We were never given a manual on how to parent. It is easy to get overwhelmed to know the right thing to do. There is so much contradictory information out there and everyone has their own advice. Parenting is a rewarding but messy, confusing, infuriating, guilt-inducing, and overwhelming journey. While it's easy to get lost, Andrew Stewart, a real dad, and Dr. Caroline Buzanko, a real mom, child psychologist, and parenting expert (who also happens to be married to Andrew) will help you get back on track. In each episode, Andrew and Caroline have open and honest chats about everything parenting. Join them in honesty, laughter, and tears (Caroline is a bit of a cry baby) as they help you navigate this journey of parenting. And, every so often, you may get some gems of expert advice. Our goal is to make your parenting journey less stressful, more forgiving, and more awesome. Please join us every Wednesday for new episodes of Parenting of the Year.
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234. Why Does Everything Feel Too Much for Your Child?
Saison 6 · Épisode 234
mercredi 21 octobre 2026 • Durée 21:40
Does your child cover their ears when music plays, refuse certain clothes, or become overwhelmed by everyday sounds and smells? You might wonder whether to accommodate their sensory sensitivities or encourage them to push through.
In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline shares their experiences of living in a household with ADHD and sensory sensitivities. From Dr. Caroline's struggle with background noise to their daughters' reactions to food textures, smells, and physical touch, they explore how sensory overload affects everyday family life.
They discuss the difference between sensory discomfort and anxiety, when accommodations are helpful, and when children need support building coping skills. Andrew also shares how he's learned to adjust his own habits without expecting the entire household to change.
Discover practical ways to recognise sensory overload, reduce unnecessary stress, respect individual needs, and help children manage situations they can't always avoid.
Listen now to learn how your family can make room for sensory needs while building confidence and independence.
Homework Activities
These activities are drawn from Andrew and Dr. Caroline's conversation, with practical prompts added so listeners can try them at home.
Activity 1: Create a Sensory Sensitivity Map
Spend a few days observing when your child becomes uncomfortable with sounds, smells, textures, clothing, or touch. Notice whether reactions are stronger after school, during busy activities, or when they're tired.
Try this: Ask your child, "Which part of your day feels the loudest, busiest, or most uncomfortable?"
Activity 2: Make a Sensory Coping Kit
Work together to choose tools that help. Dr. Caroline discusses headphones, distractions, and planning for recovery after demanding outings.
Try this: Before grocery shopping, ask, "Would headphones help today, or would you prefer a shorter trip?"
Activity 3: Practise Asking for Accommodations
Andrew explains that he's more willing to adjust the music when someone explains they're having a difficult day rather than demanding that everything change.
Try this: Practise saying, "The music feels too loud for me right now. Could we turn it down a little?"
Activity 4: Plan for Sensory Recovery
Dr. Caroline describes how a trip to the grocery store can use up a significant amount of a child's energy.
Try this: After a noisy outing, leave room for a quiet activity before expecting homework, chores, or social interaction.
Activity 5: Decide What Really Needs Practising
Some sensory issues can be managed through simple adjustments, like buying comfortable socks or avoiding an unpleasant spoon. Other situations, including wearing appropriate clothing in cold weather, need more deliberate support.
Try this: Choose one sensory difficulty and ask, "Does this affect safety or something my child needs to do regularly?"
For essential activities, use gradual, child-led practice rather than forcing a child through severe distress.
233. Are You Preparing Your Kids for Life Without You?
Saison 6 · Épisode 233
mercredi 14 octobre 2026 • Durée 40:52
Are You Preparing Your Kids for Life Without You?
Your child can get good grades, follow the rules, and still struggle with everyday responsibilities when they leave home. So, how do you prepare them for real life?
In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline shares what they've learned watching their eldest daughter navigate her first weeks of independent living. From budgeting and meal planning to car maintenance, roommate conflicts, and difficult conversations, they're seeing which childhood lessons are paying off.
They discuss why emotional regulation, problem-solving, and healthy boundaries matter long before adulthood. You'll also hear how small opportunities to make decisions, handle discomfort, and take responsibility can build lasting confidence.
