Make It a Great One with Dr. Dan: #1 Podcast for Inspiring Conversations to Live and Lead On Purpose

National Foster Care Awareness Month is May and over the years Parent Footprint listeners have asked us for more shows about foster care, foster parenting, adoption, and foster-to-adoption. Today on the podcast, Dr. Dan interviews adoptive parent and advocate Jenell Jones about foster care, adoption, and the foster-to-adoption journey as well as her personal experiences chronicled in her book Shattered.Jenell Jones is an early education entrepreneur specializing in providing high quality learning experiences for children who have experienced trauma in low-income areas. In addition, Jenell provides advice and experience to foster and adoptive parents based on her own experiences as an adoptive mother.In today’s interview with Dr. Dan, Jenell shares the joy and pain navigating the foster-to-adoption system for her daughter, Mercy. By the time she found a place in Jenell's family at 8 years old, Mercy had been bounced around with more than 20 placements, and her history of abuse and mental illness was not disclosed. Jenell is a biological, adoptive, and foster mother, and these experiences shaped her ideas of motherhood and her parenting journey. Her honest reflections on the adoption and foster care system, mental health, and non-traditional families will help and inspire others  navigating this journey.For more information about Jenell please visit her website www.jenelljones.com.Email your parenting questions to Dr. Dan podcast@drdanpeters.com (we might answer on a future episode).Follow us @parentfootprintpodcast (Instagram, Facebook) and @drdanpeters (Twitter).Listen, follow, and leave us a review on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Wondery, or wherever you like to listen!Don’t forget, you can hear every episode one week early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in the @WonderyMedia App.For more information:www.exactlyrightmedia.com www.drdanpeters.comFor podcast merch:www.exactlyrightmedia.com/parent-footprint-shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this Sitting Down with Dr. Dan bonus episode, host Dr. Dan and Phil (our podcast audio engineer and Dad of two daughters) answer your listener questions about April and Autism Acceptance Month (April is also Stress Awareness Month), sensory disorders, a parent’s cancer diagnosis, and more.Each month Dr. Dan answers questions listeners submit about parenting (and sometimes adulting, too!) on our Sitting Down with Dr. Dan bonus episodes. Please email your parenting questions to us at podcast@drdanpeters.com or DM us on social media. We read every question and we want to consider yours for a future bonus episode.Our new bonus episodes drop in our regular podcast feed that last Tuesday of every month.Follow us @parentfootprintpodcast (Instagram, Facebook) and @drdanpeters (Twitter).Listen, follow, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Wondery, Amazon Music, or wherever you like to listen. Remember you can hear every episode one week early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in the @WonderyMedia App.For more information:www.exactlyrightmedia.comwww.drdanpeters.comFor podcast merch:www.exactlyrightmedia.com/parent-footprint-shopDr. Dan’s expertise and wisdom is not a diagnosis or treatment. The information provided on the Parent Footprint podcast should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Anyone seeking medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Please reach out to your doctor for advice or a qualified health provider regarding medical conditions, questions, or situations. The information provided on Parent Footprint and by Dr. Dan is for entertainment purposes only, and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Dr. Dan does not know your child, is not your child’s doctor, and has not treated your child. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan interviews the beloved Instagram star Pie Lady Books Stephanie Hockersmith on today’s episode about her pie art, her inspiring journey to health, mental wellness, chronic illness, and finding joy.Listeners will instantly love our guest today Stephanie Hockersmith, a viral sensation beloved by thousands and known as Pie Lady Books on Instagram and other social media. Stephanie is a Mom, wife, and booklover and she was diagnosed over a decade ago with Celiac Disease, with neurological implications that put her in a wheelchair. At that time looking for solace and healing, she turned to her two favorite things: reading and gluten free baking. Today she is beloved by authors and readers and the media for her incredible pie art. Recently, Stephanie Hockersmith posted a moving Reel on Instagram telling her followers about her heath journey and how she took her therapeutic pastime and healed herself in the process.  Dr. Dan and Steph talk about her pie art (featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, and all over national media), love of books, parenting, and her chronic illness journey with celiac. Steph’s health struggles, mental health battles, and family story will inspire anyone who has dealt with or loves someone with a chronic illness. Steph’s honest and real story  – and her stunning pie art – will bring a smile to every face, give you hope that you can overcome difficult challenges, and make you crave a big slice of pie!Follow Stephanie Hockersmith on Instagram www.instagram.com/pieladybooks and on Facebook www.facebook.com/pieladybooks. Email your parenting questions to Dr. Dan podcast@drdanpeters.com (we might answer on a future episode).Follow us @parentfootprintpodcast (Instagram, Facebook) and @drdanpeters (Twitter).Listen, follow, and leave us a review on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Wondery, or wherever you like to listen!Don’t forget, you can hear every episode one week early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in the @WonderyMedia App.For more information:www.exactlyrightmedia.com www.drdanpeters.comFor podcast merch:www.exactlyrightmedia.com/parent-footprint-shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan interviews the one and only Mary Louise Kelly of NPR’s All Things Considered about her new memoir and parenting book It. Goes. So. Fast:: The Year of No Do-Overs.  