Parents of the Year

Are You Preparing Your Kids for Life Without You?

Your child can get good grades, follow the rules, and still struggle with everyday responsibilities when they leave home. So, how do you prepare them for real life?

In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline shares what they've learned watching their eldest daughter navigate her first weeks of independent living. From budgeting and meal planning to car maintenance...

Can you remember the last time you did something simply because you loved it?

Parenthood can slowly become a cycle of practices, appointments, work, meals, driving, and making sure everyone else has what they need. Somewhere inside all that responsibility, your own interests can become harder to recognize.

In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline talk with Amanda Alcorn, mother of seven and creator of The Embod...

Why can a teen struggle with motivation in one school and suddenly thrive in another?

Andrew and Dr. Caroline are joined by their daughter Willow for a candid conversation about her new high school experience and the surprising difference that autonomy, flexibility, and trust have made.

After years of frustration with rigid schedules, sitting in classrooms for hours, being expected to learn one way, and waiting for everyone else to c...

Are You Helping Your Kids Too Much?

Watching your child struggle can make every parenting instinct scream, “Help them!”

But sometimes the most useful thing a parent can do is wait.

In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline talk candidly about watching their daughters become increasingly independent and how surprisingly difficult it can be to resist jumping in and fixing things.

From overflowing sinks a...

Why does every conversation with your child seem to turn into a fight? Why do your attempts to help leave both of you feeling worse?

When a child or teen experiences emotions that feel overwhelming, their brain naturally searches for relief. Sometimes that relief comes through behaviours that worry the adults who love them most, including self harm or other self destructive coping strategies. Understanding why those behaviours devel...

Do you ever reach the end of the day exhausted, yet still feel like you didn’t do enough?

Parents are surrounded by pressure to do more, achieve more, improve more, and somehow help their kids do the same. But trying to pursue everything can leave us making very little progress on what actually matters.

In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline talk about the difference between having big aspirations and e...

Your child comes home from school. You ask how their day went.

“Fine.”

And now you’re left wondering whether they’re actually fine, overwhelmed, lonely, worried about finding their classroom, struggling with a locker, or simply not ready to talk.

School transitions can bring excitement, uncertainty, social worries, new responsibilities, and plenty of stress. And when parents see their child struggling, the inst...

You want your child to be happy, successful and confident. But when does wanting the best for them quietly turn into deciding what their life should look like?

In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline get personal as one of their daughters prepares to move out. That milestone sparks a bigger conversation about the goals parents carry for their children and how easily our own experiences, missed opportunities a...

Are you ready to kickstart the new school year with ease and confidence?

Today, we recast an episode of Dr. Caroline's Overpowering Emotions podcast, where she presents valuable tips and strategies to ensure a smooth back-to-school transition. 

If you haven't already, check out these additional resources:

• Comprehensive guide to conquering back-to-school anxiety: https://korulearninginstitute.kit.com/conquerschoolanxie...

There is a moment that catches many parents by surprise.

The children are growing up, becoming more independent, and suddenly a new question appears:

Who am I outside of being Mom or Dad?

In this episode, Andrew and Dr. Caroline begin with a light-hearted conversation about adventure, risk-taking, and their very different comfort zones. That playful discussion quickly turns into something much deeper.

They explore how parenting has cha...

You walk into a room and can't remember why you're there. Your keys end up in the fridge. You forget permission slips, lunches and appointments, then wonder if you're simply becoming forgetful.

You're probably not.

In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline explores what actually happens inside the brain after becoming a parent. They explain why "baby brain" isn't about losing intelligence, how caregiving changes...

AI companions are becoming part of everyday life, and many families have no idea how quickly they're finding their way into teenagers' worlds. Reports suggest that one in five boys between 12 and 16 either has an AI girlfriend or knows someone who does. That statistic raises important questions about loneliness, connection, emotional development, and what healthy relationships may look like for the next generation.

In this episode o...

You feel like every simple request turns into a debate. Picking up a backpack, putting away a phone, getting ready for bed, or helping around the house somehow becomes another power struggle. After enough of those moments, it's easy to wonder whether your child respects you at all.

In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline explain why respect isn't something children automatically have for adults. It's somethin...

Schools teach algebra, chemistry, and history, but many children graduate without knowing how to earn, manage, save, or spend money wisely. That leaves one important question: who is teaching the financial skills they'll rely on for the rest of their lives?

In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline sit down with financial educator Vince Shorb, founder of the National Financial Educators Council, to explore simp...

Respect doesn't suddenly appear during the teenage years. Responsibility, honesty, gratitude, and consideration for others are skills children learn through repeated teaching, consistent expectations, and everyday family interactions.

In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline explore why many families struggle with disrespect, constant negotiations, and boundary battles. They explain why discipline should be vi...

Can the Words We Teach Our Kids Change Their Relationships?

Should children always reply "It's okay" when someone apologizes?

A conversation sparked by Brené Brown opens the door to a much bigger discussion about the language we teach children and the messages those words carry.

Andrew and Dr. Caroline explores why genuine apologies matter, why accountability should never disappear just because someone says "sorry," and ho...

When Is It Okay for Kids to Lie? A Parent's Guide to Honesty, Friendship, and Boundaries

As parents, we tell our kids to be honest. Then one day they use us as the excuse to get out of plans with friends.

So what happens when honesty feels harder than a harmless excuse?

In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline tackle a surprisingly complicated parenting question: Is it ever okay to teach kids to lie?

The conversa...

Somewhere along the way, a lot of parenting shifted from leading to negotiating. We talk our kids into things, trade screen time for cooperation, and let the daily battles get decided by whoever has more energy that night usually not us.

In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline dig into a quieter shift happening in a lot of homes: the slow handover of parental authority. Sleep, screens, food, and movem...

Are Parents Losing Authority? Why Respect at Home Is Breaking Down

Why are so many parents feeling ignored, dismissed, or completely powerless with their kids?

In this episode of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Dr. Caroline tackle the growing culture of disrespect happening at home, at school, online, and across society. From kindergarten graduation fights between parents to teens brushing off rules without a second thought, they unp...