Whether your child is five or fifteen, this conversation offers practical ways to prepare them for greater independence without stepping in to solve every problem.
Listen to discover how everyday parenting moments can help your child become a capable, confident young adult.
Homework Ideas
These activities are drawn from the experiences and parenting strategies Andrew and Dr. Caroline discuss in the episode. They're adapted into exercises parents can try at home.
Activity 1: Let Your Child Solve One Problem
Choose an age-appropriate problem your child can take responsibility for, from a missing school item to booking an appointment.
Ask: "What's the problem? What options do you have? What do you think you should do?"
Goal: Build problem-solving confidence without immediately providing the answer.
Activity 2: Practise Speaking Up
Encourage your child to make a request or ask a question independently. Younger children can ask a restaurant server for a takeaway container. Teens can make a phone call to arrange an appointment.
232. Can You Find Yourself Again After Becoming a Parent?
Saison 6 · Épisode 232
mercredi 7 octobre 2026 • Durée 46:42
Can you remember the last time you did something simply because you loved it?
Parenthood can slowly become a cycle of practices, appointments, work, meals, driving, and making sure everyone else has what they need. Somewhere inside all that responsibility, your own interests can become harder to recognize.
In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline talk with Amanda Alcorn, mother of seven and creator of The Embodied Mother, about what happens when parenting becomes a grind and your joy starts coming almost entirely through your children.
Amanda shares the moment she realized she had spent years caring for everyone else while losing touch with herself. The conversation explores why changing your surroundings may not change how you live, how to identify what no longer feels right, why small experiments can help you rediscover what you enjoy, and how quiet time, nature, movement, and less time online can create space to reconnect with yourself.
You do not need to move to Hawaii or completely reinvent your life. Sometimes the starting point is much smaller: noticing what drains you, remembering what once made you feel alive, and making room to try something different.
If you've ever thought, “I don't even know what I enjoy anymore,” this conversation is worth hearing.
About Amanda Alcorn
Amanda Alcorn is the founder of Wild Uhane and a mother of seven living on Oʻahu. She helps women reconnect with themselves and rediscover joy through intentional living, movement, nature, and spiritual connection.
Book: Love & Manifestation for Your Wild Child – Available on Amazon
Homework for Parents
231. Why Is My Teen Motivated at One School but Not Another?
Saison 6 · Épisode 231
mercredi 30 septembre 2026 • Durée 21:18
Why can a teen struggle with motivation in one school and suddenly thrive in another?
Andrew and Dr. Caroline are joined by their daughter Willow for a candid conversation about her new high school experience and the surprising difference that autonomy, flexibility, and trust have made.
After years of frustration with rigid schedules, sitting in classrooms for hours, being expected to learn one way, and waiting for everyone else to catch up, Willow is now learning at her own pace. She can choose where she works, seek help from teachers who explain things in ways that make sense to her, take breaks when she needs them, and move through coursework as quickly as she is able.
The result? A teenager with ADHD who Dr. Caroline worried might struggle with this much independence is working ahead, asking for help, managing her responsibilities, and actually enjoying school.
They also talk about why being trusted can change motivation, what happens when teenagers are given meaningful responsibility, finding the right learning environment, friendships without the usual school cliques, and Willow's experience navigating high school without social media.
If you've ever wondered whether a child's lack of motivation might have something to do with the environment they're being asked to learn in, this conversation offers plenty to think about.
Homework for Parents
The Motivation Audit
Think about one area where your teen repeatedly procrastinates, resists or needs reminders.
Instead of starting with "How do I make them do it?", look at the conditions surrounding the task.
Ask yourself:
Where do they have choice? Can they choose when, where or how they complete it?
Where might the environment be getting in the way? Are they hungry, restless, overwhelmed, bored or struggling with the way information is being presented?
230. How Do You Raise Kids Who Can Handle Problems Themselves?
Saison 6 · Épisode 230
mercredi 23 septembre 2026 • Durée 17:48
Are You Helping Your Kids Too Much?
