I’m excited to be bringing parenting coach Margaret Webb back to the podcast this week. Margaret helps parents find more peace in parenting the child they didn’t expect when they were expecting, and part of her work is supporting parents survive summer break. Many parents (and not just parents raising differently-wired kids) limp across the finish line of a long school year only to find themselves facing the stress of summer — new schedules and routines, different expectations, wants, and needs for everyone in the family, and lots of other changes. In our conversation, Margaret shares her personal strategy for not only surviving summer break, but thriving.

About Margaret Webb

Margaret s a certified Master Life Coach, parenting coach, nature-based coach, former teacher, wife and mother. As a life and parenting coach, she weaves together her experience as an elementary education teacher with the tools she’s learned in Martha Beck’s Life Coach Training, Sagefire Institute’s Nature-Based Coach Training, and what she’s applied to her own life as a mom of a child with special needs.

Key Takeaways

• How “reality versus expectations” creates unnecessary stress for many parents over the summer

• Why having “leadership energy” as a parent can help a family thrive

• The importance of getting clear on both your personal needs as a parent and your child’s needs and wants for the summer break

• What scheduling, mapping, and tracking have to do with surviving summer holidays

• How focusing on our own experience and fostering personal self-care actually supports our children

• Why nature can be so restorative for parents raising differently-wired kids

• How to envision your ideal day as a way to begin creating a more peaceful reality

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we’re diving into the nuanced world of circadian rhythm sleep syndromes, and how biological and environmental factors intersect in shaping our children’s sleep. My guest is Alex Mortlock, a registered clinical psychologist who has been in practice since 2010, with training rooted in evidence-based approaches to mental health. Alex will help us unpack what’s actually happening when a child’s sleep rhythm is out of sync, and why this is so often misunderstood. We talk about practical strategies, the role of light exposure and light therapy, and how melatonin can be used thoughtfully to support regulation. 

About Alex Mortlock

Alex Mortlock has been a registered clinical psychologist since 2010, trained at the University of Canterbury with a focus on evidence-based approaches to mental health assessment and treatment. His work is grounded in psychological science, with an emphasis on the interplay of emotion, cognition, and motivation. He uses evidence-based methods to help people make positive changes in their behaviour, fostering an environment of authenticity, acceptance, and understanding.

Throughout his career, Alex has had the privilege of witnessing growth and transformation in people from diverse backgrounds — experiences that have reinforced his belief that, with the right support and guidance, everyone has the capacity to flourish.

He lives in Christchurch, New Zealand with his wife, who is also a clinical psychologist, and their two over-analysed children. Curiosity, compassion, courage, and flexibility are the values that guide him through the professional and personal challenges that human life presents.

Things you'll learn from this episode 

• How circadian rhythms shape sleep patterns and why they matter for children’s overall health

• Why conditions like delayed sleep phase, advanced sleep phase, and non-24-hour sleep disorders can disrupt typical sleep cycles

• How neurodivergence can influence light sensitivity and circadian regulation

• Why gradual light exposure, environmental adjustments, and low-dose melatonin can help realign sleep rhythms

• How habits like late-night screen use can interfere with healthy sleep patterns

• When to seek professional support and how parents can practically support their child’s sleep development

Resources mentioned

• Alex Mortlock’s website

• Late Nights, Later Days: The Under-Recognized Impact of Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome in ADHD (Additude Magazine)

• Reset Your Inner Clock: The Drug-Free Way to Your Best-Ever Sleep, Mood, and Energy by Michael Termin, PhD

• Prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Joint Hypermobility Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (National Institute of Health)

• Article on Light Boxes (Yale School of Medicine)

• Light Therapy Visors (results page from Amazon search)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special episode, I’m joined by my husband, Derin, for a candid and heartfelt reflection on our journey together—more than eight years of parenting, navigating relationship shifts, and supporting our neurodivergent child through adolescence and into early adulthood. This is a personal conversation for us, one where we open up about what this path has really looked like behind the scenes.

We talk about how our partnership has evolved over time, the challenges we’ve faced individually and together, and the ways we’ve learned to stay connected through some very intense seasons. We also share what’s helped us—communication, honesty, a willingness to grow—and how we’ve come to better understand each other while showing up for our child. This is an honest look at the complexities of parenting and partnership, and what it means to keep choosing each other along the way.

