Raising Resilient Kids: For Parents, Teachers and All Who Work with Kids

In this episode, Tom and Jeannie sit down with Lisa Danehy — educator, yoga therapist, and founder of the nonprofit Create Calm — to talk about bringing calm and connection into schools and homes. 

Lisa, who has over 30 years of experience as a school administrator and SEL curriculum developer, shares practical rituals and routines teachers can use to build safety and stability into the school day, from grounding themselves before entering the classroom to using consistent breathing and movement cues during transitions. She dives into the concept of co-regulation — how a teacher's or parent's own nervous system state influences the kids around them.

Lisa also lead us through a hands-on breathing and movement exercise listeners can try at home or in the classroom as well as a short guided exercise you can use to reconnect with what brings you joy.

Lisa Dahahy Bio

Lisa Danahy is an educator, yoga therapist, and the founder of Create Calm, a non-profit that has brought specialized yoga and mindfulness programming to hundreds of schools and community organizations across the country. 

Lisa holds a Master's in Yoga Therapy and a BA in Psychology, and brings over 30 years of experience as a school administrator and SEL curriculum developer. She specializes in helping neurodiverse, disabled, and underserved children and young adults — and in training educators, parents, and caregivers in practical tools for self-care and resilience. 

She's also a Hay House featured author and has been a guest on dozens of podcasts and national conference stages.

For more information on Lisa and her programs please visit - www.CreateCalm.org 

Thank you

Thank you for listening to the Raising Resilient Kids Podcast! We are siblings on a mission to help kids become their strongest selves. Each episode, we share proven strategies with parents, teachers, and all who work with youth and teens to build resilient, confident kids who can tackle life's challenges and thrive.

For more information on the podcast, or if you have a question you would like answered by one of our expert guests, please visit us at – 

https://www.smarthwp.com/raisingresilientkidspodcast.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

• Mind of a Champion 
• The So Happy You're Here YouTube Channel
• The Resilient Youth Certification Program -
  

In this episode of the Raising Resilient Kids Podcast, Tom and Jeannie sit down with Justin Wharrie, a high school PE, health, and driver's ed teacher and coach, to talk about how he's built a simple, consistent mental fitness practice into his classroom using free videos on YouTube — just ten minutes a week, starting on day one of the school year. 

Listeners will walk away with a real, classroom-tested blueprint for introducing SEL and mental fitness techniques to kids, handling pushback from skeptical students, and helping young people build the kind of resilience that carries them well beyond the classroom.

Justin Wharrie Bio

Justin is a teacher at Gardner-South Wilmington High School in Coal City, Illinois, where he teaches Driver's Education, Physical Education, and Lifetime Fitness. He also coaches basketball and baseball at the school.  Justin came to teaching later in life — after more than 20 years working in road construction — and is now in his fourth year of teaching. He attended Illinois Valley Community College and graduated from Chicago State University, where he played college baseball at both schools. Outside of work, he enjoys golfing, swimming, and spending time with his six-year-old daughter.

Justin's Favorite Mental Fitness Techniques

• Hot Air Balloon Visualization - https://youtu.be/ijClLmCogHE 

• Concentration Grid - https://youtu.be/1Y3i8LFy3cA 

Full Mental Fitness Technique of the Week Playlist (100+ Videos)

• https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX5c7undf17cZO735JOBCrwhTcvgldLX5 

THANK YOU!

Thank you for listening to the Raising Resilient Kids Podcast! We are siblings on a mission to help kids become their strongest selves. Each episode, we share proven strategies with parents, teachers, and all who work with youth and teens to build resilient, confident kids who can tackle life's challenges and thrive.

For more information on the podcast, or if you have a question you would like answered by one of our expert guests, please visit us at – 

https://www.smarthwp.com/raisingresilientkidspodcast.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Mind of a Champion 

The So Happy You're Here YouTube Channel

The Resilient Youth Certification Program

Are your kids glued to their screens, and you're not sure how to set limits without starting a battle? Wellness coach Nicole Briggs breaks down her screen time guidelines by age and explains why boredom isn't something to fix, but something to protect.

