Category: Parenting

  • Tools for Stressed-Out Homeschooling Parents

    Parenting is never easy, but families have been stuck together for months now and things have gone a little haywire in many homes. September usually brings relief with kids going back to school, but this year many students are sitting at the kitchen table instead of a desk in a classroom. How can we keep on keeping on without completely losing it? Families will welcome the creative suggestions of educator Laurie Marshall, suggestions that will help everyone get along better and safely blow off stress. She’ll share why parents and kids should put paper bags over their heads to convey emotions such as anger and silliness, why families should make a practice of singing and dancing together, and how taking three deep breaths when they feel out of control can center parents and interrupt impulsive behavior that can lead to harming family members. Marshall is a bullying prevention expert and the author of multiple books. She has trained over 6,000 teachers in project-based learning and facilitated 125 bully-prevention, nature-based murals with over 25,000 people in schools, nonprofits, and government agencies (NASA, FEMA, U.S. Botanical Gardens). Contact Laurie Marshall at (415) 360-3304; lmarshall@rtirguests.com

  • What Happens to Frozen Embryos when Couples Split?

    Recent news stories have explored the issue of frozen embryos caught in the crossfire of couples who have uncoupled. Fertilized during happier times, these embryos may remain in limbo forever and rack up storage fees if the couples cannot agree on their future. Or, as Nate Birt advises, the couple can agree to let the frozen embryo be adopted by someone else, a possibility they may not have considered. Learn more when you interview Nate, whose daughter began life as another couple’s frozen embryo. Nate is the author of “Frozen, But Not Forgotten: An Adoptive Dad’s Step-by-Step Guide to Embryo Adoption.” Ask him: What are some of the controversies that surround frozen embryos? Are fertilized embryos people or property? How costly is it to adopt such an embryo? Contact Nate Birt at (417) 221-9045; Nbirt@rtirguests.com

  • Comedian Michael Ian Black on Raising Better Men

    Michael Ian Black is many things: actor, comedian, screenwriter, award-winning children’s book author, essayist, memoirist, and podcaster. He is also a man and the father of a boy on the cusp of manhood himself. In his new book, “A Better Man: A (Mostly Serious) Letter to My Son,” Black offers a thoughtful and personal appraisal of the complicated meaning of masculinity in our times. Written in the form of a letter to his son as he gets ready to leave for college, the book is based on both personal experience and thoughtful observation of the rapid changes taking place in society. Black also shares stories of his complicated relationship with his own father, who died when he was a child, and his upbringing in an often-contentious lesbian household. Invite Black on your show to discuss coming-of-age in a time when boys were routinely told to “act like a man,” with no direction on how to do so — or even what those words meant; why we need to challenge the outdated assumptions our society continues to impose on boys about their place in the world; and how boys of the rising generation can navigate that change to become more evolved men. Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 991-8328; jboyer@rtirguests.com

  • Surviving Childbirth — Don’t Be a Maternal Mortality Statistic

    It’s the 21st century. That means women can breeze through childbirth and be healthy to raise their children, right? Sadly, maternal deaths have been increasing despite advanced obstetrical care. Find out why, and what expectant parents and medical personnel should know, when you interview Alan Lindemann, M.D. He has delivered well over 6,000 babies (including many multiple births, even quads) during his decades-long career, without losing a mom. Dr. Lindemann will discuss the trouble with “maternity deserts” where women live hours away from where they’ll deliver, plus illnesses affecting healthy birthing, how the pandemic is affecting new mothers, and more. He’s a former clinical instructor and associate clinical professor at the University of North Dakota’s medical school who is introducing an online course to saving moms and babies. Contact Alan Lindemann, M.D., at (701) 543-6182; ALindemann@rtirguests.com

