The Parent Empowerance Podcast

This week on the podcast I welcomed Shelby Kretz, Ph.D., Founder of Little Justice Leaders. Through her work, she helps families, teachers, and schools navigate conversations with children about difficult topics related to identity, diversity, and justice. We talk all things diversity, identity, and racial & gender development for young children. This included discussing:
What research tells us about when children begin noticing racial and other differences
How children’s understanding of race and identity develops
Why taking a colorblind approach isn't necessarily helpful
How to respond when your preschooler makes an observation about someone's appearance
What to do when your child says something that sounds biased or exclusionary
How to intentionally foster inclusion and belonging from an early age
How we can model these values in everyday life
How to choose books and other resources that reflect diverse experiences
Shelby’s top tips for parents who want to support their children in developing an early understanding of diversity, fairness, and belonging
Connect with Shelby on Instagram: @littlejusticeleaders
Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.
Connect with me on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
If you want more support with handling your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:
Download my 5-Minute Temperament Snapshot: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/temperamentsnapshot
Join my FREE Parenting in Real Life group on Telegram: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/freetelegramgroup
Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

How do we teach our kids that their behavior isn't okay without making them feel like they're bad? Discipline doesn't have to involve shame, guilt, or humiliation to help children learn responsibility and make better choices.
In this episode, we're talking about how to set boundaries, teach social and emotional skills, and help young children learn from their mistakes without making them question their worth. This included:
Reviewing research and providing examples on:
Understanding the difference between guilt and shame
Erik Erikson's autonomy vs. shame and doubt: Why this stage matters
How shame-based discipline can affect children's emotional and behavioral development
Discipline as teaching: Building skills rather than simply stopping behavior
Emotion coaching and co-regulation: Teaching children how to handle difficult emotions
Teaching empathy, responsibility, and repair without creating shame
Describing strategies (start at 19:19) to use in your own parenting:
Remember that feeling bad is not the same as learning
Separate your child's identity from their behavior
Set/maintain boundaries while supporting autonomy & without shame, fear, or humiliation
Teach the missing skill, not just the rule
Allow uncomfortable emotions without using them as punishment
Focus on repair instead of forced apologies
Expect repetition because discipline is a learning process
Model the accountability you want your child to develop
Suggesting books:
“Beautiful Oops!” by Barney Saltzberg
“The Most Magnificent Thing” by Ashley Spires
“The Sorry Seed” & “The Bad Seed” by Tina Shepardson
“The Rabbit Listened” by Cori Doerrfeld
“How to Apologize” by David LaRochelle
“It's Okay to Make Mistakes” by Todd Parr
“No-Drama Discipline” & “The Whole Brain Child” by Dr. Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
“How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen” by Joanna Faber & Julie King
“Good Inside” by Dr. Becky Kennedy
Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.
Connect with me on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
If you want more support with understanding your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:
Download my 5-Minute Temperament Snapshot: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/temperamentsnapshot
Join my FREE Parenting in Real Life group on Telegram: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/freetelegramgroup
Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

If you have a child who seems to be constantly moving—running, climbing, jumping, touching everything, or just generally keeping you on your toes—you may have wondered, “Is this just their personality, or is something else going on?”
And that distinction matters. Because some children are naturally more active as part of their temperament, while other children may be struggling with attention, impulse control, sensory processing, or regulation in ways that are making everyday life harder.
In this episode, I’m talking about activity level versus hyperactivity—what’s typical in early childhood, when certain behaviors may signal that your child needs more support, and what you can do to meet the needs of a child who seems to have a lot of energy. This included:
Reviewing research and providing examples on:
Activity level as a temperament trait
Defining activity vs. hyperactivity
How context, sensory processing, regulation, and sleep influence activity level
Signs that more support may be needed
Describing strategies (start at 16:24) to use in your own parenting:
Build movement into the day
Make expectations developmentally realistic
Reduce unnecessary regulatory demands
Get close before giving directions
Use visual and environmental cues
Teach regulation when they're regulated
Look for the function of the movement/behavior
Support regulation through co-regulation
Suggesting books:
“My Busy Body” by Marybeth Butler
“From Head to Toe” by Eric Carle
“Move!” by Robin Page
“We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” by Michael Rosen
“My Magic Breath: Finding Calm Through Mindful Breathing” by Nick Ortner & Alison Taylor
“Breathing Makes It Better” by Christopher Willard
“The Rabbit Listened” by Cori Doerrfeld
“The Out of Sync Child” by Carol Kranowitz
“Sensational Kids” by Lucy Jane Miller
“The Whole Brain Child” by Dr. Dan Siegel & Tine Payne Bryson
“How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen” by Joanna Faber & Julie King
Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.
Connect with me on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
If you want more support with understanding your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:
Download my 5-Minute Temperament Snapshot: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/temperamentsnapshot
Join my FREE Parenting in Real Life group on Telegram: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/freetelegramgroup
Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

