Advocating for Your Kids in the School System

Teaching Kids to Care About the Planet

Today’s episode is all about something we know matters deeply to this community—raising kids who care. But not just care passively. Care deeply, actively, and persistently about the world around them. Specifically, our environment. How do we teach our kids about sustainability without scaring them? How do we raise little environmental advocates who feel empowered, not overwhelmed? Today’s guest is someone who’s made it her life’s mission to build a better future—literally from the fabric up. Marianna Sachse is the founder and CEO of Jackalo [https://hellojackalo.com/], a sustainable kids’ clothing brand that’s challenging fast fashion, reducing waste, and redefining what it means to care for our planet and our families. She’s also a mom, which means she knows what it’s like to talk to kids who ask, “But what can I do?” From mental health and managing relationships to raising changemakers and advocating for support, freemom [http://www.freemomcast.com] is a podcast dedicated to ensuring that every mom feels heard. You can find us on the gram at @freemomcast [http://www.instagram.com/freemomcast] or on the web at www.freemomcast.com [http://www.freemomcast.com]. You can also support the show and help fund production with a sweet little five-dollar donation right here [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Freemom]. Thanks for listening!

Advocating for Your Kids in the School System

Today we’re tackling a topic that hits close to home for so many of us: how to advocate for your child within the school system, especially when it feels like you’re speaking a different language than your child’s teacher, principal, or district. Our guest today is Alina Lewis, a parent advocacy specialist [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alinajlewis/] who helps families find their voice and get the support their children need in school. Alina is a powerhouse in this space, helping parents navigate school bureaucracy, and the all-too-often frustrating maze of public education. From mental health and managing relationships to raising changemakers and advocating for support, freemom [http://www.freemomcast.com] is a podcast dedicated to ensuring that every mom feels heard. You can find us on the gram at @freemomcast [http://www.instagram.com/freemomcast] or on the web at www.freemomcast.com [http://www.freemomcast.com]. You can also support the show and help fund production with a sweet little five-dollar donation right here [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Freemom]. Thanks for listening!

Talking To Your Kids About Pornography

Today we’re diving headfirst into one of the most uncomfortable but critical conversations we can have as parents: talking to our kids about pornography. With the average age of first exposure now as young as 9 years old [https://www.protectyoungeyes.com/pornography-statistics-parents-need-to-know/], this isn’t a “wait until they’re older” kind of chat anymore. This is a right-now conversation. And let’s be real—if we’re not the ones talking to our kids about it, someone else (or something else) already is. Our guest today, Jessica Vanderberg, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the co-founder of The Alliance Center [https://www.thealliancecenterct.com/]. Jessica is a mom of three and works with women in every stage of their parenting journey. She’s here to help us navigate how to talk about pornography, when to start, and what to actually say—without shame, panic, or awkward silence. Resources we love: * Protect Young Eyes [https://protectyoungeyes.com/] * Culture Reframed [https://www.culturereframed.org/] * The Alliance Center [https://www.thealliancecenterct.com/] From mental health and managing relationships to raising changemakers and advocating for support, freemom [http://www.freemomcast.com] is a podcast dedicated to ensuring that every mom feels heard. You can find us on the gram at @freemomcast [http://www.instagram.com/freemomcast] or on the web at www.freemomcast.com [http://www.freemomcast.com]. You can also support the show and help fund production with a sweet little five-dollar donation right here [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Freemom]. Thanks for listening!

Sextortion, Revenge Porn, and Protecting Our Kids with Lindsay Lieberman

Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s becoming terrifyingly common: sextortion and revenge porn—especially how these crimes impact teens and tweens.  As our kids are spending more time online than ever before, the risks they face are evolving—often faster than we can keep up. The numbers are staggering. Reports of sextortion have increased by 322% in recent years [https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams/sextortion], with many cases involving minors between the ages of 10-17. These crimes target young people [https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2025/02/25/sextortion-can-happen-to-anyone-what-to-do-if-youre-a-victim/79454630007/] through social media, gaming apps, and messaging platforms, leaving victims feeling scared, ashamed, and isolated. [https://www.weprotect.org/thematic/sextortion/] Our guest today is Lindsay Lieberman, an attorney, advocate, and the founder of the Lieberman Law Firm [https://lindsaylieberman.com/]. She specializes in helping victims of digital abuse, including sextortion, revenge porn, and online harassment. Lindsay is here to break down what every parent needs to know to protect their kids—and how we can empower young people to navigate the digital world safely. From mental health and managing relationships to raising changemakers and advocating for support, freemom [http://www.freemomcast.com] is a podcast dedicated to ensuring that every mom feels heard. You can find us on the gram at @freemomcast [http://www.instagram.com/freemomcast] or on the web at www.freemomcast.com [http://www.freemomcast.com]. You can also support the show and help fund production with a sweet little five-dollar donation right here [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Freemom]. Thanks for listening!

Social Media's Impact on Women and Girls

Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s a huge part of our daily lives - it’s where we connect, share, scroll... and sometimes, let’s be honest, compare. But what is social media actually doing to us, especially as women and mothers? And what about our daughters? The statistics are sobering: Nearly 95% of adolescent girls are active on social media, and 46% spend six or more hours a day on these platforms [https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/]. Studies show that consuming appearance-focused content can significantly increase rates of anxiety and depression, particularly among teenage girls [https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf]. And when you add in the constant pressures of comparison, unrealistic beauty standards, and cyberbullying, it’s no wonder that social media is having such a profound impact on women and girls. That’s where our guest comes in. Dr. Kara Alaimo is a communication professor and the author of Over the Influence: Why Social Media is Toxic for Women and Girls—And How We Can Take It Back [https://www.amazon.com/Over-Influence-Social-Media-Toxic/dp/1639106685?tag=googhydr-20&hvqmt=&hvbmt=%7BBidMatchType%7D&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_1ehi8sny9z_e]. She’s an expert on the intersection of media and gender, and she’s here to help us understand what’s going on, why it matters, and how we can make social media work for us instead of against us. Resources:  Kara Alaimo's Website [https://www.karaalaimo.com/] Finnish Curriculum on Media [https://eavi.eu/ml-in-finland/] Wait Until 8th [https://www.waituntil8th.org/] Committing to 16 [https://committingto16.org/] From mental health and managing relationships to raising changemakers and advocating for support, freemom [http://www.freemomcast.com] is a podcast dedicated to ensuring that every mom feels heard. You can find us on the gram at @freemomcast [http://www.instagram.com/freemomcast] or on the web at www.freemomcast.com [http://www.freemomcast.com]. You can also support the show and help fund production with a sweet little five-dollar donation right here [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Freemom]. Thanks for listening!