355- When You Don’t Know What to Say: Talking to Kids About Hard Stuff with Melinda Wenner Moyer

You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and today I get to sit down with my friend Jennie Monness, founder of the We Didn't Turn Out OK Podcast and fellow parent navigating the messy, meaningful work of raising tiny humans. In this conversation, Jennie and I talk about the dissonance so many of us feel between the parent we thought we'd be and the one we actually are. We explore what it means to show up with self-awareness, to build visual routines that support our kids through transitions, and to lean into repair when things don't go as planned. We both share some real life stories, moments when we got it right-- and moments when we didn't. This episode is an invitation to let go of perfection and embrace the learning curve together. All right, folks. Let's dive in. Connect with Jennie: Instagram: @jenniemonness Website: https://www.jenniemonness.com/ Charmspring: https://charmspring.com/ Springboard Visual Routine Podcast: We Didn’t Turn Out OK with Jennie Monness Connect with us: Instagram and TikTok: @seed.and.sew  Seed and Sew's NEW Regulation Questionnaire: Take the Quiz Pre-order Big Kids, Bigger Feelings now!  Website: seedandsew.org Credits: Host: Alyssa Blask Campbell Co-host: Rachel Lounder Production/Editing: Kristin Mork-McVeigh Graphics: Kayla Kurkland-Davis/ Beki Rohrig Music by: Ruby Adams and  Bensound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and I am so jazzed to share this episode with you because if you've ever worried about your child falling behind, wondered whether a diagnosis would help or hurt or felt overwhelmed by navigating learning differences, this one's for you. I got to sit down with Dr. Kelly Fradin, pediatrician and author of Advanced Parenting to unpack how we can support our kids when they're struggling, not just academically, but emotionally and socially too. Kelly has this whole child approach that I just adore. We dove into how to talk to kids about brain and body differences in a way that builds identity and confidence, how to manage the big emotions that come up for us as parents when something feels off, and how to advocate for your kid while keeping their mental health front and center. This episode is rich with practical tools and so much compassion. I'm excited to bring it to you, and after the conversation, stick around for the breakdown with Rachel, my co-author of Big Kids, Bigger Feelings where we reflect on what this looks like in real life. All right, let's dive in. Connect with Kelly: Instagram: @adviceigivemyfriends Website: https://drkellyfradin.com/ Order the book:  Advanced Parenting: Advice for Helping Kids Through Diagnoses, Differences, and Mental Health Challenges Connect with us: Instagram and TikTok: @seed.and.sew  Seed and Sew's NEW Regulation Questionnaire: Take the Quiz Pre-order Big Kids, Bigger Feelings now!  Website: seedandsew.org Credits: Host: Alyssa Blask Campbell Co-host: Rachel Lounder Production/Editing: Kristin Mork-McVeigh Graphics: Kayla Kurkland-Davis/ Beki Rohrig Music by: Ruby Adams and  Bensound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and today I got to hang out with science journalist and author Melinda Wenner Moyer to talk about something that so many of us wrestle with-- how to talk to our kids about the hard stuff. From climate change to inequality, to violence in the news, it can feel overwhelming to know what to say, when to say it, or even if we should say anything at all. Melissa's book, How to Raise Kids who Aren't Assholes, gave so many parents tools for raising kind, thoughtful humans. And her new book, Hello, Cruel World! continues that work by helping us navigate these tricky conversations with clarity, honesty, and compassion. In this episode, we dive into how to avoid toxic positivity without overwhelming our kids, how to model emotional regulation while still being real, and how to raise resilient humans in a world that doesn't always make it easy. All right folks, let's dive in. Connect with Melinda: Instagram: @melindawmoyer Facebook: facebook.com/melindawennermoyer  X: @lindy2350 Website: melindawennermoyer.com Order the book: Hello, Cruel World! Substack: Now What Connect with us: Instagram and TikTok: @seed.and.sew  Seed and Sew's NEW Regulation Questionnaire: Take the Quiz Pre-order Big Kids, Bigger Feelings now!  Website: seedandsew.org Credits: Host: Alyssa Blask Campbell Co-host: Rachel Lounder Production/Editing: Kristin Mork-McVeigh Graphics: Kayla Kurkland-Davis/ Beki Rohrig Music by: Ruby Adams and  Bensound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and today I'm joined by someone who brings humor, heart, and a whole lot of real talk to the parenting space. Caitlin Murray of Big Time Adulting is hanging out with us today. Caitlin's known for her brutally honest and hilarious take on motherhood. And in this episode, we get into what it actually looks like to treat our kids like the whole humans they are, while still navigating the reality that they don't have fully developed brains. We talk about the mental load, the pressure to do it all right, and how to show up with authenticity, accidental F-bombs and all.  