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April 5, 2025 30 mins

In a world where parenting collides daily with cultural shifts, political tensions, uncertainty and a relentless stream of information, overwhelm is increasingly a common emotion. How can parents stay grounded—and help their children do the same?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino and Arron Neal —a communications expert, cultural strategist, columnist and mom of two— explore strategies for how today’s parents can thoughtfully navigate the pressures of raising kids in an increasingly noisy world.

From screen time and social media to misinformation, identity, and consent, Arron shares strategies for managing overwhelm, staying present, and modelling critical thinking.

Learn how intentional disconnection, open dialogue, and curiosity can become powerful tools for building emotional resilience in your family.

What You’ll Learn:

✅ How to counter overwhelm in a 24/7 digital culture

✅ Why stepping back from screens strengthens family connections

✅ Tools for raising kids who question what they see and hear

✅ The importance of discussing social and political issues at home

✅ How to nurture independence and emotional wellness in tweens and teens

Takeaways:

  • In today's digital age, it's essential to prioritize both emotional and physical health by intentionally disconnecting from devices to foster family relationships.
  • As parents, we must model curiosity and critical thinking in our children's media consumption, ensuring they understand the motives behind the messages they receive.
  • Engagement in public discourse is crucial; it empowers us to navigate the complexities of communication, especially when discussing political and social issues with our children.
  • Ignoring difficult conversations about societal issues can harm our children's understanding; it's our responsibility to guide them through the noise of misinformation.
  • The intersection of parenting and technology requires us to create a culture of digital mindfulness, encouraging our kids to engage thoughtfully with social media.
  • To successfully navigate life's challenges, instilling a sense of independence and discipline in our children will help them make informed choices in their future relationships.

Links referenced in this episode:


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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):

Welcome to the Where ParentsTalk podcast. We help grow better
parents through science,evidence, and the lived experience
of other parents. Learn how tobetter navigate the mental and physical
health of your tween teen oryoung adult through proven expert

(00:21):
advice. Here's your host,Lianne Castelino.
How can parenting beinfluenced during times of distinct
political and societalchallenges? Welcome to Where Parents
Talk. My name is LeanneCastellino. Our guest today is a
communications professionalwho provides strategic counsel to

(00:42):
businesses and organizationsacross industries. Erin Neal is also
a writer and a culturalstrategist focused on exploring the
intersection of culture,parenting, and politics. Erin is
also a mother of two, and shejoins us today from Brossard, Quebec.
Thank you so much for makingthe time.

(01:02):
Yeah, of course. My pleasure.
We are talking about somethingthat certainly is on many, if not
all, minds these days, andyour work really sits at the heart
of what we're talking about,the intersection of communication,
culture, and parenting, inthis case. So, Erin, when you look
out at the current landscape,what concerns you the most? When

(01:25):
we talk about those three themes.
I think the thing that comesto mind most often is just the general
sense of overwhelm, I think,that people feel by it all. We are
constantly being bombardedwith information, whether it is in
news stories, what we'recatching on television, what we're

(01:46):
seeing on social media, thatit can be very easy to feel overwhelmed
by all of that information,which ultimately makes it difficult
for us to process it and thenalso to be able to act meaningfully
on it. So that's the. That'swhat I think my biggest concern is.
How do you go about addressingexactly that with your children?

(02:12):
Most recently, it has beenfocused on an intentional. Taking
intentional steps back. Sowhen we are constantly being flooded
with information, where do wehave opportunities to essentially
dis. Disconnect by turning offour televisions, disconnecting from
our tablets, and kind ofrefocusing our energy and our attention

(02:35):
into the things that bring usjoy rather than the things that may
trigger us or cause anxiety.And that's particularly important,
I think, for families becausetechnology nowadays really kind of
steals time away from us beingable to engage and spend time together
as a family. So when youdisconnect, that creates the perfect

(02:57):
opportunity for you to be ableto spend that quality time together.
You talk about beingintentional. Do you have examples
of what kind of deliberatesteps you're taking as a mother raising
two kids in that vein of howto step back from technology?
Yeah, literally cutting itoff, unplugging it from the wall,

(03:17):
unplugging it from thecharger, cutting it off. So earlier
this year, in January, Ifinished reading a book called 246
the Power of Unplugging. Andessentially, it has inspired my practice
of cutting off technology,turning off my telephone, staying
away from screens for a full24 hours, typically from Friday evening

(03:39):
at sunset, and turning it backon either Saturday evening or early
Sunday morning. And that hasbeen really replenishing in a way
that I didn't necessarilyexpect when I started it. Although
I'm very much appreciative ofit. My children don't always join
me intentionally in thatdisconnect. However, I have found

