The goal isn’t to make your kid “open up” — it’s to become the adult they actually want to talk to. Silence is hard. But rushing to fill it can make kids shut down even more.What helps:

Listen for the story behind the behavior, not just the behavior.

Validate the feeling without condoning the action.

Ask, “What do you think?” and let them surprise you.

Kids are always watching how we handle honesty, boundaries, and discomfort.Sometimes the most authentic thing you can do is pause, stay calm, and make room. Listen to the full conversation on parenting, authenticity, and how kids learn by watching us.

Co-hosts Julie Ross and Dr. Elizabeth Cohen speak with author and nonprofit leader Alexander Kopelman about authenticity in childhood, parenting, and the systems that shape both. The conversation explores how kids learn selfhood, why unfiltered honesty is not the same as authenticity, and how adults can become safer, wiser people for children to turn to. In this episode, Alex shares the personal experiences that led him to write For Real, along with practical frameworks parents and educators can use to support children’s emotional development without shutting down their voice.

What if grief wasn’t something to fear, but something to understand?

In this conversation, we talk about why death, loss, and grief deserve more honesty, more curiosity, and more space in our lives — especially with our kids.

Because when we make room for grief, we make room for love, memory, and healing too.

Discover how to shed light on the often avoided or feared topics of death and grief with insights from grief educator Joanne DiMauro, author of the book "What Remains Is Love-My Journey of Losing My Brother and Healing through Grief."

In this sensitive and caring episode we discuss:

• Transforming societal attitudes, nurturing grief literacy, and finding joy and healing in the midst of loss.
• The power of talking openly about death with children and adults to foster healing and joy.
• Practical strategies for parents on how to introduce grief and death conversations early and naturally.
• The value of sharing memories and maintaining connection after loss to keep loved ones alive.

Joanne emphasizes that grief is an integral part of the human experience, and embracing conversations about death can lead to more love, compassion, and collective healing. She invites us all to normalize grief, share our stories, and foster a culture where facing mortality enriches life rather than diminishes it.

Thank you for listening to this deeply important conversation.

In this episode, we sit down with Teresa Stern, LCSW, somatic therapist, and founder of Mindful Therapy Brooklyn (https://www.mindfultherapybrooklyn.com) , to explore how children’s behavior is deeply connected to their nervous systems, sensory needs, and body awareness. Drawing from her training in somatic therapy, TheraPlay, sensory integration, and experiential modalities, Teresa explains why behavior should be understood as communication — not something to judge or “fix.”

We discuss the difference between experiential and cognitive therapy, why intelligence is not the same as emotional awareness, and how parents can help children connect bodily sensations to feelings and self-expression. Teresa shares insights into why some kids crash into things, spin, swing, or seek intense movement, and how sensory input shapes emotional and behavioral regulation.

The conversation also dives into fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses, the importance of completing stress responses, and practical ways parents can support healthy nervous system regulation at home. Teresa introduces the PACE framework — Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy — as a powerful guide for connecting with children without shame or comparison.

This episode is a compassionate and eye-opening look at how curiosity, body awareness, and nervous system support can transform the way we understand and respond to our kids.