Season Five
December 1, 2011 Broadcast
Jean-Francios Rodrigues, The Reluctant Mr. Mum, explains what it was like being one of the 1st Stay-at-Home-Dads in the world; Hermine Steinberg talks about how children can thrive in a materialistic society that promotes self-debasing values. She is the author of The CoWalkers/Awakening.
Topics Covered We are now international, Mr. Mum calling in from England, it’s 1AM; Great Moms & Dads know well about sleep deprivation; 224,000 page views per month the last 3 months; World-famous Rockettes and The Christmas Spectacular; Mars 2112; Stamford Ford Lincoln Miles of Smiles Campaign – toys & coats; “Be Present†story on www.TheLetsTalkMom.com; Why the book is the Reluctant Mr. Mum – explaining reluctance; The best thing about being a stay-at-home-dad; “Honey, where’s the dinner?†“Where’s the romance?†How was the news received by family members; Why Mr. Mum would lie initially; How mothers treated him at mother/toddler groups; Holes in the socks, what the heck is going on here? Night-time nappies and sleep deprivation; My wife’s in bed relaxing, she’s not relaxing, she worked all day; Phillip was able to be at every prenatal screening and school day; I’m a photographer and capture moments in photosheets, documentarian; The top story on the Let’s Talk Mom is about putting down those handhelds; You cannot get those years back – Be Present with your Kids! Your children recall those times you do spend with them; Our 6-year-olds greatest memory – jumping on trampoline with her brother; Most difficult challenge as Mr. Mum; Now go to sleep! The Nature-Deficit; Removed from our natural environment/habitat; Tricked by technology and our new infrastructure; Natural human activity, lack of communication; ADD & ADHD; Obesity, stress, depression, bullying; A woman puts her husband on Craig’s List for sale! Technology in “The Basket;†Seduction of the red blinking light on the handheld! The Borg on Star Trek; Our son & 2 buddies exploring and searching for Indian ruins; Resiliency and be connected to the larger world; Talking about Daddy – teachings of independence, start crying; A lot of kids have absent parents; Living a joyful life, the importance of joy and happiness in life; Workaholic parent, shopaholic parent, your child sees this and is impacted; Show children you value the time you spend with them!
“Who Sez That?!?†My husband’s too weak to lift the turkey. Recap: Miles of Smiles campaign
November 24, 2011 Broadcast
Muneeza Ahmed and Imani Mamalution speak to us about their Mamalicious food products and Mamalution –the revolution of moms to deliver super foods to their children to help prevent disease and promote healthy living.
Topics Covered Phillip’s last name would be “Yes, Dear;†Grateful at Thanksgiving; Bronchitis and tuberculosis, allergic to 54 of 57 allergens; Juice fast, pumpkin and sweet potato juice; Champion juicer; Tryptophan; Juice on an empty stomach, goes right into bloodstream; Wheatgrass – so beneficial but has an icky, bitter taste; Weeds in the garden and cats vomiting from grasses, detoxing; Nutritarians, nutrient-dense foods for health and well-being; “We have a Champion juicer, Phillip dropped it;†Textbook pregnancy, wheatgrass, challenging taste; Benefits of wheatgrass are phenomenal; The soil has been robbed of its nutrients; Different categories of superfoods; Let’s start talking about chocolate, the feel-good hormones; “When I eat dark chocolate and then I go look for Phill…†turning red; Body butter, Phillip can’t even talk anymore; Our children love fruits and vegetables; Sugar changes children’s taste buds when introduced at a young age; Stamford Ford Lincoln Miles of Smiles campaign – toys and coats; Eating locally can help overcome allergies; Caveman eating habits; Our son is allergic to pollen and…housework; Learning curve on super foods, teachings and demos; Shake with kale/milk-based, Phillip’s retching, flipping out; Super foods and super herbs; The human body tends towards healing; Royal jelly – food of the Queen Bee – in smoothies; Phillip – shouldn’t you have bought that years ago; Chocolate talk! Cacao in kale shakes; Stamford Ford Lincoln Miles of Smiles campaign – toys and coats
November 17, 2011 Broadcast
Jane Fendelman, teacher, motivator, counselor discusses Rites of Passage for teens to adulthood including the values of ceremonies; Dr. Michelle Anthony, therapist, former teacher and author of Little Girls Can Be Mean – 4 Steps to Bullyproof Girls in the Early Grades, talks about sibling rivalry.