(04:02):
that when I am disconnected,as is the case in other areas of
life. Right. They follow yourlead. And so if I'm disconnected
and I'm doing a puzzle, if I'mdisconnected and I'm reading, they
will. They will often followmy lead.
So how difficult was that,especially for you? In your line
of work? Always being pluggedin is just part of what you do, I

(04:25):
would imagine. So the firsttime you decided to intentionally
take that on, like, what wasyour mindset and what was the initial
reaction that you had to that?
Yeah, well, I was ready forit. I mean, I think it was a. It
was a process that I came toover a certain period of time. So

(04:46):
I had, in the past, inhindsight, recognize the level of
overwhelm that I was feelingwith the line of work that I'm in,
because I do a lot of socialjustice work, and then also the way
of the world as it relates topolitics and culture. And I knew
that that was having an impacton my mental health. And at the time,

(05:07):
I hadn't taken steps tonecessarily address that. But once
I read the book 24:6, itbecame obvious that it was important.
My husband also would oftentalk about wanting to just completely
shut off social media justbecause of how triggering that can
be, as. So when I decided tomake the step, I was ready for it.

(05:31):
I didn't anticipate it beingas challenging as it was. I certainly
learned how dependent I hadbecome on my tech, Often sort of
checking my pockets to find.To find my phone, while also fully
recognizing that it was turnedoff and on a charger, but I was very
much ready for that disconnect.

(05:52):
So when you talk about beingoverwhelmed, was there a specific
tipping point? Was theresomething you saw or read or specific,
you know, activity orsomething that happened that said,
you know, to you that this isit, I'm buying in, and this is going
to be an Intentional act on mypart starting this weekend.
Yeah, it was the most recentelection. Actually. The most recent

(06:14):
election, I think, was thetipping point. I had gone through
a process maybe about a yearago or so where I sat down and evaluated
the things in my life at thetime that were making me feel anxious,
that were making me feelunhappy and ultimately unhappy, or,

(06:39):
I'm sorry, unhealthy. And oneof the things that I recognized was
the political turmoil and theemotional challenge that I felt during
the first Trump presidency.There was also a lot of other things
sort of happening in the worldat that time as well, including a

(06:59):
lot of racially motivatedviolence. And I realized that the
way that I felt had a lot todo with the information that I was
taking in. And so now comingaround to this, the, the current
administration being back inoffice, and a lot of the changes
that we're seeing across ourcultural and political landscape,
I knew I wanted to be moreintentional and more purposeful in

(07:24):
shielding myself, I think,from a lot of the noise that is,
that is around us. And I alsothink that as a communication strategist
and a journalist, I wanted tomake sure that I was taking, that
I was creating space formyself to remain clear headed. Right.

(07:46):
And to be able to write and tobe able to offer counsel and, and
also to be able to parent in away that wasn't where I wasn't being
influenced by a lot of thenegativity. So it was really a strategy
to help me stay clear headedand to be able to offer counsel that
felt balanced.

(08:06):
That is so interesting becauseon the one hand, we're talking about,
you know, platforms and all ofthe ways and means that we can communicate
and addressing that, but onthe other hand, we're talking about
the message that is beingconveyed across those platforms.
When it comes to kids, as youknow, there's only so much we can

(08:28):
shield them from, regardlessof, you know, banning devices, etc.
When you talk about cultureand the world, politics, society,
where we are today, how do youreconcile the message and how that
is, you know, how you treatthat with your kids?

(08:48):
Yeah, I think, simply put, itwould be encouraging them to stay
curious and not just acceptwhat they are reading or watching
or seeing or hearing at facevalue. I think whether it is from
a parenting perspective orfrom a communications counseling

(09:09):
perspective, you always needto be mindful of who is delivering
the message, what their motivemight be, what they're not saying.
Right. And so it's, it's, it'sbeing aware of the fact that in Any
communication in whateverchannel it is that you're consuming
it in, it's not giving you thefull story. And so staying curious

(09:31):
about what are the pieces thatmay be missing from this, and how
is what I'm hearing or seeingintended to influence? Right. Because
all community, there's apurpose behind all communications,
whether it is to influence youor persuade you to change the way
that you think or to, youknow, to encourage you to change
your behavior. There is amotive. And so to be thoughtful about

(09:52):
what might that be? What couldthat be?
So your kids are 11 and 9, sostill quite young. You know, how
would you say that yourparenting approach has shifted? Has
it? As we've gone through allof these massive changes, really,
in the last five years sincethe pandemic, you could, you know,
easily argue, has thatinfluenced the way that you're trying

(10:16):
to raise your kids?
I don't think that it haschanged. My parenting style hasn't
changed. I would say that Ihave always felt as though I have
a very strong internalcompass. I've always felt pretty
confident in the choices anddecisions that I've made as it relates
to my parenting. Perhaps mycareer is a little different, but

(10:40):
in parenting, I've always hadthat, like, strong internal compass.
I think one of the things thathas become different in the last
five years or so is just thatmy kids are getting older, and they
are, in fact, very curious.And so I can provide them with some
additional context to some ofthe things that they're hearing and

(11:01):
kind of engage them inconversation as well. And so to help
them. So one of the thingsthat I enjoy about this age is understanding
and watching how theyformulate their own opinions, because
as babies, a lot of theconversation is them sort of repeating

(11:22):
what they hear from you orfrom other adults. But now they're
at this really wonderful agewhere they're able to synthesize
all the information thatthey're taking in and then share.
Share that with you in waysthat are different than perhaps you
might state them. So what haschanged is the ability to be able

(11:42):
to engage them in those kindsof conversations and learn more about
how they're thinking and thenalso sharing stories and information
to inform further thinking ona particular topic or a particular
issue.
And on that note, you have theadvantage of being in that vein and

(12:06):
in that industry of journalismand media and communications. But
for parents, where this is nottheir normal or comfort level at
all, trying to engage theirkids, what would you advise or offer
to a parent in terms of tipsthat they might want to consider
because this is an importanttopic, it can't be ignored. It is

(12:29):
the way the world is workingat the moment. And so how do you
explain it in an ageappropriate way to your child?
Yeah, so I would go back tothe point that I made about curiosity
and engaging your kids andtheir curiosity. I think one thing
that's important toacknowledge is that parents, you
don't have to feel as thoughyou are the expert. There's no expectation

(12:52):
of every mother or everyfather being an expert on every geopolitical
issue that's happening in theworld. Right. That's. It's an unrealistic
expectation for us to put onourselves. And so I think when engaging
in conversations with kidsabout some of these bigger issues
that are happening in theworld, like ask them questions, what

(13:14):
do they think, what have theyseen, what have they heard, how to
better understand how they'reprocessing in that, processing that.
And then I think it's alsoimportant to also acknowledge for
yourself and then also withyour kids that you don't have all
the answers. But if you staycurious, then you create space for
yourself to learn and thenalso for your kids to learn. I think

(13:36):
that that's also an importantmessage for kids to internalize as
well, especially when they'rein, you know, when they're school
age, is that it's okay to notknow the answer. Because learning
if you know the answers, thenyou're not, then you're not learning.
Right. And so beingcomfortable saying that you don't
know the answer, but thatyou're willing to look for the answer

(13:58):
or you're willing to becurious to learn more, I think is
really, really important. Moreso than trying to act or having this
expectation that you already know.
So then what would you say toa parent who believes that ignoring
it or not talking about theseissues at all, let's say at the dinner

(14:19):
table or in the car, is astrategy. And especially with kids
so you know, the less theyknow, the better that kind of thing.
Like, do you believe we're ata point in the world where ignoring
it just does more harm than good?
Absolutely. Ignoring itdefinitely does more harm than good.
Because the reality is that ifyou're not talking about it, they

(14:43):
will hear about it fromsomeone else and the messenger who's
delivering that, that, thatmessage, if it's not you, you don't
have any ability to help shapetheir perception. You don't have
the ability to help themunderstand what is true, what may

(15:03):
be an exaggeration. So by notAcknowledging or by not having conversations,
you're essentially taking yourhands off of the whee. You're on
your own. And I think it isour responsibility as parents and
even adults, you know, sowhether the, whether the young person

(15:24):
that you're speaking with is aniece or a nephew or a grandchild
or just someone in yourcommunity, it's our responsibility
to be there and help kidsunderstand the context that exists
in the world to help thembetter navigate what they're experiencing
today that will alsoultimately help inform their decisions

(15:45):
in the future.
Certainly central to thisconversation is the concept of leadership
and how leadership is beingmodeled by, you know, public figures
across the world. It is acause, a cause for concern for many
people. How do you reconcilethat reality with raising kids and,

(16:06):
you know, raising your kids today?
Yeah, well, you know, theinteresting thing is that we are
growing children, littlehumans, in a world where decorum
looks very different todaythan it may have years ago. My kids

(16:26):
are 11 and 9, which I know isa little bit younger than perhaps
some of the other parents thatmay be listening or watching. But
the current environment is allthey know. Like they don't. They're
just now starting to becomeaware of the political and cultural
complexity that is life. Sothat's all they really know. And

(16:49):
I think the thing that for meis important for my kids to understand
is that the people that theysee on tv, whether they are entertainers
or sports figures orpoliticians, they're not a special
kind of people. They're notspecial people. They're just people
doing a job, just like you andI are doing. And so just like any

(17:13):
other person, they may tryreally hard but still fail. They
may work towards the greatergood, or they may be more self interested.
They may make choices that areless than ideal. They may lie. That
is part of the humanexperience. And so as they're watching

(17:37):
people on television orthey're listening to things that
other people are saying,understand that these are just everyday
people like you and I. They'renot perfect. We shouldn't expect
for them to be perfect becauseat the end of the day, they are just
human. And I think it goesback to just focusing on what you

(17:59):
can control as a parent andwhat your kid can control, which
is ultimately just ourselves.Like, we need to be responsible for
the choices that we make asindividuals and not base our behavior
on what other people say orwhat other people are doing. We have
to work and operate from whatfeels right to us in our core. Regardless

(18:22):
of what, you know, they mayhear someone say or see someone do.
When you're trying to operate,as you've described, in a very competitive
world, in a. In a celebrityculture. And when I say competitive,
I'm also referring to otherparents and other families and what

(18:43):
they're doing, which, youknow, often comes home through the
kids. You know, Johnny's doingthis and Betsy's doing that, et cetera,
et cetera. Like, how do youcounter that? Especially because
your kids are at that agewhere that is presumably happening.
Yeah, it is. It is definitelyhappening. And I think the way that
I position it with my kids isdifferent strokes for different folks,

(19:05):
right? Like, I'm not so andso's mother. I'm your mother. There
are different rules indifferent houses with different families,
and what one family doesdoesn't have an impact on what we
do in our house. Right. Everyindividual and every family has to
be guided by their own set ofvalues. And what they think is. Is
right. It doesn't mean thatbecause they're doing something different

(19:29):
means it's wrong. They'redoing what they feel is best and
right for them. And all thatwe can do is what we feel is best
and right for us. So while soand so may have a phone at 11 o'clock,
we're not having. Or, I'msorry, 11 o'clock at 11 8. At 11
years old, you know, we're notgoing to implement that same policy

(19:50):
because that doesn't alignwith what we think is important at
this point in time. Sodifferent strokes for different folks,
different rules for different families.
You've also had the reallyinteresting experience of having
lived both in Canada and theU.S. and when we talk about the intersection
of communications, culture,parenting, you know, what would you

(20:11):
say are some of the maindifferences that you have noticed
in the way that media shapespublic perception?
Yeah, you know, I don't knowthat I noticed a big difference.
I think media is influential.Regardless of where you live, regardless

(20:32):
of the city, the country, thestate, the province, it is going
to be influential. I thinkwhat is maybe different is the framing
of the messages that you hearin the media. So here in Quebec,
a lot of the framing of theissues is based along the lines of
language. Right. Sofrancophone or Anglophones. Whereas

(20:52):
in the United States, theissues may be framed more from a
racial standpoint or more froman economic standpoint, but across
the board, media is media, andit will influence and persuade and
try to shift behavior andthinking regardless of where you
live.
Erin, I'm curious. Why do youbelieve it's important to Be actively

(21:16):
engaged in the publicdiscourse, regardless of all the
things you've outlined. Youknow, the overwhelm, the technology,
the messaging, where we are inthe world today, you still believe
it's important to be activelyengaged. Why?
Yeah, well, I see it as one.It is my profession, it is my passion,

(21:40):
even. And. And it is also myresponsibility because I think that
clear communication and theability to persuade and influence
is both a skill and a talent,and it would be irresponsible of
me to not leverage that.Right. So I. If I think back to conversations

(22:01):
with my son, I. I will oftensay that with great power comes great
responsibility. And so I usethat as a way to help other people
understand why I do the workthat I do. Because it is a skill,
it is a talent. I wield thatpower well, and so I want to use

(22:23):
it effectively now.
You have in the past comparedthe chaos of parenting to the overwhelming
deluge of information that weface daily through the very media
that we're talking, talkingabout here. How do you personally
navigate between stayinginformed and preserving your wellness
and your, you know, mental clarity?

