It's 2 AM. Your baby has a fever you can't explain, your toddler has a rash out of nowhere, or your tween just asked a question you have no idea how to answer. Where do you turn?

This week on Mom Essentials, Angie sits down with Hans Kullberg, father of five, serial entrepreneur, and co-founder of Avocado Health, a text-based parent decision support platform built from one of the most profound losses a parent can face. Hans opens up about the journey of losing his daughter Aviva after six hospitalizations with no diagnosis, the promise he made to her, and how that promise became a real-time lifeline for parents everywhere.

In this conversation, Angie and Hans cover:
• Why health actually happens between pediatrician visits, and what that means for your family
• How to spot and act on developmental red flags (speech delays, anxiety, early intervention)
• Cutting through social media noise with evidence-based guidance from real pediatricians, child life specialists, and parent coaches
• How Avocado Health uses text messaging to put expert support in your pocket 24/7

If you have ever whispered "is this normal?" into your phone at 3 AM, this one is for you.

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Connect with Hans:

https://avocadohealth.ai/

https://www.instagram.com/avocado_family_health/

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Tech is everywhere- from the moment we wake up until we fall asleep. And as moms, we're not just managing our own relationship with screens, we're shaping our kids' relationship with them too.

So how much is too much? What does screen time actually do to a developing brain? And what are we missing when the iPad becomes the default babysitter?

This week, Angie Weber sits down with Meg Faure- occupational therapist, bestselling co-author of Baby Sense and Weaning Sense, and founder of the Parent Sense app- to unpack what moms really need to know about tech and early childhood. Meg brings over two decades of clinical expertise and the kind of honest, no-shame perspective every mom needs.

You'll walk away knowing:
- The two "brain ingredients" screens can never replace (and how to stock up on them at home)
- Why boredom is magical — and how to let your child sit in it
- What the "still face" experiment reveals about our phone use in front of our kids

This isn't a lecture about perfect parenting. It's a practical, grace-filled conversation for real moms in a real world.

Connect with Meg here:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube

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What if your child's meltdowns aren't a behavior problem - but a nervous system problem? And what if the same thing is happening to you?

In this episode, Angie Weber sits down with Dr. Katie Jancik, an integrative pediatric chiropractor and owner of It Takes a Village Chiropractic, to talk about the powerful connection between nervous system regulation and how our families actually feel day to day. Dr. Katie is one of the few chiropractors in the country specializing in neurodevelopmental support - and she brings care directly to families' homes through her mobile practice in Minnesota.

Together, Angie and Dr. Katie explore why kids take their emotional cues from mom, what's really going on beneath the "anger iceberg," and why expecting a toddler to reason through a banana crisis is a losing battle (we've all been there). They also dig into practical tools families can use between appointments - from diaphragmatic breathing and sternum tapping to tight squeezes and pillow fights - to help both parents and kids move from survival mode to actually thriving.

You'll walk away with a better understanding of fight-or-flight mode, co-regulation, and simple daily practices that can shift the energy of your entire household.

Key Takeaways:

• How chiropractic care supports emotional regulation (not just back pain)

• Why moms often get stuck in fight-or-flight without realizing it

• Practical, ADHD-friendly calming techniques for the whole family

Connect with Dr. Katie here:
Website
Facebook
Instagram


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"My labs came back normal, so why do I feel so awful?" If you've ever sat in your doctor's office and heard "everything looks fine" while feeling anything but, this episode is for YOU.

Today we are joined by Christa Biegler, award-winning dietician and functional nutritionist, who helps women resolve food sensitivities, inflammation, and hormonal chaos- without endless restriction or costly testing. Christa pulls back the curtain on why conventional blood work misses SO much, what's really happening with your adrenals, thyroid, and sex hormones, and the symptoms you should absolutely not ignore.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why your "$3 worth of bloodwork" is only designed to see if you're dying (her words- and she's right!)
• The cortisol-adrenal-thyroid connection that nobody talks about
• What DHEA is and why needing snacks every 2 hours might be a red flag
• The 5 tests worth asking your doctor about
• Symptoms of adrenal and thyroid stress you can track RIGHT NOW- no labs needed
• Why perimenopause gets rougher when your adrenals are already depleted
• How "revenge bedtime" is sabotaging your hormones

This one is a must-listen for every mama who is tired of being told she's "fine."

