The Brainy Moms

Episoder

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  Made to Create: A Biblical Perspective on Homeschool Art & Artistry | Ryan Lauterio 29.09.2026 1t

  Most families think of “art” as an elective, but our kids are being shaped by aesthetics all day long. Clothing, movies, book covers, music, room design, even the way a table is set can train what we value without us noticing. That’s why this conversation with Christian artist and educator Ryan Lauterio lands like a wake-up call: creativity is not reserved for a small group of gifted kids. It’s part of what it means to be human and part of what it means to disciple our children with intention...
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  How College Shapes (or Misshapes) Teen Faith | Dr. Renton Rathbun 22.09.2026 1t 7min

  Ever wonder how the college your teen is considering will continue to shape their faith? Or if questioning their faith is a natural part of going to college? Deconstruction is not just “asking questions.” Sometimes it's what happens when we judge biblical faith with a measuring stick that never came from the Bible in the first place. That single shift can quietly move a teen from honest curiosity to a full-blown crisis of confidence, especially once they hit the college years and are surround...
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  Go Play! Part 2: Playful Homeschooling, Sensory Play, and Screens | Kate Allen Fox 15.09.2026 48min

  Enjoying our conversations about play? Let's talk about playful homeschooling, sensory play, and screens. Last week, early childhood educator Gennie Gorback helped us understand why child-led, open-ended play is so important for children’s learning, development, and joy. Today, we’re continuing that conversation with her co-author, Kate Allen Fox, who brings a homeschooling-family perspective and plenty of practical ideas for putting those principles into action at home. In Part 2 of ou...
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  Go Play! Part 1: Making Space for the Wonder of Childhood | Gennie Gorback, MS Ed 08.09.2026 1t 1min

  What if “play” is actually some of your child’s most important experiences? In Part 1 of our two-part conversation with the co-authors of Go Play: How Parents Can Empower Kids to Build Their Own Worlds, educator Gennie Gorback helps parents see play through a new lens: not as wasted time or something adults need to direct, but as a powerful, child-led path to learning, connection, confidence, and discovery. Gennie explains what makes play truly play, why children benefit from time with ...
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  Calm and Confident Mindset for Homeschool Moms | Lori Beth Auldridge 01.09.2026 49min

  What if all your homeschooling chaos needs is a new calm and confident mindset? Being a homeschooling mom can feel like a daily referendum on your parenting, especially when you are teaching multiple kids, supporting neurodivergent needs, and trying to keep the family from melting down at the dining room table. We wanted to offer something more useful than a new planner or a better curriculum: a way to lead your home with calm and confidence that is real, practiced, and available even on mess...
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  Homeschool Freedom, Flexibility, and Fit | Cheryl Daley 25.08.2026 55min

  Wondering about homeschool freedom and flexibility? And how homeschooling might be a fit for your family? On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy talk with Cheryl Daley, author, speaker, and host of the popular Homeschool How To podcast, to trace the exact chain of events that took her from a six-figure New York State government career to building a homeschool life rooted in freedom, relationships, and real-world learning. Cheryl shares why she treated homeschooling lik...
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  Preparing Kids to Thrive in an AI World | Wylde Scott 18.08.2026 1t 16min

  In an AI world, a robot can anticipate your needs, clean your house, and do your job. It sounds like science fiction until you realize how fast AI is already reshaping the world as we know it. That speed of change forces a tough question for parents and educators: are we preparing kids to think, create, and lead when the world as we know it no longer exists? On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy have a brave conversation with author and Imagination Project founder Wyl...
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  There Are Moms Worse Than You | Glenn Boozan 11.08.2026 48min

  The truth is, there are moms way worse than you! And the fastest way to feel like a better parent might be a laugh you did not expect. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast. Dr. Amy and Sandy talk with Glenn Boozan, an Emmy-nominated, WGA award-winning comedy writer and the author of the New York Times bestselling gift book There Are Moms Way Worse Than You, to talk about why modern parenting can feel like a constant test you can never pass, even when you are pouring your whole heart int...
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  Personalized Learning for Your Homeschooled Child | Jessica Parnell 04.08.2026 48min

  Your child isn’t a “grade level” they’re a whole person, and the fastest way to lose motivation is to teach them like they’re interchangeable. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy sit down with Jessica Parnell, CEO of Edovate Learning Corp, to get practical about personalized learning for homeschooling, online school, and hybrid models that actually respect how kids’ brains develop. If you’ve ever felt pressure to recreate a traditional classroom at home, this convers...
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  Homeschooling Teens: Why “Do Nothing” Deschooling Backfires and How Eclectic Unschoolers Use Guardrails Instead | Janae Daniels 28.07.2026 56min

  Many parents are told to “just deschool and do nothing” after pulling their kids out of traditional school—but with middle school and high schoolers, that advice often backfires. In this conversation with former middle school teacher turned homeschooling mom Janae Daniels, host of the School to Homeschool podcast, we talk about why older kids struggle most with doing “nothing” and why their brains crave structure after years in the system. Janae shares how her family—and the families she coac...
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  Nurturing Leadership & Grit Through Hard Things | Dr. Josh McConkey 21.07.2026 41min

