Parenting Great Kids With Dr. Meg Meeker

With struggles coming at them from every angle, young boys need all the help from their parents that they can get to avoid temptations. One temptation that all boys face, but that can be extremely destructive, is pornography. That’s why this episode will be so important for parents of young boys since Dr. Meg interviews Stephen Arterburn. Stephen is the author of the book Every Man’s Battle, and a nationally and internationally known speaker, and he has great advice and warnings about the temptation surrounding young boys, pornography, and how demeaning and objectifying it is toward women. This is an episode that parents of boys cannot afford to miss! Also in this episode, Dr. Meg will give you her points to ponder that you can start using right away and answers questions from a mom about her 14 year old daughter who is in therapy for anger issues and from a mom about the importance of her husband spending one-on-one time with their twin boys. If you have a question you want Dr. Meeker to answer in a future e

Waking up in the middle of the night to take care of your kids is always stressful. Is it a dirty diaper? Is it a bad dream? Is it that baby is hungry? All these questions run through your head as you make your way over to take care of the baby. And then, while you’re taking care of baby, feeding or comforting, you can make the most of your unexpected awake time by praying or reading a devotional. In this episode, Dr. Meg asked her associate, Lisbeth Keen, to interview Becky Thompson and Susan Pitts. They are a mother and daughter duo responsible for the Midnight Momblog as well as the new book Midnight Mom Devotional: 365 Prayers to Put Your Momma Heart to Rest. The book is a great resource for mothers who find themselves awake for various reasons in the middle of the night taking care of the kiddos. Every prayer can either be directed toward yourself or toward a friend or family member that you know is working through the stresses of raising children. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg will give you her points t

As our country faces a crisis unlike anything we have faced, Dr. Meeker felt it was important to talk to you about Coronavirus. All of us are working diligently to keep our families protected and naturally there are concerns about whether we are doing the right things or doing enough to stay well. In today’s episode, Dr. Meg gives you practical advice on taking care of your family, teaching your kids about avoiding infection, and what to do if you think you have been exposed to Coronavirus. Your kids need to be able to look to their parents for great information, instructions on what to do, and know that their family is going to be ok, and you are just the great parent to do that! Also in this episode, Dr. Meg will give you her points to ponder that you can start using right away and answers a question from two different moms about the impact of Coronavirus on their families. If you have a question you want Dr. Meeker to answer in a future episode or on the Meeker Parenting Community page, email them to askme

When you get to the “storybook” wedding day, often you can’t imagine how your marriage could possibly end in divorce. The reality is, it happens, but that doesn’t make you a terrible person or a bad parent. Sometimes a redemption story comes out of the rubble as was the case with Dr. Meg’s guest this episode, Tracey Lynn Russell. Tracey felt like she was living a dream marrying what she thought was the man of her dreams. It turns out, that day became a nightmare as her husband felt they made a mistake. Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there, and Tracey’s story is helpful to those going through similar things. You’re going to enjoy this conversation! Also in this episode, Dr. Meg will give you her points to ponder that you can start using right away and answers a question from a mom about her shy 6 year old and from another mom about appropriate screen time for her 4 year old. If you have a question you want Dr. Meeker to answer in a future episode or on the Meeker Parenting Community page, email them to askm

With the month of March being National Birth Defect Prevention Month, what better interview to conduct than one from a mom that gave birth to a baby with a birth defect. Dr. Meg talks with Stacey Mandel about her daughter who was born at 27 weeks and how she handled having a premature baby and also her feelings about her newborn daughter’s birth defect. Because of an incredible, life-saving injection of pulmonary surfactants (developed with funding provided by the March of Dimes), Stacey’s daughter Maxi was able to survive being born very early and without any lung defects. This conversation is an incredible testament to modern medicine helping provide life in an otherwise hopeless situation. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg will give you her points to ponder that you can start using right away. If you have a question you want Dr. Meeker to answer in a future episode or on the Meeker Parenting Community page, email them to askmeg@megmeekermd.com and listen to see if your question is featured next!   0:00 – AD –

