Raising Healthy Kid Brains
Amy Nielson
Raising Healthy Kid Brains helps moms and teachers understand how children's brains work and what they can do to set them up for success. Discover the critical elements of supporting a child's healthy brain development, psychological factors that influence emotional development, and simple suggestions to encourage the creativity and curiosity of life-long learners.
Join your host, Amy Nielson, Founder of Planning Playtime, a provider of game-changing educational programs and resources to moms and teachers, as she and her guests discuss the importance of understanding child development.
This is the show for you if you find yourself asking questions like:
*Am I communicating effectively with my child?
*How can I build a bonding experience with my child?
*What exactly are the structures, limits, and boundaries for children?
*Why are good parent-teacher relationships important?
*What benchmarks should I focus on in early childhood?
To learn more, visit planningplaytime.com
Join your host, Amy Nielson, Founder of Planning Playtime, a provider of game-changing educational programs and resources to moms and teachers, as she and her guests discuss the importance of understanding child development.
This is the show for you if you find yourself asking questions like:
*Am I communicating effectively with my child?
*How can I build a bonding experience with my child?
*What exactly are the structures, limits, and boundaries for children?
*Why are good parent-teacher relationships important?
*What benchmarks should I focus on in early childhood?
To learn more, visit planningplaytime.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 13, 2025 • 34min
94. Overcoming Math Anxiety with Dr. Sara Delano Moore
I sit down with Dr. Sara Delano Moore, a fourth-generation educator and expert in mathematics education, to discuss strategies for fostering a love of math in our children. Dr. Sara shares her insights on how kids' attitudes towards math are heavily influenced by the adults in their lives. Throughout our conversation, Dr. Sara offers practical tips and real-life examples of how we can incorporate math into everyday activities and conversations with our kids. Join me for this informative and inspiring discussion on nurturing a love of math in our children! Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://planningplaytime.com/94
Jan 30, 2025 • 36min
93. Leading with Compassion: Helping Teachers Thrive Emotionally and Professionally with Leslie Cole
I sit down with Leslie Cole, Director of School Solutions at eLuma, to explore practical strategies for fostering educator well-being. Leslie brings a wealth of experience as a school psychologist, district administrator, and MTSS coordinator, and she's on a mission to promote student success by supporting the adults who serve them. Get ready to discover actionable tips for open communication, healthy boundaries, and a culture of respect in our schools. Whether you're an administrator looking to prevent teacher burnout or a parent wanting to partner with your child's teacher, this episode will equip you with the tools you need to make a positive impact. Let's dive in! Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://planningplaytime.com/93
9 snips
Jan 16, 2025 • 43min
92. Taming Your Brain's Alarm System: The Amygdala Explained with Anna Housley Juster
Join Anna Housley Juster, a former Sesame Street content director and author of How to Train Your Amygdala, as she delves into the fascinating world of the brain's alarm system. Anna explains the role of the amygdala in threat detection and offers playful strategies for managing anxiety in children. Discover how to integrate mindfulness and breathing exercises into daily routines, and learn the power of short, engaging play sessions. Plus, she shares tips on using stuffed animals for calming practices, turning learning about emotions into a fun game!