  If you’ve ever stepped in to “help” your child and realized you might be making things worse, this conversation will hit home. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy sits down with Dr. Josh McConkey, an emergency physician, former U.S. Air Force commander, and author of Be the Weight Behind the Spear, to talk about a problem many families feel but can’t always name: kids can’t build confidence and grit if adults remove every hard moment. We dig into the shift from helicopter par...
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  Avoid Homeschool Mom Burnout (and Find Joy Again) | Jenna Lynn Myers 14.07.2026 54min

  Homeschool mom burnout is real—and it doesn’t mean you’re failing or that God is calling you to quit. In this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy talk with former classroom teacher, veteran homeschool mom, and educational consultant Jenna Lynn Myers, author of Homeschooling with Purpose: Candid Encouragement for Homeschool Parents. Jenna has supported thousands of homeschool families and is passionate about helping worn-out moms avoid burnout by recognizing early warning sig...
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  Dopamine Magnets: How to Replace Screens, Social Media, and Junk Food with High Value Habits | Dr. Michaeleen Doucleff 07.07.2026 59min

  Dopamine gets blamed for everything from doomscrolling to snack attacks, but the real problem is that most of us were taught the wrong story. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy chat with biochemist and best-selling author of Dopamine Kids, Dr. Michaeleen Doucleff to unpack what dopamine actually does in the brain: it drives wanting, motivation, and the powerful “do it again” loop, even when the thing we’re chasing doesn’t deliver real joy. That single shift explains...
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  Sensory Smart Homeschooling: Encore Conversations with the Homeschool OT Sarah Collins 30.06.2026 1t 16min

  Your child can be bright, curious, and capable and still melt down over an itchy tag, loud kitchen noise, or a schedule that won’t budge. That’s not “bad behavior.” It’s often sensory processing colliding with executive functioning, and once you see it, you can finally respond with the right supports instead of more pressure. On this collection of encore conversations with Sarah Collins, an occupational therapist and the creator of Homeschool OT, she helps parents figure out the real “why” b...
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  Best of Christy Faith Homeschool Conversations 09.06.2026 49min

  Educator and homeschool mentor Christy Faith is brutally clear on what’s driving so many families to rethink education. On this mash-up of the best moments from previous conversations with Christy Faith on The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy talk with her about the gap between what modern kids need and what mass schooling often rewards, and why more parents are choosing homeschooling for school environment, mental health, and real learning instead of constant performance. Christy walk...
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  Tidy Dad Tips on Flexibility, Time, and Scruffy Hospitality | Tyler Moore 02.06.2026 54min

  Do you love the tips from Tidy Dad on Instagram? Then you'll love this hour with us! On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy sit down with Tyler Moore, better known as Tidy Dad, to talk about small space living, decluttering, and the kind of simple home organization that actually holds up in real family life. Tyler shares what it’s like parenting three daughters in a NYC triple bunk setup in 750 square feet, why an early bedtime boundary can be a sanity saver, and how “...
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  Your Child’s Health Starts in the Gut | Dr. Elisa Song 26.05.2026 1t

  Your child’s health starts in the gut. The immune system and brain are taking cues from the same place every day. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy sit down with integrative pediatrician Dr. Elisa Song, a leading voice in pediatric functional medicine, to map out what the gut microbiome actually is and why it matters even when your kid’s poop looks “normal.” If your family is dealing with eczema, allergies, frequent illness, anxiety, sleep issues, attention struggl...
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  Firm Parenting Re-Imagined | Nicholeen Peck 19.05.2026 58min

  Firm parenting isn't the same as 'mean' parenting. And your child isn’t “pushing your buttons” because they’re broken. Sometimes the real problem is that we’ve never been taught a clear, repeatable way to stay calm, set firm boundaries, and teach kids how to regulate themselves. Parenting behaviorist and family advocate Nicholeen Peck joins Dr. Amy and Sandy to redefine strict parenting as self-government: living by principles, staying emotionally steady, and using skills that make conflict p...
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  Stop Teaching Zen to 5 Year Olds (& Other Parenting Advice) | Dr. Will Dobud 12.05.2026 1t

  A lot of parenting advice sounds like a to-do list. Dr. Will Dobud joins us to make the case for something both simpler and harder: stop chasing the perfect technique and start rebuilding the conditions where kids can actually thrive. We talk about youth mental health trends, why anxiety can rise even when “support” increases, and how easily adults can confuse more intervention with better outcomes. We dig into research on school-based social emotional learning and universal stress man...
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  Parenting Through Playfulness | Dr. Kim Van Dusen 05.05.2026 58min

  Have you tried parenting through playfulness? "Play" isn't usually what we think of as our kid melts down when it’s time to leave the park, ignores us at clean-up time, or suddenly “can’t remember” the three things we just asked them to do. But maybe we should try it! On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy talk with Dr. Kim Van Dusen, a licensed marriage and family therapist and registered play therapist known as The Parentologist. We talk about a calmer path that actua...