About Derin Basden

Derin Basden is a seasoned and accomplished leader with a proven track record in technology, design, and operations, gained through working with major multinational corporations, including NBCUniversal, Disney, and Microsoft. He is also the husband of Debbie Reber, the founder of Tilt Parenting, and a dedicated supporter of her work. He is enthusiastic about his role on the Tilt Team and is committed to contributing to the movement that empowers neurodivergent children to achieve their full potential. Derin leads technology and finance operations for Tilt, and ensures the smooth functioning and effective execution of Tilt’s mission.

Things you'll learn from this episode 

• How family life evolves through moves, global stressors, and the transition from childhood to young adulthood

• Why adolescence reshapes family dynamics and invites growth for both parents and kids

• How maintaining a strong partnership through communication, shared routines, and intentional connection supports the whole system

• Why respecting autonomy while staying connected is essential when parenting a neurodivergent young adult

• How simple rituals—like walks, humor, and honest conversations—help rebuild and sustain connection

• Why self-regulation, honesty, and ongoing personal growth are key to navigating changing roles within the family

Resources mentioned 

• Debbie & Derin on Their Parenting Journey: Part 1 (Tilt Parenting podcast, 2017)

• Debbie & Derin on Their Parenting Journey: Part 2 (Tilt Parenting podcast, 2018)

• Derin Basden - LinkedIn

• Minecraft Mods mentioned (Inventory Pets, Animania, Better Invisibility)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Gail Post, the psychologist behind the popular Gifted Challenge blog, joins me to talk about her book, The Gifted Parenting Journey: A Guide to Self-discovery and Support for Families of Gifted Children, which combines research, theory, and clinical experience, and extends her advocacy efforts to address the needs of parents of gifted children.

In this episode, we dive into the realities of parenting gifted and 2e kids — the common challenges parents experience as part of their journey, why it can sometimes feel uncomfortable to celebrate our child’s accomplishments with others and how that impacts our kids and us, and how to handle our own expectations and pressures we may feel because of our child’s unique learning profile. We also explore what many families of gifted kids' experience as a complicated relation with the word “potential,” as well as how we as parents can manage our own uncomfortable emotions that may arise in parenting our kids, including anxiety, envy, and guilt.

ABOUT GAIL Gail Post, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist, parenting coach and consultant, workshop leader, and writer. She is also a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in practice for over 35 years, she provides psychotherapy with a focus on the needs of the intellectually and musically gifted and twice-exceptional, parenting coaching and workshops, and consultation with educators and psychotherapists. Dr. Post is the parent of two gifted young adults and served as co-chair of a gifted parents advocacy group when her children were in school.

THINGS YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE

• The common challenges parents raising gifted and 2e kids may experience as part of their journey

• Why parents of gifted kids feel intense pressure surrounding their child’s educational path and how that can negatively impact families

• Why the word “potential” is a loaded one for many families, and how parents can change their relationship with this concept

• Why anxiety is common amongst parents raising gifted or 2e kids

• The unique challenges BIPOC parents raising gifted kids face

• Why self-awareness is the roadmap to attuned parenting when raising gifted and 2e kids

About Gail PostThings you’ll learn from this episode

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special 10-year anniversary and 500th episode of Tilt Parenting, I’m turning the spotlight toward the community that has shaped the show from the beginning. I’ll share key findings from a new parent survey about the lived experience of raising neurodivergent kids, including the profound isolation many families feel and the hard-won confidence parents develop as they learn to support their children. But the bulk of this episode features reflections from longtime community members on how the neurodiversity conversation has evolved over the past decade, how this journey has changed them personally, and where they believe the movement needs to focus next. Across their stories, common themes emerge: greater visibility and language around neurodivergence, deeper compassion and nervous system awareness, the importance of community, and the urgent need for more empathy and change in schools, healthcare, and other systems that still lag behind what families and research already know.

