How to Use Connection & Collaboration to Transform Your Family - and the World

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Latest Episodes & Transcripts

010: Becoming Brilliant – Interview with Prof. Roberta Golinkoff

By Jen Lumanlan | Oct 31, 2016

In just a few years, today’s children and teens will forge careers that look nothing like those that were available to their parents or grandparents. While the U.S. economy becomes ever more information-driven, our system of education seems stuck on the idea that “content is king,” neglecting other skills that 21st century citizens sorely need.…

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009: Do you punish your child with rewards?

By Jen Lumanlan | Oct 24, 2016

I’ve never said the words “good job” to my toddler. I was lucky – I stumbled on Alfie Kohn’s book Punished by Rewards early enough that I was able to break the habit before my daughter had really done anything much that might be construed as requiring a “good job.” I’m going to be absolutely…

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008: The impact of stress and violence on children

By Jen Lumanlan | Oct 17, 2016

  I’m afraid this is an episode I wish I didn’t have to record. When I launched the podcast I asked anyone who has a question about parenting or child development that I might be able to answer by reviewing the scientific literature to reach out and let me know, and someone got in touch…

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007: Help! My toddler won’t eat vegetables

By Jen Lumanlan | Oct 10, 2016

  (Believe it or not, this is Carys’ “I freaking love homemade spinach ravioli with broccoli” face!)   I was sitting in a restaurant recently with half an eye on a toddler and his parents at the next table. The parents were trying to get the toddler to eat some of his broccoli before he…

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006: Wait, is my toddler racist?

By Jen Lumanlan | Oct 3, 2016

This episode is part of a series on understanding the intersection of race, privilege, and parenting.  Click here to view all the items in this series. I’d always assumed that if I didn’t mention race to my daughter, if it was just a non-issue, that she wouldn’t grow up to be racist. Boy, was I wrong about…

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005: How to “scaffold” children’s learning to help them succeed

By Jen Lumanlan | Sep 26, 2016

When I started talking with people about the idea for this podcast, one theme that came up consistently was the idea of supporting our children’s growth and development. A friend of mine summed it up most concisely and articulately by asking “how do I know when to lead and when I should step back and…

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004: How to encourage creativity and artistic ability in young children – Interview with Dr. Tara Callaghan

By Jen Lumanlan | Sep 18, 2016

I’m so excited to welcome my first guest on the Your Parenting Mojo podcast: Professor Tara Callaghan of St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.   Professor Callaghan has spent a great number of years studying the emergence of artistic ability in young children and she shares some of her insights with us.  This is…

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003: Did you miss the boat on teaching your toddler how to read? (Me too!)

By Jen Lumanlan | Sep 12, 2016

So did you teach your toddler to read yet? And if not, why not? I’m just kidding, of course. I wanted to write this episode on encouraging literacy in middle to older toddlers, but the more I researched the more I found the issues go much further back than what you do in toddlerhood. Then I…

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002: Why doesn’t my toddler share?

By Jen Lumanlan | Aug 18, 2016

Imagine this: you’re with your toddler son or daughter at a playground on a Saturday afternoon so there are a lot of people around.  You’re sitting on a bench while your child plays in the sandpit where several others are playing as well.  You’re half paying attention while you catch up with some texts on…

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001: The influence of culture on parenting

By Jen Lumanlan | Aug 18, 2016

Have you ever thought about how common the murder of children has been in societies we now call “Western” in the past, as well as societies all over the world today? In my naivete as a parent I figured there would be some differences in how people parent their children around the world, but I…

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000: Philosophy (aka “What’s this Podcast All About?”)

By Jen Lumanlan | Aug 15, 2016

I always thought the infant phase would be the hardest part of parenting, when all the baby does is eat and sleep and cry.  Now I have a toddler I’m finding it’s harder than having a baby, some of the support systems that I had when she was a baby aren’t there any more, and the parenting…

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