Are you thinking about adopting or fostering a child? Confused about all the options and wondering where to begin? Or are you an adoptive or foster parent or kinship caregiver trying to be the best parent possible to this precious child? This is the podcast for you! Every week, we interview leading experts for an hour, discussing the topics you care about in deciding whether to adopt/foster or how to be a better parent. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are the national ...
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Raising Relative Children Podcasts

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The Masterful Parenting Podcast - Heal Your Childhood and Parent Better Through Relational Parenting
Anne Alvares - Parent Coach for the Masterful Parenting Program
Do you struggle in your parenting because of childhood pain? Do you sometimes repeat old patterns from your childhood? You want to be a better parent, but you don’t know how. I understand, parents. I came from dysfunction, trauma, and abuse. I didn’t know what was healthy. Over the years, as a school counsellor, and mom of two, I learned what is healthy and how to be healthy with my own children. There’s a better way to parent where you feel good and so do your children. This way can replace ...
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🎙 Welcome to The Parent Thing 🎙 Hi, I’m Tarryn, your host, and I’m so excited you’re here! This is the space where we uncover the incredible potential of childhood, parenting, and the power of Neuro-Somatic Intelligence. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, caregiver, or someone who deeply impacts a child’s life, this podcast is your guide to nurturing emotional resilience, fostering growth, and building meaningful connections. Together, we’ll explore cutting-edge insights, practical tools, and ...
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Welcome Home, a show for parents anywhere, everywhere. A podcast series that aims to explore the heartful interaction between parents and their children, Home hopes to aid fathers and mothers as they navigate the realities of raising our future leaders. Home doesn't have all the answers, but gain insights from teachers, lectures and experts in the field of psychology that'll help you in your parenting journey. So what are waiting for, come back home. For more information, visit: https://lead ...
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Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. Do you dread the teen years? Or, if you're in the midst of parenting teens, do you struggle to find ways to connect? This week, we interview Dr. Melody Aguayo, a parenting coach specializing in working with at-risk children and their families and the founder of Real Child Consulting…
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Episode 99 Guest Rino Murata on Parenting Teens #teens #parenting #neurodivergent
47:31
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47:31Make Parenting Make Sense. Rino helps overwhelmed parents replace chaos, confusion, and second-guessing with clarity and confidence. As a trauma-informed parenting coach and consultant, she specializes in complex family dynamics, neurodivergence, and alternative education. Her Core 4 framework brings a practical, grounded approach to parenting. One…
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Attachment Styles & Parenting – How your attachment style affects your child’s development
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12:37Have you ever wondered why your child reacts the way they do in moments of stress, separation, or connection? The answer often lies in something called attachment styles. In this episode of The Parent Thing, we’re exploring how your own attachment style shapes your parenting—and how it directly impacts your child’s emotional development, resilience…
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9 Things I Wish I Knew Before Adopting - Weekend Wisdom
13:44
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13:44Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. I spent some time this week thinking about what I’ve learned from my experiences as an adoptive parent and the wisdom of others in our community. In reflection, I've created a list of the things I wish I knew before adopting. Resources: 8 Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Adopted F…
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How Can Kinship Caregivers Find the Resources They Need to Succeed?
