Raising Me

If you struggle to get your kids moving – especially in the winter – you’re not alone. In this week’s episode of Raising Me, Adrienne speaks with pediatrician Dr. Kristy Perkowski, DO about the importance of encouraging regular activity in your children. It can be difficult to motivate your kids to exercise. Dr. Perkowski has tips on how to get kids moving, the recommended amount of time for different age groups, and how to handle any resistance your kids might have.

About the guest - Dr. Kristy Perkowski, DO

Dr Kristy Perkowski, DO, is a pediatrician with the Dr. Harry E Davis Pediatric Center in Portland, Maine. It is her goal to be an approachable, empathetic pediatrician who uses current recommendations and science to care for the children in the community. She started at the pediatrics center in 2015 after receiving her American Board of Pediatrics certification in 2013.

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In this week’s episode, Adrienne speaks with Dr. Allyson Coffin, a Chiropractor and Owner of Align with Wellness in Yarmouth. Dr. Coffin and Adrienne discuss self-regulation; how to help our children when their big emotions get TOO big and how we can keep ourselves calm in those difficult situations. Hear about how cross-pattern brain exercises help kids stay regulated while watching TV - because sometimes screen time for the kids can help caregivers take some time for their own self-care. Dr. Coffin also offers strategies for all ages when feelings and/or pressures start to become overwhelming.

About Dr. Allyson Coffin

Dr. Coffin graduated Cum Laude from New York Chiropractic College obtaining her doctorate in chiropractic through the study of anatomy, physiology, and neuroscience. She worked in a multidisciplinary practice in New York with internists, orthopedists, physical therapists, and chiropractors, then moved to Maine—and opened Align with Wellness thirteen years ago. Dr. Coffin lives in Cumberland with her husband, two children and dog. Dr. Coffin is a member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (I.C.P.A) and Maine Chiropractic Association (M.C.A).

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In this week's episode, Adrienne interviews Titania Jordan, the CMO and Chief Parenting Officer at Bark Technologies, a content monitoring/parental control app and device aimed at keeping our kids safe online. They start off talking about some of the results from Bark's 2023 Annual Report, and then continue the conversation about online safety and the surprising things our kids are experiencing on social media. There's some good news too! Not everything online is dangerous - but Titania has some ways to make sure your child's experience stays on the good side of the internet.

About the expert: Titania Jordan is the Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Parent Officer of Bark Technologies, an online safety company that helps keep kids safe online and in real life. Titania has contributed to pieces in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Huffington Post, Fox Business, Daily Mail, USA Today, Vogue, and more. Her first book, Parenting in a Tech World, was published in 2020 and quickly became a bestseller on Amazon. In 2017, Titania founded a Facebook group where parents could come together and get advice on raising kids in the digital age, share stories, and learn the latest news about social media.

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Raising Me takes on the delicate, yet crucial topic of navigating conversations about divorce with your children and how to build healthy co-parenting relationships. Host Adrienne Stein speaks with Kids First Board of Directors member and recently retired child and family therapist Steve Young. Steve has worked with families for more than three decades, helping them through this challenging time in a healthy and productive way with the kids’ best interest at heart. They talk about how to tell your kids about a separation, how to communicate effectively with your co-parent, and resources you can reach out for if you need help in this difficult stage.

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Anxiety among kids is on the rise since the pandemic, which can heartbreaking - especially when parents don’t know how to best help their children. Raising Me host Adrienne Stein has an impactful conversation with Rebecca Hoffman, Director of MaineHealth’s Center for Trauma, Resilience, and Innovation. Rebecca shares early signs to watch out for, sheds light on why anxiety rates are skyrocketing, and explains why this topic matters for all of us, even those who don’t have kids dealing with anxiety. Plus, a look back at how we were raised when anxiety may not have been talked about as a disorder. 

