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The Brainy Moms is a parenting podcast with smart ideas to help moms and kids thrive! Hosted by cognitive psychologist Dr. Amy Moore along with rotating co-hosts Sandy Zamalis, Teri Miller, and Dr. Jody Jedlicka, this weekly show features conversations about parenting, psychology, child development, education, and medicine with practical tips to help moms navigate the ups and downs of parenthood. We're smart moms helping make moms smarter...one episode at a time!
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When your child is drowning in mental health struggles, the weight of helplessness can feel crushing. Where do you turn? How do you fight a battle you can't even see? Nurse practitioner and author Jen Robb knows this battlefield intimately. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, she tells Dr. Amy all about it. "We were the white picket fence, typical all-American kind of family," Jenn shares, describing how her daughter Chloe's mental health crisis blindsided their family. Like ma...
Ever feel like you're failing at work if you don't give 110%, and failing at home if you try? You're not alone in this impossible balancing act. In this conversation between Dr. Amy and returning guest Leah Remillet, balance strategist and host of the Balancing Busy podcast, they tackle the myth of perfect balance head-on. Leah redefines balance not as equal attention to everything, but as "being true to what actually matters to us—not what we're being told matters." This perspective shift a...
The gap between being "smart" and "struggling" often confuses parents, especially when school accommodations don't seem to be working. Dr. Amy and Sandy dive into this critical topic, exploring how cognitive processing differs from academic learning and why this distinction matters for your child's future. Your child's brain isn't just responsible for thinking and learning—it processes emotions too. When cognitive skills like working memory, processing speed, or reasoning are weak, it affect...
Sleep struggles can feel like a nightly battle when parenting a child with ADHD. But what if the solution isn't another sticker chart or stricter routine—but understanding the unique way your child's brain processes sensory information? Dr. Amy and Teri talk about how during a recent webinar on focus and attention for homeschooling families, one question dominated our Q&A session: "How do I help my ADHD child sleep?" This reflects a universal challenge as sleep disruption affects nearly ...
What if we approached teen technology and social media use more like teaching someone to drive rather than simply restricting access until they're "old enough"? Media literacy expert Jennifer Berger joins Dr. Amy and Sandy on the Brainy Moms podcast to introduce her groundbreaking program, the Social Media Driver's License, which does exactly that. After two decades of teaching media literacy to over 10,000 youth, Jennifer noticed a troubling pattern in how we approach teens and technology. ...
Wondering what all the social media chatter about genes and genetic variants (like MTHFR) really have to do with your child's health? On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy talk to functional medicine physician Dr. Randy James about the connections between our genes, our environment, and our overall wellbeing. Dr. James unpacks the philosophy of functional medicine, which seeks to understand the root causes of health issues rather than just masking symptoms. He e...
Ever wonder why your child can't sit still during lessons? Why they melt down when they're wearing certain clothes? Or why they're suddenly screaming at you when they haven't eaten in hours? The answer might lie in sensory processing—a critical yet often overlooked component of learning and behavior. In this illuminating conversation, occupational therapist Sarah Collins unpacks how our sensory systems influence every aspect of learning and daily life. Beyond the familiar five senses we all ...
Wondering how to best parent your competitive athlete or dancer? Dr. Chelsea Pierotti joins Dr. Amy and Sandy on this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast to reveal the psychology behind peak performance and what parents can do to help—and sometimes, what they should stop doing. Drawing from her background as both a sports psychologist and professional ballet dancer, Dr. Chelsea shares why dancers face unique mental challenges as "artistic athletes." Unlike team sports with constant reactions,...
Are you struggling to launch your adult child? Have you ever found yourself wondering if you're overstepping boundaries with your adult child? Maybe you're caught in the cycle of questioning how often to text them, whether to offer advice, or if you're supporting them the right way? You're not alone. On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy talk with Dr. Jack Stoltzfus – clinical psychologist, America's launch coach, and author of "The Parent's Launch Code". Dr. Jac...