This one is raw, relatable, and full of belly laughs and truth bombs. All right folks, let's dive in. Connect with Caitlin: Instagram: @bigtimeadulting  Videobook: Violet Archer Connect with us: Instagram and TikTok: @seed.and.sew  Seed and Sew's NEW Regulation Questionnaire: Take the Quiz Pre-order Big Kids, Bigger Feelings now!  Website: seedandsew.org Credits: Host: Alyssa Blask Campbell Co-host: Rachel Lounder Production/Editing: Kristin Mork-McVeigh Graphics: Kayla Kurkland-Davis/ Beki Rohrig Music by: Ruby Adams and  Bensound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You’re listening to Voices of Your Village, and today's conversation is one I've been looking forward to for a long time. If you are raising boys or teaching boys, or frankly just care about the humans they're becoming, this episode is for you. I'm joined by Joanna Schroeder and Christopher Pepper, authors of the new book Talk to your Boys. We dig into how boys are being shaped by the culture around them, including what they're exposed to online, what they're learning or not learning about emotions and connection, and how we as adults can show up in powerful, empathetic ways. This is such a rich, important conversation about masculinity, care, vulnerability, and how to raise boys who grow into connected, kind, emotionally healthy men. All right, folks. Let's dive in. Connect with Joanna and Christopher: Joanna: https://www.instagram.com/byjoannaschroeder/ Christopher: https://www.instagram.com/mrhealthteacher/ Talk To Your Boys Book: https://www.instagram.com/talktoyourboysbook Website: https://www.talktoyourboys.com/ Connect with us: Instagram and TikTok: @seed.and.sew  Seed and Sew's NEW Regulation Questionnaire: Take the Quiz Pre-order Big Kids, Bigger Feelings now!  Website: seedandsew.org Credits: Host: Alyssa Blask Campbell Co-host: Rachel Lounder Production/editing: Kristin Mork-McVeigh Graphics: Kayla Kurkland-Davis/ Beki Rohrig Music by: Ruby Adams and  Bensound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are listening to Voices of Your Village, and today's episode is such a grounding one. I got to sit down with my dear friend, Eli Harwood, who you may know as @attachmentnerd over on Instagram, to dive into a topic that comes up so often, school refusal. If you've ever had a kid clinging to the doorframe or break down in tears before drop off, or you've wondered when to push and when to pause, this one's for you. Eli brings her therapist lens and lived experience to this conversation with so much empathy and wisdom and humor. We talk about what's really going on beneath school refusal, how to meet our kids with connection and structure, and why scaffolding their nervous system matters more than forcing compliance. This episode is full of practical strategies and those aha moments that help us show up differently for our kids and ourselves. Y'all, we are so close to Big Kids, Bigger Feelings- my next book publishing. I'm so jazzed for it to get into your hands. We have a couple pre-order bonuses, so if you head over right now to seedandsew.org/book before September 16th, and order that bad boy and pop your order number in, we will send you some bonuses. Alright folks, let's dive in. Connect with Eli: Instagram: @attachmentnerd Website: https://attachmentnerd.com/ Order the book: Raising Securely Attached Kids: Using Connection-Focused Parenting to Create Confidence, Empathy, and Resilience Podcast: https://attachmentnerd.com/podcast Connect with us: Instagram: @seed.and.sew  TikTok: @seedandsew Seed and Sew's NEW Regulation Questionnaire: Take the Quiz Pre-order Big Kids, Bigger Feelings now!  Order Tiny Humans, Big Emotions  Website: seedandsew.org Music by: Ruby Adams and  Bensound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and today's episode is such a treat. I get to sit down with my friend, Ash Brandin, educator, researcher, author of the new book, Power On, to talk all things screen time, video games, and what it really means to raise emotionally regulated kids in a digital world. Ash brings so much nuance and compassion to this conversation. We go beyond the usual screen time debates and dig into what screens are doing for our kids, how we can shift power struggles into collaboration, and how regulation-- not restriction is the key. Ash is phenomenal, and I highly recommend following them over on Instagram at the Gamer Educator. They're my go-to for all things screens and their new book Power On is a beautiful roundup of all this information. This episode is for anyone who's ever wondered, is this too much or How do I actually teach balance. Spoiler alert-- it's not about shame or rigid rules. It's about relationship. All right, folks, let's dive in. Connect with Ash: Instagram: @thegamereducator Website: https://thegamereducator.com/ Order the book: Power On: Managing Screen Time to Benefit the Whole Family Substack: https://thegamereducator.substack.com/ Connect with us: Instagram: @seed.and.sew  TikTok: @seedandsew Seed and Sew's NEW Regulation Questionnaire: Take the Quiz Pre-order Big Kids, Bigger Feelings now!  