The Parent Tap

By Ryan McDonough

The threats are real. The playbook is yours.

Tactical conversations with ex-FBI agents, clinicians, and operators on raising kids through addiction, predators, screens, AI deepfake

... more

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FAQs about The Parent Tap:

How many episodes does The Parent Tap have?

The podcast currently has 52 episodes available.

The Parent Tap episodes:

June 11, 2026Phone Boundaries: The Operational Playbook
Your teen acts like losing their phone is life-or-death — because for their developing brain, it practically is.
Child psychologist Dr. Ashley Poklar breaks down the tactical reality of phones and online safety, and the day-one boundaries that actually hold.
In this episode:
Why the phone feels like survival to a teen brain
The boundaries that work vs. the ones that spark war
A rollout plan you can deploy this week
🎧 Full interview on YouTube → The Parent Tap. More at theparenttappod.com.

🔗 More from Dr. Poklar: https://apoclarponders.org | https://foundationsentinel.org/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-e-poklar-phd/
Get the Bark Phone: https://barkparentalcontrols.pxf.io/c/7404173/1430413/17000?adname=affiliate_home_page

The threats are real. The playbook is yours.

The Parent Tap Podcast
🎙️ https://theparenttap.buzzsprout.com
🎯 Subscribe for the full playbook: / @theparenttap

🔔 Stop winging it. Subscribe for the full playbook.

▶️ Watch the full conversation on YouTube: The Parent Tap

🎧 New episodes weekly.

#childpsychology #screentime #barkphone #onlinesafety #parentingtips
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Stop surviving the chaos and start managing the system.
Official Website & Blueprints: ParentTap.io Contact us: [email protected]
THE PARENT TAP PRODUCTION GEAR 🎙️ Mic: Shure MV7+ amzn.to/4cdrGf8 Focusrite Scarlett Solo https://amzn.to/3S9xH66
💡 Lighting: Elgato Key Light Neo amzn.to/4sg904m
📷 Webcam: Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra amzn.to/48eNaqI
🎧 Headphones: Dyson OnTrac amzn.to/4tVGNAU
📹 Camera: Sony ZV-E10 amzn.to/4cExz5e
🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co
The Parent Tap Reading List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/19F2YVH0CLDH9?ref_=wl_share
📺 Watch the Podcast on YouTube: @TheParentTap
📸 Follow on Instagram: @TheParentTapPod
🧸 Family Fun & Vlogs: Catch our family adventures on YouTube at @R-mak (Tiny Baker & Toy Fun!)
Listen & Subscribe: If you found today’s SOP helpful, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It’s the #1 way to help us get these tactical blueprints to other working parents who need them.
...more
26min
June 07, 2026AI Is Building Your Kid's Digital Replacement
Hollywood already figured out how to train AI on a person. The same tech is quietly coming for your kid's likeness.
A tactical breakdown of AI deepfakes, digital replacement, and the protections parents need before this gets worse — because it will.
In this episode:
How a "digital replacement" actually gets built
The data your kid is leaking right now
Day-one boundaries for the AI era
🎧 Full playbook on YouTube → The Parent Tap. More at theparenttappod.com.

Connect with our guest:
Read Ruth's investigative work and follow her updates at https://www.RuthIorio.com
The threats are real. The playbook is yours.

The Parent Tap Podcast
🎙️ https://theparenttap.buzzsprout.com
🎯 Subscribe for the full playbook: / @theparenttap

🔔 Stop winging it. Subscribe for the full playbook.

#grief #addiction #parenting
▶️ Watch the full conversation on YouTube: The Parent Tap
🎧 New episodes weekly.
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Stop surviving the chaos and start managing the system.
Official Website & Blueprints: ParentTap.io Contact us: [email protected]
THE PARENT TAP PRODUCTION GEAR 🎙️ Mic: Shure MV7+ amzn.to/4cdrGf8 Focusrite Scarlett Solo https://amzn.to/3S9xH66
💡 Lighting: Elgato Key Light Neo amzn.to/4sg904m
📷 Webcam: Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra amzn.to/48eNaqI
🎧 Headphones: Dyson OnTrac amzn.to/4tVGNAU
📹 Camera: Sony ZV-E10 amzn.to/4cExz5e
🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co
The Parent Tap Reading List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/19F2YVH0CLDH9?ref_=wl_share
📺 Watch the Podcast on YouTube: @TheParentTap
📸 Follow on Instagram: @TheParentTapPod
🧸 Family Fun & Vlogs: Catch our family adventures on YouTube at @R-mak (Tiny Baker & Toy Fun!)
Listen & Subscribe: If you found today’s SOP helpful, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It’s the #1 way to help us get these tactical blueprints to other working parents who need them.
...more
58min
June 04, 2026Parenting After Loss: A Tactical Path Through Grief
Grief doesn't pause because you have kids to raise. This is the path through it without losing the house.
An honest, operational conversation on parenting through addiction grief and loss — holding the system together when you're barely holding yourself together.
In this episode:
Functioning as a parent while grieving
What kids actually need to see from you
The supports that keep the house running
🎧 Full episode on YouTube → The Parent Tap. More at theparenttappod.com.
About Katie Rizzo
📖 Katie's books: The Trimesters of Grief & None of Them Are You
Website: https://www.katierizzo.com/

The threats are real. The playbook is yours.

The Parent Tap Podcast
🎙️ https://theparenttap.buzzsprout.com
🎯 Subscribe for the full playbook: / @theparenttap

🔔 Stop winging it. Subscribe for the full playbook.

#grief #addiction #parenting
▶️ Watch the full conversation on YouTube: The Parent Tap
🎧 New episodes weekly.
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Stop surviving the chaos and start managing the system.
Official Website & Blueprints: ParentTap.io Contact us: [email protected]
THE PARENT TAP PRODUCTION GEAR 🎙️ Mic: Shure MV7+ amzn.to/4cdrGf8 Focusrite Scarlett Solo https://amzn.to/3S9xH66
💡 Lighting: Elgato Key Light Neo amzn.to/4sg904m
📷 Webcam: Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra amzn.to/48eNaqI
🎧 Headphones: Dyson OnTrac amzn.to/4tVGNAU
📹 Camera: Sony ZV-E10 amzn.to/4cExz5e
🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co
The Parent Tap Reading List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/19F2YVH0CLDH9?ref_=wl_share
📺 Watch the Podcast on YouTube: @TheParentTap
📸 Follow on Instagram: @TheParentTapPod
🧸 Family Fun & Vlogs: Catch our family adventures on YouTube at @R-mak (Tiny Baker & Toy Fun!)
Listen & Subscribe: If you found today’s SOP helpful, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It’s the #1 way to help us get these tactical blueprints to other working parents who need them.
...more
27min
June 02, 2026Teen Addiction Red Flags Every Parent Misses
The scariest part of teen addiction is how normal the early signs look.
A symptom-to-system walkthrough: what to watch for, when "moody teen" is actually something else, and the immediate boundary that stops the slide.
In this episode:
The shifts parents write off as "a phase"
Why today's substances aren't yours
The day-one conversation that changes the trajectory

🎧 Full playbook on YouTube → The Parent Tap. More at theparenttappod.com.

Find Katie Rizzo
Website: https://www.katierizzo.com/

The threats are real. The playbook is yours.

The Parent Tap Podcast
🎙️ https://theparenttap.buzzsprout.com
🎯 Subscribe for the full playbook: / @theparenttap

🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co

One More Light by The Cat and Owl, Chester Charles Bennington, Brad Delson, David Michael Farrell, Mike Shinoda, Joseph Hahn, Robert G. Bourdon, https://t.lickd.co/l/GVaJJq8Vaeg
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Stop surviving the chaos and start managing the system.
Official Website & Blueprints: ParentTap.io Contact us: [email protected]
THE PARENT TAP PRODUCTION GEAR 🎙️ Mic: Shure MV7+ amzn.to/4cdrGf8 Focusrite Scarlett Solo https://amzn.to/3S9xH66
💡 Lighting: Elgato Key Light Neo amzn.to/4sg904m
📷 Webcam: Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra amzn.to/48eNaqI
🎧 Headphones: Dyson OnTrac amzn.to/4tVGNAU
📹 Camera: Sony ZV-E10 amzn.to/4cExz5e
🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co
The Parent Tap Reading List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/19F2YVH0CLDH9?ref_=wl_share
📺 Watch the Podcast on YouTube: @TheParentTap
📸 Follow on Instagram: @TheParentTapPod
🧸 Family Fun & Vlogs: Catch our family adventures on YouTube at @R-mak (Tiny Baker & Toy Fun!)
Listen & Subscribe: If you found today’s SOP helpful, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It’s the #1 way to help us get these tactical blueprints to other working parents who need them.
...more
22min
May 31, 2026Broke at 25 → Built an Empire: The Shift
She was broke at 25. Now she runs an empire. The difference wasn't luck — it was one mindset shift parents can teach early.
A conversation on the operator mindset, money, and raising kids who think in systems instead of scarcity.
In this episode:
The shift from surviving to building
What she'd teach her younger self
How to wire this into how your kids think
🎧 Full interview on YouTube → The Parent Tap. More at theparenttappod.com.
🎙️ Guest: Shinjini Das — personal branding coach & motivational speaker
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shinjinidas/
https://www.instagram.com/speakershinjini/
https://www.facebook.com/speakershinjini
https://x.com/speakershinjini
▶️ Watch the full video: youtube.com/@TheParentTap Stop winging it. Follow for the full playbook.
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Stop surviving the chaos and start managing the system.
Official Website & Blueprints: ParentTap.io Contact us: [email protected]
THE PARENT TAP PRODUCTION GEAR 🎙️ Mic: Shure MV7+ amzn.to/4cdrGf8 Focusrite Scarlett Solo https://amzn.to/3S9xH66
💡 Lighting: Elgato Key Light Neo amzn.to/4sg904m
📷 Webcam: Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra amzn.to/48eNaqI
🎧 Headphones: Dyson OnTrac amzn.to/4tVGNAU
📹 Camera: Sony ZV-E10 amzn.to/4cExz5e
🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co
The Parent Tap Reading List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/19F2YVH0CLDH9?ref_=wl_share
📺 Watch the Podcast on YouTube: @TheParentTap
📸 Follow on Instagram: @TheParentTapPod
🧸 Family Fun & Vlogs: Catch our family adventures on YouTube at @R-mak (Tiny Baker & Toy Fun!)
Listen & Subscribe: If you found today’s SOP helpful, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It’s the #1 way to help us get these tactical blueprints to other working parents who need them.
...more
37min
May 28, 2026Child Trauma: A Parent's Tactical Response
When trauma hits a kid, sympathy isn't a plan. This is.
The operational response for parents navigating child trauma — what to do in the moment, what to stop doing, and how to build the recovery system.
In this episode:
The instinct that makes trauma worse
A stabilization sequence for parents