Things You'll Learn from this Episode

• Why a lack of understanding across schools, communities, and social circles remains the biggest struggle for families

• How parenting neurodivergent kids can feel exhausting and isolating—and how finding language and community can be life-changing

• Why so many parents are discovering their own neurodivergence, highlighting this as a whole-family journey

• How parents are growing more compassionate, self-aware, and willing to trust alternative paths while holding both grief and hope

• Why the future calls for systems change and a stronger commitment to connection-first, strengths-based support for neurodivergent kids

Resources Mentioned

• The Tilt Parenting Report

• Zach Morris

• Ned Johnson 

• Dr. Mona Delahooke’s website

• Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools: Transforming Practices So All Students Feel Accepted & Supported by Emily Kircher-Morris and Amanda Morin

• Neurodiversity University Education Hub

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Supporting 2e students continues to be one of the biggest challenges for those of us raising twice-exceptional children, and today we’re going to do a deep dive into how to do this. Maria Kennedy, director of the Bridges Educational Group at Bridges Academy joins me to talk about how the definition of giftedness in some countries keeps gifted students from getting into gifted programs, the importance of appreciating every child’s unique strengths and value, and ways parents can advocate for their children’s unique learning profile, even within their existing school systems that may not be designed to support or understand neurodivergent learners.

ABOUT MARIA KENNEDY

Maria Kennedy first joined the Bridges Academy staff as the director of the Phoenix Program. After successfully growing the program each year, she has taken on the position of director of the Bridges Educational Group. A speaker, author, and advocate, Maria has been featured on “Bright and Quirky,” as a panelist and educational expert. Several schools have used her webcast, ‘Strengths, Challenges, and my journey as my son’s advocate,” for teacher training. An educator for almost 30 years, Maria received her B.Ed. and M.Ed. in education from Manchester University (U.K). She earned Advanced Teacher Status from the Manchester Department of Education for her ability to develop curriculum and her skills within the classroom. She traveled internationally, teaching students and training teachers how to tap into the strengths of their gifted and challenged students.

THINGS YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE

•  How the definition of giftedness in some countries prevents gifted students from getting into gifted programs

• Why we should lean into widening the scope of what giftedness means so we can properly identify everyone’s gifts

• What appreciating everyone’s unique value can bring to a child’s education and development

• What the roadblocks are for our educational system to be more open to embracing the changes needed

• How parents who are navigating a traditional educational system can advocate for their 2e children

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Listen to an episode of Understood.org’s new podcast, Everyone Gets a Juice Box, about the messy realities of neurodiverse parenting with journalist and radio host Jessica Shaw. As a mom of two, she brings honesty and humor to the everyday chaos, victories, and challenges of raising kids who learn and think differently.

In this episode, I’m the guest, and I share the story of how we ended up homeschooling—something I truly never imagined choosing. We had tried everything to make traditional school work… multiple schools, supports, specialists. Homeschooling was never part of the plan. But when life shifted in a big way, we found ourselves on a completely different path—one that lasted six years and changed how I think about learning, kids, and what success can look like.

If you’ve ever found yourself doing something you swore you’d never do, or questioning the path you thought your family would be on, I think this conversation will resonate.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we’re talking about what it really means to thrive in a world that often feels overwhelming—for our kids and for us. My guest is Stephanie Malia Krauss, author, speaker, and strategist whose new book How We Thrive: Caring for Kids and Ourselves in a Changing World explores the urgent need to protect the human essentials—things like sleep, play, connection, and wonder—that modern life so often erodes. Stephanie and I explore the idea of “rehumaning” how we live, learn, and parent. We talk about the interconnectedness of body, mind, heart, and spirit, and the importance of collective care in raising kids in today’s world. Stephanie shares practical, grounded ways to navigate overwhelm and make small shifts in daily life that can help families move from merely surviving to truly thriving.

About Stephanie Malia Krauss

Stephanie Malia Krauss is an author, speaker, and strategist helping leaders rehuman how we live, learn, and work. Her newest book, How We Thrive: Caring for Kids and Ourselves in a Changing World, examines the urgent need to protect the human essentials—like sleep, play, connection, and wonder—that modern life diminishes or denies.

Stephanie's commitment to this work began as a teacher and coach, where she witnessed how different environments can deplete or restore people. She later founded a school for young people furthest from opportunity, and now leads national and state efforts in education and youth development. Working with leaders from classrooms to Congress, Stephanie advises states, districts, and national organizations through her consulting shop, First Quarter Strategies. Stephanie is also the author of Whole Child, Whole Life: 10 Ways to Help Kids Lives, Learn, and Thrive and Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World.

