The Parent Empowerance Podcast

The Parent Empowerance Podcast

By Amara BradetichParentingKids & Family
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The Parent Empowerance Podcast episodes

  • Episode 31: Big Feelings, Little Bodies: Understanding emotional development in young children and ways we can support it as parents

    Your child isn’t “too emotional.” They’re still learning what to do with all those big feelings.

    In this episode, we’re talking about what normal emotional development looks like from birth to 5—and why a young child’s ability to feel and express emotions develops long before their ability to manage those emotions independently. We also cover ways you can support your child’s emotional development. This included:

    Reviewing research and providing examples on:

    • How emotional development changes from infancy through the preschool years
    • Why young children need so much support from adults to regulate big emotions
    • Why emotional regulation isn’t a straight line—and why a child can “know how” to regulate but still lose that skill when overwhelmed
    • How temperament influences the way individual children experience and express emotions
    • What research actually tells us about emotional development in boys and girls—and what it doesn’t tell us
    • How social and emotional development are connected

      • Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:

      • Co-regulate before expecting self-regulation
      • Help them put words to what they’re experiencing
      • Practice regulation when they’re already calm
      • Get curious about your child’s temperament
      • Don’t confuse a big reaction with a lack of progress
      • Give boys just as much permission to express vulnerable emotions
      • Don’t assume girls are naturally better at emotional regulation

        • Suggesting books:

        • “The feelings book” by Todd Parr
        • “My many colored days” by Dr. Seuss
        • “It’s ok: Being Kind to yourself when things feel hard” by Wendy O’Leary
        • “Breathing makes it better” by Christopher Willard and Wendy O’Leary
        • “Today I feel silly” by Jamie Lee Curtis
        • “Roaring Mad Riley” by Allison Szczecinski

          • Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.

          Connect with me on Instagram:

          @parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting

          @parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

          If you want more support with understanding your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:

          • Download my 5-Minute Temperament Snapshot: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/temperamentsnapshot
          • Join my FREE Parenting in Real Life group on Telegram: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/freetelegramgroup
          • Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
          • Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
          • Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

            • 27 min
          • Episode 30: Creating connection through conflict: How & why to repair with your young child

            Healthy parent-child relationships aren't relationships without conflict. They're relationships where conflict is followed by reconnection.

            In this episode, I’m talking about why repair and reconnection is so important within the parent-child relationship and how to do it with your young children. This included:

            Reviewing research and providing examples on:

            • Understanding conflict WITH connection
            • Repair as a part of developing regulation
            • Long-term impact of repair on child behavior
            • What repair looks like: emotional, physiological, giving space, apologizing, returning to baseline
            • How to hold a boundary while still repairing and reconnecting

              • Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:

              • The repair process I recommend: Regulate → Reconnect → Apologize → Take Responsibility → Repair & Move Forward
              • Regulate yourself before you repair
              • Get back on your child’s level
              • Name what happened without assigning blame
              • Own your part
              • Keep the boundary while repairing
              • Don't force your child to forgive, hug, or “be okay”
              • Use connection to help them regulate
              • Talk about what you’ll do differently next time
              • Look for the pattern—not just the individual incident
              • Remember: connection can come after conflict

                • Suggesting books:

                • “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse” by Kevin Henkes
                • “I'm Sorry” by Michael Ian Black
                • “You Poked My Heart” by Brandy Cooke
                • “Rita & Ralph's Rotten Day” by Carmen Agra Deedy
                • “Benjamin Bear Says Sorry” by Claire Freedman
                • “How Do Dinosaurs Play With Their Friends?” by Jane Yolen & Mark Teague
                • “The Whole Brain Child” by Dan Siegel & Tine Payne Bryson

                  • Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.

                  Connect with me on Instagram:

                  @parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting

                  @parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

                  If you want more support with understanding your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:

                  • Join my FREE Parenting in Real Life group on Telegram: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/freetelegramgroup
                  • Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
                  • Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
                  • Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

                    • 32 min
                  • Episode 29: How to talk about death with your young children and developmentally appropriate ways to help them grieve

                    Death is one of those topics we may not feel prepared to talk about with our young children—but eventually, they encounter it.

                    In this episode, I’m talking about what young children actually understand about death, how to use honest and developmentally appropriate language, what grief can look like in toddlers and preschoolers, and how we can support children through loss without trying to make their difficult feelings disappear. This included:

                    Reviewing research and providing examples on:

                    • Why it's okay—and important—to use the word “dead”
                    • Why children may ask the same questions over and over
                    • Why grief can look like play, tantrums, clinginess, or seemingly “moving on”
                    • How to help children express and process grief through play, books, art, and rituals
                    • How to talk about death without overwhelming or frightening your child
                    • What to do when your child asks, “Are you going to die?”
                    • When a child might need additional support

                      • Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:

                      • Use the word "dead."
                      • Keep explanations simple and truthful and developmentally appropriate.
                      • Let their questions guide you.
                      • Expect repetition!
                      • Let grief look like grief AND play.
                      • Give them ways to express and remember.
                      • Don't hide every emotion.
                      • You don't have to make grief disappear.