Nicole also reveals the two techniques that resonate most with the kids she coaches — minis and positive self-talk — and how she gets even the most resistant kids to buy in. 

Finally, Nicole shares her favorite practical tool — the Energy Audit — a simple exercise that can help you identify what drains you and what fills you up, so you can show up as your best self for the kids in your life.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, coach or anyone who works with kids and teens, this episode is packed with actionable wisdom you can use today.

About Nicole

Nicole Briggs has been in the wellness industry for over 25 years and has had the privilege of helping more than 10,000 people — from teens to veterans — find relief from stress and reconnect with their health and well-being.

Her journey began with a Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience and a deep curiosity about the human mind and body. That curiosity led her to train at Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital's Mind Body Medicine Program as a Positivity and Resilience Trainer. She is also a certified Life Coach.

Today, at Bella Viva Wellness, Nicole helps clients heal from the inside out — teaching them how to relax, unwind the effects of stress, and create real, lasting change. She is passionate about helping her clients learn how to manage stress, because when they do, something powerful happens — they rediscover joy, resilience, and better health.

Learn more at: https://www.bellavivacapecod.com/ 

Thank You

Thank you for listening to the Raising Resilient Kids Podcast! We are siblings on a mission to help kids become their strongest selves. Each episode, we share proven strategies with parents, teachers, and all who work with youth and teens to build resilient, confident kids who can tackle life's challenges and thrive.

For more information on the podcast, or if you have a question you would like answered by one of our expert guests, please visit us at – 

https://www.smarthwp.com/raisingresilientkidspodcast.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

Mind of a Champion 

https://smart-hwp.teachable.com/a/aff_9pt0kd23/external?affcode=246901_xpbs0um0

The So Happy You're Here YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@sohappyyouarehere

The Resilient Youth Certification Program - https://www.smarthwp.com/resilient-youth-certification

What if the most powerful resilience lessons your teen will ever receive aren't coming from you — they're coming from the athletes they already admire?

In this episode, Tom and Jeannie sit down with Dan Gold, award-winning author of the Game Changers series — books that use true stories of famous athletes and coaches to teach teens resilience, mental toughness, leadership, and character. Dan is a former surgeon, father of four, and lifelong sports fan who discovered that the lessons he learned on the field as a kid were the same ones that carried him through medical school, residency, and years in the operating room.

In this conversation, you'll discover:

• Why Simone Biles represents a complete picture of resilience — across three distinct, life-defining moments

• The Andre Agassi story: a cautionary tale for parents about the real cost of pushing kids toward goals that aren't their own

• How Tom Brady was passed over 198 times before being drafted — and why the most powerful comeback is often invisible until it isn't

• Three teachable mental skills that elite athletes use and your kid can develop too

• How the Game Changers books are structured to spark real conversations between parents and teens without lecturing

• Why teens ages 13–17 are actually hungry for nuanced, complex stories — and how to use that developmental readiness to your advantage

Dan's books are available on Amazon:

• Game Changers: Inspirational Sports Stories — An Empowering Playbook for Teens to Build Resilience, Crush Goals and Cultivate Exceptional Character

• Game Changers 2: Inspirational Coaches Stories — A Second Playbook for Teens to Build Confidence, Strengthen Character and Lead with Heart

Visit Dan's website: https://gamechangerstories.com/⁠ 

ABOUT DAN GOLD

Dan Gold is a lifelong sports fan, father of four, former surgeon, and storyteller who believes the lessons learned through sports mirror the lessons that matter most in life. As a dad and youth coach, he saw firsthand how sports shape young people into stronger, more grounded individuals. That belief is at the heart of his award-winning Game Changers series, which shares true stories of athletes and coaches whose lives remind readers that real success is measured not by wins, but by effort, resilience, integrity, and heart. His debut, Game Changers: Inspirational Sports Stories, earned a 2025 Reader's Favorite Gold Medal and continues to inspire teens, parents, and coaches alike.

