You've had Blue's Clues, Daniel Tiger, and Super Why on repeat. But have you ever stopped to think about who's behind those shows, and what your kids are actually absorbing while they watch?

This week Angie sits down with Angela Santomero, the creator behind those beloved programs and a Peabody and Emmy Award winner with a master's in child development from Columbia. Angela has built her career on one radical idea: what kids watch can teach them how to handle big feelings, not just keep them busy.

Together they get honest about the screen time guilt almost every mom carries, and Angela offers a freeing reframe: think of media like a healthy diet, full of variety, that still has to taste good. She shares the "pause" technique baked into her shows, why what's mentionable is manageable when it comes to kids' fears, and how to use imagination and play to walk children through worry. They also dig into resilience, the trap of snowplow parenting, and why letting kids stumble in a safe place is one of the kindest things we can do.

You'll walk away with practical tools you can use tonight, plus a lot less guilt about the tablet.

Connect with Angela Santomero:
Website: angelasclues.com
Instagram: instagram.com/angelasclues
Facebook: facebook.com/AngelasClues
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/angelasantomero
YouTube: youtube.com/@AngelasClues
Make a Kids Show: makeakidsshow.com
New: Princess Penelope's Purse of Preposterous Things (YouTube series + book series; first two books out now, next two in November)

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LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/angieweber

Ever looked around your house and thought, "How did it get like this? I used to have it all together"? You are not alone, and according to this week's guest, that mess is not a character flaw. It is a sign your life has outgrown your system. And that is fixable.

Angie sits down with Tia Toso, founder of Room for Serenity, a home organizing service in the Twin Cities. Tia isn't the kind of organizer who swoops in, makes everything pretty, and leaves you with a bin system you will never maintain. As a mom herself, she coaches families through the decisions so the change actually sticks.

In this episode you will learn why there is no quick hack to organizing when you have kids, how to organize for function instead of for the perfect Instagram shelf, how to get your spouse and kids genuinely on board, and a low-pressure way to declutter a little at a time. Most of all, Tia reframes the guilt and shame so many of us carry, reminding us we were built to live in community, not to handle it all alone.

If you have a counter that hasn't seen daylight in weeks, press play. Follow Mom Essentials, leave a review, and visit theparenttoolbox.info for more.

Connect with Tia:
https://www.roomforserenity.com/book-free-consult
http://instagram.com/room_for_serenity
http://www.linkedin.com/company/roomforserenity

Essential Minute: https://link.doterra.com/aHuOcj
Family Planner: https://www.theparenttoolbox.info/the-calm-family-planner

Ever sat in a parent-teacher conference and heard the words "we're seeing some attention issues"? Or found yourself Googling your kid's behavior at 11 p.m., wondering if it's normal or something more? ADHD is one of the most talked-about and most misunderstood diagnoses out there, and this week Angie sits down with two women who live in it every single day.

Sam Straub, LCPC, is a parent coach and licensed therapist. Dr. Melissa Wellner is a child psychiatrist. Together they co-host the Parenting Shrink Wrapped podcast, and they pull back the curtain on what ADHD actually is: why it's so often misnamed, why "lack of focus" misses the point, and the executive-functioning delays that make everyday tasks so hard.

You'll learn why your kid can play Minecraft for twelve hours but can't finish ten math problems, how to tell the difference between a "can't" and a "won't" (and why it changes everything), simple tools like visual cues and eye-contact reminders, and how to support yourself without burning out or drowning in guilt.

If you've ever felt like you're doing something wrong, this episode is the permission slip and the toolbox you've been needing.

Connect with Sam and Melissa:

Parenting Shrink Wrapped podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCrSp2PWEYmQg8qSSLAizA1Q
Sam's free "You Screwed Up Convo" guide: https://samantha-straub.mykajabi.com/you-screwed-up-convo-sign-up-page
ADDitude Magazine (mentioned in the episode): https://www.additudemag.com

CALM Family Planner: https://www.theparenttoolbox.info/the-calm-family-planner
Essential Minute: https://link.doterra.com/PHOGCI
Listen on all platforms: https://www.theparenttoolbox.info/podcast
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheParentToolbox

It's 2 AM. Your baby has a fever you can't explain, your toddler has a rash out of nowhere, or your tween just asked a question you have no idea how to answer. Where do you turn?

This week on Mom Essentials, Angie sits down with Hans Kullberg, father of five, serial entrepreneur, and co-founder of Avocado Health, a text-based parent decision support platform built from one of the most profound losses a parent can face. Hans opens up about the journey of losing his daughter Aviva after six hospitalizations with no diagnosis, the promise he made to her, and how that promise became a real-time lifeline for parents everywhere.

In this conversation, Angie and Hans cover:
• Why health actually happens between pediatrician visits, and what that means for your family
• How to spot and act on developmental red flags (speech delays, anxiety, early intervention)
• Cutting through social media noise with evidence-based guidance from real pediatricians, child life specialists, and parent coaches
• How Avocado Health uses text messaging to put expert support in your pocket 24/7

If you have ever whispered "is this normal?" into your phone at 3 AM, this one is for you.

