Low Demand Parenting

DISCOVER THE LOW DEMAND COURSE

This powerful 8-week course hones your parenting intuition, builds your self-trust, supports collaborative work with your kid, and yields massive shifts in families. I love it. I hope you love it too. Find out more here.



ABOUT ANDREW

Andrew Fishman, LCSW, is a licensed mental health professional in Chicago, where he specializes in the impact of video games on mental health. He earned a master’s degree in social work at Loyola University and is certified to counsel gaming disorder by the International Problem Gambling and Gaming Certification Organization. His new book, Parenting a Gamer, is a comprehensive guide to all the challenges of parenting a gamer. Andrew has written extensively for Psychology Today, and he has been featured in interviews with outlets including The Wall Street Journal, AJ+ and Fintech Beat, among others. Connect with him online.



Additional Resources:

Low Demand Parenting book: a love letter to exhausted, overwhelmed parents everywhere. Get the first chapter free!

Why is everything with my kid so hard?: Take the quiz to find your first step forward!

Low Demand Parenting Blog: a treasure trove of low demand wisdom

Follow us on social for updates on the podcast, blog, and more!

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest



The Low Demand Parenting Podcast is your space to let go of the pressure and embrace a more joyful, authentic approach to parenting. We hope you enjoyed this episode and would be honored if you left us a review which helps us reach more parents just like you!

Esther Jones is a long-time unschooling parent who joins me to talk about how kids learn, how we can support learning, and what it looks like to truly trust our kids in their own educational journey. A rich conversation for people regardless of your schooling approach, Esther embodies a conviction that learning is our kids' native state, and that all we have to create a open, trusting, collaborative space, and they will learn in abundance!

Meet Esther:

- Esther's website: https://www.esther-jones.com/

- Read Esther's book: https://us.jkp.com/products/the-parents-handbook-to-unschooling-yourself

-Explore the Unschooling Summit: https://www.theunschoolingsummit.org/

- Esther's podcast: https://theunschoolspace.buzzsprout.com/

Additional Resources:

Low Demand Parenting book: a love letter to exhausted, overwhelmed parents everywhere. Get the first chapter free!

Why is everything with my kid so hard?: Take the quiz to find your first step forward!

Low Demand Parenting Blog: a treasure trove of low demand wisdom

Follow us on social for updates on the podcast, blog, and more!

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

The Low Demand Parenting Podcast is your space to let go of the pressure and embrace a more joyful, authentic approach to parenting. We hope you enjoyed this episode and would be honored if you left us a review which helps us reach more parents just like you!

What if the reason compassion feels so hard isn't because you're failing—but because your nervous system is protecting you? In this conversation, Melissa Corkum and I explore the concept of "blocked care," why so many parents of high-needs kids experience it, and how shame, grief, and chronic stress can leave us feeling disconnected from the children we love so desperately. We talk about soothing and practical ways to begin restoring connection by caring for ourselves first.

ABOUT MELISSA CORKUM:

Web: risetoregulation.com

Book: Every Parent's Guide to Reclaiming Compassion

Email: melissa@risetoregulation.com

In this episode, I talk with psychotherapist and researcher Dr. Margot Lowy about maternal ambivalence—the reality that parenting often holds both joy and grief, love and frustration, freedom and limitation all at the same time. We explore why these difficult feelings remain so taboo, how perfectionism and social expectations keep parents isolated, and why naming our experiences can be profoundly healing. Margot shares insights from decades of research and clinical work, reminding us that parenting isn't meant to be perfect. It's messy, interrupted, loving, and deeply human.

ABOUT DR. MARGO LOWRY:

Dr. Margo Lowy is a psychotherapist and researcher specializing in motherhood and women’s reproductive health. She holds a PhD and Research Masters from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, with a focus on maternal ambivalence and infertility. Her newest book, Maternal Ambivalence: The Loving Moments & Bitter Truths of Motherhood (Post Hill Press, 2025), examines the complex emotions that accompany motherhood. She is also the author of The Maternal Experience: Encounters with Ambivalence and Love (Routledge, 2020), which grew out of her doctoral research, and a contributor to Psychology Today. Through her writing and clinical work, she aims to disrupt the silence surrounding the unspoken realities of motherhood.

Learn more:

- https://drmargolowy.com

- https://www.instagram.com/drmargolowy

- https://www.facebook.com/drmargolowy

When we think about demands, we often think about the obvious ones: brush your teeth, sit at the table, get dressed, go to school. But what about the demands we can't see? In this conversation with pediatric occupational therapist Laura Petix (known online as The OT Butterfly), we explore how sensory experiences place demands on the nervous system—and why understanding those demands can completely change how we support our kids!

We talk about:

Why sensory tools don't work all the time

The difference between accommodations and demands

How to observe your child like a scientist

Why "good behavior" can actually be a sign of distress

The hidden costs of lights, sounds, textures, and environments

The concept of a "nervous system budget"

Why sensory sensitivity increases during burnout

How to support kids even when you don't fully understand their experience

This episode is a powerful reminder that our kid's behaviors aren't a "problem." They're showing us what the kid is carrying, often unseen, and giving us important clues of what it looks like to support them into thriving.

ABOUT LAURA:

Laura Petix is a Filipino American, neurodivergent pediatric occupational therapist, author, and nationally recognized voice in sensory processing and nervous system–informed behavior support. She is the founder of The OT Butterfly, a leading education platform trusted by hundreds of thousands of parents, educators, and clinicians for translating neuroscience into practical, real-world strategies. With a background spanning clinical practice, research, and large-scale digital education, Laura is known for making complex sensory science accessible, affirming, and actionable. You can find her kids book, podcast, and all her helpful resources at www.theotbutterfly.com.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Low Demand Parenting book: a love letter to exhausted, overwhelmed parents everywhere. Get the first chapter free!

Why is everything with my kid so hard?: Take the quiz to find your first step forward!

Low Demand Parenting Blog: a treasure trove of low demand wisdom

Follow us on social for updates on the podcast, blog, and more!

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

The Low Demand Parenting Podcast is your space to let go of the pressure and embrace a more joyful, authentic approach to parenting. We hope you enjoyed this episode and would be honored if you left us a review which helps us reach more parents just like you!