What if kids learned the moment they needed a skill, not months before it mattered? We sit down with Ben Somers, founder of Recess.gg, to unpack how problem-first projects, kid choice, and safe online communities can turn screens into tools and learners into builders.

Ben shares his journey from public school skeptic to education entrepreneur, influenced by first principles thinking and just‑in‑time instruction. We talk about why homeschoolers often thrive with this model, how small design choices—like letting kids switch classes—transform room energy, and what happens when a Minecraft trapdoor becomes the gateway to circuits, binary logic, and real coding. Along the way, Ben offers practical advice for parents who don’t feel “qualified” to teach: lean on adaptive tools, build daily habits, and protect your child from inherited math anxiety by modeling curiosity over fear.

We also break down “socialization” into three parts: connecting with people, navigating social norms, and maintaining a vibrant friend network. Ben explains how Recess.gg focuses on that third piece—matching kids by shared interests and giving them supervised spaces to collaborate on code, 3D worlds, and science simulations. Think of the computer as a modern wand: with the right guidance, kids can create, design, and solve problems that matter, gaining real agency in a world where nearly every job touches software.

If you’re curious how to start, Ben keeps it simple: begin with what fascinates your child, choose a safe space, and let projects pull learning forward. Explore Recess.gg, see what your kid wants to build, and watch enthusiasm do the heavy lifting. Enjoy the episode? Subscribe, share it with a parent friend, and leave a review to help more families find their path to purposeful learning.

Connect with Ben

Check out the website or find him on Instagram.

Get a free mini lesson plus 52 prompts so your kids can practice every week here!

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Hard conversations at home don’t have to turn into shouting matches. We brought in Joe Dillon, a pioneer in divorce mediation, to show how the same tools that settle high‑stakes disputes can make family life calmer, kinder, and more effective. Joe’s story starts in corporate publishing, where he learned to bridge the gap between sales, legal, and clients. That real‑world training led him to master negotiation psychology—and today he uses it to help families preserve dignity, protect kids, and reach agreements that actually stick.

We dig into practical scripts you can use tonight. Curfew on the table? Replace knee‑jerk no’s with four words that disarm: “Help me understand.” Ask for reasons, require a real trade, and agree on terms you both value. Joe explains why silence is a power move, not a punishment—giving teens the space to think, reveal the real issue, and choose better behavior. We break down conversational jujitsu, the art of stepping back, reading the emotion behind the demand, and lowering the temperature without giving up your standards.

You’ll also learn how to stop playing judge in sibling fights. Joe’s rule: don’t get in the box. Hand ownership back to the combatants with clear conditions and walk away, so they practice collaboration instead of outsourcing decisions. For friend drama, we coach I‑statements, empathy, and simple repairs that rebuild trust without blame. And for anyone edging toward divorce, Joe offers grounded guidance: tune out well‑meaning friends, seek quiet, and talk to a professional who can help you see options clearly.

If you want a home where people listen, solve problems, and keep their word, these tools will help you get there. Subscribe for more conversations with experts who make communication easier. If this episode helped, share it with a friend and leave a quick review—it helps others find the show.

Connect with Joe Dillon

Find him on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or LinkedIn. Or, check out his free resources for families contemplating divorce.

Get a free mini lesson plus 52 prompts so your kids can practice every week here!

Thanks for Listening to Speak Out, Stand Out

Like what you hear? We would love if you would rate and review our podcast so it can reach more families.

Also - grab our free mini lesson on impromptu speaking here. This is ideal for kids ages 6+.

Interested in checking out our Public Speaking & Debate courses? Find more here!

What if the most powerful tool we have to reduce school violence isn’t a perfect policy, but a daily choice to truly see each other? That’s the heart of our conversation with educator and speaker Jesse Hansen, who has spent 21 years inside junior highs and high schools teaching the psychology of meanness—and how to break the hate cycle with sincere, strategic kindness.

We trace common motives behind school shootings—justice, revenge, and fame—and uncover the deeper driver connecting them: the desperate need to be seen. Jesse explains “grievance collecting,” the way small slights stack over years, and offers a practical, science-backed response teens can use when faced with cruelty. Instead of platitudes like “kill them with kindness,” she teaches a disarming script that creates cognitive dissonance: respond to active meanness with honest empathy and clear boundaries. It’s not weakness; it’s strength that rewrites the script and denies bullies the reaction they crave.

Jesse also shares the turning point that changed her own story, when a junior high principal combined firm accountability with genuine care and said, “I see you.” We talk about the power of one caring adult, how relational aggression weaponizes belonging, and why naming behaviors—exclusion, manipulation, isolation—helps kids stop taking cruelty personally. Then we dive into the Kindest Kid in America project, a nationwide effort that celebrates real acts of kindness by writing custom children’s books about the winners and surprising them at school assemblies. If violence can be contagious through notoriety, kindness can be even more contagious through recognition, storytelling, and community pride.

You’ll leave with practical language for hard moments, new ways to model strength with compassion online and off, and a simple invitation: be the adult who sees a child. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend, and nominate a student for Kindest Kid in America at kindestkidinamerica.com. Your story might be the one that changes theirs.

