June 8, 2022

Brave Parenting in a Scary World

Brave parenting doesn’t mean acting like what’s happening in our world isn’t scary, or that we must present our kids with perfect solutions. It means meeting our kids where they are, discussing their feelings, then deciding together what to do next.

Gloria DeGaetano, parenting expert and founder of the Parent Coaching Institute, recently wrote: "There's almost not a word to express the stress parents are under right now. 'Overwhelmed' doesn't cut it. It's beyond anything we've ever experienced."

War in Ukraine. Shootings in grade schools. Inflation rates way up. Covid rates way up. This really is a strange and scary moment for all of us, and parenting through our own anxiety is proving a special challenge.

In this episode we discuss how to parent bravely– which doesn't mean parenting in denial, but does mean creating emotional safety for our families even when we don't have all the answers.


If you found this episode helpful, check out these past episodes as well:

Fresh Take: Christina Hillsberg on How Being a Spy Prepared Her For Parenting

Helping Kids Feel Secure In a Scary World (With Guest Dr. Abigail Gewirtz)


Here are links to some of the writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode:

The Daily: Another Elementary School Massacre

Dan Sinker for Esquire: Parenting in the Time of School Shootings

Crystal Woodman Miller: A Kids' Book About School Shootings

Kidpower.org: How To Choose Safety in Scary Times

Ariana Eunjung Cha for Washington Post: ‘It’s like a fire alarm every day’

Alison Snyder et al for Axios: Parents Aren't All Right


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