We're halfway into 2020 & it's clear that we could all use a glimmer of hope right now. This is a tool that I've mentioned before, but that has taken on even more importance for my family right now. My hope is that it can help yours, too. You can find the article version of this episode at drstevesilvestro.com/115 I've also extended the discount for my Mindfulness for Parents Online Course through July -- take the $149 course for only $20 by using the code 'TWENTY20'. Learn more here.

Like much of the country, I’ve been thinking a lot about inequality and bigotry of late, trying to put so many feelings into coherent thoughts. And as I do, the memory of one impactful experience from when I was 19 keeps coming back to me... You can find the article version of this episode at drstevesilvestro.com/116 The moral arc of the universe bends toward justice—but we have to be the ones who bend it.

The task of parenting a modern day boy is daunting. It's as if teenage boys and those who raise them are in an Indiana Jones movie, dodging blades and poisonous darts flying past them at every turn. And the snake-filled pit, of course, is the constant barrage of headlines showing masculinity gone wrong. So how do we crack the code of raising boys—and do so right at a time when they typically start growing quiet? That’s the focus of Decoding Boys: The New Science Behind the Subtle Art of Raising Sons—the newest book from Cara Natterson, MD. You might remember Dr. Natterson from our episode together on “How to Talk to Kids about Puberty” (and if you haven’t listened to that, you should—it’s a fan-favorite!). Dr. Natterson is a superstar pediatrician who wears many hats, but its her work as caretaker of the modern iteration of The Care and Keeping of You and her book Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys—that makes her the go-to expert on helping families ride the ups and downs of puberty. In our conversation, she lays out the secrets you can use to crack the code of raising sons.

"Fear and what you do with it are two separate things." I love this quote from Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, especially right now.  What we and our kids do with big emotions can have more of an impact on our lives than feeling the emotions themselves.  In this episode, Robin Brannan, founder of Better Together Family Therapy, shares tips to help kids cope in difficult times. You just might find that many of these tips helpful for yourself, too! And on another note: If you or someone you know has a preschooler, be sure to check out 10-Minute Preschool, a new video series featuring the one and only Monica Silvestro! Monica takes the magic of her preschool classroom and brings it to your preschooler in fun, educational videos that are 10 minutes or less.  Check them all out here, with more to come:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK2JtHmTfH5lXyUH6S8z8TY2WSnp9TdY0

When I last spoke with Dr. Michael Daignault 6 weeks ago, the COVID-19 storm was approaching. Now that we're in the thick of it, he and I catch up to discuss what it's been like on the front lines in the Emergency Department. We also dispel some rumors you may have heard about treatment & prevention, discuss what's necessary to "open the country," and silver linings in this new normal. Find video of our conversation at youtube.com/drstevesilvestro You can help! Go to www.covid-meals.org and learn how to sponsor meals delivered from your local restaurants to your community hospital.

We're in a new normal—and with no clear end in sight. And as frustrating or anxiety-provoking as it may be, there is one indisputable fact about our current situation: We and our children will grow as people because of it. So how do we ensure that growth and development are the best they can be? How do we help our kids thrive during COVID-19? Having lived in Hong Kong and currently living in the Netherlands, Dr. Anisha Abraham has seen friends and coworkers manage parenting in a pandemic for months now—and she shares the lessons they've learned in our conversation on The Child Repair Guide Podcast. Dr. Anisha Abraham is a pediatrician and teen health specialist based in Amsterdam, Netherlands and on faculty at both the University of Amsterdam and Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC.  She works with teens, parents, and educators globally, using her 25 years of experience as a clinician, researcher, speaker, and health educator. Her book Raising Global Teens: Parenting in the 21st Century will be released this autumn in local bookstores and on Amazon. Listen as we discuss everything from home learning to how to help kids thrive in the midst of social distancing and pandemic.

So I’m the pediatrician who wrote that viral article discouraging playdates during the coronavirus pandemic. And while I’m glad the message got out—over 2 million people read that article—it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to write. Why? Because even though I know that such extreme social distancing is absolutely necessary to slow the spread of this sneaky virus, I also know that isolating ourselves from each other can have a massive toll on mental health. And I’ve seen that toll already. As I write this now, schools in my area have been closed for only a week, and yet my pediatric office has been flooded with calls from parents worried that their kids are becoming depressed. The risk for anxiety and depression amongst our kids and teens—and amongst ourselves—is real, and that risk will be compounded as the need for physical distancing inevitably stretches to several weeks more. So these are my recommendations for parents to help bolster the mental health of their kids and teens in the midst of this pandemic. You may find them helpful for yourself, as well.

