In this heartfelt episode of Raising Joy, Kristen Pyrc, M.D. welcomes Fort Worth author K. Jody Massey to discuss a universal and often difficult topic: parental separation.

Inspired by her own life experiences, Jody created her beautiful children's books, Daddy and Me When Daddy Is Away and Mommy and Me When Mommy's Away.

Jody shares how these books are designed to be a gentle guide and a crucial conversation starter for families navigating time apart—from daycare drop-offs and camp to more complex situations like military deployment, hospital stays, foster care, divorce, and incarceration.

Tune in to discover:

• The most important message Jody hopes to convey to every child: Even if a parent is out of sight, they are always in their kids' heart.
• How the book’s open-ended style and helpful questions in the back guide parents through these hard, emotional conversations that are often avoided.
• The secret messages of hope ("You're loved, you're chosen, you're forgiven") hidden in the illustrations to affirm and support parents and caregivers facing guilt.
• The powerful stories of how these books have helped foster families and parents at local prisons maintain a vital connection with their children.

This episode is a loving reminder that connection and open communication can help children—and parents—feel secure, loved, and whole, no matter the distance.

Find Jody's books: Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and at https://www.kjodymassey.com/.

This week, Kristen Pyrc, M.D. and Wini King are back on Raising Joy and welcoming special guest Alexandra Morales, Project and Partnership Coordinator for the Parent Pass app, to discuss a groundbreaking tool designed to lift the mental load of parenting.

Alexandra explains how the free Parent Pass app started in 2021 as a solution to connect parents with the resources and community support they were struggling to find in Tarrant County.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

· How Parent Pass acts as a vetted, one-stop shop for finding everything from fun, low-cost kid-friendly events to reliable health and mental wellness resources.

· How the app uses new AI to customize event and resource information based on your children's ages, interests, and zip code, so you don't have to "scour" for information.

· The overwhelming request for mental health support from local parents, which Parent Pass addresses by linking to organizations like Lena Pope and offering access to trauma-informed yoga classes.

· The app's Parent Help Line and its life-saving connection to the Help Me Grow program, including a powerful story of how a nurse's postpartum education helped a new mom recognize a dangerous blood clot.

Don't miss this inspiring conversation about how a community-driven app is using technology to combat parent isolation and provide critical support, all while continuing to grow and expand!

Learn more about the Parent Pass App here: https://parentpass.app/

This week on Raising Joy, Wini King and Kristen Pyrc, M.D., learn all about the Parent Cafe program – which brings education and caregiving skills directly to parents across North Texas.

The guests are Aaron Olivares who oversees the Parent Cafe program for Cook Children's Center for Community Health, and Itzia Osco, a coordinator for the H.E.L.P. Program at Fort Worth ISD, which supports families experiencing homelessness.

The H.E.L.P. Program is just one of the dozens of examples of how the Parent Cafe program is being utilized to support parents with a variety of issues, from discipline and communication to mental health and working with your child’s school.

Now available in eight counties, this episode sheds light on the Parent Cafe program, how it started as well as information on how you can bring the curriculum to your school or community.

At a Parent Café, you can:

• Talk about the good stuff about being a parent and the parts that are hard.
• Meet other parents and caregivers and hear what they're going through.
• Get ideas and advice that can help you be an even better parent.

Learn more at https://www.cookchildrenscommunity.org/abuse/parenting-support/parent-cafe/