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1:12:15Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. Kinship-led families have unique needs, and finding resources to meet those needs can be a challenge. Today, we're talking with Mike Heath, a Resource Specialist with the Coalition for Children, Youth & Families in Wisconsin. The Coalition is a Resource Center for birth parents, fos…
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Episode 98 Guest Dr. Hasan Merali on Life Lessons From Toddlers #toddlers #lifelessons
31:35
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31:35Hasan Merali, MD, MPH, is an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University and a pediatric emergency medicine physician at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University. His research focuses on …
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Raising Resilient Kids – Building Strength from the Inside Out
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12:45Episode Summary: Every parent wants their child to grow up confident, adaptable, and able to handle life’s challenges. In this episode of The Parent Thing, we’re diving into how to raise resilient kids. You’ll learn what resilience really means, why it matters for your child’s brain and emotional development, and practical strategies you can start …
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Tips for Managing Your Picky Eater - Weekend Wisdom
13:31
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13:31Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. Today, we are tackling a question that comes up a lot for parents and caregivers in our community – what do you do with a picky eater? Resources: Food Issues My Foster Child Only Eats Junk Food Practical Solutions to Typical Food Issues with Adopted and Foster Kids Support the show …
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The Only Way Forward is Back with Jackson TerKeurst
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43:41Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. Jackson TerKeurst was born in Liberia and by the age of 7 was a war orphan living in dire circumstances. So how did he end up as an entrepreneur, leader, and now author? Join us for an inspirational conversation about identity, overcoming, and redemption from Jackson's new book, The…
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Episode 97 Guest Susan Gladstein on Healing The Trauma of A Parent's Suicide
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29:19Susan Gladstein is a Board Certified Health Coach, Functional Nutrition Specialist, and retired Air Force veteran with a passion for helping women reclaim their health through faith-led, holistic healing. After serving 23 years in the military, Susan shifted her focus to empowering women with the tools, education, and support they need to address t…
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Travel Restrictions When Fostering - Weekend Wisdom
8:34
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8:34Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. Question: Are there travel restrictions when you are fostering? For example, my family lives out of state, but can I bring the child with me when I travel to visit family? Resources: Working as Part of a Foster Care Team Working with the Birth Parents for the Child's Best Interest B…
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Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. Are you considering adopting a child over the age of 5? Listen to this interview with Sarah Hansen and Simi Riesner. Sarah is the Director of International Advocacy at the Gladney Center for Adoption, with over 20 years of experience supporting adoptive families and children. She is…
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Episode 96 Guest Patrick Murakami on Raising Emotionally Intelligent Kids #EI #emotionalintelligence #kids #parenting
33:21
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33:21Patrick Murakami is a Christian entrepreneur, coach, and survivor—Unpurposed to Unfinished—who equips moms and dads to lead at home like founders, build faith‑aligned businesses, and raise kid‑entrepreneurs; he and his wife are raising a 10‑year‑old entrepreneur. Here are the questions Patrick answers: How would you describe your approach to parent…
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Fostering or Adopting as a Single Man - Weekend Wisdom
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13:51Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. Questions: I am a 58 single man and I am considering fostering. My first question is how much of a bias is there against men? What are the unique challenges that single foster dads face that discourage so many? What can we do to get more single foster dads to help families reunify, …
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How Do We Handle Weed and Vaping While Raising Adopted, Foster, and Relative Kids?
53:58
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53:58Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. Are you educated and informed on the issues around weed and vaping, including THC, nicotine, and the signs of addiction? Listen to this interview with Dr. Krishna White. She is an attending physician at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, with board certifications in Pediatrics…
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Episode 95 Breaking Generational Cycles: How God Restores Family and Faith
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39:04From my interview with Susan Gladstein on her podcast: Faith Over Pharma. What if the story you inherited doesn’t have to be the story you pass down? Anne Alvares grew up carrying wounds she never wanted to repeat. Through faith, healing, and God’s perfect timing, she discovered how to break generational cycles, find redemption, and step into mothe…
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How to Connect with an Expectant Parent During Pregnancy - Weekend Wisdom
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6:26Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. Question: I have listened to hundreds of adoption-related podcast episodes, but very few of them have talked about talking directly with a potential birth mother. We were matched with an expectant mother who wanted to be able to communicate with us directly. We agreed, believing tha…
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Understanding the Hague Treaty on Intercountry Adoption
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53:02Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. Are you considering adopting internationally? You need to listen to this interview about the laws and processes that you will be required to follow. We'll be talking with Kelly Dempsey, a partner with Fox Rothschild, who specializes in adoption and assisted reproduction. She is a fe…
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Episode 94 Guest Albert Garcia on Being Raised By A Strong Mother #mother #strong #boymom
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34:07Albert Garcia – Filmmaker | Producer | Screenwriter Albert Garcia is a passionate storyteller with a background in film production, commercial work, and screenwriting. From 2002 to 2019, he served as a producer at Industrial Strength Productions in Irving, TX, where he oversaw the creation of local television commercials—managing casting, location …
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When Your Extended Family Isn't Into Your Adoption Education Journey - Weekend Wisdom
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8:10Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. Question: Hi, my husband, biological daughter and I are in the process of infant adoption. We have passed our home study and have made our profile book. We are at the point where we are viewing expectant moms' profiles. My husband‘s family is very excited and ready for this new chap…
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Helping Our Kids Cope with Bullies at School
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51:26Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. Most children will experience bullying at some point. What can parents do to help protect their children and to help their children cope if they are bullied? Host Dawn Davenport, Executive Director of Creating a Family, the national infertility & adoption education and support nonpr…
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Episode 93 Guest Peggy Pugh on The Inner Healing of Our Childhood
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33:51Dr. Peggy Pugh is a speaker, coach, and author of Rest Is a Weapon: Winning Spiritual Battles From a Place of Rest. She helps Christian women heal from emotional wounds and break generational cycles through faith-based strategies. With over 40 years of experience, Dr. Peggy empowers families to grow stronger by healing from the inside out. Grab her…
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Tips for Welcoming Home Your Newborn - Weekend Wisdom
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10:57Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. We frequently hear from waiting parents that they are unsure when to prepare the nursery, what formula is best, or how often they should expect to feed their new baby. It's a huge life transition, and we thought today we could talk about some basic baby care tips to help you think a…
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Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. Does your child struggle to get or stay organized? Is homework a battle you dread every day? Prepare yourself to support your children for the Back to School season with this interview with Dr. Richard Guare. He's a neuropsychologist and board-certified behavior analyst focused on a…
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Episode 92 Guest Leticia Francis on Healing Trauma in Motherhood
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26:45Leticia Francis is a trauma recovery mentor, keynote speaker, and author of Survival Mode Exit Plan. Known as The Survival Mode Disruptor, she helps high-achieving women break free from survival mode and reclaim lives rooted in truth, ease, and power. With lived experience and a no-fluff delivery, Leticia’s keynotes ignite healing, identity shifts,…
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Potty Training a Child With Prenatal Exposure - Weekend Wisdom
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12:55Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. How do you know your child with prenatal substance exposure is ready to potty train? How do you start potty training a child with impacts from prenatal substance exposure, like developmental delays? This Weekend Wisdom offers practical strategies and encouragement to help you stay m…
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A Glimpse Into the History of Creating a Family
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1:00:38Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. Join us for a look at where CreatingaFamily.org - and this podcast - began and where we are heading from here. We talk today with Dawn Davenport, the founding Executive Director of the organization, as she prepares to retire from Creating a Family. In this episode, we discuss: Tell …
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Episode 91 Build A Community for Raising Our Kids #community #parenting #ourkids #help
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22:01School of Human Kind Faculty Member Anne Alvares presents "Build A Community for Raising Our Kids". Anne shares her wisdom on community and why it's so important during our parenting stage of life, to NOT go it alone. Harness the help you can get from a community and remember: it takes a village. Your children will be richer for it! #family #parent…
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Failed Adoptions in Foster Care - Weekend Wisdom
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10:10Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. Question: I have a question that may be well suited for a weekend wisdom episode. I'm aware of the reasons that a domestic infant adoption may fail, but I've also read about foster children having failed adoption(s) and then aging out of the system. What are some of the main reasons…
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Trauma-Informed Therapy: Finding the Right Fit for Your Family
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1:00:29Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom. What should you look for when you are considering therapy for your child or your family? How do you find the right fit for your child's needs? We talk today with Kelly Raudenbush, Executive Director of The Sparrow Fund, a non-profit that provides therapeutic services for foster and …
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Episode 90 Guest Sorcha Newby: Protect Our Kids' Mental Health
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25:30Are you aware that social media can impact our kids' mental health? Sorcha Newby is a psychological researcher and university lecturer whose work explores how social media impacts children’s wellbeing—particularly sleep, anxiety, and emotional development in 10–12-year-olds. Her research highlights the shortcomings of current social media policies …
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