Technology impacts the way our kids think, behave and communicate. In this episode, we start at the beginning. When and how to introduce your kids to a smartphone. How to set limits and bring peace to your home (at least a little). Our kids panel offers advice on how to keep kids off their devices, and one dad Takes One for the Team by sharing a story about his son's secret Snapchat account. Plus, our Safe Kids Tip of the Week will help keep your older kids safer when walking to school.   

Marc Groman is an internationally recognized expert in privacy, technology and cyber security. His past roles include Senior Advisor for Privacy in the Obama White House, Chief Privacy Officer of the Federal Trade Commission, and President and CEO of the Network Advertising Initiative. When not consulting, serving on various boards, or teaching at Georgetown Law School, you'll often find Marc explaining Snapchat, YouTube, smartphone privacy settings, and Fortnite to other dazed and confused parents.

Dr. David Reitman is a board-certified pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine, meaning he just treats teens. He is an associate professor in pediatrics and an attending adolescent medicine physician at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. He is a well-known national lecturer on topics relating to adolescent health and college health such as teen substance abuse, mood disorders, and developmental problems.

Together, Marc and David host a podcast called Their Own Devices that offers helpful tips about screen time, social media, sexting, privacy, online gaming, and other challenges facing parents. Marc and David aren't just experts – they're also married, and raising a teenage son.

Depending on how you look at it, dyslexia can be considered either a burden or a gift. In this episode, we talk about why that is, how to know if your child has dyslexia, and tips for both students and parents. In "Off the Record," our panel of kids, who all have dyslexia, answer a question about how to best support your dyslexic kids, and one mom "Takes one for the Team" by sharing a story about how she finally learned to connect with her kid. Plus, our Safe Kids Tip of the Week is a great way for the whole family to work together to stay safe. 

Cynthia received a degree in developmental psychology from Duke University and a Masters in Cross Categorical Special Education from UNC-Greensboro. Over the past 25 years she has taught children with special needs in a number of settings. She was an Educational Therapist at Amos Cottage Children's Hospital in NC, and she worked as a Learning Disabilities teacher for Chesterfield County Public Schools in self-contained and collaborative settings. She left CCPS to stay home with her children and had a thriving tutoring business, then nine years ago she left private tutoring to work at Riverside School in Richmond, VA. It has been her joy and passion to teach children with dyslexia to read using the OG approach, and she has been thrilled to see her knowledge multiply and positively affect the lives of even more children as she trains teachers to use the approach. 

In our first speed-round edition, we focus on a variety of nutritional issues, including: What to do if your kid won't eat vegetables? Is fast food OK? And is organic food worth the expense? In Off the Record, our teen panel answers a question about what to do if your child doesn't want to try new foods. And one mom Takes one for the Team by sharing a story about her toddler's favorite food: water. Plus, our Safe Kids Tip of the Week will get your kids excited about nutrition and keep them safe.

Deanna Busteed is a registered dietitian with a Board Certification in Sports Nutrition. She brings more than 20 years of experience developing health and wellness programs as well as providing cutting-edge nutrition, fitness and wellness services to a wide variety of individuals and groups. Her specialties include health promotion, disease prevention, weight management, sports nutrition, wellness, and fitness. Deanna also has experience working with vegetarian diets, celiac disease and eating disorders.

Deanna graduated from University of Rhode Island and obtained her Master of Science degree in Nutritional Science from the University of Massachusetts. She completed her Dietetic Internship at Framingham State College.

As a dietitian she has worked in Boston-area hospitals, outpatient counseling centers, fitness centers, and in college health. Prior to moving to Northern Virginia, Deanna was formerly the Nutrition Director at Bosse Sports and was a dietitian for Healthworks Fitness Centers for Women and The Sports Club LA/Boston. Deanna has been quoted in Natural Health Magazine, Redbook, Boston Magazine, The Boston Herald and The Boston Globe. Deanna is the co-author of "A Guy's Gotta Eat: The Regular Guy's Guide to Eating Smart."

In 2012, Deanna created and launched the Nutrition and Wellness Program at Arthritis & Sports. This unique program provides orthopaedic patients with comprehensive nutrition and wellness plans designed to improve surgical outcomes and optimize the overall health of their patients.

