Self-Schooled

Heather DiNino
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Philosophy

Self-Schooled is a podcast about learning the most important subject we were never taught: who we are. Hosted by educator, parent, and Microschool founder Heather DiNino, each episode explores a different lens for understanding children more deeply—from personality, communication, learning, sensory needs, emotions, strengths, identity, and more. Because our kids are always communicating. The question is: do we understand their language? Self-Schooled is for parents, educators, and anyone ready to question the mold, stop assuming, and become more fluent in the people they love. Learning who our children are—so we can help them become themselves. And learning a lot about ourselves along the way, as well. Our children are our greatest teachers.

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    Living in Our Elements: What Child-Led Learning Reveals About Kids with Robin Mackey

    In this episode… I sit down with Robin Mackey, an educator at Elements Academy for the past seven years, to talk about what happens when we stop trying to fit children into a predetermined mold—and start paying closer attention to who they actually are. We talk about Robin’s path to this work, what makes a truly child-led environment feel different, and how flexibility, strengths, intuition, and connection can change the way we understand kids. And we get into something we’ve been noticing more and more at Elements: sometimes changing the environment reveals parts of a child we didn’t even know were there. We talk about: Why working with kids has taught Robin to see the world from different perspectivesWhat flexibility, strengths-based practice, and intuition look like in a child-led environmentWhy even deeply caring educators can feel limited by the systems they work withinWhat we started noticing when we took kids out into the world more oftenHow different environments can reveal new strengths, interests, struggles, and connectionsThis conversation eventually led us to a pretty big realization: maybe school doesn’t always need to be the center of learning. Maybe it can be the home base. Resources + next steps ✨ Grab your free Self-Schooled Parent Toolkit: https://self-schooled.com Learn more about Self-Schooled: https://self-schooled.com

    Living in Our Elements: What Child-Led Learning Reveals About Kids with Robin Mackey

  2. Oct 1

    Better Sleep for Kids & Teens: What Actually Works with Dr. Melisa Moore

    In this episode of Self-Schooled, Heather talks with clinical psychologist and behavioral sleep medicine specialist Dr. Melisa Moore about what actually helps kids and teens sleep better—especially when anxiety, sensitivity, ADHD, autism, or a nervous system that just won’t settle down are part of the picture. Rather than another list of rigid sleep rules, Melisa helps us understand what’s happening underneath sleep: circadian rhythms, sleep pressure, environment, routines, and the very real differences between children (and families). And yes—we talk about screens, bedtime stalling, nightmares, travel, middle-of-the-night wakeups, and what to do when your kid insists they’re just not tired. Pasted text(1) Pasted text(1) In this episode, we talk about: Why sleep changes during adolescence—and why neurodivergent kids and teens may experience sleep differently Pasted text(1)Sleep pressure and circadian rhythm, and why an earlier bedtime isn’t always the answer Pasted text(1)Screens, bedtime routines, anxiety, sensory needs, and finding what actually works for your childNightmares, travel, schedule disruptions, and middle-of-the-night wakeups Pasted text(1)Why consistency matters without requiring perfection—and why there is always reason to hope that sleep can improve Pasted text(1)About Dr. Melisa Moore Dr. Melisa Moore, PhD, DBSM is a clinical psychologist board certified in behavioral sleep medicine, with more than 20 years of experience helping families improve their sleep. She maintains a private practice in the Los Angeles area and works virtually with families across the United States. Dr. Moore regularly speaks about children’s sleep at hospitals, universities, schools, and parent organizations around the world. She is the author of The Good Sleep Guide for Neurodivergent Kids, a compassionate, evidence-based guide to helping neurodivergent children and teens get their best sleep. Links + Resources ✨ Self-Schooled Parent Toolkit: https://self-schooled.com 🌙 Learn more about Dr. Melisa Moore: www.drmelisamoore.com

    Better Sleep for Kids & Teens: What Actually Works with Dr. Melisa Moore

  3. Sep 24

    Raising a Highly Sensitive Child: When to Push, Pause & Build Resilience with Amy Lajiness

    How do we support a highly sensitive child without trying to change who they are — or protecting them from every uncomfortable experience? In Part 2 of my conversation with Amy Lajiness, LCSW, PMH-C, we focus on highly sensitive children: what sensitivity can look like, how overwhelm affects them, and how parents can help them grow without pushing them past what their nervous systems can handle. In this episode, we talk about: What high sensitivity can look like in childrenWhy sensitivity is a temperament trait, not something to “fix”How overstimulation can affect highly sensitive kidsThe difference between support and overprotectionHow to know when to gently push and when to pauseHelping sensitive kids build resilience while honoring who they areLearn more about Amy: https://www.highlysensitiveparenthood.com/ Get the free Self-Schooled Parent Toolkit: https://self-schooled.com/

