Simple Families

Overparenting is a pervasive practice in our society today. My guest Julie Lythcott-Haims identified over-parented students in her former role as the Dean of Freshman and Undergraduate Advising at Stanford University and wrote the NYT best-selling book How to Raise an Adult, and later Your Turn: How to be an Adult.

Music is one of life's simple pleasures that unites cultures and ages. Through my kid's Suzuki classes, I've found, music can teach big life lessons too. In this episode, I am speaking to Heather Watson Hardie about her musical journey as a child, a music teacher, and now a parent.

Many of us idealize 'The Family Dinner'. You know the scene - whole family at the table, eating homemade food, with each member telling everyone how their day went. This is rarely a reality in the modern home. Today, I share tips for a more peaceful (and realistic) mealtime.

While many parenting books detail the source of difficult childhood behavior or cover diagnoses, Dr. Ross Greene provides parents with a universal guide for dealing with challenging behaviors. In his bestselling book, The Explosive Child, Dr. Greene says children don't meet our expectations due to a lack of skills.

• Dr. Ross Greene's Website

Sharing life stories will not only preserve family history but also simplify learning important life lessons. It was an absolute pleasure to speak to Devan Sandiford, distinguished writer and story-teller, who eloquently shares his life through stories of tragedy, race, parenting and what it means to be connected through stories of the human experience.

As humans, we experience a vast array of emotions. We are sometimes confused about our own emotional experiences and often confused by the emotions of others (especially our kids!). Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, psychologist, neuroscientist and distinguished professor joins us to talk about her revolutionary work on understanding emotions.

When I asked listeners to send me questions for a holiday episode of Q&A, I received so many inquiries. Interestingly, so many of them contained the word 'Scrooge!' I am answering your questions regarding gifts, extended family, compromise, and finding your why during the holidays.

I went into this episode not a huge fan of Disney, but my mindset has been shifted. I learned a lot from Jen Hoffman & Lauren Gaggioli, who dissect the life lessons of Disney movies on their podcast Magical Mindset Moments. I really enjoyed this conversation and hope you do too.

Today I'm answering a listener's question on gift-giving. What do we do when a child asks for a holiday gift we don't want them to have?

• Simple Families Episode 247: Over-gifter

This week, we’re featuring an episode from a podcast you should check out. The Whole View, hosted by Stacy Toth, is an alternative health podcast that helps guide you on new ways to be your best self! Each week Stacy and her expert guests myth bust some of the most popular health and wellness fads and help you focus on the importance of being your best self. Available wherever you get your podcasts.