Deanna is presently the Sports Dietitian for George Mason's Center for Sports Performance, servicing over 500 Division I athletes. Deanna is a member of the adjunct faculty teaching Sport and Exercise Nutrition in the College of Education and Human Development. She also serves as a Senior Fellow for the Center for the Advancement of Well-being, an interdisciplinary research and teaching center at George Mason University dedicated to catalyzing human well-being. Deanna is a certified Pilates, Yoga and Barre instructor and enjoys teaching weekly class in Vienna at SourceCore Studio.

How do parents find the right balance between giving kids freedom and making sure they're safe? In this episode, parent educator, Lynne Ticknor, discusses the value of giving kids independence and why it's easier said than done. In Off the Record, our kids panel talks about the pride of earning their parents' trust, and one dad Takes one for the Team by sharing the exact moment he realized he was being too protective. Plus, our Safe Kids Tip of the Week gives your kids freedom and also keeps them safe.

Lynne Ticknor is the Education Director at the Parent Encouragement Program (PEP) in Kensington, MD. She is a certified parent educator and has been teaching parenting classes since 2006. Lynne has also written for national parenting publications, including Scholastic Parent & Child, Parenting, Parents, Family Fun, and ADDitude, in addition to dozens of regional magazines.

If done right, there are so many benefits to playing youth sports. In this episode, former Georgetown basketball coach, Craig Esherick, shares the keys to being a successful youth sports parent. In Off the Record, our teen panel of athletes answers a question about what to do if your child wants skip practice. And one dad Takes one for the Team by sharing his personal story about "sideline rage." Plus, our Safe Kids Tip of the Week keeps young athletes safe and performing at their best.

Craig Esherick is an Associate Professor and Associate Director of the Center for Sport Management at George Mason University. Professor Esherick was a basketball coach for 25 years after graduating from Georgetown University with a J.D. and undergraduate finance degree. He is the author of three textbooks, numerous chapters, and articles on topics in the sports industry. He is currently working on his fourth book, The Art and Science of Coaching.

"Education is perhaps the greatest superpower of them all." That's what Jacki Bragg said during her Teacher of the Year speech at graduation. In this episode, Mrs. Bragg explains what she sees as the true value of school, how involved parents should be, and just how important are grades. In Off the Record, our teen panel answers a question about what to do when your kid won't tell you what's going on in school, and one mom Takes One for the Team by sharing a story about why she was convinced her kid would grow up to be, as she says, "A screw up." Plus, our Safe Kids Tip of the Week helps parents get their kids to school safely.    

Jacki Bragg has been one of the most respected teachers in Maryland for more than 21 years. She has been voted Teacher of the Year by the students and Outstanding Teachers by her colleagues.

If your child is experiencing anxiety, please know you're not alone. It's a growing issue that is affecting more and more families. In this episode, anxiety disorder expert, Dr. Jonathan Dalton, shares why anxiety in our kids isn't necessarily a bad thing, how to know if it is at a point that requires additional support, and a few tips, for kids and for parents, on how to handle your child's anxiety, that can make things easier starting today.

In Off the Record, our panel of teens, who all experience anxiety, answer a question about what parents can say, or not say to help, and one mom Takes One for the Team by sharing a story about a time when she thought she was helping her son deal with his anxiety, but it didn't quite turn out that way. Plus, our Safe Kids Tip of the Week is about the single most important thing a family can do to stay safe in a car.   

Dr. Jonathan Dalton is the founder and director of the Center for Anxiety and Behavioral Change. Dr. Dalton specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders in children and teens, with a focus on anxiety-based school refusal. He believes strongly in the importance of public outreach and frequently presents to student bodies, educators, mental health professionals, and community groups on the treatment of anxiety and related disorders.

We all want our kids to be happy. In this episode, Dr. Beth Cabrera shares how focusing on well-being is an important step and offers some simple strategies to get you started. In Off the Record, our teen panel answers a question about how to get your kids to "open up." And Gary Takes One for the Team by sharing the answer he received to the question: "Is parenting supposed to be this hard?" Plus, our Safe Kids Tip of the Week is about a toll-free number every parent will want to save today. 

Dr. Cabrera is the author of Beyond Happy: Women, Work, and Well-Being. In 2009, Dr. Cabrera founded Cabrera Insights, and she joined the George Mason University Center for the Advancement of Well-Being as a Senior Scholar in 2013. Beth lives in the Washington D.C. area with her husband. Their two children are in college.