From Toddler to Teen: Building Confidence, Resilience, and Emotional Strength with Lighthouse Parenting
How to raise kids who are confident, resilient, and emotionally strong without controlling their every move?
Dr. Ken Ginsburg, pediatrician, adolescent medicine specialist, and author of Lighthouse Parenting, joins me to share how parents can be a stable guiding presence while still giving kids the space to learn, fail, and grow. His “lighthouse” approach is grounded in decades of science and rooted in one clear goal: to help children thrive through love, boundaries, and trust.
In this episode, we break down what every parent should know about raising confident, capable kids while building an enduring bond that lasts through adolescence and beyond.
We cover:
How lighthouse parenting balances guidance, protection, and trust
Why boundaries, connection, and listening are the foundation for resilience
The 7 Cs of resilience and how to weave them into everyday life
To connect with Dr. Ken Ginsburg check out all his resources at Fosteringresilience.com and
Parentandteen.com . Follow him on Instagram at @parentandteen. Buy his Light House parenting book here: https://www.amazon.com/Lighthouse-Parenting-Raising-Guidance-Lifelong/dp/1610027191
We’d like to know who is listening! Please fill out our Listener Survey to help us improve the show and learn about you!
00:00 – Why parenting styles swing between extremes
01:30 – Authoritative vs. Lighthouse Parenting: What’s the difference?
03:18 – Meet Dr. Ken Ginsburg: The origin of Lighthouse Parenting
06:06 – Self-care, balance, and being the steady shoreline
14:04 – Building safety, respect, and boundaries from toddler years
21:08 – Happiness vs resilience: Teaching kids to handle big feelings
28:26 – Listening, repair, and the power of real apologies
38:26 – The 7 C’s of resilience every parent should know
44:32 – Final message: Why self-care is not selfish
Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and subscribe to PedsDocTalk.
Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. Join the newsletter!
And don’t forget to follow @pedsdoctalkpodcast on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships page of the website.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
51:34
--------
51:34
The Follow-Up: How to Handle a Tantrum
Tantrums are a universal parenting challenge—they can feel overwhelming, embarrassing, or downright exhausting. But what if you had a simple, practical way to respond that actually helps your child learn to calm down?
In this follow-up episode, I’m joined by Chris Lake, educator, child development expert, and founder of Behavior Booster. Chris breaks down his “Lake Method” of de-escalating tantrums in a way that makes sense for both kids and parents.
We cover:
What to do first when a tantrum starts (hint: safety comes before soothing)
Why letting your child move through the crying cycle matters
How to avoid common pitfalls that accidentally reinforce tantrums
The power of validating emotions without caving to demands
What an “extinction burst” looks like and why it’s actually a sign of progress
Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. Join the newsletter!
And don’t forget to follow @pedsdoctalkpodcast on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships page of the website.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
13:56
--------
13:56
What Is the Gut-Brain Axis And How Does Anxiety Play a Role?
Ever wonder why your child’s “mystery” stomach aches keep coming back even when every test comes back normal?Dr. Ali Navidi is a GI psychologist who specializes in the gut-brain connection in kids. He’s on a mission to change how we understand and treat chronic belly pain, nausea, IBS, and other gut issues that don’t always have an obvious medical cause.
In this episode, we break down what every parent should know about the gut-brain axis. How the “little brain” in the gut talks to the “big brain” in the head and how stress, anxiety, and past experiences can turn real stomach sensations into ongoing pain cycles.
We cover:
Gut-brain connection in kids and why stomach pain is real, even with normal test results
How parenting responses and visceral hypersensitivity affect chronic belly pain
Why this often goes undiagnosed and how anxiety plays a role
Proven treatments for gut-brain disorders, from targeted CBT to clinical hypnosis
To connect with Dr. Ali Navidi follow him on Instagram @gipsychusa, check out all his resources at Gipsychology.com and schedule a free consultation here: www.GIPsychology.com/free-consultation/
We’d like to know who is listening! Please fill out our Listener Survey to help us improve the show and learn about you!
00:00 - Welcome to the PedsDocTalk podcast
02:16 - Meet Dr. Ali Navidi, GI psychologist
03:35 - Why GI psychology was created
05:45 - How gut-brain issues show up in kids
06:21 - Explaining the gut-brain axis for parents
08:15 - What is functional abdominal pain?
