Parenting the Mental Health Generation

When the World Feels Like Too Much Helping Kids Process the Information Overload

In this episode of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, Amy talks with therapist Karen Cloyd about how parents can help kids navigate a world full of constant headlines, graphic images, and overwhelming information. Together, they explore what it looks like to respond rather than react, how to open age-appropriate conversations, and why curiosity, calm, and connection matter so much when kids are trying to make sense of hard things. Karen shares practical ways parents can support children of different ages, help them name their feelings, sort truth from misinformation, and understand the impact of social media and comparison. This conversation is a reminder that parents do not have to have perfect answers—they just have to keep showing up as a safe, steady place for their kids. Action item: Learn what your kids are seeing and hearing. Be curious. Prioritize connection with your children and find a regular time to normalize conversation about feelings and vulnerabilities including yours. Some of the news to which our kids are exposed in this ever-changing world may cause them to experience big feelings or feel overwhelmed. Use the safe place you've created to help them process and better understand with your guidance.  SHOW NOTES: Family Service Center [https://familyservicecenter.org/], Northfield IL Music Credit: Line Up/Pond 5 CATCH 2026 To find all of the resources CATCH provides to caregivers of young people struggling with their mental health, go to www.catchiscommunity.org. [https://www.catchiscommunity.org/] Follow us on social media Facebook/Instagram/YouTube/Bluesky: @catchiscommunity [https://www.facebook.com/catchiscommunity] CATCH, Community Action Together for Children's Health, is a 501(c)3 that provides support and education for families around mental health topics. Original content and materials from CATCH and its collaborators are for informational purposes only. They are provided as a general resource and are not specific to any person or circumstance.

Staying Connected While Kids Feel, Fail, and Figure It Out

In this special, closer-to-home episode of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, host Amy O. shares a real (not scripted, not polished) conversation with her daughter, Shawn. It was recorded for a CATCH “Parenting with Grit” event on February 25, 2026. Together, they talk about what it looked like to grow up in pressure-filled community, chase achievement for a sense of self-worth and battle crippling anxiety- all while trying to stay connected.  They get honest about the moments parents miss, how reassurance can feed anxiety, and why kids need space to feel what they feel, without being rushed, fixed, or talked out of it. This episode isn’t about quick solutions. It’s about presence, repair, and building trust that can hold steady when things get messy. Action item: Over the next few days, choose one moment to validate instead of fix. Reflect back what you see or hear, “That sounds really hard,” “I can see why that upset you,” “Thanks for telling me”, and stop there. No lesson. No solution. Just connection. SHOW NOTES: Letting Go and Trusting What Matters Most | A Parenting with Grit Conversation [https://youtu.be/Dhrs3GVxIOE] music credit: Line Up/Pond 5 ©CATCH 2026 To find all of the resources CATCH provides to caregivers of young people struggling with their mental health, go to www.catchiscommunity.org. [https://www.catchiscommunity.org/] Follow us on social media Facebook/Instagram/YouTube/Bluesky: @catchiscommunity [https://www.facebook.com/catchiscommunity] CATCH, Community Action Together for Children's Health, is a 501(c)3 that provides support and education for families around mental health topics. Original content and materials from CATCH and its collaborators are for informational purposes only. They are provided as a general resource and are not specific to any person or circumstance.

Noticing What Our Kids Need

As the school year settles in, so do the big feelings our kids carry with them. In this episode, Amy O. sits down with our podcast producer, Anne Neumann, to share real-life parenting stories and strategies for noticing what our kids need. From giving them space to express emotions, to balancing structured activities with free time. Walk away with one powerful takeaway you can start practicing today: simply noticing.  SHOW NOTES: CATCH Parent Support Network (Parents Connect) [https://catchiscommunity.org/parent-support-network/] Ross Greene The Explosive Child [https://drrossgreene.com/the-explosive-child.htm] / CATCH Talk Enough with the Consequences [https://catchiscommunity.org/is-your-childs-behavior-driving-you-crazy-try-this/] Lizzy Appleby (Youth Services Glenview/Northbrook) S.O.Y. [https://youtube.com/shorts/oZYQm1ImxRQ] music credit: Line Up/Pond 5 ©CATCH 2025 To find all of the resources CATCH provides to caregivers of young people struggling with their mental health, go to www.catchiscommunity.org. [https://www.catchiscommunity.org/] Follow us on social media Facebook/Instagram/YouTube/Bluesky: @catchiscommunity [https://www.facebook.com/catchiscommunity] CATCH, Community Action Together for Children's Health, is a 501(c)3 that provides support and education for families around mental health topics. Original content and materials from CATCH and its collaborators are for informational purposes only. They are provided as a general resource and are not specific to any person or circumstance.

Real Talk with CATCH Moms

It's CATCH Moms at the Pod today!   Rachel Tzinberg, CATCH President and Julie Weinberg, the Vice President, join us to share heartfelt experiences and lessons learned on our parenting journeys thus far.  We recorded in the very living room where CATCH began, too!  Join us to discover practical advice, have a few laughs and find yourself in our conversation. We cover the gamut from fostering open communication to validating our kids.  We have learned a lot and this is an easy, compassionate,  wisdom-filled conversation that just might leave you with some real-life parenting strategies. We hope you enjoyed Season 3! We'll see you in the fall for Season 4! SHOW NOTES: Dr. Becky Kennedy [https://www.goodinside.com/about/] Good Inside, Dr. Becky Kennedy [https://a.co/d/7qdedbH] Sitting With Kids Through Hard Feelings - Breathing Space   [https://blog.breathingspacedc.com/sitting-with-kids-through-hard-feelings/]Blessing of a Skinned Knee, Wendy Mogel PH.D. [https://a.co/d/fV2o72w] Julie Lythcott Haimes Bonsai vs. Wildflower [https://www.woodhousepartners.net/blog/cf7lz1f8144ximiqo7og7k2ecq6spg] CATCH Parents Connect Groups [https://catchiscommunity.org/parent-support-network] CATCH Lunch and Learn: Be Curious Not Furious [https://youtu.be/N133Y2bBwB0] CATCH Learn from Experts: Judith Joy Finding Gratitude Playlist [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc0zGXlNC2-16lno36NmJx_Up0IYbgEP5] Feelings Wheel [https://feelingswheel.com/] music credit: Line Up/Pond 5 ©CATCH 2024 To find all of the resources CATCH provides to caregivers of young people struggling with their mental health, go to www.catchiscommunity.org. [https://www.catchiscommunity.org/] Follow us on social media Facebook/Instagram/YouTube/Bluesky: @catchiscommunity [https://www.facebook.com/catchiscommunity] CATCH, Community Action Together for Children's Health, is a 501(c)3 that provides support and education for families around mental health topics. Original content and materials from CATCH and its collaborators are for informational purposes only. They are provided as a general resource and are not specific to any person or circumstance.

Erasing the Stigma, How One Room Is Making A Difference

Today you'll meet Adison Schwartz, an inspiring high school senior erasing the mental health stigma every day!  She is joined by her school staff mentor, Robyn Corelitz, a social emotional learning specialist.  Together, they are making a difference at Deerfield High School.  Adison will take us on an audio tour of the amazing space she created, dedicated to student wellness at her school. She will also introduce us to You Are Enough, the organization she founded when she was only 14. Discover how a student-led project is providing a safe haven for students to decompress, reset, and find support. Tune in to hear about the impact of You Are Enough. SHOW NOTES You are Enough Not-For-Profit [https://www.youareenough9.com/] JED Foundation [https://jedfoundation.org/our-work/jed-high-school/] Haley Hoffman Smith, Her Big Idea [https://a.co/d/6t9kdyi] Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence [https://medicine.yale.edu/childstudy/services/community-and-schools-programs/center-for-emotional-intelligence/] music credit: Line Up/Pond5 ©CATCH 2024 To find all of the resources CATCH provides to caregivers of young people struggling with their mental health, go to www.catchiscommunity.org. [https://www.catchiscommunity.org/] Follow us on social media Facebook/Instagram/YouTube/Bluesky: @catchiscommunity [https://www.facebook.com/catchiscommunity] CATCH, Community Action Together for Children's Health, is a 501(c)3 that provides support and education for families around mental health topics. Original content and materials from CATCH and its collaborators are for informational purposes only. They are provided as a general resource and are not specific to any person or circumstance.