Get a free mini lesson plus 52 prompts so your kids can practice every week here!

Thanks for Listening to Speak Out, Stand Out

Like what you hear? We would love if you would rate and review our podcast so it can reach more families.

Also - grab our free mini lesson on impromptu speaking here. This is ideal for kids ages 6+.

Interested in checking out our Public Speaking & Debate courses? Find more here!

Ever ask “How was your day?” and get “fine”? We dig into why that question stalls and what to ask instead to unlock real stories, richer details, and genuine confidence. With strategist and storyteller Anna Tran, we explore the simple shift that changes everything: listen first, then guide with curious questions that help kids hear themselves think.

We talk about transforming shy voices into self-assured communicators by making storytelling a daily ritual, not a performance. Think eye-level conversations, calm pauses, and prompts that open doors: What made you feel proud? Who surprised you at lunch? What did you learn that you didn’t expect? As children narrate their day, they practice structure, recall, empathy, and clarity—the same skills leaders use in boardrooms. We also draw parallels between coaching teams and parenting: when we ask better questions and avoid rushing to fix, kids develop agency and problem-solving muscles that last.

Social media hovers over modern childhood, so we tackle how to build offline self-worth before the likes arrive. We share ways to spot unhelpful thought patterns, create healthy digital boundaries, and ground a child’s identity in effort, kindness, and contribution. Practical tools make it doable: a family gratitude jar for tough days, a one-minute story round after dinner, and a rotating “listener-leader” whose job is to ask follow-ups before anyone gives advice. Along the way, we trade honest stories—from sibling dynamics to classroom debates—to show how small habits become lifelong confidence.

If this conversation sparks an idea, try one prompt at dinner tonight and watch what unfolds. Subscribe for more practical tools on confident communication, share this with a parent who needs a fresh question, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

Get a free mini lesson plus 52 prompts so your kids can practice every week here!

Thanks for Listening to Speak Out, Stand Out

Like what you hear? We would love if you would rate and review our podcast so it can reach more families.

Also - grab our free mini lesson on impromptu speaking here. This is ideal for kids ages 6+.

Interested in checking out our Public Speaking & Debate courses? Find more here!

Ever feel the urge to “win” an argument with your kid and realize later nothing was learned, only lost? We sit down with licensed counselor and CEO Gino Titus Luciano to rethink conflict from the ground up—less power struggle, more problem solving. Gino brings experience spanning autism services, child welfare, correctional rehabilitation, and private practice to show why children copy what we model, not what we preach, and how accountability actually strengthens parental authority.

We unpack the superhero myth—the idea that good parents are flawless and never back down—and how it fuels doubling down when we’re wrong. Gino explains the science of emotions in plain language, showing how anger is often a fast response to hurt or fear. From there, we build practical tools: pause when emotions spike, name what you feel, and schedule the conversation to continue when both sides are ready. You’ll hear how forgiveness and consequences can work together, why yelling kills learning, and how “circle back” conversations create safety without sacrificing standards.

If you’ve handled conflict poorly and want to repair, Gino offers clear language to own your part, validate your child’s experience, and invite them into a shared plan for next time. We discuss collaborating with teens who test limits, using empathy without losing structure, and letting kids see us grow so they learn growth is normal. Expect actionable scripts, mindset shifts, and a calmer way to teach hard lessons that actually stick.

If this conversation helps, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s in the thick of parenting, and leave a quick review to tell us which strategy you’ll try first.

Get a free mini lesson plus 52 prompts so your kids can practice every week here!

Thanks for Listening to Speak Out, Stand Out

Like what you hear? We would love if you would rate and review our podcast so it can reach more families.

Also - grab our free mini lesson on impromptu speaking here. This is ideal for kids ages 6+.

Interested in checking out our Public Speaking & Debate courses? Find more here!

Fear of failure doesn’t vanish with pep talks, and comparison doesn’t make kids try harder. We sat down with psychologist and author Dr. Kate Lund to explore practical ways families can trade perfection pressure for resilient growth—without asking kids to be fearless. Kate shares her powerful personal story of growing up with hydrocephalus and how her parents focused on who she was, not what she had. That lens—see strengths, acknowledge limits, stay connected—anchors everything we unpack, from sibling dynamics to teen pushback.

We get specific about the moments parents struggle most: a cautious child who won’t start unless success is guaranteed, a sibling who races ahead and sets an unhelpful bar, and a teenager who says, “You don’t get it.” Kate lays out clear moves that change the tone. Lead with active listening to earn trust, share your own stumbles only when it serves them, and replace outcome fixation with process praise. We dig into the comparison trap—why it erodes motivation—and how shifting to individualized expectations helps each child see their unique path. Instead of sizing kids against each other, we ask: what strengths did you use today, and where did effort show up?

You’ll leave with two simple habits that deliver real results. First, the relaxation response: five minutes of focused breathing with a soothing word builds a calm baseline so challenges don’t spike into shutdown. Second, the daily wins exercise: write three to five things that went well to counter negativity bias and reinforce progress. These tools travel well across school, sports, and friendships, helping kids face hard things, learn from missteps, and try again with more confidence.

If fear, comparison, or constant self-critique has been steering your home, this conversation offers a reset grounded in empathy, science, and doable routines. Listen, share it with a friend who needs it, and if it helped, follow the show and leave a quick review so more parents can find these tools.

Connect with Dr. Kate

Find her on Instagram here, or check out her book Step Away: The Keys to Resilient Parenting on Amazon.

Get a free mini lesson plus 52 prompts so your kids can practice every week here!

Thanks for Listening to Speak Out, Stand Out

Like what you hear? We would love if you would rate and review our podcast so it can reach more families.

Also - grab our free mini lesson on impromptu speaking here. This is ideal for kids ages 6+.

Interested in checking out our Public Speaking & Debate courses? Find more here!

Ever notice how a single word can flip a conversation with your teen from tense to trusting? We sat down with teen and parent well‑being coach Laura Ollinger to unpack the small, repeatable moves that turn blow‑ups into breakthroughs—without scripts, shame, or power struggles. Laura brings the compassion of a mom of four and the clarity of a coach who’s helped countless families navigate anxiety, curfews, grades, and all the messy middle moments of adolescence.

We start with the simple truth that how we begin is how we’ll likely end. Laura explains why a regulated parent sets the emotional weather of the home, and how opening with calm presence can redirect even late‑night conflicts. From there, we dig into perspective taking: helping teens move from black‑and‑white thinking to shades of gray using questions like “Is it possible…?” and reframes that lower the temperature. Validation is the bridge—acknowledging feelings without agreeing with conclusions—so teens feel seen and become more open to problem‑solving.

You’ll learn practical language shifts, including “I feel” statements that de‑escalate and model emotional fluency. We walk through setting clear expectations for curfews, driving, screens, and schoolwork, then linking them to agreed consequences so follow‑through teaches instead of punishes. Laura shares a forward‑focused feedback loop—What went well? What could be better next time?—that builds confidence after tests, games, and performances. We also talk openly about repair: how to apologize with context and a question when we slip, so accountability becomes a family habit.

If you’re ready to swap power struggles for connection and raise teens who can name their feelings, own their choices, and try again tomorrow, this conversation is your playbook. Listen, share with a friend who needs a boost, and subscribe for more practical tools that make family life calmer, kinder, and stronger.

Connect With Laura

Check out Positively Healthy Coaching on Facebook or Instagram, and don't miss this free guide to cracking the parenting code.

Get a free mini lesson plus 52 prompts so your kids can practice every week here!

Thanks for Listening to Speak Out, Stand Out

Like what you hear? We would love if you would rate and review our podcast so it can reach more families.

Also - grab our free mini lesson on impromptu speaking here. This is ideal for kids ages 6+.

Interested in checking out our Public Speaking & Debate courses? Find more here!

What if the fastest way to help your child make better choices is to change how you show up as a parent? That question drives a candid conversation with author and mentor Richard Ramos, whose journey from at‑risk youth counseling to parent coaching revealed a hard truth: when the home isn’t healthy, everything else struggles to stick. We dig into practical, human strategies that replace power struggles with connection, and rigid rules with durable influence.

Richard breaks down attachment and psychological safety in simple terms—less interrogation, more curiosity. Instead of “Why did you do that?” try “What’s pulling you toward this?” We talk about the exact moment trust is won or lost, like when a teen confesses breaking an online rule. You’ll hear how to set proportionate consequences without shutting down future honesty, plus realistic guardrails for VR and social platforms that keep kids safe while keeping communication open. His “Home Field Advantage” framework offers a clear roadmap: gardener from 0–2, trainer from 2–5, coach from 5–12—preparing kids for separation and real‑world infiltration, not isolation. Along the way, we unpack identity development, helping children discover who they are so you can develop their strengths without comparison.

Respect, Richard insists, is earned, not demanded. That means prioritizing the relationship over being right, apologizing when we blow it, and modeling the kind of leadership we want our kids to carry into classrooms, teams, and jobs. Emotional maturity sits at the core of it all: know yourself to grow yourself. When we regulate our reactions, keep promises, and repair quickly, home becomes the training ground for resilience, integrity, and responsible freedom. If you’ve wondered how to raise confident, grounded kids who can handle failure, peer pressure, and the messy parts of life, this conversation offers a playbook you can start using tonight.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help more parents find these tools. Then tell us: what boundary or habit will you revisit this week?

Connect with Richard

Find him on Facebook, listen to the podcast, and sign up for his Parent on a Mission course here.

Get a free mini lesson plus 52 prompts so your kids can practice every week here!

Thanks for Listening to Speak Out, Stand Out

Like what you hear? We would love if you would rate and review our podcast so it can reach more families.

Also - grab our free mini lesson on impromptu speaking here. This is ideal for kids ages 6+.

Interested in checking out our Public Speaking & Debate courses? Find more here!