The Child Psych Podcast

"Most parents know that play is important. But what if it's not the game that matters most—it's how you show up while you're playing?
In this episode of The Child Psych Podcast, child psychologists Tammy Schamuhn and Tania Johnson pull back the curtain on what therapists know about play that every parent can use at home. Drawing from the principles of child-centred play therapy, they explore how simple shifts in the way you play can strengthen attachment, build emotional safety, and help your child feel deeply seen and understood.
You'll learn why following your child's lead is more powerful than directing the activity, how presence and attunement create the foundation for emotional regulation, and why children often communicate their inner world through play long before they have the words to explain it. Whether you have five minutes before bedtime or an afternoon at the park, these practical techniques will help you create moments of connection that support your child's emotional development for years to come.

In this episode, you'll learn:
Why your presence matters more than the activity itself.
The power of child-directed play and why following your child's lead builds confidence and connection.
How attunement helps children feel safe, understood, and emotionally secure.
Simple play therapy techniques every parent can use at home.
What reflective responding is and how it deepens connection without needing to solve or fix.
How play supports emotional regulation, communication, and resilience.
Easy ways to create meaningful moments of connection, even in the middle of a busy day.
You don't need expensive toys, elaborate activities, or hours of free time to build a strong relationship with your child. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is slow down, enter their world, and simply be present."
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Love Over Algorithms: Raising Kids Who Choose Connection Over Screens with Nikki Martyn
Screens aren't just competing for our children's attention—they're competing for their relationships. And while many parents focus on limiting screen time, what if the real solution isn't found in stronger rules, but in stronger connections?

In this episode of The Child Psych Podcast, psychologist Tania Johnson sits down with parenting educator and author Nikki Martin to discuss her new book, Love Over Algorithms. Together, they explore how today's digital world is shaping our children, why technology struggles are often relationship struggles, and how parents can create homes where connection is more compelling than the endless pull of the algorithm.

Nikki introduces practical, research-informed tools that help families move beyond constant battles over devices. From the Love Loop and the L.O.V.E. Method to the power of the Pause Moment, she shares simple strategies that foster emotional safety, trust, and healthy technology habits without relying on shame, fear, or endless punishment.

This conversation offers a refreshing perspective for parents who want to raise digitally healthy children while protecting what matters most—the parent-child relationship.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why technology challenges are often rooted in relationship, not just screen time.
The difference between the Dopamine Loop and the Love Loop, and why connection changes everything.
How to use the L.O.V.E. Method during everyday screen-time struggles.
Why the Pause Moment can completely change difficult interactions.
How narrating your own technology use helps children develop healthy digital habits.
What it means to move from control to trust using the Three Cs of Consent.
Practical ways to create a home where children naturally choose connection over constant scrolling.

Whether you're introducing your child's first device or navigating daily battles over phones, gaming, or social media, this episode will leave you with practical tools and renewed confidence to raise children who thrive in a digital world—without sacrificing connection along the way. Dr. Nikki Martyn is a parenting educator, speaker, and author of Love Over Algorithms. Passionate about helping families navigate the digital world with confidence, she equips parents with practical, relationship-first strategies that foster healthy technology habits, emotional connection, and resilience in an age of constant distraction.

To learn more about Nikki or to purchase Love Over Algorithms, click here.
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Feeding children can bring up so much pressure. Are they eating enough? Are they getting the right nutrients? Should we limit sugar? What do we do when they refuse everything on their plate?

In this episode, Tania is joined by Jennifer Anderson, registered dietitian, founder of Kids Eat in Color, and author of the new book, Feed Them Well: A Guide to Raising Healthy, Confident Eaters for Life.

Jennifer takes us deep into the research on how children learn to eat and what happens when parents restrict certain foods, pressure kids to eat, or try to tightly control what and how much they consume.

She explores the difference between restrictive feeding practices and helping children learn to listen to their own hunger and fullness cues, and why our best intentions around nutrition can sometimes have unexpected consequences.

They also dig into picky eating, sugar, treats, highly processed foods, food rules, body image, and the enormous amount of pressure parents feel to “get feeding right.”
How much control should parents actually have? Should dessert be restricted? What do we do when our child would happily live on crackers? And can giving children more freedom around food actually help them make better choices over time?