Watching your child struggle can make every parenting instinct scream, “Help them!”
But sometimes the most useful thing a parent can do is wait.
In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline talk candidly about watching their daughters become increasingly independent and how surprisingly difficult it can be to resist jumping in and fixing things.
From overflowing sinks and flat tires to bank cards, student loans, schoolwork and household chores, they share what happens when parents give kids room to solve problems themselves.
Dr. Caroline explains why independence can start much earlier than the teenage years. A toddler reaching for a toy, a child learning to make their bed or a teen dealing with a problem at school can all practise figuring out what to do before an adult steps in.
You’ll also hear why independence still needs boundaries, how scaffolding can make responsibilities easier without doing them for your child, and why constant nagging can work against the autonomy parents are trying to build.
If you’ve ever caught yourself fixing something your child could probably handle, this conversation may make you reconsider when to help, when to guide and when to simply get out of the way.
Homework for Parents
These exercises closely reflect what Andrew and Dr. Caroline discuss throughout the episode, particularly their emphasis on stepping back, boundaries, scaffolding and reducing friction.
The Three Things Rule
Before solving a manageable problem for your child, ask: “What are three things you’ve tried first?”
Don’t immediately suggest the three things. Give your child time to generate possible solutions.
Your homework: Try this once this week with a problem you would normally solve for them.
229. Why Does Everything Feel Too Much for My Child?
Saison 6 · Épisode 229
mercredi 16 septembre 2026 • Durée 33:56
Why does every conversation with your child seem to turn into a fight? Why do your attempts to help leave both of you feeling worse?
When a child or teen experiences emotions that feel overwhelming, their brain naturally searches for relief. Sometimes that relief comes through behaviours that worry the adults who love them most, including self harm or other self destructive coping strategies. Understanding why those behaviours develop changes the way we respond.
In this episode, Dr. Caroline Buzanko is joined by therapist and author Katie K. May to explore why validation is one of the most powerful tools for reducing emotional intensity, why regulating yourself comes before trying to regulate your child, and how everyday interactions can either strengthen connection or increase conflict.
You'll learn why emotional validation does not encourage unhealthy behaviour, how to recognise what sits underneath anger and irritability, practical ways to step out of power struggles, and why building connection often starts with simply sharing space together.
If you're supporting a young person with anxiety, emotional dysregulation, depression, self harm, or intense emotional reactions, this conversation offers practical strategies you can begin using today.
In this episode you'll learn:
Why self destructive behaviours often become short term coping strategies
How validation lowers emotional intensity
Why regulating yourself changes everything
How to avoid escalating emotional storms
Ways to rebuild connection after conflict
What radical acceptance really means for families
Practical communication strategies that strengthen trust
About Katie K. May Katie K. May is a licensed therapist, author, speaker, and group practice owner. She founded Creative Healing, a multi-location teen support center in the Philadelphia area, and wrote the #1 Amazon best-seller You’re On Fire, It’s Fine. Her second book for clinicians, Teen DBT in Practice will be published in July 2026. With lived experience as a teen who turned to self-harm, Katie is one of a select few Board Certified DBT Clinicians in Pennsylvania, the gold standard treatment for self-harm and suicidal behaviors. She equips parents and clinicians with practical, trauma-informed tools to decode behavior as survival and create lasting change.
Homework Ideas
228. Why Are We So Busy but Still Getting Nowhere?
Saison 6 · Épisode 228
mercredi 9 septembre 2026 • Durée 26:38
Do you ever reach the end of the day exhausted, yet still feel like you didn’t do enough?
Parents are surrounded by pressure to do more, achieve more, improve more, and somehow help their kids do the same. But trying to pursue everything can leave us making very little progress on what actually matters.
In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline talk about the difference between having big aspirations and endlessly chasing possibilities. They explore why too many goals can leave us stuck, how comparison and hustle culture feed the feeling that we’re falling behind, and why meaningful progress often comes from choosing one realistic action you can take today.
They also look at what this means for kids. Rather than shutting down big dreams, parents can help children and teens connect those dreams to their daily choices: How are you spending your time? What are you willing to practise? What can you do today that moves you closer?
From writing a book to saving for school to simply texting a friend when they cross your mind, this conversation is a reminder that a meaningful life gets built in the small moments we keep waiting to act on.
If your days feel packed but the things that matter keep getting pushed aside, this episode may change what you choose to do with your time today.
Homework for Parents
The episode naturally gives you several strong activities rather than a formal homework assignment.
The One-Thing Question
Choose one thing you genuinely want to accomplish.
Ask:
“What is one thing I can do today to move towards it?”
Dr. Caroline describes doing exactly this with her book. After years of talking about writing it, she scheduled dedicated blocks every day. At the time of recording, the manuscript was already with a publisher for review.
227. Why won’t your child tell you what’s wrong?
Saison 6 · Épisode 227
mercredi 2 septembre 2026 • Durée 20:14
Your child comes home from school. You ask how their day went.
“Fine.”
And now you’re left wondering whether they’re actually fine, overwhelmed, lonely, worried about finding their classroom, struggling with a locker, or simply not ready to talk.
School transitions can bring excitement, uncertainty, social worries, new responsibilities, and plenty of stress. And when parents see their child struggling, the instinct to step in, fix the problem, offer advice, or make things easier can be hard to resist.
In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline talk about helping kids through transitions without micromanaging the experience. Caroline explains why validation should come before advice, how open-ended questions help kids build their own problem-solving skills, and why parents need to understand what is actually getting in the way before deciding their child needs help.
They also share practical ideas from their own family, including their “bravery jar,” practising locker combinations before school, building study habits early, and helping kids stretch beyond their comfort zone without taking over.
Whether your child is starting a new grade, moving into junior high or high school, heading to university, or facing another big change, this episode will help you know when to support, when to validate, and when to give them room to figure things out.
Parent Homework Ideas
These activities come directly from the strategies Dr. Caroline discusses in the episode.
The Transition Worry List
Kids often genuinely answer “I don’t know” because they cannot identify what they are worried about on demand. Caroline recommends brainstorming possibilities together.
Write down possible concerns:
226. Are Your Expectations Getting in Your Child's Way?
Saison 6 · Épisode 226
mercredi 26 août 2026 • Durée 28:22
You want your child to be happy, successful and confident. But when does wanting the best for them quietly turn into deciding what their life should look like?
In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline get personal as one of their daughters prepares to move out. That milestone sparks a bigger conversation about the goals parents carry for their children and how easily our own experiences, missed opportunities and expectations can shape them.
They talk about raising curious lifelong learners, letting kids choose their own path, modelling rather than pushing, building confidence through new experiences, and why frustration and disappointment have an important place in growing up.
Caroline also offers a simple exercise: write down the goals you have for your child, ask why each one matters, who it is really for, and whether it supports growth.
Your child doesn't need to become the person you pictured. Your job is to give them opportunities to discover who they can become.
Parent Homework Ideas
This is the clearest actionable exercise from the episode. Dr. Caroline tells listeners to write down their goals, ask why they hold each one, determine who benefits and consider whether the goal focuses on growth.
Write Down Your Goals
Without editing yourself, finish:
"I want my child to…"
Examples might include:
Go to university
Have good friends
Be confident
Get good grades
Exercise
Find a partner
Have children
Be financially successful
Be happy
Ask "Why?"
Beside every goal, write:
225. How do we help kids transition back to school?
Saison 6 · Épisode 225
mercredi 19 août 2026 • Durée 24:51
Are you ready to kickstart the new school year with ease and confidence?
Today, we recast an episode of Dr. Caroline's Overpowering Emotions podcast, where she presents valuable tips and strategies to ensure a smooth back-to-school transition.
If you haven't already, check out these additional resources:
Goal: Help children become comfortable communicating with adults and advocating for themselves.
Activity 3: Practise a Difficult Conversation
Choose a small disagreement and practise expressing different opinions respectfully. Encourage listening, acknowledging the other person's concerns, and looking for possible solutions.
Goal: Develop healthy communication and conflict-resolution skills.
Activity 4: Give Your Child One New Responsibility
Have your child plan a meal, manage a small budget, organize their weekly schedule, or learn a household task.
Give guidance when needed, but let them make manageable decisions.
Goal: Strengthen planning, time management, and everyday responsibility.
Activity 5: Make Room for Discomfort
When your child experiences frustration or disappointment, acknowledge their feelings before offering solutions.
Ask: "What might help you get through this?" Allow space for manageable discomfort while remaining available for support.
Goal: Help children practise emotional regulation and tolerate everyday setbacks.
If you can't answer, “What brings me joy?” don't force it.
Start with the easier question:
What doesn't feel good anymore?
Write down three parts of your current routine that consistently leave you depleted, resentful, disconnected, or rushed.
Beside each one, ask:
Does this actually need to stay this way?
Choose one small adjustment to test this week.
Five Minutes Without Input
Amanda recommends beginning with just five minutes of quiet.
No scrolling. No podcast. No email. No chores.
Sit somewhere comfortable, follow your breathing, and notice what is happening in your body and mind.
You don't need to accomplish anything during those five minutes.
Rediscover Joy Through Experiments
Don't wait until you suddenly remember your passion.
Experiment.
Write down five things you used to enjoy or have been curious about trying.
Choose one this week.
It could be riding a bike, gardening, painting, hiking, swimming, reading outside, dancing, baking, photography, woodworking, or something completely new.
Afterward, ask:
Did I want more of that?
That answer is useful information.
Put Your Phone Away for One Family Window
Choose one predictable period each day when your phone is physically out of reach.
Try dinner, the first 30 minutes after everyone gets home, a walk, or bedtime.
Notice what happens when your attention isn't split between the people in front of you and everyone online.
Ask the Question You've Been Avoiding
Complete these sentences privately:
I thought family life would feel like...
Right now, it feels like...
I wish we had more...
I wish we had less...
One thing I would change if I gave myself permission is...
You don't need to make a huge decision after answering them. The goal is to get honest about the life you're currently living.
Are they being given responsibility or being closely managed? Notice how often you remind, check, correct or direct.
Then experiment with giving them ownership over one part of the task this week.
Ask Your Teen What Helps Their Brain Learn
Willow describes needing concepts explained in several different ways before they click. She also values being able to seek out teachers who communicate in a way that works for her.
Try asking:
"When something is hard to learn, what makes it easier for your brain to understand it?"
Listen before suggesting solutions.
Try One Week With Less Nagging
Choose one responsibility your teen already knows how to complete.
Agree on the expectation and deadline, then reduce the reminders.
Watch what happens.
This connects directly with Willow's story about cleaning the entire house, including her sister's chores, when nobody was around directing or nagging her.
Make a "When Things Get Hard" Plan
Don't wait until your teen is overwhelmed.
Ask:
"If school starts getting harder, what could you do?"
Willow already identified her own options: attend more seminars, use subject resource centres, find a quiet study pod, ask more questions, study more before tests and ask her parents for help.
Notice what happens inside you when your child struggles.
Before stepping in, wait ten seconds.
Ask yourself: Are they unsafe, or am I uncomfortable watching them struggle?
If they’re safe, give them another moment.
Hand Over the Tools
Look for one task you normally complete for your child that they could attempt themselves. Instead of doing it, provide what they need. The episode gives a great real-life version of this: Andrew’s daughter needed help, so he dropped off the tools and left her to handle the job.
Reduce Friction Without Removing Responsibility
Choose one responsibility your child regularly struggles to start. Make starting easier without completing the job.
Dr. Caroline describes having the dog waste bags ready when Willow already had her jacket and shoes on. The responsibility remained Willow’s, but one barrier to getting started disappeared.
Set the Boundary, Then Stop Nagging
Pick one recurring responsibility.
State:
What needs to happen.
What choice your child has.
What happens if it isn’t completed.
Then resist repeated reminders.
Andrew and Dr. Caroline describe using this approach with dishwasher duties, where Willow has choice within a clear household boundary.