                        • Suggesting books:

                        • “The Goodbye Book” by Todd Parr
                        • “I Miss You: A First Look at Death” by Pat Thomas
                        • “The Dead Bird” by Margaret Wise Brown
                        • “Badger's Parting Gifts” by Susan Varley
                        • “The Invisible Leash” by Patrice Karst
                        • “Big Cat, Little Cat” by Elisha Cooper

                          • Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.

                          Connect with me on Instagram:

                          @parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting

                          @parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

                          If you want more support with understanding your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:

                          • Join my FREE Parenting in Real Life group on Telegram: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/freetelegramgroup
                          • Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
                          • Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
                          • Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

                            • 30 min
                          • Episode 28: Understanding & supporting sensory integration & self-regulation in young kids with Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Effie Pomaki from Uplifted Parenting

                            This week on the podcast I welcomed Effie Pomaki, a pediatric Occupational Therapist and founder of Uplifted Parenting. We talk all things sensory integration and regulation for young children. This included discussing:

                            • Effie’s passion for helping parents with their kids’ sensory, regulation, & big feelings
                            • What sensory integration is, the 8 senses, what sensory seeking/avoidant/sensitive are
                            • How sensory integration relates to being regulated/dysregulated in children
                            • Most common issues Effie helps parents and children with
                            • What sensory thresholds are & how and when to help your child meet them
                            • The importance of using play for sensory & regulation (and other tools/props Effie recommends)
                            • Effie’s top 3 tips for parents who want to support their kids’ sensory & regulatory system needs
                            • Children’s book or resources Effie recommends to parents around sensory integration including:
                              • “The Out of Sync Child” by Carol Stock Kranowitz
                              • “Brain Body Parenting” by Mona Delahooke
                              • “The Whole Brain Child” by Dan Siegel & Tina Payne-Bryson
                              • “Sensitive Sam” by Marla Roth-Fisch
                              • “A Kids Book About Neurodiversity” by Laura Petix
                              • “Wonderfully Wired Brains” by Louise Gooding

                                • Connect with Effie on Instagram: @upliftedparenting

                                Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.

                                Connect with me on Instagram:

                                @parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting

                                @parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

                                If you want more support with handling your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:

                                • Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
                                • Inquire about ongoing parent coaching support: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfuUgpYqqBbQTM4TWXOI89Cw4p19k7JqUk8E3tXZNL4RyxCkg/viewform?usp=header
                                • Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
                                • Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

                                  • 39 min
                                • Episode 27: Parenting babies into toddlerhood: What behaviors are normal & how to use redirection & other strategies to support their emotional & behavioral regulation

                                  What looks like “bad behavior” in babies and toddlers is often just big feelings, big desires, and very little self-regulation colliding. The goal isn't simply to make the behavior stop—it’s to set boundaries while helping your child build the skills they’re still developing.

                                  This episode focused on what behaviors are normal around the first birthday and in early toddlerhood and what strategies you can use to address these behaviors. This included:

                                  Reviewing research and providing examples on:

                                  • What behaviors are normal around 1 to 2 years of age
                                  • How coregulation, redirection, attention, boundary-setting, and other strategies address these behaviors
                                  • Why tantrums are expected at this age

                                    • Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:

                                    • Prevent when you can and set up the environment for success
                                    • Set clear, simple limits and be consistent with them
                                    • Physically intervene when necessary - block as needed
                                    • Validate the feeling without changing the boundary
                                    • Redirect toward an acceptable behavior
                                    • Teach the skill later
                                    • Practice regulation when they're already calm

                                      • Suggesting books:

                                      • “What to Do When You Feel Like Hitting” by Cara Goodwin
                                      • “Hands Are Not for Hitting” by Martine Agassi
                                      • “The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions” by Anna Llenas
                                      • “Llama Llama Mad at Mama” by Anna Dewdney
                                      • “Little Monkey Calms Down” by Michael Dahl
                                      • “Grumpy Monkey” by Suzanne Lang
                                      • “When Sophie Gets Angry, Really Really Angry” by Molly Bang
                                      • “The Rabbit Listened” by Cori Doerrfeld
                                      • “No, David!” by David Shannon
                                      • “The Feelings Book” by Todd Parr

                                        • Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.

