Parenting Different

The Parenting Different Podcast is the go-to show for adoptive parents who want to raise children who feel seen, heard, and truly valued . Hosted by Anna Bernacki , Director of Community at Parenting Different, this podcast blends expert insight with real lived experience from adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive families.

Parenting Different is a kids podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 33 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Parenting Different, a kids show with 33 episodes published.

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  Parenting Different

  School Through an Adoptee's Eyes with Lauren Haas

  Aug 9, 202649 min

  School isn't just a place where children learn math and reading. For many adoptees, it's also where they begin asking deeper questions: Am I safe? Do I belong? Will people understand me? In this episode, Anna sits down with adoptee, school counselor, and author, Lauren Haas, for an honest conversation about what it's really like to navigate school as an adopted child. Together, they explore why behavior is often communication, how adoption can show up in both the "easy" student and the child who struggles, and why curiosity is one of the greatest gifts a teacher can offer. Whether you're an adoptive parent preparing for a new school year, an educator who wants to better support adopted students, or simply someone who loves a child impacted by adoption, this conversation will help you see beyond the behavior and understand the heart behind it. You'll walk away with practical insight, greater compassion, and a renewed understanding of how one safe, caring adult can change the trajectory of a child's school experience.

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  Parenting Different

  It's Not Just Hair: What Every Parent Needs to Understand About Identity, Dignity, and Connection

  Jul 2, 202645 min

  What if one of the greatest opportunities to build trust with your child has been hiding in plain sight? In this powerful conversation, Anna sits down with Tamekia Swint, founder of Styles 4 Kids, to unpack why hair care is so much more than learning the right products or mastering a braid. It's about identity. It's about dignity. It's about helping children of color feel seen, valued, and proud of who they are. Together they share honest stories about the fear, shame, and overwhelm so many transracial adoptive and foster parents experience, while offering practical hope for creating connection instead of conflict. This episode challenges the way we think about hair, reframing it not as a luxury or an optional skill, but as a basic part of caring for a child well. You'll walk away understanding why "hair day" can become one of the most meaningful bonding experiences in your home, why community matters more than another YouTube tutorial, and how something as simple as learning to care for your child's hair can strengthen their confidence for years to come. If you're raising a Black or biracial child, this conversation has the potential to change not just how you do hair, but how you parent.

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  Parenting Different

  Finding Identity, Belonging, and Healing as a Transracial Adoptee with Michael Gaither

  Jun 11, 20261h 13m

  What happens when you spend nearly five decades wondering where you came from? In this powerful conversation, Anna Bernacki sits down with transracial adoptee Michael Gaither, a retired educator, former principal, executive coach, and adoption advocate. Michael shares his deeply personal journey of growing up as a Black child in a White family in 1970s Nebraska, navigating identity, race, belonging, and the lifelong questions that many adoptees carry. Michael speaks candidly about the challenges of living between two worlds, the pressure to hide his struggles, and the ways adoption shaped his understanding of himself. He reflects on the anger, anxiety, and isolation he experienced growing up, as well as the profound impact of meeting a Black mentor who helped him begin to see himself differently. Connect with Michael Gaither Beyond the Moment Adoption Studio Beyond the Moment Adoption Studio Resources and Courses Payhip Store – https://payhip.com/BeyondTheMomentAdoptionStudio?utm_source=chatgpt.com Free Resource: Seven Conversations Every White Parent Must Have With Their Black Child - Available free through Michael's website

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  Parenting Different

  “My Brain Broke”: Trauma, Survival, and Learning to Heal

  May 28, 20261h 2mS0

  <p>Dr. Danisha Keating joins Anna for a raw conversation about trauma, survival mode, parenting, and healing. From homelessness and raising her siblings to earning a PhD while battling severe anxiety, Danisha shares what it really means to overcome without pretending it was easy. Together, they discuss trauma-informed parenting, accountability, nervous system healing, and helping kids move beyond survival mode.</p>

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  Parenting Different

  He built the platform and became the voice people trusted, then walked away. What happened?

  May 14, 202650 minS2

  <p>In this raw conversation, Anna and Isaac unpack the moment everything shifted for him. Not because the mission failed, but because something deeper inside no longer fit. This episode dives into the identity crisis that comes when your success no longer feels like truth, the grief adoptees carry but rarely name, and the quiet pressure to perform, achieve, and prove your worth… even when it’s costing you everything.</p><p></p><p>If you’ve ever felt like you had to earn your place in the world, this one will hit deeper than you expect. We learn that someti...

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