When your child shares a goal, resist immediately explaining how difficult or unrealistic it might be.
Ask:
“What could you do today that would move you a little closer?”
For a teen aiming for a particular GPA, that could mean studying tonight. For a child interested in art, it could mean drawing for 20 minutes.
The aim is to connect aspirations with behaviour rather than leaving them as distant ideas.
Protect a Focus Block
Choose one important project and put uninterrupted time in your calendar.
Andrew and Dr. Caroline discuss 90 minutes as a useful period for focused work, with one important condition: it actually needs to be focused.
For parents with younger children, 90 minutes may be unrealistic. The principle matters more than the number. Protect whatever amount of focused time your current circumstances genuinely allow.
The “Do It Now” Experiment
For one week, notice small opportunities to act on the kind of person you want to be.
Thinking about a friend? Text them.
Does someone need the door held? Hold it.
Opportunity to be patient with your child? Take it.
Dr. Caroline makes the point that becoming kinder or more generous doesn’t require creating another elaborate project for yourself. The character gets practised in ordinary moments.
Future-Self Check
This one works particularly well with teens.
When there’s something coming up, identify it without turning it into today’s crisis.
Then ask:
“Is there one small thing I can do today that will make this easier for me in the future me?”
Andrew describes this through their daughter thinking about having enough money for the following semester. The future expense didn’t need to consume her present day, but she could acknowledge it and make small choices that helped prepare for it.
Ask your child to cross out what doesn’t bother them and check anything that might.
Try Validation Before Advice
For one week, notice what happens when your child brings you a problem.
Before giving advice, try:
“That sounds tough.”
“That’s a lot.”
“Wow.”
Then wait.
When they feel heard, ask:
“What do you need?” “What are you going to do?” “How can I help?”
Practise One Practical Skill
Choose one responsibility your child will encounter during their transition and practise it before they need it under pressure.
Dr. Caroline describes buying a similar lock and having their child practise opening it before school. That removed one worry from an already stressful transition.
Other possibilities:
Take the bus route together.
Practise using a combination lock.
Walk through their schedule.
Practise ordering or buying lunch.
Create a simple homework routine.
Practise introducing themselves.
Create a Bravery Jar
Dr. Caroline shares how their family used a bravery jar to encourage small steps outside their children’s comfort zones.
Fill a jar with manageable challenges:
“Compliment someone.”
“Say hello to someone new.”
“Sit with someone at lunch.”
“Ask someone a question.”
“Try one unfamiliar activity.”
The goal is growth, rather than suddenly becoming confident or having lots of friends.
Ask: Whose Goal Is This?
Before worrying about your child sitting alone, having a small friend group or skipping certain social activities, ask:
“Are they unhappy with this, or am I?”
Dr. Caroline shares that one of their daughters sometimes chose to read alone because she wanted the downtime. What might look concerning to a parent may be exactly what the child wants.
Is this connected to something I wanted, missed, struggled with or valued in my own life?
Dr. Caroline points directly to this distinction: wanting university because you didn't attend, athletics because you had an unrealized athletic dream, or confidence because you lacked it yourself.
Ask "Who Is This For?"
Mark each goal:
Mostly for my child / Mostly for me / Both
Pay particular attention to goals that affect how you believe your child's choices reflect on you.
Turn Outcomes Into Growth
Change goals you cannot control into opportunities for development.
Instead of:
"I want my child to always be happy."
Try:
"I want my child to recognize moments of happiness and develop the skills to cope with difficult emotions."
Dr. Caroline makes this distinction in the episode, explaining that children need the full range of emotions and the ability to recognize, manage and move through them.
Choose One Opportunity for Exposure
Give your child an opportunity to experience something without requiring them to love it.
That could be cooking, skating, volunteering, hiking, music, sport, art, reading, travel or another family interest.
Parent rule: expose, invite and model. Don't make your child's enthusiasm the measure of success.
Andrew and Dr. Caroline describe this with fitness and golf: their daughters were exposed to these activities without being pushed, then returned to some of them later for motivations of their own.
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