Steady Ground Parenting

A podcast for parents raising children through hard seasons. If you’re a parent raising a child through hard seasons, you’re in the right place. Steady Ground Parenting is Speak Up for Kids’ parenting podcast, equipping foster, adoptive, kinship, and trauma-aware parents with practical tools to help children impacted by foster care, childhood trauma, and family disruption heal, grow, and thrive. Children who have lived through abuse, neglect, foster care, or family disruption often experience the world differently. Traditional parenting approaches don’t always meet their needs. Each episode offers practical strategies, expert insights, and honest conversations. Steady Ground Parenting helps you better understand behavior; strengthen connection; navigate attachment, emotional regulation, and challenging behaviors; and parent with greater confidence and compassion. Whether you’re a foster parent, adoptive parent, kinship caregiver, or

Steady Ground Parenting is a kids podcast hosted by Parents Speak Up for Kids, with 92 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Parents Speak Up for Kids hosts Steady Ground Parenting, a kids show with 92 episodes published.

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  Episode #3

  How to support your autistic child, even when it’s tough | Dr. Jonathan Chism

  Sep 29, 202625 minS3

  Send us Fan Mail It can often be difficult to know what your autistic child really needs, or how to respond when their behavior becomes challenging. Dr. Jonathan Chism, co-founder of the Autism Dad Social Club, has experienced that firsthand. When his son was diagnosed with autism, Jonathan struggled with denial and tried to push his son toward what he thought was “normal.” Over time, learning from autistic voices and paying closer attention to his son's unique ways of communicating changed the way he parented. In this episode, Benoit Harpey sits down with Jonathan to explore what it means to listen to an autistic child. They discuss why meltdowns aren't simply misbehavior, how processing time can affect communication, and how parents can learn to recognize the cues their children use to express their needs. Jonathan also shares why parents need community and time to recharge, how the Autism Dad Social Club helps fathers feel less isolated, and what he has learned about accepting and embracing his son for who he is. In This Episode: Why accepting your child's neurodiversity can change the way you parent How to listen for communication beyond words Why meltdowns can be communication under stress rather than misbehavior How giving your child more processing time can improve communication Resources and voices that help parents deepen connection Why parents need community, support, and time to recharge Parenting a neurodivergent child can be tough, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. As you learn to understand your child's unique needs and ways of communicating, you can build a deeper connection and, like Jonathan and his son, become best buds. Connect with Dr. Chiz: https://autismdadssocialclub.org/ Instagram: @autismdadshtown Facebook: Autism Dads Social Club Resources & Support: parents@speakupforkidspbc.org @speakupforkidspbc speakupforkidspbc.org/steady-ground-parenting Local to Palm Beach? See our events: speakupforkidspbc.org/events Want to be featured? ️ parents@speakupforkidspbc.org

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  Episode #2

  How to respond when your teenager says “I don’t care” | Groundwork

  Sep 15, 20266 minS3

  Send us Fan Mail When your teenager says, “I don’t care,” it can be easy to hear disrespect or assume they simply don’t care about what happened. But sometimes, there’s more underneath the words. In this Groundwork episode, we hear one parent’s experience with her daughter after a difficult situation at school. What initially sounded like indifference turned out to be hurt, embarrassment, and frustration that her daughter didn’t know how to express. This story offers a simple reminder for parents: pause before you react, listen before you assume, and try to understand the full situation. We also learn why giving your teenager grace doesn’t mean ignoring accountability. You can acknowledge their feelings while still helping them learn how to handle conflict and communicate more appropriately. “I don’t care” isn’t the end of the conversation, but where the real one begins. Resources & Support: parents@speakupforkidspbc.org @speakupforkidspbc speakupforkidspbc.org/steady-ground-parenting Local to Palm Beach? See our events: speakupforkidspbc.org/events Have a story to share? ️ parents@speakupforkidspbc.org

