Lisa Murphy, author of Play: The Foundation of Children's Learning and founder and CEO of Ooey Gooey, Inc. joins us for Part 2 of our discussion on the importance of play and how to incorporate into the daily lives of children.

Rae Pica returns for a conversation with Mike about her new book, Acting Out: Avoid Behavior Challenges with Active Learning Games and Activities. They discuss why children need movement and play, and the positive effects they have on learning and behavior. Show Notes: www.discoverychilddevelopmentcenter.comFacebook: Facebook.com/preschoolandbeyond

North Carolina Senator Jeff Jackson joins us to discuss why it is important for parents, educators, and community members to advocate for early childhood education. We talk about ways to bring awareness to the issue and how to help influence policy at the state and local level.

Lisa Murphy, author of Play: The Foundation of Children's Learning and founder and CEO of Ooey Gooey, Inc, joins us to discuss why play should be an essential element of every child's day. In Part 1, we discuss what playful learning looks like and the many ways it benefits children.

Authors Darlene Sweetland and Ron Stolberg join us to talk about their book Teaching Kids to Think: Raising Confident, Independent, and Thoughtful Children in an Age of Instant Gratification. We discuss ways families can begin to implement the strategies and recommendations from the book to help them raise children to become independent, thoughtful, and able to solve their own problems. Show Noteswww.discoverychilddevelopmentcenter.comFacebook: facebook.com/preschoolandbeyond

Blaire Malkin, an attorney at Mountain State Justice, joins us to talk about the legal rights of students and their families. We discuss how to advocate for your child, what types of services and supports are available, and how to access them and more.

Dr. Gail Joseph joins us to discuss the importance of helping build your child's emotional vocabulary during the preschool years. Dr. Joseph is the Bezos Family Foundation Distinguished Professor in Early Learning at the University of Washington.Show Page:www.discoverychilddevelopmentcenter.comFacebook: facebook.com/preschoolandbeyond

Author and education consultant, Rae Pica, discusses topics from her book,What If Everybody Understood Child Development?: Straight Talk About Improving Education and Children’s Lives. Topics including the importance of active learning and play, learning through failure. and developing intrinsic motivation.

Ashley Steel joins us to share tips for successful family travel. Ashely and her husband, Bill Richards, are the authors of "Family on the Loose: The Art of Traveling with Kids," and "100 Tips for Traveling with Kids in Europe."Topics discussed include:* Preparing your child for the trip* Airplane tips* Planning your itinerary* Eating and sleeping on vacation* Creating a travel journalShow Page: www.discoverychilddevelopmentcenter.com/podcastfacebook: facebook.com/preschoolandbeyond

Jen Lumanlan, host of the Your Parenting Mojo podcast, joins us to discuss ways parents can help prepare their child for school. Topics discussed include:* Common challenges transitioning to school* Developing self-regulation skills* Parent participation at school* Encouraging intrinsic motivation* Research on student learningShow Page: www.discoverychilddevelopmentcenter.comFacebook: facebook.com/preschoolandbeyond

Dr. Tina Payne Bryson returns to the podcast to discuss the new book she has co-written with Dr. Dan Siegel, The Yes Brain: How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience in Your Child.Topics Discussed Include:* Fundamentals of the Yes Brain* Teaching children to recognize their emotions* Supporting children through challenging situations* Handling disappointment* Perspective taking and empathyShow Page: www.discoverychilddevelopmentcenter.comFacebook: facebook.com/preschoolandbeyond

Rebecca Cohen shares ideas for outdoor adventures for spring and summer from her book, Fifteen Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids. Topics discussed include:* Benefits of outdoor play* Playing in the rain* How to start a garden* Learning through outdoor play* Favorite spring and summer activitiesShow Page: www.discoverychilddevelopmentcenter.com/podcastFacebook: facebook.com/preschoolandbeyond

This compilation episodes brings together some of the best strategies our guests have shared for promoting positive behavior in children. The episode provides 10 strategies families can start implementing today.

Adam Beck, founder of the blog Bilingual Monkeys, and author of Maximize Your Child's Bilingual Ability, joins us to discusses strategies for successfully raising a bilingual child. Topics discuss include:* Benefits to raising a bilingual child* Common Challenges* Using language to connect with children* Making learning a language fun* Finding language resourcesShow Page: http://www.discoverychilddevelopmentcenter.com/podcastFacebook: facebook.com/preschoolandbeyond

Family therapist and best-selling author, Susan Stiffelman shares ideas on how parents can create a strong and healthy relationship with their child, gain greater cooperation, and help their child manage frustrations and struggles.

Speech-language pathologist, Jill Odle, joins us to discuss how a child's language develops through the preschool years. We look at common concerns of parents of preschoolers in language development, strategies for improving your child's communication skills, and early interventions. Show Notes: www.discoverychilddevelopmentcenter.com/podcastfacebook: www.facebook.com/preschoolandbeyond

Heather Spohr joins us to discuss strategies for successfully making it through the toddler years with your child. Heather and her husband, Mike, are the authors of The Toddler Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Whiny Unfed. The book combines humor with practical advice for parents of toddlers. Episode Topics include:Preparing your home for toddlersSocializing children for schoolTraveling with toddlersGoing out to eat with kidsVisiting RelativesShow Page: http://www.discoverychildd...

Brendan Mahan joins us to discuss ADHD during the preschool years. We talk about what ADHD looks like in preschoolers, early intervention, and parenting strategies for children who have, or may have ADHD. Brendan is an ADHD/Executive Function consultant/coach, and is the host of the ADHD Essentials podcast.Show Page - www.discoverychilddevelopmentcenter.com/podcastfacebook - facebook.com/preschoolandbeyond

Registered dietician nutritionist, Liz Weiss joins us to discuss tips and tricks for creating healthy and enjoyable family meals. Liz hosts the cooking podcast and blog, Liz' Healthy Table, and she is the author of the books several cookbooks including No Whine with Dinner and the coloring e-book series, Color, Cook, Eat!Episode Topics include:Importance of family dinnersTime saving meal prep strategiesIntroducing new foods to childrenMeal planning and dinner ideasInvolving children in cooki...

Psychologist Dr. Kristen Wynns returns to the podcast to discuss her new book, The No Wimpy Parenting Handbook. Dr. Wynns shares strategies for parents feeling frustrated, helpless or stressed, on how they can change the dynamics in their homes, and become confident and empowered again.