About the guest: Rebecca Hoffmann is the Director of the MaineHealth Center for Trauma, Resilience, and Innovation and is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine. By training, Rebecca is a family therapist and has worked clinically for 25 years with children, families and communities. Rebecca’s primary work is in the fields of trauma, violence, resilience, and wellbeing. She has overseen large federally-funded behavioral health research and service grants that focus on providing care and treatment for children and families that have been exposed to trauma. These programs focus on prevention of childhood exposure to violence, implementation of evidence-based trauma treatment, and fostering professional resiliency. In addition, Rebecca has overseen programs in disaster mental health, and in helping communities heal after trauma. Rebecca has extensive training and practice in the fields of childhood trauma, wellbeing and resilience, community coalition building, and collective healing. She has published numerous articles, book chapters, and other resources in this field.

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This week's episode is a little different... As we move into a New Year, we're going to go over some of the lessons we learned in 2023. From helping our kids deal with bullying in 'Rise in Meanness' to navigating the stress and pressure of caring for multiple generations in 'Sandwiched Generation.' Of course, we always have questions around disciplining our children - are we doing it right, are we traumatizing our kids - get some reassurance with our clip from "Discipline Dynamics." Plus we've learned how to translate slang in 'Vibes to Cap' and how to give ourselves grace during the most overwhelming times in “Seasonal Stress."

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Have you checked the price of college lately? It can be serious sticker shock. According to educationdata.org, it costs more than $100,000 for an in-state school, and more than $220,000 for a private university. Whether you have a toddler or a teenager, it’s never too late to start planning. Raising Me host Adrienne Stein and the Manager of College Access and Outreach at FAME talk about where to start, even if you already have a high schooler, and why even small amounts can make a big difference.

About the guest:

Mila Tappan is the Manager of College Access and Outreach at the Finance Authority of Maine. Our team at FAME helps people figure out how to plan and pay for higher education. Prior to coming to FAME in 2008, Mila worked as an Associate Director of Financial Aid at the University of Maine for 16 years. Mila is also the mother of two young men, Alex and Noah, who are 28 and 23. They navigated this college-saving journey firsthand, which she said was very different than doing it for work.

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If you’re the parent or caregiver of a "picky eater" you know the stress it can cause at mealtimes; along with the worry about nutrition. It’s not something all kids just grow out of either. In this episode, Raising Me host Adrienne Stein talks with Registered Dietitian Kate Gosselin about some of the reasons behind picky eating, what we can do to stop the cycle of making multiple meals, and when professional help might be needed.

About the guest:

With more than 10 years of experience as a diabetes educator and more than 15 years of experience as a registered dietitian, Kathryn Gosselin is passionate about helping people understand and overcome nutritional challenges. Kathryn works as a Diabetes Educator at Northern Light Mercy Endocrinology and Diabetes Center and recently taught cooking classes for children at risk for obesity through a grant. She also teaches cooking and nutrition classes for people with Multiple Sclerosis.

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The unpaid work by family caregivers across the country amounts to $600 billion, according to the AARP. The same survey found 52% of caregivers experienced income loss due to missed work. Those numbers paint an eye-opening reality for adults in the so-called "sandwich generation." That’s the term for those caught between caring for aging parents while raising their own children.

Raising Me host Adrienne Stein dives into the stresses, both financially and emotionally, as well as resources available to help with LCSW Becky Hadiaris. Becky is the Manager of the Family Caregiver Support Program at Southern Maine Agency on Aging. They discuss the challenges faced by those in the sandwich generation, the resources available to help and the proactive ways to potentially mitigate the effects of caregiving responsibilities for our own children.

About the guest:

Becky Hadiaris is an LCSW with 20 years of experience working in the aging and disability field. She is the Manager of the Family Caregiver Support Program at Southern Maine Agency on Aging. She has a passion for helping caregivers navigate the complex healthcare system, as well as provide emotional support, education and programming to caregivers in York & Cumberland counties.

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If you’ve struggled with when, or if, you should allow your kids to get social media, you are in good company. Many, if not most, parents do. Raising Me host Adrienne Stein asks Dr. Jeffery Barkin about how to know when our kids are ready, how we should monitor it, along with both the positive and negative sides of social media.

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