This week's question is from Jessica, “My son struggles with sitting still at school and while doing homework. He is medicated (for ADHD) but his teacher and others at his school are recommending I increase his medication but I don’t know if I want to do that. What should I do?” In this episode, I will address a number of things that I think will be helpful for all parents. Not just kids who have been diagnosed with ADHD. The number one takeaway here is that movement while learning is not only normal for all kids but it is essential for learning. Then I will give lots of helpful tips about things you can do to help your child learn in a way that works for them. Lastly, I will address medication and why it is not the teacher's job to recommend medication.  You can submit a question by emailing us at support@drbeurkens.com with the subject line "Podcast Question."   Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com

I want to welcome back Julie Lythcott-Haims the New York Times bestselling author of the anti-helicopter parenting manifesto How to Raise an Adult. Julie believes in humans and is deeply interested in what gets in our way. Her TED Talk on the subject has more than 5 million views, and in 2020 she became a regular contributor with CBS This Morning on parenting. Her second book is the critically-acclaimed and award-winning prose poetry memoir Real American, which illustrates her experience as a Black and biracial person in white spaces. Her third book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, is out now! Julie is a former corporate lawyer and Stanford dean who holds a BA from Stanford, a JD from Harvard, and an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts. Julie serves on several boards for organizations doing meaningful work in the world and is a mother of young adult children. In this episode, Julie and I discuss the nuances of becoming an adult. When does it happen, after graduation? Your first job? Moving out of your parent's house? The fact is, becoming an adult is different for everyone. There is no road sign that you pass along the way with "welcome to adulthood" in bright lights. Becoming an adult is a process and a journey. Julie wrote Your Turn: How to Be an Adult for everyone, no matter the circumstance. The inclusivity in this book is commendable. I recommend this book to all parents and most importantly to anyone looking for a guide on how to become an adult.  Learn more about Julie Lythcott-Haims  julielythcotthaims.com @jlythcotthaims on Instagram, facebook, TikTok, Twitter Book: Your Turn: How to Be an Adult

Welcome to the first of many Q & A episodes where I answer your questions! You can submit a question by emailing us at support@drbeurkens.com with the subject line "Podcast Question." Our first question is from Gina,  "My 13-year-old daughter is struggling with anxiety and mood issues. It seems to be worse the past year and a half. She seems to be anxious about school work, her relationship with her friend, and bad things happening to us (her parents). She's spending a lot of time in her room, has decided not to eat meat, and seems tired and out of touch. She saw a counselor before COVID and seemed to find that helpful. What should I do"  In the episode, I break down my observations and tips into these categories Normal teen behavior, Anxiety symptoms and triggers, Sleep, Nutrition, and Counseling. These kinds of questions are very common in my practice and so I think this episode will resonate well with parents of tweens and teens. Tune in each week for more Q & A episodes! Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com   Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Membership- a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here.   

My guest this week is Dr. Drew Ramsey, a psychiatrist, author, farmer, teacher,  and advocate who is a long-time proponent of the healing power of food, understanding dietary change to help balance moods, sharpen brain function and improve mental health. He is a leading innovator in mental health, combining clinical excellence, nutritional interventions, and creative media. He is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and in active clinical practice in New York City. His work and writing have been featured by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, Lancet Psychiatry, and NPR, which named him a “kale evangelist”, and he’s made appearances on the Today Show, BBC, and TEDx. He is the author of 4 books, Eat to Beat Depression & Anxiety, Eat Complete: The 21 Nutrients that Fuel Brain Power, Boost Weight Loss and Transform Your Health, 50 Shades of Kale, and The Happiness Diet. His new e-course, Eat To Beat Depression, helps people maximize their brain health with every bite. In this episode, Dr. Ramsey and I discuss how to eat to beat depression and anxiety. Nutrient density plays a huge role in supporting brain growth and mental health so what should we eat? Dr. Drew gives us a list of important nutrients for brain function and a list of what he calls power foods. While you may think that leafy greens and salmon will not be popular on your kid's plate, Dr. Drew encourages us to try to add these foods in a way that isn’t jarring. We’re not talking about a total overhaul here but instead, looking for ways you can make a pancake or a smoothie more nutrient dense.   Learn more about Dr. Drew Ramsey Website  Instagram @drewramseymd Twitter @DrewRamseyMD Facebook  Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Membership- a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here.   

My guest this week is Dr. Caroline Leaf, a communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist with a Masters and Ph.D. in Communication Pathology. Since the early 1980s, Dr. Leaf has researched the mind-brain connection, the nature of mental health, and the formation of memory. During her years in clinical practice and work with thousands of underprivileged teachers and students in her home country of South Africa and in the US, she developed her theory of how we think, build memory, and learn, into tools and processes that have transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, and even issues like anxiety and depression. Dr. Leaf is the bestselling author of multiple books, including her newest release, Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess. She is currently conducting clinical trials using the 5-step program she developed to further demonstrate the effectiveness of mind-directed techniques to help relieve problems such as anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts. In this episode, Dr. Leaf and I discuss how to change your brain by changing your mind through mind-directed techniques taught in her new book, Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess. Dr. Leaf shares with the audience how her techniques like “Neurocycling” and “Brain-building” can be used to relieve mental health problems such as anxiety and depression and to improve developmental and learning disabilities. To learn more about Dr. Caroline Leaf click here. Where to learn more about Dr. Caroline Leaf … DrLeaf.com Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess Book Instagram Facebook Twitter   Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com   Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Membership- a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here.