CONCLUSION

Thank you for listening to the Raising Resilient Kids Podcast! We are siblings on a mission to help kids become their strongest selves. Each episode, we share proven strategies with parents, teachers, and all who work with youth and teens to build resilient, confident kids who can tackle life's challenges and thrive.

For more information on the podcast, or if you have a question you would like answered by one of our expert guests, please visit us at – 

https://www.smarthwp.com/raisingresilientkidspodcast.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Mind of a Champion 

The So Happy You're Here YouTube Channel

The Resilient Youth Certification Program

If your child is melting down over small things and nothing you say seems to help, this episode will completely change how you see the problem — and give you a clear, research-backed plan to fix it.

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Raising Resilient Kids Podcast, Tom and Jeannie sit down with Resilience Expert and educator Talia Kovacs, founder of Calm Connected. Talia brings a rare perspective to the resilience conversation — one grounded in 17+ years of classroom teaching, literacy coaching across hundreds of schools, and teaching Raising Resilient Kids, her own parent empowerment program.

Talia opens with a game-changing mindset shift: parents need to think less like engineers (expecting specific inputs to produce specific outputs) and more like gardeners — observing, adjusting, and trusting that there is TIME to make positive changes. This reframe alone reduces parental anxiety and creates a calmer household climate.

From there, Talia walks through her powerful three-step resilience framework: starting with yourself (because resilience is modeled, not taught), creating the right conditions at home through sustainable systems and structures, and finally building your child's inner capacity. Critically, she explains why so many parents want to skip straight to step three — and why that always backfires.

You'll also discover why resilience is built through connection and community (not grit), and the one simple thing — delighting in your children — that you can start doing this week to shift the entire dynamic at home.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• Why resilience is modeled, not taught — and what that means for YOU as a parent

• Talia's 3-step resilience framework: Start with yourself → Create conditions → Build capacity

• How to use your child's unique strengths as the foundation for resilience

• Why kids need time to 'fail privately' — and why this is disappearing from childhood

• The research truth about resilience: it's built in community, not by pushing harder

• One action you can take THIS WEEK to start transforming your home environment

About Talia Kovacs

Talia Kovacs is the founder of Calm Connected and creator of the Raising Resilient Kids class. A former classroom teacher and graduate-level education professor, Talia spent years as the CEO of Lit Life, an international literacy consulting firm, coaching teachers across hundreds of schools on social-emotional based literacy. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Newsweek, the Today Show, and Scholastic. Talia serves on the board of directors for Lit Life and is dedicated to equipping parents with tools to foster deep inner resilience in their kids, creating calm, connected families where children truly thrive.

Connect with Talia

• Website: https://taliakovacs.com/

• Free Gift — 5 Steps to Use Your Kids' Strengths to Build Resilience: taliakovacs.com/gift

About the Raising Resilient Kids Podcast

Thank you for listening to the Raising Resilient Kids Podcast! We are siblings on a mission to help kids become their strongest selves. Each episode, we share proven strategies with parents, teachers, and all who work with youth and teens to build resilient, confident kids who can tackle life's challenges and thrive.

For more information on the podcast, or if you have a question you would like answered by one of our expert guests, please visit us at – 

https://www.smarthwp.com/raisingresilientkidspodcast.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

• Mind of a Champion 
• The So Happy You're Here YouTube Channel
• The Resilient Youth Certification Program

What if the secret to a thriving first-grade classroom wasn't rushing into academics, but investing three weeks in emotional safety? Jackie Smrekar, an 11-year veteran first grade teacher and Great Teacher Award winner, reveals exactly how she creates a "classroom heart family" where six-year-olds learn to identify their emotions, self-advocate, and resolve conflicts independently.

In this episode, Jackie shares her complete framework for building resilient first graders, including:

• Why she "shys away from academics" the first three weeks and how this investment pays dividends all year long

• The 20-minute morning routine that sets the tone for the entire day (and how intermediate teachers can have students lead it)

• How to set up and use a calming corner that students access independently when they need emotional regulation support

• The Slumberkins curriculum (https://slumberkins.com/) and how stuffed animals teach mindfulness, authenticity, and stress management

• Real-time conflict resolution strategies that turn classroom disputes into learning opportunities for the entire class

• The transformation of a student who hid under his desk to a thriving second grader who self-advocates for his needs

• How restorative circles create safe spaces for sharing (even when it feels uncomfortable at first)

• The power of teacher vulnerability in modeling that "feelings come and feelings go and all feelings are okay"

• Specific ways to collaborate with school social workers and SEL staff to maximize support

Jackie proves that when you front-load resilience tools and create consistent, emotionally safe routines, students aren't just better behaved—they're better learners. If you're an elementary teacher wondering how to fit SEL into your already-packed day, or a parent looking to understand what emotional safety looks like in the classroom, this episode gives you a complete, actionable roadmap.

Guest Bio

Jackie Smrekar teaches first grade at Farragut Elementary in her 11th year of teaching. She serves on her building's character committee and leadership team, and is certified in Teacher Clarity. She won the Great Teacher Award in 2020 from the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce.

Resources Discussed

• Slumberkins - https://slumberkins.com/ 

• Second Step - https://www.secondstep.org/ 

Thank you

Thank you for listening to the Raising Resilient Kids Podcast! We are siblings on a mission to help kids become their strongest selves. Each episode, we share proven strategies with parents, teachers, and all who work with youth and teens to build resilient, confident kids who can tackle life's challenges and thrive.

For more information on the podcast, or if you have a question you would like answered by one of our expert guests, please visit us at – 

https://www.smarthwp.com/raisingresilientkidspodcast.

Thanks to our Sponsors

Mind of a Champion 

The So Happy You're Here YouTube Channel

The Resilient Youth Certification Program

Looking for a New Year's resolution that creates lasting impact for you, your entire family, or your classroom? Join hosts Tom and Jeannie in the 2026 Mental Fitness Challenge—a simple, research-backed approach to building resilience through 36 weekly techniques that take just minutes per day.

Specific Strategies You'll Learn:

• How to access 36 free mental fitness techniques releasing weekly throughout the school year (with a summer break!)

• The "Ritual for a Fulfilled Life"—Benjamin Franklin's approach adapted for modern times

• Why popular techniques like Five Finger Breathing and the Concentration Grid help kids manage stress and improve focus

• How teachers across Will County, IL are using these 2-minute videos as transformative classroom brain breaks

• Why consistency matters more than perfection in building mental resilience

About This Challenge: Starting January 8th, new techniques release every Thursday. Each video is professionally produced, evidence-based, and designed for all ages—from kindergarteners to adults. Whether you're a parent looking to strengthen family connections, a teacher seeking classroom tools, or simply someone committed to better mental health in 2026, this challenge offers a structured, supported path forward.

Ready to Join? Sign up at www.smarthwp.com (Resources > Two Minutes to Resilience) or subscribe on YouTube to receive weekly videos. Let's make 2026 our most mentally strong year yet—one week, one technique at a time.

Thank you

Thank you for listening to the Raising Resilient Kids Podcast! We are siblings on a mission to help kids become their strongest selves. Each episode, we share proven strategies with parents, teachers, and all who work with youth and teens to build resilient, confident kids who can tackle life's challenges and thrive.

For more information on the podcast, or if you have a question you would like answered by one of our expert guests, please visit us at –

https://www.smarthwp.com/raisingresilientkidspodcast.

A Special Thanks to our Sponsor

Mind of a Champion

https://smart-hwp.teachable.com/a/aff_9pt0kd23/external?affcode=246901_xpbs0um0

The So Happy You're Here YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@sohappyyouarehere

and

The Resilient Youth Certification Program - https://www.smarthwp.com/RY4teachers

Over 1 million students worldwide are learning to recognize depression, find trusted adults, and ask for help - and every resource is completely free.

