The Parent Empowerance Podcast

By Amara Bradetich

Welcome to the Parent Empowerance Podcast, where we make early childhood research relatable and actionable for parents. Your host, Amara Bradetich of Parent Empowerance,

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FAQs about The Parent Empowerance Podcast:

How many episodes does The Parent Empowerance Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 26 episodes available.

The Parent Empowerance Podcast episodes:

June 10, 2026Episode 15: Sibling relationships in early childhood: Navigating conflict and supporting the bond
Sibling relationships are the longest relationship your children will have across their lives. But these often come with a lot of conflict, especially in early childhood. This episode focuses on understanding the benefit (and risks) of sibling relationships for development, the importance of supporting the bond, and how to navigate conflict between your children. This included:
Reviewing research on:
The importance of sibling relationships for child development
Why and how to support the bond and navigate conflict between siblings
Providing examples on:
My own experiences navigating my children’s sibling relationships
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Encourage taking turns - don’t focus on sharing in early childhood
Try “I’m here to help keep you both safe”
Sit and play with your kids when you can
Encourage empathy by asking “How can you help them feel better?”
Encourage and model repairing after conflict
Build an emotionally safe home environment
Intentionally create opportunities for: cooperative play, shared routines, family teamwork, joint problem-solving, positive shared memories
Protect and encourage opportunities for positive interaction
Suggesting books:
“Julius, the Baby of the World” by Kevin Henkes
“The New Small Person” by Lauren Child
“The Pain and the Great One” by Judy Blume
“Big Red Lollipop” by Rukhsana Khan
“That’s My Truck!” by Dr. Becky Kennedy
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
If you need more support, download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
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26min
June 03, 2026Episode 14: The importance of empathy in young children: How to support it without just telling them to “say sorry”
Parents are usually quick to say “say sorry” or “give them a hug” when their kid hits/bites/throws/doesn’t share with another child, but these often become ingenuine actions for your child to get out of trouble. This is where empathy comes in! In order to encourage your child’s empathy development, you want to get them thinking! This episode focuses on the importance of empathy for young children and how to support your child’s development of it. This included:
Reviewing research on:
The components of empathy
The importance of empathy in young children
How empathy develops in early childhood
Providing examples on:
How to support empathy in the moment with young children
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Focusing on warm, responsive caregiving
Modeling empathy as an adult
Labeling any and all emotions and validating your child’s emotions
Asking perspective-taking questions
Storytelling and books that support empathy/compassion
Practicing with pretend play and cooperative play
Coregulation!
Encouraging and modeling repair
Specific encouragement around empathy/compassion
Suggesting books:
“Today I Feel Silly” by Jamie Lee Curtis
“The Feelings Book” by Todd Parr
“My Many Colored Days” by Dr. Seuss
“The Rabbit Listened” by Cori Doerrfeld
“I am Human” by Susan Verde
“Be Kind” by Pat Zietlow Miller
“Last Stop on Market Street” by Matt de la Peña
“How to Raise an Antiracist” by Ibram X Kendi
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
If you need more support, download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
...more
28min
May 27, 2026Episode 13: Getting out the door: Understanding and combatting power struggles during transitions and daily routines with young children
Getting your young children (especially toddlers) out of the house can feel like a monumental task some days. Frustration and impatience are completely normal with the frequent delay tactics or power struggles that come with getting your kids dressed (and getting them to keep their clothes on), doing their hair, eating breakfast, getting shoes on, all the daily tasks.
This episode focuses on understanding why power struggles and difficulties during transitions are a normal part of development, as well as on how to prevent or combat them in the moment. This included:
Reviewing research on:
Why power struggles are a normal part of development in early childhood
How parents can exacerbate transition struggles
When transitions may be more difficult
Providing examples on:
How to prevent power struggles
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Give advanced warnings
Have predictable routines
Make it visual as much as you can
Try to give yourself extra time when you can
Make it fun or playful as much as you can
Provide options during your morning routine and make sure they are acceptable to you either way
Connect first! Get on their level, talk calmly and connect with them first before directing them
Practice/act out transitions during calm moments
Talk to your preschoolers and older toddlers about expectations and what it tells you when they don’t get ready
Stay as calm and regulated as YOU can
Suggesting books:
“No, David!” by David Shannon
“I do it!” by Brian Biggs
“Mine!” by Candace Fleming
“When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry” by Molly Bang
“Froggy Gets Dressed” by Frank Remkiewicz
“Time to Go, Maisy!” by Lucy Cousins
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
...more
25min
May 20, 2026Episode 12: Kindergarten readiness and the decision to home school with former kindergarten teacher and home school Mama of 2, LE Wolfram
