Every parent does it – but doesn’t want to admit it. We compare our child to other children or even their siblings. We also know that our “comparing” comes from a deep place of concern. We worry: Are they hitting important developmental milestones? Is there a problem? Maybe everything will be OK eventually? Lynn and Justin explore this “secret” parenting topic with Dr. Tina Bryson, a psychotherapist, mother, and the co-author of two of the most definitive books on child development and parenting – The New York Times bestseller “The Whole-Brain Child” and “No-Drama Discipline.” Dr. Bryson gives us the practical guidance that every parent needs when we dare to compare. Then, in our Parenting Story of the Day, we’ll hear from a mom who noticed that her son was different from other kids. What did she do? She embraced it.You can also watch this podcast on YouTube and reach us at podcast@munchkin.com. Dr. Tina Bryson / IG / FB / LinkedIn / YouTube / X / The Way of Play BookDr. Bryson is a psychotherapist, speaker, mother and the Founder/Executive Director of The Center for Connection (“CFC”), a multidisciplinary clinical practice; of The Play Strong Institute, a center devoted to the study, research, and practice of play therapy through a neurodevelopment lens; and The Center for Connection and Neurodiversity, a wing of the CFC devoted to celebrating neurodifferences and providing brain-based occupational therapy across the lifespan.She is also the co-author (with Dan Siegel) of two New York Times bestsellers, “The Whole-Brain Child” and “No-Drama Discipline” each of which has been translated into over fifty languages with “The Whole-Brain Child” selling over a million copies.You can also watch this podcast on YouTube and reach us at podcast@munchkin.com.StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast is created by Munchkin Inc., the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world. You can find all your favorite Munchkin products – including the Night Owl Stroller and the WildLove products at Munchkin.com. Use the code STROLLERCOASTER15 for 15% off regular-price items! Follow Munchkin on Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest  IFAW

Little Naya's favorite thing in the whole world is Fresh Raspberry Dazzleberry Ice Cream! One day at the park the unthinkable happens - after just one lick of her precious cone, the ice cream falls to the ground with a splat! Oh no! Will Naya’s day be ruined? Will she get another cone? How will Naya and her Mom handle this big, melty disappointment?Parents and kids will love this story based on an all-too real parenting moment that’s filled with twists and turns, wonderful characters, and fun music. Written in consultation with a leading childhood development expert, our story illustrates healthy ways for parents (and kids) to handle tricky situations.Watch the animated video of this and other Season 4 episodes on YouTube at Munchkin / StoryTime Podcast / https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaelLV1d0H9cvT9MY7ZAfGaLEiVUPny_5StrollerCoaster StoryTime is created by Munchkin Inc, the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world. Subscribe now and never miss an episode!You can find all your favorite Munchkin products at Munchkin.com.  Follow Munchkin / Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest  

Join award-winning sports journalist Sam Weinman, author of "Win at Losing," as he shares insights on healthy competition for kids. He discusses strategies to help children cope with the emotional highs and lows of winning and losing. Sam emphasizes the importance of fostering a growth mindset, valuing effort over results. The conversation also highlights Kelsey Demers' family game night, where she teaches her seven children resilience and critical thinking. These practical tips benefit kids from toddlerhood through adulthood.

“NO! I don’t want to!” Opposition from our kids, we experience it all the time. It makes sense they don’t want to do everything we want them to. However, when they refuse, it often creates a power struggle which we see as a reflection of bad parenting. Lynn and Justin are no strangers to this struggle. In today’s episode, Claire Lerner, a social psychotherapist, author and child development specialist, shares tips to handle those stressful moments of opposition from our children. In our Parenting Story of the Day, Ginny Luther was at her wits-end with her defiant son but was able to turn things around in a surprising way.  You can also watch this podcast on YouTube. Claire Lerner / IG / FB / LinkedInClaire is a child development specialist with over 35 years of experience working with children and families. Trained as a clinical social worker and psychotherapist, she began her career as a child and family therapist and was asked to lead the parenting education work at Zero to Three. For over 20 years, Claire led the organization’s effort to translate the science of early childhood for parents and professionals—to empower them to nurture children’s development through resources and training on a wide range of topics including: early brain development, positive parenting, and understanding and coping with challenging behaviors.  Ginny Luther   Ginny is the author of “Blue Star Grit: A Mother’s Journey of Triumph and Tragedy Raising a Defiant Child into an Exceptional Leader.” Since 1994, she has been the proud owner and operator of Peaceful Parenting LLC, a successful business whose mission is to help create peace within families and classrooms. Ginny is also certified by the International Network for Children and Families to provide communication courses, seminars and workshops that promote cooperative, healthy relationships between adults and children. You can find all your favorite Munchkin products – including the Float High Chair featured in this episode – at https://www.munchkin.com Use the code STROLLERCOASTER for 15% off regular-price items! Follow Munchkin on Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest  Trees For the Future  

