Family in Focus®

Perfectionism Is Keeping You StuckIf you keep waiting until you feel completely ready, have the perfect plan, or know exactly how things will turn out, you may never begin.In this episode of Family in Focus, I’m talking about how perfectionism can quietly turn into procrastination, especially when you’re trying to make meaningful changes for yourself or your family.We’ll explore why you don’t need to have everything figured out before you take the first step, how being honest about your own imperfections can strengthen your relationship with your child, and why real change begins by showing up as you are.In this episode:• How perfectionism can keep you from getting started• Why procrastination is sometimes a form of self-protection• What happens when you wait for the perfect time or perfect plan• Why your child doesn’t need you to have everything figured out• How being real can create deeper connection with your family• Why imperfect action is still meaningful progressChapters:00:00 Embracing Imperfection: The Journey Begins00:26 Introduction to Family in Focus02:37 How Perfectionism Leads to Procrastination05:41 The Power of Being Real in ParentingWatch the full video episode on YouTube.New episodes every Wednesday.Want more support for raising children with confidence instead of fear or shame?Join The Exhale, my free newsletter:https://www.wendyschofermd.com/the-exhaleLearn more about working with me:https://www.wendyschofermd.comSchedule a consultation:https://wendyschofermdscheduling.as.me/consultFollow along:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyschofermd/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wendyschofermdFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendyschofermd/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-schofer-md/About Dr. Wendy SchoferDr. Wendy Schofer is a board-certified pediatrician with more than 20 years of experience helping families build healthier relationships with food, body image, and emotional well-being. Through Family in Focus, she shares evidence-based, compassionate parenting strategies that help families thrive.While Dr. Wendy Schofer is a physician, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.This episode explores parenting perfectionism, procrastination, fear of failure, authentic parenting, imperfect action, family connection, and how parents can begin making meaningful changes before they feel completely ready.

If you’ve been told to “let your child listen to their body,” you may be wondering what that actually looks like when they refuse dinner but happily ask for snacks five minutes later.In this episode of Family in Focus, I’m breaking down five things parents need to know about intuitive eating and kids, including why an approach designed for adults may not translate directly to a child who is still learning to recognize hunger, fullness, and satisfaction.We’ll talk about the difference between structure and control, why predictable meal and snack rhythms can help children understand their body’s signals, and how to support your child without becoming a short-order cook.In this episode:• Why intuitive eating for adults and children isn’t necessarily the same thing• How children learn to recognize hunger, fullness, and other body signals• Why predictable meal and snack rhythms can support body awareness• How the short-order cook cycle can unintentionally reinforce picky eating• Why structure around food doesn’t have to mean control• A simple experiment to try with your family this weekWatch the full video episode on YouTube.New episodes every Wednesday.Want more support for raising children with confidence instead of fear or shame?Join The Exhale, my free newsletter:https://www.wendyschofermd.com/the-exhaleLearn more about working with me:https://www.wendyschofermd.comSchedule a consultation:https://wendyschofermdscheduling.as.me/consultFollow along:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyschofermd/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wendyschofermdFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendyschofermd/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-schofer-md/About Dr. Wendy SchoferDr. Wendy Schofer is a board-certified pediatrician with more than 20 years of experience helping families build healthier relationships with food, body image, and emotional well-being. Through Family in Focus, she shares evidence-based, compassionate parenting strategies that help families thrive.While Dr. Wendy Schofer is a physician, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.This episode explores intuitive eating for kids, responsive feeding, picky eating, hunger and fullness cues, family meal routines, and how parents can provide healthy structure around food without using restriction, pressure, or control.

What happens when comments about a child’s body stay with them long after childhood? And how can you protect your child from carrying the same shame, fear, and judgment many of us grew up with?In this special episode of Family in Focus, I’m joined by Lisa Fipps, award-winning author of the middle-grade novel Starfish. Lisa shares how her experiences with weight-based bullying inspired the book and why its message continues to resonate with children and adults.We talk about weight stigma, body shame, bullying, and the words children can carry for a lifetime. Most importantly, Lisa challenges us to look inward before reacting to concerns about a child’s weight or body.In this episode:• How Lisa’s experiences with weight-based bullying inspired Starfish• Why comments about a child’s body can stay with them for decades• How weight stigma can show up at home, school, and in healthcare• Why struggles with food and eating disorders can be hidden in plain sight• How your own experiences with weight and bullying can shape your parenting• The question to ask yourself before trying to change your child’s weight or eating habitsWatch the full video episode on YouTube.New episodes every Wednesday.Want more support for raising children with confidence instead of fear or shame?Join The Exhale, my free newsletter:https://www.wendyschofermd.com/the-exhaleLearn more about working with me:https://www.wendyschofermd.comSchedule a consultation:https://wendyschofermdscheduling.as.me/consultFollow along:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyschofermd/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wendyschofermdFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendyschofermd/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-schofer-md/Connect with Lisa FippsWebsite: https://authorlisafipps.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlisafipps/About Dr. Wendy SchoferDr. Wendy Schofer is a board-certified pediatrician with more than 20 years of experience helping families build healthier relationships with food, body image, and emotional well-being. Through Family in Focus, she shares evidence-based, compassionate parenting strategies that help families thrive.While Dr. Wendy Schofer is a physician, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.

Should We Be Talking About Other People’s Bodies?Should we talk about other people’s bodies? What do you say when your child notices a celebrity’s body has changed? And is teaching kids to never talk about bodies always the right approach?In this episode of Family in Focus, I explore the complicated conversations happening around bodies, weight, and health. Using public conversations about Lizzo and Ariana Grande as examples, we look at the difference between making assumptions about someone’s health based on their body size and simply noticing when a body has changed.There is no single body size, weight, or shape that tells us whether someone is healthy. But noticing patterns and changes can open the door to curiosity, compassion, and important conversations with our kids.In this episode:• Why talking about other people’s bodies is not always a simple yes or no• What public conversations about Lizzo and Ariana Grande can teach us about how we talk about bodies• The difference between weight stigma and noticing changes• Why body size alone cannot tell us whether someone is healthy• How today’s weight loss culture complicates conversations about bodies• How to use curiosity and “tell me more” when your child brings these conversations homeChapters00:00 The Body Talk Dilemma02:10 Lizzo, Ariana Grande, and Celebrity Body Conversations05:27 Why Patterns in Body Changes Matter08:21 How to Talk With Your Kids About Bodies10:40 Leading Change Without Shame or JudgmentWatch the full video episode on YouTube.New episodes every Wednesday.Want more support for raising children with confidence instead of fear or shame?Join The Exhale, my free newsletter:https://www.wendyschofermd.com/the-exhaleLearn more about working with me:https://www.wendyschofermd.comSchedule a consultation:https://wendyschofermdscheduling.as.me/consultFollow along:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyschofermd/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wendyschofermdFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendyschofermd/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-schofer-md/About Dr. Wendy SchoferDr. Wendy Schofer is a board-certified pediatrician with more than 20 years of experience helping families build healthier relationships with food, body image, and emotional well-being. Through Family in Focus, she shares evidence-based, compassionate parenting strategies that help families thrive.While Dr. Wendy Schofer is a physician, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.This episode explores common parenting questions about talking to kids about bodies, body image, weight stigma, celebrity body conversations involving Ariana Grande and Lizzo, changing bodies, eating disorder awareness, weight loss culture, and how to approach conversations about other people’s bodies with curiosity and compassion.

How to Set Healthy Boundaries That Help Your Child ThriveHow do you set healthy boundaries without hurting your relationship with your child? Why do children push back against limits? Do kids actually need boundaries to become more independent?If you've ever wondered these things, this episode is for you.In this episode of Family in Focus, I explain why healthy boundaries aren't about control. They're about creating the structure and emotional safety children need to become confident, independent, and emotionally resilient. You'll learn why children test limits, why meltdowns don't mean your boundary is wrong, and how your calm response helps your child thrive.In this episode:• Why children naturally test boundaries• How structure helps children feel safe• The connection between boundaries, emotional regulation, and independence• Why meltdowns aren't the problem• How to stay calm while holding loving boundariesChapters00:00 Understanding Child Independence and Boundaries02:59 The Importance of Structure in Child Development05:33 Emotional Regulation and Parental Calmness07:32 Leading Change Without HarmWatch the full video episode on YouTube.New episodes every Wednesday.Want more support for raising children with confidence instead of fear or shame?Join The Exhale, my free newsletter:https://www.wendyschofermd.com/the-exhaleLearn more about working with me:https://www.wendyschofermd.comSchedule a consultation:https://wendyschofermdscheduling.as.me/consultFollow along:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyschofermd/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wendyschofermdFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendyschofermd/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-schofer-md/About Dr. Wendy SchoferDr. Wendy Schofer is a board-certified pediatrician with more than 20 years of experience helping families build healthier relationships with food, body image, and emotional well-being. Through Family in Focus, she shares evidence-based, compassionate parenting strategies that help families thrive.While Dr. Wendy Schofer is a physician, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.This episode answers common parenting questions about healthy boundaries, child development, emotional regulation, positive parenting, independence, resilience, and how structure helps children feel safe and thrive.