Where Parents Talk: Evidence-based Expert Advice on Raising Kids Today

What does secure attachment really look like in everyday parenting—and why does the parent-child connection remain so important as children grow into teens?
In this Where Parents Talk podcast episode, host Lianne Castelino speaks to child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist Dr. Debbie Raphael shares practical, research-informed insights from her upcoming book, Carry My Strength.
Drawing on more than 20 years of clinical experience, her own journey as a mother, and current research on relational health and positive childhood experiences, Dr. Raphael explores what helps children develop a strong sense of self, healthy relationships and resilience.
The discussion explores secure attachment from toddlerhood through adolescence, why teens still need a secure parental “home base,” how parents can help children develop distress tolerance without trying to fix every problem, and why emotional regulation starts with the adults in a child's life.
Dr. Raphael also explains how our own childhood experiences can influence the way we respond to our children, how parents can interrupt unhealthy intergenerational patterns, and why “good-enough parenting” may be a healthier and more realistic goal than perfection.
She reminds parents to make room for something that can easily get lost in the demands of parenting: joy.
This podcast is for parents, guardians, teachers and caregivers to learn proven strategies and trusted tips on raising kids, teens and young adults based on science, evidenced and lived experience.
You’ll learn the latest on topics like managing bullying, consent, fostering healthy relationships, and the interconnectedness of mental, emotional and physical health.
Links referenced in this episode:
whereparentstalk.com

Takeaways:
I remind parents that secure attachment lets children carry our strength, fostering independence, trust, and long-term emotional health.
We emphasize that distress tolerance starts with the parent — model calm regulation rather than fixing every problem for your child.
I suggest viewing parenting as a job with boundaries — it reduces reactivity rooted in our own childhood trauma and ACEs.
We advocate for cultivating shared joy daily: it's not optional fluff but a protective factor for mental, emotional, and physical health.
I recommend practical strategies—clear communication, consistent discipline, and sensible limits on device usage and social media—to protect adolescents' mental health and reduce bullying risks while teaching consent and healthy relationships.
We remind parents that hormonal changes during adolescence amplify emotional reactivity; combining empathy with structure helps teenagers practice independence without abandoning safety.
I encourage self-awareness: exploring your childhood narrative and seeking support or therapy transforms intergenerational patterns and improves parent-child communication.

Links referenced in this episode:
whereparentstalk.com

Companies mentioned in this episode:
Where Parents Talk
Michigan Medicine

How do you raise a mentally strong child in a world filled with academic pressure, social media, anxiety, disappointment and constant comparison?
In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks to Amy Morin, psychotherapist, speaker, podcast host and international bestselling author.
Morin shares practical, evidence-informed strategies for helping tweens, teens and young adults develop mental strength. Drawing from her books 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don't Do and 13 Things Mentally Strong Kids Do, as well as her experience as a therapeutic foster parent, Morin explains why mental strength isn't something children simply grow into—it is a set of skills parents can intentionally teach and reinforce.
She explores the three building blocks of mental strength: how children think, how they manage emotions and how they behave. She discusses why parents should resist the urge to shield kids from every disappointment, how to teach children to cope with failure and discomfort, and why natural consequences can be powerful learning opportunities.
The conversation also tackles parenting out of guilt, helicopter parenting, confidence versus external validation, praising effort rather than outcomes, emotional regulation, and the skills kids need before entering the world of social media and smartphones.
For parents raising tweens, teens or young adults, this episode offers practical ways to help children become more resilient, emotionally capable and confident—while learning how to handle life's challenges for themselves.
Takeaways:
We must intentionally teach mental strength: thoughts, emotional health, and actions together, not something children are simply born with.
I recommend starting emotion conversations early—toddlers through tweens—so communication and coping skills develop before hormonal changes complicate everything.
We resist parenting out of guilt and sheltering kids from pain; disciplined natural consequences build independence and long-term resilience.
Before handing over devices, we teach emotional regulation and device usage limits so children tolerate discomfort without defaulting to social media.
We praise effort over outcome to cultivate internal validation, prevent dependence on external praise, and protect mental health.
Make failure a dinner-table topic: normalize mistakes, practice problem-solving, and encourage kids to learn rather than hide missteps like cyber slip-ups or bullying incidents.
From my lived experience, I learned not to give away my power; focus on controllables, uphold consent & relationships boundaries, and prioritize physical and emotional health.
Three practical practices we recommend: label feelings daily, challenge unhelpful thoughts through conversation, and reinforce small acts of disciplined perseverance.

