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Recently, Lucy Foulkes, a Research Fellow in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, wrote an opinion piece for The Guardian newspaper titled, “Mental-health lessons in schools sound a like a great idea. The trouble is, they don’t work,” in which she asserts, “the only information we should teach en masse is where a young person should get help.” My guest today to discuss this article and get beyond its provocative title is Kevin Runions. In addition to being a friend of Talking About Kids, Kevin is an academic researcher, an independent consultant, and a globally-recognized expert on the important components of school climate, like bullying initiatives and mental-health lessons. Spoiler alert: Keven and I do not believe that the research Lucy cites supports her conclusion. More information about Kevin, including how you can engage him to improve school climates where you live, is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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Do you know where the substitute teachers for your child’s preschool come from? If you are like me, you might imagine that potential substitutes and administrators sit down and get to know each other, possibly over tea and finger sandwiches. My guest this episode, Paul Buckley, will tell you that nothing could be further from the truth. Paul explains that current staffing practices afford preschools and substitutes very little, if any, say in the match process and offer few opportunities to build relationships and provide consistency. In the end, Paul believes that it is the children’s development that suffers, so he used his experience as a preschool instructor and as a leader in a large tech firm to develop a different staffing process, which he named Ratio Staffing. Paul and I discuss the problem, how Ratio Staffing corrects it, and his tips for discerning whether a preschool is supporting its teachers and substitutes. More information about Paul – including a link to Ratio Staffing, where, for a limited time, the code “aboutkids” gets preschools an extended 60 day free trial – is talkingaboutkids.com.

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Piper Gibson is a Doctor of Functional Medicine; the Founder of the Tic Disorder Institute: Regenerating Health; and the author of Tic Talk: Common Misconceptions, Natural Approaches, and Real Conversations about Tic Disorders. Piper is on a mission to counter the narrative that we should ignore kids’ motor or vocal tics and hope that they grow out them. Instead, as she and I discuss, Piper argues – and has the research to back it up – that the experiences of kids with tics can be vastly improved by addressing how they are affected by biological factors, environmental conditions, emotions, and physical fitness. More information about Piper, the Tic Disorder Institute, and her book is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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Family law is complicated. There are prenuptial agreements, postnuptial agreements, custody petitions, visitation petitions, and post judgment matters, among other issues. Moreover, family law exists within an evolving society where perspectives, opportunities, and technologies are constantly changing and influencing the outcomes. This is why I was excited to have Kelly Scott on the podcast. As a seasoned attorney in a leadership role within the family law community, Kelly is a careful observer of family law trends. Kelly and I discuss the trends and how they potentially affect kids. More information about Kelly is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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David Pisarra wants to help fathers navigate their custody and divorce cases to secure more time with their kids. Like several previous Talking About Kids guests, David believes that the processes and systems can be easily biased against fathers, and David wants to help fathers overcome the obstacles. David and I discuss his perspective, his experience as a family law attorney, the dos and don’ts of family court, and Dad’s Law School, David’s online community that he designed to educate and support fathers. More information about David and Dad's Law School is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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Lee Norwood is passionate about helping families find the “perfect college fit.” As the founder of Annapolis College Consulting and a member of the CounselMore Executive Board, Lee spends a lot of her time dispelling myths about college admissions, testing, tuition, and the role of a college consultant. Lee recently launched College Sharks, which offers on-demand virtual college coaching at a fraction of the cost of hiring a college consultant by the hour. Lee and I discuss the dos and don’ts of applying to college, what college consulting is and what it is not, and why accessing college consulting might be cost-beneficial for families of college-bound kids. More information about Lee – including a link to College Sharks, where, for a limited time, the code “TALK50” gets you 50% off a subscription – is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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This is the final mini summer vacation episode of Talking About Kids. In the previous five episodes, I asked some past guests to recommend movies or episodes of TV shows to inspire parents, educators, and direct service providers. This final recommendation comes from me. More information is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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This is the fifth of six mini summer vacation episodes of Talking About Kids. To help listeners have a rejuvenating summer, I asked some previous guests to recommend movies or episodes of TV shows to inspire parents, educators, and direct service providers. This fifth recommendation comes from Seanna Leath, Associate Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Affiliated Faculty in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. More information is at talkingaboutkids.com.