kids

108 Julie Cole on Thats Total Mom Sense with Kanika Chadda-Gupta
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JULIE COLE: The Best Back to School Labels for Kids
JULIE COLE: The Best Back to School Labels for Kids 1920 1080 Chase Jennings

Back to School season is upon us and whether you’re hybrid or in person, the best part about it in my opinion is the shopping and getting organized.

Today, I have the founder of Mabel’s Labels Julie Cole on the show!

Julie Cole is a recovered lawyer, mom of six and co-founder of Mabel’s Labels. She has helped her company bring their product to a worldwide market, gain media recognition and win countless awards. Cole is a passionate entrepreneur, published author, and sought after speaker. Julie is no stranger to the media, having appeared on NBC’s The Today Show, HLN’s Raising America, Breakfast Television, The Marilyn Denis Show, CP24, among many others. As a blogger and writer, her articles have appeared in The Huffington Post, Today’s Parent, The Globe and Mail, Profit Magazine, Working Mother Magazine, Chicken Soup For the Soul – Power Moms and numerous websites.

When she’s not juggling her busy family and professional life, Julie is an engaged community member serving on boards and volunteering. She is passionate about women’s issues, mentoring young entrepreneurs, and social justice.

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102 Michael Perry on Thats Total Mom Sense with Kanika Chadda-Gupta
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MICHAEL PERRY: Making Parenting Easier
MICHAEL PERRY: Making Parenting Easier 1920 1080 Chase Jennings

Imagine if parents had a project management app to help run the household and village. We all know there are so many balls in the air from ordering diapers to groceries to making fresh baby food to dropping kids off to soccer practice or ballet.

This app will restore the harmony at home. It’s called Maple and today I’m joined the mastermind behind it, Michael Perry.

Michael Perry is the Founder and CEO of Maple, a company focused on building a better world for all parents. Prior to founding Maple, Michael founded Kit, which he sold to Shopify in 2016 and where worked for over four years as an executive overseeing Marketing Technology. He has been included on Forbes’ 30 under 30 list, recognized by Inc. Magazine for his contributions in the messaging space, and named one of the top marketing executives in the world by Business Insider. Michael Currently lives in California with his wife, son, and two bulldogs.

What I first noticed about you was your humility, your gratitude, and your passion for making an impact and truly leaving the world in a better place than when you found it.

I know those who work with you feel the same so I want to start with hearing from your team to kick things off.

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AT HOME WITH HOMER: Freedom and Flexibility — with Stephanie Dua
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AT HOME WITH HOMER: Freedom and Flexibility — with Stephanie Dua
AT HOME WITH HOMER: Freedom and Flexibility — with Stephanie Dua 1920 1080 Chase Jennings

Kanika: Summer is officially underway — School is out, warm weather and longer days are here and after a year of living through a pandemic, that freedom we feel each summer feels even more special. We’ve talked about how finding a balance of play and learning is important, but can you share tips on how families embrace the freedom and flexibility of summer, without losing structure?

Stephanie: I can really relate to this. Kids more than ever need this summer to play, see friends and family and simply enjoy all the activities we weren’t able to experience during the pandemic. However we also know kids need structure. Here are a couple tips to help families strike that balance:

Stephanie Tips:

  • Create a schedule, yes even in the summer schedules are key!
    • I’m not suggesting an hour by hour rigid schedule here (it is summer after all), but rather organizing larger blocks of time dedicated to a variety of categories. Be sure to create what works best for your family but here are some examples: free time, work time, sibling time, outdoor time, creative time, music time and family time.
    • Weekly household themes are another fun element to layer into the schedule — for example, cooking week, nature week, gaming week, etc!
    • Start a project that can be worked on a little bit everyday. This summer could be a great time for a new scrap book that documents the past 12 months all while being creative and spending time with my daughters
  • 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.
  • Self care is child care
    • Self care is child care. Taking care of yourself is essential, so find time to recoup and don’t feel guilty about it.
    • Establish a healthy balance of independent play and parent and child 1:1 time.
    • Encourage children to engage in something because you’re not their entertainment.
  • Don’t fear the dreaded “I’m bored”!
    • It’s ok for a child to say they’re bored – it’s important that they understand how to get themselves engaged in something.

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screen time featured
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AT HOME WITH HOMER: Screen Time as Purposeful Time — with Stephanie Dua
AT HOME WITH HOMER: Screen Time as Purposeful Time — with Stephanie Dua 1920 1080 Chase Jennings

Kanika: The last year has given us a new perspective on screen time. While it allowed for remote learning during a pandemic, we also have screen time fatigue — and new blue light lenses : ) — from too much of it. What are some tips, resources, and guardrails you can share regarding screen time for young learners.

