Family 360 Podcast

If life and death occur in the natural order of our expectations, our parents pass away when we are well into our adulthood, but even when we’ve anticipated this loss, we’re often not prepared for our grief. There is no right or wrong way to grieve the death of a parent. Grief is as unique and different as we are from each other. Yet sometimes it’s helpful to have hints. We hope this episode offers some insight into what will inevitably happen for all of us and some solace for those to whom it already has.

Did you know there are 4 communication habits that ruin relationships? Criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling. We often engage in these without knowing. Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart is a pediatric specialist, a writer for The Gottman Institute, a parenting coach, and our guest this week on family360. She describes each habit and the antidotes to their ruinous reign in our relationships.

Social development starts at home and continues when our kids start school. Do you remember the scene from Lion King where Rafiki stands on Pride Rock, holding Simba for all to see? As parents, we can relate! We want to hold our children up for all to adore and admire. However, when we all arrive at schools with our little Simbas in tow, socialization becomes complicated with all our kids who ‘Just can’t wait to be King!’ The parental plan when our child is hit, hurt or not invited to a birthday party, sets the stage for their social development; their perceptions of who they are and how they relate to others. We’re talking about all this, this week on family360! Join us now, for our first episode of Season Three!

In this episode, Dr. Shahana Alibhai shares the story of her lifelong struggle with OCD, how it intensified with the birth of her child, and how she eventually sought help and healing. Content note: Please be aware suicide is mentioned briefly in this episode. 

Everyone of us is covered in trillions of microbes, some of which make us sick. Antibiotics and vaccines save us from diseases these devastating microbes deliver. Unfortunately, they also kill many other microbes that would host our health and healing. Dr. Brett Finlay is a world-renowned microbiologist who is passionate about the well being of children and families. He is the co-author of the best selling book, Let Them Eat Dirt, and in this episode offers insight on saving our children from an overly sanitized world.

In his mid teens, Cal and Suzie Warneke’s son Josh started to struggle with his mental health. This episode is the story of their family’s journey. 1 in 5 children experience a severe mental health condition sometime between the ages of 13-18. For parents, distinguishing mental health concerns from teenager temperament is complicated, yet early diagnosis is key to care. The Warneke’s story sheds light on what parents can look for and how, when and why to seek help. Join us!

In her newest book, Parenting Right From The Start, Dr. Vanessa writes, “to believe that your thoughts are your concrete reality is probably one of the most torturous misconceptions humans experience.” In this episode, Vanessa describes how the practice of ‘thinking about our thinking’ allows us to select narratives that will best serve ourselves and our children.

Every moment of every day our subconscious mind runs stories that perpetuate our perspectives and practices that affect our parenting. We all do this! In this episode, the insightful and vivacious Dr. Vanessa Lapointe shares from her newest book, Parenting Right From The Start, exploring the implications of the stories we tell ourselves, and how “Conscious Parenting” is about bringing those stories to the surface so that we become consciously aware of our narratives that serve us or no longer serve us, and how we are showing up for our children.

What’s the biology behind our child’s tantrums and meltdowns? How do we navigate ‘screen time’? When to give our kids control? Why do we want a guinea pig!?! Accompanied by Maggie’s humor and warm heart, this episode covers a wonderful and wide sample of topics from Maggie’s newly released book, Parental As Anything. Join us for a conversation packed with practical takeaways, stories and encouragement for parents.

In her newest children’s book, Indigenous author Monique Gray Smith writes, “When we are kind we remember we are all related.” Monique’s celebrated works on Truth and Reconciliation offer a doorway into discovering our shared humanity – and kindness is the key. In this episode, she describes simple everyday ways that kindness unleashes our ‘littlest citizens’, and us as adults, to talk, listen, trust and love.