Young boys are growing up every day and will learn what it is to be a man and father from somewhere. More often than it should, the teacher is television programming, music, or a bad example of a man in the young boy’s life. It’s ever more obvious that young boys need someone to look up to and show them what manhood and fatherhood should look like. This is where Dr. Meg’s conversation with John Smithbaker is so important if you have boys in your family or you are a man that feels the call to pour into someone else’s life. Dr. Meeker and John talk about the importance of a “father figure” and how you can be one to a young boy in need. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg will give you her points to ponder that you can start using right away. If you have a question you want Dr. Meeker to answer in a future episode or on the Meeker Parenting Community page, email them to askmeg@megmeekermd.com and listen to see if your question is featured next!   1:39 – WELCOME Dr. Meg introduces the topic “Fathers In The Field” along

Whether you are a new parent, about to be a parent “again”, or you have been a parent for more than a decade, there are fears that each of you face as you raise your kids. There’s always a voice in your head that says, “you were too harsh this morning,” or “you were way too lenient this afternoon.” With the increase of social media posts, these days are bombarded with comparisons and perfect photos of perfect families. All of those things add extra stress and play into fears that come up in everyone’s parenting journeys. Dr. Meg knows these fears first-hand, and she wants to help you avoid them or overcome them as much as possible. This episode of the Parenting Great Kids podcast deals with your fears surrounding parenting. She gives you practical advice and tips to not let those fears stop you in your tracks, but to make you a stronger more confident mom or dad. This entire episode is dedicated to Dr. Meeker talking about what it means to engage in fearless parenting. You don’t want to miss this one! If you

With societal pressures about body image, sexual activity, and inclusion in the “it crowds”, daughters have an increasingly difficult time staying strong these days. Even something as simple as an off-handed comment about you needing to lose weight can shift your daughter’s mindset toward an unhealthy body image. All these pressures can make it difficult for your daughters to stay safe, happy, and healthy. That’s why Dr. Meg wrote the book Raising A Strong Daughter: 11 Steps to Keep Her Safe, Happy and Healthy and is the “guest” in the interview in this episode. Our own Lisbeth Keen asks Dr. Meeker questions about her book that focuses in on the challenges, pressures, and dilemmas facing adolescent and teenage girls today. She also helps you answer the questions about how parents can help shepherd their daughters into womanhood while guarding against today's overwhelming social dangers. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg will give you her points to ponder that you can start using right away. If you have a question

When you are presented with a situation, big or small, where you can make a difference, immediately self-doubt and excuses as to why you shouldn’t even try come to the front of your mind. In this episode, Dr. Meg has a conversation with Rabbi Jen Krause and Dr. Jordan Kassalow about their book Dare To Matter. This is a book about how you can harness the desire to make a difference in the world by doing things in the here and now, in your own way. They explain how these small acts of kindness make a huge difference that you often don’t see the end results of. The main thing is, just do something! Dr. Jordan Kassalow is the founder of VisionSpring, the global phenomenon that has helped millions stay focused on a positive future, and he shares his own story of connecting his real life financial responsibilities with his true sense of calling, while also offering readers the tools to map out their own path. Dubbed “one of NYC’s Hippest Rabbis” and “the Jewish Katie Couric” by WNET’s MetroFocus, Rabbi Jennifer Kra

On the doorstep of New Years Day, resolutions, change, and fitness are always top of mind. As a parent, these things can easily go by the wayside as you just try and keep your head above water raising your kids. Lots of questions come to the forefront when learning how to balance fitness and family. That’s why in this episode Dr. Meg talks to fitness guru and television personality Heidi Powell. She has trained hundreds of people on how to get in shape and set attainable and sustainable goals all while being married and raising four children. Her and Dr. Meeker also talk about her and her husband’s hit television show Extreme Weight Loss and what it took from both of them to create such a successful show. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg will give you her points to ponder and answers a question from a father about his son that he suspects may be dealing with OCD issues. As always, if you have a question you want Dr. Meeker to answer in a future episode, email them to askmeg@megmeekermd.com and listen to see if y

It’s the Christmas season, and in light of that, Dr. Meg wanted to do a special Christmas edition of the Parenting Great Kids podcast! If you can learn how to deal with the struggles, joys, and different aspects of Christmas that families deal with every holiday season, you really can make the best of the time with family and friends as Dr. Meg hopes for each of you. Because it’s such a special time of year, Dr. Meeker takes the entire episode to talk about Christmas and didn’t have time for a guest interview or listener questions. As always, if you have a question you want Dr. Meeker to answer in a future episode, email them to askmeg@megmeekermd.com and listen to see if your question is featured next!   0:00 – AD – PINNA STREAMING SERVICE If you’ve been struggling to find a gift that balances fun with education – and something that will keep kids engaged WITHOUT screens – check out Pinna! Pinna combines the best podcasts, audiobooks, and music all in one place, specifically for kids 3-12 years old. Kids

Adopting children can be one of the greatest blessings that you experience. Some families choose to adopt to complete their family and some adopt to start theirs. In either case, adopting a child of a different race brings some baggage with it that you don’t necessarily know about until you’re in the thick of it. Sometimes people give you strange looks when you have an adopted child of a different race, or they may even call the police and report a kidnapping like in the case of Autumn Mile’s husband, Eddie. She tells this story as she talks with Dr. Meeker about what it has been like raising her African American adopted children Moses and Haven. As a dynamic speaker who produces regular inspirational content for her Facebook followers and for speaking engagements, she’s perfect for giving our listeners advice on how to handle a bi-racial family that you may encounter or how to better be a bi-racial family if you are in one already. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg will give you her points to ponder that you can

When you first have kids, it seems like they will never grow to the next stage, and you continually ask when will my child learn how to do certain things. It feels like parents are always trying to quickly move through their kids’ childhoods so quickly, but when you do that you miss out on some of the greatest joys in life. There are strong bonds and relationships that take work to form, and if you just look to speed past where you are and move on to the next thing, you really miss out on the opportunity to raise great kids! That’s why Dr. Meg sits down to talk with Dr. Carrie Quinn about different strategies and tips on being a positive parent and also building strong parent-child relationships. Dr. Quinn is Dr. Carrie Quinn is the Executive Director of the Mount Sinai Parenting Center, and she is a board-certified pediatrician and worked in private practice for six years prior to joining the Department of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2012. This gives her the perfect backgroun

One of the biggest issues people in America face today is how the healthcare system hides pricing from its customers, the patients. In no other industry do you blindly hire someone for a service and agree to pay whatever price they deem appropriate after the service is completed. If you were to hire a person to build a fence, there’s no way to know how many nails or screws he or she will use or break, but what if there was a service fee for each one? This is how the healthcare system works. Surprises at every turn are ensuring that the only person that isn’t doing well financially in this process is the patent. This is where Dr. Marty Makary can help you become a much more savvy consumer of healthcare services. He and Dr. Meeker talk about how you as a patient, or parent of a patient, can be sure you aren’t being unnecessarily overcharged when you visit a hospital. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg will give you her points to ponder and answers a question from a parent about their 4-year-old son that sometimes li

One of the biggest issues people in America face today is how the healthcare system hides pricing from its customers, the patients. In no other industry do you blindly hire someone for a service and agree to pay whatever price they deem appropriate after the service is completed. If you were to hire a person to build a fence, there’s no way to know how many nails or screws he or she will use or break, but what if there was a service fee for each one? This is how the healthcare system works. Surprises at every turn are ensuring that the only person that isn’t doing well financially in this process is the patent. This is where Dr. Marty Makary can help you become a much more savvy consumer of healthcare services. He and Dr. Meeker talk about how you as a patient, or parent of a patient, can be sure you aren’t being unnecessarily overcharged when you visit a hospital. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg will give you her points to ponder and answers a question from a mother about how to help her four year old daughter

