The Parenting Horizons Podcast

Your kid doesn’t need you to fix everything. They need support building the skills to handle challenges themselves.
 
Join hosts Julie Ross and Dr. Elizabeth Cohen as they speak with Dr. Tara Williams, an educator, tenured professor, and expert in executive functioning and neurodiversity in higher education. The conversation focuses on what happens when neurodivergent kids leave the K-12 world and move into college, where support systems change and self-advocacy becomes essential.They explore the line between scaffolding and over-controlling, how shame can block help-seeking, and why universal design benefits every student, not just neurodivergent ones.
If you’re parenting a neurodivergent teen or college student, you’ve probably asked yourself: How do I help without doing too much? That balance can feel especially tricky when your child has ADHD, autism, or other executive functioning challenges and is suddenly expected to manage classes, deadlines, roommates, and daily life on their own. The big takeaway is simple: your job isn’t to eliminate every struggle—it’s to help your child build skills to handle them.

The goal isn’t to make your kid “open up” — it’s to become the adult they actually want to talk to. Silence is hard. But rushing to fill it can make kids shut down even more.What helps:

Listen for the story behind the behavior, not just the behavior.

Validate the feeling without condoning the action.

Ask, “What do you think?” and let them surprise you.

Kids are always watching how we handle honesty, boundaries, and discomfort.Sometimes the most authentic thing you can do is pause, stay calm, and make room. Listen to the full conversation on parenting, authenticity, and how kids learn by watching us.

Co-hosts Julie Ross and Dr. Elizabeth Cohen speak with author and nonprofit leader Alexander Kopelman about authenticity in childhood, parenting, and the systems that shape both. The conversation explores how kids learn selfhood, why unfiltered honesty is not the same as authenticity, and how adults can become safer, wiser people for children to turn to. In this episode, Alex shares the personal experiences that led him to write For Real, along with practical frameworks parents and educators can use to support children’s emotional development without shutting down their voice.

What if grief wasn’t something to fear, but something to understand?

In this conversation, we talk about why death, loss, and grief deserve more honesty, more curiosity, and more space in our lives — especially with our kids.

Because when we make room for grief, we make room for love, memory, and healing too.

Discover how to shed light on the often avoided or feared topics of death and grief with insights from grief educator Joanne DiMauro, author of the book "What Remains Is Love-My Journey of Losing My Brother and Healing through Grief."

In this sensitive and caring episode we discuss:

• Transforming societal attitudes, nurturing grief literacy, and finding joy and healing in the midst of loss.
• The power of talking openly about death with children and adults to foster healing and joy.
• Practical strategies for parents on how to introduce grief and death conversations early and naturally.
• The value of sharing memories and maintaining connection after loss to keep loved ones alive.

Joanne emphasizes that grief is an integral part of the human experience, and embracing conversations about death can lead to more love, compassion, and collective healing. She invites us all to normalize grief, share our stories, and foster a culture where facing mortality enriches life rather than diminishes it.

Thank you for listening to this deeply important conversation.

In this episode, we sit down with Teresa Stern, LCSW, somatic therapist, and founder of Mindful Therapy Brooklyn (https://www.mindfultherapybrooklyn.com) , to explore how children’s behavior is deeply connected to their nervous systems, sensory needs, and body awareness. Drawing from her training in somatic therapy, TheraPlay, sensory integration, and experiential modalities, Teresa explains why behavior should be understood as communication — not something to judge or “fix.”

We discuss the difference between experiential and cognitive therapy, why intelligence is not the same as emotional awareness, and how parents can help children connect bodily sensations to feelings and self-expression. Teresa shares insights into why some kids crash into things, spin, swing, or seek intense movement, and how sensory input shapes emotional and behavioral regulation.

The conversation also dives into fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses, the importance of completing stress responses, and practical ways parents can support healthy nervous system regulation at home. Teresa introduces the PACE framework — Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy — as a powerful guide for connecting with children without shame or comparison.

This episode is a compassionate and eye-opening look at how curiosity, body awareness, and nervous system support can transform the way we understand and respond to our kids.

What does it really feel like to be a teenager today—and what do teens wish their parents understood?

Our guest today is Sonia Suthar, Founder of Cloud9, a unique platform that combines life skills, personal growth, and community-building for teenagers

In this eye-opening episode, we sit down with Sonia for a candid, unfiltered crash course on navigating the parent-teen relationship from the inside out. From the subtle ways parents unintentionally communicate “you’re not good enough,” to why judgment and negativity quietly erode trust, Sonia offers a perspective most adults rarely hear—but desperately need.