10:14 - Why kids’ pain is real, not “all in their head”
13:00 - Why kids feel anxiety in their stomachs
14:00 - PTSD of the gut explained
16:11 - Stress, IBS, and real-life examples
18:13 - Visceral hypersensitivity: why pain feels worse
19:43 - How parents’ reactions shape pain cycles
22:39 - Teaching kids coping skills early
27:26 - IBS, vomiting, and gut-brain examples
30:12 - How to respond when your child has pain
33:18 - Treatments that actually help (CBT & hypnosis)
36:34 - Final advice for parents: kids don’t need to “just live with it”
38:38 - Where to find help with GI psychology
40:00 - Closing thoughts and takeaways
Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and subscribe to PedsDocTalk.
Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. Join the newsletter!
And don’t forget to follow @pedsdoctalkpodcast on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships page of the website.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
44:03
--------
44:03
The Follow-Up: When Breastfeeding Isn’t Easy
There’s a lot of pressure to breastfeed but not nearly enough conversation about what to do when it doesn’t go as planned.
In this honest and compassionate episode, Dr. Mona sits down with lactation counselor and mom of two Kaia Lacey to talk about low milk supply, combo feeding, and the emotional weight of unrealistic feeding expectations. Whether you’ve struggled with supply, felt shamed for using formula, or wondered if you're the only one doing “a little of both,” this one’s for you.
They cover:
The difference between primary and secondary low milk supply
What IGT (insufficient glandular tissue) is and how it’s often missed
Why combo feeding isn’t a failure—it’s a valid, supported choice
How internalized “breast is best” messages can lead to shame and burnout
What parents really need: support, diagnosis, and honest information
Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and subscribe to PedsDocTalk.
Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. Join the newsletter!
And don’t forget to follow @pedsdoctalkpodcast on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships page of the website.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
--------
12:13
--------
12:13
From Hesitant to Hopeful: Why Some Parents Don’t Vaccinate—and How We Bridge the Gap
Ever paused at a vaccine insert, googled an ingredient, or felt torn between fear and science?
Dr. Elisabeth Marnik (@sciencewhizliz) wasn’t vaccinated as a child. She grew up in an anti-vax household—but today, she’s a scientist, professor, and mom who vaccinates her own children and helps others feel informed, not fearful.
🧬 In this episode, we talk about what changed her mind—and how we move the conversation on vaccines away from shaming and toward shared values like protecting our kids.
We cover:
What it was like growing up unvaccinated and how becoming a mom changed her entire perspective
How mistrust in larger systems (schools, government, healthcare) fuels vaccine resistance
What people often get wrong about vaccine hesitancy—and why yelling never changes minds
The difference between being anti-vax and vaccine-hesitant—and why reducing it to a binary doesn’t help anyone
Her powerful quote: “The reason my mom didn’t vaccinate is the same reason I chose to vaccinate—because I want to protect my kids.”
How science communicators can do a better job at discussing vaccines
This conversation was inspired by one of her Substack pieces: 📖 Read it here
To connect with Dr. Liz Marnik follow her on Instagram @sciencewhizliz, check out all her resources at https://open.substack.com/pub/fromthescienceclass and https://www.elisabethmarnikphd.com/.
Check out the PedsDocTalk Vaccine Guide: https://pedsdoctalk.com/vaccine-guide/
We’d like to know who is listening! Please fill out our Listener Survey to help us improve the show and learn about you!
0:00 – Understanding the Roots of Vaccine Hesitancy
3:09 – Fear vs. Mistrust: What’s Really Going On?
6:27 – How Systemic Bias Shapes Medical Trust
9:30 – The Problem with the “Just Trust Us” Approach
12:37 – Too Much Information Can Backfire
15:35 – Common Parent Fears About Vaccines
18:45 – Conversations That Actually Shift Perspective
21:42 – Validating Without Agreeing
24:57 – When Curiosity Builds More Trust Than Convincing
28:00 – Small Wins That Add Up
Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and subscribe to PedsDocTalk.
Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. Join the newsletter!
And don’t forget to follow @pedsdoctalkpodcast on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships page of the website.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
About The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom
The PedsDocTalk Podcast is your go-to parenting resource, hosted by Dr. Mona Amin, a trusted pediatrician, parenting expert, and mom of two. As a top 50 Parenting Podcast in the U.S., this show delivers expert-backed guidance on child development, health, illness, behavior, feeding, and sleep—giving parents the confidence to navigate every stage from baby to teen.
Each episode dives into real-life parenting challenges, featuring conversations with specialists in pediatrics, child psychology, nutrition, and parental well-being. From potty training and sleep training to tackling tantrums, picky eating, discipline, screen time, postpartum recovery, and developmental milestones, Dr. Mona provides practical, science-backed advice that actually works.
Tune in on Mondays and Wednesdays for actionable insights, mindset shifts, and expert interviews that empower you to raise healthy, resilient, and happy kids—while thriving as a parent yourself!
Listen to The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom, Rage Against The Vagine and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
Australia