When to bring in professional support
🎧 Full playbook on YouTube → The Parent Tap. More at theparenttappod.com.
About Latiffe Ghanem
Trauma Informed Life and Parenting Coach
https://www.livinginprogress.com/
🎧 More episodes: theparenttappod.com 🔗 Full video version: youtube.com/@TheParentTap
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Stop surviving the chaos and start managing the system.
Official Website & Blueprints: ParentTap.io Contact us: [email protected]
THE PARENT TAP PRODUCTION GEAR 🎙️ Mic: Shure MV7+ amzn.to/4cdrGf8 Focusrite Scarlett Solo https://amzn.to/3S9xH66
💡 Lighting: Elgato Key Light Neo amzn.to/4sg904m
📷 Webcam: Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra amzn.to/48eNaqI
🎧 Headphones: Dyson OnTrac amzn.to/4tVGNAU
📹 Camera: Sony ZV-E10 amzn.to/4cExz5e
🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co
The Parent Tap Reading List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/19F2YVH0CLDH9?ref_=wl_share
📺 Watch the Podcast on YouTube: @TheParentTap
📸 Follow on Instagram: @TheParentTapPod
🧸 Family Fun & Vlogs: Catch our family adventures on YouTube at @R-mak (Tiny Baker & Toy Fun!)
Listen & Subscribe: If you found today’s SOP helpful, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It’s the #1 way to help us get these tactical blueprints to other working parents who need them.
...more
25min
May 26, 2026The 5 Financial Mistakes That Keep Families Broke
Most kids learn money by accident. These rules make it deliberate.
A tight, operational set of money rules to wire financial sense into your kids before the world teaches them the expensive way.
In this episode:
The rules that beat an allowance
How to make money concrete for young kids
Raising spenders vs. operators
🎧 Full playbook on YouTube → The Parent Tap. More at theparenttappod.com.
Where to Find Kari Polasek, CFP
Adaptive Financial Design Website https://adaptivefinancialdesign.com
#parenting #personalfinance #workingparents #financialliteracy #parentingteens
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Stop surviving the chaos and start managing the system.
Official Website & Blueprints: ParentTap.io Contact us: [email protected]
THE PARENT TAP PRODUCTION GEAR 🎙️ Mic: Shure MV7+ amzn.to/4cdrGf8 Focusrite Scarlett Solo https://amzn.to/3S9xH66
💡 Lighting: Elgato Key Light Neo amzn.to/4sg904m
📷 Webcam: Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra amzn.to/48eNaqI
🎧 Headphones: Dyson OnTrac amzn.to/4tVGNAU
📹 Camera: Sony ZV-E10 amzn.to/4cExz5e
🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co
The Parent Tap Reading List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/19F2YVH0CLDH9?ref_=wl_share
📺 Watch the Podcast on YouTube: @TheParentTap
📸 Follow on Instagram: @TheParentTapPod
🧸 Family Fun & Vlogs: Catch our family adventures on YouTube at @R-mak (Tiny Baker & Toy Fun!)
Listen & Subscribe: If you found today’s SOP helpful, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It’s the #1 way to help us get these tactical blueprints to other working parents who need them.
...more
23min
May 19, 2026The Executive Parent Trap: Why Business Logic Fails
You run a team at work. So why does running your home the same way blow up in your face?
The trap high-performers fall into: applying P&L logic to a four-year-old. Here's where business thinking helps — and where it actively backfires.
In this episode:
Why KPIs don't work on kids
The executive habits that hurt at home
What to keep from the operator playbook
🎧 Full episode on YouTube → The Parent Tap. More at theparenttappod.com.

