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

Dr. Dan welcomes author Greg Pincus (www.gregpincus.com) to the podcast today to talk about the dreaded topic of homework! Most parents (and students) have experience with “The Homework Wars” and today Greg talks about his experience, his research, and his solutions for how parents can deal with this never-ending battle. Greg Pincus is a novelist, poet, screenwriter, blogger, speaker, and social media consultant. He and his work have been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post and blogs and websites all around the globe. His latest novel, The Homework Strike, grew from a childhood fascination with oddball laws sparked by a book he ordered from a Scholastic Book Club flyer -- making his own childhood dream come true when Scholastic published the book! Listeners will love Greg’s anecdotes (especially the one about a long-ago law ruling homework illegal in California!) and the discussion of the novel’s protagonist Gregory. If you have ever cheered for an underdog or stood up for what is right, then today’s podcast will make you want to grab the book and start reading. Dr. Dan lets us all know that parents have to do what is right for their own children -- including when it involves homework. This life lesson ties in directly to Greg’s very entertaining Parent Footprint moment -- one listeners will appreciate and remember whenever they cross a street in the future! Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan welcomes back listener favorite Dr. Stuart Shanker to the 32nd episode of The Parent Footprint Podcast. https://www.facebook.com/StuartShanker2018/ International parenting expert and bestselling author Dr. Stuart Shanker (https://self-reg.ca/ ) has helped countless children and families learn about (and break) the stress cycle with his professional work and his paradigm-shifting book, SELF-REG: How to Help Your Child (and You) Break the Stress Cycle and Successfully Engage with Life (now available in paperback).   Today Dr. Dan and Dr. Shanker discuss and offer ways to tackle the ever present topic of craving and The Hook Model and how it detrimentally affects most kids today (and their parents). Listeners will recognize the fascinating science behind what happens when dopamine is triggered and how it creates stress and anxiety. There is a difference between wanting and liking. Once dopamine is triggered this craving needs an outlet and often there is none... for our children today especially with technology and social media this can be very difficult. The biggest takeaway from today: young people are especially susceptible to cravings (dopamine triggerings) and are so easily hooked and this then leads to so much anxiety -- and that is a stressor without an outlet or ending for our children/teens. The solution will be eye opening for all parents -- Dr. Shanker gives parents the exact language to have this discussion with their own child(ren) and how to conquer it. At the end of the episode Dr. Dan asks Dr. Shanker about his #1 piece of advice for listeners from today’s show and Dr. Shanker uses his own Parent Footprint moment about his son to illustrate how as a parent it is hard for even Dr. Shanker a self-reg “guru” to say no and that as parents we need to set limits and say no sometimes. Dr. Shanker’s recent blog dives even deeper into related information: https://self-reg.ca/2018/02/08/self-reg-view-constant-craving/ Dr. Stuart Shanker is a distinguished research professor emeritus of psychology and philosophy at York University and the creator of The MEHRIT Centre. He attended the University of Toronto, where he received his bachelor's and master's degrees. At the University of Oxford, he obtained his D. Phil. with distinction in philosophy and his work is used globally. Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan welcomes author and colleague Scott Barry Kaufman to today’s show (https://www.scottbarrykaufman.com/) to discuss Scott’s newest book Twice Exceptional (*Bonus: Dr. Dan is also a contributor!). Today’s enlightening interview is about the new book, Scott’s lifelong personal learning journey and work, and the science of studying intelligence and success (especially as it relates to giftedness and twice-exceptional individuals). Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, is also a researcher, speaker, and podcast host. He’s is passionately interested in using psychological science to help all kinds of minds live a creative, fulfilling, and meaningful life. Scott is a professor of positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, and author and/or editor of 7 other books, including Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined and Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind (with Carolyn Gregoire). His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Scientific American, Psychology Today, and Harvard Business Review, and he writes a blog at Scientific American called Beautiful Minds. Kaufman is also host of The Psychology Podcast. In today’s interview Dr. Dan and Scott Barry Kaufman talk about exciting research using psychological science to help all kinds of minds live a creative, fulfilling, and meaningful life. They also discuss how for twice-exceptional (2e) children, those kids who have extraordinary strengths coupled with learning difficulties, have difficulties in educational settings because of the paradoxical nature of their intellect and the unbending system which is ill-equipped to cater to their unique learning needs. The book Twice Exceptional: Supporting and Educating Bright and Creative Students with Learning Difficultieshttps://scottbarrykaufman.com/books/twice-exceptional-supporting-educating-bright-creative-students-learning-difficulties/ provides cutting-edge, evidence-based approaches to creating an environment where twice-exceptional students can thrive. Scott’s Parent Footprint Moment about his own Mom is personal and powerful -- and is even more meaningful to him now that he is an adult. Finally, perhaps the big takeaway from today’s show is that when we bring greater flexibility in our approach to education, we open up a wider notion of what it means to be academically successful for all students. Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan welcomes two guests today Abigail Wald (from Los Angeles) and Elle Kwan (from Hong Kong) from the international global nonprofit organization Hand in Hand Parenting (The two are the hosts of the Hand in Hand podcast: https:/www.handinhandparenting.org/podcast/ ).  The Hand in Hand philosophy is fueled by compassion, connection, and kindness - all based on the foundational belief that your child is good, the parent is good, and with love you can foster success from within for any child. Hand in Hand sets parents up to value that they are the very best expert on their own family. (One way this is emphasized is that Hand in Hand helps and supports PARENTS first.)  In this milestone episode Dr. Dan converses with Abigail and Elle about “behavior chasing” and how turning parenting methods upside can be the change your family needs. The show is filled with anecdotes, intimate moments, and in depth discussions about how all families are connected regardless of culture or geography by the universal goal of raising resilient kids, and how important it is for parents to make their child feel safe. In addition listeners will hear: How to listen to yourself and your child (and why really hearing your child makes all the difference) How to see and tap into your child's inherent goodness How to help your children find their own resilience and grit The neuroscience behind the Hand in Hand philosophy and method How to set effectively deal with tough situations - especially power struggles How to get yourself the support YOU need as a parent The show ends with both Abigail and Elle sharing their own moving Parent Footprint Moments. This milestone 30th episode will be one listeners return to again and again. Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan welcomes fellow parent and podcaster Jen Lumanlan to the show today. Jen is the founder/host of the successful Your Parenting Mojo Podcast and website http://yourparentingmojo.com/. Jen’s mission is to raise healthy (and happy) girls and her personal journey will inspire listeners. Jen Lumanlan is the parent of a 3 ½-year-old daughter, and her podcast is a reference guide for parents of toddlers and preschoolers based on scientific research and the principles of respectful parenting. She never planned to be a parent but is on this journey (by choice rather than by accident) and when she realized she had no parenting instinct whatsoever she decided to get a Master’s in Psychology so she could figure out “how to do this parenting thing”! She’s now finishing up another Master’s in Education, and she plans to help parents think through how child development intersects with education. Dr. Dan invited Jen to be a guest today to discuss the critical topic of girls and body image. Their discussion is based on research and recent studies. Dr. Dan leads the discussion with these provocative talking points: Girls’ and body image What language is best to use with our girls? The words pretty and ugly (and fat and skinny) What is and how does the current research on how girls (and women) think about their bodies; and why it should change how parents deal with this topic Self--compassion Jen’s Parent Footprint Moment is about how she discovered that the concept of respect has been the most important key (along with love) to raising her own daughter successfully. Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan welcomes author, speaker, sensory organizing expert, and parent Carolyn Dalgliesh (http://www.carolyndalgliesh.com/). Carolyn is a popular expert because she teaches the how and why setting up successful systems (at home, school, and work) can help children, families, and their parents live a more peaceful and productive life. Today’s interview is packed with ideas and examples!  Dr. Dan starts off  the discussion with details about “highly sensitive children” as well as “rigid, anxious children” and then the conversation with Carolyn moves to some of her proven examples of creating successful systems and why they work.   Many of the strategies discussed in Carolyn’s easy to follow book The Sensory Child Gets Organized: Proven Systems for Rigid, Anxious, or Distracted Kids (http://www.carolyndalgliesh.com/book.htm) will immediately help: Including: routines, reducing stress, conquering anxiety, managing transitions, using visuals and more. During the interview, Carolyn also reveals her one secret to helping a sensitive or sensory child.   