The Parent Empowerance Podcast

“Is this okay?” “I get impatient with my children and don’t know what to do.” “My child has been biting their sibling every day and I can’t get them to stop.” All of these are completely normal questions I’ve gotten from parents about handling their children’s behavior. It can be so difficult to know what to do in the moment or how to implement behavior management strategies. That’s where I come in! This episode focuses on what positive, age-appropriate discipline looks like in early childhood. This included:
Reviewing research on:
The impacts of common discipline and behavior management strategies (time out, spanking, redirection, offering choices)
How biting/hitting/throwing is normal for young kids
The importance of repair and connection during conflict or “discipline”
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Do not focus on control, focus on guidance and connection!
During behaviors/conflict:
Connect first
Validate emotions and be their calm
Clear limits with redirection
Take a break and ask for help - keep your child safe
Especially for toddlers:
Ignore and redirect
Use your attention to reinforce behaviors
Remove or block and redirect
Repair asap
Model how you regulate and repair
Label your emotions and how they feel/look
Explain how parents also have meltdowns
It’s ALWAYS okay to start over (whether it’s because of you or your kids)
After
Use storytelling or pretend play to process experiences and emotions
Teach children tools to handle their behavior
Prevention
Use play, singing, changing location to change energy or end power struggles
Give yourself more time or change how you approach parts of your routine that often cause you impatience or frustration
Offer choices to give control
Maintain a routine and use visual schedule to help
Create boundaries/limits that prevent power struggles
Suggesting books:
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
Roaring Mad Riley by Allison Szczecinski
That’s My Truck by Dr. Becky Kennedy
The whole brain child by Dan Siegel and Tine Payne-Bryson
Parenting from the Inside Out by Dan Siegel and Mary Hartzell
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

Screens can be such a useful parenting tool, but they are frequently used too often, to the detriment of your child’s behavior and language development. This episode focuses on the impacts of screen time on children under the age of 5, the recommended screen time and how to implement this with your child, as well as how to set and maintain boundaries around screen time. This included:
Reviewing research on:
How screen time impacts child development
Recommended limits and why they are important
How screens affect dopamine and why they are so addictive for children
Providing examples on:
How screen time leads to language delays in children
How I have set and maintained boundaries around screens with my own children
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Limit screen time to 45 minutes to 1 hour per day MOST days of the week after 2 years old - and none before 2!
Try to stick to educational programming or less addictive shows
Set up play during nap or bedtime to encourage independent play 
Pay it forward - sit and play for 5-10 minutes before you need time for something
Save screen time for when you need it most
Limit screens an hour before bed
Give multiple warnings before ending screen time and have a redirection planned
Don’t introduce screens outside of the home for as long as possible
Set boundaries, BE CONSISTENT and INTENTIONAL with screen use
Encourage creativity through boredom
Pay attention to background noise
Suggesting books:
Bearenstein Bears Too Much TV
Polly and Screentime Overload by Besty Childs Howard
Screen Time is Not Forever by Elizabeth Verdick
The Couch Potato by Jory John
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

Not all of your reactions or responses to your child are you. Sometimes they stem from deeper rooted trauma or stress passed down from your parents or grandparents. Sometimes they pop up from a past experience you had. This episode focuses on what intergenerational trauma is, how it affects your parenting and your child, and what to do to buffer some of these effects. This included:
Reviewing research on:
What intergenerational trauma is and how it affects people across generations
Defining adverse childhood experiences and how they affect children and parents
How attachment is transmitted across generations and the role it plays in your child’s development
Providing examples on:
Historical examples of collective experiences of intergenerational trauma
How past experiences influenced my emotional reaction to my toddler at nap time and what I did to fix this
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Reflect/journal/process how you need to about your own experiences with trauma/ACEs/parenting and how it has impacted you
Focus on improving one aspect of your parenting at a time - don’t put too much pressure on yourself
Educate yourself on ways trauma can impact yourself and your family and on strategies to help with this!
Teach your child empathy!
Teach your child about how hard things can happen and what to do in times of need (go to a trusted adult, find comfort from a caregiver, help others)
Learn how to repair and model that for your child - normalize taking a few minutes to regulate your nervous system/emotions and then reconnect and repair with your child/partner/pet
Suggesting books:
“We are Water Protectors” by Carole Lindstrom
“A Terrible Thing Happened” by Margaret Holmes
“Big Bear was Not the Same” by Joanna Rowland
“Parenting from the Inside Out” by Dan Siegel and Mary Hartzell
“It Didn’t Start with You” by Mark Wolynn
“The Deepest Well” by Nadine Burke Harris
“How to Raise an Antiracist” by Ibram X Kendi
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

Worrying about your child being able to talk is one of the biggest concerns parents have for their young children. This episode focuses on how to support your child’s language development, specifically by talking and reading to them early and often. This included:
Reviewing research on:
When language development starts and how it progresses from birth to early and later toddlerhood to preschool age
Why talking and reading to your child are so important
Providing examples on:
How to create the NEED for your child to talk (and how I did this with families in Early Childhood Intervention)
How to get your child to engage more with books - especially for those who don’t want to sit still
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Talk to your child and baby early and often!
Check background noise - limit tv/screens
Leave space for them to talk and respond to them - practice conversations
Motivate them to sign or talk - use food, bubbles, sensory play
Read every day - even for just 5-10 minutes
Sign up for the Imagination Library, go to a local library, find books at Goodwill or Thriftbooks
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

