In this heartfelt and inspiring episode, I sit down with Fraida Shusterman—Orthodox Jewish mother of 11 and a woman of remarkable perspective and strength. Fraida shares her family's journey, including raising a child with Rett syndrome, and how focusing on gratitude, resilience, and proactive growth has shaped her outlook on life.

Drawing from Jewish wisdom, Kabbalah, and her lived experience, Fraida discusses the critical role of parenting in preserving Jewish values, how to raise children who can navigate life's challenges, and why rituals, traditions, and a sense of higher purpose are essential for emotional stability and meaning.

This conversation is a reminder that challenges are not endpoints—they are invitations to build, to deepen our connection to God, and to live with greater purpose and joy.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Fraida and her family embrace gratitude even amid life's toughest challenges
• The concept from Kabbalah of looking forward and being proactive during hardship
• The Jewish approach to parenting and the three core life skills parents must teach:
  • How to "swim" through life's waters
  • Learning a trade or skill
  • Preparing for marriage and emotional maturity
• Why modeling values is more powerful than preaching them
• Parenting each child according to their unique way ("Teach the child according to his way")
• How Jewish traditions and rituals create stability, belonging, and emotional resilience
• What it means to discipline from a soul-centered, Torah-based perspective
• How to maintain connection and faith when children choose different paths
• The importance of living every moment as a teaching opportunity through Torah values

Inspired by John Vervaeke’s Course “The Premise of Beauty” on Peterson Academy

In this deeply reflective solo episode, we dive into how our children’s mental health crisis is, at its root, a meaning crisis. Drawing on the insights of philosopher and cognitive scientist John Vervaeke, we explore how the loss of cultural depth, the dominance of the "having mode," and the narrowing of our ways of knowing have led to a disconnection from beauty, wisdom, and the sacred.

📉 The Crisis in Numbers

• 1 in 6 kids experience a mental health disorder annually
• Over 10% diagnosed with ADHD
• Self-harm ER visits among girls up 188%
• Suicide rates among adolescents skyrocketing

💡 Core Themes in This Episode

• Why our kids are not just overwhelmed, but existentially unanchored
• The cultural shift from communal belonging to isolated individualism
• How beauty, ritual, and depth have disappeared from our children's lives
• Erich Fromm’s distinction between having mode and being mode
• The 4 types of knowing (propositional, procedural, perspectival, and participatory) and why only focusing on facts leaves our kids empty

🌿 What Our Kids Need to Thrive

• Participation in meaningful activities (not just consumption)
• Flow states through free play, art, and creativity
• Rich relationships that require empathy and perspective-taking
• Rituals that help shape identity, values, and belonging
• Time to be—without screens, without rush, without outcomes

🌀 Reclaiming the Imaginal

• Why becoming, not just imagining, is where true growth happens
• How the “Solomon Effect” and third-person perspective build wisdom
• The role of sacrifice, struggle, and mystery in meaningful development

🧠 Why This Matters in the Age of AI

• AI excels at propositional knowing, but lacks imagination, perspective, and participation
• Our children’s humanity—wisdom, agency, creativity—must be cultivated, not downloaded

✨ Key Takeaways

• Mental health isn't just about treatment—it’s about reconnecting to meaning
• Rituals, beauty, flow, and play are not luxuries—they're necessities
• We must let our kids be in the world, not just consume it

💭 Final Message: Let your kids be kids. Let them experience awe, struggle, connection, and growth. Let them participate in life. That is how they will build identity, meaning, and strength to meet the future—with or without AI.

In this powerful episode, we explore why so many modern parents—especially in the millennial generation—feel like they’ve lost their authority. We unpack the cultural shifts that led us here: from authoritarian upbringings to the rise of therapeutic parenting, gentle approaches, and fear of judgment in a multicultural, morally relativistic society.

But have we gone too far?

We discuss how authority became synonymous with oppression, why permissiveness is not the solution, and how children actually thrive when there is clear, benevolent leadership in the home.

You’ll learn:

• The root causes of the "authority crisis" in modern parenting
• The consequences for kids: confusion, anxiety, identity struggles
• The impact on parents: guilt, doubt, and burnout
• How to reclaim your role as a loving leader in your family
• Practical steps to build a strong family culture, set boundaries with confidence, and raise grounded, resilient kids in a chaotic world

🔑 Key Topics Covered:

• Why gentle parenting sometimes goes too far
• How permissiveness undermines connection and safety
• What real, benevolent authority looks and feels like
• Creating a home culture with values, rituals, and roots
• How kids thrive with structure, guidance, and spiritual meaning
• Parenting in a society without shared moral foundations
• Why Israel offers a powerful cultural contrast to Western trends

👨‍👩‍👧 For Parents Who:

• Feel unsure about setting boundaries
• Struggle with mom/dad guilt or fear of being “too much”
• Want to raise emotionally intelligent and morally grounded kids
• Are ready to lead with both empathy and conviction

📌 Resources Mentioned:

• Reclaim Play by Avital Shrier Levi
• Hi Fam Studio Membership
• Hi Fam Podcast
• Hi Fam YouTube Channel
• Follow Avital on IG
• Related episodes: "You Won't Mess Up Your Kids" and How To Raise Kids To Find Meaning In a World That Lost Its Moral Compass

✨ Join the Conversation:

We’d love to hear your thoughts!
💬 Join us in the Parenting Wisdom FB group send me an email to Efrat@efratamira.com to share your insights, aha moments, or questions.

In this episode, we sit down with Ben Cheek—spiritual guide, educator, and Executive Director of Camp Deerpark—to explore how spirituality can be a transformative force in our lives, families, and communities. With over 20 years of experience in multicultural and grassroots contexts, Ben shares how he and his wife are raising their children in a spiritually grounded homeschooling environment they call The Mágoulo’s School for the Spiritually Gifted.

We dive into powerful themes like the role of shame in modern life, the limitations of purely psychological approaches to healing, and the deep need to integrate spiritual wisdom into our parenting, education, and personal development. Ben's perspective is rooted in the belief that true healing and empowerment come from aligning with a spiritual sense of purpose—and helping the next generation do the same.

🌱 Resources & Mentions:

• Camp Deerpark – Ben’s current work and retreat center
• The Mágoulo’s School for the Spiritually Gifted – A homeschooling initiative focused on spiritual formation
• Topics: Spiritual Parenting, Healing Shame, Multicultural Community Building, Embodied Spirituality

🙌 Connect with Ben Cheek:

• Website: campdeerpark.org
• Instagram: @campdeerpark
• Email Ben Cheek- profmag@unusualkingdom.com

In this episode, I address a common fear many parents have—the worry that they are going to mess up their kids. This belief is rooted in false assumptions about the nature of children and mental health.

I take a deep dive into these assumptions, breaking them down and offering alternative perspectives that can bring more freedom to our parenting journey. By shifting our mindset, we can learn to trust our kids, recognize their resilience, and understand that they can handle adversity—even when it comes from us.

Their mental health is shaped by much more than whether or not we "traumatize" them. Join me as I explore a broader, more empowering view of parenting—one that helps us release unnecessary guilt and embrace our role with confidence.

Parenting is a beautifully messy, ever-changing journey. In this episode, I sit down with Siri Baruc Thornton, a multifaceted creative and healer, to explore how we can embrace the uncertainty of parenting with love, authenticity, and grace.

Siri shares her insights on:
✅ How we are growing alongside our kids—nobody has it all figured out
✅ The importance of self-compassion in parenting
✅ Trusting that our kids are on their own journey
✅ Why we don’t need to control everything—life unfolds in its own way
✅ Leading with love and presence instead of perfection

Whether through her work in Reiki, Akashic Records, Mountain Breathwork, or creative expression, Siri helps others reconnect with joy, alignment, and their innate power. Her wisdom is a reminder that parenting isn’t about getting everything “right”—it’s about showing up with love for ourselves and our children.

About Siri Baruc Thornton

Siri is the host of The Authentic Creative podcast, a Reiki Master, an Akashic Record Reader, and a transformational guide with over 26 years of experience. She offers private healing sessions, group certifications, and immersive retreats, helping others expand their capacity to feel good.