    Raising a Highly Sensitive Child: When to Push, Pause & Build Resilience with Amy Lajiness

  4. Sep 17

    Highly Sensitive Parenting: Overstimulation, Guilt & Getting the Support You Need with Amy Lajiness

    If parenting sometimes leaves you feeling touched out, overwhelmed, foggy, irritable, or desperate for a quiet room, high sensitivity might be part of the picture. In this episode, Heather talks with Amy Lajiness, LCSW, PMH-C, therapist, coach, and founder of Highly Sensitive Parenthood, about what it means to parent as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). Amy shares how becoming a parent can amplify sensitivity — including both the beautiful parts, like deep empathy and attunement, and the harder parts, like sensory overload, decision paralysis, guilt, and overwhelm. In this episode, we talk about: Why many people don’t fully recognize their high sensitivity until becoming parentsHow overstimulation can show up as rage, panic attacks, brain fog, fatigue, withdrawal, or shutdownWhy the toddler and preschool years can be especially intense for highly sensitive parentsThe guilt that can come with needing space from your children — and why needing regulation doesn’t mean you’re doing parenting wrongWhy support doesn’t have to be reserved for a crisis, and how learning to trust what your body is telling you can be an important first step Go Deeper Learn more about Amy and Highly Sensitive Parenthood: https://www.highlysensitiveparenthood.com/ Learn more about Highly Sensitive People and Dr. Elaine Aron’s work: https://hsperson.com/ Explore Highly Sensitive Refuge: https://highlysensitiverefuge.com/ Download the free Self-Schooled Parent Toolkit: https://self-schooled.com/ A quick note: This episode includes discussion of postpartum depression, panic attacks, postpartum psychosis, overwhelm, and other mental health challenges related to parenting. If you’re struggling during pregnancy, postpartum, or parenthood, Postpartum Support International offers support, resources, and help finding providers: postpartum.net For immediate crisis support in the U.S., call or text 988.

    Highly Sensitive Parenting: Overstimulation, Guilt & Getting the Support You Need with Amy Lajiness

  5. Sep 10

    Best Humaning: Understanding the Child Behind the Behavior with Nikki Magliaro

    What if, instead of trying to stop a behavior, we got curious about what was underneath it? In this episode, Heather talks with Nikki Magliaro, LMHC, co-founder of Puzzle Pieces and a DIR/Floortime Expert Training Leader, about understanding the whole child — their development, sensory needs, individual differences, relationships, and the reasons behind their behavior. Nikki introduces the DIR/Floortime approach and shares a beautifully simple idea she calls “best humaning”: approaching our children — and ourselves — with curiosity, connection, and the most generous interpretation of behavior we can find. In this episode, we talk about: Why the same behavior can mean something completely different for every childWhat DIR/Floortime is and how it supports neurodivergent childrenLooking beyond behavior to understand what a child may actually needWhy relationships and connection are central to learning and developmentHow parents can become more confident understanding their own childGiving our kids — and ourselves — the most generous interpretation possibleConnect with Nikki + Puzzle PiecesLearn more about Puzzle Pieces, their services, and their free virtual parent seminars: https://puzzlepiecesmass.com You can also register for upcoming parent workshops through Puzzle Pieces. The seminars are virtual, open to the community, and recordings are available to registered participants. The Self-Schooled Parent ToolkitWant to take what you’re hearing and bring it into your real life? Download the Self-Schooled Parent Toolkit — a curious parent’s guide to understanding your child and trusting yourself. https://www.self-schooled.com

    Best Humaning: Understanding the Child Behind the Behavior with Nikki Magliaro

  6. Sep 10

    Raising Kids To Trust Themselves Around Food with Nicole Cruz, RD

    How do we help our kids get the nutrition they need without creating fear, pressure, guilt, or shame around food? In this episode, I’m talking with registered dietitian and mom of three Nicole Cruz, Registered Dietitian, founder of Nourish Together and host of The Intentional Table podcast, about what it looks like to raise kids who can trust themselves around food. We talk about: How well-meaning food rules can unintentionally create shameWhy our own relationship with food matters so muchEllen Satter’s Division of Responsibility: parents decide what, when, and where; kids decide if and how muchHow to support picky eaters without becoming a short-order cookWhy safe foods, repeated exposure, and low pressure matterWhat intuitive eating actually means — and how we can help kids stay connected to their own hunger, fullness, satisfaction, and body cuesGo DeeperLearn more about Nicole Cruz + Nourish Together: https://nicolecruzrd.com/ Follow Nicole on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolecruzrd/ Watch Nicole’s free training on raising an empowered eater: https://nicolecruzrd.easywebinar.live/register ✨ Grab the free Self-Schooled Parent Toolkit: https://www.self-schooled.com