This week on the podcast I welcomed Kelly Routkevitch, a pediatric sleep and development specialist and mom of 3. We talk all things sleep for infants and babies. This included discussing:
Kelly’s passion for normalizing infant & baby sleep & how she works with families
What normal infant sleep looks like
Cosleeping - the stigma around it and how to do it safely (safe sleep seven)
Floor beds -the benefits and how & when to use it
Helping parents transition from cosleeping
Night weaning - when Kelly suggests it and her top suggestions for how
How & why to meet a child’s individual needs in sleep & development
Kelly’s top 3 tips for new parents around infant and baby sleep
Books or resources Kelly recommends to parents around sleep including:
“Safe Infant Sleep” by James McKenna
La Leche League International: https://llli.org/
Connect with Kelly on Instagram: @bizzyasamother
Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.
Connect with me on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
If you want more support with handling your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:
Download my 5-Minute Temperament Snapshot discussed in this episode: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/temperamentsnapshot
Join my FREE Parenting in Real Life group on Telegram: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/freetelegramgroup
Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

Your child isn’t “too emotional.” They’re still learning what to do with all those big feelings.
In this episode, we’re talking about what normal emotional development looks like from birth to 5—and why a young child’s ability to feel and express emotions develops long before their ability to manage those emotions independently. We also cover ways you can support your child’s emotional development. This included:
Reviewing research and providing examples on:
How emotional development changes from infancy through the preschool years
Why young children need so much support from adults to regulate big emotions
Why emotional regulation isn’t a straight line—and why a child can “know how” to regulate but still lose that skill when overwhelmed
How temperament influences the way individual children experience and express emotions
What research actually tells us about emotional development in boys and girls—and what it doesn’t tell us
How social and emotional development are connected
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Co-regulate before expecting self-regulation
Help them put words to what they’re experiencing
Practice regulation when they’re already calm
Get curious about your child’s temperament
Don’t confuse a big reaction with a lack of progress
Give boys just as much permission to express vulnerable emotions
Don’t assume girls are naturally better at emotional regulation
Suggesting books:
“The feelings book” by Todd Parr
“My many colored days” by Dr. Seuss
“It’s ok: Being Kind to yourself when things feel hard” by Wendy O’Leary
“Breathing makes it better” by Christopher Willard and Wendy O’Leary
“Today I feel silly” by Jamie Lee Curtis
“Roaring Mad Riley” by Allison Szczecinski
Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.
Connect with me on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
If you want more support with understanding your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:
Download my 5-Minute Temperament Snapshot: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/temperamentsnapshot
Join my FREE Parenting in Real Life group on Telegram: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/freetelegramgroup
Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

Healthy parent-child relationships aren't relationships without conflict. They're relationships where conflict is followed by reconnection.
In this episode, I’m talking about why repair and reconnection is so important within the parent-child relationship and how to do it with your young children. This included:
Reviewing research and providing examples on:
Understanding conflict WITH connection
Repair as a part of developing regulation
Long-term impact of repair on child behavior
What repair looks like: emotional, physiological, giving space, apologizing, returning to baseline
How to hold a boundary while still repairing and reconnecting
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
The repair process I recommend: Regulate → Reconnect → Apologize → Take Responsibility → Repair & Move Forward
Regulate yourself before you repair
Get back on your child’s level
Name what happened without assigning blame
Own your part
Keep the boundary while repairing
Don't force your child to forgive, hug, or “be okay”
Use connection to help them regulate
Talk about what you’ll do differently next time
Look for the pattern—not just the individual incident
Remember: connection can come after conflict
Suggesting books:
“Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse” by Kevin Henkes
“I'm Sorry” by Michael Ian Black
“You Poked My Heart” by Brandy Cooke
“Rita & Ralph's Rotten Day” by Carmen Agra Deedy
“Benjamin Bear Says Sorry” by Claire Freedman
“How Do Dinosaurs Play With Their Friends?” by Jane Yolen & Mark Teague
“The Whole Brain Child” by Dan Siegel & Tine Payne Bryson
Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.
Connect with me on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
If you want more support with understanding your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:
Join my FREE Parenting in Real Life group on Telegram: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/freetelegramgroup
Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

Death is one of those topics we may not feel prepared to talk about with our young children—but eventually, they encounter it.
In this episode, I’m talking about what young children actually understand about death, how to use honest and developmentally appropriate language, what grief can look like in toddlers and preschoolers, and how we can support children through loss without trying to make their difficult feelings disappear. This included:
Reviewing research and providing examples on:
Why it's okay—and important—to use the word “dead”
Why children may ask the same questions over and over
Why grief can look like play, tantrums, clinginess, or seemingly “moving on”
How to help children express and process grief through play, books, art, and rituals
How to talk about death without overwhelming or frightening your child
What to do when your child asks, “Are you going to die?”
When a child might need additional support
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Use the word "dead."
Keep explanations simple and truthful and developmentally appropriate.
Let their questions guide you.
Expect repetition!
Let grief look like grief AND play.
Give them ways to express and remember.
Don't hide every emotion.
You don't have to make grief disappear.
Suggesting books:
“The Goodbye Book” by Todd Parr
“I Miss You: A First Look at Death” by Pat Thomas
“The Dead Bird” by Margaret Wise Brown
“Badger's Parting Gifts” by Susan Varley
“The Invisible Leash” by Patrice Karst
“Big Cat, Little Cat” by Elisha Cooper
Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.
Connect with me on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
If you want more support with understanding your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:
Join my FREE Parenting in Real Life group on Telegram: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/freetelegramgroup
Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