This unforgettable episode is an honest look at Mary Louise’s parenting journey as well as her famous career as a journalist. Listeners will connect deeply with Dr. Dan and Mary Louise’s conversation about the year before her oldest son goes to college –  the year she calls her year of no do-overs and the inspiration for her book. Soccer games, family dinners, Mom guilt, deadlines, travel, tears, illness, and joy are all part of today’s riveting discussion.Listeners will love hearing Mary Louise Kelly’s iconic voice on Parent Footprint with Dr. Dan and will love hearing her personal story (one that we don’t often glimpse on her daily NPR broadcast) even more. Mary Louise’s honesty, humanity, humor, and authentic examination of parenting will deeply affect parents everywhere – this poignant episode will stay with listeners for a long time.Mary Louise Kelly is a mother, a daughter, a wife, a journalist and a novelist. The order of these titles—the order by which she defines herself—might shift, depending on which moment you catch her.  When not driving soccer carpool, Mary Louise co-hosts All Things Considered, NPR’s flagship evening newsmagazine. Previously, she spent a decade as national security correspondent for NPR News, and she’s kept that focus in her role as anchor. That’s meant taking All Things Considered to Russia, North Korea, Iran, Ukraine and beyond. Mary Louise’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, Newsweek, and other publications. A Georgia native, her first job was working as a staff writer at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.Mary Louise was educated at Harvard University and at Cambridge University in England. She lives in Washington, DC with her husband and their two sons. Since 2003, when her first child was born, “Mom” has been the name she is proudest to answer to. For more information visit www.marylouisekellybooks.com and at NPR. Email your parenting questions to Dr. Dan podcast@drdanpeters.com (we might answer on a future episode).Follow us @parentfootprintpodcast (Instagram, Facebook) and @drdanpeters (Twitter).Listen, follow, and leave us a review on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Wondery, or wherever you like to listen!Don’t forget, you can hear every episode one week early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in the @WonderyMedia App.For more information:www.exactlyrightmedia.com www.drdanpeters.comFor podcast merch:www.exactlyrightmedia.com/parent-footprint-shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan interviews CEO/Founder of Girls with Impact Jennifer Openshaw about the organization’s work to provide leadership education for under-resourced young women. This interview is inspired by the recent celebrations for Women’s History month and International Women’s Day.Guest Jennifer Openshaw speaks to Dr. Dan about leadership and her organization’s mission to train the next generation of female leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators in order to drive equity, diversity, and economic growth. Dr. Dan explores how Jennifer’s passion for advancing girls comes from her own life story: at the age of 14, she took on her first “real” job as a maid in a motel while her mother worked two full-time jobs as a waitress to support the family. Today, Jen has built five new organizations, authored three books, and provided financial tools to a half-million consumers.Jennifer’s passion is contagious – this episode about Girls With Impact will empower future female leaders (and their parents).For more information and to get involved visit the Girls With Impact website: www.girlswithimpact.org.Email your parenting questions to Dr. Dan podcast@drdanpeters.com (we might answer on a future episode).Follow us @parentfootprintpodcast (Instagram, Facebook) and @drdanpeters (Twitter).Listen, follow, and leave us a review on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Wondery, or wherever you like to listen!Don’t forget, you can hear every episode one week early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in the @WonderyMedia App.For more information:www.exactlyrightmedia.com www.drdanpeters.comFor podcast merch:www.exactlyrightmedia.com/parent-footprint-shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this new bonus episode, Dr. Dan and Laura (our podcast producer, twin mom, special needs parent) answer your listener questions about kids lying and telling tall tales; quitting piano lessons; the return of summer camp; balancing introverts and extroverts in your family; and whether you should police your tween’s fashion choices.Every month Dr. Dan answers your questions about parenting (and sometimes adulting, too!) on our Sitting Down with Dr. Dan bonus episodes. Please email your parenting questions to us at podcast@drdanpeters.com or DM us on social media. We read every question and we want to consider yours for a future bonus episode.Follow us @parentfootprintpodcast (Instagram, Facebook) and @drdanpeters (Twitter).Listen, follow, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Wondery, Amazon Music, or wherever you like to listen. Remember you can hear every episode one week early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in the @WonderyMedia App.For more information:www.exactlyrightmedia.comwww.drdanpeters.comFor podcast merch:www.exactlyrightmedia.com/parent-footprint-shopDr. Dan’s expertise and wisdom is not a diagnosis or treatment. The information provided on the Parent Footprint podcast should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Anyone seeking medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Please reach out to your doctor for advice or a qualified health provider regarding medical conditions, questions, or situations. The information provided on Parent Footprint and by Dr. Dan is for entertainment purposes only, and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Dr. Dan does not know your child, is not your child’s doctor, and has not treated your child. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan interviews former ballet dancer Alice Robb about ballet and her new book DON’T THINK, DEAR: On Loving and Leaving Ballet. Dr. Dan and Alice’s honest conversation about body image, perfectionism, diet culture, and more will resonate with all parents - not just dance parents.In 2023, ballet is one of the most popular extra-curricular activities for young girls, and for some, it will take root as a lifelong obsession. Few will ever dance professionally but they will be shaped by the life lessons learned in the studio: discipline, silence, submission, and more.  Dr. Dan and Alice explore how researching and writing her book (part memoir, part journalistic reporting) can help girls and women of all ages because it explores unrealistic body expectations, disordered eating, body dysmorphia, how to succeed in a world where men are still (mostly) in charge, being judged solely on your appearance, social media, self-esteem, and ultimately helping the next generation of women survive in a culture that perpetuates myths about beauty, worth, and success.Learn more about Alice by visiting her website: www.alicerobb.com.Email your parenting questions to Dr. Dan podcast@drdanpeters.com (we might answer on a future episode).Follow us @parentfootprintpodcast (Instagram, Facebook) and @drdanpeters (Twitter).Listen, follow, and leave us a review on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Wondery, or wherever you like to listen!Don’t forget, you can hear every episode one week early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in the @WonderyMedia App.For more information:www.exactlyrightmedia.com www.drdanpeters.comFor podcast merch:www.exactlyrightmedia.com/parent-footprint-shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Parent Footprint with Dr. Dan celebrates our 200th episode today! Parent Footprint is a family and so today Dr. Dan celebrates you – our podcast family! We thank every listener, every parent, every guest, and every individual on our podcast journey. We also want to say a very special thanks to our podcast parents - Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff, the founders of Exactly Right (and co-hosts of My Favorite Murder) for inviting us to be part of the Exactly Right podcast network. To celebrate our 200th episode we have a special guest today – Dr. Dan interviews the powerful, passionate, disability advocate Meg Zucker about empathy, parenting challenges, her incredible journey (including her own parents), and what it means to live an extra-ordinary life. This conversation will make you cheer, inspire you to smile, and change how you view differences.Born with ectrodactyly (a genetic condition characterized by missing or malformed toes and fingers, which she passed down to her two sons), Meg shares her personal story from childhood to today – including founding her nonprofit, Don’t Hide It Flaunt It, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the mission of advancing understanding and mutual respect for people's differences. Dr. Dan and Meg also discuss her new book BORN EXTRAORDINARY: Empowering Children with Differences and Disabilities, self-advocacy, celebrating differences, and much more. Today’s episode  – like the Parent Footprint community – will make the world a more compassionate place one person and one listener at a time. Thanks for listening to today’s episode – and all 200 episodes of Parent Footprint with Dr. Dan, too!Email your parenting questions to Dr. Dan podcast@drdanpeters.com (we might answer on a future episode).Follow us @parentfootprintpodcast (Instagram, Facebook) and @drdanpeters (Twitter).Listen, follow, and leave us a review on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Wondery, or wherever you like to listen!Don’t forget, you can hear every episode one week early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in the @WonderyMedia App.For more information:www.exactlyrightmedia.com www.drdanpeters.comFor podcast merch:www.exactlyrightmedia.com/parent-footprint-shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan interviews Kelly Smith, host of the meditation podcast Mindful In Minutes, founder of Yoga For You, and mom. Kelly uses yoga and meditation to find calm, reduce anxiety, and mindfully parent.On today’s episode Dr. Dan talks to Kelly about using meditation and yoga to foster mindfulness. Kelly shares her personal story with Dr. Dan about how her mom’s cancer diagnosis first led her to yoga many years ago – that experience changed her life’s path. Now as a mom herself, Kelly shares with Dr. Dan how her practices can help parents navigate the often turbulent path of  parenting. This episode gives listeners great advice on how to be the best version of ourselves using mindfulness techniques. Visit Kelly online at her website www.yogaforyouonline.com, on Instagram, and on her podcast Mindful in Minutes Email your parenting questions to Dr. Dan podcast@drdanpeters.com (we might answer on a future episode).Follow us @parentfootprintpodcast (Instagram, Facebook) and @drdanpeters (Twitter).Listen, follow, and leave us a review on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Wondery, or wherever you like to listen!Don’t forget, you can hear every episode one week early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in the @WonderyMedia App.For more information:www.exactlyrightmedia.com www.drdanpeters.comFor podcast merch:www.exactlyrightmedia.com/parent-footprint-shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan and Jessica Grose (opinion writer at The New York Times, author, founding editor of Lena Dunham’s Lenny Letter) discuss and examine the unrealistic expectations we place on mothers and her new book Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood.Dr. Dan and Jessica (mother of two daughters) discuss her parenting experiences, mom burnout, self-care, motherhood myths, double-standards, and more. This provocative episode pulls apart our ideas of American motherhood to explore how we can make parenting more humane for ALL parents.For more information about Jessica Grose visit her website www.jessicagrose.com and follow her on Instagram.Email your parenting questions to Dr. Dan podcast@drdanpeters.com (we might answer on a future episode).Follow us @parentfootprintpodcast (Instagram, Facebook) and @drdanpeters (Twitter).Listen, follow, and leave us a review on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Wondery, or wherever you like to listen!Don’t forget, you can hear every episode one week early and ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in the @WonderyMedia App.For more information:www.exactlyrightmedia.com www.drdanpeters.comFor podcast merch:www.exactlyrightmedia.com/parent-footprint-shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices