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Discover the joy in parenting with The Imperfect Heroes Podcast! DJ Stutz, an Early Childhood Specialist with over 20 years of teaching expertise, brings you insightful episodes to navigate the rewarding yet challenging journey of raising children. Join DJ and her guests as they share knowledge and experiences, offering valuable insights to empower you with confidence and peace. Become the imperfect hero, fostering independence, productivity, and happiness in your children's lives. Tune in for practical parenting tips and stories that resonate with your unique journey!
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Send us a text Join DJ Stutz for the Season 5 finale of Imperfect Heroes: Insights into Parenting! Her guest, Nancy Boyer, is a mom of five and budding author, who shares how faith anchors her parenting. Nancy discusses losing both her parents during her teens, leaning on daily scripture, prayer, and community, and teaching kids to serve others. She highlights how their family’s faith’s impacts her children’s lives—perfect for parents of young kids wanting to nurture family values! With 200 e...
Send us a text Join DJ Stutz for her landmark 200th episode of Imperfect Heroes: Insights Into Parenting as she looks back at sterling moments and topics for parents and caregivers of kids (birth to age 8). Relive a moving father-son story on emotional regulation, with tips to validate feelings and build trust. Turn challenges like thumb-sucking into bonding opportunities using teamwork strategies. Tame sibling rivalry with practical advice to foster compromise and kindness. Discover why melt...
Send us a text Follow one family’s journey as they seek the perfect educational fit for their kids. DJ chats with her son, Shiloh Stutz, a Northern California hospital administrator and dad to Roman and Niko. Shiloh shares how he and his wife, a city engineer, chose a small, values-driven Christian preschool for Roman, sparking his academic success. This led to a dual immersion school and later a private Christian school. Niko followed suit, thriving in academics and sports. Shiloh dishes on ...
Send us a text Hey, wonderful parents! This episode of Imperfect Heroes welcomes back our favorite guest, Lenora Edwards, ASHA Board Certified Speech Language Pathologist from Better Speech, for another engaging chat with DJ Stutz. They’re diving into a topic every parent of young kids will relate to: how our anxieties affect our little ones. This episode is brimming with insights you’ll want to hear! Lenora, a cherished recurring guest, explains how parents’ stress can shape kids’ confidence...
Send us a text In this warm and welcoming episode, host DJ Stutz sits down with Carrie Lingenfelter, a former teacher, speech therapist, and conscious parenting champion. They chat about the joy of really getting to know our kids and building those precious connections. Parents of little ones, this one’s for you—full of gentle ideas and engaging tips to help your family grow together! Carrie opens up about understanding our kids’ unique strengths and struggles, sharing the sweet idea of "emp...
Send us a text Join DJ Stutz on Imperfect Heroes as she dives into raising independent kids—kicking helicopter and lawnmower parenting to the curb! Tired of over-scheduled, over-indulged little ones who can’t solve a problem? DJ’s here for you. She dishes on how hovering tanks work ethic (business owners are spilling the beans!), and shares simple ways to get your toddlers and preschoolers rocking chores like pros. Imagine modeling hustle, setting clear rules, and letting them face consequenc...
Send us a text Tune into this awesome podcast episode where DJ Stutz chats with relationship pro Chaya Garcia about boosting your kids’ executive functioning—aka their ability to plan ahead and make smart choices. They dish on why modeling behavior is key, how to turn failures into learning wins, and why kids need to express emotions confidently. Chaya shares tips on building strong relationships (hint: actions beat words!), while DJ offers family-tested tricks for guiding kids through confli...
Send us a text In this episode, DJ chats with Jennifer Celeste Briggs, author of Watching Sarah Rise, about her heartfelt journey raising her daughter Sarah, diagnosed with autism at four and a half. Jennifer, a Pittsburgh mom with a BA from Swarthmore College, shares how she turned challenges into triumphs using the Son-Rise Program—a loving, child-centered approach she dubbed "Sarah-Rise." Trained at the Autism Treatment Center of America, she built a volunteer network to spark Sarah’s soci...
Send us a text In this episode of Imperfect Heroes, DJ welcomes back speech-language pathologist, Lenora Edwards, for an engaging conversation about teaching kids persistence, resilience, and the joy of trying new things. DJ and Lenora discuss how fear of failure or discomfort can hold children back, how parents’ own experiences shape their reactions, and why modeling a growth mindset is essential. They share practical strategies for helping kids develop patience, confidence, and a willingne...
Send us a text As parents, we want to raise kids with strong values, but finding engaging, faith-based content can be tough. In this episode, DJ Stutz chats with Craig Dehut, co-founder of Appian Media, about how biblically accurate media supports moral development in young children. Craig shares how Appian Media creates free, visually rich content that brings the Bible to life—filmed in Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Turkey. He also highlights the importance of critical thinking, asking questio...
Send us a text Would your child know what to do in a dangerous situation? In this episode, DJ sits down with Robert Wylie from DPP Defense to explore how parents can teach kids practical self-defense, situational awareness, and emotional resilience. From identifying threats and de-escalating conflicts to running safety drills just like fire drills, Robert shares expert strategies to help children stay safe, confident, and prepared. With over 30 years of experience in personal defense, Robert...
Send us a text Ever wonder what truly helps children thrive while keeping them from dangerous paths? In this powerful episode, DJ Stutz sits down with parenting expert and author Richard O’Keef to dive into the four emotional needs every child has—belonging, personal power, being heard and understood, and boundaries. Richard, who teaches incarcerated dads how to break generational cycles of abuse and neglect, shares the 15 essential parenting skills that help meet these needs. Together, DJ an...
Send us a text Who our kids look up to shapes who they become! In this episode, DJ Stutz and Lenora Edwards explore how young children develop a sense of morality by observing the heroes in their lives. From parents and teachers to friends and public figures, kids model behaviors they see—making it essential to guide them toward positive role models. DJ shares inspiring classroom stories of children showing kindness and bravery, while Lenora discusses the impact of social media on hero worshi...
Send us a text Did you know that empathy is the very first step in your child’s moral development? In this episode, DJ dives into how kids begin to connect with others emotionally—even as babies! From mirroring your smile to responding to your tone, your little one is already laying the foundation for empathy. Listen in as she shares five practical, everyday strategies to help you nurture empathy in your child: building a safe and loving environment, tuning into their emotions, modeling kindn...
Send us a text In this episode, DJ welcomes Dr. John Chanaca, an experienced author and family therapist, to explore the moral development of children in today’s technology-driven world. With over 42 years in education and counseling, Dr. Chanaca shares insights on fostering moral values through consistent parenting and role modeling. He discusses the importance of cyber safety and outlines eight key traits for successful students, including respect, obedience, and problem-solving. Dr. Chanac...
Send us a text In this episode, DJ chats with author Margot Machol-Bisnow about the link between parenting and entrepreneurship. Margot has interviewed over 70 entrepreneurs and shares her findings about childhood commonalities. They highlight the value of praising effort and resilience over outcomes and supporting children’s unique interests. Margot also explains how entrepreneurship is about more than startin...
Send us a text In this episode of Imperfect Heroes: Insights into Parenting, DJ Stutz sits down with Diane Dempster, co-founder of Impact Parents, to discuss the challenges and joys of raising what she calls “Spicy Kids.” Diane shares her expertise on distinguishing between behaviors that are "naughty" and those rooted in neurological or developmental differences, emphasizing the importance of understanding executive function delays. Together, they explore how meeting children where the...
Send us a text Welcome to Season 5 of Imperfect Heroes! This season, we’re diving into a powerful theme: The Moral Development of Young Children. In this first episode, DJ Stutz explores how children grow their sense of right and wrong, drawing on the groundbreaking theories of Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg. From understanding empathy to building integrity, DJ unpacks the stages of moral development and shares practical, real-life strategies for parents. Learn how to model values, spark m...
Send us a text In this episode, DJ Stutz chats with Lenora Edwards, a board-certified speech-language pathologist, about the powerful link between spirituality and parenting. They explore how curiosity strengthens faith and builds meaningful family connections. Lenora shares tips on using tone and non-verbal cues to guide children’s spiritual questions while fostering open, judgment-free conversations. They also highlight the value of journaling to help kids reflect on their spiritual experie...
Send us a text In this episode, DJ Stutz talks with Andrew Peterson—Christian singer-songwriter, and author of The Wingfeather Saga—about weaving faith into every aspect of life. Andrew shares how he integrates faith into his family’s daily routines, making it a natural part of parenting and relationships. They discuss the power of storytelling, music, and art in fostering spiritual growth and teaching the beauty of truth. Andrew emphasizes the importance of discernment in media and parenting...
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