children

9 Getting Involved - Thumbnail
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AT HOME WITH HOMER: Getting Involved— with Stephanie Dua
AT HOME WITH HOMER: Getting Involved— with Stephanie Dua 1920 1080 Chase Jennings

Kanika: In case our listeners don’t know, your children are very involved in their community. How do you inspire your kids to get involved?

Stephanie: I used to think that teaching my children generosity meant I had to put together these big, elaborate gestures to be meaningful. But the BEST form of generosity we can teach our children comes in the form of small, simple acts of kindness. The best part is these small acts can fulfill many purposes, making them a double win — a win for you and your child!

Stephanie’s Tips:

  • Put together a care package for a neighbor
  • Collect non-perishable items for a food pantry
  • Set up a spare change jar in your home for a local charity
  • Pick up trash around your neighborhood
  • Find your local community garden and volunteer

Episode Links:

Visit learnwithhomer.com/momsense for a 60-day FREE trial

7 Rebuilding Our Foundation (Horizontal)
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AT HOME WITH HOMER: Re-Building Our Foundation — with Stephanie Dua
AT HOME WITH HOMER: Re-Building Our Foundation — with Stephanie Dua 1920 1080 Chase Jennings

Kanika: Wow, we are starting to resume normal life — Kids will soon be out of school, long days, warm nights are here along with traveling, bike riding and reading but there are also nerves, questions and unknowns. How are you thinking about carrying forward some of the experiences and learnings from covid as we return to “normal”?

Stephanie: Yes, alongside all the excitement there are so many questions and unknowns and still so much to process from the past year.

Stephanie Tips:

  • The Role of Mom: Less in the job of “mom”, more in the relationship of the child. Less about drive time means more quality time.
  • Make room for kids to take agency
    • Creating a schedule offers some structure while also giving kids agency to decide how they’ll spend their time
    • It’s also important to make sure your kids feel like they’re part of the team by contributing with certain chores around the house. This also gives them some structure and a sense of accomplishment.
  • Hold onto the “silver linings” of the last year
    • Rose, thorn, bud at dinner — sharing the highs and the lows helps kids understand that life is full of ups and downs. They feel confident and more resilient.
    • Increased family time
    • Decreased social calendar — In the past our weekends would be packed with 2-3 commitments/day, which would lead to a lot of rushing, not much enjoying
    • Option 1: 1 commitment / day
    • Option 2: Sunday funday
  • Re-engage slowly
    • Depending on the age of your child, they might not remember certain places or people, so re-engage slowly
    • Be careful not to overly stimulate — Cut outings and social gatherings in half or start with a beach day or a hike.

Episode Links:

Visit learnwithhomer.com/momsense for a 60-day FREE trial

79 Dr. Aliza Pressman on Thats Total Mom Sense with Kanika Chadda-Gupta
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079: Dr. Aliza Pressman — Raising Our Kids To Be Good Humans
079: Dr. Aliza Pressman — Raising Our Kids To Be Good Humans 1920 1080 Chase Jennings

I’m sure many of you know my guest by way of her popular podcast produced by Dear Media called Raising Good Humans. On her show, Dr. Aliza Pressman interviews parenting experts covering a gamut of topics from free range parenting to coping mechanisms for anxiety for kids of all ages. I am a supporter of Dear Media and a huge fan of her show.

To give your more context into her experience and expertise,

Dr. Aliza Waksal Pressman, Ph.D. received her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College, her MA in Risk, Resilience and Prevention from the Department of Human Development at Teacher’s College and earned her Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences with a fellowship at the National Center for Children and Families.

Dr. Pressman is a certified in parent management training from the Yale Parenting Center and an assistant clinical professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in the Department of Pediatrics. Aliza is the co-founding director of the non profit Mount Sinai Parenting Center.

She is the Co-Founder of seedlingsgroup. It’s a company that provides in-person sessions in New York and Los Angeles and via Skype for anyone living in between. During their private sessions, Dr. Aliza and her team of professionals address anything specific a parent is struggling with and educate them on what normal developmental changes to expect and the best ways to respond. Popular subjects include sleep solutions, picky eating, toilet training, sibling preparation, twin challenges, behavioral issues, proper discipline, limit setting and more.
Their visits use specific research-based information to help parents make the best decisions for their family during every major developmental period – from birth through school age. Their advice is tailored to your child’s stage and your parenting style. Rather than focusing on your child’s abilities, seedlingsgroup focuses on the caregiver’s behaviors that will help scaffold your child’s optimal development. She has two girls Penelope and Vivian, 13 and 10 respectively.

Meet My Guest:

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Mom Haul:

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060: Deep Shah — Get Flossy With Your Kids’ Dental Care
060: Deep Shah — Get Flossy With Your Kids’ Dental Care 1024 512 Chase Jennings

Did you know that according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), your baby is due for his first dentist visit when he turns 1 or 6 months after his first tooth erupts? Don’t worry if you haven’t booked the appointment as yet. This episode will help answer any questions you have regarding your children’s dental health from baby to teenager.

I am joined by pediatric dentist Deep Shah, also known as the @superherodentist, to discuss the most common dental problems in children which include teething, cavities, tooth sensitivity, dental emergencies like a chipped or broken tooth, gingivitis, excessive thumb sucking or the use of pacifiers, and orthodontic problems. We’re also going to discuss homecare like the best toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss.

Dr. Deep Shah, a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist, considers his role as a health care clinician for children to be a genuine privilege and blessing and believes that a customized oral health plan for each child is essential to the child’s overall well-being and continued growth and development.

