The Whole Parent Podcast

Jon Fogel - WholeParent
  • 5.0 (325)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Biweekly

Welcome to 'The Whole Parent Podcast,' where we dive deep into evidence-based parenting strategies, blending cutting-edge psychology with real-world experience. Each episode offers insightful discussions, expert interviews, and practical tips to empower you and your family through the joys and challenges of raising children. Join us as we explore not just the highs of parenting, but navigate the complexities and embrace the journey together.

  1. Sep 30 ·  Video

    ADHD: Get it done and HAVE FUN (with Kim and Penn Holderness) #101

    “You know how to do this, so why can’t you just do it?” That sentence haunts a lot of ADHD kids and the parents who are trying their best. I sit down with Kim and Penn Holderness, award-winning creators and bestselling authors, to name what’s actually missing: executive function, working memory, and the brutal reality that starting can be the hardest step. We get practical fast. We talk why chores and hygiene can feel harder than creative work, how boredom can feel like physical pain, and how shame builds when adults moralize mess or assume disrespect. Kim and Penn share the thinking behind their playful picture book, Get It Done And Have Fun: ADHD Hacks For Awesome Kids, including how their character Squeaky McGee helps kids feel less alone while learning real strategies. We also go deeper into the emotional side of ADHD that rarely gets airtime: emotional dysregulation, “flooding,” and how school experiences can shape identity for years. We hold the nuance of “explanation, not excuse,” and why connection before correction changes everything when big feelings hit. Along the way, you’ll hear doable ADHD parenting tools like body doubling, timers, music, reducing friction in the home, and knowing when medication versus behavioral interventions makes sense. If you’re raising an ADHD child (or realizing you might have ADHD too), this conversation will help you trade blame for understanding and build systems that actually work. Subscribe, share this with a parent who needs it, and leave a review with the one ADHD “stuck point” you want help solving. Get "Get It Done And Have Fun" HERE  Send us Fan Mail Support the show If parenting has felt hard lately… you don’t have to figure it out alone. Inside The Parent Lab, I’ll help you understand what’s actually going on underneath your child’s behavior — and give you simple, in-the-moment tools that actually work in real life. You’ll get access to my full course library, live coaching calls with me, practical workshops, and our 21-Day Sibling Challenge designed to help reduce the fighting and build better relationships between your kids. If you want support, tools, and a clear plan instead of just guessing your way through parenting… come join us inside The Parent Lab. CLICK HERE to Try the Parent Lab Today Other Links to help you and me: Get Jon’s Book Punishment-Free Parenting Preorder Jon’s Children’s Book Set My Feelings FreeFollow Whole Parent on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook,...

  2. Sep 23 ·  Video

    How to Stop Hitting, Biting, or Teasing (Episode 100!!)

    What do you do when your five-year-old won’t stop hitting? Your three-year-old keeps biting? Or your older kid has discovered that getting their younger sibling in trouble is apparently the funniest thing on earth? For episode 100, I’m doing something different. I’m bringing you directly into one of my live Parent Lab group coaching calls: real parents, real problems, and my real-time answers. We talk about why a child who knows not to bite may keep doing it anyway, what to do when one sibling deliberately pushes another sibling’s buttons, why hitting can sometimes be a sign that a child needs a healthier way to experience power and autonomy, and how to respond when sibling teasing finally ends with yogurt smeared across the kitchen. But underneath all of these questions is one bigger idea: Your kids are not competitors. They’re teammates. The goal isn’t just to stop the hitting, biting, teasing, and fighting today. It’s to build the kind of sibling relationship where, decades from now, your kids still know: We’re on the same team. This is parenting advice for what happens in actual homes, not hypotheticals. Send us Fan Mail Support the show If parenting has felt hard lately… you don’t have to figure it out alone. Inside The Parent Lab, I’ll help you understand what’s actually going on underneath your child’s behavior — and give you simple, in-the-moment tools that actually work in real life. You’ll get access to my full course library, live coaching calls with me, practical workshops, and our 21-Day Sibling Challenge designed to help reduce the fighting and build better relationships between your kids. If you want support, tools, and a clear plan instead of just guessing your way through parenting… come join us inside The Parent Lab. CLICK HERE to Try the Parent Lab Today Other Links to help you and me: Get Jon’s Book Punishment-Free Parenting Preorder Jon’s Children’s Book Set My Feelings FreeFollow Whole Parent on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook,...

  3. Sep 16 ·  Video

    Raising Conscious Sons And Daughters (with Dr. Shefali) #99

    Today on the Whole Parent Podcast we bring back friend of the show Dr. Shafali to talk about about why she wrote Raising Conscious Sons and Raising Conscious Daughters right now and why the parenting crisis is being intensified by algorithms that target kids at the level of biology.  CLICK HERE to get Raising Conscious Sons CLICK HERE to get Raising Conscious Daughters We break down what boys and girls are up against and how we can respond with conscious parenting that builds real competence, real safety, and a stronger inner self: • why a documentary on adolescence triggered two fast-tracked books  • why parenting is about changing ourselves, not controlling kids  • how algorithms exploit neurochemistry differently in boys and girls  • what testosterone drives in boys and how it gets misdirected  • how social media magnifies perfectionism, comparison, and body dysmorphia in girls  • why boys go quiet, miss initiation, and get pulled toward the manosphere  • what healthy rites of passage can look like in modern family life  • practical tips for young kids: movement for boys, emotional safety for girls  If it did, there's a couple of things that you can do that would really, really help me out. The first one is to go right now and subscribe to my channel at Whole Parent on YouTube. The second thing that you can do is actually go to the link in the description... find the link for the Parent Lab. The third thing that you can do... is to share this episode or this podcast in general with people in your life.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show If parenting has felt hard lately… you don’t have to figure it out alone. Inside The Parent Lab, I’ll help you understand what’s actually going on underneath your child’s behavior — and give you simple, in-the-moment tools that actually work in real life. You’ll get access to my full course library, live coaching calls with me, practical workshops, and our 21-Day Sibling Challenge designed to help reduce the fighting and build better relationships between your kids. If you want support, tools, and a clear plan instead of just guessing your way through parenting… come join us inside The Parent Lab. CLICK HERE to Try the Parent Lab Today Other Links to help you and me: Get Jon’s Book Punishment-Free Parenting Preorder Jon’s Children’s Book Set My Feelings FreeFollow Whole Parent on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook,...

  4. Sep 9 ·  Video

    Training Wheels Are A Menace (with Strider Bike Founder Ryan McFarland) #98

    Watching your kid learn to ride a bike can feel weirdly intense. It looks like a simple childhood skill, but it pokes at something bigger: our fear of seeing our kids struggle, our urge to step in, and the thin line between support and rescue. I sit down with Ryan McFarland, founder of Strider Bikes, to talk about why this milestone is so emotional and why it can shape a child’s confidence far beyond two wheels. Ryan built the first Strider balance bike in his garage for his two-year-old son, then watched how mobility changed everything: focus, decision making, strength, and that quiet “I can do hard things” energy. We dig into the practical side too, including why so many kids’ bikes are basically shrunken adult bikes that are too heavy, too tall, and too mismatched for short legs. When the gear doesn’t fit, kids don’t just fail, they get scared, and fear can stick. We also get a little nerdy in the best way about skill development. Balance is the foundation; pedaling is just propulsion. Ryan explains why training wheels can actually teach the wrong steering pattern, making the transition to two wheels feel confusing and risky for thoughtful kids. The parenting takeaway is simple and hard: let learning look like learning. Struggle often means growth is happening. Our job is to be a cheerleader, protect play, and give kids the right-sized challenge so resilience can form naturally. Get a Strider for YOUR Toddler HERE If this conversation helps you, subscribe, share it with a parent who needs it, and leave a review so more families can find the show. Send us Fan Mail Support the show If parenting has felt hard lately… you don’t have to figure it out alone. Inside The Parent Lab, I’ll help you understand what’s actually going on underneath your child’s behavior — and give you simple, in-the-moment tools that actually work in real life. You’ll get access to my full course library, live coaching calls with me, practical workshops, and our 21-Day Sibling Challenge designed to help reduce the fighting and build better relationships between your kids. If you want support, tools, and a clear plan instead of just guessing your way through parenting… come join us inside The Parent Lab. CLICK HERE to Try the Parent Lab Today Other Links to help you and me: Get Jon’s Book Punishment-Free Parenting Preorder Jon’s Children’s Book Set My Feelings FreeFollow Whole Parent on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook,...

  5. Sep 2 ·  Video

    Survival Of The... Friendliest? (with Jessica Joelle Alexander) #97

    Denmark shows up near the top of the Happiness Index year after year, yet it is not topping every academic ranking or outspending everyone else. So what is going on? We talk with author, speaker, and cultural researcher Jessica Joelle Alexander about the Danish Way of Parenting and why Danish children are so often described as secure, resilient, and genuinely happy. We dig into the simplest but most overlooked driver of well being: meaningful relationships. From hygge and “weefulness” to collaboration over comparison, Jessica explains how Danish culture builds connection on purpose and how that changes the way kids handle stress, emotions, and belonging. We also unpack why Denmark treats play as essential learning, why respect based parenting matters, and how empathy becomes something kids live rather than something they memorize. Then we get practical. Jessica walks us through her PARENT framework (Play, Authenticity, Reframing, Empathy, No Ultimatums, Togetherness) and we wrestle with a uniquely American trap: turning even the healthiest parenting ideas into another achievement badge. Finally, we shift to modern parenting pressure around screens and phones, including Jessica’s digital citizenship conversation cards that help families set values around consent, bullying, critical thinking, communication, and online well being in a calm, in person way. Get Jessica's Book HERE Visit her website HERE Subscribe for more conversations on conscious parenting, child development, emotional safety, and family culture, and if this helped you, share it with a parent who needs it and leave a review. What is one Danish idea you want to try first? Send us Fan Mail Support the show If parenting has felt hard lately… you don’t have to figure it out alone. Inside The Parent Lab, I’ll help you understand what’s actually going on underneath your child’s behavior — and give you simple, in-the-moment tools that actually work in real life. You’ll get access to my full course library, live coaching calls with me, practical workshops, and our 21-Day Sibling Challenge designed to help reduce the fighting and build better relationships between your kids. If you want support, tools, and a clear plan instead of just guessing your way through parenting… come join us inside The Parent Lab. CLICK HERE to Try the Parent Lab Today Other Links to help you and me: Get Jon’s Book Punishment-Free Parenting Preorder Jon’s Children’s Book Set My Feelings FreeFollow Whole Parent on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook,...

  6. Jul 21

    Honest Motherhood (With Libby Ward) #96

    This conversation on honest motherhood explains why so many parents feel like they’re disappearing—and what actually helps. If you’ve ever snapped at your kids, felt crushed by the mental load, or wondered why parenting feels so much harder than everyone else makes it look, this episode with Libby Ward (Diary of an Honest Mom) will hit deeply. We talk about people-pleasing, perfectionism, emotional regulation, childhood trauma, mom guilt, resentment, and the invisible pressure many parents carry every day. Most importantly, we unpack how self-abandonment quietly fuels burnout—and why meeting your own needs is not selfish parenting. What You’ll Learn: • Why overwhelmed moms often feel angry, resentful, or emotionally exhausted • The hidden connection between people-pleasing, burnout, and parenting triggers • How childhood experiences shape the way we respond to stress, tantrums, and emotional overwhelm • Why “being a good parent” doesn’t mean ignoring your own needs • Practical mindset shifts that reduce shame, power struggles, and emotional reactivity This episode is grounded in developmental psychology, nervous system science, and the real emotional realities of parenting young kids. No perfect-parent messaging. No guilt. Just honest conversations that help parents understand what’s happening beneath the behavior—both in their kids and in themselves. If you’re tired of second-guessing yourself, carrying the entire mental load, or feeling like you’re failing during hard moments, this channel is here to help parenting feel calmer, clearer, and more manageable—one small shift at a time. Libby Ward’s book “Honest Motherhood” Send us Fan Mail Support the show If parenting has felt hard lately… you don’t have to figure it out alone. Inside The Parent Lab, I’ll help you understand what’s actually going on underneath your child’s behavior — and give you simple, in-the-moment tools that actually work in real life. You’ll get access to my full course library, live coaching calls with me, practical workshops, and our 21-Day Sibling Challenge designed to help reduce the fighting and build better relationships between your kids. If you want support, tools, and a clear plan instead of just guessing your way through parenting… come join us inside The Parent Lab. CLICK HERE to Try the Parent Lab Today Other Links to help you and me: Get Jon’s Book Punishment-Free Parenting Preorder Jon’s Children’s Book Set My Feelings FreeFollow Whole Parent on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook,...

  7. Jul 7

    Parenting A Spicy One (with Mary Van Geffen) #95

    In this conversation, parenting coach Mary Van Geffen explains why “spicy kids” don’t respond to traditional discipline—and what actually helps instead. If your child refuses to listen, melts down over small things, pushes back on everything, or seems emotionally intense all day long, this episode will help you understand what’s really happening beneath the behavior. We talk about emotional regulation, ADHD and PDA traits, shame cycles, demand avoidance, connection vs. control, and why some kids need a completely different parenting approach. This is a grounded, practical conversation for overwhelmed parents who are exhausted by yelling, punishment, and constant conflict—and want calmer, more connected ways to parent without losing authority. What You’ll Learn: • Why strong-willed and deeply feeling kids often resist traditional discipline • How shame, punishment, and power struggles make behavior worse • What “connection over control” actually looks like in real life • Practical ways to reduce meltdowns, increase cooperation, and stay calm under pressure • How to parent explosive, sensitive, ADHD, PDA, or demand-avoidant kids without walking on eggshells This episode blends developmental psychology, neuroscience, and real-world parenting tools in a way that’s actually usable when you’re in the middle of hard moments. The focus isn’t on “perfect parenting.” It’s on understanding behavior more deeply so you can respond with clarity, confidence, and connection—even when your child is intense, reactive, or hard to reach. If you’ve been second-guessing yourself, wondering why typical parenting advice isn’t working, or feeling stuck in daily battles with your toddler or preschooler, this channel is here to help parenting feel lighter, calmer, and more doable—one hard moment at a time. Check out Mary Van Geffen's book: Parenting a Spicy One Send us Fan Mail Support the show If parenting has felt hard lately… you don’t have to figure it out alone. Inside The Parent Lab, I’ll help you understand what’s actually going on underneath your child’s behavior — and give you simple, in-the-moment tools that actually work in real life. You’ll get access to my full course library, live coaching calls with me, practical workshops, and our 21-Day Sibling Challenge designed to help reduce the fighting and build better relationships between your kids. If you want support, tools, and a clear plan instead of just guessing your way through parenting… come join us inside The Parent Lab. CLICK HERE to Try the Parent Lab Today Other Links to help you and me: Get Jon’s Book Punishment-Free Parenting Preorder Jon’s Children’s Book Set My Feelings FreeFollow Whole Parent on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook,...

  8. Jun 23

    DILF Dad I'd Like to Friend (with Kevin Seldon) #94

    In this Father’s Day conversation, we unpack the hidden mental health struggles of modern fatherhood, from postpartum anxiety in dads to feeling isolated, shut out, or unsure how to bond with your baby. If you’ve ever felt like parenting changed your identity, strained your relationship, or left you quietly struggling while everyone focused on the baby, this episode will hit home. Jon sits down with Kevin Seldon — founder of Dad Supporting Dads and author of The DILF Handbook — to talk about the emotional realities of fatherhood, why so many men suffer silently, and how better support for dads helps the entire family. This conversation covers paternity leave, emotional regulation, parenting partnerships, burnout, mental health, and what kids actually need most from us. What You’ll Learn: • Why many dads don’t feel an instant bond with their baby — and why that’s more common than people think • The hidden signs of paternal postpartum depression and perinatal anxiety • How parenting can trigger a major identity shift for both moms and dads • Why “good parents always put their kids first” can quietly lead to burnout and resentment • Practical ways dads can become more confident, connected, and emotionally engaged parents This episode is grounded in developmental psychology, attachment research, and the real lived experience of parenting young children. The goal isn’t perfection or “expert parenting” — it’s helping families feel more connected, supported, and less alone in the hard moments that nobody prepares you for. If parenting has felt heavier lately — more overstimulating, more isolating, more emotionally exhausting than you expected — this channel is here to help you make sense of what’s happening beneath the behavior so you can respond with more confidence and less second-guessing. Check out Kevin Seldon's book: "The DILF Handbook" Send us Fan Mail Support the show If parenting has felt hard lately… you don’t have to figure it out alone. Inside The Parent Lab, I’ll help you understand what’s actually going on underneath your child’s behavior — and give you simple, in-the-moment tools that actually work in real life. You’ll get access to my full course library, live coaching calls with me, practical workshops, and our 21-Day Sibling Challenge designed to help reduce the fighting and build better relationships between your kids. If you want support, tools, and a clear plan instead of just guessing your way through parenting… come join us inside The Parent Lab. CLICK HERE to Try the Parent Lab Today Other Links to help you and me: Get Jon’s Book Punishment-Free Parenting Preorder Jon’s Children’s Book Set My Feelings FreeFollow Whole Parent on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook,...

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5
out of 5
325 Ratings

About

Welcome to 'The Whole Parent Podcast,' where we dive deep into evidence-based parenting strategies, blending cutting-edge psychology with real-world experience. Each episode offers insightful discussions, expert interviews, and practical tips to empower you and your family through the joys and challenges of raising children. Join us as we explore not just the highs of parenting, but navigate the complexities and embrace the journey together.

Information

  • Creator
    Jon Fogel - WholeParent
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    102
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Whole Parent Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Whole Parent Podcast

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