Ever wonder what a professional chef gives his kids for snacks? Chef Duff, the Ace of Cakes himself, is spilling the beans. From chicken nuggets to strawberries, he talks about the foods his 3-year-old loves, and tricks to get her to try something new.

Plus, Jennifer Anderson, dietician and founder of Kids Eat In Color, gives us tips for helping our kids eat better and making snack time less stressful! 

Special thanks to Walmart for sponsoring this episode! https://www.walmart.com/

You can also watch this podcast on YouTube and reach us at [email protected]. 

Duff Goldman / No Kid Hungry / FB / IG / YouTube

Duff Goldman is a chef and artist known for his dazzling, creative approach to food and his awesome stories describing the simple science of baking. On the hit Food Network show Ace of Cakes, Duff welcomed viewers into his innovative cake shop, Charm City Cakes, where his team of pastry chefs and artists create spectacular custom cakes. You can watch Duff mentor the next generation of bakers on Food Network's Kids Baking Championship. On his new cooking show, Ace of Taste, Duff shows off his culinary skills as a classically trained chef with new twists on recipes for the whole family.

Jennifer Anderson / IG / FB / TikTok

Jennifer Anderson is a registered dietitian who has a masters of science in public health from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. In 2019, she founded Kids Eat in Color, an authoritative resource that helps families feed their children from their first bite of solid food through picky eating and elementary-aged nutrition needs. 

Prior to starting Kids Eat in Color, she coordinated youth nutrition programs at a food bank, performed research in inner-city food deserts, and consulted for the USDA national office SNAP-Ed program. Her academic background is in public health nutrition, cultural anthropology, and economics.

StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast is created by Munchkin Inc., the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world. 

You can find all your favorite Munchkin products, including WildLove products, at https://www.munchkin.com. Use the code STROLLERCOASTER15 for 15% off regular-price items! (expires 4/13/25)

Follow Munchkin on Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest  / TikTok

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) 

There’s a new parenting style in town. Not too hard, not too soft. It’s just right! It’s called “Respectful Parenting!” It’s designed to make children feel respected, loved, heard, and valued as individuals. 

Janet Rotter, child development expert, psychoanalyst and head of The Studio School in New York City, talks with Lynn and Justin about fostering emotional connections with our children, based on the belief that all humans - no matter the age - deserve to be treated with empathy and compassion.

In our Parenting Story of the Day, we hear from Sarah Savage who was having trouble with her spirited daughter - until she tried a new approach. It changed everything for the better. 

You can also watch this podcast on YouTube @munchkin channel and reach us at [email protected]. 

Janet Rotter / The Studio School / IG / FB 

Janet Rotter is a leading child development expert, educator, and psychoanalyst. She is also the Head of School and Co-President of the Board of Trustees at The Studio School in New York City, an independent not-for-profit day school serving children from preschool through eighth grade.

The Studio School innovated an interdisciplinary curriculum, as well as the techniques for teaching it, and is at the forefront of children’s education. Janet’s affiliation with the Studio School began in 1975, and she has made it her mission to promote and extend the unique educational philosophy developed there to value intellectual and creative ideas, and take pleasure in the process of discovery. 

Sarah Savage

Sarah, a mother of two, has a degree in Psychology and a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. She writes for the parenting website Auburn-Opelika Moms.

StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast is created by Munchkin Inc., the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world. 

You can find all your favorite Munchkin products – including Munchkin’s New Wagon featured in this  episode – at https://www.munchkin.com. Use the code STROLLERCOASTER15 for 15% off regular-price items! (expires 4/13/25)

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Trees for the Future 

Every night at bath time Jackson didn’t want to get in the tub. Sometimes he was busy playing. Sometimes it was because the water was too… uh, wet. One night his mom tried something new – and it worked! But now, how would she get him out of the tub?!

This original StoryTime is a refreshingly fun take on everyday moments from the lives of kids (and parents) told with humor and heart. Written in consultation with a leading childhood development expert, our story illustrates healthy ways to handle tricky situations. 

Watch the animated version of this and other Season 4 episodes on YouTube at Munchkin / StoryTime Podcast / https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaelLV1d0H9cvT9MY7ZAfGaLEiVUPny_5 

StrollerCoaster StoryTime is created by Munchkin Inc, the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world. 

Subscribe now and never miss an episode!

You can find all your favorite Munchkin products at Munchkin.com.  

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Let’s get outside! This episode explores the positive impact that nature can have on our kids - from physical and emotional health, to sensory development, to understanding risk. 

We'll “dig in” with one of the foremost experts in the field, Richard Louv, author of the renowned book “Last Child in the Woods,” who shares nature’s benefits and provides practical tips for getting out into the living world no matter where you live.

Plus, a special segment about Trees for the Future, an organization helping families through sustainable farming. We’ll hear from the organization’s representative Lindsay Cobb, and also from Jean d’Arc Sambou, a mother in Senegal whose forest garden changed her children’s lives.

You can also watch this podcast on YouTube and reach us at [email protected]. 

Richard Louv / IG / FB / Linkedin

Louv is an Audubon Medal recipient, journalist and author of ten books, including “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder” which introduced the concept of nature-deficit disorder and on the need for environmental protection and preservation for greater access to nature and the health of the Earth.

His books have been translated and published in 24 countries, and helped launch an international movement to connect children, families and communities to the natural world. He is co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Children & Nature Network, an organization continuing to build on that movement.

Trees for the Future / FB / X / IG / Linkedin

Trains farmers in agroforestry and sustainable land use - so that they can grow vibrant regional economies, thriving food systems, and a healthier planet. Trees is currently working with thousands of farming families across five countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Over their 30+ year history, they’ve worked around the globe and in 2014, focused their work in select African countries, where the climatic and economic challenges were most pressing and we could make the greatest impact.

Since 2016, Munchkin has partnered with Trees of the Future to plant trees in inner cities, developing countries, and rainforests. This work helps counter carbon emissions and support environmentally devastated communities worldwide.

StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast is created by Munchkin Inc., the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world. 

You can find all your favorite Munchkin products – including the Vibration Swing including the new Vibration Swing featured in this episode (coming soon!) at Munchkin.com & WildLove https://www.munchkin.com/wildlove

Use the code STROLLERCOASTER15 for 15% off regular-price items! 

Follow Munchkin on Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest  

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) 

Structured activities. Monitored playdates. Helicopter parenting. Have we lost the ability to let our kids discover the world on their own? Many believe that free play is a great solution for both child and parent, but what exactly does healthy free play look like for toddlers and young children? 

Lenore Skenazy, author and co-founder of Let Grow, explains how allowing children to be more independent will give them skills and confidence that will last a lifetime.

Then, in our Parenting Story of the Day, Allison Schwalm talks about how daughter struggled with separation anxiety until she found a unique playgroup. The first day she dropped her daughter off, something magical happened.

You can also watch this podcast on YouTube and reach us at [email protected]. 

Lenore Skenazy / Free Range Kids / IG / FB / X / YT / LinkedIn 

Lenore is an American speaker, syndicated columnist, reality show host and author who co-founded Let Grow, an organization advocating for free-range parenting, with Professor Jonathan Haidt, Daniel Shuchman, Dr. Peter Gray. She assisted Haidt with two chapters on his instant #1 New York Times bestseller “The Anxious Generation” and is the author of “Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts With Worry.”

She was featured in the award-winning documentary film “Chasing Childhood” which features psychologists, activists, and leaders of the free play movement who fight to bring back the untold benefits of a less curated childhood.

"Chasing Childhood" Documentary

To learn more about the film, where to stream it, and how to host a screening in your community, please visit: https://chasingchildhooddoc.com/

StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast is created by Munchkin Inc., the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world. 

You can find all your favorite Munchkin products – including the Night Owl Stroller featured in this episode – at Munchkin.com. 

Use the code STROLLERCOASTER15 for 15% off regular-price items! (expires 4/13/25)

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Trees for the Future

Every parent does it – but doesn’t want to admit it. We compare our child to other children or even their siblings. We also know that our “comparing” comes from a deep place of concern. We worry: Are they hitting important developmental milestones? Is there a problem? Maybe everything will be OK eventually? 