This podcast is for parents, guardians, teachers and caregivers to learn proven strategies and trusted tips on raising kids, teens and young adults based on science, evidenced and lived experience.
You’ll learn the latest on topics like managing bullying, consent, fostering healthy relationships, and the interconnectedness of mental, emotional and physical health.
Links referenced in this episode:
whereparentstalk.com

What happens when the coping mechanism that got you through high-pressure executive life becomes the very thing that costs you your family? In this candid episode of Where Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino sits down with Nick Jonsson — executive coach, psychotherapist, keynote speaker, best-selling author, and Ironman triathlete — who spent years using alcohol to manage the stress of a demanding corporate career before hitting a breaking point that changed everything.
Now in his ninth year of sobriety, Nick shares the unfiltered story of how hustle culture and an unspoken family expectation to "always work harder" masked years of unhealthy coping, and how he rebuilt a broken relationship with his teenage son — one Minecraft session at a time.
Parents will learn Nick's five-step resilience framework (Surrender, Purpose, Connection, Goals, Discipline), practical strategies for having honest conversations with teens about stress, substance use, and mental health, and why modelling vulnerability — not perfection — is what actually builds resilient kids.
Whether you're navigating your own stress, worried about a teen's coping habits, or simply want a more connected family life, this conversation offers real, actionable insight grounded in lived experience.
Topics covered:
addiction recovery, executive burnout, hustle culture, parenting teenagers, father-son relationships, resilience coaching, healthy coping mechanisms, family communication, teen mental health.
Takeaways:
Surrender—admitting blind spots and vulnerability—is the essential first step toward resilient mental health.
Replacing numbing behaviours like late-night social media and excessive device usage with meaningful purpose and discipline.
Making amends and restoring connection with family rebuilds trust after addiction and improves emotional and physical health.
Introducing a five-step resilience framework—surrender, purpose, connection, goals and discipline—that gives practical structure to recovery and everyday life.
Modelling coaching-style conversations with my teen, acknowledging hormonal changes while promoting independence, communication and consent & relationships.
Caution against over-shielding kids from stress because age-appropriate honesty reduces secrecy, bullying risk and supports emotional health.
Recommending a simple life audit, asking for help early, and using coaches or voluntary groups to protect mental health and family resilience — because recovery becomes service, not a party trick.

Companies mentioned in this episode:
Where Parents Talk
whereparentstalk.com
ChatGPT
Netflix
Minecraft

This podcast is for parents, guardians, teachers and caregivers to learn proven strategies and trusted tips on raising kids, teens and young adults based on science, evidenced and lived experience.
You’ll learn the latest on topics like managing bullying, consent, fostering healthy relationships, and the interconnectedness of mental, emotional and physical health.
Links referenced in this episode:
whereparentstalk.com

How can parents build stronger relationships with their children’s schools—and feel genuinely heard in the process?
In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks with Shani Dowell, former educator, entrepreneur, mother of two and founder of Possip, a parent engagement platform designed to help schools close the communication gap between home and school.
Dowell shares her perspective as both a former teacher and parent on why effective parent-school communication can be so challenging, particularly in a post-pandemic education landscape where parents want greater involvement while teachers and school administrators are facing unprecedented demands.
The conversation explores the important difference between parent engagement and truly listening to parents, why parents may hesitate to speak up for fear of being labelled “difficult,” and how schools can create more meaningful two-way communication with families.
Dowell also offers practical advice for parents who feel unheard by their child’s teacher or school, including how to start a productive conversation, when to put concerns in writing, how to establish expectations with a teacher at the beginning of the school year, and how parents can advocate effectively without escalating conflict.
The episode also examines common misconceptions between parents and educators, the value of positive feedback for teachers and school staff, and why parents and schools are ultimately working toward the same goal: helping children thrive.
This podcast is for parents, guardians, teachers and caregivers to learn proven strategies and trusted tips on raising kids, teens and young adults based on science, evidenced and lived experience.
You’ll learn the latest on topics like managing bullying, consent, fostering healthy relationships, and the interconnectedness of mental, emotional and physical health.
Links referenced in this episode:
whereparentstalk.com

Are today's children missing the life skills they need to succeed—not just in school, but in life?
In this episode of Where Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino speaks with educator, former classroom teacher, and Anywhere Learning founder Amélie Drouet about why traditional education often falls short when it comes to teaching resilience, independence, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
After spending 15 years in the classroom, Drouet noticed that more students were struggling with foundational life skills that directly affected their ability to learn. Her experience homeschooling her own children while travelling inspired a new approach: combining academics with meaningful, real-world experiences that spark curiosity and confidence.
In this conversation, you'll learn:
Why life skills and academic learning should go hand in hand
Simple everyday activities that teach math, literacy, science, and responsibility
How cooking, chores, travel, and family routines become powerful learning opportunities
Why boredom may actually be essential for creativity and child development
How parents can use technology as a learning tool instead of a distraction
Practical ways to raise capable, independent, and motivated children—without adding more to your busy schedule

Whether your child attends public school, private school, or is homeschooled, this episode offers practical parenting strategies to help children thrive both inside and outside the classroom.
This podcast is for parents, guardians, teachers and caregivers to learn proven strategies and trusted tips on raising kids, teens and young adults based on science, evidenced and lived experience.
You’ll learn the latest on topics like managing bullying, consent, fostering healthy relationships, and the interconnectedness of mental, emotional and physical health.
Links referenced in this episode:
whereparentstalk.com