Being A Parent Is Hard!

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Podcast by Beth Feldman Ph.D. and Jen Ratas Ph.D.

Being A Parent Is Hard!

Being a Parent is Hard! As clinical psychologists working with children, teens, and parents, we are here to make a difficult job just a little easier. Come behind the closed door of the psychotherapy office as we offer insights, hands-on tools, and unique strategies to help you better understand and support your children. Focusing on the challenges of normal development and the more serious concerns that parents bring to us every day, we will discuss issues such as emotional communication, discipline, limit-setting, ADHD, social media, academic pressure, anxiety, bullying, parental disagreements, substance abuse, and more. We will touch on it all. Please join us! Contact us at: beingapersonishardpodcast@gmail.com

Latest episodes

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03 September 2025

Back to School Anxieties: Theirs and Ours

Welcome to Being aParent is Hard! This episode tackles the timely topic of back to school anxiety, for our kids and for us as parents. Whether the structure of the school year can't come fast enough or you are mourning the end of summer, the start of the school year always comes with a flurry of anxiety. Children often have anxiety around separation and social issues. Teenagers deal with anxiety connected to social issues, academic performance, and the social/developmental challenges around sexuality, substance use, and the long process of planning for college. As parents, we are anxious about anything that jeopardizes the happiness and well-being of our kids. And we have our own competitive anxieties, relationship stressors, and often, worries about our own parents. There's a lot to cover. Please join us!

Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com

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27:36

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15 July 2025

The Dangers of Teenage Gambling

Welcome to Being a Parent is Hard! In this episode, our special guest Patrick Viviano discusses the dangers and warning signs of problematic gambling among our adolescents.. Video games, sports betting, online gambling and more, all tempt our kids--sometimes leading them into a dangerous and all-consuming addiction. Please join us for a close-up look at adolescent gambling and a discussion about warning signs and what parents can do when they are concerned.

Contact us at:

beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com.

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27:29

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02 July 2025

The Challenge of Raising Adult Children

Welcome to the new episode of Being a Parent is Hard! "The Challenge of Parenting Young Adults" focuses on our struggles as parents to understand and meet the unique developmental needs of our young adult children. This includes their often painful but appropriate need to separate from us and make their own choices about fundamental issues such as choosing a partner, a career, or even the decision to have children. This is a time when the stakes are high, as important life decisions are being made. As parents, our challenge is to accept our lack of control, while still offering guidance and support to our kids as they change and grow. We hope you can join us!

Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com

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25:19

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09 June 2025

Managing the Emotional Struggles of Being a New Mother (AKA Where Did the Real Me Go and How Do I Get Her Back?)"

Welcome to Being a Parent is Hard! In this episode, we have a particularly honest talk about the emotional stressors experienced by new mothers. We focus on the issues underlying unspoken questions such as, "Where did the old me go and how do I get myself back?" Or, "Am I a horrible person for sometimes hating my kid?" We share personal stories, including our own experiences of exhaustion, guilt, rage, and more guilt, as mothers of babies and young kids. And we offer our clinical guidance about how to manage these conflicting, upsetting, and very human feelings. We hope you can join us us!

Contact Us At:

beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com

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24:58

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21 May 2025

Understanding Teenage Substance Use and Substance Abuse

Welcome to Being a Parent is Hard! This episode focuses on teenage drug and alcohol use and how and when it can slip into substance abuse. We talk about how parents can help their teens navigate a social landscape that often includes drugs and alcohol, and manage academic and social pressures that sometimes result in them abusing substances. Tune in for professional guidance and hands-ons strategies offered to help parents with this very dicey topic. We hope you can join us!

Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com

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28:06

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28 April 2025

Managing the Stress of Social Struggles

Welcome to Being a Parent is Hard! Does your pre-teen or teen struggle socially? Are they sad or anxious because of difficulties they are having fitting in with peers? In this episode, we focus on understanding the different types of social struggles that our kids experience, including the difficulties that pre-teens and teens with ADHD, learning disabilities, and anxiety disorders may have. We offer hands-on guidance as to how best to help your kids when they are having trouble fitting in with their peers and managing social situations. We hope you can join us!

Contact us at: beingaparentishardpodcast@gmail.com

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26:42

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