As the school year settles in, so do the big feelings our kids carry with them. In this episode, Amy O. sits down with our podcast producer, Anne Neumann, to share real-life parenting stories and strategies for noticing what our kids need. From giving them space to express emotions, to balancing structured activities with free time. Walk away with one powerful takeaway you can start practicing today: simply noticing. SHOW NOTES: CATCH Parent Support Network (Parents Connect) Ross Greene...

It's CATCH Moms at the Pod today! Rachel Tzinberg, CATCH President and Julie Weinberg, the Vice President, join us to share heartfelt experiences and lessons learned on our parenting journeys thus far. We recorded in the very living room where CATCH began, too! Join us to discover practical advice, have a few laughs and find yourself in our conversation. We cover the gamut from fostering open communication to validating our kids. We have learned a lot and this is an e...

Today you'll meet Adison Schwartz, an inspiring high school senior erasing the mental health stigma every day! She is joined by her school staff mentor, Robyn Corelitz, a social emotional learning specialist. Together, they are making a difference at Deerfield High School. Adison will take us on an audio tour of the amazing space she created, dedicated to student wellness at her school. She will also introduce us to You Are Enough, the organization she founded when she was o...

When Glenbrook North High School delayed finals at the last-minute due to the weather, it launched a firestorm of anger aimed at the administration. In response, student editors at the school newspaper took a stand that brought its own criticism. In this episode of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, we meet the authors of that editorial, Avery Copeland, and Kaitlyn Lu. They share the backlash they faced and why they believe their peers need to "suck it up" in the face of adve...

If you’re stuck in the muck of parenting, you can make positive change without sticker charts and timeouts. Yes, there is another way, and you’ll find it by searching for glimmers, those minor moments that deliver peace and joy. During this episode, we meet an artist who made a big life change for the better and shares how you can follow her lead with small steps. SHOW NOTES: B Kez website B Kez Instagram (@BKez) Music Credit: Line Up / POND 5 ©CATCH 2024 To find all of the reso...

How often are you or your child checking their grades? How is that impacting your relationship with your child? In this episode of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, we dive deep into the addictive nature of online grade tracking systems for both parents and students. Join us as we look at the toll these systems take on our families and learn how we can break free from what Julie Lythcott-Haims calls the "insidious parent portal." SHOW NOTES 00:28 Julie Lythcott-Haims One Week Cl...

Parents are facing real pressures to keep kids active, focused, and accomplished. But to what end? The award-winning documentary, Chasing Childhood, emphasizes the importance of free play and independence as the keys to a kid’s success. In this episode of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, we dig into what’s best for our children and offer guidance on avoiding the overparenting trap. SHOWNOTES: Chasing Childhood Documentary If you would like to host an intimate docume...

From the intense pressures of the college application process to the societal expectations shaping student extracurricular choices. Our kids are doing it all. Are they achieving success? Join Amy O. and Dr. Lisa in a candid conversation with Aimee Wool, a seasoned high school teacher, as they delve into the evolving world of student stress. Wool shares valuable insights into the changing dynamics of education and offers thought-provoking perspectives on redefining success and hap...

"It's wild to me that we throw all these things at teenagers and expect them to handle it with the grace and poise that a 35-year-old would. And so, if I were speaking directly to teenagers of today, what I would say to them is that it makes so much sense that you feel this pressure. It makes so much sense that you feel stressed out. The environment that you are in is such a competitive and high pressure one that I would feel the same exact way." Meg Ruocco - 2015 High School Graduate T...

" I guess we shouldn't make up someone else's story," stated a kindergartner after hearing the book Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Pena. That is the powerful message one kindergarten student walked away understanding from their library time with Tara LaCerra. LaCerra is a beloved librarian at one of our local elementary schools. She sees firsthand how our youths’ mental health has changed over the last decade; the anxiety, the frustration, the struggle to build resilience. And she sha...

" You know, once you become an expert in being yourself, navigating the world gets a whole lot easier." Olivia, from Food Fight Did you know some picky eating is considered an eating disorder? Extreme cases are now diagnosed as ARFID, Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. Local author and social worker Linda B. Davis is releasing the book, Food Fight, to help readers better understand this mental illness through the eyes of a middle schooler. In the final...

Don’t worry about reading, writing, and ‘rithmatic for your young children. During the preschool years, they learn all they need to know from playtime. In this episode of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, Amy and Lisa talk to Sue Carr, Director of Monona Grove Nursery School in Madison, Wisconsin, about the lessons that come from independent exploration with peers. So put in your earbuds, take this 30 minutes for you and join our conversation because mental health matters. ...

How are schools responding to the growing mental health demands of students? In this episode of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, we get an inside look at how one local district is stepping up, especially after community-wide trauma. Jennifer Ginopolis, the Director of Recovery for Township High School District 113, which represents Highland Park and Deerfield High Schools, talks about the deliberate steps they are taking following the July 4th shooting and reminds us about ...

If your child is struggling with anxiety, finding them a therapist is often a great option, but it’s certainly not the only one. Sometimes, effective help comes from therapy for parents. In this episode of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, Amy and Lisa talk with Niki Aquino, LCSW, Mind Chicago, about SPACE: Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions. So put in your earbuds, take this 30 minutes for you and join our conversation because mental health matters. SHO...

How do you respond when a young person comes out about their gender or sexual preference? What do you say when someone makes a homophobic comment in your home? And how do you initiate a conversation about pronouns? In this episode or Parenting the Mental Health Generation, our hosts, Amy and Lisa, talk with Lizzy Appleby, LCSW and Director of the Pride Youth Program for LGBTQ+ youth at Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook. Together, they dig into understanding and supporting our LGB...

Amy and Lisa sit down with two North Shore filmmakers, Ari Braun and Eden Grunsberg, to discuss their film "The Stigma." The documentary is a raw look into the struggles teens experience in sharing their mental illness with friends. What is so compelling about the documentary is that these filmmakers are themselves teens. Amy and Lisa expand the conversation with Ari and Eden to their thoughts and feelings about their teen world out from behind the camera. Agi Semrad, Founder and Executiv...

When the Anxiety Monster reared his ugly head one morning at college, a student called his mom. In this essay from the CATCH series, In Real Life, she shares their conversation and the one important question she asked to support him in that moment. You can read this In Real Life Journal post here. Do you ever wonder if you’re the only one struggling with bumps and pitfalls on a daily basis? Listen to Real Talk: Essays from Real Life, straight from the CATCH Journal at catchiscommunity.org. W...

It took five years, but I finally figured out how to follow the therapist’s advice. In this Essay from Real Life, a mom shares her struggles with managing her anxiety while trying to support her son on his mental health journey. Through a series of trials and errors, can she learn the true value of validation? You can read this In Real Life Journal post here. Do you ever wonder if you’re the only one struggling with bumps and pitfalls on a daily basis? Listen to Real Talk: Essays from Real ...

During this holiday season, why are we surprised when that unwanted guest, Grief shows up? Listen to this Essay from Real Life as one family opens their arms to a young man walking through his journey of grief. You can read this In Real Life Journal post here. If you’d like to write an In Real Life, email info@catchiscommunity.org. Do you ever wonder if you’re the only one struggling with bumps and pitfalls on a daily basis? Listen to Real Talk: Essays from Real Life, straight from t...

Kids say the darnedest things. In this episode of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, our host’s adult children join the conversation. Shawn and Luke Oberholtzer, Amy’s kids, are in their 20s, and have some things to say about growing up, the parent-child relationship, social media and more. Our other host, Lisa, is raising two young children and soaks in all the Oberholtzers have to offer. SHOW NOTES: Articles Luke referenced:https://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/y...