Rhea Lalla, an author and emotional intelligence specialist, shares her expertise on fostering deeper connections with children as they grow more independent. She discusses the challenges parents face in engaging with their kids and the importance of undivided attention. Rhea emphasizes the role of meaningful conversations in nurturing emotional ties and individuality. Additionally, Sarah Philpott shares a moving personal story about a close call with her children, highlighting the necessity of being present and connected with family.

Petunia loves dinosaurs, ladybugs and her dad’s cooking! There is one thing Petunia does not like: when the food touches on her plate. Then one day it happened! Her delicious peas rolled right into her tasty chicken nuggets! That’s right - THE PEAS TOUCHED THE NUGGETS! Petunia was not happy. Dad was in shock. The peas were confused. Would dinner time be ruined? Parents and kids will love this story based on a real parenting moment that’s filled with great characters, music and surprises. Written in consultation with a leading childhood development expert, our story illustrates healthy ways for parents (and kids) to handle tricky situations. Watch the animated video of this and other Season 4 episodes on YouTube at Munchkin / StoryTime Podcast / https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaelLV1d0H9cvT9MY7ZAfGaLEiVUPny_5Subscribe now and never miss an episode!You can find all your favorite Munchkin products at Munchkin.com.  Follow Munchkin / Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest 

Patience and parenting don’t seem to go together - one minute you have it, the next you don’t. Whether it’s patience for your child or your partner, we all want more of it. Lynn and Justin have the perfect guest to help us get our patience back! Today we talk with Dr. Jenny Woo, Harvard-trained researcher/educator, teacher of emotional intelligence and mom of three, who provides the guidance we’re looking for.  In our Parenting Story of the Day, Alana Smith shares a highly relatable story about how a simple trip to the store turned into a toddler juggling act and a true test of her patience. Dr. Jenny Woo / IG / FB / YT / X / Li Mother of three, Dr. Jenny Woo is a Harvard-trained educator, EQ researcher, founder/CEO of Mind Brain Emotion (incubated out of Harvard Innovation Labs) and creator of award-winning card games and mental health tools to help children and adults build emotional intelligence and communication skills. Teachers, psychologists, parents, and teens have used her product line in more than 50 countries. In addition to her MEd from Harvard, MBA from UC Berkeley, and PhD from UC Irvine, she also spent several years as a Montessori school director and seven years as a human capital consultant at Deloitte and executive coach at Cisco Systems. Dr. Woo is a keynote and TEDx speaker and an author who teaches Emotional Intelligence and Management Fundamentals at the University of California-Irvine. Alana Smith Alana is a nurse anesthetist, author and boy mom who shares her takes on all things motherhood and marriage at Holy Moly Motherhood on Facebook and Instagram. Her books on preparing kids for surgery can be found here.StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast is created by Munchkin Inc., the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world. You can also watch this podcast on YouTube and reach us at podcast@munchkin.com. You can find all your favorite Munchkin products – including the Milkmakers Lactation Cookie Bites featured in this episode – at https://www.munchkin.com  Use the code StrollerCoaster for 15% off regular-price items! Follow Munchkin on Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest  

