You’re listening to Voices of Your Village, and today we’re talking about something every parent and educator runs into: what do we actually do when kids have big feelings?

In this episode, I’m joined by Jon Fogel, and we’re digging into emotional regulation, what it really looks like to help kids move through disappointment, frustration, fear, and overwhelm, and why we can’t wait until a child is melting down to start teaching those skills.

We talk about songs, games, sensory tools, and the power of practicing regulation in calm moments so kids have something to reach for when things get hard. Jon also shares the story behind his new children’s book, Set My Feelings Free, and why givin...

You’re listening to Voices of Your Village, and today we’re talking about the kids who often get missed. The ones who look fine on the outside, hold it together at school, and then unravel at home. The kids whose feeding struggles, big reactions, sensory needs, or shutdowns can get mistaken for defiance when what’s really happening is so much more nuanced.

In this episode, I’m joined by Polina Shkadron, and we’re digging into what it looks like to truly support neurodivergent kids through the lens of relationship, regulation, and trust. We talk about feeding challenges, masking, sensory differences, executive functioning, and why believing the child’s experience changes everything.

This...

Disclaimer: This transcript was generated with the help of AI and may contain minor errors or inconsistencies. Please refer to the audio for the most accurate representation of the conversation.

Alyssa: [00:00:00] You're listening to Voices Of Your Village, and today I'm joined by someone I deeply respect. Doctor Ann-Louise Lockhart, clinical psychologist and author of the brand new book Love the Teen You Have. In this episode, we dive into the often messy world of parenting tweens and teens. Doctor Lockhart and I explore how connection, not control, is the foundation for healthy, respectful relationships with our kids as they grow. We talk about how to navigate conflict, what it means t...

0:00:00    Alyssa

You're listening to Voices of Your Village and today I'm so jazzed to share today's special episode with you. It's a sneak peek into our 2025 Seed Teacher Summit coming at you March 11th to the 13th. We're so grateful to have a brand new batch of incredible speakers this year and so many essential topics like Connecting with Kids who Challenge You, How to Handle Weapon Play at School, and Resilience for Educators. This is going to be a compilation episode with little snippets from a handful of the interviews just to give you a taste of what's to come and see if it's right for you. The Summit is free, F -R -E -E, to watch, so please share it with any educators, admini...

 0:00:00    Alyssa

You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and in this episode, Rach and I chatted all about when kids are saying like rude things to you, those hurtful phrases that really dig deep, things like, you're stupid and all that jazz, you're the worst mom in the world. We also have way more about this in our book, Big Kids, Bigger Feelings, publishing in the fall of 2025. Snag that bad boy wherever books are sold. It is going to be packed full of stuff for navigating the elementary years that like kindergarten to fifth grade range, where we know a lot of these phrases. You're like, where did my sweet little human go? And why are they saying these rude things now? We've got ...

 00:00:00    Alyssa

You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and today I get to bring you such an incredible guest. I got to hang out with Congresswoman Becca Balint to chat about improving mental health outcomes through government funding. Representative Balint is a mom, a teacher, a progressive leader who comes to Washington ready to fight for working families. Becca's the first woman and openly LGBTQ plus person to represent her home state of Vermont. She's the daughter of a working class mother and immigrant father, and Becca is deeply committed to defending American democracy and protecting vulnerable communities. While the majority leader of the Vermont State Senate, Becca led t...