📲 Connect with Christa:
Facebook
Instagram
Blueprint
www.christabiegler.com/links
www.christabiegler.com
www.lessstressedlife.com

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Parenting teens without power struggles might feel impossible at times.

Between one-word answers, emotional reactions, and constant pushback, it can be hard to know how to stay connected while still guiding your child.

In this episode of Mom Essentials, Angie Weber sits down with teen and parent wellbeing coach Laura Ollinger to talk about what is really happening beneath teen behavior and how to parent in a way that builds connection instead of conflict.

Laura shares how the teenage brain is still developing, why big emotions show up so strongly, and how parents can create a safe space where teens feel heard instead of judged. You will also learn how to shift out of "fixing mode," understand when your teen needs to be heard versus helped, and how your own mindset plays a powerful role in your child's confidence.

You will also hear about Laura's "Decider" framework, helping teens take ownership of their thoughts, emotions, and choices so they can grow into confident, resilient individuals.

If you want to reduce power struggles and build a stronger relationship with your teen, this episode will give you practical tools you can start using right away.

Connect with Laura here:
Website
Facebook
LinkedIn
Instagram
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Are we pushing our kids to succeed… or unintentionally setting them up to feel like they are never enough?

In this episode of Mom Essentials, Angie Weber sits down with a pediatric expert, Dr. Joshua Stein, to unpack the growing pressure of perfectionism in today's world and how it is impacting both children and parents.

From academics to athletics to everyday expectations, many kids are feeling the weight of needing to be the best, and when they cannot meet those standards, it often shows up as anxiety, frustration, shutdown, or complete burnout.

This conversation dives into what toxic perfectionism really looks like, how it is different from healthy motivation, and why focusing only on outcomes can actually hold kids back from growth. Angie and Dr. Stein also explore how perfectionism connects to emotional dysregulation, why some kids struggle to handle mistakes, and how parents can shift their approach to build resilience instead of pressure

You will walk away with a better understanding of how to support your child through failure, how to model a healthier mindset at home, and how to create an environment where progress matters more than perfection.

If you have ever felt like your child is too hard on themselves, shuts down when things do not go right, or feels overwhelmed by expectations, this episode is for you.

🚨 Important Links

Connect with Dr. Joshua Stein here:
Prairie Care Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

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Tired of feeling disconnected from your teen?

In this empowering episode, psychotherapist Iuri Melo shares practical strategies for building strong emotional bonds, teaching regulation skills, and helping teens thrive in a world full of noise. From proactive mental health tools to parenting through digital challenges, this conversation is full of "aha" moments for anyone raising a child today.

Learn how to build trust before the crisis hits because connection is the real protective factor.

Get connected with Irui here:
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Know They Selfie
Mind Over Grey Matter
SchoolPulse
Our Mental Health Resource for Teens
Our Free Videos for Teens

We don't get to choose the patterns we were raised with—but we do get to choose whether we continue them.

In this episode of Mom Essentials, empowerment strategist Kate Ferrian shares her powerful story of healing after divorce and an emotionally abusive relationship. We explore how reparenting yourself, rebuilding self-trust, and honoring your emotional needs can help you stop performing and start living in alignment.

Kate opens up about what self-love actually looks like, how boundaries evolve as we grow, and why generational healing begins with one small brave choice at a time.

Whether you're deep in your own healing journey or just starting to question what was passed down to you—this episode will leave you feeling validated and empowered.

Connect with Kate:
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LinkedIn
Website
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