ABOUT THE GUEST:
Kurt Bush is the author of Live Fully, Lead Authentically, co-owner of Brimstone Coaching Group, a former manufacturing leader, and a pastor. He coaches high-performing leaders on integrating authenticity into their work and family lives.

CONNECT WITH KURT:
🌐 Website: brimstonecoachinggroup.com
📘 Book: Live Fully, Lead Authentically (available on his website)
🎙 Podcast: Live Fully Lead Authentically

CONNECT WITH THE PARENT TAP:
The tactical playbook for high-performing parents raising teens — without the guilt trips, fluff, or "trust the process" nonsense. Systems, not sympathy.

CHAOS IN. BLUEPRINTS OUT.

Subscribe, rate, and review — it's the cheapest thing you can do to help another operator find this show.

#ParentingPodcast #ExecutiveParenting #RaisingTeenagers #AuthenticLeadership #ConsciousParenting #WorkingDads #LeadershipAtHome
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Stop surviving the chaos and start managing the system.
Official Website & Blueprints: ParentTap.io Contact us: [email protected]
THE PARENT TAP PRODUCTION GEAR 🎙️ Mic: Shure MV7+ amzn.to/4cdrGf8 Focusrite Scarlett Solo https://amzn.to/3S9xH66
💡 Lighting: Elgato Key Light Neo amzn.to/4sg904m
📷 Webcam: Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra amzn.to/48eNaqI
🎧 Headphones: Dyson OnTrac amzn.to/4tVGNAU
📹 Camera: Sony ZV-E10 amzn.to/4cExz5e
🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co
The Parent Tap Reading List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/19F2YVH0CLDH9?ref_=wl_share
📺 Watch the Podcast on YouTube: @TheParentTap
📸 Follow on Instagram: @TheParentTapPod
🧸 Family Fun & Vlogs: Catch our family adventures on YouTube at @R-mak (Tiny Baker & Toy Fun!)
Listen & Subscribe: If you found today’s SOP helpful, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It’s the #1 way to help us get these tactical blueprints to other working parents who need them.
...more
23min
May 13, 2026The Neurosurgeon Rule: Stop Fixing Your Kid
A neurosurgeon doesn't operate on family. There's a parenting rule hiding in that.
Why your instinct to "fix" your own kid is the thing keeping them stuck — and the operational distance that actually lets them grow.
In this episode:
The Neurosurgeon Rule, explained
Why fixing signals "you're broken"
The hands-off move that builds capability
🎧 Full playbook on YouTube → The Parent Tap. More at theparenttappod.com.
Guest Resources: Find Evan Jarschauer's practice, resources, and intervention services at: behavioralhelp.com
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Stop surviving the chaos and start managing the system.
Official Website & Blueprints: ParentTap.io Contact us: [email protected]
THE PARENT TAP PRODUCTION GEAR 🎙️ Mic: Shure MV7+ amzn.to/4cdrGf8 Focusrite Scarlett Solo https://amzn.to/3S9xH66
💡 Lighting: Elgato Key Light Neo amzn.to/4sg904m
📷 Webcam: Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra amzn.to/48eNaqI
🎧 Headphones: Dyson OnTrac amzn.to/4tVGNAU
📹 Camera: Sony ZV-E10 amzn.to/4cExz5e
🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co
The Parent Tap Reading List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/19F2YVH0CLDH9?ref_=wl_share
📺 Watch the Podcast on YouTube: @TheParentTap
📸 Follow on Instagram: @TheParentTapPod
🧸 Family Fun & Vlogs: Catch our family adventures on YouTube at @R-mak (Tiny Baker & Toy Fun!)
Listen & Subscribe: If you found today’s SOP helpful, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It’s the #1 way to help us get these tactical blueprints to other working parents who need them.
...more
17min
May 11, 2026Discord & Roblox Honeypots (feat. Ex-FBI Agent)
An ex-FBI agent explains why the apps on your kid's screen right now are built like honeypots.
Former FBI agent Eric Robinson breaks down exactly how predators operate inside Discord and Roblox — and the day-one boundaries that shut it down.
In this episode:
How grooming starts inside "safe" platforms
The privacy settings that matter
Eric's operational checklist for parents
🎧 Full interview on YouTube → The Parent Tap. More at theparenttappod.com.
This isn't fearmongering. It's a tactical playbook for parents who'd rather have the awkward conversation now than the unthinkable one later.
⚠️ Content warning: This episode discusses child abduction, online exploitation, and sex trafficking. Listener discretion advised.
📞 RESOURCES National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: 1-800-843-5678 Report online exploitation: report.cybertip.org FBI tips: tips.fbi.gov
🎙 ABOUT THE GUEST Eric Robinson — Former FBI Special Agent specializing in Crimes Against Children. 📘 Author of Preacher to Breacher. Find him at https://preachertobreacher.com
ABOUT THE PARENT TAP The tactical playbook for raising kids in a world that didn't come with instructions. Real systems for working parents who'd rather build the blueprint than wing it.
CHAOS IN. BLUEPRINTS OUT.
🔗 STAY IN THE LOOP Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@TheParentTap

🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co
🎧 RELATED EPISODES
Why You Can't Parent Today's Weed Like It's 1999 https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/2607696/episodes/19002790-why-you-can-t-parent-today-s-weed-like-it-s-1999
Breaking Generational Cycles & The Schulz Family Shadow — https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/2607696/episodes/18985693-breaking-generational-cycles-the-schulz-family-shadow
If this episode helped you, the single best thing you can do is share it with one other parent. That's how this podcast grows — and how more kids stay safe.
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Stop surviving the chaos and start managing the system.
Official Website & Blueprints: ParentTap.io Contact us: [email protected]
THE PARENT TAP PRODUCTION GEAR 🎙️ Mic: Shure MV7+ amzn.to/4cdrGf8 Focusrite Scarlett Solo https://amzn.to/3S9xH66
💡 Lighting: Elgato Key Light Neo amzn.to/4sg904m
📷 Webcam: Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra amzn.to/48eNaqI
🎧 Headphones: Dyson OnTrac amzn.to/4tVGNAU
📹 Camera: Sony ZV-E10 amzn.to/4cExz5e
🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co
The Parent Tap Reading List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/19F2YVH0CLDH9?ref_=wl_share
📺 Watch the Podcast on YouTube: @TheParentTap
📸 Follow on Instagram: @TheParentTapPod
🧸 Family Fun & Vlogs: Catch our family adventures on YouTube at @R-mak (Tiny Baker & Toy Fun!)
Listen & Subscribe: If you found today’s SOP helpful, please subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It’s the #1 way to help us get these tactical blueprints to other working parents who need them.
...more
34min

FAQs about The Parent Tap:

How many episodes does The Parent Tap have?

The podcast currently has 52 episodes available.