Meet My Guest:

Mom Haul:

Galit Laibow, Greg Fleishman, and Sarah Michelle Gellar, Foodstirs on That's Total Mom Sense with Kanika Chadda-Gupta
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045: Galit Laibow, Greg Fleishman, and Sarah Michelle Gellar — Stirring the Pot with Junk-Free Sweet Treats
045: Galit Laibow, Greg Fleishman, and Sarah Michelle Gellar — Stirring the Pot with Junk-Free Sweet Treats 1024 512 Chase Jennings

045: Galit Laibow, Greg Fleishman, and Sarah Michelle Gellar — Stirring the Pot with Junk-Free Sweet Treats

Today’s episode is with the founders of Foodstirs. Foodstirs is an American cooking and lifestyle company that produces baking kits, mixes and grab and go sweet snacks for sale online, by subscription, and in select stores like Whole Foods. All products are organic, non-GMO ingredients and are intended to be “kid-friendly” to prepare.

Foodstirs Junk-Free Bakery was founded by Galit Laibow, Greg Fleishman, and Sarah Michelle Gellar in Santa Monica, California in 2014. Galit first came up with the idea and showed her baking kits to other parents (including Sarah Michelle) at her children’s school, which spurred her to become a co-founder. The two then presented the idea to Greg, which encouraged him to join as Co-founder and Co-CEO.

These three parents are determined to challenge the status quo and create better food experiences for everyone and are reinventing the multibillion dollar fresh baked goods food category. Over the years, Galit and the team have increased Foodstirs’ sales by more than 10 times and has successfully landed the brand’s USDA Organic baking mixes in more than 7,500 natural, conventional and big box retailers across the U.S. They say, “If you can’t pronounce it, we’re not making it. Because the only place for junk is in the drawer. When ingredients are awesome and steps are simple, we can create sweet experiences. Together we can all be Foodstirs.”

Tune In:

Meet My Guests:

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Mom Haul:

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010: Kelly Murray & Amber Price — Hush Little Baby – Sleep Training vs. Co-Sleeping
010: Kelly Murray & Amber Price — Hush Little Baby – Sleep Training vs. Co-Sleeping 1024 512 Chase Jennings

You know what the most trite advice is about babies and sleep? “Honey, sleep when the baby sleeps!” It makes me think of a meme I came across on Instagram that said, “Sure. And I’ll do laundry when my baby does laundry and wash bottles when my baby washes bottles.” When the baby sleeps, that may be our only window of  time to get to the umpteen things we have to do.

One of the most polarizing and confusing topics for a new mom is “To sleep train or not.” There are some parents who are die-hard believers in the Ferber method and others who prefer co-sleeping, and others who fall somewhere in between. First and foremost, there is no right or wrong method. You do what is right for your baby and your family and your schedule.

What I aim to provide you with is knowledge. If you’re a mom who is unsure of what to do to put your baby to sleep and sleep well, this is the episode for you. I interview Kelly Murray, founder of Kelly Murray Sleep Consulting and Dr. Amber Price, Pediatrician/Lactation Specialist, and they talk about the pros and cons of sleep training vs. attachment parenting.

My goal is to keep things as objective as possible. As a journalist, I’m hardwired to tell both sides of the story, that way you can take both of these very different perspectives and schools of  thought and do what’s best for your baby and your family. Sweet dreams!

Tune In:

Meet My Guest:

Show Notes:

  • 2:50 – Meet Kelly Murray, founder of Kelly Murray Sleep Consulting
  • 3:45 – Meet Dr. Amber Price, pediatrician and breastfeeding medicine specialist and founder of Willow Pediatrics
  • 4:40 – How much sleep should a newborn be getting?
  • 8:00 – When can I put my baby on a schedule?
  • 12:50 – When is a baby ready to sleep train?
  • 15:20 – Recap of the book, “12 Hours in 12 Weeks” by Suzy Giardano
  • 20:00 – Did you co-sleep or sleep train early on? Share your personal experiences with us.
  • 24:00 – Are there alternatives to the Ferber method of sleep training?
  • 27:00 – How do babies self soothe?
  • 29:00 – How did you co-sleep with your kids (for Dr. Price)?
  • 36:50 – What is the stigma vs. the benefits of sleep training vs. attachment parenting?
  • 46:27 – How do you know child-led parenting is meant for you?
  • 47:40 – What are some of the similarities of both philosophies?
  • 48:00 – Mom Sense moment
  • 55:29 – Mom Haul
  • 59:37 – Quote of the Day

Mom Haul:

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004: Patrice Poltzer — Raising Kids in a Concrete Jungle
004: Patrice Poltzer — Raising Kids in a Concrete Jungle 1024 512 Chase Jennings

For so many families, the exodus of moving to the suburbs to live the “American Dream” with their 2.5 kids, dog, and white picket fence is a thing of the past. They’re trading in the backyard, garage, and minivan for balconies, a doorman, and Citi bikes…with no regrets.

Patrice Poltzer is a bonafide city mom who has raising kids in the city down to a science. A former Emmy-nominated TODAY show producer, she is the founder of Patrice Poltzer Creative, a video production house, as well as the co-founder of CityKin, a parenting site that celebrates raising kids in the city by way of advice, community, and inspiration for families around the world.

Tune In:

About My Guest:

Show Notes:

  • 2:30 – Patrice talks about her childhood, how she met her husband, and her life in NYC
  • 5:00 – Patrice tells us about a CityKin, an online community for city families
  • 7:11 – Pros and cons of living in the city
  • 13:30 – Patrice walks us through a day in her life
  • 16:22 – Are most city parents more free-range in their parenting styles?
  • 20:00 – Do you take extra safety or precautionary measures for your kids?
  • 23:00 – Can you shed light on moms who chose to leave the suburbs for the city
  • 26:01 – What problems does CityKin solve for city parents?
  • 32:20 – Patrice shares her “mom sense” moment

Mom Haul:

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