Parenting Great Kids With Dr. Meg Meeker

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?

Headaches are tough to deal with regardless of age, but the migraine headache is probably the most feared one of them all. As a parent, you want to prevent pain in your children as much as possible, but sometimes with headaches you feel like there’s nothing that you can do. That’s why in this episode Dr. Meg talks with Keith DiMarino and Dr. Donna Stephenson about Keith’s daughter that struggled with a migraine headache for over 100 days in a row. Dr. Meeker gets great information from Keith about what it’s like to be a parent of a child with migraine headaches and has informational discussions with Dr. Donna Stephenson about what to look for and how she treats patients with migraine headaches. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg gives you her points to ponder that you can start using right away! Dr. Meeker also answers a question from a mom about her 17 year old daughter who she feels wants nothing to do with her. If you have a question you want Dr. Meeker to answer, email them to askmeg@megmeekermd.comand listen

There’s a lot of people that just don’t read the Bible because it’s hard to understand or they do not think it applies to their lives. In this episode, Dr. Meeker talks with Dennis Prager, best selling author, columnist, and nationally syndicated radio show host about his newest book The Rational Bible: Genesis. They take the practical information that he wrote about and apply it specifically to kids, parenting, and families. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg gives you her points to ponder that you can start using right away! Dr. Meeker also answers a question from a mom about her 15 year old daughter’s struggle with anxiety and depression. 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

Dealing with a child that has cancer is an extremely difficult situation no matter what the circumstances are in your family. The difficulty is multiplied when one parent is a member of the military. Continuing the conversation from last episode, Dr. Meg talks with Bo and Nicole White, an “average” military couple, about how they balanced Bo’s deployments while they dealt with their son’s battle with cancer. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg gives you her points to ponder that you can start using right away! Dr. Meeker also answers a question from a mom about her teenage son’s frustration about limited screen time. 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 smartphone. Simply complete a short questionnaire and you'll be matched with a

Normal life for a military couple appears anything but ordinary. There’s long stretches of not hearing from your spouse, worries about their safety, and hopes that your family will be reunited after the tour of duty. How do you cope with being home without your partner? How do you deal with parenting together once he or she gets home? These are all normal questions, and that’s why Dr. Meg talks with Bo and Nicole White, an “average” military couple that has figured out how to make it work despite the hardships. After about a decade of military life, Bo and Nicole are settling down in Traverse City, MI, and trying to re-establish what “normal” looks like for them. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg gives you her points to ponder that you can start using right away! Dr. Meeker also answers a question from a mom about how to introduce her kids to her estranged father as they have begun asking questions about him recently. If you have a question you want Dr. Meeker to answer, email them to askmeg@megmeekermd.comand li

A hot button issue in the parenting arena is whether or not to get your kid vaccinated. There is a lot of information floating around on blogs, social media, and parenting groups, but how accurate is the latest rumor? This group says vaccinate and that group says don’t. That’s why in this episode, Dr. Meg talks with Dr. Candice Robinson from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Robinson is a workgroup lead for the child/adolescent immunization schedule for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices group at the CDC. She’s an expert on the safety and recommendations for vaccinations for kids, and gives scientific information about the importance of vaccines for your kids. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg gives you her points to ponder that you can start using right away! Dr. Meeker also answers a question from a mom about excessive phone usage by her college age kids living at home during the summer. If you have a question you want Dr. Meeker to answer, email them to askmeg@megmeekermd.comand

As a parent, anxiety, depression, and ADHD are all things with which you worry your kids are struggling. Since anxiety disorders affect one in eight children, it’s important to know what to look for and how to help. In this episode, Dr. Meg talks with Erica Komisar, a psychoanalyst, parent coach, and author, and her main goal is to relieve pain from individuals that suffer from a multitude of issues including anxiety and depression. On her website, Erica says her main goal is to “teach parents how to raise emotionally healthy children by being as present emotionally and physically as possible from infancy through adolescence,” and in her talk with Dr. Meeker, she gives a lot of practical information on how to recognize and help your kids with these issues. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg gives you her points to ponder that you can start using right away! 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!  

When you first find out that you are going to become a parent, the dreams about who your child will become innately begin! Will he play sports? Will she be a softball player? Will she become a pianist like me? Will he love basketball like his daddy does? These are all questions that parents ask themselves, whether they try to or not, when they find out a child is on the way. The difficulties set in when a parent finds out that their child will have or does have a disability. The next set of questions follows the first. Will he be able to play with the other kids at recess? Will she be able to keep up with the other girls on the playground? Will he be able to throw a ball? What will she miss out on because of her disability? Again, these are questions that are natural when that kind of diagnosis is given. That’s why in this episode Dr. Meg talks with Dr. Ty Sexton. Ty was born with cerebral palsy and his parents didn’t expect him to have a long life and successful career, especially as a doctor. Dr. Ty defies

Learning how to relate to your kids and understand how they are wired often seems like a lofty goal. One kid needs to be at soccer practice, the other kid has gymnastics, both of them are arguing, and you’re stuck in the middle. As a parent, it can be hard to understand what your kids are thinking, feeling, and wanting from a relationship with you, but you can do this!It all hinges on being a smart parent!In today’s episode, Dr. Meg talks with Anthony ONeal. Since 2003, Anthony ONeal has helped thousands of students make good decisions with their money, relationships and education to live a well-balanced life. He’s the National Best-Selling Author of Graduate Survival Guide: 5 Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make in College, and travels the country spreading his encouraging message to help teens and young adults transition into the real world. He also knows how youth are wired, and gives some great advice to parents on how to build meaningful bonds with teenagers. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg gives you her poin

If you have young children, you know that roller coasters of emotion are just a part of the deal. There’s ups and downs, sometimes all within a five minute window. Knowing how to teach your kids what each emotion feels like and how to express that emotion in a healthy way can seem like an impossible task That’s why Dr. Meg has enlisted experts Dr. Joshua Straub and his wife Christi to talk about helping kids identify and express their feelings. They have a new kids book out called What Am I Feeling? that is about Sam and his friends understanding what they are feeling and what to do when those feelings take control. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg gives you her points to ponder that you can start using right away! If you have a question you want Dr. Meeker to answer in an upcoming episode, email them to askmeg@megmeekermd.comand listen to future episodes to see if your question is featured! 0:00 – WELCOME Dr. Meg introduces the topic “Helping Kids Identify and Express Their Feelings.” She also teases her conv

Faith is an integral part of most of your lives, but a lot of times it’s the last thing on your mind as you raise your great kids! Are you pushing too hard? Are you pushing hard enough? These are questions that roll through your head as you think about how to pass your faith to the next generation. That’s why Dr. Meg talks with Father John Riccardo. Father John was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1996, and since 2007, Fr. John has served as pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Plymouth, Michigan. He also hosts a radio program called Christ Is The Answerthat focuses on catechetical teachings, that is teachings about the Word of God to inform the faith community about the teachings of Christ as one prepares for baptism. So who better to speak with Dr. Meeker about instilling faith in your kids! Also in this episode, Dr. Meg gives you her points to ponder that you can start using right away! This episode's interview was too good to cut short, so we will have to get back to listener questions

Setting boundaries is a difficult thing, especially when you have to do so with the ones you love. Setting boundaries with kids is even harder because when they are crossed, you are the one responsible for holding the kids accountable. In this episode Dr. Meg talks with Dr. Henry Cloud, author of Boundariesand Necessary Endings, about how to set boundaries and enforce them with your kids. Dr. Cloud is an acclaimed leadership expert, psychologist, and best selling author, so Dr. Meg’s conversation with him is filled with great advice to help you know what to do when your teen comes in late for curfew. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg gives you her points to ponder that you can start using right away! You also hear Dr. Meg’s answer to a mom asking about how to motivate her strong willed daughters without fear or threats. 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 – POD SURVEY QUESTIONAIRE

Often times, as parents give everything they have to careers, shuttling kids around, and maintaining a social life. This usually leaves nothing in the tank to give your spouse. This is why Dr. Meg thought it was so important to talk to Dr. Les Parrott to help communicate how important a strong, stable marriage is to your great kids! Dr. Parrott is a clinical psychologist and is married to Dr. Leslie Parrott who is a marriage and family therapist. Part of Les and Leslie’s vision for building stronger, life-long marriages is to equip a band of more than a million marriage mentors who walk alongside less experienced couples. Research reveals that marriage mentoring is one of the best things we can do to cut the divorce rate and improve marriages – whether couples are engaged, newly married or married for decades. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg gives you her points to ponder that you can start using right away! You also hear Dr. Meg’s answer to a mom asking about her high school daughter’s stress level concerning

Everywhere you turn, screens are in the faces of you and your children. What effects do these screens have on you and your kids? How do you ensure your child is limited to a healthy amount of screen time each day? What can you do to set the example for your children when it comes to using technology with a screen? These are all questions that parents have in a world where technology is constantly increasing. That’s why in this episode Dr. Meg sits down with family therapist Dr. Tom Kersting. Dr. Kersting is an expert in the field of mental health, families, parenting in the digital age, and over-device use. He also wrote a book called Disconnected: How to Reconnect Our Digitally Distracted Kids. He and Dr. Meg talk about strategies to employ to raise your greatkids in this digital age. Also in this episode, Dr. Meg gives you her points to ponder that you can start using right away! And because we didn’t want to cut the interview with Dr. Kersting short, we chose to wait until next episode to answer listener q

One of Dr. Meg’s favorite things is to answer questions from you, the listener. This is a special episode of the “Parenting Great Kids” podcast as Dr. Meg devotes the entire episode to doing just that, helping you make sense of roadblocks we all encounter as parents. With questions ranging from siblings having trouble getting along to how to parent a special needs child alongside other children, “America’s Mom” helps you navigate many situations with your kids that can often be tricky. Do you have a question for Dr. Meg? 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 – WELCOME Dr. Meg talks about how much she enjoys answering listener questions and that she decided to devote an entire episode to doing just that! This is another installment of the “Ask Dr. Meg” episodes, and she covers lots of topics.   1:24 – ASK DR. MEG (PART 1) Dr. Meg answers listener questions for the entire episode t