Stephanie: As you mentioned, technology has saved us in so many ways this past year. We’ve been able to stay connected to the outside world — teachers, family, friends — because of our screens. Furthermore, The pandemic has accelerated the spread of laptops and learning apps in schools, they say, normalizing digital education tools for millions of teachers, students and their families.” -NYT

While those are 2 examples of beneficial screen time, we are fatigued by it and for early learnings especially, not all screen time is created equal

Kanika: So how do we as parents and caregivers determine what is good screen time?

Stephanie: For starters, recommend embracing Mindful Media. Rather than using the amount of time our kids are spending on screen as the only consideration, we came up with the P-L-A-Y Framework: a quick and easy guide to help you make smart media decisions for your children.

  • P – Purpose
    • There are so many reasons to hand your child a screen — It could be to keep them entertained, to give them an opportunity to connect with family and friends, to assist in their schoolwork, to help them wind down at night, or to keep them safely occupied while you cook dinner.
    • Whatever the purpose might be, think about whether the type of media you are putting on that device matches up with the intended purpose. For example, in the evening if you’re winding your kids down, you want to make sure the content is calming.
    • Additionally, experts estimate that 65% of kids will have jobs that don’t currently exist. So even if the purpose of giving your child a screen doesn’t have direct learning value, you can feel good that your child is learning 21st-century skills that will set them up for 21st-century jobs.
  • L – Learning Value
    • Understand the learning value: There are so many rich, entertaining apps and digital experiences that you can find for your children
    • Common Sense Media is a great resource that has done a lot of the legwork for parents—I personally found them to be a lifesaver with my kids.
  • A – Appropriateness
    • Deciding whether an app or digital experience is appropriate for your child can seem daunting, but it doesn’t need to be difficult. Here are a couple of things to think about:
      • Is it appropriate for their age?
      • Will they engage with it? For example, will it make them giggle? Get up and dance? Try out a new word?
      • Is it personalized to them? Does it appeal to their individual interests and learning needs, or encourage them to look at the world in a new way?
      • Is it going to be a positive experience? Keep in mind what makes them feel confident, and what might make them feel scared or upset.
  • Y – YES!
    • Yes, you can use screens – Parents should feel empowered to use screens in a way that is mindful for themselves and for their family. They aren’t designed to ruin your child’s future, but rather when used appropriately, will give children the skills to thrive in the 21st century.

Episode Links:

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95 Stephanie Dua on Thats Total Mom Sense with Kanika Chadda-Gupta
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095: Stephanie Powell Dua — Teaching Your Kids Life Lessons
095: Stephanie Powell Dua — Teaching Your Kids Life Lessons 1920 1080 Chase Jennings

With over 25 years experience in education, Stephanie Dua committed to developing better education opportunities and life outcomes for our children. As co-founder and president of HOMER, an early learning brand that builds personalized learning experiences for kids, she’s passionate about crafting products that support children – and parents – on the profoundly personal journey to reading. HOMER rejects a one-size-fits-all approach to learning. Instead, the learning app taps into a child’s unique passions, teaching them the skills they need to be confident readers who love to learn.

Prior to founding HOMER, Stephanie served as CEO of the NYC Fund for Public Schools, raising more than $165 million to support literacy and teacher training efforts in the country’s largest school district, was Senior Advisor to the Common Core Standards effort and worked with the Robin Hood Foundation, helping build 50 award-winning new school libraries across New York. In a modern environment where parents are inundated with information, she seeks to simplify what and who matters most in helping your child reach their potential.

She currently lives in Coconut Grove, FL with her husband and three daughters. Stephanie’s hero is her mother, and her values are alive in Stephanie today, and thriving further still in her daughters, Anya (16), Siona (14), and Isla (11).

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91 Jeanne Bleu on Thats Total Mom Sense with Kanika Chadda-Gupta
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091: Jeanne Bleu — Toys That Bring Joy During Each Milestone
091: Jeanne Bleu — Toys That Bring Joy During Each Milestone 1920 1080 Chase Jennings

Are you worried your kids are addicted to their screens and are not using their imagination and curiosity as much as they should?

Do you feel like toys and gadgets have taken over your home and you just want to go back to the basics with minimal things for your babies and kids to play with, that happen to be decoration pieces too?

Today, I’m joined by the creative director of Manhattan Toy Company, Jeanne Bleu, who is going to share her special connection to toys and why the brand is so intentional about serving parents with thoughtfully crafted toys that stand the test of time and are made to pique a child’s development at every stage.