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  Episode #1

  Every child needs someone who won’t walk away | Trish Zenczak & Maddie Harris

  Sep 1, 202639 minS3

  Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to be the steady ground a child needs when life gets hard? After nearly five years of Healing Hearts, we're beginning a new chapter as Steady Ground Parenting—a podcast for parents raising children through hard seasons. But this rebrand goes beyond a new name. Rooted in the same belief that drives Speak Up For Kids, it's a deeper reflection of the work we've been doing all along: helping children and families impacted by foster care, trauma, adoption, and family disruption find the support, connection, and stability they need to grow. When we speak up and show up for children, we change lives. In this episode, we hear from two people whose lives have been shaped by foster care. Trish Zenczak, Director of Training and Impact at Speak Up for Kids, shares her story of growing up in foster care and how that experience shaped her work advocating for children, becoming a foster parent, and eventually adopting. She also explains the programs and community efforts through which Speak Up for Kids is mitigating trauma and cultivating self-worth in the lives of kids living in foster care. Then, Maddie Harris shares what it was like to experience foster care as a child, move through multiple homes, and eventually find stability with the family who adopted her. Her story shows what children in foster care need from the adults around them, and how consistency, encouragement, and simply refusing to walk away can change a child's life. These stories show that being steady ground doesn't mean always having everything figured out. It means showing up, listening, believing in a child, and finding practical ways to remind them that they matter. That’s what it means to be the steady ground your child needs to grow. In This Episode: Why we're becoming Steady Ground Parenting Trish's experience growing up in foster care and how it shaped her life's work What foster care can feel like for a child experiencing uncertainty and change Why children impacted by foster care should be seen for who they are, not what they’ve gone through How consistency and stability can help children learn to trust again What Maddie's experience can teach parents about showing up for kids in their lives The programs Speak Up for Kids uses to support children and families The impact volunteers, students, and communities have on kids living in foster care Why small moments of encouragement can build confidence, belonging, and hope What it really means to become the steady ground a child can depend on This is the beginning of Steady Ground Parenting. If you've been with us through Healing Hearts, thank you for continuing with us. If you're new here, welcome. We're here to help parents and caregivers feel more prepared to support children through hard seasons, giving them practical tools, tips, and strategies to become steady ground. Resources & Support: parents@speakupforkidspbc.org @speakupforkidspbc speakupforkidspbc.org/steady-ground-parenting Local to Palm Beach? See our events: speakupforkidspbc.org/events Want to be featured? ️ parents@speakupforkidspbc.org

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  Steady Ground Parenting

  A podcast for parents raising children through hard seasons.

  Aug 28, 20262 minS3

  Send us Fan Mail Healing Hearts is now Steady Ground Parenting! Welcome to the next chapter of the Speak Up For Kids podcast for parents raising children through hard seasons. We’re continuing the conversations you know and love, but with a deeper focus on the practical tools, honest stories, and encouragement parents and caregivers need as they navigate foster care, adoption, trauma, and family disruption. New name, but the same team, heart, and purpose. We're here to strengthen your roots so you can be the steady ground they need.

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  Episode #58

  How to talk to your teen about anxiety without pushing them away | Sophia Vale Galano

  Jul 21, 202620 minS2

  Send us Fan Mail Maybe your teenager has opened up about feeling anxious, but the conversation seems to end in frustration every time you try to help. Or, maybe they don't talk about it at all, which keeps you up at night worrying about their wellbeing. Sophia Vale Galano has spent more than a decade helping teenagers and their families navigate anxiety in school, hospital, and private settings. Through her work, she's learned that helping an anxious teenager isn't about caring more, but about approaching the conversation differently. In this episode, Sophia shares the real insights her experience has revealed. In the first half of our conversation with Sophia, she and Benoit Harpey explore why teens often struggle to communicate their anxiety, how parents can recognize hidden signs, and what it takes to build the kind of trust that encourages honest conversations. Instead of immediately trying to fix the problem, Sophia explains how curiosity, validation, and patience can help parents become a safe place for their teenagers. In This Episode: Why many caring parents accidentally push anxious teens away How anxiety often shows up as irritability, avoidance, or isolation Why listening is often more helpful than immediately trying to “fix” your teen Practical ways to build trust so your teen feels safe opening up How to know when your teen needs more support, and when they need space to grow Why organic, everyday conversations are often more effective than formal “talks” The difference between helping your teen and rescuing them Whether your teen struggles with anxiety or you're simply trying to strengthen your relationship, this conversation provides practical guidance to help you become someone your teen feels safe turning to. Connect with Sophia Vale Galano: www.sophiagalano.com Book: Calming Teenage Anxiety Instagram: @sophiavale_galano Resources & Support: parents@speakupforkidspbc.org @speakupforkidspbc Website: speakupforkidspbc.org/healing-hearts Local to Palm Beach? See our events: speakupforkidspbc.org/events Want to be featured? ️ parents@speakupforkidspbc.org

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