My guest this week is Michelle Icard, an author, speaker and educator who helps kids, parents, and teachers navigate the complicated social world of early adolescence. Her latest book is Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen, which guides readers through the fourteen essential conversations parents need to have with their kids before they begin high school. Michelle is a member of the TODAY Show parenting team, NBC News Learn, and her work has been featured in the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, The Christian Science Monitor, Redbook, Time, and People. Her leadership curriculum for middle schoolers, Athena's Path, and Hero's Pursuit, have been implemented at schools across the U.S., and her summer camp curriculum is offered at more than 20 camps each summer. In this episode, Michelle and I discuss the tricky stages of how to communicate effectively with teens and tweens as they navigate growth and desire more independence. Michelle shares with parents how to engage with their teens during these formative years of social and emotional changes and ways to maintain their interest while growing in respect of one another.  Where to learn more about Michelle Icard … MichelleIcard.com Book: Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen Less Stressed Middle School Parents Facebook Group Instagram Facebook Twitter     Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com   Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Membership- a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here.   

My guest this week is Dr. Asia Muhammad, a naturopathic doctor who values the power of lifestyle modifications to achieve optimal health. Asia uses evidence-based medicine to provide individualized care to each patient. As a naturopathic doctor, she is able to provide care in the realm of nutrition, exercise recommendations, supplementation, botanical medicine, and mind-body therapies such as hypnosis. Asia has a special interest in gastroenterology, mind-body medicine, and stress management, as increasing research demonstrates the role of stress in disease. She has received additional training in mind-body therapies, including hypnosis, guided imagery, biofeedback, autogenic training, and progressive muscle relaxation. In this episode, Dr. Muhummad and I discuss how to identify and treat your child’s constipation naturally. Constipation is one of the most common physical health complaints in children that can result in both physical and emotional discomfort. Dr.Muhummad demonstrates the connection of mood, anxiety, and behavior challenges in relationship to constipation and safe and effective ways to immediately address constipation. To learn more about Dr. Asia Muhammad click here. Where to learn more about Asia Muhammad … AsiaMuhammad.com Instagram Facebook     Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com   Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Membership- a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here.   

My guest this week is Dr. Michele Borba, an internationally renowned educational psychologist and expert in parenting, bullying, and character development. She is an award-winning author of 22 books that have been translated into 14 languages. As one of the foremost authorities on childhood development, she is an NBC contributor who appears regularly on Today and has been featured as an expert on Dateline, The View, Dr. Phil, NBC Nightly News, Fox & Friends, The Dr. Oz Show, and The Early Show and more. Dr. Borba blends 40 years of teaching and consulting experience with the latest science to offer sound, realistic advice to parents, teachers, and child advocates about helping children thrive.In this episode, Dr. Borba and I discuss the science behind her seven teachable traits to help children thrive throughout childhood and into adulthood. After decades of experience and research, Dr. Borba shares practical and actionable tips and tools for parents to raise happier, healthier, and more resilient children. To learn more about Dr. Michele Borba click here. Where to learn more about Michele Borba … MicheleBorba.com Thrivers Book Instagram Twitter Facebook Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Membership- a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here. 

My guest this week is Melanie Potock, an international speaker on the topic of feeding babies, toddlers, and school-age kids. She is the co-author of the award-winning Raising a Healthy Happy Eater: A Stage-by-Stage Guide to Setting Your Child on the Path to Adventurous Eating. The tips in her parent and child cookbook, Adventures in Veggieland: Help Your Kids Learn to Love Vegetables with 100 Easy Activities and Recipes, are based on the latest research and Melanie’s 20 years of success as a pediatric feeding therapist. Melanie’s children’s book You are Not an Otter takes preschoolers on a food adventure, exploring all the ways that various animals eat! Melanie’s advice has been shared in a variety of television and print media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, CNN.com, and Parents Magazine.  In this episode, Melanie and I discuss key strategies for families with picky eaters. By working to build skill and ability around food, Melanie helps bring joy back into mealtimes for families struggling with severe picky eaters. Utilizing research-backed practices, Melanie walks parents through identifying whether professional intervention is necessary and the steps to take that yield real results for their family. Often children who suffer from severe eating problems experience heightened anxiety and hesitancy around food that can affect their personal and social development regardless of whether they have a pre-existing developmental disorder. Where to learn more about Melanie Potock … MelaniePotock.com Melanie’s Books Free Downloads Instagram Twitter Facebook     Connect with Dr. Nicole Beurkens on... Instagram Facebook Drbeurkens.com   Need help with improving your child’s behavior naturally?  My book Life Will Get Better is available for purchase, click here to learn more.  Looking for more? Check out my Blog and the Better Behavior Naturally Parent Membership- a resource guide for parents who want to be more effective with improving their child’s behavior.  Interested in becoming a patient? Contact us here.   

My guest this week is Leslie Josel-Principal, an ADHD-academic and parenting coach and award-winning entrepreneur having founded Order Out of Chaos – a virtual company whose mission is to help parents guide their students to success in learning and in life. Leslie is the creator of the award-winning Academic Planner: A Tool for Time Management®, a planner that helps students develop time management skills, and the award-winning author of 3 books including the recently published, “How to Do it Now Because it’s Not Going Away: An Expert Guide to Getting Stuff Done.” A respected resource on ADHD and Executive Functioning, Leslie writes the weekly “Dear ADHD Family Coach” column for ADDitude Magazine, the premiere magazine for adults and children with ADHD and LD. She speaks to audiences all over the world helping them utilize their resources to best navigate the task-driven world in which they live. This past October, Leslie’s line of student organizing products – a collaboration with organizing products company, Samsill Corp – was released.  And for the last four years, Leslie has been named by Global Gurus as one of the top 20 Time Management experts in the world. Where to learn more about Leslie Josel … Order of Chaos Website Leslie’s New Book  Personal Homework Guide FREE download Instagram Twitter Facebook