There's a flood of information about the COVID-19 coronavirus out there, and it can be challenging to tease out what it really means for you and your kids. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Michael Daignault—an emergency medicine physician with a global health background who's been on top of providing info & guidance on coronavirus these last several weeks—and we break down everything parents need to know about the coronavirus outbreak. We cover: What coronavirus is & why COVID-19 is such a big deal What's making this spread more than SARS & MERS Symptoms of coronavirus in your family What makes COVID-19 so deadly The current situation with children and coronavirus Recommendations to keep your family healthy  The right way to wash hands Thoughts on your family's travel plans -- keep or cancel? Likely, best-, and worse-case scenarios of the coronavirus outbreak How should you prepare for coronavirus? Surgical masks vs. N95 masks -- whether they work & who should wear them Will disinfectants work against COVID-19? Current progress on treatments & vaccines for coronavirus SHARE this episode by sharing the link www.drstevesilvestro.com/109 WATCH video of our conversation at www.youtube.com/drstevesilvestro FOLLOW Dr. Michael Daignault on Instagram at @drdaignault FOLLOW me on Instagram at @zendocsteve

Comedian Ray Romano once noted that "having children is like living in a frat house — nobody sleeps, everything's broken, and there’s a lot of throwing up."   As just about everyone listening to this right now knows, being a parent is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. Sure, it’s also the most wonderful, joyous, meaningful thing you’ll ever do—but it’s no cakewalk.   That’s why it really is so important to be able to look at the craziness of raising kids—yes, including the vomit everywhere—and somehow find the humor in it all.   That’s the superpower of my guest today, James Breakwell. James is a professional comedy writer and self-described “amateur parent” of four girls, aged 8 and under. His parenting humor twitter account @XplodingUnicorn boasts over 1 million followers. Because of the way the social media world works, you may or may not recognize that account name, but I guarantee you’ve seen his writings if you’re on social media.   James’s online writing, most commonly taking the form of conversations between himself and one of his kids, deftly brings to life the innocence and absurdity of living in a house with tiny people whose understanding of the world is tenuous at best. But he does it in a way that I really appreciate and that makes him stand out from so many other parenting humorists—by respecting and marveling at his kids along the way.   He is the author of three books, including Only Dead on the Inside: A Parent’s Guide to Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse, Bare Minimum Parenting: The Ultimate Guide to Not Quite Ruining Your Child, and his newest book—How to Save Your Child from Ostrich Attacks, Accidental Time Travel, and Anything Else that Might Happen on an Average Tuesday.   This was a conversation that I really think you’re going to enjoy. If you do, and you want to share this episode by sharing the link drstevesilvestro.com/108 , neither James nor I will be offended!

I’d say that anyone who’s paid attention to the news in the last few years, has been on social media—or has just conversed with other human beings—has probably gotten the sense now and then that the world seems on edge. Still, many of us parents can get so inspired by our own kids that we get the sense that they’re going to change the world—or at least their own corner of it. And a lot of kids might feel like they want to do exactly that.  But how to start? How to take the desire to do good and turn it into something real, something that can truly help people? That’s the aim of my guest in this episode and the amazing organization she manages. I got to geek out a bit in this conversation because Katie Bowers is the managing director of the Harry Potter Alliance. No, it’s not some sort of group where people talk about how awesome Harry Potter is. No, the HPA takes the passion that fans of Harry Potter and other books and movies have, and helps them turn that passion into action. As Katie says in our conversation: “When people truly become passionate about a book or a character, it’s because they see themselves in that hero.” And the HPA has turned fans’ passion into amazing results. With hundreds of thousands of members spanning 35 countries and six continents, the HPA has helped kids and adults create meaningful change around the world. They’re pretty freaking awesome if you ask me! In our conversation, we talk about: The work of the HPA and how they “turn fans into heroes” Why Harry Potter and other fictional characters inspire fans to make social change How to decide what to do if you know you want to do something, but don’t know what or how The power of “unironic enthusiasm”—the best way to foster your child’s eagerness to help How to help your kids develop leadership qualities needed to bring about change Why it’s okay to be Neville Longbottom instead of Harry or Hermione Specific projects for preschoolers vs. elementary school aged kids vs. high schoolers Tips for when your child’s project fails The importance of building a good team around you How to help kids handle the risks of the spotlight when they stand up for what they believe Why kids might have a better opportunity to build bridges with those with opposing viewpoints than adults How to teach kids to handle tough conversations with friends and loved ones with opposing views And the value of “time, patience, love, and a willingness to keep at it.” Guys, I got fired up by this conversation—it’s a great launchpad for you and your kids to make the world a better place. If you get inspired by this episode, please take a screenshot of your podcast app as you listen, post it to your Instagram Story, and tag me @zendocsteve. You can also share this episode on Facebook and elsewhere by sharing the link www.drstevesilvestro.com/106