aParently! A Podcast for Parents

Shawn Hopkins
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

Coach Shawn Hopkins of Shawnhop.com is a coach for parents and committed to the practice of parents sharing what works for them. Through his individual coaching, podcasts, and written material Coach Shawn keeps the conversations flowing so you can be great at the most important task there is- raising good people. Join the conversations with other parents at https://www.aparently.community/ Schedule your free Coaching Session with Coach Shawn at https://shawnhop.com/

  1. Letting Go Without Walking Away

    1h ago

    Letting Go Without Walking Away

    Sometimes the hardest part of parenting isn't stepping in. It's stepping back. In this episode of *aParently! A Podcast for Parents*, Shawn explores the tension many foster, adoptive, kinship, and biological parents face as their children seek more independence. Through two personal stories—one involving his younger son wanting ownership of his education and another involving his adult son navigating life on his own terms—Shawn wrestles with a difficult question: ***How do we know when to help and when to let our kids figure things out for themselves?*** **For children who have experienced trauma, loss, foster care, adoption, or major life disruptions, control and ownership can become deeply important. For parents who have witnessed that hurt, letting go can feel frightening.** This episode explores: * Why some kids push for independence so strongly * How parental fear can sometimes make us hold on tighter * The difference between helping and rescuing * How to stay connected without taking control * Why ownership may be an important part of healing and growth If you've ever wondered whether you're doing too much, not enough, or somewhere in between, this conversation is for you. Because sometimes the thing we're most afraid to let our kids do is exactly what they need to move forward. **Raising Kids Through Hurt – Episode 4: Letting Go Without Walking Away** You're doing better than you think you are. Resources and community: aParently.community Schedule a free coaching session: shawnhop.com

    17 min
  2. Teaching Kids What to Do with Hurt

    Jun 8

    Teaching Kids What to Do with Hurt

    What do we teach our kids to do when they're hurt? Drawing from his own experiences as a foster and adoptive parent, Shawn shares stories about bedtime conversations, unanswered questions, childhood hurts that linger, and the delicate balance between respecting a child's pace and helping them learn they don't have to carry pain alone. This isn't an episode with easy answers. It's an honest conversation about preparing the space, keeping the invitation open, and showing up again and again—even when the answer is "nothing." If you're raising kids whose stories began before you showed up, this episode is for you. You're doing better than you think you are. Take Good Care, Shawn #FosterCare #Adoption #FosterParenting #AdoptiveParenting #TraumaInformedParenting #ParentingThroughTrauma #RaisingKidsThroughHurt #aParentlyPodcast #ParentingPodcast #Attachment #Healing #ParentSupport

    20 min
  3. Why Foster and Adoptive Kids Test Relationships

    Jun 1

    Why Foster and Adoptive Kids Test Relationships

    Many foster and adoptive parents have experienced it. Things seem to be going well, and suddenly your child starts an argument, rejects help, pushes boundaries, or creates conflict that doesn't seem to make sense. It's easy to take these moments personally. It's easy to wonder why a child would push away the very people who are trying to love them. In this episode of Raising Kids Through Hurt, Shawn explores why some foster and adoptive children test relationships, what trauma and loss can teach children about trust, and how fear of abandonment can show up as conflict, rejection, or chaos. This episode is not about excusing hurtful behavior. It's about understanding what may be happening underneath it while still teaching accountability, healthy relationships, and emotional safety. If you've ever found yourself asking, "Why are we fighting right now?" this conversation is for you. You're doing better than you think you are. Topics discussed: • Foster parenting • Adoptive parenting • Trauma-informed parenting • Attachment and trust • Fear of abandonment • Relationship testing • Parenting children from hard places • Emotional regulation • Building connection and accountability Learn more, find resources, or schedule coaching at shawnhop.com and aParently.community.

    16 min
  4. When Anger and Revenge Become a Child's Way to Feel Safe

    May 26

    When Anger and Revenge Become a Child's Way to Feel Safe

    When Anger and Revenge Become a Child's Way to Feel Safe In this first episode of Raising Kids Through Hurt, I share a personal experience from my own home and a lesson I'm still learning as a foster and adoptive dad. After one of my sons said things that were difficult to hear, I found myself wrestling with questions many parents ask: Was this disrespect? Did he mean it? Should there be consequences? Am I understanding what's underneath the behavior, or am I letting him get away with it? As I reflected on the experience, I began to wonder if the anger I was seeing was protecting something deeper. Fear. Hurt. Powerlessness. A need for control after living through situations where there was none. This is not a how-to episode. It's a conversation about parenting, trauma, character, accountability, and the tension between understanding our kids and holding them responsible for their actions. If you're raising children through foster care, adoption, trauma, abandonment, or simply navigating big emotions in your home, I hope this episode helps you feel a little less alone. Because sometimes understanding what is underneath the anger changes the way we respond to it. And sometimes the most important lessons we learn as parents come from the moments that hurt the most. You're doing better than you think you are. shawnhop.com to schedule a session with Shawn Hopkins, CTACC aParently.community for resources, articles, videos, classes, and other parents talking about what's working and what they are working through.

    21 min
  5. aParently! A Conversation With Brad Sparks

    Feb 2

    aParently! A Conversation With Brad Sparks

    What do you do when your child seems older than their age? In this episode of aParently! A Podcast for Parents, Shawn talks with dad Brad Sparks about raising a daughter who is emotionally mature, independent, and eager to take on the world, sometimes faster than childhood naturally moves. Together they explore the tension between respecting a child's capability and protecting their right to still be a kid. They also dive into: Parenting a child who feels 'ahead' of peers How maturity can sometimes lead to loneliness Anger in kids - what's underneath it Letting siblings work through conflict Teaching emotional skills without overloading a child The fear parents carry when they see their own childhood patterns in their kids This conversation is honest, thoughtful, and deeply relatable for parents raising strong-willed, big-feeling kids. If you've ever wondered whether your child is growing up too fast or how to support a kid who thinks like an adult This might be helpful You don't have to figure this out alone. Shawn offers free coaching for parents at www.shawnhop.com a place to talk through whatever you're facing.

    55 min
  6. Juan's Adoption Day

    Jan 26

    Juan's Adoption Day

    In this episode of aParently! A Podcast for Parents, Shawn shares a deeply personal moment from his journey as a foster and adoptive parent. After years of being a foster parent, legal guardian, and custodial parent, he officially became Juan's legal father. What he imagined would be a joyful, celebratory milestone turned out to be far more complicated. This episode explores the quiet realities of foster care and adoption. How love and grief can exist at the same time. Why a child may feel uncomfortable with celebration even when they feel safe and deeply connected. And how parents can honor their child's story without centering their own expectations. This conversation is for foster parents, adoptive parents, kinship caregivers, and anyone raising a child whose early life required more resilience than it ever should have. You are not alone. You are not doing it wrong. And you are doing better than you think you are. Shawn Hopkins Coach for Parents Schedule a Free Coaching Session www.shawnhop.com Resources and Community www.aparently.community

    6 min
  7. aParently! A Conversation about Neurodivergent Parenting

    Jan 19

    aParently! A Conversation about Neurodivergent Parenting

    What is neurodivergence, really, and how do we parent well when a child’s brain works differently? In this episode of aParently! A Conversation Between Parents, parent coach Shawn Hopkins talks with Mandy Casteel-Denney, founder of Blue Tulip Inclusive Education, educator, parent coach, and mom of two neurodivergent kids. Shawn comes in with honest curiosity and a desire to learn, and Mandy brings both lived experience and professional insight. Together they explore what neurodivergence is, common misunderstandings, why parental burnout and isolation are so common, and what real support can look like at home, in school, and in public. You will also hear a practical, compassionate breakdown of the difference between a tantrum and a meltdown, and how a simple shift in how we interpret behavior can change everything for a child and their parent. Mandy also shares Outside the Lines, an outdoor, small-group experience designed to help neurodivergent tweens build connection in a low-pressure, more natural setting. If you know a parent who would feel seen by this conversation, please share it. Schedule your free coaching session at www.shawnhop.com. If you would like to connect with Mandy you can at www.bluetulipinclusiveedu.com

    58 min
  8. Parenting, The Long Game

    Jan 12

    Parenting, The Long Game

    When we imagine parenting kids who struggle the way we once did, it is easy to assume our experience will automatically create connection. That if we say the right words, share the right insight, or remind them that we have been there, they will feel understood. But it does not always work that way. In this episode of aParently! A Podcast for Parents, Shawn reflects on what it is really like to parent through issues of follow-through, responsibility, and repair. He talks honestly about realizing that connection is not something we deliver to our kids, but something we learn from them. Sometimes slowly. Sometimes painfully. This conversation explores why parenting is a long game, why repair matters more than winning the moment, and how safety, patience, and cleanup are often the real work. It is about letting kids be mad, holding the line with love, waiting longer than we want to, and remembering that nothing is lost, even when things get messy. If you are in the middle of that mess right now, take a breath. You are doing better than you think you are. Free Coaching www.shanhop.com Resources and Community www.aparently.community Get in touch with Mandy www.bluetulipinclusiveedu.com

    5 min
See All (51)

Trailer

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Coach Shawn Hopkins of Shawnhop.com is a coach for parents and committed to the practice of parents sharing what works for them. Through his individual coaching, podcasts, and written material Coach Shawn keeps the conversations flowing so you can be great at the most important task there is- raising good people. Join the conversations with other parents at https://www.aparently.community/ Schedule your free Coaching Session with Coach Shawn at https://shawnhop.com/

Information