Lynn and Justin explore this “secret” parenting topic with Dr. Tina Bryson, a psychotherapist, mother, and the co-author of two of the most definitive books on child development and parenting – The New York Times bestseller “The Whole-Brain Child” and “No-Drama Discipline.” Dr. Bryson gives us the practical guidance that every parent needs when we dare to compare. 

Then, in our Parenting Story of the Day, we’ll hear from a mom who noticed that her son was different from other kids. What did she do? She embraced it.

You can also watch this podcast on YouTube and reach us at [email protected]. 

Dr. Tina Bryson / IG / FB / LinkedIn / YouTube / X / The Way of Play Book

Dr. Bryson is a psychotherapist, speaker, mother and the Founder/Executive Director of The Center for Connection (“CFC”), a multidisciplinary clinical practice; of The Play Strong Institute, a center devoted to the study, research, and practice of play therapy through a neurodevelopment lens; and The Center for Connection and Neurodiversity, a wing of the CFC devoted to celebrating neurodifferences and providing brain-based occupational therapy across the lifespan.

She is also the co-author (with Dan Siegel) of two New York Times bestsellers, “The Whole-Brain Child” and “No-Drama Discipline” each of which has been translated into over fifty languages with “The Whole-Brain Child” selling over a million copies.

You can also watch this podcast on YouTube and reach us at [email protected].

StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast is created by Munchkin Inc., the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world. 

You can find all your favorite Munchkin products – including the Night Owl Stroller and the WildLove products at Munchkin.com. Use the code STROLLERCOASTER15 for 15% off regular-price items! (expires 4/13/25)

Follow Munchkin on Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest  

IFAW

Little Naya's favorite thing in the whole world is Fresh Raspberry Dazzleberry Ice Cream! One day at the park the unthinkable happens - after just one lick of her precious cone, the ice cream falls to the ground with a splat! Oh no! Will Naya’s day be ruined? Will she get another cone? How will Naya and her Mom handle this big, melty disappointment?

Parents and kids will love this story based on an all-too real parenting moment that’s filled with twists and turns, wonderful characters, and fun music. Written in consultation with a leading childhood development expert, our story illustrates healthy ways for parents (and kids) to handle tricky situations.

Watch the animated video of this and other Season 4 episodes on YouTube at Munchkin / StoryTime Podcast / https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaelLV1d0H9cvT9MY7ZAfGaLEiVUPny_5

StrollerCoaster StoryTime is created by Munchkin Inc, the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world. 

Subscribe now and never miss an episode!

You can find all your favorite Munchkin products at Munchkin.com.  

Follow Munchkin / Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest  

Winning is a big deal to kids – whether it’s on the soccer field or racing their sibling to the car door. And with big competition comes big emotions. So how best to navigate when your child loses – or wins for that matter?

Sam Weinman, author of “Win at Losing: How Our Biggest Setbacks Can Lead to Our Greatest Gains” joins Lynn and Justin with practical, healthy strategies for parents to help their little ones deal with competition. Tools that we can all use from the toddler years into adulthood.

In our Parenting Story of the Day, we hear how Kelsey Demers, a mom of seven, uses family game night to teach her children bigger life lessons–resilience, critical thinking, and the value of spending real “facetime” around the family table. 

You can also watch this podcast on YouTube and reach us at [email protected]. 

Sam Weinman / IG / FB / LinkedIn

Author Sam Weinman was inspired to pen “Win at Losing: How Our Biggest Setbacks Can Lead to Our Greatest Gains,” because his two sons both struggled with losing. Wanting to show them that losing has real benefits, he started on a journey to talk to people—famous and otherwise—about how they handled a notable loss, and what they learned from it. 

Weinman is the digital editorial director at Golf Digest and also covered golf and the NHL for The Journal News in Westchester, N.Y. He wrote for numerous publications including USA Today, Golf World, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN the Magazine, and Sports Illustrated. He has been honored with multiple awards in the Associated Press Sports Editors and Golf Writers Association of America writing contests. 

Kelsey Demers / IG / TikTok

Kelsey and Adam and their seven kids love to play board games! So much so they created the website TheTableTopFamily.com to help everyone find the perfect game to inspire their family to spend more quality time together. They believe that there is nothing more fun than spending an evening together laughing and connecting over the shared experience of playing a game.   

StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast is created by Munchkin Inc., the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world. 

You can find all your favorite Munchkin products – including the Spring 2-in-1 Bouncer – at Munchkin.com. Use the CURRENT CODE STROLLERCOASTER15 for 15% off regular-price items! (expires 4/13/25)

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Trees For the Future  

“NO! I don’t want to!” Opposition from our kids, we experience it all the time. It makes sense they don’t want to do everything we want them to. However, when they refuse, it often creates a power struggle which we see as a reflection of bad parenting. 

Lynn and Justin are no strangers to this struggle. In today’s episode, Claire Lerner, a social psychotherapist, author and child development specialist, shares tips to handle those stressful moments of opposition from our children. 

In our Parenting Story of the Day, Ginny Luther was at her wits-end with her defiant son but was able to turn things around in a surprising way.  

You can also watch this podcast on YouTube. 

Claire Lerner / IG / FB / LinkedIn

Claire is a child development specialist with over 35 years of experience working with children and families. Trained as a clinical social worker and psychotherapist, she began her career as a child and family therapist and was asked to lead the parenting education work at Zero to Three. For over 20 years, Claire led the organization’s effort to translate the science of early childhood for parents and professionals—to empower them to nurture children’s development through resources and training on a wide range of topics including: early brain development, positive parenting, and understanding and coping with challenging behaviors. 

Ginny Luther   

Ginny is the author of “Blue Star Grit: A Mother’s Journey of Triumph and Tragedy Raising a Defiant Child into an Exceptional Leader.” Since 1994, she has been the proud owner and operator of Peaceful Parenting LLC, a successful business whose mission is to help create peace within families and classrooms. Ginny is also certified by the International Network for Children and Families to provide communication courses, seminars and workshops that promote cooperative, healthy relationships between adults and children.

StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast is created by Munchkin Inc., the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world. 

You can find all your favorite Munchkin products – including the Float High Chair featured in this episode – at https://www.munchkin.com 

Use the CURRENT CODE STROLLERCOASTER15 for 15% off regular-price items! (expires 4/13/25)

Follow Munchkin on Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest  

Trees For the Future  

Our kids are growing up fast! They are off to daycare or school and start to have their own separate experiences. We are no longer fully a part of their day-to-day lives and when they come home, we want to know everything! But sometimes it's so hard to get our kids to open up and really connect with us. 

Rhea Lalla, an author and certified parenting coach who has worked with the United Nations and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Schools, tells Lynn and Justin some great ways families can truly connect when they all come together at the end of the day. 

In our Parenting Story of the Day, Sarah Philpott shares an extremely emotional story about a scary close call and what it taught her about staying connected with her kids. This story is unforgettable.

You can also watch this podcast on YouTube and reach us at [email protected]. 

Rhea Lalla / IG / FB 

Rhea Lalla is an author, emotional intelligence specialist and certified relationship and parenting coach. She was the Founder of Build Great Minds which was created to help cultivate a child’s emotional, intellectual and creative mind to achieve success in all areas of life. 

Rhea designs and delivers K to 12 EQ Curriculums for parents, teachers & students for schools globally including The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Schools as well as EQ Training to the United Nations, Children's Aid, JP Morgan and Google.

Sarah Philpott / IG / FB

Sarah is a farmer, writer and mom of four with a Ph.D from the University of Tennessee. An award-winning author “Loved Baby Book,” about pregnancy loss, her most recent release “Moo, Moo Nap, Nap” is the perfect story time read. 

StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast is created by Munchkin Inc., the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world. 

You can find all your favorite Munchkin products – including the UV Diaper Pail and WildLove products featured in this episode – at https://www.munchkin.com  

Use the CURRENT CODE STROLLERCOASTER15 for 15% off regular-price items! (expires 4/13/25)

Follow Munchkin on Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest