talk to you. Please visit my website to book a call with me where we can talk about your parenting frustrations and I’ll share how I can help you. www.parentingforconnection.com

My intention with my show is to build a community of parents that can have open and honest conversations about parenting without judgement or criticism. We have too much of that!

I honor each parent and their path towards becoming the best parent they can be. My hope is to inspire more parents to consider the practice of Peaceful Parenting.

If you know somebody who would benefit from this message, or would be an awesome addition to our community, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do...

Unfortunately, this is a topic we can’t stop talking about. The online safety of our children is something that needs to be at the forefront of our parenting. It’s one of the hardest topics to face in parenting because there are so many apps, and new ones all the time. It’s like trying to hit a moving target.

The world is so fortunate to have people like my guest Tania Haigh, who is advocating for our children’s safety in the online space. What I love about her message is that she wants kids to have fun online AND keep them safe.

In this episode, we talk about:

Please look at the PAXA site, there is a world of information that you will love! www.paxa.online

They have a FANTASTIC resource for parents, “PAXA Pointers Resource Guide,” for $20 that helps fund their programs. It will help you, and all parents and kids online!

**For all Parenting our Future listeners, they have given you their guide, “KIDS TOO Social Media Watch List for Parents” which can be found in the Parent Toolbox. www.parent-toolbox.com

For the other episodes related to this topic from Parenting our Future, find the links below:

Digital Distress: How our kids are impacted by social media with Dr lisa Strohman - https://www.parentingforconnection.com/parentingourfuture/episode/28af2ab4/digital-distress-how-our-kids-are-impacted-by-social-media-with-dr-lisa-strohman-or-pof125

Good Pictures, Bad Pictures; Porn-Proofing Kids - https://www.parentingforconnection.com/parentingourfuture/episode/2d7cbe0f/good-pictures-bad-pictures-porn-proofing-kids-or-pof54

Social Media Safety for Parents and Kids - https://www.parentingforconnection.com/parentingourfuture/episode/25b360da/social-media-safety-for-parents-and-kids-or-pof85

About Tania Haigh

Tania Haigh is a passionate advocate for protecting children from harm. Through her work as co-founder of Parents Against Child Sex Abuse (PAXA), Tania identified a need to elevate parents’ voices addressing child protection. After five years taking on one of the toughest epidemics impacting children, Tania has disrupted the child protection space launching the #KIDSTOO movement in November 2021. Beyond the hashtag, KIDS TOO builds on child sexual abuse, online safety and child poverty. Tania’s commitment to this work reflects her tenacity in creating solutions for these areas.

Contact information:

Email: [email protected]

[email protected]

Social Media:

Website: https://www.paxa.online/

https://www.kidstoo.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PAXAParents/

https://www.facebook.com/KIDSTOO_MVMT

Instagram: http://instagram.com/p.a.x.a.__

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kidstoo/about/

https://jm.linkedin.com/company/p-a-x-a

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KIDSTOOMVMT

https://twitter.com/P_A_X_A

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBWl4y6_DkFRbO-6CDzuaZw

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgz25A6PzM0lCX_XMkZoDIQ

Thanks for listening!

It means so much to me that you listened to my podcast! If you resonate with my message and would like my personal...

We are ALL a hot mess from time to time! There are days we just can’t even and I’m here to tell you that’s PERFECTLY OK! As parents we often struggle with “what is” and we fight against it, beat ourselves up, and say things should be different. What if instead, we could just accept that we just can’t even today? That today is a no makeup, stained shirt and greasy hair day? What I’m talking about is letting go of feeling we have to be perfect (I’ve talked about this so much). Here’s the thing, a day where you “just can’t even” doesn’t define you as a mom, or a woman!

We need to learn to challenge the unhelpful, negative and the often mean, internal dialog we have about ourselves in our heads. My guest Kaitlin Soule is an expert at helping women remove the unhelpful narratives we have running through our minds that can cost us our joy, freedom and health.

In this episode, we talk about:

How to examine the story you’re telling yourself rewrite your narrative, so you can show up differently in your life

Restore your sense of self by determining your “right now” values (this also helps you with boundaries!)

Use this new, values-led way forward with a daily commitment to (imperfectly) let your values be your life’s compass

How to move away from letting fear guide you in motherhood and beyond.

