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Sponsored by the Idaho Children's Trust Fund
https://idahochildrenstrustfund.org/

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Ken and Michelle welcome 2026 with special guest Leta Harris Neustaedter. Leta is an arts educator, musician, actor, community builder and clinical social worker. In 2010 she created Metamorphosis Performing Arts Studio, LLC as a place where the performing arts and mental health intersect. She provides her own programming and also contract with schools and organizations to facilitate interactive workshops for children and adults on a variety of topics. Leta is a grant recipient from the Morrison Center, Feast, Covid Cultural Commission Fund, Alexa Rose Foundation, and Idaho Commission of the Arts (ICA), where she is also an ICA Certified Change Leader.

RESOURCES:

Leta's Website:

https://www.letaharrisneustaedter.com/

When No Thing Works By Norma Wong:

https://a.co/d/aAhhx4T

Rediscovered Books:

https://rdbooks.org/

Sponsored by the Idaho Children's Trust Fund
https://idahochildrenstrustfund.org/

The Resilient Parenting Podcast Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/theresilientparentingpodcast

Send us a text

It's that time of year again for mirth and merriment but also STRESS. Learn some helpful tips to bring the joy and not the humbug to this holiday season.

The last episode of 2025!

RESOURCES:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/scientific-mommy/202512/better-ways-to-manage-your-holiday-stress

https://www.healthline.com/health/holiday-stress

Steve Fund Holiday Mental Health Toolkit:

https://stevefund.org/holiday-mental-health-toolkit/

TOYS For TOTS:

https://www.toysfortots.org/

Sponsored by the Idaho Children's Trust Fund
https://idahochildrenstrustfund.org/

The Resilient Parenting Podcast Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/theresilientparentingpodcast

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Join Ken and Michelle as they share a heartfelt conversation with Gemma Gaudette, host of the award-winning show, Idaho Matters. Gemma helped launch Idaho Matters in 2018 on Boise Public Radio. https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/show/idaho-matters. You can catch her every week day at noon. Gemma shares her parenting journey as a "Boy Mom".

A little about Gemma:

(From: https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/people/gemma-gaudette)

Highlights

• It's Gemma (like the Gem State)
• Married to a Boise native
• Favorite Pastime: Travel; and reading a good book
• I'm one of 10 children
• Boy Mom

Experience

I was born in Portland, Oregon. My family moved to Chehalis, Washington when I was 8 years old, and I'm a proud graduate of Washington State University's Edward R Murrow College of Communication. I spent the majority of my career in front of the camera as a television news anchor and reporter mostly in Idaho, with stints in Lincoln, Nebraska and Tampa, Florida. I was lucky enough to help launch Idaho Matters in 2018, and it has been my dream job. I often tell people: it only took me 25 years in this crazy business to fall into the job I was meant to do.

Sponsored by the Idaho Children's Trust Fund
https://idahochildrenstrustfund.org/

The Resilient Parenting Podcast Facebook Group

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Ken and Michelle are back on the road heading to Coeur d Alene to visit with Mike "Woody" Wood, Nurturing Father's Program Trainer.

What is the Nurturing Fathers Program?

"The Nurturing Father’s Program is an evidence-based, 13-week training course designed to teach parenting and nurturing skills to men. Each 2 ½ hour class provides proven, effective skills for healthy family relationships and child development. NFP has been successfully implemented in Schools, Head Start, Churches, State DSS, Prisons, Halfway Houses, Prevent Child Abuse, Parenting and Counseling Centers, Military, Community Action Agencies, and many others. Available in Spanish. Current research shows that participants in the Nurturing Father's Program improved in their understanding of the developmental capabilities of children, improved in ability to demonstrate empathy toward the needs of children, improved in the reported use of alternate strategies to corporal punishment, increased understanding and acceptance of the needs of self and children, and increased in the value placed on children feeling empowered. Additionally, the results suggested overall improvement in parental attitudes and behaviors that were known to contribute to child abuse and neglect."

"For fathers, being involved with their children is an "opportunity to develop the sensitive, caring parts of themselves". (Coltrane, 1996, p.117)

RESOURCES:

Nurturing Fathers Program:

https://nurturingfathers.com/

Links to other resources:

https://nurturingfathers.com/resource-links/

Strengthening Families North Idaho:

https://www.strengtheningfamiliesni.com/

Parenting Classes and Support:

https://nifamily.com/parenting-classes-and-support-from-icare/

Sponsored by the Idaho Children's Trust Fund
https://idahochildrenstrustfund.org/

The Resilient Parenting Podcast Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/theresilientparentingpodcast

Send us a text

Parenting a pregnant or parenting teen?

Join Ken and Michelle as they meet with Jamie Garn, Executive Director of Cardinal Academy and Kim Kelzer,LCSW Director of the Salvation Army's Booth Program.

The Salvation Army’s Booth Program for Young Parents supports you with:

Childcare On Site – New Horizons Academy

Personalized resources & support

Free breakfast & lunch

Food pantry

Counseling

Life Skills, Pre-Natal & Parenting classes

Incentive store

Cardinal Academy:

– Get to and from school
– Recover credits
– Finish high school
– Plan for career or college
– Develop life skills to navigate your new adult responsibilities

From the Cardinal Academy Website: Parenting or becoming a parent is hard, and can be overwhelming. But finishing high school will help you be the best parent you can in the long run.

If you don’t know where to start, you came to the right place. Let’s make a plan together.

We are located at The Salvation Army’s Booth Campus
9492 W. Emerald St., Boise ID | 208-495-6866

RESOURCES:

Cardinal Academy Website:

https://cardinalacademycharter.org/

Booth website:

https://boothcampus.salvationarmy.org/

Registration Information:

https://boothcampus.salvationarmy.org/booth_campus/registration-information

MEET THE NEED:

https://give-usw.salvationarmy.org/campaign/701882/donate?c_src=Website_USW_local&c_src2=gtb_cs_booth

Sponsored by the Idaho Children's Trust Fund
https://idahochildrenstrustfund.org/

The Resilient Parenting Podcast Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/theresilientparentingpodcast

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Ken and Michelle take a virtual trip to Oklahoma City to visit with LPC and Certified Sex Therapist, Kayla Jones to chat about comprehensive sex education and sexual shame. How does our sexual shame show up in our parenting? What is comprehensive sex education and at what age should we start?

In this episode we cover:

Sexual Shame

Comprehensive Sex Education

The importance of 100 1-minute-conversations

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. Text us your questions and they might be featured in a future episode with Kayla Jones!

RESOURCES:

Jones Counseling:

http://www.jones-counseling.com/

Shameless Parenting Website:

https://www.tinaschermersellers.com/shamelessparentingresources

Shameless Parenting Book:

https://www.tinaschermersellers.com/books

Sponsored by the Idaho Children's Trust Fund
https://idahochildrenstrustfund.org/

The Resilient Parenting Podcast Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/theresilientparentingpodcast

Send us a text

Join Ken and Michelle as they chat with American Falls School Superintendent, Randy Jensen as he shares two exciting initiatives happening in their community: Universal Preschool and Read-Talk-Play Every Day. Learn how they did it and how you can too.

Read Talk Play Every Day is a research-based, community supported initiative to champion early childhood literacy. Through volunteer, business and family partnerships, parents and relatives are being encouraged to read, talk and play with their children from birth.

“With the help of parents and in partnership with our community our goal is to have every student ready to start kindergarten,” Superintendent Randy Jensen said. “We want every student reading on grade level by the end of third grade and on the path to a happy and successful life.”

Thirty-five percent of students come from poverty households in the American Falls district. Almost 70 percent of elementary students are on free lunch. Research shows students from poverty enter kindergarten, on average, two years behind peers who are not from poverty, due limited exposure to vocabulary. “Less than 20 percent of our kindergarten students come prepared for kindergarten,” Jensen said.

The district is aggressively tackling this challenge through a multifaceted approach involving teacher-designed strategies to address needs in prekindergarten through third grade. During the 2019-2020 school year the school district will be moving to a full day everyday kindergarten program.

“There are many benefits to reading, talking and playing with children,” Jensen wrote in a press release. “Children who have been read to are confident communicators, understand emotions better and form stronger relationships. They have a large and diverse vocabulary: a crucial building block to reading. Children who have been read to have stronger relationships with their parents and feel more connected to their family. Playing with your children fosters imagination and lays a foundation to discovery and a large, descriptive vocabulary. Playing helps your children develop motor skills which improves brain processing skills needed to do math, science and reading. Playing with your children pushes them to invent story lines, characters and places all fundamentals of reading and writing." -From the American Falls School Website

RESOURCES:

American Falls School District:

https://www.sd381.k12.id.us/live-feed#10246902

READ-TALK-PLAY

https://www.sd381.k12.id.us/page/af-read-talk-play

https://unitedwaysei.org/home/our-work/read-talk-play/

ARTICLES:

https://www.newsnationnow.com/top-headlines/ap-top-headlines/ap-idaho-left-early-education-up-to-families-one-town-set-out-to-get-universal-preschool-anyway/

https://idahocoalitionforcommunityschools.org/551-2/

https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/read-talk-play-american-falls-getting-national-attention-for-its-early-childhood-education-success-story/article_36f359b0-7732-11ee-b6c4-eb85ef2bc35d.html

Sponsored by the Idaho Children's Trust Fund
https://idahochildrenstrustfund.org/

The Resilient Parenting Podcast Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/theresilientparentingpodcast