Keeping your brain sharp can seem like a tough task, and to add on top of it your kids’ brains sounds like an impossible task. Just trying to keep up with the day-to-day chaos is mentally challenging, is there a way to improve the function of the brain? Dr. Daniel Amen says, “you are not stuck with the brain you have, you can make it better,and I can prove it.” With all this in mind, Dr. Meeker sits down to talk with Dr. Amen about these things as well as his new book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Grades. Dr. Amen has helped millions of people change their brains and lives through his health clinics, best-selling books, products and public television programs, and that is why Dr. Meg sits down to talk with him about kids’ and parents’ brains in this episode. Also, if you have a question you want Dr. Meeker to answer, email them to askmeg@megmeekermd.comand listen to future episodes to see if your question is featured!   0:00 – AD – BETTER HELP TeenCounseling.comconnects your 13 to 19-year-old with a lice

The back to school season is always tough for kids as they get used to a different schedule when summer is over. It’s also tough on parents as they are transitioning into the new season and helping their kids deal with the changes as well. In this special episode, Dr. Meg answers your questions about helping kids deal with getting used to new schedules, learning how to make friends, and how much extracurricular activities are enough during the transition into a new school year. Whether you are just starting the school year or you are already a few weeks in, these tips will help you to parent your great kids! Also, if you have a question you want Dr. Meeker to answer, email them to askmeg@megmeekermd.comand listen to future episodes to see if your question is featured!   0:00 – AD – KIWI CO KiwiCo creates super cool, hands-on projects for kids that make learning about science, technology, engineering, art, and math fun! KiwiCo’s mission is to provide the next generation of innovators with the tools and foun

Balancing a really busy work schedule with the right amount of family time can be a struggle, and fathers tend to struggle with this the most. Often, fathers feel that they have to be the primary provider in a family and put too much energy and time into their jobs and don’t leave enough “in the tank” to build meaningful and lasting relationships with their children. No one knows this more than New England Patriots tight end, Benjamin Watson. Dr. Meg and Benjamin sit down to talk about his demanding career and how he ensures that his family doesn’t just get the leftovers when he’s not playing football. Finding balance between work and home is a must to be a parent to a great kid! Also, if you have a question you want Dr. Meeker to answer, email them to askmeg@megmeekermd.comand listen to future episodes to see if your question is featured!   0:00 – AD – BETTER HELP TeenCounseling.comconnects your 13 to 19-year-old with a licensed professional counselor right where they spend most of their time, on their sm

Even as an adult, finding what you are good at and what you are passionate about (and subsequently where those two things intersect) can be a seemingly unsurmountable task. It’s easy to lose confidence to help your kids find those things as well. There’s also the ever present temptation to push your kids too hard or force them to laser-focus on things that they just aren’t passionate about. This is where Dr. Meg’s conversation with career expert and author, Ken Coleman, can help the parents and the kids! Dr. Meeker and Ken talk about his book, The Proximity Principleand ways for moms and dads to help their kids as well as help themselves find that elusive “sweet-spot”. Ken Coleman is a Ramsey Personality and best-selling author, and he uses his life experiences to help people discover what they were born to do and provides practical steps to make their dream job a reality. Also, if you have a question you want Dr. Meeker to answer, email them to askmeg@megmeekermd.comand listen to future episodes to see if yo

As a parent, you goal is always to raise your kids and, eventually, become what is called empty nesters. That usually means that your kids can take care of themselves without you having to help all along the way. But what do you do if your kids need to come back home and live for a while? How do you handle that properly while preserving each of your separate lives? These are questions that get asked more frequently than you would think, and that’s why in this episode Dr. Meg talks with Jim Burns about how to live with adult children. Jim is the president of the non-profit ministry, HomeWord, and the author of the book Doing Life With Your Adult Children. Dr. Meeker and Dr. Burns talk about how to live under the same roof with your grown up adult children. Also, if you have a question you want Dr. Meeker to answer, email them to askmeg@megmeekermd.comand listen to future episodes to see if your question is featured!   0:00 – AD – PANAMA CITY BEACH CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU Dreaming of a beach vacation?