The final episode of the Unlocking Childhood Podcast, covering raising children and parent wellbeing, features an Expert and Department Head, Valerie Knopik, from the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Purdue University, in conversation with Jordan Schoen, a mother of three. Valerie and Jordan discuss parental wellbeing and how parents can ensure the quality of care for their children by also prioritizing their own care. Topics such as sharing parental roles with your partner and co-parenting, self-care, regular routines, and expressing your emotions come up throughout this episode.

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Recharging your Patience

In this episode, you will hear a conversation between expert Dr. Leigha MacNeill from the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Purdue University, Christopher Fogle, father of two, and Miranda Goetz, mother of two children. Dr. MacNeil and parents discuss how young children learn to regulate their emotions by first observing and experiencing how adults handle their own emotions. Expert Dr. MacNeill shares with parents that setting limits can be frustrating, but honing in on limit-setting and its crucial role in children's safety and well-being as they learn self-control and positive behavior. One major key concept discussed in this episode is how influential parent modeling is on children's emotional regulation. Children learn through observing and imitating caregivers' behavior. A child's emotion regulation is a product of caregiver emotion regulation. Furthermore, in this episode, you will hear a conversation between parents and an expert on tantrums, developmental considerations, age-appropriate expectations, emotional validation, and the balance between structure and emotional freedom.

Please provide your feedback about this episode by completing a short evaluation. The first 50 respondents to the evaluation will receive a $20 e-gift card. Offer stands until June 15, 2026.

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This episode features expert guest Dr. Sarah Eason from the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Purdue University and parent guest Chelsea Webb, mother of two children. In this episode, Dr. Eason and Chelsea discuss the overlap between play and how play influences children's ability to learn, connect, and grow. Expert Dr. Eason discusses how important it is for parents to insert themselves into their children's play, but knowing when and how is key. When parents engage in play, their role helps foster their children's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth while enhancing brain development, building on social skills, promoting emotional regulation, and strengthening the parent-child bond.

Please provide your feedback about this episode by completing a short evaluation. The first 50 respondents to the evaluation will receive a $20 e-gift card. Offer stands until the first 50 respondents have been met or by June 15, 2026.

https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a9U666xIZQQTe0m