This week on the podcast I welcomed my first guest - LE Wolfram, a former kindergarten teacher of 7 years and home school mama of 2. We talk all things kindergarten readiness and the decision to home school. This included:
Kindergarten readiness:
Why this is important
How behavior/regulation plays a role
The importance of soft skills and social-emotional learning
Realistic expectations from a kindergarten teacher
Expectations for kindergarteners in our society (the good and bad)
Home school decision:
Why LE chose to homeschool her son
Why parents make this choice in general
The pros and cons of homeschooling
How to prepare your preschooler for kindergarten
LE’s top 5 things for parents to work on with their child
Follow LE on Instagram @wildandhoneyb
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
...more
1h 10min
May 13, 2026Episode 11: Being a secure base: What attachment is and how to form a secure one with your child
You are your child’s safe place, you’re their home and their comfort. This attachment you form with your child plays one of the biggest roles not only in your relationship with them, but in their development and future relationships as well. This episode focuses on what attachment is and how it influences your child’s development. This included:
Reviewing research on:
What attachment is
The four types:
Secure
Insecure - avoidant
Insecure - ambivalent
Insecure - disorganized
Why it’s important for parenting
How attachment influences your child’s development and future outcomes
Providing examples on:
What attachment is and isn’t
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Respond consistently with sensitivity and warmth
Respond to your baby asap when they cry or make a bid for your attention
Respond to your toddler/preschooler as much as you can
Co-regulation is key!
Engage with your child - sing songs, read books, PLAY
Read their signs of overstimulation, overwhelm, distress, etc. and meet their needs
REPAIR as soon as you are calm enough to and do it often
Promote exploration by being your child’s secure base - don’t push them away if they get clingy in a new place or around new people
Suggesting books:
“The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn
“Monkey Puzzle” by Julia Donaldson
“In my heart: A book of feelings” by Jo Witek
“Raising Securely Attached Kids” by Eli Harwood
“Parenting from the Inside Out” by Dan Siegel and Mary Hartzell
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
...more
30min
May 06, 2026Episode 10: The Daycare Dilemma: How to choose a place or person to care for your young child by age and care type
Leaving your child is never easy! And deciding where to take your child and who to leave them with is one of the biggest (and toughest) decisions parents make in early childhood. This episode focuses on strengths and limitations to each care type, as well as strategies for choosing one. This included:
Reviewing research on:
Why the quality of care matters more than the type of care
The strengths and limitations for:
In-home daycare
Center daycare
Preschool
Nanny
What to look for by the age of your child
Providing examples on:
Experiences teaching in preschools, daycares, and working as a nanny
Choosing a care type for my own child
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Drop in!
Prioritize caregiver interaction, warmth, responsiveness
Want a focus on social-emotional learning and play
Look for low caregiver-child ratios
Want clean environment, toys available on shelves to play with, art and decorations at child level
Want good interaction quality, emotional safety, consistency
It helps to talk to other parents online, drop in more than once, read reviews
Bring your children with you to tour places or have them present when interviewing nannies
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Work with me! Find my parent coaching service guide at the link on my Instagram, fill out the Inquiry page, or DM me with questions or concerns! I include preschool/daycare vetting as a part of my coaching services.
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
...more
29min
April 29, 2026Episode 9: Positive, age-appropriate “discipline” and behavior management for toddlers and preschoolers
“Is this okay?” “I get impatient with my children and don’t know what to do.” “My child has been biting their sibling every day and I can’t get them to stop.” All of these are completely normal questions I’ve gotten from parents about handling their children’s behavior. It can be so difficult to know what to do in the moment or how to implement behavior management strategies. That’s where I come in! This episode focuses on what positive, age-appropriate discipline looks like in early childhood. This included:
Reviewing research on:
The impacts of common discipline and behavior management strategies (time out, spanking, redirection, offering choices)
How biting/hitting/throwing is normal for young kids
The importance of repair and connection during conflict or “discipline”
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Do not focus on control, focus on guidance and connection!
During behaviors/conflict:
Connect first
Validate emotions and be their calm
Clear limits with redirection
Take a break and ask for help - keep your child safe
Especially for toddlers:
Ignore and redirect
Use your attention to reinforce behaviors
Remove or block and redirect
Repair asap
Model how you regulate and repair
Label your emotions and how they feel/look
Explain how parents also have meltdowns
It’s ALWAYS okay to start over (whether it’s because of you or your kids)
After
Use storytelling or pretend play to process experiences and emotions
Teach children tools to handle their behavior
Prevention
Use play, singing, changing location to change energy or end power struggles
Give yourself more time or change how you approach parts of your routine that often cause you impatience or frustration
