373- “But I’m Bored!”: Rethinking Independent Play with Lizzie Assa, M.Ed.

You’re listening to Voices of Your Village, and today’s episode is about a shift that we’ve been sitting with for a while.

Welcome back to Voices of Your Village and today is a rebroadcast of an episode with Larissa Geleris and we got to dive into when your nervous system is overwhelmed by your child's sensory needs. I, for one, have this at my household. I have a sensory mismatch with one of my children and my husband has a sensory mismatch with our other child and so we're constantly navigating this in real life. And at the end of this episode, Rach and I came together for a breakdown of what this looks like in real life in our households. I hope this one is hitting you at a good time, y 'all. It's a reminder I think we all need. All right, let's dive in.

You’re listening to Voices of Your Village, and today I’m joined by Libby Ward—creator, author, and the voice behind Honest Motherhood—and this conversation is the kind that makes you feel a little less alone in your own brain.We’re talking about the mental load of motherhood, the pressure to be productive, and how hard it can be to rest even when your body is asking for it. Libby shares openly about self-doubt, overwhelm, and what it’s looked like to move from doing what she should do to actually listening to what she needs.We get into nervous system support, repair over perfection, and what it means to raise kids differently than we were raised—while still being human in the process.Alright folks, let’s dive in.

You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and today’s episode is a rebroad of one of our absolute essentials-- how to navigate that rocky transition back to school after vacation. And not just for our kids, but for ourselves, too.I’m joined by my friend Laura Petix, also known as The OT Butterfly. She’s a pediatric occupational therapist, a neurodivergent mom raising a neurodivergent kid, and the author of A Kid’s Book About Neurodiversity. She also has a brand-new book coming out October 6th called The Sensory Code: Understanding Sensory Processing Differences to Support Your Child’s Unique Needs, which could not be more perfect for this conversation.This convo is a mix of validation, strategy, and "yep, me too" moments you’re going to want to come back to. We talk about how to actually support regulation in those first weeks back, whether your kid is a sensory seeker or sensory sensitive, and how to lower demands, build in support, and reset your own expectations. We also get into the emotional side of school refusal, those brutal morning meltdowns, and why some kids just need a longer runway to get going again.Plus, Laura shares her brilliant nervous system budget analogy, which I think you're going to love. This one’s for those of us starting the school year already feeling tapped out, and trying to figure out how to make re-entry just a little softer.Alright folks, let’s dive in.

Rebroadcast: You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and today I get to hang out with ⁠Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett⁠ to chat about how to make puberty and sex talks less awkward. Our editor, Kristin, for the podcast and Rach both were like, oh my gosh, this episode is gold. I love how approachable Cara and Vanessa are and how much they let me be me in this and share about how little I was spoken to about puberty and sex and how awkward it is now when my kids do things like ask if they can invite me to their penis party. Fear not, Dr. Cara Natterson is a pediatrician and New York Times best -selling author of 10 books including the Care and Keeping of You series and Vanessa Kroll Bennett is a best -selling author and puberty educator. Together, they're two of the most trusted voices on puberty, co -authoring the national bestseller, ⁠This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained⁠, and co -hosting ⁠This is So Awkward⁠, the podcast. Cara and Vanessa run ⁠Less Awkward⁠, the first company aimed at making puberty more comfortable with a membership for parents, an innovative health and sex ed curriculum for schools, and game -changing products. Cara and Vanessa speak to audiences across the country using science and humor to encourage open, albeit awkward, conversations. A relatable, reliable approach to help keep kids safe and healthy. They don't just hand out this advice, they live it. Between them, they are raising six teenagers. Y 'all, I'm so stoked for you to dive into this episode and to tune in to ⁠This is So Awkward⁠, the podcast, and snag their book, ⁠This Is So Awkward⁠. All right, folks, let's dive in.