No Silly Questions- An Education Podcast for Parents

Welcome to an episode of NSQ Parents Unplugged- where we hear from parents and professionals about their experiences with school and the educational choices they're making for their families.

Today, we’re going to be putting on our own oxygen masks, so to speak- and shifting focus from the kids back to the grownups. Because we know that our ability to care for our kids and care for ourselves are inextricably linked... “you can't fill from an empty cup.” as they say...

And so today we are going to be exploring how we keep our cups full- and we are thrilled to be joined by three absolutely lovely women in the postpartum parental wellness space.
More on our guests:
Elizabeth Baron is a licensed mental health counselor and psychotherapist, specializing in maternal mental health. She received her master’s degree in counseling psychology from Columbia University’s Teachers College and has extensive clinical experience in supporting women in all stages of their motherhood journeys— from preconception and pregnancy, through postpartum and parenting.

In Spring 2023, she relaunched With Elizabeth, a digital platform dedicated to building community online and in-person: Her goal is to help moms and parents feel less alone, understand the complexity of their experience, and have the space to process the emotional and mental load associated with becoming parents and raising children.Elizabeth lives in NYC with her husband and two young daughters, a preschooler and an infant.
Marcella Kelson (LMSW, MSc) is a life coach and maternal wellness specialist with a background in developmental psychology, social work and psychotherapy. Marcella has a private practice where she sees clients 1:1, facilitates small groups which focus on the various identity shifts in motherhood, and also runs corporate retreats which focus on maternal wellness. Marcella was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in August '22, when her daughter was 3 months old, and is nearly finished with treatment. Marcella has two children, Otto (4.5) and Francesca (1) and she and her husband live in Greenwich, CT.
Neha Ruch is on a mission to update the perception of stay-at-home motherhood in America, infusing it with ambition, dignity, growth, and potential. She established her groundbreaking independent media brand, Mother Untitled, in 2017, in the early days of her motherhood journey. Today, Mother Untitled is the digital destination for progressive, ambitious women who have opted to focus on motherhood for a life chapter, and Neha is a thought leader and sought-after speaker in the world of women, work, parenting, and identity. Neha is the author of forthcoming book, The Power Pause, with Putnam, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Neha received her B.A. from Skidmore College and her M.B.A. from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. She resides in Manhattan with her husband, their two children, and their dog Coconut.

Cancel culture, collecting receipts, watermarking nudes, comparison quicksand and digital pacifiers. These are the complex realities that teens face everyday in their online life. This episode will, without a doubt, help every parent better understand what their kids are going through and how to help.
More on Dr. Emily Weinstein:
Dr. Emily Weinstein is a Principal Investigator at Project Zero, a research center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. For the last decade, her work has focused on chasing answers to questions like: How do today’s technologies shape teens’ lives and development? What’s hard for them and why? How can adults better support kids who are growing up with unprecedented connectivity? Emily is one of the leaders of the Digital Dilemmas project and the Reimagining Digital Well-being project. Her new book with her longtime research collaborator Carrie James, is Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing (and Adults Are Missing). The book is coming out this August and we are fortunate to get a preview of the valuable insights she has to share on today’s episode.
Resources:
nosillyquestionspodcast.com
https://www.instagram.com/nosillyquestionspodcast/

“Bright Kids who Couldn’t Care Less” is the title of our guest Ellen Braaten’s most recent book. And it’s a trend she’s found in her renowned private practice as a clinician. So why do some kids care and others don’t? In our conversation with Ellen we get into childhood motivation, how it all works, and what’s a parent to do when their kid is being - what can even feel like a taboo word- “lazy.”

Ellen Braaten, PhD, is an experienced and prominent psychologist, researcher, speaker, and author. She is the Executive Director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and the Kessler Family Chair in Pediatric Neuropsychological Assessment. She also holds an appointment of Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Braaten is widely recognized as an expert in the field of pediatric neuropsychological and psychological assessment, particularly in the areas of assessing learning disabilities and attentional disorders. Dr. Braaten has traveled internationally and is a frequent media contributor to NBC News, WCVB Boston, CBS Boston, and The New York Times. She has authored several books and articles, her most recent one being Bright Kids Who Couldn't Care Less (2023).
Resources:
nosillyquestionspodcast.com
https://www.instagram.com/nosillyquestionspodcast/

All parents want their kids to receive a quote unquote “good education.” But what about a great education? An excellent education? What does the ceiling look like?

Our expert today, Professor Jal Mehata, has made a deep study - of what he calls “deeper learning.” We speak with him about how this can be achieved within a classroom, across a school campus, and even in our own homes.

More on Jal:

Jal Mehta is a Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. A sociologist by training, his work focuses on how to remake the industrial-era school system into a modern learning organization that creates purpose and passion for both students and adults. He is the author, most recently, with Sarah Fine, of In Search of Deeper Learning: The Quest to Remake the American High School, as well as the author of The Allure of Order: High Hopes, Dashed Expectations and the Troubled Quest to Remake American Schooling. Jal is the co-director of the Deeper Learning Dozen, a community of practice of 12 districts across the United States and Canada that are seeking to remake themselves for the future. Jal works with teachers, schools, districts, and states in the U.S and around the world, seeking to cull wisdom from leading practitioners and share it with the field. Jal is also the proud recipient of the Morningstar Teaching Award at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Resources:
Www.nosillyquestionspodcast.com
https://www.instagram.com/nosillyquestionspodcast/

Welcome to an episode of NSQ Parents Unplugged- where we hear from parents and professionals about their experiences with school and the educational choices they're making for their families.
Today we are joined by a panel of “Parents in The Arts” - parents who work in both the visual and performing arts.
In this discussion, we hear how our panelists think about fostering creativity in their homes and the power of arts education in their lives.