In this episode, I sit down with early childhood education expert Angela McEwen to explore one of the most transformative ideas I've encountered in how my work on love languages translates beyond romantic relationships — all the way into the classroom and the home. Angela has been applying the framework from my book directly with her preschool students, and the results are nothing short of remarkable. From a non-English-speaking boy who finally felt seen, to a chore wheel that stopped sparking resentment, her stories are vivid proof that when you meet a child where they are, connection follows naturally.

We dig into the difference between equality and equity — why giving every child the same thing isn't the same as giving every child what they actually need — and how that insight can transform the way teachers and parents show up. Angela also introduces the early childhood concept of "goodness of fit," and I share how it maps directly onto personality types and love languages. Whether you're a teacher managing a room of 30 or a parent trying to decode why your kids respond so differently to the same parenting approach, this conversation offers a practical, eye-opening framework for fostering real connection.

In this episode, you will learn:

(03:11) Equity vs. equality: giving kids what they actually need

(03:14) Breaking through a language barrier using love languages

(05:23) The chore wheel hack that makes everyone happier

(07:13) Primary vs. gesture love languages — and what a child crawling into a lap reveals

(10:10) How "goodness of fit" connects to personality type and love language

(12:16) The "inspector" type: why criticism is actually deep care

(15:18) Creating moments for a rule-oriented child to shine

(18:23) Why physical touch kids just need a hug before and after circle time

(21:51) How to handle "I want something at the store" by love language

(23:22) The two kinds of gift-givers — and why letting one pick their own misses the point

Let’s connect!

linktr.ee/drprandy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every parent has been there — the meltdown, the screaming, the feeling that nothing you say or do is going to get through. This week, I sat down again with early childhood expert Angela MacEwen, whose decades of experience caring for children (including those who've experienced significant trauma) have given her a remarkably clear-eyed understanding of what kids actually need in their most challenging moments.

Welcome to Now I Get It with Dr. Andy. Angela walks us through some of the most practical and surprisingly simple strategies for helping children regulate their emotions — from redirecting a screaming child by giving them a job to do, to why you should never try to reason with a toddler mid-tantrum. We also get into the big stuff: why a motel pool beats Disneyland every time, why finding a roly poly on the way to school might be your child's core memory of the year, and how nurturing children — especially those who've experienced hardship — is just as healing for the caregiver as it is for the child.

In this episode, you will learn:

(01:02) Why the need for control is at the root of children's tantrums

(02:00) How giving kids a simple task can de-escalate even the most intense meltdowns

(03:05) Why you should never attempt conflict resolution during a big emotion

(03:40) The twins story: how redirecting a furious child to pour water brought his anger back to calm

(06:21) Why kids remember the motel pool more than Disneyland

(08:19) How to reframe everyday moments as potential core memories

(09:07) Why pajamas at school are fine — and how to address it without an argument

(11:14) How helping others is a powerful antidote to anxiety for adults and children alike

Let’s connect!

linktr.ee/drprandy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Now I Get It with Dr. Andy, I'm joined by Angela MacEwen, a veteran child development expert who helped design San Francisco's citywide childcare plan during COVID-19. Angela shares how she applied the concepts from my upcoming book, Love Quotient: Stop Dying of Thirst in an Ocean of Love, inside her preschool classroom — identifying each child's love language through body language and personality cues, and even rethinking classroom chore charts so only the kids who genuinely love them get to do them.

We also explore one of the most surprising truths Angela has observed across 30 years: it's rarely the big, expensive experiences that become a child's core memories. It's the quiet moments — a worm remembered, a truck ride to the dump, a teacher who played dinosaurs on the floor. Angela offers practical strategies for parents who want to create a more intentional emotional environment, including a personal story about breaking a generational cycle of yelling in her own family.

In this episode, you will learn:

(00:04) Angela's background as San Francisco's pandemic childcare plan architect

(01:41) How love languages apply not just to partners, but to children in the classroom (02:45) Why rotating chore charts don't work — and what to do instead

(04:57) How to read preschoolers' personality types through their movements and behaviors

(06:00) Practical ways to speak each love language in an early childhood setting

(08:40) Why children's favorite vacation memories are almost never what parents expect

(10:45) How to reframe everyday routines so they become positive core memories

(12:30) Angela's personal story of breaking a generational pattern — and what her kids said about it

Let’s connect!

linktr.ee/drprandy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.