For better or worse, conflict is an inescapable part of the human experience. There are tensions and disagreements in even the healthiest of relationships. So if it's impossible to avoid conflict altogether, how do we best navigate it? Answering this question is central to the work of Jennifer Hargrave, our guest for this episode.

Ms. Hargrave is an experienced attorney who focuses her practice exclusively on family law, and provides representation to clients throughout the greater Dallas metropolitan area who are either contemplating or going through a divorce. She is especially skilled at helping clients construct creative settlement agreements. Based on her background in collaborative divorce, she encourages her clients to approach their divorce using non-adversarial techniques to minimize conflict as much as possible, diminishing the destructive effect on the family…

When we start to list skills we hope our children master, executive functions might not be the first thing that rolls off our collective tongues. But, understanding what they are and what they help us achieve can be crucial to our kids' development. Leda Owens, LPC, knows the importance of this work, and in this episode she joins us to discuss executive functions and the role of the parent in nurturing the developing minds of our children…

Our bodies need energy to function properly, no matter our age. What we choose to eat and drink has a direct effect on how well we can focus, learn, and perform. And as parents, we aren't only making those choices for ourselves... we're helping facilitate those choices for our children too. So how do we do that well? Enter Nina Salhab. Nina is a a Registered and Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, TX with more than 20 years of nutrition and wellness counseling experience…

You have questions, we have… more questions? And maybe a few answers along the way! Jane Hensley, a therapist in the Dallas area, joins us to work through some listener questions about relationships, communication, and parenting…

When it comes to interpersonal relationships, communication is key. We are all unique people who must learn to hear, anticipate, and care for others in our lives. No matter where you find yourself on the spectrum of healthy relationships, there is always room to grow. And unsurprisingly, healthy relationships between parents help foster healthy children. Dr. Terry Parsons, an author and psychotherapist in the Dallas area, has been helping guide people in good communication and parenting for nearly 40 years. He joins us today to share the kind of wisdom and encouragement that all in relationships need to hear…

Sleep - if we’re lucky, we spend a third of our life doing it. If we’re not, we may experience interference with our health, ability to learn, and daily life. This is especially true for our children, as they are growing and developing in the early and adolescent stages of their lives. Dr. Hilary Pearson recognizes the importance of good sleep for children, and has made it her focus on the team she leads at Cook Children’s Sleep Center. She joins us today to share her wisdom and best practices for consistent, restful sleep…

2020 brought a reality that none of us saw coming. Whether great or small, all of us have felt the effects. As parents, it has made this summer look vastly different than we expected. We are joined by two of our colleagues, Dr. Karen McClard and Karen Kassanoff, to discuss the world in which we currently live, and how to make the most of this unexpected season…

With tensions around systemic racism continuing to run high in cities all over the world, we felt compelled to bring you this special episode of Parenting For The Present. For some, awareness of this issue may be new. For others, they’ve lived with this reality their entire lives. For Shonn Brown, an attorney and mother, raising three Black children meant doing her best to prepare them for the moment her kids might be on the receiving end of injustice. That moment came for one of her children just a few weeks ago. The story of their experience and the actions that followed are not only inspiring - they provide a road map for how all of us have the power to take pain and injustice and turn it into power and use it for the betterment of our world…

The world is rapidly changing, and media is often at the center of it. Angela Patterson sees this more fully than most; she is a PhD candidate in psychology with an emphasis on media. Her work addresses the ways that media and psychology inform each other, and what affect that has on our spiritual being…

COVID-19 has changed the world in quick and radical ways. Each facet of our lives have been affected, and parenting is not exempt. Our hosts, along with Dallas-area therapist Jane Hensley, take time to lament what feels lost, and offer hope and practical tips for how to navigate this unparalleled time…

The ideas of belonging to something greater than we are and having a group of people that nurture and care for us are cornerstones to living a healthy, full life - not just for adults, but for our kids as well. But what does it look like as a parent to engage your kids in spiritual conversations?

Neuroscience - it doesn’t sound like the most approachable topic, but it is when explained by clinical psychologist and one of our hosts, Dr. Matthew Houston. His approach makes clear, in common language, how our brain functions and what we can do to regulate our thoughts and emotions…

Physical well-being is a crucial part of a healthy life, no matter your age. Good nutrition, proper sleep, exercise, and moderate electronics use are the building blocks for healthy growth and development. This is especially true for children as they are growing and learning to be in the world…

Allow us to introduce you to Drs. Early Denison, Matthew Housson and Andy Stoker. These three dads have nearly sixty years of experience cultivating the minds, bodies, and spirits of children, parents, and families through their work as a pediatrician, a clinical psychologist, and a minister…