Follow Mom Essentials so you never miss an episode, and leave a review to help more parents find the show.

Connect with Hans:

https://avocadohealth.ai/

https://www.instagram.com/avocado_family_health/

Guest Code: AVO25PERCENTOFF1520

Essential Minute: https://link.doterra.com/uTECVp

Check out The CALM Family Planner: https://www.theparenttoolbox.info/the-calm-family-planner

Tech is everywhere- from the moment we wake up until we fall asleep. And as moms, we're not just managing our own relationship with screens, we're shaping our kids' relationship with them too.

So how much is too much? What does screen time actually do to a developing brain? And what are we missing when the iPad becomes the default babysitter?

This week, Angie Weber sits down with Meg Faure- occupational therapist, bestselling co-author of Baby Sense and Weaning Sense, and founder of the Parent Sense app- to unpack what moms really need to know about tech and early childhood. Meg brings over two decades of clinical expertise and the kind of honest, no-shame perspective every mom needs.

You'll walk away knowing:
- The two "brain ingredients" screens can never replace (and how to stock up on them at home)
- Why boredom is magical — and how to let your child sit in it
- What the "still face" experiment reveals about our phone use in front of our kids

This isn't a lecture about perfect parenting. It's a practical, grace-filled conversation for real moms in a real world.

Connect with Meg here:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube

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What if your child's meltdowns aren't a behavior problem - but a nervous system problem? And what if the same thing is happening to you?

In this episode, Angie Weber sits down with Dr. Katie Jancik, an integrative pediatric chiropractor and owner of It Takes a Village Chiropractic, to talk about the powerful connection between nervous system regulation and how our families actually feel day to day. Dr. Katie is one of the few chiropractors in the country specializing in neurodevelopmental support - and she brings care directly to families' homes through her mobile practice in Minnesota.

Together, Angie and Dr. Katie explore why kids take their emotional cues from mom, what's really going on beneath the "anger iceberg," and why expecting a toddler to reason through a banana crisis is a losing battle (we've all been there). They also dig into practical tools families can use between appointments - from diaphragmatic breathing and sternum tapping to tight squeezes and pillow fights - to help both parents and kids move from survival mode to actually thriving.

You'll walk away with a better understanding of fight-or-flight mode, co-regulation, and simple daily practices that can shift the energy of your entire household.

Key Takeaways:

• How chiropractic care supports emotional regulation (not just back pain)

• Why moms often get stuck in fight-or-flight without realizing it

• Practical, ADHD-friendly calming techniques for the whole family

Connect with Dr. Katie here:
Website
Facebook
Instagram


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"My labs came back normal, so why do I feel so awful?" If you've ever sat in your doctor's office and heard "everything looks fine" while feeling anything but, this episode is for YOU.

Today we are joined by Christa Biegler, award-winning dietician and functional nutritionist, who helps women resolve food sensitivities, inflammation, and hormonal chaos- without endless restriction or costly testing. Christa pulls back the curtain on why conventional blood work misses SO much, what's really happening with your adrenals, thyroid, and sex hormones, and the symptoms you should absolutely not ignore.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why your "$3 worth of bloodwork" is only designed to see if you're dying (her words- and she's right!)
• The cortisol-adrenal-thyroid connection that nobody talks about
• What DHEA is and why needing snacks every 2 hours might be a red flag
• The 5 tests worth asking your doctor about
• Symptoms of adrenal and thyroid stress you can track RIGHT NOW- no labs needed
• Why perimenopause gets rougher when your adrenals are already depleted
• How "revenge bedtime" is sabotaging your hormones

This one is a must-listen for every mama who is tired of being told she's "fine."

📲 Connect with Christa:
Facebook
Instagram
Blueprint
www.christabiegler.com/links
www.christabiegler.com
www.lessstressedlife.com

📬 Learn about The CALM Family Planner
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Parenting teens without power struggles might feel impossible at times.

Between one-word answers, emotional reactions, and constant pushback, it can be hard to know how to stay connected while still guiding your child.

In this episode of Mom Essentials, Angie Weber sits down with teen and parent wellbeing coach Laura Ollinger to talk about what is really happening beneath teen behavior and how to parent in a way that builds connection instead of conflict.

Laura shares how the teenage brain is still developing, why big emotions show up so strongly, and how parents can create a safe space where teens feel heard instead of judged. You will also learn how to shift out of "fixing mode," understand when your teen needs to be heard versus helped, and how your own mindset plays a powerful role in your child's confidence.

You will also hear about Laura's "Decider" framework, helping teens take ownership of their thoughts, emotions, and choices so they can grow into confident, resilient individuals.

If you want to reduce power struggles and build a stronger relationship with your teen, this episode will give you practical tools you can start using right away.

Connect with Laura here:
Website
Facebook
LinkedIn
Instagram
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