For a free download of Kaitlin’s book, “A Little Less of a Hot Mess: The Modern Mom’s Guide to Growth and Evolution”, you can find it in the Parent Toolbox! www.parent-toolbox.com

About Kaitlin Soule

Kaitlin Soule is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Anxiety and Women’s Mental Health Expert, Writer, Media Contributor, and mom to three under age 7. Her mission is to empower today’s women to say YES to themselves (in a world that so often tells them to say “no) so they can live aligned with their values, instead of guilt and fear. Even as a therapist, like many moms, Kaitlin found herself prioritizing everyone else’s needs before her own until an eye-opening experience gave her the epiphany that in order to evolve into the mother and person she was meant to be, she needed to STOP abandoning herself. Kaitlin wrote A Little Less of a Hot Mess: The Modern Mom's Guide to Growth and Evolution, to invite women to care for their mental health with a practical, framework, called imperfect growth and evolution™. Kaitlin hosts a podcast called, “A little Less of a Hot Mess: Off the Couch Conversation with A Therapist,” and acts as a Mental Health Expert/Consultant for various start-ups and agencies.

Contact information:

Email: [email protected]

Social Media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaitlin-soule-595548124/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kaitlinod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellnotesforher/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kaitlin_soule

Thanks for listening!

It means so much to me that you listened to my podcast! If you resonate with my message and would like my personal help in your parenting journey, I’d love to talk to you. Please visit my website to book a call with me where we can talk about your parenting frustrations and I’ll share how I can help you. www.parentingforconnection.com

My intention with my show is to build a community of parents that can have open and honest conversations about parenting without judgement or criticism. We have too much of that!

I honor each parent and their path towards becoming the best parent they can be. My hope is to inspire more parents to consider the practice of Peaceful Parenting.

If you know somebody who would benefit from this message, or would be an awesome addition to our community, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do...

From The Cat Came Back, Polly Wolly Doodle, We’re Gonna Shine, to You Can Do It (If You Try), once you hear Fred’s songs, you’ll be singing along all day.

Fred Penner has been the soundtrack to so many kids' lives and now those kids (myself included) are raising their kids on his music!

His positivity and upbeat music is fun to listen to for those young and old. His songs are about encouragement, love, kindness, feelings and being positive.

It was my sincere honour to interview Fred Penner for this episode.

In this episode, we talk about his 13th album, Hear the Music, current tour, his views on the state of parenting and families today, raising his own kids, how he creates his music and the messages in his songs.

It’s the most wonderful conversation that I know you will enjoy as much as I did. It was the perfect way to celebrate my 150th episode of Parenting our Future!

Fred’s tour dates include May 28th and 29th at the Arts Theatre in Surrey with Charlotte Diamond and Rick Scott. May 30th to June 5th at the Vancouver Children’s Festival on Granville Island, Vancouver.

We talked about a previous episode of Parenting our Future, with Dr. Shimi Kang, “The Tech Solution” the link is below

https://www.parentingforconnection.com/parentingourfuture/episode/cef039c6/the-tech-solution-with-dr-shimi-kang-or-pof62

For , you can download it from the Parent Toolbox. www.parent-toolbox.com

About Fred Penner

Fred Penner could be forgiven for wanting to hang up his guitar and just relax.

As Canada’s foremost family entertainer, the genial singer/songwriter really has nothing left to prove. Witness his 12 previous albums with their 10 JUNO Award nominations and three wins. See also Fred’s 12 seasons (and nearly 950 episodes!) hosting the hit CBC TV show, Fred Penner’s Place.

There are also his performances alongside luminaries including (but not limited to) Gordon Lightfoot, Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman, Raffi, Sharon Lois & Bram and Buffy Sainte-Marie; his status as the first kid's performer to headline the Los Angeles Amphitheater; his honourary doctorates and his prestigious Member of the Order of Canada and Member of the Order of Manitoba.

Oh, and let’s not forget his winning turn as emcee of the cutting-edge 2015 Polaris Music Prize or his altruistic, globe-trotting work as an Ambassador for World Vision.

All fabulous and notable. But at the end of the day, Fred loves making music and connecting with audiences of all ages. And so, despite a resume as long as it is glittery, Fred Penner is set to return with lucky album number 13, Hear The Music.

Hear The Music features a roll call of marquee Canadian talent including (but not limited to) Ron Sexsmith, Alex Cuba, Basia Bulat, The Good Lovelies, Terra Lightfoot, Afie Jurvanen (a.k.a Bahamas) plus backup vocals from Fred’s own family, all tethered to the sterling production of long-time collaborator Ken Whiteley.

Says Fred: “Hear The Music brings me together again with my dear friend, producer Ken Whiteley, who so lovingly guided me through the process of making this album. I am honoured to have worked with him and the wealth of passionate, talented musicians who provided their creativity and support on this exciting project!”

With 14 songs played by an acclaimed roster of musicians (jazz bassist George Koller, saxophonist Mike Murley) and with Fred himself on guitar, ukulele, harmonica, flute and jawharp, Hear The Music truly has something for everyone.

Social Media:

Website: http://fredpenner.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fred.penner.583

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pennerfred?lang=en

Thanks for listening!

It means so much to me that you listened to my podcast! If you resonate with my message and would like my personal help in

From littles, middles and grown & flown, this comedy trio has something for every mom to relate to and laugh about!

On this week’s episode, I’m talking to Meredith Masony and Dena Blizzard who make up two thirds of the “My Name is Not Mom” comedy show. You may know them online as @onefunnymother and @that’s_inappropriate (and third member, Tiffany Jenkins @jugglingthejenkins).

The moms with millions of followers have joined forces and taken their comedy on the road on North American tour. In our conversation we talk about their families, new show, how they spent Mother’s Day, kids pooping in the front yard and hiding from your toddler behind the dish display at a department store. You’ll have to tune in to find out more about those last two! ;)

To find out more about their show go to mynameisnotmom.com

For links to some of their funniest videos, visit the Parent Toolbox for a master list. www.parent-toolbox.com

About Tiffany Jenkins, Dena Blizzard and Meredith Masony

Tiffany Jenkins is the funny lady behind @jugglingthejenkins. She has over 7 million followers across all platforms and counting! Tiffany is a wife, mother, best-selling author, content creator and recovering addict. Although best known for her funny viral parenting videos, Tiffany is incredibly passionate about bringing awareness to addiction and mental illness. Tiffany believes the women share the same outlook when it comes to the necessity of incorporating humour into parenting, because if we aren’t laughing, then we will cry. A lot.

Meredith Masony is a wife to one, Mother to three, and is the emotional support person to two dogs. Meredith has over 4 million followers across social media platforms as a result of her unfiltered and somewhat chaotic parenting journey. Life isn’t supposed to be easy, but at least we can find the funny. Meredith, Dena, and Tiffany have found friendship due to their similar take on life, comedy, and doing their best to stay out of jail…because kids, and well, husbands. find her on instagram @thats_inappropriate

Dena Blizzard is a comedian, mother of three and creator of @onefunnymother, an Off Broadway show and media company dedicated to celebrating wine, women and laughing ‘til your face hurts. She is also a viral video star widely known for her “Back to School Rant” (96 M) and Chardonnay Go (24M), which is now a board game for “Wine Lovers, Moms and Other Shameless People.” Dena enjoys making videos about the plight of women and drinking wine on the internet. Her daily Facebook LIVE show, One Funny Morning, has over 25K daily viewers and she enjoys eating gluten free lasagna.

Social Media:

Website: www.mynameisnotmom.com

Thanks for listening!

It means so much to me that you listened to my podcast! If you resonate with my message and would like my personal help in your parenting journey, I’d love to talk to you. Please visit my website to book a call with me where we can talk about your parenting frustrations and I’ll share how I can help you. www.parentingforconnection.com

My intention with my show is to build a community of parents that can have open and honest conversations about parenting without judgement or criticism. We have too much of that!

I honor each parent and their path towards becoming the best parent they can be. My hope is to inspire more parents to consider the practice of Peaceful Parenting.

If you know somebody who would benefit from this message, or would be an awesome addition to our community, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in the comment section below!

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If you are looking for a great grad gift, you’ll want to consider my guest’s book: “Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You”. Why you ask? Because the way our kids are being taught to prepare for their future is NOT TEACHING THEM THE SKILLS THEY REALLY NEED!

My guest, Mark Herschberg (he’s amazing - read his bio below!) and I talk about the skills our kids need to learn in order to have jobs they love, make a great income and have everything they want in life and for their families. BUT in order to be really successful, there are relevant, timeless and universal skills our kids need to learn so they can make more money, thrive in their careers and have a happy life!

Being successful in any career and life isn't about how smart you are but more about how you can relate to other people and communicate effectively. In my conversation with Mark, we talk about these skills:

Every parent of a teenager or grad needs to hear what Mark has to say!

