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You can have a full calendar of friends, family, and appointments and still feel completely alone as a parent. That’s where this conversation lands: the kind of honest, practical talk that helps you breathe again and take the next step.

We’re joined by Vicky Christensen, a special education advocate and the author of Uniquely, Fully Enough. Vicky shares her family’s neurodivergent parenting journey, including raising a son with an extremely rare chromosome disorder and a younger son with ADHD inattentive type and auditory processing challenges. We unpack what it feels like to walk into an IEP meeting surrounded by professionals and realize you need a plan for advocacy, not just hope. We also talk about how finding your village actually happens, from parent groups to local providers to the first person who says “I get it” without judgment.

We dig into visible disability versus invisible disability, why kids can be underestimated at a glance, and what real inclusion looks like for nonspeaking students, including respectful communication and the role of AAC. You’ll also hear concrete guidance on finding credible autism resources without getting lost in the noise, plus what happens after aging out of the school system and how families build meaningful community life and support.

If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with one parent or educator who needs it, and leave a review so more families can find these stories and tools.

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Your kid’s mindset is forming whether anyone teaches it or not, and that’s what makes this conversation so important. We’re joined by Renaye Thornborrow, founder of Adventures in Wisdom, who’s on a mission to bring life coaching for kids into everyday family life, with practical mindset skills that build confidence, self-esteem, and resilience. Renaye shares how she discovered personal development early, then asked the question most of us eventually ask: why didn’t anyone teach me this when I was a kid?

We dig into how she turned that frustration into a story-based coaching approach kids actually remember. We talk self-talk as a foundational skill, why the “voice in your head” can either build you up or tear you down, and how parents can listen to a child’s everyday language to understand what they’re believing about themselves. Renaye also explains what makes her curriculum unique: kids learn the brain science behind mindset, including belief systems, comfort zones, neural pathways, and the reticular activating system, so the tools feel real and usable.

We also get practical about when to seek support. Some families look for coaching when a child is struggling with confidence, friendships, school changes, or responsibility at home, while others want to be proactive. We talk about protecting a child’s emotionally safe space, how parents can stay involved, and why decision making has to shift over time so teens can practice independence before they’re on their own.

If you want a clear starting point, Renaye offers simple steps you can try today. Subscribe, share this with a parent who needs it, and leave a review so more families can find these mindset tools.

Support the show

SJ CHILDS - SOCIALS & WEBSITE MASTER LIST

WEBSITES

- Stream-Able Live — https://www.streamable.live-COMING SOON

- The SJ Childs Global Network — https://www.sjchilds.org

- The SJ Childs Show Podcast Page — https://www.sjchildsshow.com

YOUTUBE

- The SJ Childs Show — https://www.youtube.com/@sjchildsshow

- Louie Lou (Cats Channel) — https://www.youtube.com/@2catslouielou

FACEBOOK

- Personal Profile — https://www.facebook.com/sara.gullihur.bradford

- Business Page — https://www.facebook.com/sjchildsllc

- The SJ Childs Global Network — https://www.facebook.com/sjchildsglobalnetwork

- The SJ Childs Show — https://www.facebook.com/SJChildsShow

INSTAGRAM

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

TIKTOK

- https://www.tiktok.com/@sjchildsllc

LINKEDIN

- https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjchilds/

PODCAST PLATFORMS

- Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/show/4qgD3ZMOB2unfPxqacu3cC

- Apple Podcasts — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sj-childs-show/id1548143291

CONTACT EMAIL

- sjchildsllc@gmail.com

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If everything in your child’s world keeps getting easier, why do they seem more stressed, more isolated, and less confident? That question drives my conversation with Dr. Jonathan Strecker, head of school and author of *Emergence: How Modern Convenience is Dumbing Down Our Children and What Parents and Schools Can Do About It*. We get into the uncomfortable truth that growth usually comes from friction and practice, not from instant fixes, constant entertainment, or outsourcing hard thinking.

We break down his “five intelligences” lens for whole-child development: intellectual, social, emotional, ethical, and physical intelligence. That framework changes how we respond when a child is struggling in school, because the issue often isn’t the worksheet, it’s the missing foundation. We also talk about why many kids feel anxious and disconnected, how trust and social skills get eroded, and what schools can do beyond test score pressure to raise healthier humans.

Then we go straight at AI in education. We’re not doing panic or hype, we’re doing guidance. John shares a practical three-step way to use AI as a tool for learning rather than a shortcut that replaces it, along with why boredom can be the doorway to imagination and metacognition. We also touch on autonomy at home, values-based boundaries, and how online community can become a real lifeline for kids who struggle to build in-person friendships.

If you care about parenting, child development, ADHD learning differences, and the future of education in an AI world, you’ll take something useful from this. Subscribe, share this with a parent or teacher, and leave a review with one idea you’re going to try this week. What’s one “convenience” you’re ready to challenge?

Support the show

SJ CHILDS - SOCIALS & WEBSITE MASTER LIST

WEBSITES

- Stream-Able Live — https://www.streamable.live-COMING SOON

- The SJ Childs Global Network — https://www.sjchilds.org

- The SJ Childs Show Podcast Page — https://www.sjchildsshow.com

YOUTUBE

- The SJ Childs Show — https://www.youtube.com/@sjchildsshow

- Louie Lou (Cats Channel) — https://www.youtube.com/@2catslouielou

FACEBOOK

- Personal Profile — https://www.facebook.com/sara.gullihur.bradford

- Business Page — https://www.facebook.com/sjchildsllc

- The SJ Childs Global Network — https://www.facebook.com/sjchildsglobalnetwork

- The SJ Childs Show — https://www.facebook.com/SJChildsShow

INSTAGRAM

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

TIKTOK

- https://www.tiktok.com/@sjchildsllc

LINKEDIN

- https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjchilds/

PODCAST PLATFORMS

- Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/show/4qgD3ZMOB2unfPxqacu3cC

- Apple Podcasts — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sj-childs-show/id1548143291

CONTACT EMAIL

- sjchildsllc@gmail.com