                                        Connect with me on Instagram:

                                        @parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting

                                        @parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

                                        If you want more support with understanding your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:

                                        • Join my FREE Parenting in Real Life group on Telegram: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/freetelegramgroup
                                        • Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
                                        • Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
                                        • Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

                                          • 33 min
                                        • Episode 26: As safe as necessary, not as safe as possible: The importance of safe risky play for child development

                                          You want to keep your child safe—but sometimes it’s hard to know when to step in and when to let them figure it out. This episode focused on why safe risky play matters and how you can support your child’s confidence and independence without hovering. This included:

                                          Reviewing research and providing examples on:

                                          • The core developmental benefits
                                          • What this can look like in young children

                                            • Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:

                                            • Remove hazards when possible
                                            • Allow manageable risks.
                                            • Stay available.
                                            • Pause before intervening.
                                            • Let children solve problems.
                                            • Use questions instead of constant warnings.
                                            • Give graduated challenges.
                                            • Let them experience small failures.
                                            • Follow their abilities and developmental level.
                                            • Notice when your discomfort—not actual danger—is driving the intervention.

                                              • Suggesting books:

                                              • “The Big Slide” by Daniel Kirk
                                              • “Jabari Jumps” by Gaia Cornwall
                                              • “The Thing Lou Couldn't Do” by Ashley Spires
                                              • “I Can Be Brave: Overcoming Fear, Finding Confidence, and Asserting Yourself” by Holde Kreul
                                              • “Confidence Is My Superpower: A Kid's Book about Believing in Yourself and Developing Self-Esteem” by Alicia Ortego

                                                • Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.

                                                Connect with me on Instagram:

                                                @parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting

                                                @parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

                                                If you want more support with understanding your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:

                                                • Join my FREE Parenting in Real Life group on Telegram: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/freetelegramgroup
                                                • Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
                                                • Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
                                                • Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

                                                  • 25 min
                                                • Episode 25: The transition from 1 to 2 kids: How to support your child & family

                                                  Parents often describe the transition from one child to two as harder than becoming a parent in the first place. This transition can be difficult because your family system is changing, your demands are increasing, your sleep is getting disrupted, and your relationships are reorganizing - not because you’re doing it wrong. This episode focused on why and how to prepare your child and family for adding a new sibling. This included:

                                                  Reviewing research and providing examples on:

                                                  • How the transition from 1 to 2 kids is a shift for the entire family
                                                  • What to expect developmentally, behaviorally, and emotionally from your older child
                                                  • How the transition affects your relationships with your older child and partner

                                                    • Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:

                                                    • Prepare your child, but don’t oversell the baby
                                                    • Protect the older child’s connection with you - even 10 to 15 minutes uninterrupted a day
                                                    • Expect regression from your older child and don’t panic
                                                    • Keep routines as consistent as possible and make big changes before or months after
                                                    • Involve your child as much as they want but don’t parentify them
                                                    • Validate your older child’s feelings (especially jealousy)
                                                    • Avoid blaming the baby - tiny wording shifts make a big difference!
                                                    • Let your older child stay little - give cuddles, support, etc. as much as you can
                                                    • Don’t force sibling love - sibling relationships grow from thousands of interactions
                                                    • Let your older child hear you tell the baby to “wait” too
                                                    • Give yourself and your partner grace!

                                                      • Suggesting books:

                                                      • “I Am a Big Brother / I Am a Big Sister” by Caroline Jayne Church
                                                      • “Julius, Baby of the World” by Kevin Henkes
                                                      • “Hello in There!: A Big Sister’s Book of Waiting” by Jo Witek
                                                      • “You Were the First” by Patricia MacLachlan
                                                      • “The New Small Person” by Lauren Child
                                                      • “Being the Biggest” by Molly Mead

                                                        • Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.

                                                        Connect with me on Instagram:

                                                        @parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting

                                                        @parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

                                                        If you want more support with understanding your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:

                                                        • Join my FREE Parenting in Real Life group on Telegram: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/freetelegramgroup
                                                        • Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
                                                        • Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
                                                        • Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

                                                          • 27 min
                                                        • Episode 24: How to prepare your young child for starting or returning to preschool/daycare or having a nanny/babysitter

                                                          Back to school is here! And the best way to prepare your child isn't teaching them to be independent or making them excited about school. It's helping them build familiarity, predictability, and relationships with the new caregiver/environment while giving them space to have feelings about the change. This episode focused on why and how to prepare your child for starting or returning to preschool, daycare, having a nanny or babysitter. This included:

                                                          Reviewing research and providing examples on:

                                                          • Why preparing your child for a new caregiver matters
                                                          • How to prepare your child for the transition

                                                            • Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:

                                                            • Familiarize, don't overwhelm - help them know what to expect
                                                            • Practice the routine, not necessarily the separation
                                                            • Build the relationship with the caregiver beforehand whenever possible
                                                            • Talk about the transition—but don't constantly talk about it
                                                            • Validate instead of trying to eliminate separation feelings
                                                            • Keep goodbye routines short, predictable, and consistent
                                                            • Bring something familiar when the program allows it
                                                            • Use books and pretend play to talk about what to expect or act it out
                                                            • Talk with the caregiver about your specific child

                                                              • Suggesting books:

                                                              • “The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn
                                                              • “Llama Llama Meets the Babysitter” and “Llama Llama Misses Mama” by Anna Dewdney
                                                              • “I Love You All Day Long” by Francesca Rusackas
                                                              • “Maisy Goes to Preschool” by Lucy Cousins
                                                              • “The Night Before Preschool” by Natasha Wing
                                                              • “Froggy Goes to School” by Jonathan London
                                                              • “ABC School’s for Me!” by Susan B. Katz

                                                                • Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.

                                                                Connect with me on Instagram:

                                                                @parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting

                                                                @parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

                                                                If you want more support with understanding your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:

                                                                • Join my FREE Parenting in Real Life group on Telegram: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/freetelegramgroup
                                                                • Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
                                                                • Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
                                                                • Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

                                                                  • 26 min
                                                                • Episode 23: Feeding your baby and toddler with pediatric Registered Dietitian, mom, and host of the Food for Tot Podcast, Kathy O’Bryan

                                                                  This week on the podcast I welcomed Kathy O’Bryan, a pediatric Registered Dietitian, mom, and host of the Food for Tot podcast. We talk all things feeding your baby and toddler. This included discussing:

                                                                  • Most common issues for babies and toddlers that Kathy works on with families
                                                                  • What she prioritizes food-wise and meal routine-wise with your child
                                                                  • How children use/identify hunger/fullness cues and how we can trust toddlers a little bit more
                                                                  • How to prevent picky eating by making one meal for your whole family (and how Kathy prioritizes this herself)
                                                                  • Kathy’s top 3 tips for parents learning to/trying to feed babies and toddlers
                                                                  • How to work with Kathy and a few of her recommended resources for parents around eating/meal-time routines

                                                                    • Connect with Kathy on Instagram: @theminimedietitian

                                                                    Listen to Kathy’s Food for Tot podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!

                                                                    Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.

                                                                    Connect with me on Instagram:

                                                                    @parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting

                                                                    @parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

                                                                    If you want more support with handling your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:

                                                                    • Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
                                                                    • Inquire about ongoing parent coaching support: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfuUgpYqqBbQTM4TWXOI89Cw4p19k7JqUk8E3tXZNL4RyxCkg/viewform?usp=header
                                                                    • Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
                                                                    • Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

                                                                      • 1 hr
                                                                    • Episode 22: An introduction to temperament: What it is & the different traits

                                                                      People talk about temperament all the time, but not everyone knows what it actually means for THEIR child. This episode focused on defining what temperament is and explaining the traits that make it up. This included:

                                                                      Reviewing research and providing examples on:

                                                                      • What temperament is
                                                                      • What the old “types” were
                                                                      • The 5 main temperament traits
                                                                      • The difference between temperament and cholic
                                                                      • The importance of goodness of fit

                                                                        • Describing key takeaways:

                                                                        • Your child's temperament isn't something to fix—it's something to understand.
                                                                        • Different children need different parenting, even within the same family.
                                                                        • Your job isn't to change your child's temperament. It's to help them learn to work with it while building the skills they need to thrive.

                                                                          • Suggesting books:

                                                                          • “Raising Your Spirited Child” by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
                                                                          • “The Orchid and the Dandelion” by W. Thomas Boyce

                                                                            • Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.

                                                                            Connect with me on Instagram:

                                                                            @parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting

                                                                            @parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

                                                                            If you want more support with understanding your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:

                                                                            • Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
                                                                            • Inquire about ongoing parent coaching support: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfuUgpYqqBbQTM4TWXOI89Cw4p19k7JqUk8E3tXZNL4RyxCkg/viewform?usp=header
                                                                            • Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
                                                                            • Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

                                                                              • 33 min

                                                                            About The Parent Empowerance Podcast

                                                                            From the publisher's feed

                                                                            Welcome to the Parent Empowerance Podcast, where we make early childhood research relatable and actionable for parents. Your host, Amara Bradetich of Parent Empowerance, has her Master’s and PhD in human development and family science (specializing in child development and behavior), is a former preschool teacher and early childhood intervention specialist, and, most importantly, mom to two littles (a 2 and a half year old daughter Natalie and an 8 month old son Liam).