Educated Parent: Evidence-Based Parenting Tips to Solve Everyday Parenting Problems

Realizing your child may need a new school can feel incredibly overwhelming. Where do you even start? How many schools should you consider? And how do you know whether a school that sounds great on paper will actually be the right fit for your child?
In this episode, I’m joined by Julie Blumberg and Dee Dee Halpin of Houston School Options to break down how to choose a school for your child without getting lost in all the possibilities. We talk about changing schools, what parents should look for during a school search, and why the right school environment can have such a significant impact on a child’s happiness, confidence, and life at home. This is one of those parenting resources that brings together parenting and education in a really practical way.
In this episode, we cover:
How Julie Blumberg and Dee Dee Halpin recommend beginning your search, including researching schools, talking to other families, and exploring different educational approaches
Why figuring out how to choose a school for your child requires looking beyond what worked for your friend’s child or what people recommend in a Facebook group
Why changing schools can affect much more than academics, especially when a child’s current environment is affecting confidence, behavior, or happiness at home
Why applications, testing, interviews, tours, and deadlines can make parenting and education decisions feel like a second job
Why some of the best parenting resources provide an outside perspective when emotions make it difficult to evaluate your options objectively

If you’re considering changing schools, start exploring before you feel like you’re in a crisis. Julie Blumberg and Dee Dee Halpin remind us that learning how to choose a school for your child is about understanding your individual child and family, exploring what’s actually available, and tuning out some of the outside noise. When it comes to parenting and education, having trustworthy parenting resources and a clear process can make an overwhelming decision feel much more manageable.

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Have you ever planned a fun family outing only to spend the entire time dealing with whining, disappointment, tantrums, and meltdowns? You get home exhausted and wonder, “Wasn’t this supposed to be fun?”
In this episode of Educated Parent, I’m sharing one of my favorite positive parenting techniques for making family outings go more smoothly: talk about expectations before you leave. So much of challenging child behavior comes from a simple disconnect between what we think is going to happen and what our kids have already imagined will happen. A little communication with children ahead of time can prevent a lot of frustration once you’re actually there.
In this episode, I cover:
Why unexpected disappointment can help explain how to deal with tantrums before they even begin
Why good communication with children doesn’t mean giving kids everything they want
How setting expectations in advance is one of the simplest positive parenting techniques for helping kids handle hearing “no”
How consistency affects child behavior, including why giving in after you’ve already said no can lead to bigger tantrums next time
Why understanding how to deal with tantrums also means following through on the expectations you’ve set

If you’re wondering how to deal with tantrums without avoiding fun family experiences altogether, start by getting everyone on the same page before you go. Clear communication with children, realistic expectations, and consistent follow-through are positive parenting techniques that can build trust while helping you respond to challenging child behavior with more confidence.

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We hear people say things like, “He’s so OCD” or “I’m so OCD” all the time. But what does OCD actually look like in a child? And how can you tell when your child simply likes things a certain way versus when their behavior might be driven by something more serious?
In this episode of Educated Parent, I’m joined by psychologist Dr. Chad Brandt, who specializes in treating severe OCD in children and adolescents. Dr. Brandt is trained in the Bergen four-day treatment for OCD and has been providing full-day intensive treatment since 2020. We talk about how ordinary routines and repetitive behavior can differ from OCD, the warning signs parents should pay attention to, and why understanding parenting and child development can help us avoid both over-pathologizing normal behavior and overlooking a child who needs support. It’s exactly the kind of nuanced conversation I want more parenting podcasts to have.
In this episode, we cover:
What OCD in children actually looks like and how obsessions, compulsions, fear, and interference with daily life fit together
How to distinguish normal childhood preferences and repetitive behavior from rituals that are driven by anxiety or fear
Why Dr. Chad Brandt looks at how much time OCD consumes when considering the severity of a child's symptoms
How letting children experience manageable discomfort instead of immediately fixing it connects parenting and child development with building confidence and resilience