Jennifer brings the research, practical strategies, and plenty of reassurance for parents who want their children to eat well without creating fear, shame, or battles around food.

This is a fascinating conversation about what it really takes to raise children who are not only well nourished, but who grow up trusting themselves around food.

To order your book now, click here
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If every request turns into a battle, mornings feel like a marathon, and you're constantly walking the line between staying calm and completely losing your patience, you're not alone.

In this episode of The Child Psych Podcast, psychologist Tania Johnson sits down with parenting educator Kirk Martin, founder of CelebrateCalm, to explore why some children seem to push every button—and what parents can do instead of yelling, threatening, or repeating themselves for the tenth time.
Kirk shares practical, down-to-earth strategies for parenting strong-willed, highly sensitive, and emotionally intense children. Together, he and Tania discuss why traditional discipline often backfires, how parents can become the calm anchor their children need, and simple ways to reduce daily power struggles while building trust and cooperation.

Rather than trying to control children's behaviour, this conversation focuses on understanding what's driving it and responding in ways that help children develop emotional regulation, confidence, and resilience.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why some children are naturally more intense, persistent, or emotionally reactive.
How to stop getting pulled into daily power struggles.
Practical ways to stay calm when your child is escalating.
Why connection creates more lasting change than constant correction.
Simple phrases that de-escalate conflict and encourage cooperation.
How to build your child's emotional regulation while strengthening your relationship.
Small changes that can make family life feel calmer and more connected.
Whether you're parenting a toddler with big feelings, a school-aged child who argues about everything, or a teenager who seems impossible to motivate, this episode will leave you feeling understood—and equipped with practical tools you can start using today.

Kirk Martin is the founder of CelebrateCalm and one of North America's leading parenting educators, known for helping families reduce power struggles and create calmer, more connected homes. Drawing on decades of experience working with strong-willed children, he shares practical, compassionate strategies that help parents respond with confidence instead of frustration.

To learn more about Kirk or explore his parenting resources, click here.
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When the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dan Shapiro was simply looking for something meaningful to do with his son. What began as an after-school chess club quickly turned into an unexpected journey that challenged everything he thought he knew about intelligence, learning, and what it really means to help a child thrive.
In this episode of The Child Psych Podcast, psychologist Tania Johnson sits down with Dan, author of Decoding Genius: The Unexpected Lessons of After-School Chess Club, to explore the remarkable lessons hidden within one of the world's oldest games. Driven by his son's growing passion for chess, Dan immersed himself in the fascinating history and science of the game, uncovering stories of blindfold chess masters, child prodigies, remarkable feats of memory, and the surprising reasons cultures around the world have long viewed chess as a powerful tool for developing the mind.
But this conversation isn't really about raising chess champions.
It's about raising children who can think ahead, tolerate frustration, recover from mistakes, embrace challenge, and discover the quiet confidence that comes from mastering something difficult. Together, Tania and Dan explore why meaningful struggle is essential for healthy development, how chess strengthens executive functioning and emotional regulation, and what every parent can learn from a simple game played across a checkered board.
In this episode, you'll learn:

How one family's pandemic chess journey became a lesson in resilience, confidence, and connection.
Why chess develops much more than strategic thinking.
The fascinating history of chess and why it has captivated brilliant minds for centuries.
How children build executive functioning through planning, pattern recognition, and decision-making.
Why mistakes, setbacks, and losing are essential ingredients for growth.
How parents can foster curiosity, perseverance, and a love of learning without creating pressure to perform.
Why the greatest lessons children learn through chess have very little to do with winning.

Whether your child is already a chess enthusiast or has never played a single game, this conversation will inspire you to think differently about challenge, mastery, and the hidden moments that shape a child's developing mind.

Dan Shapiro is an author, entrepreneur, and lifelong student of learning and human potential. Inspired by his son's journey into competitive chess during the COVID-19 pandemic, he wrote Decoding Genius to explore the surprising ways chess develops resilience, creativity, critical thinking, and lifelong learning.
To learn more about Dan or to purchase Decoding Genius: The Unexpected Lessons of After-School Chess Club, click here.
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