Jeanne Bleu began her career as a graphic designer and illustrator and decided to take time off to raise her two children. During that time, she took on various part time pursuits including being a muralist, painter, co-owned a gift and furniture store. When she made her foray back into the work force, she was the illustrator at a stationary company, a trend director at gift and stationery company, and creative director of Manhattan Toy since 2014.

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82 Ashi Jelinek on Thats Total Mom Sense with Kanika Chadda-Gupta
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082: Ashi Jelinek — Hey Kids, Go Drink Your Vitamins!
082: Ashi Jelinek — Hey Kids, Go Drink Your Vitamins! 1920 1080 Chase Jennings

Wouldn’t it be cool if kids could drink their vitamins and enjoy them? Well, they can. You may have seen this founder’s products on the shelves at Walmart, CVS, or on Amazon or Thrive Market — Kids Luv. They are changing the game for kids’ drink boxes everywhere!

Ashi Jelinek is a Los Angeles-based mother of three who found the market lacked innovative, health conscious children’s products. Before becoming a stay-at-home parent, Ashi started her career in theatre in New York and attained her undergraduate degree in theater/communications at California Institute of the Arts. In launching The Luving Company in 2018, Ashi brings her personal experiences as a mother along with her passion for health and wellness. Focusing on promoting a healthy lifestyle to her kids, Ashi set out to create a new brand for both her own and other families alike. Ashi developed KidsLuv in 2018 upon realizing all kids’ drinks were laden with sugar and little health benefits, and combined with pediatric dentists’ recommendation to avoid gummy vitamins, KidsLuv was born. She intentionally developed the product to meet almost any need: it’s Certified Non-GMO, Vegan, Kosher, Gluten-free, and packaged in an 8 oz. recyclable, resealable, straw-free drink carton.

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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.

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067: Sara Blanchard and Misasha Graham — Talking To Kids of All Ages About Race
067: Sara Blanchard and Misasha Graham — Talking To Kids of All Ages About Race 1024 512 Chase Jennings

As we navigate the current climate of our country, we as parents have a responsibility to teach our children about race and how to be aware of injustices, stand up for what’s right, and be proactive as anti-racist citizens of the world. On today’s episode, I am joined by the hosts of the Dear White Women podcast – Sara Blanchard and Misasha Graham. They are Harvard grads who have been best friends for over two decades, and have very mixed-race families they want to advocate for. They’re smart, real, funny, and ready to make change.

Dear White Women is an award-winning weekly podcast dedicated to starting real discussions for (busy) people who wish they knew more about race, identity, and happiness in the United States.

EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT AND EVERYONE HAS VALUE.
And we each have the power to influence our communities.

Through their episodes and resources, Sara and Misasha are helping us reflect on (1) our nation’s history & current events, and (2) our personal experiences with race, justice, and more — so we leave the world a little better than we found it.

Sara Blanchard helps communities build connections through conscious conversations, which she does as a podcaster, facilitator, TEDx speaker, writer, and consultant. Having worked at Goldman Sachs and having helped to teach positive psychology at Harvard, Sara speaks the language of traditional accomplishment, but for over 10 years, Sara has also pursued the science and techniques of well-being as a life coach, mother, and author of Flex Mom. In addition to emceeing events like the World Happiness Summit and facilitating meaningful panel discussions about race, Sara co-founded and co-hosts award-winning Dear White Women, a social justice podcast that highlights the humanity in the history, race, and happiness of the United States.

Misasha Graham has spent her life attempting to bridge gaps, both professionally and personally, and foster understanding among groups of people.  Misasha is an accomplished attorney, specializing in intellectual property law and cross-border work with Asia, with over ten years spent at several international law firms honing these skills.  She is currently a Special Counsel at a Bay Area law firm, having stepped away from BigLaw to focus more on being present at home. Misasha is also passionate about diversity, equality and inclusion in the practice of law as well as in her communities.  Besides being a Megaformer instructor, she is the proud mom of two very active young boys, and the co-host of the award-winning Dear White Women.

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064: Alice Benedict — Back To School Or Not? An Insider’s Take
064: Alice Benedict — Back To School Or Not? An Insider’s Take 1024 512 Chase Jennings

Parents are in a state of frenzy as we navigate Back To School season. Gone are the days of buying binders and decorations for our kids lockers. Now we’re ensuring our Wifi is up to the mark and are having our kids become acclimated with Zoom, Google Meet, and Google Classroom.

Alice Benedict is a retired paralegal and president of the board of education in Botavia City School District in upstate New York since May of 2020/elected in July 2020. Our school district has approximately 2200 students.

She’s also a mother of three. Mother of three children since 1978. They are all adults now.

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