In this episode, we sit down with Katie Conklin from Erika's Lighthouse to explore how their evidence-based mentalhealth education programs are reaching students across the globe - from California classrooms to schools in Madagascar - with tools that are proven to increase help-seeking behavior, knowledge, and coping strategies.

 Discover their approach that makes depression education accessible, relatable, and effective. Katie shares thefour-pillar framework transforming school cultures.

You'll learn:

• Why "depression education IS suicide prevention" creates a broader, more effective impact
• The specific warning signs that educators and parents should watch for (and why they're differentfor every kid)
• How to start a student-led mental health empowerment club at your school
• Where to find free family workbooks that demystify therapy, insurance, and mental health jargon
• Real stories of impact - including the fourth grader who disclosed suicidal thoughts after a single wellness lesson

Everything Erika's Lighthouse offers is completely FREE and available at erikaslighthouse.org. Within 10 minutes of creating an account, you'll have access to videos, workbooks, conversation starters, and step-by-step guides for implementing these life-saving programs.

Guest Bio

Katie Conklin joined Ericka’s Lighthouse in August2021.  She has a Master’s degree in Human Services and Counseling from DePaul University.  Katie has over 20 years of experience working in behavioral health and nonprofit administration.  Katie is passionate about mental health awareness in schools and is excited to be a part of the Erika’sLighthouse team.

About Erika’s Lighthouse

Erika’s Lighthouse is dedicated to empowering students with a lifeline for a lifetime. They provide the leading depressioneducation and suicide prevention curriculum in the U.S. A curriculum that is easy for busy educators to implement and is 100% free. 

 Their goal is to equip every student with the skills and knowledge to recognize early signs of depression and takeaction.  Key components of their programs include:

✓ Entirely FREE

✓ Peer-to-peer approach

✓ 1:1 support 

✓ Skills-based curriculum built by experts

✓ User-friendly & perfect for busy educators

Learn more at: https://erikaslighthouse.org/

Thank you

Thank you for listening to the Raising Resilient KidsPodcast! We are siblings on a mission to help kids become their strongest selves. Each episode, we share proven strategies with parents, teachers, and all who work with youth and teens to build resilient, confident kids who can tackle life's challenges and thrive.

For more information on the podcast, or if you have aquestion you would like answered by one of our expert guests, please visit us at –

 https://www.smarthwp.com/raisingresilientkidspodcast.

A Special Thanks to our Sponsor

Mind of a Champion https://smart-hwp.teachable.com/a/aff_9pt0kd23/external?affcode=246901_xpbs0um0

The So Happy You're Here YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@sohappyyouarehere

The Resilient Youth Certification Program - https://www.smarthwp.com/RY4teachers

You have everything you need to be your child's primary healer—you just need the right tools.

In this episode, mental health expert and tenured professor Karen Green shares how overwhelmed parents can build deep emotional connection with their kids in just 5 minutes a day—no therapy degree required. Karen reveals the research-backedstrategies behind her newly launched Conscious Care Cards, a screen-free toolkit that's helping families transform daily moments into rituals of resilience.

What You'll Discover:

• The 40-second window: Research from Finland showsjust 40 seconds of attuned presence can heal a child's brain
• The "transitional object" technique: Asimple string activity that helps kids understand connection exists even when you're apart (perfect for separation anxiety at any age)
• Why "I'm not a therapist" is actually holdingyou back: Karen explains why parents feel disempowered and how to reclaim your role as your child's emotional guide
• The reparenting component: How healing your ownchildhood wounds makes you more present and effective with your kids

• DOSE chemicals explained: How dopamine, oxytocin,serotonin, and endorphins create bonding and why simple rituals (like lighting a candle before conversations) flood your child's brain with these connection chemicals
• The isolation epidemic: Why the Surgeon Generalidentified parent loneliness as the #1 threat to mental health—and how community solves it

Special Offer for Listeners:

Visit consciouscarecards.com/podcast for a FREE starter kit and join the movement to heal a million kids together.

Perfect for: Parents feeling overwhelmed by their child's big emotions, educators looking for classroom connection tools, caregivers wanting to break generational patterns, anyone who feels "I'm not doing enough" for the kids in their life

The Bottom Line: You don't need hours, perfection, ora therapy degree. You need presence, simple rituals, and the courage to heal yourself while healing your child. This episode shows you exactly how.

Guest Bio

Karen A. Green, MSW, LSSW, is a tenured professor, mentalhealth expert, and the creator of Conscious Care Cards — a science-backed parenting tool that helps families build connection, resilience, and emotional intelligence through simple, mindful rituals. With over twenty-five years inmental health and sixteen years working directly with children and families, Karen has become a trusted voice in bridging research and real-life parenting. She blends her expertise in neuroscience, attachment theory, and mindfulness toremind parents that healing doesn’t just happen in therapy; it happens in the loving, everyday moments of family life. She believes that parents are on a Hero's journey and with the proper guidance, they can become their child's primary healer.

Recognized with the Distinguished Teaching Award and theUnsung Hero Award — honors that reflect her lifelong commitment to compassion and her unwavering belief that sharing mental health wisdom and prioritizing children's emotional wellness can truly change the world.

Thank you

Thank you for listening to the Raising Resilient KidsPodcast! We are siblings on a mission to help kids become their strongest selves by sharing proven strategies with parents, teachers, and all who work with kids to build resilient, confident kids who can tackle life's challenges and thrive.

For more information on the podcast, or if you have aquestion you would like answered by one of our expert guests, please visit us at –

https://www.smarthwp.com/raisingresilientkidspodcast.

A Special Thanks to our Sponsors

Mind of a Champion https://smart-hwp.teachable.com/a/aff_9pt0kd23/external?affcode=246901_xpbs0um0

The So Happy You're Here YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@sohappyyouarehere

The Resilient YouthCertification Program - https://www.smarthwp.com/RY4teachers

Discover why the highest-performing schools invest equally in academics AND social emotional learning.

In this episode, Dr. Pete Sullivan—a nearly 40-year education veteran who's served as teacher, principal, and superintendent across multiple Illinois districts—reveals the research-backed strategies that make SEL programs successful. You'll learn how 500+ studies prove SEL actually enhances academic achievement, practical approaches for teacher-led implementation that respects classroom time, and proven methods for building parent and community support.

What You'll Learn

• Why the "academics vs. SEL" debate is based onfalse assumptions
• How to implement SEL without sacrificing instructional time
• Strategies for overcoming common community objections
• The culture-integration approach that makes SEL sustainable
• How to build authentic partnerships with parents andfamilies

Guest Bio

About Dr. Pete Sullivan:Dr. Pete Sullivan brings nearly four decades of P-12 education experience, having served in virtually every leadership role from classroom teacher to district superintendent.

He's worked in Chicago Public Schools as well asLockport, Lisle, and Will County districts in Illinois. Currently an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of St. Francis, Pete coordinates the Resilient Youth Initiative through United Way of Will County, helping districts across the region implement effective SEL programs.

Thank you

Thank you for listening to the Raising Resilient KidsPodcast! We are siblings on a mission to help kids become their strongest selves by sharing proven strategies with parents, teachers, and coaches to build resilient, confident kids who can tackle life's challenges and thrive.

For more information on the podcast, or if you have aquestion you would like answered by one of our expert guests, please visit us at –

https://www.smarthwp.com/raisingresilientkidspodcast.

A Special Thanks to our Sponsors

The So Happy You're Here YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@sohappyyouarehere

andThe Resilient Youth Certification Program - https://www.smarthwp.com/RY4teachers