Order Tiny Humans, Big Emotions  Website: seedandsew.org Music by: Ruby Adams and  Bensound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You’re listening to Voices of Your Village, and today I get to share a truly special conversation with someone I admire deeply—Lake Bell. You might know her as an actor, director, and creator, but in this episode, we connect as two parents navigating the beautiful, messy work of raising humans—especially kids who don’t always fit the mold. Lake and I dive into what it looks like to parent neurodivergent kids with curiosity and compassion. We talk about the emotional rollercoaster of receiving a diagnosis, the grief and the gifts, and how we can shift from focusing on what’s “wrong” to seeing what’s wonderfully different. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s one of those conversations that reminds me why we do this work—why connection matters more than perfection, and how embracing the whole child, just as they are, can change everything. Lake also has a beautiful children’s book out called All About Brains—and y’all, it’s become one of our favorites on the bookshelf. I love how she illustrates what it looks like to empower kids to understand their brains and bodies and to advocate for themselves with confidence and clarity. All right, village—let’s dive in. Connect with Lake: Instagram: @lakebell Order the book: All About Brains: A Book About People Connect with us: Instagram: @seed.and.sew  TikTok: @seedandsew Seed and Sew's NEW Regulation Questionnaire: Take the Quiz Pre-order Big Kids, Bigger Feelings now!  Order Tiny Humans, Big Emotions  Website: seedandsew.org Music by: Ruby Adams and  Bensound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Before we dive in: This episode includes detailed discussions of sex, porn and a brief mention of sexual assault. Please take care while listening. You’re listening to Voices of Your Village, and today we’re tackling a topic that honestly makes me uncomfortable to even think about discussing with my kids. I’m joined by Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett to talk about how and when to talk to your kids about porn. Dr. Natterson is a pediatrician and New York Times bestselling author of The Care and Keeping of You series, and Vanessa is a bestselling author and puberty educator. Together, they co-authored This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained and host the This Is So Awkward podcast. They are trusted experts on puberty, sex, and navigating those awkward conversations. They’ve developed a groundbreaking health and sex ed curriculum for schools and products like Less Awkward, plus a membership for parents to get their questions answered. What I love about Cara and Vanessa is their mix of science and humor, making tough topics like sex and puberty relatable and approachable. Raising six teens between them, they know this space inside and out, and their honest, practical approach is exactly what we need. Alright folks, Let’s dive in. Connect with Cara and Vanessa: Instagram: @less.awkward Website: https://lessawkward.com/ Order the book: This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained Podcast: This is So Awkward Connect with us: Instagram: @seed.and.sew  Podcast page: Voices of Your Village Seed and Sew's NEW Regulation Questionnaire: Take the Quiz Pre-order Big Kids, Bigger Feelings now!  Order Tiny Humans, Big Emotions  Website: seedandsew.org Music by: Ruby Adams and  Bensound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and today I get to hang out with Deborah Farmer Kris, who is a child development expert and the author of Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive, the I See You board book series, and the All The Time picture book series. Her bylines include CNN, PBS Kids, NPR's Mind Shift, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe magazine, and Oprah Daily. She's currently an expert advisor for the PBS kids show Carl the Collector and spent 20 plus years as a K to 12 educator. Mostly she loves sharing nuggets of practical wisdom that can make the parenting journey a little easier. I loved hanging out with Deborah and it's such a rich conversation because awe is something that I don't think we talk enough about. The power of awe for us is huge for our mental health, and we can do so many things in the every day to find awe, and to raise tiny humans who are awe seekers. All right, folks. Let's dive in. Connect with Deborah: Instagram: @parenthood365 Website: https://www.parenthood365.com/ Order the book: Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive Podcast: Raising Awe-Seekers Connect with us: Instagram: @seed.and.sew  Podcast page: Voices of Your Village Seed and Sew's NEW Regulation Questionnaire: Take the Quiz Pre-order Big Kids, Bigger Feelings now!  Order Tiny Humans, Big Emotions  Website: seedandsew.org Music by: Ruby Adams and  Bensound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices