10/4/09
Guests for both segments: Benji Kessler, young man with Tourtete’s Syndrome, and Dr. John Walkup, Chairman of the Tourette Syndrome Association's Medical Advisory Board. Topic: Real-life and scientific perspectives on Tourette Syndrome Issues: What it’s like to grow up and live with Tourette Syndrome; how TS affects people on a day-to-day basis; myths and misunderstandings about what TS is and what the actual symptoms are (as opposed to what we see on TV); other conditions that often accompany TS (obsessive behavior, depression, anxiety);medical and other treatment options;

10/11/09
Guest 1: James Steyer, CEO and Founder of CommonSenseMedia Topic: Is social networking changing childhood? Issues: Discussing a recent survey that found that kids are increasingly connected with friends, classmates, and others through social networks—and parents are completely out of the loop; what parents need to do to supervise and monitor their kids’ online behavior.

Guest 2: Timothy Smith, author of Crashproof Your Kids. Topic: Make your teen a safer, smarter driver Issues: Developing your teen’s braking, car control, and defensive driving skills; handling road emergencies and basic maintenance; helping young drivers deal with dangerous distractions; a parent-child contract that outlines expectations, responsibilities, and rules.

10/18/09
Guest 1: Wednesday Martin, author of Stepmonster.
Topic: A new look at why real stepmothers think, feel, and act the way they do Issues: The process of becoming a stepmother; the myths and realities of being married to a man with children; debunking the prevailing notion that stepmothers are responsible for the problems they encounter.

Guest 2: Karyl McBride, author of Will I Ever Be Good Enough? Topic: Healing the daughters of narcissistic mothers.
Issues: Recognizing how your own experiences with maternal narcissism and its effects on all aspects of your life; discovering how you have internalized verbal and non-verbal messages from your mother and how they have translated into overachieving or self-sabotage.

10/25/09
Guest 1: Janet Hughes, advocate for children’s vision. Children's Vision Foundation
Topic: Raising the standards for eye care.
Issues: The critical difference between vision screenings and eye exams—and why screenings often miss serious problems; the importance of good vision in school and elsewhere (academic learning is 80% visual).

Guest 2: Darryl Shue, representative of the Military Family Network.
Topic: Military families
Issues: Special concerns of families facing deployment; the challenges of staying in touch across time and distance; resources that can help support deployed servicemembers and their families; special concerns of reservists and Guard troops.

11/1/09
Guest for both segments: Lise Eliot, author of Pink Brain, Blue Brain. Topic: How small differences grow into troublesome gaps — and what we can do about it.
Issues: Debunking the myths about gender differences; how the brains of boys and girls are largely shaped by how they spend their time as opposed to physical difference that are there at birth

11/8/09
Guest 1: Elizabeth Hartley Brewer, author of Making Friends.
Topic: A guide to understanding and nurturing your child's friendships.
Issues: Should you worry when your child’s imaginary friend sticks around past preschool? How do boys’ and girls’ friendships differ? What do kids really value in a friendship? What should you do if you don’t like one of your child’s friends?

Guest 2: Joseph Califano, author of How to Raise a Drug-Free Kid.
Topic: The straight dope for parents.
Issues: When and how to talk to your kids about drugs and alcohol; how to respond when your kid asks, “Did you do drugs?”; how to know when your child is most at risk; how to prepare your teen for the freedoms and perils of college.

11/15/09
Guest 1: Diane Frankenstein, author of Reading Together.
Topic: Everything you need to know to raise a child who loves to read.
Issues: Guidelines for selecting appropriate books for all ages and reading abilities; how to support your child’s reading skills; helping child decide what to read.

Guest 2: Harold Levinson, author of Smart But Feeling Dumb.
Topic: New understanding and dramatic treatment for dyslexia, learning disabilities, and ADD.
Issues: The discovery that dyslexia is not just about reading difficulties—it’s part of a syndrome that includes hundreds of symptoms (ADD, phobias, and more); scientific proof that all these conditions can be treated with a simple, over-the-counter motion sickness remedy.

11/22/09
Guest 1: Melanie Gideon, author of The Slippery Year.
Topic: A meditation on “happily ever after”
Issues: Confronting the fantasies of receding youth and the realities of midlife with a husband, a child, and a dog; the need for household contingency plans; finding the sweetness and ordinary pleasures in life; and discovering that “happily ever after” is a possibility after all.

Guest 2: Charlotte Reznick, author of The Power of Your Child's Imagination.
Topic: How to transform stress and anxiety into joy and success.
Issues: Tapping into kids’ imagination to help them find their own natural strength and confidence; how imagination can help kids cope with stress, phobias, bed-wetting, separation anxiety, anger, and more.

11/29/09
Guest 1: Suzie Monday coauthor of New World Kids.
Topic: A parent’s intro to creative thinking
Issues: What happens to children’s natural ability to think creatively (By five 5, 95 percent of kids have high ability to be creative thinkers; that goes to less than 15 percent by age eighteen). Nurturing creativity in other people

Guest 2: Deborah Tannen, author of You Were Always Mom's Favorite!
Topic: Sisters in conversation throughout their lives.
Issues: Exploring one of the most powerful, yet perplexing relationships in many women’s lives; understanding the two impulses that drive sisterly conversations: competition and closeness.

12/6/09
Guest 1: Bob Halzleton, author of Dads Matter.
Topic: Principles, lessons, and stories on the remarkable impact of fathers
Issues: Being there physically and emotionally; communication; small stuff matters; how to live, know, and teach them, coping with hearbreak and death.

Guest 2: Harriet Ziefert, creator of Begin Smart Books.
Topic:The tremendous benefits of reading to very young children.
Issues: Why read to infants? How to select age-appropriate books for children newborn through age 10, getting kids to love reading on their own; the connection between reading skills and achievement in many other areas in life.

12/13/09
Guest 1: Judy Molland, author of Get Out!
Topic: Easy ways for kids and adults to get into nature and build a greener future.
Issues: The importance of getting outside; why today's kids are spending less time outside than we did as kids, why looking out for the environment is good for all of us.

Guest 2: Laurie LeComer, author of The Socially Included Child.
Topic: Successful playdates, recreation, and family events for children with autism
Issues: The difficulties faced by parents of autistic children when trying to socialize or organize playdates when a child has autism, a new science-based method that can help children with autism and their families.

12/20/09
Guest 1: Philip Done, author of 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny
Topic: Life lessons from teaching.
Issues: Connecting what happens in the classroom to the universal truths around us; the delight of learning something for the first time; the value of making a difference

Guest 2: Rafe Esquith, author of Lighting Their Fires.
Topic: Raising extraordinary children in a mixed-up, muddled-up, shook-up world.
Issues: Tools to guide your children to success in school and in life; how arming your children with a few simple tools (punctuality, selflessness, patience, for example), can turn them into extraordinary students and extraordinary people.

12/27/09
Guest 1: Kyle Pruett, and Guest 2: Marsha Pruett, coauthors of Partnership Parenting.
Topic: How men and women parent differently–why it helps your kids and can strengthen your marriage.
Issues: Why kids need the influence of both dad and mom; how to create a positive co-parenting environment; why couples should avoid splitting tasks 50-50; rules for healthy negotiation; keeping intimacy thriving in the relationship.