Where Parents Talk: Evidence-based Expert Advice on Raising Kids Today

On this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast host Lianne Castelino sits down with leading body image researcher Dr. Charlotte Markey, professor at Rutgers University and author of The Body Image Book for Girls, for a conversation about raising confident kids in a social media-saturated world.

With nearly 30 years of research on body image, eating behaviours, puberty, and mental health, Dr. Markey unpacks the unprecedented press...

On this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino sits down with picky eating expert, educator, and founder of Raising Healthy Families, Katie Kimball.

Kimball explains why teaching teens to cook is about far more than food. It’s about:

1. Reducing teen anxiety through competence and ownership

How do you raise safe, confident kids in a world of gaming chats, AI tools, social media, and constant connectivity?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks to cybersecurity professionals Chad Rychlewski and Kae David, who share expert, practical advice from their book Cyber Smart Parenting. As both industry insiders, they translate enterprise-level cybersecurity strategies into realistic step...

Why do so many parents feel like they’re failing — even when they’re doing everything “right”?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino is joined by Manu Brune, postpartum specialist, parent coach, mother of 3 and author of Overcorrecting: Parenting in the Middle While the World Shouts in Extremes. They unpack a timely issue facing parents today: overcorrection.

Brune explains how many parents are unco...

Life insurance can feel overwhelming for parents — especially when you’re juggling kids, careers, mortgages, and everyday life. In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks with Laura McKay, co-founder and COO of PolicyMe and a mom of two, to break down life insurance in simple, practical terms for families.

This essential conversation for parents covers what life insurance actually is, why it matt...

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks with Matthew Kaufman, camp director, author, lifelong camp professional and father, about the powerful science behind camp and what parents can learn from it.

Drawing from his book The Campfire Effect: How to Engineer Belonging in a Disconnected World, Kaufman explains how camp environments intentionally create safety, belonging, and healthy challenge—an...

What if your child’s genius has nothing to do with grades or test scores?

In this episode of Where Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino speaks with Houlie Duque, educator, homeschool coach, and founder of Homeschool To Go, to challenge traditional ideas of intelligence and success in education.

The conversation explores how every child is intelligent—just in different ways—and why the current education system often overlooks creativit...

Food allergies affect 1 in 13 children—and for many parents, the fear and uncertainty can feel overwhelming.

In this episode of Where Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino speaks with Malina Malkani, pediatric registered dietitian, bestselling author, and mom of three, to break down the latest science-backed guidance on food allergy prevention.

Learn why early introduction of allergenic foods like peanut and egg during infancy can sign...

Modern parenting often feels like a race against time. Between school pressures, screens, and rising rates of anxiety and depression, many parents are left wondering what their children truly need—and how to support them without burning out themselves.

In this episode of Where Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino is joined by occupational therapist, naturalist, parent coach, and author Kathleen Lockyer, founder of the Nature Led Appr...

As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes the world our children are growing up in, many parents are left wondering: What does this mean for my child’s identity, values, and future?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks with global technology thought leader and author Don Tapscott to explore the rise of identic AI and why understanding it is no longer optional for parents.

Drawing from his...

In this episode of Where Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino speaks to licensed professional counsellor, teen therapist, author and mom Katie K. May about teen mental health.

Drawing from her own experience as a former “teen on fire” and her clinical work with adolescents and families, May unpacks emotional dysregulation, self-harm, and the powerful role validation plays in strengthening parent-teen relationships. She discusses help...

In this episode of theWhere Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino speaks with Marcus Fernandez — founder and CEO of the largest homeopathy school in the U.K., bestselling author, longtime educator, and father of two — about natural medicine and family health.

With more than 30 years of experience in the field, Fernandez shares how public perception of homeopathy has evolved, why more parents are exploring natural remedies, and how sim...

In this episode of Where Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino speaks to Dr. Caroline Fleck—licensed psychologist, Stanford instructor, corporate consultant, and author of Validation: How the Skill Set that Revolutionized Psychology Will Transform Your Relationships, Increase Your Influence, and Change Your Life.

Dr. Fleck breaks down one of psychotherapy’s most impactful yet misunderstood tools: validation. She explains why it’s more...

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks to Dr. Will Dobud, an award-winning researcher and social worker. Dr. Dobud sheds light on the alarming rise in youth anxiety and depression, suggesting that perhaps the real issue lies not within the kids themselves, but in the systems surrounding them.

The discussion explores the importance of communication and independence in fostering resilience, wh...

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks to child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Sami Timimi, psychiatrist and author of Searching for Normal.

The conversation examines the current approach to diagnosing mental health conditions in young people. Drawing on extensive clinical experience, Dr. Timimi questions the growing tendency to interpret behavioural patterns—such as inattention or restles...

How can parents teach kids to think critically, tell truth from falsehood, and navigate an online world filled with AI-generated content and misinformation?

In this episode of Where Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino speaks with Matthew Johnson, Director of Education at MediaSmarts, about practical ways parents can build digital media literacy at home.

Discover how to talk to your kids about honesty, praise effort over results, and ...

In this episode of theWhere Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks to Michael Chiasson — speaker, musician, writer, and author of Things We Wish Our Parents Knew.

Drawing on 20+ years of speaking to youth across North America, Chiasson shares lessons from thousands of anonymous letters written by teens about what they wish their parents understood.

Discover what today’s young people are truly trying to say — about love, ...

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks to Rebecca Faye Smith Galli — columnist, resilience expert, advocate, and bestselling author — about what it truly means to live with resilience in the face of unimaginable loss and change.

A mother of four (including two children with special needs) and a grandmother, Smith Galli’s journey has been marked by profound challenges — from losing her brother...

Did you know that your child’s stomach aches might have more to do with their mind than their meals?

In this episode of the Where Parents Talk podcast host Lianne Castelino speaks with Dr. Ali Navidi, licensed clinical psychologist and CEO of GI Psychology, about the link between the gut and the brain — and what every parent should know.

Dr. Navidi explains how gut–brain disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome IBS, functional abdo...