Preparing the teen mind and the parent mind for college can be absolutely stressful. Nick Standlea, CEO of Test Prep Gurus, discusses how to avoid the stress for both parents and teens.  Nick offers Mainspring listeners some test anxiety management tips and shares more in depth about how Orange County families  can hold a healthy perspective on testing during the college admission season.

Happy Halloween! Barbara Mendez, a Halloween enthusiast shares her joy about creating family traditions.  Recently, the Mendez Family bought a historic home linked to the Salem witch trials and Barbara shares more about the history and how this has bonded her family further.

Chef Carrie Paul from The Longest Fork in Corona del Mar educates us on working with our picky eaters at home and exposing them to the joys and nutritional benefits of eatings whole foods.  Chef Carrie shares her own experiences with supporting her daughter from combatting food allergies with diet change and her family philosophy of whole food eating, as well as educating her cooking students on how to eat delicious food but also keeping it healthy whole food.

School is out, summer is here! Four moms look at their summers past and present-what works, what doesn't for their families. Their words of wisdom act as a tool box to create a relaxing and optimal summer for you and your family. 

Dr. Jenna Flowers and her Coparent Erik Flowers discuss how conscious coparenting is a paradigm shift from how most people think about parenting after divorce.  Both Erik and Dr. Jenna share their insights about how they work together with raising their three children in two separate homes.  

Jenna and Kristen interview Tara Mackenzie, a seasoned Pediatric Occupational Therapist practicing in Orange County. Tara will define Occupational Therapy, discuss what she sees in her practice, and the benefits of some children seeing a pediatric therapist. 

The second part of this two part episode focuses on teaching our children respect and gratitude.

Respect and Gratitude start at home. In this world of entitlement, empathy is the antidote! This episode offers tips on how to raise caring, respectful, and grateful children in our fast paced culture. The first episode dives more into respect while the second part offers tools for parents on the importance of teaching our children gratitude. 

Our marriages have become kid centric for better or for worse. Is it guilt that we are trying to stave off? What are the repercussions for our adult relationships? Jenna and Kristen will offer solutions to help combat the negative effects of letting our children run the show!

Where have we come from and where are we headed? Jenna and Kristen will discuss the trajectory of motherhood and analyze the shifts that have occurred in parenting over the years and in regard to attachment theory.