Chick Chat Nina Spears

Many things may change over the years, but something that we want to instill in our kids is that it's always cool to be kind. In my opinion, kindness is beginning to be a lost art in our world. We hear so much negativity and unkind things in the news and media that it's spilling into our everyday lives. Fortunately, we are our children's greatest teachers (and they are ours). We can make a difference in our world by starting at home. Teaching our kids the power of kindness can lead to so many wonderful things for them. Our guest, Rachel Tomlinson, knows all about it (she literally wrote the book) and is sharing her words of wisdom.
Who is Rachel Tomlinson?
Rachel Tomlinson is a registered psychologist and internationally published author of "Teaching Kids to Be Kind" and "A Blue Kind of Day" (a picture book on depression). Rachel has worked with adults, families, and children (birth through 18 years old) in a variety of settings, including play therapy, children’s residential facilities, education settings, trauma counseling, and parenting support programs. She has presented at national conferences on mental health topics as well as guest lectured about domestic violence and relationships at colleges and universities. She also serves as a subject matter expert for journalists on topics such as parenting, child development, and relationships. We love having her as a contributor at Baby Chick, and we are excited to now have her here on our podcast! Rachel resides with her family in Perth, Australia.
What Did We Discuss?
In this episode, we chat with Rachel about teaching kids to be kind, what kindness really looks like, and tips and strategies to encourage kids to be kind. Here are several of the questions that we covered in our conversation:

As parents, one of our greatest hopes is that our children grow up to be good people. What qualities do you think make a good person?

At what age do you think children are able to understand the concept of kindness and what it means?

How would you define kindness to a child?

Can you share some examples of what kindness looks like to children?

What are the long-term benefits of teaching kindness to our children at a young age?

What are some practical strategies parents can use to encourage kindness in children?

What role does leading by example play, and what are some ways parents can model kindness for their children?

What are some common challenges parents face when teaching kindness to children, and how can they be overcome?

As parents, how should we react when our children exhibit behavior that is unkind?

What are your top tips for teaching kindness to kids?

Rachel shared relatable stories and powerful advice when it comes to teaching our kids about kindness. Be sure to listen!
Rachel's Resources

Website: towardwellbeing.com


Instagram: @towardwellbeing


Rachel's author page at Baby Chick

Thank you for listening to this episode! Follow us on our podcast Instagram page @thebabychickchat, and let us know what you think and if there are any other topics you'd like us to cover. Cheers to being kind and raising a kinder generation!
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Women can experience a lot of discomfort during pregnancy. All of these aches, pains, and changes in our body can also take a toll on our sleep. If we aren't moving around to find just the right position to get comfortable or having to get up to use the restroom again, you can count on our restless leg syndrome or pregnancy insomnia to kick in. With all of these issues, we had to chat with Dr. Ann Kristin Homdrum to learn more.
Who is Dr. Ann Kristin Homdrum?
Dr. Ann Kristin is a chiropractic doctor who specializes in pediatrics and women's health. She's not only a dedicated healthcare professional - she’s also an author, a public speaker, and a successful entrepreneur. She’s founded multiple businesses, including co-founding the maternity brand bbhugme, and is a co-owner of Norway's largest pediatric chiropractic franchise. But what's even more inspiring is her commitment to family. As a mom of three and alongside her husband, she's passionate about sharing her knowledge of conscious health decisions with fellow parents.
What Did We Discuss?
In this episode, we chat with Dr. Ann Kristin about sleep during pregnancy, common sleep issues women experience during pregnancy, and how to overcome them all. Here are several of the questions that we covered in our conversation:

How did you become passionate about working with pregnant women?

How common are sleep issues during the prenatal period?

What are some common sleep challenges that pregnant women face?

How does pregnancy affect sleep patterns?

Why do many expectant mothers struggle to find a comfortable sleeping position?

Can you explain the role of chiropractic care in promoting better sleep during pregnancy?

What other lifestyle recommendations do you typically provide to pregnant women to enhance their sleep quality?

Are there certain sleep positions that are better than others during pregnancy?

How important is a routine in pregnancy sleep?

What are your top tips for getting a restful sleep during pregnancy?

Dr. Ann Kristin's Resources

Website: bbhugme.com


Instagram: @natural_born_parenting


Thank you for listening to this episode! Follow us on our podcast Instagram page @thebabychickchat, and let us know what you think and if there are any other topics you'd like us to cover. Cheers to a restful pregnancy!
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A growing body of research shows that social media is designed to be addictive and feed children age-inappropriate content. This is leading to higher rates of depression and loneliness. As a parent, this is heartbreaking news but not surprising. Concerned parents, legislators, and psychology experts are advocating for abstinence – specifically banning social media and smartphone use until kids reach high school age, and understandably so. But while their intentions are good, our guest, Tim Estes, an online child safety advocate, believes that taking away devices altogether isn’t the answer either. He says it creates a "pink elephant paradox." He believes that the more we try to take social media and smartphones away from kids, the more they’ll want them. It makes sense. So what are parents to do? Tim advocates for "kangaroo parenting."
Who is Tim Estes?
Tim Estes is a pioneering executive in the Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing domain. He founded and led Digital Reasoning in 2000, an AI leader in the space of unstructured data analytics for 20+ years. Estes envisioned a means by which computers could learn to accurately interpret language, understand context, and extract critical intelligence.
Dubbed "Wall Street’s Robocop" by Forbes, the technology in Digital Reasoning became the market standard for applying AI and Natural Language Processing to communications data across text and voice and was adopted by a majority of Tier 1 Financial Institutions around the globe. Its technology also supported key Defense and Intelligence efforts in the U.S. Government. It enabled nationwide cancer screening systems to automate patient detection and prioritization and created the largest deployed system to support law enforcement in the disruption of child sex trafficking rings in North America. It was merged with Smarsh in November 2020 to create the market leader in Communications Intelligence for Financial Services.
Tim left the acquiring company, Smarsh, at the end of 2021 and is now an active Angel Investor, Advisor, Board Member, and Mentor to CEOs in multiple industries. His newest startup, Angel AI, uses the latest advances in generative AI to change how kids use the internet to empower and protect them. The mission of Angel is to harness the power of AI to raise healthier and happier humans, starting with our kids. As a parent himself, Tim has dedicated his life to keeping kids safe online. He frequently advocates for change on Capitol Hill and recently briefed the House and Senate leadership on these issues. We are so impressed and so grateful for the work Tim does. This episode is a great listen for parents with kids using the internet.
What Did We Discuss?
In this episode, we chat with Tim about keeping our children safe online and Kangaroo parenting in this digital age. Here are several of the questions that we covered in our conversation:

How do you recommend parents manage devices, social media, and other digital platforms for their kids in this digital world?

I know you are an advocate for "kangaroo parenting." Can you tell us more about this parenting style?

How can parents instill healthy online habits and boundaries?

What is it that parents need to know that you know about the internet and keeping our kids safe online?

What is your number one piece of advice for parenting a child in our digital world?

Tim's Resources

Website: angelkids.ai


LinkedIn: Tim Estes



Thorn: Tim worked closely with Thorn, an organization co-founded by Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore that combats child sex trafficking.

Thank you for listening to this episode! Follow us on our podcast Instagram page @thebabychickchat, and let us know what you think and if there are any other topics you'd like us to cover. Cheers to keeping our kids safe online and allowing them to grow and explore with our guidance!
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Pregnancy is a unique experience for every woman. Even the same woman can have different experiences from one pregnancy to another. Morning sickness, pregnancy insomnia, heartburn—the list goes on. Thankfully, there are things expecting mothers can do to help them through those pregnancy discomforts. A big part of that can be their diet. As our guest today said, "Food is mood," so understanding more about good nutrition during pregnancy can help us have better experiences and good mind and body alignment. Let's welcome today's guest!
Who is Dr. Paul Quinn?
Paul Quinn, PhD, CNM has been a nurse for close to three decades and a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) for almost two decades. Dr. Paul Quinn has worked in the most diverse settings and had the privilege to meet, care for, and interact with the most dynamic, interesting, and insightful women. Possessing a PhD in nursing, he is a scientist at heart with a passion for putting research into action in ways that improve people’s lives. He is also the author of 5 books and counting. He is the first male midwife I have ever met, so I couldn't wait to pick his brain, hear his story, and take in all of his words of wisdom.
What Did We Discuss?
In this episode, we're chatting with Dr. Paul Quinn about his experience as a midwife, as well as his nutrition tips for a better pregnancy and mind-body alignment during pregnancy. Here are several of the questions that we covered:

I know you are one of the only male midwives in the US, which is amazing! Can you tell us more about your journey to becoming a midwife and how you knew this was something you were passionate about?

Today’s topic is all about nutrition tips for mind-body alignment during pregnancy. How did you become interested in nutrition during pregnancy?

What are some common misconceptions about nutrition during pregnancy that we need to clear up?

How can nutrition during pregnancy impact mental well-being and emotional balance?

How does your background as a midwife impact your approach to nutrition guidance for pregnant people?

Can you share some key nutrients pregnant individuals should prioritize in their diet for optimal mind and body health and ways to get those nutrients besides a good prenatal vitamin?

How do you approach creating recipes that specifically target both physical and mental health during pregnancy?

Talk to us about mind-body alignment in pregnancy. What does that mean to you?

How can a healthy pregnancy journey impact a positive birth experience?

Once you listen, you can truly hear Dr. Paul's passion and love for his work. He was so empowering. I left our conversation inspired and uplifted, and I believe you will, too.
Paul's Resources

Website: prenatalpossibilities.com


Paul's latest book: Prenatal Possibilities: Recipes for a Healthy Pregnancy and Beyond


Facebook: @paul.quinn


Instagram: @drpaulquinn


Thank you for listening to this episode! Follow us on our podcast Instagram page @thebabychickchat, and let us know what you think and if there are any other topics you'd like us to cover. Cheers to an empowered mind and body during pregnancy and beyond!
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Having grown up with a sibling (my twin brother, to be exact) who has autism was one of the biggest things that ever happened to my family. In the 80's and 90's, there weren't that many resources available for parents who had kids with disabilities. My parents did the best that they could in raising us, but there were a lot of struggles. Now that I'm a mother myself, I can only imagine all of the days and nights they worried about my brother and his future as they looked for therapies and support.
My brother has been a major blessing in our lives, and I believe he has taught us more than we have taught him. Thankfully, our world has progressed and is doing a lot more for disabled people and their families. Today's guest even wrote a book about parenting a disabled child and what parents need to know. I'm excited for you to listen to this episode. In my opinion, it's not just for parents who have disabled children. This episode is something everyone should listen to.
Who is Kelley Coleman?
Kelley Coleman is a feature film development executive turned author who is active in the disability advocacy community. She serves on committees for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and Canine Companions. Her book Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports stems from her own parenting experience, giving parents the tools to spend less time navigating the stuff and more time loving their kids exactly as they are.
Kelley is a mom to two amazing boys, one of whom has multiple disabilities (including a yet-undiagnosed genetic syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, CVI, epilepsy, and more). She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two boys, and her son’s service dog.
What Did We Discuss?
In this episode, we're chatting with Kelley Coleman about everything you need to know about parenting a disabled child. As I mentioned, having a twin brother with autism, this topic is very near and dear to my heart, and it was a great conversation. To see some of the questions that we covered in this episode, go to our show notes!
Kelley's Resources

Website: KelleyColeman.com


Kelley's book: Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports


Facebook: @kelley.coleman.56


Instagram: @hellokelleycoleman


Thank you for listening to this episode! Follow us on our podcast Instagram page @thebabychickchat, and let us know what you think and if there are any other topics you'd like us to cover. Cheers to navigating your unique parenting journey!
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At the end of the third trimester, most expecting moms are over being pregnant and are beyond ready to meet their baby. If you're expecting or have had a baby, you can probably relate. Something else that the majority of these women will tell you is that even though they are so excited to meet their babies, they are also a bit afraid of labor and birth. We get it! Childbirth is unpredictable, and the unknown can be scary. We all want a healthy mom and baby, and a safe, positive childbirth experience. But why doesn't everyone get that experience? There are a lot of reasons to answer that question, but our latest guest, Gina Mundy, can answer this further. We had an engaging conversation with her that we believe every pregnant mama preparing for birth should listen to!
Who is Gina Mundy?
Gina Mundy is an attorney specializing in childbirth cases. For over 20 years, she has been working to gain an in-depth understanding of childbirth. She has traveled nationwide, engaging with healthcare professionals to explore all aspects of labor and delivery. Her goal is to become involved before childbirth to prevent mistakes, and she is the best-selling author of "A Parents Guide to a Safer Childbirth."
As a mother of three herself, Gina is passionate about helping parents have the best childbirth experience possible and bringing a healthy baby into the world! She's my kind of girl, and I couldn't wait to talk to her about birth and hear all about her experience as a childbirth attorney.
Gina's Resources

Website: GinaMundy.com


Gina Mundy's book: A Parent's Guide to a Safer Childbirth


Facebook: @ginamundy


Instagram: @ginamundy


LinkedIn: @ginamundy


Gina's Podcast: The Childbirth Attorney Podcast with Gina Mundy


Thank you for listening to this episode! Go to our SHOW NOTES for more details. Also, follow us on our podcast Instagram page @thebabychickchat, and let us know what you think and if there are any other topics you'd like us to cover. Cheers to a beautiful, safe birth and a healthy baby!
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