The Brainy Moms

Struggling with your relationship after having kids? The hardest part of parenting isn’t always the kids, it’s what the chaos can quietly do to your marriage. When you’re running on low sleep and high stress, small annoyances can turn into big fights, and “We’re fine” can become a long, lonely distance. Today on The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy talks with therapist, author, and “proudly goofy dad” Eli Weinstein, host of The Dude Therapist podcast and author of From I Do to We Do: Navigating Marriage Through the Parenting Years. 

We dig into practical relatio...

ADHD Awareness Month is a good time to share ADHD resources, but if you’re a woman with ADHD, you don’t need a special month to bring awareness to your own daily struggles. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy is joined again by Dr. Kelly Cagle, a parenting educator, ADHD researcher, homeschooling mom of three, host of the Parenting IQ podcast, and author for an honest conversation about what ADHD can look like in women. Dr. Amy and Dr. Kelly are both ADHD moms and moms with ADHD themselves. And they share honest and vuln...

School refusal can show up as a slammed laptop, a child who won’t enter the building, or a full-body meltdown at the kitchen table. What if we treat that moment like a clue, not a verdict? That shift could change everything, especially for ADHD and other neurodivergent learners who hit fight, flight, or freeze faster under stress.

On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy talk with returning guest expert Sarah Collins, a pediatric occupational therapist, host of The OT Is In podcast, and founder of Homeschool OT. Together, they unpack reasons ki...

If you have ever wondered whether your child’s ADHD is the whole story or whether autism is also part of the picture, this conversation is for you. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy talk with AuDHD expert Dr. Noreen Russell, founder of Russell Coaching for Students and host of ADHD, Autism and Anxiety: Breaking Out of the Box, to unpack the growing term “AuDHD” and what ADHD and autism overlap looks like in real homes, real schools, and real nervous systems.

We dig into why “ADHD plus autism” is not just doubl...

Are you parenting ADHD kids and wondering how to filter through all the ADHD advice out there? Absorbing information online during ADHD Awareness Month can feel like drinking from a firehose. Everyone has a tip, a reel, and a strong opinion leaving parents asking a real question: who should we trust and what actually helps a child with ADHD in daily life? 

On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, we celebrate the launch of Dr. Amy's new book, Hearts on ADHD Parenting: Brain-based, Grace-filled Strategies for Raising Kids with Big Emotions and Challenging Behaviors. 

Co...

Most families think of “art” as an elective, but our kids are being shaped by aesthetics all day long. Clothing, movies, book covers, music, room design, even the way a table is set can train what we value without us noticing. That’s why this conversation with Christian artist and educator Ryan Lauterio lands like a wake-up call: creativity is not reserved for a small group of gifted kids. It’s part of what it means to be human and part of what it means to disciple our children with intention.

As the founder of Made Makers Christia...

Ever wonder how the college your teen is considering will continue to shape their faith? Or if questioning their faith is a natural part of going to college? Deconstruction is not just “asking questions.” Sometimes it's what happens when we judge biblical faith with a measuring stick that never came from the Bible in the first place. That single shift can quietly move a teen from honest curiosity to a full-blown crisis of confidence, especially once they hit the college years and are surrounded by new definitions of truth, love, identity, and belonging.

On this episode of The...

Enjoying our conversations about play? Let's talk about playful homeschooling, sensory play, and screens. Last week, early childhood educator Gennie Gorback helped us understand why child-led, open-ended play is so important for children’s learning, development, and joy. Today, we’re continuing that conversation with her co-author, Kate Allen Fox, who brings a homeschooling-family perspective and plenty of practical ideas for putting those principles into action at home. 

In Part 2 of our conversation about their book Go Play: How Parents Can Empower Kids to Build Their Own Worlds, co-author and homeschooling parent Kate Allen Fox explores what it ca...

What if “play” is actually some of your child’s most important experiences?  In Part 1 of our two-part conversation with the co-authors of Go Play: How Parents Can Empower Kids to Build Their Own Worlds, educator Gennie Gorback helps parents see play through a new lens: not as wasted time or something adults need to direct, but as a powerful, child-led path to learning, connection, confidence, and discovery.

Gennie explains what makes play truly play, why children benefit from time with peers of different ages, and how parents can support development without feeling pressured to entertain their kids al...

What if all your homeschooling chaos needs is a new calm and confident mindset? Being a homeschooling mom can feel like a daily referendum on your parenting, especially when you are teaching multiple kids, supporting neurodivergent needs, and trying to keep the family from melting down at the dining room table. We wanted to offer something more useful than a new planner or a better curriculum: a way to lead your home with calm and confidence that is real, practiced, and available even on messy days.

On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy talks...

Wondering about homeschool freedom and flexibility? And how homeschooling might be a fit for your family? On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy talk with Cheryl Daley, author, speaker, and host of the popular Homeschool How To podcast, to trace the exact chain of events that took her from a six-figure New York State government career to building a homeschool life rooted in freedom, relationships, and real-world learning.

Cheryl shares why she treated homeschooling like a research project, interviewing more than 120 families to test assumptions about socialization, academics, and what kids “miss” when...

In an AI world, a robot can anticipate your needs, clean your house, and do your job. It sounds like science fiction until you realize how fast AI is already reshaping the world as we know it. That speed of change forces a tough question for parents and educators: are we preparing kids to think, create, and lead when the world as we know it no longer exists?

On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy have a brave conversation with author and Imagination Project founder Wylde Scott to make the case that...

The truth is, there are moms way worse than you! And the fastest way to feel like a better parent might be a laugh you did not expect. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast. Dr. Amy and Sandy talk with Glenn Boozan, an Emmy-nominated, WGA award-winning comedy writer and the author of the New York Times bestselling gift book There Are Moms Way Worse Than You, to talk about why modern parenting can feel like a constant test you can never pass, even when you are pouring your whole heart into your kids.

Glenn explains...

Your child isn’t a “grade level” they’re a whole person, and the fastest way to lose motivation is to teach them like they’re interchangeable. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy sit down with Jessica Parnell, CEO of Edovate Learning Corp, to get practical about personalized learning for homeschooling, online school, and hybrid models that actually respect how kids’ brains develop. If you’ve ever felt pressure to recreate a traditional classroom at home, this conversation gives you a cleaner, calmer path forward.

Jessica breaks down a key distinction: individualized...

Many parents are told to “just deschool and do nothing” after pulling their kids out of traditional school—but with middle school and high schoolers, that advice often backfires.

In this conversation with former middle school teacher turned homeschooling mom Janae Daniels, host of the School to Homeschool podcast, we talk about why older kids struggle most with doing “nothing” and why their brains crave structure after years in the system. Janae shares how her family—and the families she coaches—use simple academic guardrails in reading, writing, and math as a bridge into homeschooling.

You’ll he...

If you’ve ever stepped in to “help” your child and realized you might be making things worse, this conversation will hit home. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy sits down with Dr. Josh McConkey, an emergency physician, former U.S. Air Force commander, and author of Be the Weight Behind the Spear, to talk about a problem many families feel but can’t always name: kids can’t build confidence and grit if adults remove every hard moment.

We dig into the shift from helicopter parenting to “lawn mower parenting,” why it fuels fear of...

Homeschool mom burnout is real—and it doesn’t mean you’re failing or that God is calling you to quit. In this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy talk with former classroom teacher, veteran homeschool mom, and educational consultant Jenna Lynn Myers, author of Homeschooling with Purpose: Candid Encouragement for Homeschool Parents. Jenna has supported thousands of homeschool families and is passionate about helping worn-out moms avoid burnout by recognizing early warning signs and building life-giving rhythms at home.

You’ll hear how to spot homeschool burnout before you throw in the towel: l...

Dopamine gets blamed for everything from doomscrolling to snack attacks, but the real problem is that most of us were taught the wrong story. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy chat with biochemist and best-selling author of Dopamine Kids, Dr. Michaeleen Doucleff to unpack what dopamine actually does in the brain: it drives wanting, motivation, and the powerful “do it again” loop, even when the thing we’re chasing doesn’t deliver real joy. That single shift explains why kids can feel pulled toward screens, social media, and ultra-processed foods and still end up more...

Your child can be bright, curious, and capable and still melt down over an itchy tag, loud kitchen noise, or a schedule that won’t budge. That’s not “bad behavior.” It’s often sensory processing colliding with executive functioning, and once you see it, you can finally respond with the right supports instead of more pressure.

On this collection of encore conversations with Sarah Collins, an occupational therapist and the creator of Homeschool OT, she helps parents figure out the real “why” behind learning struggles by looking at the whole occupation: the task itself, the skills it requires, a...

Educator and homeschool mentor Christy Faith is brutally clear on what’s driving so many families to rethink education. On this mash-up of the best moments from previous conversations with Christy Faith on The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy talk with her about the gap between what modern kids need and what mass schooling often rewards, and why more parents are choosing homeschooling for school environment, mental health, and real learning instead of constant performance.

Christy walks through why the structure of compulsory schooling can stay archaic even as we learn more about the brain, mo...

Do you love the tips from Tidy Dad on Instagram? Then you'll love this hour with us! On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy sit down with Tyler Moore, better known as Tidy Dad, to talk about small space living, decluttering, and the kind of simple home organization that actually holds up in real family life.