Jan 2, 2025 • 46min
91. Teach Your Kids to Declutter: Practical Advice for Involving the Whole Family with Katy Wells
I'm joined by Katy Wells, a nationally renowned decluttering expert, mom of two, and host of The Maximized Minimalist podcast. Katy shares her personal journey of how a life-changing car accident led her to take control of her physical environment and the powerful impact it had on her mental well-being. Throughout our conversation, Katy provides practical tips and strategies for decluttering your home in a way that feels manageable and sustainable. She emphasizes the importance of grace and progress over perfection, and shares how involving your kids in the process can teach them valuable life skills. If you're ready to release the stress and shame around clutter and bring more clarity and calm into your home, this episode is for you. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://planningplaytime.com/91
Dec 19, 2024 • 36min
90. 5 Pillars of Self-Worth Every Child Needs to Thrive with Nellie Harden
I talk with Nellie Harden, a wife, mother of four daughters, former worth chaser, trauma survivor, author, and speaker in the space of family life and leadership. Nellie is here to share her insights on how we can strategically build a foundation for worth, esteem, and confidence in our children from a young age. Nellie breaks down the five pillars of self-worth that every human needs, and how parents can model these pillars and help their children internalize them. She walks us through the importance of being students of our children and involving them in family responsibilities to help them develop a strong sense of self. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://planningplaytime.com/90
Dec 5, 2024 • 44min
89. Developmental Trauma: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Parenting and Teaching with Stephan Friedrich
I talk with the founder of Knightlamp Consulting and child trauma specialist, Stephan Friedrich, about the misconceptions around developmental trauma and what actually happens in early childhood that can lead to lasting impacts. Knightlamp is Australia's leading consultancy in trauma-informed practice and uses their expertise to effect healing, change, and an improved life trajectory for children, young people, and adults. Stephan explains how the brain develops in the first few years of life, why traditional parenting approaches using rewards and consequences often fail with traumatized children, and the importance of focusing on physiological regulation and creating a sense of safety to help these children heal and thrive. He also offers actionable strategies you can begin implementing right away to support the children in your life who may be affected by childhood trauma. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://planningplaytime.com/89
Nov 21, 2024 • 41min
88. The Power of Energy and Body Language in Your Child's Communication with Siris Raquel Rivas-Verdejo
This week, I'm joined by Siris Raquel Rivas-Verdejo for a fascinating conversation about the deep connection between language, communication, and our bodies. As a coach, speech-language pathologist, learning behavioral specialist, and therapeutic energy worker, Siris brings a unique perspective to helping children build language skills and improve their quality of life. Join us in this episode as Siris breaks down the three key components of communication and offers her top tips for helping parents become better communicators and advocates for our children. Siris guides us through a powerful exercise to identify our body's "yes" and "no" responses, and how this tool can help parents understand their child's needs before they have the verbal skills to express them. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://planningplaytime.com/88
Nov 7, 2024 • 29min
87. How to Stop Yelling at Your Kids: A Peaceful Parenting Approach with Kristina Manning
This week, I'm joined by school counselor and Peaceful Parent Coach Kristina Manning who is on a mission to help overwhelmed parents stop yelling at their kids. She breaks down the principles of peaceful parenting, highlights the science behind why yelling ultimately doesn't work, and what we can do instead to teach our kids emotional regulation skills that will serve them well into adulthood. If you want to break the cycle of yelling and build a stronger, more respectful relationship with your children, this episode is for you. Kristina offers practical tips and a helpful framework for responding to your children in a calm, intentional way, and sheds light on the biggest difference between peaceful parenting and permissive parenting. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://planningplaytime.com/87
Oct 24, 2024 • 37min
86. Heal Your Child's Stomach Pain: The Surprising Brain-Gut Connection with Dr. Ali Navidi
In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Ali Navidi, a licensed clinical psychologist and co-founder of GI Psychology. He specializes in innovative treatments for GI disorders using clinical hypnosis and cognitive behavioral therapy. With his expertise, we dive deep into the brain-gut connection and explore why so many children experience stomach discomfort related to stress and anxiety. If your child suffers from regular stomach discomfort or has been diagnosed with IBS without any specific problem that doctors can find in their stomach, this episode is for you. Dr. Navidi breaks down the four-step progression of stomach pain related to stress and anxiety and offers hope for parents who have been struggling to find answers. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://planningplaytime.com/86
Oct 10, 2024 • 36min
85. The Self-Esteem Doctor's Guide to Raising Confident Kids with Dr. Simone Alicia
Dr. Simone Alicia noticed that many of the children and adults she worked with struggled with self-esteem issues. She realized that there was a need for a new approach to help people feel good about themselves from the inside out. By combining her background in education, modeling, and later studying neurolinguistic programming (NLP) and divinity, Dr. Simone developed powerful tools for boosting self-esteem. Join us this week as Dr. Simone, a.k.a The Self-Esteem Doctor, gives us a clear definition of what self-esteem entails and how we can nurture it in our children. Hear her brilliant ice cream cone analogy for helping kids understand they are in charge of building their self-esteem, and her top tips for guiding our kids as they cultivate a confident inner dialogue. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://planningplaytime.com/85