Topics Covered We can’t believe it’s already Thanksgiving! Lauren Lauren; Rite of Passage Ceremony; Naughty like graffiti, put on your Mom hat; Coo stick in Native American tradition, vision quest; Riding for couples’ night, 2 ferrets in a bag on a horse; The process of individuation; Toddlers and the word “no;†Power struggles with children, don’t break their spirit; …when you move out and buy your own mop; Gifting Ceremony – circle of women and the girl with her 1st menses; Bianca: the dancing flowers and menstruation, glowy stars and my mother; Hershey Park in Pennsylvania; Landmark events; You do have to ask your child what they would like, they get embarrassed; “You don’t want a party because you got your period;†Why children get confused – “grow up…†then “you’re too old to do that;†Tagging and gangs; Passing wisdom in a cool way – Prayer-tied Ceremony, Ribbon Ceremony; No sibling rivalry because our son is 19 and our daughter is 6; When kids say “That’s not fair!†Unfair and unequal are not the same; It’s usually code for “I need something more;†“Low voltage mom taser;†“Do you see me, do you know me, do you appreciate me?†Rivalry helps kids develop their tools to communicate and negotiate; The cube in a jar – working well together; I would never take away something they already earned; What can you do to make the children feel equal and loved; Some children need more than others; Find a way to spend quality time with each child together alone; Reading the Harry Potter series in the morning, play legos on the floor; Family night, family game night, no cell phones at dinner; Stolen moments with your children; He was happy, content, felt special, felt connected; Sibling rivalry can go into adulthood; Our son, at 13, was very involved in the early bonding stages of his sibling
“Who Sez That?!?†Agape. “Do you think really think you should get that dessert, you are so fat…†Should I say how many pounds – coo stick! “Who Does That?!?†Phillip strips the turkey.
November 3, 2011 Broadcast
Topics Covered Phillip: “Bianca always gestures to me;†Bianca & Phillip tear up over Judy’s time passing so quickly; New story – freezing, no power, neck hurting; Phillip: “It didn’t affect the ability of the jaw;†Judy sings: “What a difference a day/frame makes;†We are not photoshopped versions of ourselves; Capturing moments flying by – the swimsuit photo of Judy’s 4 year old; With over 4,000 corner samples, what’s the process to encapsulate memories; Cool stuff framed: shoes, vintage hankies, belt buckles, eye glasses, buttons, sheet music, lace collections; “Living in your Collection;†9-time #1 best-selling author, Brad Meltzer, “We are so proud of you!†Heroes for My Son – 1st non-fiction, rules turned into heroes; The Wright Brothers story – dream big, work hard, stubbornness; How did you choose the heroes, Supreme Court definition of…Some: Rosa Parks, Jim Henson, Lucille Ball, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Mr. Rogers, Superman creators; Ordinary people change the world; Bullying – teacher or 3 & 4th grade in NY “stomp on paper ball†example! The Bible – doesn’t tell you what to do, it tells you the story; Bianca – tearing up…Lucille Ball’s story of no friends or mirrors; Phillip & Bianca – tears and goose bumps, Brad’s beautiful stories; The Inner Circle; George Washington’s spy ring of regular people; The National Archives; President Bush, Sr., President Bill Clinton, President Ronald Reagan; The presidents’ secret notes to each other; For Brad: “The President wants you to have this…†Brad Meltzer’s Decoded, The History Channel; Brad reveals a secret; He can say the alphabet backwards faster than anyone else; Phillip says the longest train station name in the world – in Wales – Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch; National Treasure, Nicholas Cage; Declaration of Independence – an unknown handprint
“Who Sez That?!?†“I’m a relationship coachâ€
October 20, 2011 Broadcast
Topics Covered Prop a pillow next to Phillip; Flickering the lights, “Come upstairs;†Friend from high school from over 30 years ago; Stroke at 47, nurture your friendships; Greg loves we have our show together; How it came about doing the show together! Our date night and over 2 million page views in a year; Lots of kids are raising themselves; Greg says his parents were very involved at home and in school; The old-fashioned household; Crime is up, bullying is up, corresponds to parental involvement; Spyware & Network Magic to keep tabs on what your kids are doing online; TechnoDad and TechnoMom; Phillip: “Parentware,†please remember us; Greg: “You could get your own show!†What should you do when your kid is the bully? PTA meetings, parent-teacher conferences, involved parenting; Rosalind Sedacca – “Do you love your children more than you love your ex?†Cyberstalking – get on your kid’s Facebook account; Don’t let your kids upload their pics with GPS locator on Twitter or Facebook; Teaching children the value of their ethnic roots; Our family portrait of 140+ people; Finding my cousin started the ball rolling; Jackie O’Neal’s African roots; Mormon registry; Jackie’s parents avoided revealing their past and tells us why; The American Dream; Grandparents can serve as a fountain of family history; Include both sides of the family history to your children to maintain balance; Healing through this process of ethnic recognition; If you can translate Old German, please e-mail me Bianca@biancatyler.com; Hands-on activities you can do with your kids to delve into family history
October 20, 2011 Broadcast
“Who Sez That?!?†Mother-in-law says her daughter-in-law stinks as a cook; the grandmother who isn’t invited over; my mother says, “You’re married now, sort it out.†“I just do what I’m told,†Happy Wife is a Happy Life LOL!
Topics Covered Meg’s story about the boyfriend, the ex-girlfriend and her unpleasant friends; By 2nd grade, students don’t want to tell their parents they are being bullied; Meg gives the boyfriend a chance and he turns on her; Meg tells us the story about the school trip to Washington, D.C.; The ex-girlfriend takes pictures and stays in the same hotel room on trip; The best friend is a boy, the boyfriend’s best friend is a girl; Photographer from the Stamford Advocate arrives; Everything discussed in the hotel was now rumored throughout school; School administrators were now involved, Meg says they weren’t supportive; “Maybe it was 10 times worse because I was dating her ex-boyfriend?†Meg is smart, confident, has good grades, approaching this maturely; Meg’s friends turn on her – “They’re not friends!†“I like going to school;†Meg’s father talks about how he and his wife supported their daughter; I was a Boomerang Kid – “Binci, you can come home any time you like;†“When is she going to get a real job??†“My Boomerang Won’t Come Back†song; My Dad loved us home, my Mom wanted us to be independent; Home is a good place to be… Have a meeting, develop a plan with parents, siblings, & the ones moving back in; You might be bringing home your spouse, “Phillip, I brought you home!†Phillip & Andrew play the Boomerang song from 1961 & Phillip remembers it; “I hung out sometimes for 2 years…†LOL! One grad is cut off from finances, the other gets everything free & partying; “You want petrol…†Our teen does his own laundry, at some point they want to smell good… Never enable bad, inappropriate or illegal behavior; But isn’t that common sense?? Isn’t that sad we even have to talk about it; “It is not okay, people!;†The bottom line is you still want to be a family when you finally move out; Divorce, foreclosure, whole families are moving in; If you have a plan and have taught your kids respect since they were little, it can bridge a very difficult time; There’s a sense of loss, loss of jobs, loss of marriage, loss of self-esteem, etc.; Set the timeline and make a plan and still be a family
“Who Sez That?!?†Chocolate day is not today! Our son drank the tea.
The couple who was married for 72 years and the heartbeat continued through her hand! “I love things like that!!â€
October 13, 2011 Broadcast
Topics Covered Pumpkin picking – Jones’ Family Farm; Female dismissal; Such an incredible experience to watch your own children grow up; You just can’t get those moments back again; The Children’s Zone – an enrichment program for kids 3 – 12 years old; Kids walking down the road on outings with teachers; Social and emotion awareness; Financial Fitness and the World of Money; Excellence dollars ; The Success Club; Our teen bought his own car and ran over his own i-Pod; Our 4-year-old earns a cuddly animal; I forgot to put my teeth in tonight; Mike’s e-mail; Children’s programs for leadership skills and goal setting; Don’t only listen to your children, HEAR them; The Dad-view: What She’s Thinking When She’s Pregnant; “We could be heading into some tough territory here;†No other author has been brave enough to broach the topic; “How do you know what she was thinking?†How to better communicate with your spouse during pregnancy; The fear factor for Dads – when their wives are pregnant – and not pregnant; When Dad’s not in a “safe environment†– emotionally; Each parent has their role – the man doesn’t have to suddenly be feminine; My Dad was as strong as a mountain and as soft as a teddy bear; Women want to see a nice balance in their partner; Phillip went to every ultrasound; Our son even used the wand on my tummy to hear his sister’s heartbeat; My Doula took care of our son while I delivered; So his fear is minimized in the future by his positive experience; “Then why is he afraid of housework†Teen! The baby is not just a baby – the baby is a loved additional 3rd person invited; Now there’s 3 different relationships going on
“Who Sez That?!?†Airborne – time to read the directions, Phillip! Disgusting and hysterical at the same time ~“Puppi, you can come home any time you like†and I did.