Tyler shares what it’s like parenting three daughters in a NYC triple bunk setup in 750 square feet, why an early bedtime boundary can be a sanity saver, and how “just enough” square footage can protect what m...

Your child’s health starts in the gut. The immune system and brain are taking cues from the same place every day. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy sit down with integrative pediatrician Dr. Elisa Song, a leading voice in pediatric functional medicine, to map out what the gut microbiome actually is and why it matters even when your kid’s poop looks “normal.” If your family is dealing with eczema, allergies, frequent illness, anxiety, sleep issues, attention struggles, or big mood swings, this conversation connects the dots with clear science and practical next ste...

Firm parenting isn't the same as 'mean' parenting. And your child isn’t “pushing your buttons” because they’re broken. Sometimes the real problem is that we’ve never been taught a clear, repeatable way to stay calm, set firm boundaries, and teach kids how to regulate themselves. Parenting behaviorist and family advocate Nicholeen Peck joins Dr. Amy and Sandy to redefine strict parenting as self-government: living by principles, staying emotionally steady, and using skills that make conflict predictable instead of explosive.

On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast. we dig into how Nicholeen’s years of working w...

A lot of parenting advice sounds like a to-do list. Dr. Will Dobud joins us to make the case for something both simpler and harder: stop chasing the perfect technique and start rebuilding the conditions where kids can actually thrive. We talk about youth mental health trends, why anxiety can rise even when “support” increases, and how easily adults can confuse more intervention with better outcomes. 

We dig into research on school-based social emotional learning and universal stress management programs, including why broad rollouts can sometimes make students more anxious. The thread running through it all is co-re...

Have you tried parenting through playfulness? "Play" isn't usually what we think of as our kid melts down when it’s time to leave the park, ignores us at clean-up time, or suddenly “can’t remember” the three things we just asked them to do. But maybe we should try it! On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy talk with Dr. Kim Van Dusen, a licensed marriage and family therapist and registered play therapist known as The Parentologist. We talk about a calmer path that actually works in real homes with real schedules.

We d...

A child's diagnosis can feel like a lifeline and a weight at the same time. When your child struggles with attention, learning, anxiety, behavior, or social connection, the question isn’t only “What is it?” It’s also “What will a diagnosis change for my child, for school, for insurance, and for how they see themselves?” On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy is joined by pediatric neuropsychologist Dr. Rebecca “Dr. F” Fontanetta to talk through why diagnoses like ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, anxiety disorders, Tourette syndrome, ARFID, and developmental coordination disorder often overlap. Dr. F explains why t...

Burnout rarely announces itself with a flashing warning sign. It sneaks in through good intentions, old “shoulds,” and the quiet belief that being needed equals being faithful. We sit down with licensed professional counselor and best-selling author Debra Fileta to talk about soul care, rest, boundaries, and what actually changes when we stop treating health like a luxury and start treating it like stewardship.

We dig into the real roots of burnout and why personality, family of origin, trauma history, and theology can all shape how we say yes and no. Debra shares one of the most free...

For our 200th episode, we had to celebrate in a BIG way. In this sort of funny and highly engaging conversation, The Brainy Moms interview The Dumb Dads! Dr. Amy and Sandy bring on comedians Evan Berger and Kevin Laferriere to talk about what modern fatherhood actually looks like when the cameras are off and the kids are melting down. 

We laugh about the daily stuff that tests your patience and your parenting skills: motion-activated toys that will not stop talking, slime that somehow becomes part of your carpet forever, and the special frustration of kids’ gadgets tha...

Chaos isn’t a character flaw, and “just get organized” isn’t a plan for ADHD kids and adults. On this episode of The Brainy Moms podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy chat with Dr. Kelly Cagle to talk about what actually makes home life simpler when ADHD and other neurodivergent needs are in the mix. Dr. Kelly is a parenting educator, ADHD researcher, host of the Parenting IQ podcast, and homeschool mom of three so she knows a little about this topic! If you’ve ever stared at a pile of papers, a closet full of clothes you don’t even like...

Does your home runs on constant reminders, never-ending rescuing, and last-minute scrambling for missing shoes, backpacks, and sporting equipment? Then this episode is for you! Dr. Amy and Sandy sit down with Dr. Rochelle Matthews-Somerville, a special needs education consultant, homeschool advocate, and mom of six, to make organization feel practical again for real families raising neurodivergent kids with ADHD, autism, learning differences, and big emotions.

We dig into why saying “they have no executive functioning skills” misses the point, and how supports like labels, visuals, family calendars, and simple routines help kids build planning skills and foll...

Have you thought about how your children will learn critical thinking skills? Right now, your child is learning what to love, what to mock, and what to call “true” long before they can explain it. That’s the quiet battle behind screen time, peer pressure, music lyrics, and the endless scroll, and it’s why we sat down with Dr. Renton Rathbun, longtime professor and parent advocate, to talk about raising kids who can actually think. This is an amazing conversation. Full of laughter but also full of wisdom and insight. 

We get practical about worldview formation and criti...

What if the real goal of school isn’t chasing trends but forming minds and hearts that can handle anything? On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy sit down with Martin Cothran—co-founder of Highlands Latin School and Memoria Press—to demystify classical education and show why it still outperforms quick fixes. Martin traces the movement’s roots, clarifies what the trivium really is (and isn’t), and explains how the liberal arts and great books build durable skills that translate to every field, from software engineering to public service.

We dig into the c...

What if your body is the missing link between what you believe and how you actually live? On this episode of The Brainy Moms podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy sit down with lawyer and author Justin Whitmel Earley to unpack how embodied habits—breathing, sleep, exercise, and gentle routines—can heal anxiety, transform parenting, and make faith feel lived-in instead of theoretical. Justin’s story moves from panic attacks and late-night legal grind to a practical rule of life where the nervous system and the soul finally align.

We dig into why our hearts follow our habits when o...

On this episode of The Brainy Moms podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy unpack reasons why schoolwork so often triggers meltdowns and then give you a practical roadmap to fix them—by finding whether you’re facing a content gap, a cognitive skills gap, or a diagnosis that needs attention. As experts AND moms who’ve lived the dining-room-table drama, we share how to cool the moment, then build long-term capacity so your child needs fewer props and shows more independence.
 
 We talk about content gaps, or how missed lessons, curriculum switches, and assumed knowledge silently sabotage progress. You’ll l...

A single comment from a curious child—“We only study white people”—sent Amber O’Neal Johnston on a mission to rebuild her family’s learning around story, dignity, and depth. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy sit down with Amber to unpack how a balanced bookshelf can change the culture of a home and the character of a child. Using Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors analogy, Amber shows how to choose books that reflect kids’ lived experiences, open honest views into other worlds, and inspire real-life empathy that car...

Gifted doesn’t mean easy, and it certainly doesn’t mean perfect. With gifted educator and 2e advocate Erin Vanek, we dig into what giftedness actually looks like day to day: lightning-fast connections, rich vocabulary, and inventive solutions alongside emotional intensity, executive function gaps, and meltdowns over the smallest snag. We share the language that helps—neurodivergent, twice exceptional, asynchronous development—and the practical moves that turn tension into traction for bright kids who think differently.

We talk through why “definitions” of giftedness vary wildly across schools, and how that confusion leaves many families feeling isolated or dismissed. E...

Ever wonder how being alone in the wilderness impacts your faith, your views on fatherhood, and how you define fear? On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy upack all of that with Timber Cleghorn--humanitarian aid worker, survivalist, and cast member on Season 9 of Alone.  Timber shares lessons from a life that spans an off-grid childhood, years in conflict zones, and 83 days alone in the Arctic Circle on the show. The result is a disarmingly honest look at fear, faith, and the daily choices that turn hardship into wisdom.

Timber shares how producers o...

What if the story you’ve heard about autism is incomplete—and changing? On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy dive into the science with Dr. Teresa Lyons, an Ivy League-trained researcher and autism parent who translates complex studies into clear, practical steps. Our conversation challenges the “lifelong and fixed” narrative about autism, explores why some children no longer meet diagnostic criteria over time, and shows how a health-first approach might unlock progress in speech, behavior, and learning.

We talk about digestive health and constipation. We discuss the FRAT test and why a child...

Handwriting isn’t just pencil meets paper; it’s purpose, posture, vision, and motor planning working in sync. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy sit down with occupational therapist and homeschool consultant Sarah Collins (The Homeschool OT) to explore how kids move from “hot mess” letters to confident, legible writing by addressing the real foundations: core strength, shoulder stability, explicit motor plans, and a clear sense that their ideas matter.

We break down why cursive can be a game changer for productivity and flow, especially for ADHD and dyslexic learners, and how copy...

What if better writing doesn’t start with a prompt, but with what’s already living in a child’s mind? On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy sit down with Andrew Pudewa, founder of the Institute for Excellence in Writing, to trace a surprising line from Suzuki violin training to strong language skills. Andrew shares how deep listening, memorized repertoire, and deliberate repetition lay the groundwork for fluent expression—whether you’re bowing a cello or crafting a paragraph. Input shapes output: the richer the vocabulary and sentence patterns a child absorbs, the more creat...