When you’re a parent, anytime your child makes a close friend, you do too! Whether it’s connecting with other caregivers at daycare or throwing a joint birthday party with people you barely know, it can be tricky – and rewarding – to navigate adult friendships when the only thing you have in common is that your kids are friends. Social relationships expert, author and TEDx speaker Shasta Nelson guides Lynn & Justin on how to traverse the awkward terrain of making and growing friendships with other parents.In our Parenting Story of the Day, writer/humorist Jessica Delfino tells us how she forged unlikely bonds and rewarding friendships on the playground, which she calls “a dating app” for finding parent friends.Shasta Nelson / Podcast / Book / IG / FB / YouTube / X / LinkedIn For over 15 years, Shasta Nelson has been translating the science of human connection into actionable practices that leads to greater belonging in our communities and work culture. Her expertise has activated organizations such as Google and LinkedIn to intentionally create and accelerate high-trust and resilient relationships.Shasta is the author of three books about how to build healthy relationships including “Frientimacy: How To Deepen Friendships For Lifelong Health and Happiness.” She is also a two-time TEDx speaker, contributor to the Harvard Business Review and has been featured in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, TIME magazine and on the Today Show.Jessica Delfino / Blog / YouTube / IG / FB / X / LinkedIn / TikTokJessica Delfino is an award winning comedian, writer, musician and mom who tries to balance her time between “momming” and performing. Her book “Dumb Jokes For Smart Folks” was a #1 Amazon bestseller.  StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast is created by Munchkin, the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world. You can find all your favorite Munchkin products – including the Spring 2-in-1 Bouncer featured in this episode – at Munchkin.com. Use the code PODCAST for 15% off regular-price items!  Follow Munchkin on Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest  Trees for the Future

StoryTime for Kids is back! With an original episode: “The Story of Two Brothers & Only One Elevator Button!” Jayden and Cayden are brothers who compete over EVERYTHING. So the stakes are high when they both want to be THE ONE who pushes the elevator button first! How will they decide? How will mom handle the situation? Can you feel the excitement… over an ELEVATOR BUTTON?!!! Parents and kids will love this story based on a real parenting moment that’s filled with great characters, music and surprises. Written in consultation with a leading childhood development expert, our story illustrates healthy ways for parents (and kids) to handle conflict and competition. Watch the animated video of this and other Season 4 episodes on YouTube at Munchkin / StoryTime Podcast / https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaelLV1d0H9cvT9MY7ZAfGaLEiVUPny_5You can find all your favorite Munchkin products at Munchkin.com.  Follow Munchkin at Instagram  / Facebook / Pinterest  

Children cry, it's a fact. We hate to hear our kids cry but saying “stop crying” isn’t going to help. In fact, it can be harmful. Rachel Tuchman, a Mental Health Counselor with a speciality in early childhood development, explains to Lynn and Justin that demanding children “stop crying” can squash their emotions and lead to big issues later in life. Rachel provides concrete, actionable advice on what to say instead and how to react when kids cry in public.   In our Parenting Story of the Day, Irina Gonzalez explains how she responded when a family member told her - 3 month old baby - that men don’t cry.  Rachel Tuchman / Blog / Instagram / Facebook / YouTubeRachel Tuchman is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with over 15 years of experience specializing in childhood development. She has worked with many diverse populations including kids and adults with developmental delays, child behavior issues, overwhelmed parents looking for skills and support and teens struggling with the pressures of adolescence and life.Rachel is a HAES (Health At Every Size) aligned clinician and dedicates a lot of her time out of office to educating parents and kids on the importance of body respect and the behaviors that truly honor our health. Currently, she offers services in her Cedarhurst, NY and does speaking engagements for schools, synagogues, and various community organizations.Irina Gonzalez is a journalist, editor, and author of the Parenting in Hard Mode newsletter and an upcoming book on impactful Latinx Americans. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook. StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast is created by Munchkin, the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world. Don't forget about StrollerCoaster StoryTime our podcast for kids!You can find all your favorite Munchkin products – including the Step Diaper Pale – at Munchkin.com. Use the code PODCAST for 15% off regular-price items!   Follow Munchkin on Instagram  / Facebook / Pinterest