  • Help Teens Navigate the New Normal

    School is back in session but for millions of teens, there are still no lunches with friends, after-school sports or clubs. Isolation caused by social distancing has been difficult for most of us. But according to Steven Hall, M.D., this has been especially hard on teens. “Interacting with their peers is very important to teenagers,” he says. “This is a normal stage of development. COVID-19 is interfering with that and may be creating some especially powerful feelings in teens.” Trained in traditional Western medicine, Dr. Steven combines alternative, integrative medicine into his practice to simultaneously treat patients’ bodies, minds and spirits. He can share simple yet powerful advice to help your teen get through these challenging times. He is the author of “The 7 Tools of Healing: Unlock Your Inner Wisdom and Live the Life Your Soul Desires.” Contact him at (425) 531-3684, shall@rtirguests.com

  • ‘The Great Realization’— Easing Kids’ COVID Fears Worldwide

    Millions of people around the globe have viewed Tomos Roberts’ touching video in which he reads his heartfelt poem “The Great Realization.” The hopeful tale for a post-COVID world became a viral sensation viewed tens of millions of times; covered by major media outlets from London’s Daily Mail to the Washington Post; and praised by celebrities including Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore and Khloé Kardashian. Tomos, a poet/filmmaker based in London, wrote the poem to provide comfort to his younger brother and sister, both 7, amidst the pandemic, and in the video, he reads it to them as a bedtime story. Invite Tomos Roberts to discuss the worldwide reaction to “The Great Realization” (which continues to inspire thousands every day), his hopes for a post-COVID 19 world, and his belief that “hindsight is 2020.” “The Great Realization” is now a beautifully illustrated children’s book to help ease kids’ anxiety about coronavirus. Contact John Angelo at john@premieretv.com

  • How to Flood Your Family (and Community) with Kindness

    With the COVID pandemic and the long-term pain of racial injustice recently boiling to a head, educator and creative activist Laurie Marshall shares practical ways that parents can flood their families and communities with kindness. She’ll discuss creating a family story that captures your family’s values. In addition, she will share small daily practices, fun family projects, ways of turning daily chores into games that help your children (and you) be kinder, and ideas for being in service to your community in kindness. Marshall is a project-based learning and arts integration specialist who has worked with underserved youth for over 30 years. Her partners include FEMA and Project Drawdown, the World’s Leading Resource for Climate Solutions. She has trained over 6,000 teachers in project-based learning and facilitated 125 nature-based murals with over 25,000 people in schools, nonprofits, and government agencies. Contact Laurie Marshall at (415) 360-3304; lmarshall@rtirguests.com

  • Are Frozen Embryos People or Property?

    Recent news stories have explored the issue of frozen embryos caught in the crossfire of couples who have uncoupled. Fertilized during happier times, these embryos may remain in limbo forever and rack up storage fees if the couples cannot agree on their future. Or, as Nate Birt advises, the couple can agree to let the frozen embryo be adopted by someone else, a possibility they may not have considered. Learn more when you interview Nate, whose daughter began life as another couple’s frozen embryo. Nate is the author of “Frozen, But Not Forgotten: An Adoptive Dad’s Step-by-Step Guide to Embryo Adoption.” Ask him: What are some of the controversies that surround frozen embryos? Are fertilized embryos people or property? How costly is it to adopt such an embryo? Contact Nate Birt at (417) 221-9045; Nbirt@rtirguests.com

  • Gut Punch: Stress is Wreaking Havoc on Kids’ Stomachs

    Stress is the main trigger for irritable bowel syndrome, abdominal pain, and digestive issues in children, adolescents, and adults. These problems occur in 14% of children, 35% of adolescents, and 15% of adults and lead to absenteeism in school and the workplace. There are no medications that are helpful for these problems. And this makes the problem vexing to both parents and patients. For a look at why that number is so high and what patients and parents can do, interview Stanford-trained pediatrician Jeff Lazarus, M.D. He has developed the “Controlling Your Gut Feelings” program using a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, medical hypnosis, and motivational interviewing techniques to assist young patients and adults. Ask him: How serious are gastrointestinal problems in children? What are the typical symptoms? Is diet ever a culprit? Will these problems persist for life? What can you do to help your child? Contact Dr. Lazarus at (216) 202-3112; jlazarusmd@rtirguests.com