If you're sorting through repetitive behavior and wondering whether it's simply part of your child's personality or could be OCD in children, this conversation with Dr. Chad Brandt can help you know what to watch for and when to seek an expert evaluation. Among parenting podcasts, I hope Educated Parent can give you the evidence-based information you need to feel more confident navigating parenting and child development when your child is struggling.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
International OCD Foundation Website

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CONNECT WITH DR. CHAD BRANDT:
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Have you ever felt completely touched out by the end of the day, but guilty for wanting your child to just stop touching you? I want you to know that needing physical space doesn't make you a bad parent, and setting limits around your body isn't harmful to your child.
In this episode of Educated Parent, I'm talking about why parenting boundaries around physical touch are not only okay, but important for our kids to learn. I'll explain why I don't believe children need unlimited access to our bodies in order to regulate, how setting limits teaches bodily autonomy and consent, and why respectful parenting means that your comfort and safety matter, too. I'm also sharing practical parenting tips you can use when your child climbs on you, pulls your hair, jumps on you, or keeps touching you after you've had enough.
In this episode, I cover:
Why being touched out is a valid reason to set limits around how and when your child touches you
How parenting boundaries teach your child about bodily autonomy, consent, personal space, and respecting other people's bodies
How respectful parenting includes modeling that everyone, including parents, gets to decide how their body is touched
My practical parenting tips for clearly explaining a boundary, offering your child an alternative, following through when they ignore the limit, and praising them when they respect it
How setting limits when you're touched out can help your child learn other ways to regulate instead of always relying on another person's body
Why practicing parenting boundaries at home can help kids understand personal space and physical safety with friends, teachers, and other people

You don't have to sacrifice your own physical comfort to be a loving parent. These parenting tips are about using respectful parenting to teach your child that their body matters, other people's bodies matter, and everyone deserves to have their boundaries respected. So if you're feeling touched out, remember that setting clear parenting boundaries can be good for you, good for your child, and good for your relationship.

LET'S CONNECT:
Thriving Child Center
PCIT Experts
Calm and Connected Program
Instagram
Love having expert tips you can actually use? Join our newsletter and get a beautifully designed PDF of each episode’s top 3 takeaways—delivered straight to your inbox every week.
Are you a provider? Subscribe here for professional insights and parenting resources!
Have a parenting question or a topic you'd love to hear on the podcast? Submit your question here!

Getting your child to eat vegetables can turn dinner into a nightly power struggle. You serve the broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower; your child refuses, and suddenly you're negotiating over every bite. If you've ever wondered how to get kids to eat vegetables without making everyone miserable, registered dietitian Jennifer Anderson of Kids Eat in Color has a surprisingly simple approach.
In this episode of Educated Parent, I talk with Jennifer about taking the pressure, guilt, and morality out of feeding kids. We discuss why picky eaters often become even more resistant when they sense pressure, what healthy eating for kids can look like without forcing bites, and practical parenting tips that can make dinner feel more relaxed and connected.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why learning how to get kids to eat vegetables starts with letting go of the idea that your success as a parent depends on what your child eats
Why telling picky eaters they "have to try it" can actually make them more resistant to unfamiliar foods
Why modeling the behavior you want is one of the simplest parenting tips you can try at dinner tonight
Why laughter, jokes, and connection at the dinner table can support a less stressful approach to healthy eating for kids

You don't need another complicated dinner strategy or a new way to convince your child to take "just one bite." Jennifer's approach to how to get kids to eat vegetables is about changing the environment instead of controlling the outcome. These parenting tips can help you take the pressure off picky eaters while building a more positive approach to healthy eating for kids - one toothpick, laugh, and low-pressure meal at a time.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Feed Them Well by Jennifer Anderson

LET'S CONNECT:
Thriving Child Center
PCIT Experts
Calm and Connected Program
Instagram
Love having expert tips you can actually use? Join our newsletter and get a beautifully designed PDF of each episode’s top 3 takeaways—delivered straight to your inbox every week.
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Have a parenting question or a topic you'd love to hear on the podcast? Submit your question here!

CONNECT WITH JENNIFER ANDERSON:
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