The transition to parenthood is seen as one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences that people go through. This episode focuses on how becoming a parent affects your relationships with your partner and yourself. This included:
Reviewing research on:
The changes that often occur to your relationship with your partner while becoming parents
The way parenthood affects your identity, sleep, self-regulation, hormones, and physical self
Providing examples on:
My own personal experience becoming a parent and navigating postpartum
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Discuss non-negotiables with your partner and how you’ll make time for each other to do them
Communication! - Make sure to find ways to communicate positively and with empathy
Find other forms of intimacy/connection (cuddles, talking, etc.)
Verbalize appreciation and acknowledge what your partner is doing
Find ways to put back into yourself and your partner in new ways or WITH your kids (gratitude journaling, getting outside, no-phone time, going out to eat, etc.)
Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

This episode focuses on why supporting your child’s self-regulation is important, signs you may need more help with your child’s behavior or emotional regulation, and how to practice these skills in early childhood. This included:
Reviewing research on:
What self-regulation in early childhood helps with now and in the future
Why kids needs to practice it in early childhood
Providing examples on:
What self-regulation can look like and how to practice it at different ages
Regular regulatory issues in early childhood vs. when to seek help
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Labeling any and all emotions!
Modeling what to do/talking about it when your child is not upset (deep breathing, stomping, shaking, deep pressure hugs, going to calm down corner, squeezing a pillow or lovey)
Look for reason for behavior or emotion - hungry, tired, overstimulated, lonely
Modeling regulation as an adult - “I’m feeling really frustrated right now so I’m going to take 5 deep breaths” or “I’m excited so I’m going to jump up and down!”
Practicing it with your child with games! - red light/green light, freeze dance
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

This episode focuses on why boundaries are important for young children, what developmentally appropriate boundaries look like at different ages, and how to set and maintain boundaries in early childhood. This included:
Reviewing research on:
What boundaries help in early childhood and in the future
The different needs for boundaries at different ages
Providing examples on:
How to set and maintain boundaries at home
The need for boundaries at home to support your child in school
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Be consistent!
Follow through!
Focus on what TO do, not what NOT to do
Help them follow it even if you’re doing the work
Use redirection or play to reduce power struggles
Be clear and developmentally appropriate when setting boundaries
Use physical boundaries when necessary to reduce power struggles
Don’t be too repetitive with toddlers - use clear, short, neutral-toned instructions
Use visual schedule to help with routine-based boundaries
Suggesting books:
"Why should I help?" by Claire Llewellyn
"Yes! No! A First Conversation about Consent" by Jessica Ralli and Megan Madison
"My Body Belongs to Me" by Jill Starishevsky
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

This episode focuses on why play is important, what kids learn from play, and how to support your child's play in early childhood. This included:
Reviewing research on:
What play supports developmentally
Why daily play is important
Providing examples on:
What play looks like at different ages
How to use play to support language development and practicing skills
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Join in and play with your kids!
Can just be 5-10 minutes at a time
Focus on it during routines (bath, meals, dressing)
Play before you want to get something done - pay it forward
Keep it simple and silly
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

This episode focuses on what co-regulation is, why it's important, and how to support your child's co-regulation in early childhood. This included:
Reviewing research on:
Defining self- and co-regulation
How self- and co-regulation develop in early childhood
Why co-regulation is important across the lifespan
Providing examples on:
What this looks like at different ages
Why it's hard to do all the time and what to do when it IS hard
Describing strategies to use in your own parenting:
Use a quiet, calm, neutral voice when your child is upset
Validate their emotions and then sit in it/say nothing
Use gentle physical touch for connection
Calm down corners 
 Suggesting books:
"Calm Down Time" by Elizabeth Verdick
"The Rabbit Listened" by Cori Doerrfeld
"The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Harvey Karp
"The Whole Brain Child" by Dan Siegel and Tina 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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!

Welcome to the Parent Empowerance Podcast, where we make early childhood research relatable and actionable for parents. I'm your host, Amara - founder of Parent Empowerance, PhD graduate in human development and family science (specializing in child development and behavior), a former preschool teacher and early childhood intervention specialist, and, most importantly, mom to two littles (a 2 and a half year old daughter, Natalie, and an 8 month old son, Liam).
Our mission at Parent Empowerance is to help parents of young children, specifically birth to five, feel informed, empowered, and deeply supported. We do this by translating early childhood research into real-life tools for parents of little ones, while grounding our suggestions, action steps, and advice in both relatable lived experience and proven science.
Each episode of this podcast will focus on a different topic within child development and most will have 3 main aspects:
Summarizing what research says about that topic,
Providing real-life examples, experiences, or applications, and
Suggesting action steps you can take to apply the research with your own kids.
I center my strategies around the idea that parents are the experts of their own children, and I keep the episodes short (15-20 minutes) so you can actually fit listening to them into your week! I know what it’s like to only have a few precious moments to yourself, and I’m glad to be a part of that.
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. Share to your stories and tag me so I can see you tuning in!
Connect with us on Instagram:
@parentempowerance for tips, tools & real-life parenting
@parentempowerancepodcast for the podcast!