    Raising Kids To Trust Themselves Around Food with Nicole Cruz, RD

  7. Sep 10

    How to Protect Your Child’s Intrinsic Motivation with Dr. Gina Riley

    What helps kids stay curious, motivated, and connected to who they really are? In this episode, I’m talking with educational psychologist, professor, researcher, and longtime unschooling parent Dr. Gina Riley about intrinsic motivation and Self-Determination Theory — a framework that has shaped both her academic work and the way she raised her own son. We talk about: The three things that support intrinsic motivation: competence, autonomy, and relatednessWhy freedom and choice matter so much in learningWhat it looks like to let children develop interests that we might not have chosen for themHow unschooling supported Gina’s son in becoming his own personWhy knowing your values can make parenting decisions feel much clearerThe importance of protecting curiosity, joy, and the precious time we have with our kidsGo DeeperExplore Self-Determination Theory: https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/ Learn more about Dr. Gina Riley: https://ginarileyphd.com/ ✨ Grab the free Self-Schooled Parent Toolkit: https://www.self-schooled.com

    How to Protect Your Child’s Intrinsic Motivation with Dr. Gina Riley

  8. Sep 10

    What If We Started With What’s Strong? | Strengths-Based Parenting with Jill Soucy

    What if, instead of starting with what our kids are doing wrong, we started with what’s already strong? In this episode, I talk with Gallup-certified strengths coach Jill Soucy about strengths-based parenting — a way of understanding ourselves and our kids that shifts the focus from fixing weaknesses to noticing, naming, and developing the strengths that are already there. We talk about how our own strengths shape the lens through which we see our children, why the very same trait can look like a problem in one environment and a superpower in another, and how curiosity can help us understand what’s actually underneath our kids’ behavior. In this episode, we talk about: Why knowing your own strengths can change the way you understand your kidsHow deficit-based thinking — especially in school and special education — can shape the stories kids learn about themselvesLooking at neurodivergence and differences through a strengths-based lensWhy your child may be doing something for a completely different reason than you assumeHow to help kids “name it, claim it, and aim it” so they develop language for what makes them uniquely them Go Deeper Want to discover your own strengths — or your child’s? → VIA Character Strengths Survey — a free character strengths assessment for adults and youth Take the VIA Character Strengths Survey → CliftonStrengths + Clifton Youth StrengthsExplorer — Gallup’s strengths assessments for adults and kids Explore Gallup’s Strengths-Based Parenting resources → Strengths Based Parenting by Mary Reckmeyer — the book Heather mentions in the episode, which includes resources for discovering both parent and child strengths Connect with Jill Soucy Jill is a Gallup-certified strengths coach and founding partner of Innate Force Coaching & Consulting, where she works with individuals, families, teams, schools, and organizations to help people understand and use their natural strengths. Website: innateforce.com Email: jill@innateforce.com Keep exploring with Self-Schooled Understand your kid. Trust yourself. Find your own path. Explore the Self-Schooled Parent Toolkit and more at self-schooled.com.

    What If We Started With What’s Strong? | Strengths-Based Parenting with Jill Soucy

  9. Aug 14

    Introduction | Episode 0

    What is Self-Schooled all about? Heather DiNino shares what inspired the podcast, the ideas behind Self-Schooled, and what you can expect from each episode as we explore child-led learning, alternative education, parenting, and what it can look like to rethink school.

    Introduction | Episode 0
  • 9 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Self-Schooled is a podcast about learning the most important subject we were never taught: who we are. Hosted by educator, parent, and Microschool founder Heather DiNino, each episode explores a different lens for understanding children more deeply—from personality, communication, learning, sensory needs, emotions, strengths, identity, and more. Because our kids are always communicating. The question is: do we understand their language? Self-Schooled is for parents, educators, and anyone ready to question the mold, stop assuming, and become more fluent in the people they love. Learning who our children are—so we can help them become themselves. And learning a lot about ourselves along the way, as well. Our children are our greatest teachers.

Information

  • Creator
    Heather DiNino
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Heather DiNino

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