StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

How do we get our child from the playground to the car or from dinner to bed without a tantrum? For kids, going from one thing to the other is tough. They get upset and we get upset. But once we recognize that these are daily transitions and they happen throughout our lives, we can work with our children (and on ourselves) to lessen the difficulty and set them up with great life-skills.  Dr. Rebecca Schrag Hershberg, Clinical Psychologist and author of the “Tantrum Survival Guide,” joins Lynn and Justin for an insightful conversation about easy and actionable ways to transition children from one activity to another.  And in our Parenting Story of the Day, Marie Holmes shares the touching story of how she and her son got through the really big transition of changing schools.  Dr. Rebecca Schrag Hershberg A mother of two, Dr. Shrag Herschberg is a leading clinical psychologist, parent coach and author of the “Tantrum Survival Guide: Tune In To Your Toddler's Mind (and Your Own) to Calm the Craziness and Make Family Fun Again.” She is the former Director of Training and Quality for Healthy Steps at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, an infant and toddler preventive mental health program that gained national and international attention for its integration of early childhood professionals within primary care pediatrics. She also held an assistant professorship in the Department of Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Instagram @rebeccahershbergphd  Marie Holmes is a parenting reporter with Huffpost and can be found on X @holmes_marie.   StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast is created by Munchkin Inc., the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world.  You can find all your favorite Munchkin products – including the Night Owl Stroller featured in this episode – at Munchkin.com. Use the CURRENT CODE STROLLERCOASTER15 for 15% off regular-price items! (expires 4/13/25) Follow Munchkin on Instagram  Facebook  Pinterest  

Buckle up! StrollerCoaster, the top-ranked parenting podcast created by Munchkin Inc. - “Voted Best Branded Podcast 2024 by Digiday ” - is back for Season 4 on September 3rd! We bring you more amazing interviews with cutting-edge experts along with inspiring and relatable stories from parents across the country just like you.   Our host Lynn Smith dives deep into the topics you want to hear about: Getting from the playground to the car Easy ways to really connect with your kids Handling opposition when all your child says is “NO!” Teaching healthy competition  Finding more patience Creating stressless snack times …and much more! Make sure you are subscribed so you don’t miss our first episode on Tuesday, September 3rd. Coming soon - new episodes of StrollerCoaster StoryTime for Kids! A short form podcast with a modern take on your favorite children's stories and original tales chock full of surprises, cool sound effects and unexpected twists and turns that are perfect for listening with your kids. StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast & StrollerCoster StoryTime for Kids are created by Munchkin, the most loved baby lifestyle brand in the world.  You can find all your favorite Munchkin products at Munchkin.com.  Follow Munchkin on Instagram Facebook Pinterest

How can you feel lonely when you have your baby with you all the time? It’s not only possible, it’s common. People just don’t talk about it, but we will! And don’t worry, we’re not going to tell you to just go and find a playgroup. We go much deeper than that for an incredibly satisfying conversation with expert Dr. Juli Fraga, and then we laugh and nod in understanding as we hear brilliant storyteller and mom, Nell Frizzell, tell us about her loneliness journey. There may even be a Sylvester Stallone reference!

If you ask any parent out there, raising confident kids is a number one priority, but when you think about it, it’s really hard to quantify how to give confidence to children. Is it about encouragement? Independence? Striking a balance between the two? It’s complicated but don’t worry, we have answers for you. Today we sit down with parent, TED speaker and Harvard Business Review contributor Suzanne Brown about the little things we can do to instill confidence in our kids. Then we hear an amazing story from Lori Crowley, the mother of Child-Entrepreneur and Shark Tank guest Cassie Crowley. Lori will tell the story of how Cassie got into designing her product, their journey to Shark Tank and how Cassie’s confidence and motivation brought them to where they are today.

What does it even mean to bond with your child? What do you do if you can tell it’s not happening? Lynn bonds (see what we did there?) with nationally recognized experts Dr. Gabrielle Mauren and Dr. Michelle Wiersgalla through their conversation on building relationships with our kids. Then we learn even more when we hear from mom Jen Malia who went from a strained relationship with her son to a meaningful connection. Lastly, we’ll whisk you away for a relaxing time out!

The Rabbit is feeling pretty confident that he can beat the turtle in a race... UNLESS he were to get distracted by his phone right in the middle of the race! Our 9-year old director leads his cast of amazing improv actors as they perform a one-of-a-kind version of the classic children's story 'The Tortoise & The Hare'. It's full of musical surprises, cool sound effects and unexpected twists and turns! It's "story time" like you've never heard it before! Perfect for kids! And parents too!

In our selfie culture, it’s crucial that we teach our kids to care about each other and to connect with other people. How do we do that, and how can kids become empowered with assertive kindness and not be pushovers? Are people just born kind, or do we learn it? Lynn explores all of this and more by speaking with Leon Logothetis - TV host, speaker and author, best known for his series “The Kindness Diaries” (now streaming on Discovery Plus.) Then, we hear a powerful story from Cassandra Ridder Cooper, about how she called on her community to better teach kindness to their kids. This one will leave you smiling, inspired, and hopeful about the future for our little ones!

There’s tons of mom blogs and websites for moms, but what’s happening in Fatherhood? What have been the hardest changes (besides diapers)? What didn’t Dads expect? First, Lynn hears the latest from Brian Anderson, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Fathering Together, and his community of dads. Then, we hear a funny, real, and heartwarming story from Glen Henry, founder of Beleaf In Fatherhood, on how his world turned upside down when he became a stay-at-home Dad. Make sure to stay until the end when we wrap it all up with a relaxing moment of calm for you!

There you are being your fabulous parenting self when your child suddenly gets furious. Or frustrated. Or surprisingly quiet. What are they feeling and why? Is there a way to quickly decode and translate so they feel understood and we feel sane? Turns out, there are several techniques you can try! First, Lynn talks with child development expert and education journalist, Deborah Farmer Kris to learn ways to better help you AND your child understand their emotions. Then we hear from psychologist and mom Rebecca Shrag Hershberg who got creative with her son’s tantrums and saw clear results. Deborah is the author of the “All The Time” picture book series. The books mentioned in this episode are “I Love You All The Time” and “You Have Feelings All the Time.”  Learn more at www.parenthood365.org Rebecca’s book is called: “The Tantrum Survival Guide: Tune In to Your Toddler's Mind (and Your Own) to Calm the Craziness and Make Family Fun Again.”

Are the holidays stressing you out more than a trip to the store with 3 toddlers? In just 20 minutes, we'll take you away from the madness and into the magic. In this special holiday episode of StrollerCoaster we're gifting you tips from Rosemarie Truglio, a childhood development specialist at Sesame Workshop, on how to talk to your kids about the true meaning of the season without breaking the bank. Then you'll hear from journalist Vanessa McGrady about the time her daughter asked that dreaded question: "Is Santa real?" Her response will have you really believing in the magic of the holidays. So put down the wrapping paper and tape, and tune into StrollerCoaster: The Holiday Episode. Rosemarie has been shaping the creative storytelling of Sesame Street for 25 years. Vanessa is the author of Rock Needs River: A Memoir about a Very Open Adoption. It is available at any online or retail bookstore, and you can learn more at rockneedsriver.com.