America faces a reading crisis that's worsening despite decades of curriculum changes and interventions. In this eye-opening continuation of our Brainy Moms series on reading, Dr. Amy and Sandy interview reading and dyslexia specialist Donesa Walker. We explore why reading scores keep declining nationwide and what parents can do about it. Louisiana's dramatic rise from near-bottom to 16th in national reading rankings offers valuable insights. Their success came through mandatory science of r...
Wondering why America's children are struggling to read fluently? Is your child struggling with reading? Reading and dyslexia specialist Donesa Walker joins Dr. Amy and Sandy on this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast to unpack the alarming decline in America's reading performance revealed in the latest Nation's Report Card. With the wisdom gained from 30+ years working with dyslexic students, Donesa challenges our fundamental understanding of reading instruction. "Reading begins in th...
Does your teen have an unhealthy relationship with food? Want to learn some tips for nurturing and teaching your teen some heathy eating habits? Join Dr. Amy and Sandy on this episode of the Brainy Moms podcasts as they interview Claire Ketchum, the innovator of the Peaceful Eating Method. Drawing from her own challenges with yo-yo dieting, Claire joins us to illuminate pathways for teens to develop positive body images and sustainable eating patterns. Together, we delve into the reason...
Feeling overwhelmed over the tumultuous teen years? Confused about your teen’s eating habits? Join us for a conversation with Bryn Miller, an experienced adolescent eating disorder therapist turned parent coach, about the profound impact of parental support on adolescent mental health and eating disorders. On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, Bryn joins Dr. Amy and Sandy to help parents to bridge the gap with their teens. Discover how she utilizes whole family healing to tackle the oft...
Want to help your whole family make financial decisions and manage their money in a shame-free way? On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, discover how to transform your relationship with money as financial therapist Lindsey Konchar joins Sandy for a compelling discussion into the world of money management for the whole family. Lindsey skillfully combines her training and expertise in behavioral therapy with financial education, reshaping how individuals and families handle finances. Fro...
Want more calm and less conflict with your teen? What if transforming your family's communication dynamic could be as simple as a shift in mindset? Join Dr. Amy and Sandy for an engaging episode with guest Jeanine Mouchawar, a seasoned life coach for parents, as she shares her journey from conflict to connection with teenagers. Jeanine's personal parenting experiences with academic stress, social media pressures, and ADHD challenges led her to embrace new strategies for parenting teens. In th...
At your wits end with trying to find effective consequences for your teen's behavior? Maybe loosening the reins rather than tightening them might work better! (Hint: Stop 'helicopter parenting' your teen!) On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy interview Ann Coleman, an attorney, parent educator, and host of the podcast, Speaking of Teens. Ann shares a deeply personal journey that many parents might find all too relatable. Imagine discovering that your child, alre...
On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, we dive into the emotional and practical aspects of parenting teens, focusing on the importance of flexibility, trust, and communication. Dr. Amy and Dr. Jody interview educator, author, and mom of 5 Amy Betters-Midtvedt who highlights the challenges faced by parents as their kids grow, the necessity of establishing boundaries with technology, and the value of teaching effective friendship skills to create healthy social connections. We discuss be...
On this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy interview Dr. Wendy O'Connor, a Stanford-trained positive psychologist. After facing burnout and the whirlwind of transitioning into motherhood with three children in 15 months, Dr. Wendy transformed her career path and embraced the vibrant world of positive psychology. In this episode, she shares her journey and how she helps women harness self-trust and evidence-based methods to design lives filled with joy and purpose. Explore h...
On this mash-up from our Brainy Moms podcast special series on cognitive skills, we share all the highlights on what they are, why we need them, and how to strengthen them. Listen to clips from Sandy's interviews with our experts Dr. Amy and Dr. Jody as well as a guest appearance from Kim Hanson. In this engaging episode, Sandy tackles a mental task that illustrates the interplay of memory, attention, reasoning, auditory and visual processing, and processing speed skills at work. Our lively d...
On this episode of the Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy discuss some hot topics parents face when raising teenagers. They explore three main areas: curfews, dating, and clothing/hair choices, and provide practical tips for minimizing conflicts about those topics. Sharing personal anecdotes and expert advice, they emphasize the importance of flexibility, open communication, problem solving, values-driven decision making, and mutual respect in these contexts. They also touch on the impact...
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