The interview wraps up with Carolyn’s Parent Footprint moment -- it’s inspiring and at the heart of her both her journey as a parent and a sensory organizer. Listeners will leave today’s informative interview with new understanding -- Dr. Dan and Carolyn demonstrate how looking at the world differently change the way we see everything. Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan is excited about today’s interview with author, speaker, advocate, and entrepreneur Jonathan Mooney. https://www.jonathanmooney.com/  Jonathan inspires everyone he meets. He travels regularly and speaks about advocacy and social justice for children, teens, and adults. Jonathan’s moving story will change the way listeners think about diversity in the world: He did not learn to read until 12 years old. He faced low expectations growing up—was told he would flip burgers, be a highschool dropout and end up in jail. Happily, those prophecies didn’t come to pass. Instead of being a high school dropout he became a college graduate from Brown university with an honors degree in English lit; instead of flipping burgers he ended up writing books, and instead of becoming an inmate he became a passionate advocate creating organizations and initiatives that help people who get the short end of the stick. Dr. Dan and Jonathan have a deep and deeply moving discussion about self-advocacy, why students should have a participatory role in their own education, the empowerment that comes from choices, and so much more. Jonathan also talks about his inspiring mother, his challenging relationship with his own father, differences don’t have to be deficits or less than, and the impact of shame. Jonathan’s Parent Footprint moment spans two generations and is very motivational:  he speaks about how his Dad taking him to a baseball game and sharing his love and acceptance on the car ride home literally saved Jonathan's life. Today Jonathan uses that motivation with his own three children today. With the publication of his book Learning Outside The Lines (now in its 28th printing) when he was 23, Jonathan has established himself as one of the foremost leaders in the neurodiversity and the learning revolution. His second book, The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal received outstanding reviews. Both books are considered foundational texts in the disability rights movement, the inclusive education movement, and the learning revolution and are used in undergraduate and graduate program at universities and colleges across the country including Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and Teachers College, Columbia University. Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan welcomes the founder/lead editor of Autisable.com (an online community that connects people who want to tackle the puzzle of Autism) and Dad blogger Joel Manzer to the show. Joel is a special needs parent and a podcast host with a passion for writing and connecting. The focus of today’s show is community – it really does take a village (real and online) to raise happy and healthy children today. Community benefits everyone - parents and children. Joel Manzer describes himself as “just one person among the thousands sharing their stories online” and he is celebrated as an Autism Light for his dedication as an autism father and for his vision in leading Autisable today to be a helpful resource on the voices of the diverse autism community. “When my son was diagnosed with autism, we searched online for an open source blogging community that we would show daily life with autism and that search eventually birthed Autisable.com. Our mission is rather basic, to promote discussion of autism. We don’t take a stance on a specific viewpoint or concept about it, but want to provide an environment where people can share their ideas and journey.” Online parenting communities and websites can help all parents and for the many parents facing challenge this virtual world is a game-changer in parenting today for so many reasons— Having a community gives you connection to life-savers and life changers You are not alone Sharing struggles as well as sharing triumphs in a safe space Truth sharing and discussion Practicing listening and respectful disagreeing In addition to ParentFootprint.com there are online resources for every parenting challenge or skill such as: ADHD: http://www.chadd.org/ Dyslexic Advantage: https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/ 2e Newsletter: http://www.2enewsletter.com/ Gifted Homeschoolers: https://giftedhomeschoolers.org/ The Miracle Project: http://www.themiracleproject.org/ Challenge Success: http://www.challengesuccess.org/ Make Social Learning Stick: http://www.makesociallearningstick.com/index.html Today’s Parent Footprint Moment from Joel is beautiful and inspiring. He remembers the most pivotal parenting moment ever -- when the decision was made to take his son out of the public school system and explained that the school system wasn’t hearing his son. At that moment, Joel’s son, who could not communicate with words, squeezed his hand and it was all the validation he needed that his family had made the right decision. In the end, the power of everyone part of Autisable.com is helping to teach Joel everything he can learn about his own son – and that isn’t just a community, it’s everything. Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan welcomes author and occupational and physical therapist Suzanne Cresswell (http://uniquelearnersolutions.com/media-resources/ ) in today’s information filled episode which will benefit children and adults. Suzanne Cresswell has worked with patients in her clinic and in the school system for over three decades. She blends her background in rehabilitation medicine with principles of neuroplasticity to provide novel and effective intervention strategies. Children and adults with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Asperger’s, sensory integration disorder, and other learning disabilities all benefit from Suzanne’s unique approach to brain and body wellness. She starts the interview discussing a favorite Parent Footprint value: being present. Dr. Dan agrees that this is the first step and most powerful step to any intervention.   When children struggle in school they often feel shame that they are not what they “should” be; not “normal.” In fact, the term learning disability seems to reinforce their belief and suggests that they are unable to learn. Nothing could be further from the truth. They just learn in unique ways. The capabilities and talents of this population are frequently overlooked because their skills and abilities are often not relevant to the requirements of traditional education. Dr. Dan and Suzanne discuss the new book Unique Learner Solutions http://uniquelearnersolutions.com/product/unique-learner-solutions-book/ because it provides strategies that are targeted to what is really happening in the brains and bodies of unique learners. Knowledge is power, and when you know what is really going on with your child and what you can do to help, it makes a huge difference. This will not only make a difference in their scholastic world, but also in their family life both now and in the future. Listeners will be fascinated by the neuroscience discussion surrounding brain/emotions, neuropsychology, and yes, LOVE! The interview also includes intimate moments from Dr. Dan’s family and how Suzanne Creswell’s work proves “just try harder” does not work for every child. Parents and educators must be detectives to find the real reasons behind learning challenges.   Unique Learners have systems that are different from typical learners. They experience the world from a different perspective. And it’s the compassion and true presence that impacted these learners. In fact, Suzanne shares the anecdote that many children grow up to report that the intention behind the interventions mattered most to them. Her parting wisdom is kids know -- they feel what is behind everything. The show wraps up with the fan favorite: the Parent Footprint moment. Suzanne Cresswell ponders her own parents’ parenting styles and that experience later impacted how she parented her own children with presence, purpose, perspective and passion! She treasures the “two sides of parenting” she gave her children just as she received that gift from her parents. Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Dan introduces listeners to Amy Morin today (https://amymorinlcsw.com/). The two experts discuss resilience, happiness, and Amy’s new book 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don't Do: Raising Self-Assured Children and Training their Brains for a Life of Happiness, Meaning and Success.   Amy Morin is a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, an instructor at Northeastern University and a foster parent. In 2013, her article, "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," became a viral TedxTalk sensation when it garnered more than 50 million views and eventually became an internationally bestselling book. Amy’s personal journey of resilience after losing her mother and husband helped her become mentally strong and today her advice is helping millions. In today’s interview Dr. Dan and Amy explore the heart of her book 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don't Do: we can teach children of all ages—from preschoolers to teenagers—to build mental muscle and develop into healthy, strong adults by using empowered language, sending healthier messages on achievement and failure, and increasing courage instead of decreasing fear. During the interview Dr. Dan picks some of his favorites from Amy’s list what parents should not do including:    Don’t Make Children the Center of the Universe    Don’t Shield Your Children From Pain    Don’t Allow Fear to Dictate Your Choices    Don’t Give Your Children Power over You And Amy brings up such diverse topics as divorce, death, moving across the country, correcting homework, friendship coaching, social media kindness, chores and more to demonstrate all the ways kids can instead of can’t in their lives. Dr. Dan agrees – we must show our children we trust them and believe they are capable contributors. Amy Morin’s Parent Footprint moment is about her own personal experience as a therapeutic foster parent to a 14-year-old girl who desperately wanted to go to summer camp. Amy was able to accept the girl’s decision and was able to parent past her own fears. Amy Morin is a much sought after speaker and her TEDx talks is one of the most popular of all time. Her advice has been featured by major media outlets including Parenting, Time, Fox News, CNN, and Oprah.com. She serves as a parenting expert for Verywell and she's a columnist for Forbes, Inc., and Psychology Today. For more information about Amy and her work and books: https://amymorinlcsw.com/ Watch this free video to learn more about Dr. Dan and Parent Footprint Awareness Training®. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices