Raising Me

Sigma, Skibidi, Rizz, Ohio, Aura. If you’ve heard those words around your house and thought, “Say what now?!”, you’re not alone.

This week on Raising Me we’re diving into the ever-evolving slang of today with a special guest, Philip Lindsay. "Mr. Lindsay" as he’s known by his students and hundreds of thousands of social media followers, is a youth pastor turned middle school special education math teacher turned social media star who’s even appeared on the Today Show.

On social media, Mr. Lindsay uses humor to help parents understand slang and what’s happening in schools, primarily middle schools, around the country. He also feels passionate about eliminating the stigma around special education. Find him on social:

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mr_lindsay_sped

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Welcome to Season 2 of Raising Me!

Sibling rivalry is a challenge nearly every parent faces. It’s the stuff that can turn a peaceful home into a battlefield, leaving parents feeling stressed and frustrated. Whether it's fighting over the last cookie, the TV remote, or just who gets the most attention, sibling rivalry can test even the most patient among us.

But here’s the good news: you’re not alone, and sibling rivalry isn’t all bad. In fact, these conflicts can offer valuable opportunities for children to learn essential life skills. Together, we’ll explore what drives sibling rivalry, how to navigate those difficult moments, and how to turn conflicts into positive learning experiences.

EPISODE EXPERT:

Rebecca Hoffman joins us for this episode. She’s a seasoned family therapist and Director of the MaineHealth Center for Trauma, Resilience, and Innovation. Hoffman is also an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine.

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In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain and introducing you to the people behind this podcast—parents just like you, navigating the ups and downs of raising a family while trying to figure it all out as they go.

Our team consists of three people: Megan Littlefield, Nate Eldridge, and Adrienne Stein. Together, we represent diverse parenting experiences, with children ranging from little ones just starting kindergarten to young adults finding their way in the world.

The heart of this podcast is about giving voice to the often-unspoken challenges of parenting—the uncertainties, the insecurities, the moments of confusion. We’re here to share these experiences openly, leaning on experts to help us unravel the stress, anxiety, and joy that comes with raising a family today.

What resonates with us from the experts varies as much as our own parenting journeys. Yet, each piece of advice is insightful and applicable in its own unique way.

We invite you to listen in and discover some of our top takeaways and join us for Season 2 of Raising Me starting Tuesday, September 3rd 2024. We’ll be navigating topics from sibling rivalry, to politics, mental health, co-parenting and blended families, even some financial investing 101.

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This week, we're taking another look at an earlier episode - The Sandwich Generation.

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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This week, as school approaches, we take a look back at an early episode about the complicated decision whether to allow your children to use social media. If so, how much should they use it and which apps are appropriate?

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.

About the guest:

Dr Jeffery Barkin is a psychiatrist in Maine. He is a Past President of the Maine Medical Association and the Maine Association of Psychiatric Physicians. In addition to practicing adult and forensic psychiatry, Dr. Barkin co-hosts A Healthy Conversation, a weekly award-winning radio show, on WGAN.

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Ready or not, back-to-school season is upon us. To help navigate this transition, we turned to experts for advice: Dr. Kristy Perkowski, a pediatrician, and Holly Lallemand, a seasoned elementary school teacher.

Dr. Perkowski and Lallemand offer a blend of medical and educational perspectives. Together, they provide valuable insights on preparing children for the new school year, focusing on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Whether your child has already started school or is gearing up to return, their tips can help set the stage for a successful year ahead.

About the guests:

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.

Holly Lallemand is a long- time educator who was born, raised and now raises her own family in Southern Maine. She has been teaching second grade for 24 years and has been part of many transitions to the beginning of the school year both as a mother and a teacher. Holly enjoys teaching all content areas, but specifically enjoys teaching mindfulness to young learners. To be witness to the honest conversations young students have with one another is what fuels her commitment and desire to classroom teaching. Holly graduated with a degree in Elementary Education, has a Masters in Special Education, a Graduate Certificate in Literacy instruction and a certificate in Social Emotional Learning.

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This week, Adrienne talks about parental burnout, a phenomenon that can strike at any time of the year. Perhaps you’re feeling it creep in over the summer. Despite the season's promise of sunshine, roses, and pool days, many of us are still working daily, shuttling our kids from one camp to another, trying to keep their calendars full until school resumes. Before you know it, it’s back to school and the rush to get ready. All you want is to relax on a beach or in a boat, or maybe simply time to yourself at home.

The burnout is real, regardless of why or when it happens. It can show up as fatigue, a short temper, or emotional shutdown, to name a few signs. Instead of simply trying to power through, in this week’s podcast episode Parenting Coach Ayanna Allen guides us through healthier, more productive ways to cope. She also explains healthy emotional regulation in the context of burnout.

About Ayanna:

Ayanna Allen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development with a focus on Early Childhood Development, is a certified Parenting Coach, and began her journey as a mother 14 years ago. Ayanna equips parents with skills and tools that; activate intentional parenting, improves self-awareness, increases patience, and sets a foundation for long standing and impactful connections with their children. Her coaching business is titled ‘Go Hard Parenting’ because parenting is hard, and she believes parents must “go harder”!

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This week, we're taking a second listen to one of our most downloaded episodes "A Rise of Meanness." Raising Me host Adrienne Stein has an engaging conversation about the effects of bullying behavior with Tänne Gabler, Child Therapist, LCSW, RPT. Find out how to talk to your kids about bullying - if they've been bullied or even if they've been accused of bullying behavior. Discover how to approach difficult conversations about bullying with your kids. Figure out when is the right time to step in and how to appropriately step in when there is a situation. And stay until the end to hear the research-backed strategy that can help to raise the most successful adults. 

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'Tis the season for summer jobs and many first-time jobs for kids. In this episode of Raising Me, we reflect on some of the key takeaways from our Money Mindset series – from teaching our kids about money to what allowance should look like and even understanding that we don’t have to be a financial expert to have a lot to offer our children when it comes to money lessons.

About the guest:

Mary is the Financial Education Program Manager at the Finance Authority of Maine, also known as FAME. Mary has served as President of the Maine Jumpstart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy. She’s also navigated these same challenges with her two boys.

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"Tech neck" is a potentially serious and peculiar topic that many of us might not be fully aware of yet: the physical issues caused by screen use. Imagine bodies growing tails due to prolonged screen time – weird, right? But it's a reality. This phenomenon is known as "tech neck" or "text neck" and it’s leading to pain and other ailments. In some cases, even tail-like physical changes in people. The long term consequences are unknown.

Dr. Allyson Coffin sheds light on this issue. Dr. Coffin has more than a decade of experience as a chiropractor, working in both New York and Maine. Her practice, Align with Allyson, is based in Maine. As a mom of two, she shares her insights into this new phenomenon, discussing why it's happening, what we know and don’t know about it, and offering advice on protecting our kids from these physical changes.

About the Guest:

Dr. Allyson 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. She is a competitive swimmer and her whole family loves all of the outdoor activities Maine has to offer. 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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