This week on the podcast I welcomed Effie Pomaki, a pediatric Occupational Therapist and founder of Uplifted Parenting. We talk all things sensory integration and regulation for young children. This included discussing:
Effie’s passion for helping parents with their kids’ sensory, regulation, & big feelings
What sensory integration is, the 8 senses, what sensory seeking/avoidant/sensitive are
How sensory integration relates to being regulated/dysregulated in children
Most common issues Effie helps parents and children with
What sensory thresholds are & how and when to help your child meet them
The importance of using play for sensory & regulation (and other tools/props Effie recommends)
Effie’s top 3 tips for parents who want to support their kids’ sensory & regulatory system needs
Children’s book or resources Effie recommends to parents around sensory integration including:
“The Out of Sync Child” by Carol Stock Kranowitz
“Brain Body Parenting” by Mona Delahooke
“The Whole Brain Child” by Dan Siegel & Tina Payne-Bryson
“Sensitive Sam” by Marla Roth-Fisch
“A Kids Book About Neurodiversity” by Laura Petix
“Wonderfully Wired Brains” by Louise Gooding
Connect with Effie on Instagram: @upliftedparenting
Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.
Connect with me on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
If you want more support with handling your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:
Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
Inquire about ongoing parent coaching support: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfuUgpYqqBbQTM4TWXOI89Cw4p19k7JqUk8E3tXZNL4RyxCkg/viewform?usp=header
Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

What looks like “bad behavior” in babies and toddlers is often just big feelings, big desires, and very little self-regulation colliding. The goal isn't simply to make the behavior stop—it’s to set boundaries while helping your child build the skills they’re still developing.This episode focused on what behaviors are normal around the first birthday and in early toddlerhood and what strategies you can use to address these behaviors. This included:
Reviewing research and providing examples on:
What behaviors are normal around 1 to 2 years of age
How coregulation, redirection, attention, boundary-setting, and other strategies address these behaviors
Why tantrums are expected at this age
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Prevent when you can and set up the environment for success
Set clear, simple limits and be consistent with them
Physically intervene when necessary - block as needed
Validate the feeling without changing the boundary
Redirect toward an acceptable behavior
Teach the skill later
Practice regulation when they're already calm
Suggesting books:
“What to Do When You Feel Like Hitting” by Cara Goodwin
“Hands Are Not for Hitting” by Martine Agassi
“The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions” by Anna Llenas
“Llama Llama Mad at Mama” by Anna Dewdney
“Little Monkey Calms Down” by Michael Dahl
“Grumpy Monkey” by Suzanne Lang
“When Sophie Gets Angry, Really Really Angry” by Molly Bang
“The Rabbit Listened” by Cori Doerrfeld
“No, David!” by David Shannon
“The Feelings Book” by Todd Parr
Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.
Connect with me on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
If you want more support with understanding your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:
Join my FREE Parenting in Real Life group on Telegram: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/freetelegramgroup
Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide

You want to keep your child safe—but sometimes it’s hard to know when to step in and when to let them figure it out. This episode focused on why safe risky play matters and how you can support your child’s confidence and independence without hovering. This included:
Reviewing research and providing examples on:
The core developmental benefits
What this can look like in young children
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Remove hazards when possible
Allow manageable risks.
Stay available.
Pause before intervening.
Let children solve problems.
Use questions instead of constant warnings.
Give graduated challenges.
Let them experience small failures.
Follow their abilities and developmental level.
Notice when your discomfort—not actual danger—is driving the intervention.
Suggesting books:
“The Big Slide” by Daniel Kirk
“Jabari Jumps” by Gaia Cornwall
“The Thing Lou Couldn't Do” by Ashley Spires
“I Can Be Brave: Overcoming Fear, Finding Confidence, and Asserting Yourself” by Holde Kreul
“Confidence Is My Superpower: A Kid's Book about Believing in Yourself and Developing Self-Esteem” by Alicia Ortego
Support my show! I’d love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to show your support of the show.
Connect with me on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!
If you want more support with understanding your child’s behaviors, emotions, or development:
Join my FREE Parenting in Real Life group on Telegram: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/freetelegramgroup
Book a 1-time 60-minute Parent Strategy Session: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parentstrategysession
Book a 1-time Right Fit Childcare Consult: https://calendly.com/amarabradetich/parent-empowerance-right-fit-childcare-consult
Download my parent coaching service guide to learn more about how I can help you and your family: https://parentempowerance.myflodesk.com/serviceguide