(22:43):
Yeah, it's about being awareof what triggers you, like being
aware of how you feel. So ifyou start to feel annoyed or frustrated
or angry, acknowledging in themoment what it is that's triggering
you and shutting it off, it'sso simple.
But it's such an importantmessage because if we can't do that

(23:06):
as adults, we're never goingto be able to teach our kids to do
that. So, yes, it's a veryimportant point.
The other piece, easy loop toget. I'm sorry, it's an easy loop
to get caught in. Right. Sothere is science behind social media,
right? In order to keep. Keepyou scrolling, in order to keep you

(23:29):
moving from one article to thenext. Because in our brains, we are
rewarded, right, by thatcontinual scrolling. And so it's
important to recognize thatyou have to take a moment for yourself.
You have to be able to just beaware, right. Be aware of what is

(23:54):
happening around you in theway that it makes you feel.
Well, and on the note of beingaware, I mean, disinformation and
misinformation, I think peoplehave never had to work harder to
discern what really the truthis than where we are today. You know,
how do you go about navigatingthat? And do you believe that generally

(24:16):
we are becoming more resistantor are we more vulnerable to misinformation
and disinformation?
Yeah, I think we're becomingmore vulnerable, unfortunately. I
think with the Rise ofartificial intelligence and the way
people are using it to createand to manipulate media, it is becoming

(24:40):
more and more difficult tounderstand what is real and what
is not. But that takes me backto the point that I made a little
bit earlier about curiosityand recognizing that there are these
technologies and sometimesthere are bad actors that work to
use those technologies,perhaps in ways that are less than

(25:04):
beneficial for others. Andacknowledging that, okay, well, if
this makes me feel bad oneparticular way, why might that be?
This might not be real. Whois, where is it coming from? Right.
Like, what is the message?What might the intended purpose be?

(25:25):
So, yeah, be curious, questionthings and don't just accept what
is fed to you at face valuebecause there is, you know, there's
a motive behind everything,whether it is positive or negative.
In that same vein, parentscertainly are key contributors, have
a very critical role inshaping how our kids relationship

(25:49):
ends up evolving with media.Right. In future years and generations.
So what are some intentionalways, Erin, that you would suggest
to parents on how they cancultivate a culture of thoughtfulness
and digital mindfulness?
Yeah, so I would suggestengaging in media together. So whether

(26:10):
you're watching television,whether you're scrolling Instagram
reels, whether you arereading, you know, a book or a newspaper,
is to invite your childreninto the process as well so that
they, so that you get to seeand hear the same things that they
get to see and hear. Andyou're again, creating an opportunity

(26:34):
for conversation, fordiscussion, to elevate or to perhaps
challenge what it is thatyou're taking in. And that practice
will help you and also yourchildren be more discerning in the
information that they'retaking in and being a little bit

(26:55):
more curious and questioning.
So as we try to, you know,live through, endure the period that
we're in of rapid culturalchange, technological change, political
shifts, what are some of thekey values and habits that you hope
to pass on to your children interms of helping them be armed to

(27:18):
navigate an uncertain future? Really?
Yeah. You know, I'm going totake it back to curiosity. Stay curious.
Stay curious. Not just aboutthe world around you, but also about
yourself. Right. Because Imentioned having felt like as a parent,

(27:39):
I've had a strong internalcompass. And that has a lot to do
with just trusting myself,trusting that when I am feeling uneasy,
to be curious about why isthat and try to understand the reason

(28:00):
and then create changes,whether they're big or small, to
shift how I'm feeling, toshift how I'm thinking and how you
think and how you feel aboutthings really impacts ultimately
the outcomes that you will experience.
When you think about how youare trying to raise your kids today

(28:20):
and look at how you wereraised, are there any fundamental,
major differences and if so,what do they look like?
I think the biggest differencebetween my children and how I was
raised is that I'm home. So Ihave worked from home for 16 years

(28:43):
since before COVID made it thething to do, which has afforded me
the ability to engage with mychildren in a way that my mother
did not have an opportunityto. So I was a latchkey kid. I had
my own piece, my home, I camehome, my mother was still at work,
she would come home, you know,a little bit later in the evening.

(29:03):
Whereas my kids, I essentiallygreet them when they come off of
the school bus every singleday. So that is, that is certainly
a major, a major difference.Just the ability to spend more time
with them. I chaired the boardof their school, their daycare and
their school for a number ofyears. And you know, my parents never

(29:23):
had an opportunity to do thatbecause they didn't have the work
life flexibility that I'm ableto enjoy today.
Lots of really interestinginsights and things to think about.
Erin Neal, CulturalStrategist, Communications professional
Thank you so much for yourtime and for your insight today.
Of course, it was a pleasure.Thank you so much for having me.

(29:46):
To learn more about today'spodcast guest and topic, as well
as other parenting themes,visit whereparentstalk.
Com.
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