📖 Her upcoming book: The Authentic Creative: Expanding Our Capacity to Feel Good

🌎 Learn more about Siri’s work:

www.sageandblushwellness.com

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-authentic-creative-expanding-our-capacity-to-feel-good/id1628408288

Listen Now 🎧

If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who needs to hear this message! 💛

In this episode of Parenting Wisdom, I sit down with Hunter Clarke-Fields, host of the Mindful Mama Podcast, global speaker, mindfulness meditation teacher, and #1 bestselling author of Raising Good Humans and Raising Good Humans Every Day. Hunter has over 20 years of experience teaching mindfulness and mindful parenting to hundreds of thousands of parents worldwide.

Together, we explore the messy, beautiful journey of mindful parenting—how practicing presence, self-regulation, and awareness not only helps us become calmer parents but also raises children who grow into responsible, compassionate adults.

We discuss:

✨ How mindfulness in parenting enhances our presence and appreciation for everyday moments.
✨ The importance of slowing down, doing less, and having less—and why this benefits both parents and kids.
✨ Why real growth and development happen through free, unsupervised play and the state of flow.
✨ How to balance letting kids be kids while also preparing them to become responsible, contributing adults.
✨ Embracing the messiness of parenting—letting go of perfection and allowing space for real growth.

Hunter’s insights remind us that parenting isn’t about getting it perfect—it’s about being present, learning, and growing alongside our children.

Listen now and join us in this thought-provoking conversation! 🎧✨

Resources & Links:

🔹 Connect with Hunter Clarke-Fields:
About Hunter | Mindful Mama Podcast
🔹 Check out her books: Raising Good Humans & Raising Good Humans Every Day
🔹 Learn more about the Mindful Parenting Course & Teacher Training

In this episode of Parenting Wisdom, I sit down with Jodi Kahn, a breakthrough coach, healer, and expert in health transformation and conscious living. Jodi is an observant Jew, a mother of three grown children, and a passionate advocate for integrating tradition, spirituality, and mindfulness into everyday life.

We explore how parents can instill values in their children by living them, how to create a home where tradition fosters connection rather than restriction, and how family rituals can help kids develop a sense of meaning, responsibility, and belonging. Jodi also shares insights from her work as a certified somatic coach, social worker, and trauma-informed practitioner, offering practical strategies for parenting with presence, resilience, and confidence.

If you're looking for ways to strengthen your family’s emotional and spiritual foundation while also supporting each child’s uniqueness, this episode is for you!

What We Cover in This Episode:

✔️ The balance between tradition and individuality in parenting
✔️ How we pass down values by embodying them, not just teaching them
✔️ The power of family rituals in fostering connection and resilience
✔️ Why structure and meaning are essential for children’s emotional well-being
✔️ The role of mindfulness and nervous system regulation in parenting
✔️ How Jodi helps clients break through personal blocks and create lasting transformation
✔️ An inside look at Jodi’s upcoming podcast, The Hug

About Jodi Kahn:

Jodi Kahn is a breakthrough coach and healer who specializes in guiding individuals toward deep transformation. With degrees from Brandeis University (B.S. Psychology) and Columbia University (M.S.W.), along with certifications in health and trauma-informed somatic coaching, Jodi brings a holistic, body-based approach to personal growth.

She offers one-on-one coaching, group workshops, and keynote speaking engagements, helping people integrate healing at the root level. Her new podcast, The Hug, launching later this spring, will dive deeper into themes of self-growth, healing, and connection.

Resources & Links:

🔹 Connect with Jodi Kahn: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jodi.kahn.5

Instagram: @jodikahn_health

🔹 Learn more about Jodi’s work: kahnwellness@gmail.com

🔹 Join the Parenting Wisdom Newsletter: https://theparentingwisdom.kit.com/newsletter

🎧 Loved this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review Parenting Wisdom! Your support helps us bring more inspiring conversations to parents like you.

📢 Join the Conversation! What are your favorite family rituals? How do you instill values in your children? Share your thoughts in the comments or on social media using #ParentingWisdomPodcast!

✨ Until next time, keep growing, keep learning, and keep leading with wisdom. 💛