Parent Trapped

Racism has a profound impact on the health and well-being of our kids. This week, racism against the Black community is being laid bare for all families to see—from the pandemic's disproportionate impact to police brutality and other racist violence. For this week's show, child psychologist Allison Briscoe-Smith will share her advice for talking with your kids about big, important topics like racism, ways to promote resilience, and committing to action.

Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith is a clinical psychologist and professor at the Wright Institute, where she's director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Allison's recent article for Common Sense is How to Talk with Kids About Racism and Racial Violence. In it, she suggests talking to kids about racism in the context of all the other foundational conversations you're already having, about things like fairness, kindness, working hard, and who we are as people and communities.

After the show:

• Read Allison's full article, "How to Talk with Kids About Racism and Racial Violence."
• Allison was also a panelist on a recent hour-long webinar about helping kids process racism and violence: "Helping Kids Process Violence, Trauma, and Race in a World of Nonstop News."
• And here's where we've collected Common Sense's race and racism resources.
• Sign your kids up to be the next Beyoncé or Beethoven! QuaranTunes are online music and art lessons for young people age 4 to 14.

And we want to hear your tips and suggestions! How are these conversations playing out in your family? Send your stories to [email protected], and we might invite you on the show.

Parent Trapped was brought to you by founding sponsor First Republic Bank. To learn more about their services, visit http://firstrepublic.com.

Reading, writing, and storytelling can be a creative first aid kit for families stuck at home during the pandemic. But where do you begin if your kid says they don't want to read or write? Today we've got some strategies for making reading and writing exciting.

First, we'll hear some games dreamed up by the one and only Julie Andrews. She and her daughter, children's author and educator Emma Walton Hamilton, have started a new project to spark kids' imaginations: It's a podcast we adore called Julie's Library.

Then, Sierra Filucci from Common Sense Media joins us to discuss how to get your kid busy reading this summer, even if they're reluctant. Is any reading better than no reading?

Plus, a parenting win: We'll hear the story of how a college soccer star turned a kid who hates writing ... into a kid who likes it.

After the show:

• Subscribe to the Julie's Library podcast! On the show, Julie Andrews invites you into her library to read her favorite children's books. Every story comes to life with sound, music, and activities.
• Need more books without going to the library this summer? Common Sense compiled some resources to help you find some free ebooks from home.
• Check out more great parenting advice from Common Sense Media's editorial director, Sierra Filucci.

And we want to hear your tips and suggestions! Send your questions and tips—especially the strange ones—to [email protected], and we might invite you on the show.

Parent Trapped was brought to you by founding sponsor First Republic Bank. To learn more about their services, visit http://firstrepublic.com.

During a pandemic, there's so much to be stressed about. Dr. Dave Anderson of the Child Mind Institute has some strategies for keeping your anxiety in check—including one that involves eating a sandwich! Plus, some de-stressy family TV suggestions from Polly Conway from Common Sense Media. And then the director of the Icelandic Forest Service Þröstur Eysteinsson shares his tips on using trees to your advantage.

After the show:

• Read our review of The Good Place (age 12+).
• For quirky animated shows that deal with really big stuff, check out Adventure Time (10+) or Steven Universe (10+).
• For fantasy shows where the natural world gives you superpowers, we love Avatar (13+), Legend of Korra (8+), and Dragon Prince (10+).
• And for older kids who love animated shows, Polly suggests some classics like Bob's Burgers (13+), The Simpsons (12+), and King of the Hill (13+).
• Read the BBC report "Icelanders urged to hug trees to overcome isolation."

And we want to hear your tips and suggestions! Do you have a special way to deal with anxiety? What are YOU watching with your kids? Send your questions and tips—especially the strange ones—to [email protected], and we might invite you on the show.

Parent Trapped was brought to you by founding sponsor First Republic Bank. To learn more about their services, visit http://firstrepublic.com

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What happens when the invisible work of mothers becomes visible during a pandemic? Better Life Lab director Brigid Schulte says now is the perfect time for couples to dream up better ways to share responsibilities at home. Then, Common Sense's Editor-in-Chief Jill Murphy recommends some great content for Mom that is not about being a mom. Plus, the perfect recipe for the parent who claims they can't cook: All you need is a hotdog and six raw sticks of spaghetti.

After the show:

• Read Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time by Brigid Schulte.
• Subscribe to Brigid's podcast, Better Life Lab.
• Need a new TV Show? Jill Murphy from Common Sense recommends Working Moms on Netflix and I'm Sorry from TruTV.
• Who are your favorite TV moms? Tweet them at us with the hashtag #ParentTrapped.

Do you have an equivalent of Spaghetti Hot Dog Surprise? Or maybe a new way to keep your kids busy while you cook? Send your tips and questions to [email protected] and we might invite you on the show.

Parent Trapped was brought to you by founding sponsor First Republic Bank. To learn more about their services, visit http://firstrepublic.com

In our final episode of the series, we're looking at how you can take the messiness of the last few months and embrace it to have a more creative and resilient life. To do so, we're joined by Tim Harford from the podcast Cautionary Tales. He's also the author of Messy: How to Be Creative and Resilient in a Tidy-Minded World.

Plus, we do a little bit of therapy ... movie therapy. On Kristen Meinzer's Movie Therapy podcast, listeners submit questions, and the hosts offer advice through movie and TV recommendations. In our episode, host Ann Marie Baldonado shares her own personal queries: Is there a movie to help her fall asleep? Is there a movie to help her cope with feelings of uncertainty about the future? What movie could help her two girls bond as sisters?

This is our last episode of the show for now. Stay subscribed to this feed to hear about future projects from Common Sense Media. To stay in touch with our host, you can find Ann Marie on Twitter (@annmarieb) or on Instagram (abaldonado).

After the show:

• Listen to Tim Harford's podcast, Cautionary Tales. On the show, he tells true stories about mistakes and what we should learn from them.
• Read Tim's book Messy: How to Be Creative and Resilient in a Tidy-Minded World.
• Watch Tim's Ted Talk, "How frustration can make us more creative."
• Kristen Meinzer co-hosts the Movie Therapy podcast with Rafer Guzman. She also hosts the shows By the Book and Innovation Uncovered.
• Read Kristen's new book, How to Be Fine: What We Learned from Living by the Rules of 50 Self-Help Books, and So You Want to Start a Podcast.
• For our movie therapy segment, Kristen recommended a ton of things to watch. For help falling asleep, she suggests watching all the close-ups of leaves blowing in the wind during Tree of Life (age 14+, 5 stars) or the soothing lull of the Home Shopping Network.
• For dealing with uncertainty, try Grey's Anatomy (age 15+, 4 stars), Law & Order (age 15+, 4 stars), or The Martian (12+, 4 stars).
• For difficult decisions involving family members, she recommends The Farewell (age 11+, 4 stars).
• For helping siblings bond, check out Daedra and Laini Rob a Train (age 14+, 3 stars) or The Parent Trap (age 6+, 4 stars).
• For breakups and any other time you want to sing "They had it coming!," Kristen suggests watching Chicago (age 14+, 4 stars).

Parent Trapped was brought to you by founding sponsor First Republic Bank. To learn more about their services, visit http://firstrepublic.com.

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