The Parenting Brief

Primitive reflexes are involuntary responses that a newborn is born with to help them survive. These reflexes naturally disappear as your baby’s brain matures. In cases of injury, these reflexes can show back up and are a sign of a larger issue.

Host Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez sits down with Dr. Karen Pryor, a physical therapist, to cover what parents need to know about primitive reflexes.

Host:

Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez is the Chief of the Office of Children’s Health at the Arizona Department of Health Services. She is married, has two young children, and loves reading (anything except parenting books!) and watching movies and TV.She enjoys spending time with her kids (when they aren’t driving her crazy) and celebrating all of their little, and big, accomplishments. Jessica has been in the field of family and child development for over 20 years, focused on normalizing the hard work of parenting and making it easier to ask the hard questions.

Links: 

Strong Families AZ

Host: Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez

Guest: Dr. Karen Pryor

List of Primitive Reflexes

Strep is more than just a sore throat. Today we’re talking about Group B Strep (GBS), which usually isn’t serious for adults, but it can hurt newborns. Learn what it is, how to test for it, and the importance of treatment.

Host Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez sits down with Dr. Sarah Sams, a family physician and American Academy of Family Physicians board member, for a comprehensive guide to prepare moms for the safest possible delivery.

Host:

Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez is the Chief of the Office of Children’s Health at the Arizona Department of Health Services. She is married, has two young children, and loves reading (anything except parenting books!) and watching movies and TV.She enjoys spending time with her kids (when they aren’t driving her crazy) and celebrating all of their little, and big, accomplishments. Jessica has been in the field of family and child development for over 20 years, focused on normalizing the hard work of parenting and making it easier to ask the hard questions.

Links:

Strong Families AZ

Host: Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez

Guest: Dr. Sarah Sams

Familydoctor.org

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Infants and children can experience brain injuries in many ways.

What signs can parents keep an eye out for and what can you do to prevent traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)? 

Tune in to hear Jessica talk about childhood brain injuries with Dr. Sue Wolf, an Educational Psychologist with Empowerment Research. Learn about causes, signs, prevention, and recovery. 

Host:

Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez is the Chief of the Office of Children’s Health at the Arizona Department of Health Services. She is married, has two young children, and loves reading (anything except parenting books!) and watching movies and TV.  She enjoys spending time with her kids (when they aren’t driving her crazy) and celebrating all of their little, and big, accomplishments. Jessica has been in the field of family and child development for over 20 years, focused on normalizing the hard work of parenting and making it easier to ask the hard questions.

Links: 

Strong Families AZ

Host: Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez

Guest: Dr. Sue Wolf

Empowerment Research

Encircle Families

Brain Injury Association of Arizona

AZ Department of Education: TBI Training

 

What is child care licensing and why is it important for families? Today’s episode covers how licensing keeps kids safe, how to make sure your child care facility is licensed, and practical tips for parents like what to look for during a tour and how to report any concerns

Jessica chats with Margaret Bernal, the Chief of the Bureau of Child Care Licensing for the Arizona Department of Health Services, about all this and more in this final episode of our childcare series.

Don’t miss our previous episodes on transitioning back to work after having a baby and early childhood education, available now on our channel.

Host:

Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez is the Chief of the Office of Children’s Health at the Arizona Department of Health Services. She is married, has two young children, and loves reading (anything except parenting books!) and watching movies and TV.She enjoys spending time with her kids (when they aren’t driving her crazy) and celebrating all of their little, and big, accomplishments. Jessica has been in the field of family and child development for over 20 years, focused on normalizing the hard work of parenting and making it easier to ask the hard questions.

Links:

Strong Families AZ

Host: Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez

Guest: Margaret Bernal

AZDHS: Child Care Facilities Licensing

AZ Care Check

Licensing Services Online Complaint Forms

Bureau of Child Care Licensing Top Ten Citations – 2024

Transitioning Back to Work After Having A Baby

Early Childhood Education

What does it mean to show up as your true self? Listen to learn how to practice authenticity in every situation like the school pick ups, work, and more!

Live this week from the Strong Families AZ 14th annual Home Visiting Conference, host Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez talks with Chris Molina, who is always looking to help others become better Professionals & better Leaders. 

“Change is something that is always going to happen, so we should embrace it and understand [it].”

Guest: 

Chris Molina

Resources:

Strong Families AZ

Book: 

Anthony Jack: The Privileged Poor

There’s so much pressure on parents when it comes to potty training. Listen to learn what a “potty personality” is and how it can help you design a potty training approach that will work best for your child. 

Live from the 14th annual Strong Families AZ Home Visiting Conference, host Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez chats with Dr. Heather Wittenberg, a Psychologist, Author, and Mom of Four.

Guest: 

Dr. Heather Wittenberg

Psychologist

Author: Let's Get This Potty Started!

Mom of Four

Resources:

Strong Families AZ

Parents know life can be unpredictable. Teaching kids to navigate hardship, adjust and recover gives them the tools to handle life’s challenges. 

Live this week from the Strong Families AZ 14th annual Home Visiting Conference, host Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez talks with Dr. Tovah Klein about what it means to be resilient and how parents can raise their children to be resilient. 

Guest: 

Dr. Tovah Klein

Author: Raising Resilience; How Toddlers Thrive

Psychology professor

Barnard College, Columbia University

Director, Barnard College Center for Toddler Development

Resources:

Strong Families AZ

Live this week from the 14th annual Strong Families AZ Home Visiting Conference, host Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez spoke with Nereida Gomez, a community health worker for the Health Start Program and the 2025 Innovator Award winner. 

They talk about what Nereida has learned from working with young families and how those lessons are helpful to all families. 

Guest: 

Nereida Gomez

MHC Case Manager 

the Health Start Program

the CHS Department

Resources:

Strong Families AZ

Live this week from the Strong Families AZ 14th annual Home Visiting Conference, host Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez spoke with Dr. Heather Berlin to get to know how our brains work. Tune in to learn about the importance of boredom, the extinction effect, understanding appropriate child development, and more!

Guest: 

Dr. Heather Berlin

Cognitive Neuroscientist

Associate Clinical Professor Of Psychiatry And Neuroscience

The Icahn School Of Medicine

Mount Sinai

New York

Resources:

Strong Families AZ

Have you heard about kindergarten readiness? It's a term that's been floating around on social media and school websites lately, and we’re here to break it down for you. 

Host Jessica Stewart Gonzalez sits down with Laura Lee, the Director of Early Childhood at the Arizona Department of Education, to talk about kindergarten readiness, Arizona's school choice system, and practical steps to ensure a smooth enrollment process.

Whether you’re feeling super excited or a little bit anxious about your kid starting kindergarten, don’t worry! We’ve got everything you need to make this transition a good one.

Host:

Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez is the Chief of the Office of Children’s Health at the Arizona Department of Health Services. She is married, has two young children, and loves reading (anything except parenting books!) and watching movies and TV.She enjoys spending time with her kids (when they aren’t driving her crazy) and celebrating all of their little, and big, accomplishments. Jessica has been in the field of family and child development for over 20 years, focused on normalizing the hard work of parenting and making it easier to ask the hard questions.

Links:

Strong Families AZ

Host: Jessica Stewart-Gonzalez

Guest: Laura Lee

Arizona Early Learning Standards

ADE ECE Webpage