Jen discusses the challenge of navigating the input and commentary from our friends, family and community members that does not always feel supporting when parenting unique children. Jen explains ways to determine what type of support would be helpful and when to provide further information or knowledge to those around us. She discusses how to set healthy boundaries in order to be able to parent within your values and maintain safe and joyful connections with those around you.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
Jen Bluske is joined by Cassie, a homeschooling parent, to discuss the benefits and challenges of homeschooling, why they chose homeschooling for their family and the considerations when deciding if it is right for a family.
Resources:
Southwest Madison Homeschool PlaygroupMadison CIRCLE Social GroupDane County Forest FriendsWild & FreeAldo Leopold Nature Center- "Nature School"
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
Jen is joined by parent coach and yoga therapy specialist Sarah Dimick to discuss creating success for children in the school through specialized supports such as an IEP or 504 plan. Sarah and Jen discuss what an IEP is, how a child qualifies for accommodations and how these plans are developed.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
Jen Bluske explores the often overlooked importance of boredom in child development. She discusses four main benefits and offers practical steps for parents to integrate these moments into their schedules and homes.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
Season Two begins with this episode! Jen Bluske shares practical strategies to help families establish and fine tune daily routines as the school year gets underway. She discusses ways to create both open space and structure to support children’s regulation and family flow.
Beyond The Screens Course: https://www.thrivingparentscollective.com/courses
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
Jen Bluske wraps up the season with a personal reflection on parenting through the transition of children launching into adulthood. Jen shares what she wishes she could tell her younger parenting self and what she encourages listeners to focus on early in their parenting experience. Episodes will resume in September after this personal transition for Jen!
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
Jen discusses setting boundaries in parenting while maintaining connection with children. Jen explains what a boundary is offers tangible ways to set effective boundaries with children.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
www.litpathstudios.com | IG: @litpathstudios
Jen Bluske discusses allowing children to fail as an important tool for supporting their increased resilience and autonomy. She explores the developmental context of growing autonomy and discuss strategies parents and teachers can use in order to support children during their times of frustration and failure.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
Jen Bluske describes the process of moving toward acceptance in ones parenting journey and how to acknowledge both the vision of what we thought parenting would be and what the reality is. She discusses how through acceptance parents can authentically create connection and harbor growth in their children.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
Jen Bluske is joined again by Meredith Wodrich for Part Two of an important conversation about screens and children. Jen and Meredith offer valuable strategies and places to start to begin to change a parent’s relationship with their child around electronics. They discuss further the use of electronics effect on development and the nervous system and begin to provide strategies to create change for families.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Contact Meredith Wodrich:
Resources:
Dr. Alok Kanojia, MD
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
Jen Bluske is joined again by Meredith Wodrich for the first part of a conversation about the use of electronics and kids. Jen and Meredith discuss what is known about how using screens affects the brain, child development and relationships and touch on how video games and social media keep kids online.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Contact Meredith Wodrich:
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
Jen Bluske describes the concept of glimmers and how parents of neurodiverse kids can lean into finding and savoring these small moments of shared joy to improve their relationships with their kids and their experience as parents.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
Jen Bluske is joined by colleague Emily Laird to discuss neurodivergent-affirming care as they both support their clients in their work as occupational therapists and how OT can support the autistic experience.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske and Emily Laird:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
Jen Bluske is joined by Sharon Hammer, licensed professional counselor and educational consultant who provides psychotherapy and psychoeducation to neurodiverse clients. Jen and Sharon discuss mental health treatment through a neuroaffirming lens, how to choose a neuroaffirming provider and how parents can support their autistic child's mental health.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Contact Sharon Hammer:
Website: www.icc-wi.org
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
Jen Bluske is joined by Nate, the dad of an autistic daughter who shares about parenting while also learning about his own neurodivergence.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
Jen Bluske is joined by Blythe, a freshman in high school, who shares about her experiences with her family, in school and her dreams for the future.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
As the New Year begins, Jen Bluske offers listeners an invitation to assess their values as a parent and set intentions for ourselves to set 2025 up for a success.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
In this episode, host Jen Bluske answers two listeners’ questions about how to best support their kids. Jen shares how to work with a young child that doesn’t listen to ‘stop’ and how to support a school age child who is melting down after school.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
Jen Bluske is joined by colleague and fellow Occupational Therapist, Shannon Stuckey for this conversation about children with sensitive nervous systems, the flight, fight, freeze and fawn responses we may see when a child is overwhelmed, and how this can show up in a child with a PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) Profile. Jen and Shannon offer parents and caregivers strategies and resources for navigating these challenging dynamics to best support the children in their lives.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.
Jen Bluske is joined by Bryenne Alesch, director of operations at Elite Cognition, a mental health agency in Madison, WI. Bryenne and Jen offer listeners ways to understand and support individuals with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) profile of Autism. They discuss how PDA may present and where families should start with resources if they believe their child may have a PDA profile.
**Submit questions for Jen to answer on the podcast AT THIS LINK.
Host: Jen Bluske
Producers: Jamie Gale and Jen Bluske
Contact Jen Bluske:
Thriving Parents Collective Website
Contact Bryenne Alesch
Website: elitecognitionllc.com
IG: @elitecognitionllc
Resources:
Book: Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome- My Daughter is Not Naughty by Jane Sherwin
Where They’re Planted is a Lit Path Studios Production.