Offer choices to give control
Maintain a routine and use visual schedule to help
Create boundaries/limits that prevent power struggles
Suggesting books:
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
Roaring Mad Riley by Allison Szczecinski
That’s My Truck by Dr. Becky Kennedy
The whole brain child by Dan Siegel and Tine Payne-Bryson
Parenting from the Inside Out by Dan Siegel and Mary Hartzell
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
...more
41min
April 22, 2026Episode 8: Balancing Bluey and Boredom: The impact of screens on young children and how to set boundaries around technology
Screens can be such a useful parenting tool, but they are frequently used too often, to the detriment of your child’s behavior and language development. This episode focuses on the impacts of screen time on children under the age of 5, the recommended screen time and how to implement this with your child, as well as how to set and maintain boundaries around screen time. This included:
Reviewing research on:
How screen time impacts child development
Recommended limits and why they are important
How screens affect dopamine and why they are so addictive for children
Providing examples on:
How screen time leads to language delays in children
How I have set and maintained boundaries around screens with my own children
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Limit screen time to 45 minutes to 1 hour per day MOST days of the week after 2 years old - and none before 2!
Try to stick to educational programming or less addictive shows
Set up play during nap or bedtime to encourage independent play
Pay it forward - sit and play for 5-10 minutes before you need time for something
Save screen time for when you need it most
Limit screens an hour before bed
Give multiple warnings before ending screen time and have a redirection planned
Don’t introduce screens outside of the home for as long as possible
Set boundaries, BE CONSISTENT and INTENTIONAL with screen use
Encourage creativity through boredom
Pay attention to background noise
Suggesting books:
Bearenstein Bears Too Much TV
Polly and Screentime Overload by Besty Childs Howard
Screen Time is Not Forever by Elizabeth Verdick
The Couch Potato by Jory John
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
...more
24min
April 15, 2026Episode 7: Intergenerational Trauma: How trauma experienced by one generation affects the ones after it
Not all of your reactions or responses to your child are you. Sometimes they stem from deeper rooted trauma or stress passed down from your parents or grandparents. Sometimes they pop up from a past experience you had. This episode focuses on what intergenerational trauma is, how it affects your parenting and your child, and what to do to buffer some of these effects. This included:
Reviewing research on:
What intergenerational trauma is and how it affects people across generations
Defining adverse childhood experiences and how they affect children and parents
How attachment is transmitted across generations and the role it plays in your child’s development
Providing examples on:
Historical examples of collective experiences of intergenerational trauma
How past experiences influenced my emotional reaction to my toddler at nap time and what I did to fix this
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Reflect/journal/process how you need to about your own experiences with trauma/ACEs/parenting and how it has impacted you
Focus on improving one aspect of your parenting at a time - don’t put too much pressure on yourself
Educate yourself on ways trauma can impact yourself and your family and on strategies to help with this!
Teach your child empathy!
Teach your child about how hard things can happen and what to do in times of need (go to a trusted adult, find comfort from a caregiver, help others)
Learn how to repair and model that for your child - normalize taking a few minutes to regulate your nervous system/emotions and then reconnect and repair with your child/partner/pet
Suggesting books:
“We are Water Protectors” by Carole Lindstrom
“A Terrible Thing Happened” by Margaret Holmes
“Big Bear was Not the Same” by Joanna Rowland
“Parenting from the Inside Out” by Dan Siegel and Mary Hartzell
“It Didn’t Start with You” by Mark Wolynn
“The Deepest Well” by Nadine Burke Harris
“How to Raise an Antiracist” by Ibram X Kendi
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
...more
42min
April 08, 2026Episode 6: The need to TALK: How to support your child's language development and speech
Worrying about your child being able to talk is one of the biggest concerns parents have for their young children. This episode focuses on how to support your child’s language development, specifically by talking and reading to them early and often. This included:
Reviewing research on:
When language development starts and how it progresses from birth to early and later toddlerhood to preschool age
Why talking and reading to your child are so important
Providing examples on:
How to create the NEED for your child to talk (and how I did this with families in Early Childhood Intervention)
How to get your child to engage more with books - especially for those who don’t want to sit still
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Talk to your child and baby early and often!
Check background noise - limit tv/screens
Leave space for them to talk and respond to them - practice conversations
Motivate them to sign or talk - use food, bubbles, sensory play
Read every day - even for just 5-10 minutes
Sign up for the Imagination Library, go to a local library, find books at Goodwill or Thriftbooks
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
...more
32min

FAQs about The Parent Empowerance Podcast:

How many episodes does The Parent Empowerance Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 26 episodes available.