We explore why seeing your teen with their friends can change everything, what teens actually want (hint: it’s not constant advice), and how interrogation, commands, and even “helpful” guidance can backfire. Sonia also introduces practical tools like “habit stacking” to build consistency, the power of vulnerability and transparency statements, and the importance of creating a healthy balance of power—not control.

Plus, we break down the simple but transformative question every parent should ask: Do you want to be heard, helped, or hugged?

If you’re a parent looking to strengthen your relationship, rebuild trust, and better understand the emotional world of your teen, this podcast is a must-listen.

Dr. Gertrude Lyons (www.drgertrudelyons.com) invites us to rethink what it means to mother—starting with the radical idea that we all mother, and the most important person we nurture is ourselves. In this episode, she explores how cultural “mother codes” shape our beliefs: that there’s a right way to parent, that we should instinctively know how to do it all, and that success means doing it alone. These narratives often leave mothers feeling ashamed, isolated, and inadequate—especially in the age of social media.

Through a lens of intentionality, creativity, and choice, Dr. Lyons encourages us to release self-blame and redefine parenting on our own terms. She dives into the power of intuition, the importance of responding instead of reacting, and the value of “do-overs” as we grow alongside our children. This conversation is about reclaiming ownership, rejecting harmful cultural messages, and stepping into a more expansive vision of motherhood—from sacrifice to stardust.

"A crying baby is the best form of birth control..."

Between sleep deprivation, stress, and the general chaos of having children, it’s no wonder many couples see a dip (or a cliff) when it comes to sex after kids. But just because this is common, it doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to it.

Join us as we have a lively and highly informative discussion with Dr. Rebecca Eudy, author of "Parents in Love: A Guide to Great Sex after Kids."

Although ideally couples should have this discussion before having kids, it’s important to recognize whether you and your partner have "high desire" or "low desire.” Just as important is dealing with shame and/or feelings of being abnormal in your level of desire.

The sometimes elusive “spark” can be found in creating connection through "micro-moments" (10 seconds or less!) Identifying what you want / need / desire OUTSIDE of the bedroom transforms what happens inside the bedroom.

Vulnerability is so important but many couples aren’t sure what that means exactly. We offer insight into understanding why your partner may say "no" and how you can avoid taking it personally. Finally, what is the "do no harm period" and why is it important to recognize?

If a kid is LGBTQ+, it may take an enormous amount of courage to come out to their parents, even if their parents love them unconditionally. So what can parents do to assure their children that they are safe in talking to them about something so personal and profound.

We talk today with Heather Hester, author of the book “Parenting with Pride: Unlearn Bias and Embrace, Empower, and Love Your LGBTQ+ Teen.”

The most common question we get around this subject is deceptively simple: What DO you say if your kid comes out to you? While there’s no “right way” to respond there are specific ways to show up with love, courage and clarity for our LGBTQ+ children. We’ll offer advice on how to keep this from becoming an interrogation, and how to listen to your child in an authentic way versus “virtue signaling.”

Finally, you’ll get some valuable tips on how to take care of your kid if other family members are non-affirming especially/ even during the holidays.

Would you drop your kid off in a strange part of town and leave them to find their way home when it gets dark? When you sit at a restaurant and give your kids tech to keep them quiet, you’re doing the very same thing.

Tom Arnold, (https://www.idigitaldetective.com), cyber security expert and author of “The Digital Detective: First Intervention“ explains the subtle and not-so-subtle ways strangers infiltrate your child’s life through all the screens and how to realistically work with them to become security savvy.  He explains what “tradecraft” is and why it’s important to educate people around it.

Some parents ask, why not just take away all tech? No cell phones, no Apple TV, no laptops? As appealing as that may sound, putting parental controls on games and tech is not enough. Instead there are more effective ways to monitor for safety (as opposed to control) and build up your relationship at the same time.

“Hey Mom, did you lock the door? Are you sure? Are you SURE? How do I know you locked the door? Tell me the truth, did you lock the door? Can you check again? Can I check again?”

What can a parent do when a child asks questions over and over like: “Are you sure you locked the door?” or “How do I know you’ll be home when I get home from school today?” How can a parent know if this behavior is just “a phase” or if it’s something more?

Today we’re talking with Dr. Joanna Robin (www.https://westchesteranxietytreatment.com)

co-author of “The OCD Workbook for Kids: Skills to Help Children Manage Obsessive Thoughts and Compulsive Behaviors” about OCD and children.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), know as the “doubting disease”, is more than just an adjective; it’s a painful and often misunderstood disease. People who suffer from this disease struggle with intrusive images (obsessions) that force that person to engage in repetitions (compulsions) to feel better.

We’ll also discuss the most current research on PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections), conditions that are characterized by a sudden and severe onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) thought to affect certain children who've had strep infections.