October 6, 2011 Broadcast
Topics Covered Ken’s parents adopted 8 brothers and sisters; Ken’s a proud member of the DCF for 21 years; 4,612 kids are currently in state custody in Connecticut; Not enough foster parents – many are in shelters and congregate care; DCF is an agency that believes in rehabilitation; Completely AWESOME statistics since March 2011’s interview!! The foster child is stronger when they go back to their birth parents; Foster-to-Adopt; Hardest to place: babies, adolescents, sibling groups and special needs; 1-888-KID-HERO if you’d like to provide a home for a child; Empty-nesters and single folks are great as foster parents; “All we are looking for are people who love kids;†“It won’t cost you a thing;†Kids need families and so many families are greatly needed every day; “We need people and we need people now;†DCF offers support systems to help foster parents; The matching process for adoption; Dealing with demanding children; The younger the child, the less ability to manipulate; We can give children inappropriate power; As parents, we need to empower them vs giving them too much power; We need to stay consistent with rules and consequences; Give children options to empower them – do you want the apple or the banana? Kids are testing limits – they learn to interface within different environments; Kids learn to navigate specific scenarios – navigate, not manipulate; “When/Then†rather than “If/Then;†Moving house – how to help children through the transition; Stay on your child’s side – you are their boss and their ally; Take pictures of you in each room, move their furniture in first; Watching Calliou or Clifford; Phillip vents about unruly kids on the subway; Parents have to do forward-thinking to avoid scenes in public
“Who Sez That?!?†Woman checks with nanny what her child’s schedule is
September 29, 2011 Broadcast
Topics Covered 1-hour special discussing this family’s circumstances and how they handle it; Holly met Mike 28 years ago as teenagers; Dated 9 years before marrying; Holly dated 2 other men who were gay but she did not know that either; They were each other’s first lovers so they had no measuring stick; We appreciate your openness and honesty; They have their 1st baby who has Autism; The wife felt like she was on honeymoon with her best friend, not husband; Didn’t you know you were gay – why did you ask her to marry you? Mike answers loaded question above; Mike talks about having children and his feelings about his wife; How did Holly find out Mike was gay? In & Out movie with Kevin Kline; Feelings of confusion, betrayal, denial, bargaining, anger, acceptance; You’re gay…let’s make a baby, find out why; How do Holly and Mike tell their children? “She has a right to know, you’re married, there are no secrets;†How they redefined their family and planned for another baby; The baby has a 1:1.5 million rare form of Dwarfism; Water had broken at 24 weeks; Held onto baby for 10 weeks with ruptured membranes; Baby suffers heart failure 3 times; Harvard, Boston, Rome, Canada, Helsinki, Finland studying this form of Dwarfism; How they told the children that dad is gay; “I’m wired to be Autistic, you’re wired to be gay, why would I love you any less?†“The gay dad, the clinically-depressed mom/suicidal, Autistic eldest, Little Person youngest;†The family can deal with it, the townspeople can’t deal with it; The mother has a boyfriend and the father now has a boyfriend, all close; Youngest son at 7-years-old was bullied, held down and his arm was broken; Parents were given a brush-off, had to go to the Superintendent; Mom does outreach and works with diversity programs; Eldest says to youngest, “I love you, Iâ€ll be your arms and legs for you;†Children speak from the heart and they speak the truth; There are all different kinds of love in the world; The 15 & 8 year olds understand Dad is different, all are coping; Support for others in this situation; Listen to how they view their future; You are both just dealing with this situation as mature adults; www.straightspouse.org
September 22, 2011 Broadcast
Topics Covered www.TheLetsTalkMom.com hits 2 Million page views – thank you!!!! I-Relaunch Conference at NYU/Stern School of Business; What mistakes are people making looking for a job; “Get out and get personal,†must network; Seminar is not only for relaunchers but for new workers as well; Carol gives tips on how to answer interviewer’s questions about your career break; Short-term, non-binding work relationship to start; 7 Steps to relaunch your career; Relaunch Readiness Quiz; What are your child care and elder care responsibilities; Update your job search skills and stay professionally connected through events; Network and market yourself – find out how; NYU/Stern I-Relaunch Return to Work Conference October 4; Wahhoooo – so excited about the 2 million page views – thank you!!!! “Oooops!†on my computer; Thin Threads – fragile and sometimes unexpected bonds and connections; Women are so into their friendships and come to light when reminded of them; Macaroni & Cheese – the sticky nature of friendship; 50-year friendship, so completely different and so loyal; Are the employees being exploited? Relax, Woman, enjoy that manicure! Women are typically more emotional and men prefer activities with their friends; Flick of the head, humph! New friendships versus long-term friendships; Seasonal friendships; I wear my heart on a sheet?!? Qualities of a good friend – trust, loyalty, fun, energy, supportive of goals and dreams
“Who Sez That?!?†“If you retire, what am I going to do with you home??â€
September 15, 2011 Broadcast
Topics Covered www.TheLetsTalkMom.com about to hit 2 Million page views – thank you! Current post – our 9-year-old son unexpectedly becomes a symbol of hope for many; Separation and divorce; Tried to save the marriage, sought counseling; An on-going conversation for children who are trying to understand the change; Attempt to have an amicable divorce for your children’s benefit; What are my kids going through and how can I help them; You have to separate your feelings from what your kids are going through; The woman who used White-Out on family photos to block images of her ex; Hilary decided never to use her children as leverage; One mother uses her child and their puppy to make a deal with the father; Explaining to your children that both parents will always love them and they are not to blame; 6 messages every child needs to hear when you tell them Mom and Dad are getting divorced; Finding out your ex is dating your former close friend two weeks after divorce; How that affects you as an adult and how it can affect your children; How Hilary handled this situation and separated personal feelings and the feeling of her kids; The close friend’s ex-boyfriend sent an e-mail about the relationship; The Bright Spot – she was someone who knew Hilary’s kids and treats them well; The other woman broke the silent Girl Code; Hilary definitely recommends mediation for couples going through divorce; Our 6-year-old surprises us with “Stamford Ford Lincoln, 212 Magee Avenue in Stamford;†Pirates, Camelot & Tudors – putting the rest of the world on hold, our own “project†to share; American’s zest for overachievement is killing our love lives; Phillip & I have a “date night†each week; Computers are everyday tools, but we, as humans, need touch to nourish each other; “We’re buying an ottoman;†Cuddle Party – workshop – touch for health, trust and connection; Touch during arguments
“Who Sez That?!?†While you’re in here lying around doing nothing…!
September 8, 2011 Broadcast
Topics Covered Obesity rates are soaring; September is Childhood Obesity Month; Increasing amount of calorie-dense food; Kids sitting in front of their computers and not playing outdoors; If you’re passively watching a monitor, your brain goes into a “sleep mode;†That slows your metabolism and it can fatigue you; Bariatric medicine – Dr. Sekiguchi’s life calling; Take Shape for Life program; 3 Steps: dieting, exercising, behavioral modification; Zerona – non-surgical, body-contouring device; Divorce made Joel Schwartzberg a more “authentic†Dad; He created new expectations on his own terms; Feels he’s a Dad true to his kids with a unique bond; Divorced Dads are in positions of great opportunity to create their own memories; No one can take your fatherhood away from you; Do you think the kids’ rules in the Mom’s house have to be the same as the Dad’s house; Children adapt really well as long as you are clear and consistent; Vulnerabilities and challenges divorced Dads face in particular; Where does Joel feel stepmothers fit in
“Who Sez That?!?†Hall of Fame – “I have enough friends.â€