For a copy of Marks resources:

The Career Toolkit Development Program

Career Plan Questions

Candidate Interview Questions

The Career Toolkit Hiring Sheet and MORE, you can download it from the Parent Toolbox. www.parent-toolbox.com

About Mark Herschberg

Mark Herschberg is the author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia. He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT’s “career success accelerator,” where he teaches annually. At MIT, he received a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering & computer science, and a M.Eng. in electrical engineering & computer science, focusing on cryptography. At Harvard Business School, Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools. He also works with many non-profits, including Techie Youth and Plant A Million Corals. He was one of the top-ranked ballroom dancers in the country and now lives in New York City, where he is known for his social gatherings, including his annual Halloween party, as well as his diverse cufflink collection.

Contact information:

Email: [email protected]

Social Media:

Website: https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hershey/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecareertoolkit/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCareerToolkitBook

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CareerToolkitBk

Thanks for listening!

It means so much to me that you listened to my podcast! If you resonate with my message and would like my personal help in your parenting journey, I’d love to talk to you. Please visit my website to book a call with me where we can talk about your parenting frustrations and I’ll share how I can help you. www.parentingforconnection.com

My intention with my show is to build a community of parents that can have open and honest conversations about parenting without judgement or criticism. We have too much of that!

I honor each parent and their path towards becoming the best parent they can be. My hope is to inspire more parents to consider the practice of Peaceful Parenting.

If you know somebody who would benefit from this message, or would be...

How many of you wish you could talk to a loved one who’s passed on? What would it mean to you to be able to introduce your kids to a favourite relative who they never had a chance to meet? It makes me so sad to have lost my dad only 8 years ago and I wish I could pick up the phone and talk to him.

My guest, Heather Smith is the mastermind behind StoryFile which can capture the stories of your loved ones for generations to come! I first saw Heather on 60 minutes when she shared her work with Holocaust survivors in order to capture their stories so they don’t die with them. The link to the full interview is below. She has also interviewed astronauts, business leaders, actors, veterans, and people who are making a difference in the world today.

Her innovative AI technology allows you to interview your loved ones with curated questions, and from there, the AI takes over which allows you to ask questions and they’ll answer just as if they were sitting across from you. It’s amazing! You can try it out yourself on their site and ask William Shatner any question you like!

With Mother’s Day coming up, I can’t think of a better gift to give her than to capture her stories for future generations.

60 Minutes Interview: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/holocaust-stories-artificial-intelligence-60-minutes-2020-04-05/

Heather has a VALUABLE, some may say priceless gift for our listeners! In the toolbox you will find a coupon code for one free story pack and 33 extra questions. If you aren’t a part of the Parent Toolbox, join here: www.parent-toolbox.com

About Heather Smith

Heather Maio-Smith is an award-winning interactive storytelling pioneer and technology visionary who brings over a decade of immersive storytelling leadership to StoryFile. In 2010, Heather developed the first 3D interactive conversation with Holocaust Survivor Rose Schindler through her creative agency Conscience Display. At the time, she was creating physical video installations at the United Nations, USC, and in Havana, Cuba, but she understood that the future of storytelling lay at the intersection of digital media and ‘natural conversation’ and decided to create it.

Heather developed a strategic partnership with two global entities with competencies in visual media and technology - USC Shoah Foundation and the Institute for Creative Technologies. The partnership she led has resulted in the development of a new medium - natural conversation video. Through Heather’s leadership, immersive interactive natural conversation video has gone from being a concept to a reality, combining hi-fidelity multi-scopic video with voice commands to deliver commercial grade natural conversation with an individual, whether it’s a life-sized video or on your mobile device, replicating the emotional experience of having a conversation with a person. She developed and pioneered Dimensions in Testimony, a program to interview Holocaust Survivors in volumetric interactive video without that survivor actually being present. Dimensions in Testimony won both the People’s Choice Award and the Jury Prize at Sheffield Doc Fest in 2016. She produced and led the project before moving on to found and lead StoryFile.

Contact information:

Email: [email protected]

Social Media:

Website: https://storyfile.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyfile/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StoryFileApp/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/storyfile?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storyfile/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoki3E4CCSc0xko53isO0Jw

Thanks for listening!

It means so much to me that you listened to my podcast! If you resonate with my message and would like my personal help in your parenting journey, I’d love to talk to you....