Parenting & Podcasting: Andi Smiley's Guide to Kid-Approved Listening

Today, we’re so excited to welcome Andi Smiley to our Big Leader Feature! Andi is the creator of the Family Podcast Guide, a wonderful resource that helps parents find fun, educational podcasts for the whole family. She’s here to share how her guide makes screen-free fun easier and helps families laugh, learn, and connect.

Andi’s work doesn’t stop there—she’s also building a supportive podcasting community where parents can share ideas, network, and even start their own podcasts!

Join us as Andi gives us a peek behind the curtain of the Family Podcast Guide and inspires us all to dive into the world of family-friendly podcasting.

Picture Book Recommendations:

a. The Magic of Me: My Magical Choices

Author: Becky Cummings                                     Illustrator: Zuzana Svobodova

Do your children realize they have one of life's greatest gifts, the ability to make choices that determine how their day will go?

Life can be rough. We can't always control what will happen, but we can always decide how we respond to it. When we teach kids that they have the power to choose their reactions, it shifts everything! By choosing positive actions, kids feel happier and build lifelong healthy habits.

No more, "I can't, I don't know, or I'm not!" My Magical Choices presents 13 "I choose" statements that empower children to take responsibility for their days and inspire them to use conscious language and choose to be calm, forgiving, brave, honest, friendly, and much more.

b. The Little Book of Listening

Author: Zach Bush & Laurie Friedman              Illustrator: Vitor Lopes

Listening to others one of the most important social skills that children can learn. There’s so much to know about listening—how to do it and why it is an essential tool for good relationships at home, at school, and on the playground. It’s all introduced in The Little Book of Listening! With this book, young readers will learn valuable social skills that will help them get along better with siblings, friends, adults, and schoolmates. The Little Book of Listening breaks it all down and shows kids concrete examples of how they can listen to others and why it is so important.

 Cool Q's For Discussion:

1. What kinds of podcasts do you think your family would enjoy most together?

2. How could a family podcast routine help you connect and learn together?

3. What ideas do you have for creating a podcast after hearing Andi’s tips?

4. How could listening to podcasts add variety to your family’s screen-free activities?

5. How might joining a podcast community benefit your family?

6. What is your main takeaway from today’s episode?

Have a great week!

Keep Leading and Keep Reading,

Tina