Things you'll learn from this episode 

• Why collective care and community are essential antidotes to modern overwhelm and burnout

• How the practice of rehumaning helps us reconnect with our core human needs

• Why honoring the interconnectedness of body, mind, heart, and spirit is key to real resilience

• How small, intentional shifts in daily rhythms can meaningfully improve family well-being

• Why thriving means living in full animation—rooted in love, belonging, and advocacy—not just enduring

Resources mentioned

• How We Thrive: Caring for Kids and Ourselves in a Changing World by Stephanie Malia Krauss

• Rehumaning Childhood (Stephanie’s Substack)

• Rehumaning website

• Geoffrey Cohen on Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides (Stanford Digital Education)

• Stephanie Malia Krauss’ website

• Whole Child, Whole Life: 10 Ways to Help Kids Live, Learn, and Thrive by Stephanie Malia Krauss

• Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World by Stephanie Malia Krauss

• Whole Child, Whole Life website

• How We Can Prepare Differently Wired Children for an Uncharted Future, with Stephanie Malia Krauss (Tilt Parenting Podcast)

• How to Help Our Kids Thrive in Tough Times, with Stephanie Malia Krauss (Tilt Parenting Podcast)

• Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World by Stephanie Krauss

• Dr. Eric Soto-Shed (Harvard researcher)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr Nicole Tetreault was propelled to study neuroscience after her mother’s diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease. She then went on her own journey of self-discovery while supporting her twice-exceptional son, and recognizing many traits in herself. All this culminated in her new book Insight Into a Bright Mind: A Neuroscientist’s Personal Stories of Unique Thinking, which melds groundbreaking research with the captured experiences of unique, creative, and intense brains. 

I’m excited to bring this conversation to you and give you an inside look at this book, as it’s truly a unique and important addition to what currently exists to help parents better understand their exceptional kids’ needs, and perhaps to better understand themselves as well.

ABOUT DR. TETREAULT

Nicole Tetreault, Ph. D., is a neuroscientist, author, meditation teacher, and international speaker on topics of neurodiversity, neurodevelopment, creativity, mental health, and wellness. Dr. Tetreault received her PhD from Caltech specializing in neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative disorders. As the founder of Awesome Neuroscience, she translates the most promising neuroscience and positive psychology for people to live their best life. Dr. Tetreault has authored numerous academic papers on intelligence, autism, brain evolution, neuroinflammation, and behavior. As a Milton Career Exploration Prize recipient from Caltech, Dr. Tetreault is creating Beyond the Cell, a transformative program to rehabilitate incarcerated women through teaching guided meditation, neuroscience, literature, and expressive writing. Her newest book, Insight into a Bright Mind, explores groundbreaking research examining the experiences of unique, creative, and intense brains through interviews, storytelling, and literary science, while advocating for new directions of human and neurodiversity.

THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• What led Nicole to investigate neurodiversity and become a science communicator

• The important points about brain wiring that are important to understand about educating neurodiverse individuals

• What is meant by asynchrony and how it relates to processing and behaviors

• What we can learn from the current moment coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic when it comes to educating neurodiverse students

• Nicole’s encouragement for parents who self-identify as neurodivergent as part of learning about their own child

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we’re diving into a topic that so many women experience but far too few of us are adequately prepared for—perimenopause. My guest is Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified OB-GYN, Certified Menopause Practitioner, and New York Times bestselling author of The New Menopause and her most recent book, The New Perimenopause. Through her clinical work, her online programs like The Galveston Diet, and her platform The ’Pause Life, Dr. Haver has become a leading voice in making menopause education accessible, practical, and grounded in science.

In our conversation, we explore the biological and emotional complexities of perimenopause, why early intervention—including hormone therapy—can be so important, and the gaps in medical training that have left many women feeling dismissed or unprepared. Dr. Haver shares practical strategies for managing symptoms, explains what she calls “The Menopause Toolkit,” and offers empowering guidance to help women advocate for their health and navigate this transformative phase with more knowledge, confidence, and support.

 About Dr. Mary Claire Haver 

Dr. Mary Claire Haver, MD, FACOG, CMP, is a board-certified Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist, a Certified Menopause Practitioner from The Menopause Society (formerly the North American Menopause Society (NAMS)), an Adjunct Associate Professor at University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), a Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist, and a passionate entrepreneur and best-selling author with a focus on women's health. Dr. Haver graduated from Louisiana State University Medical Center and completed her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at UTMB. 

As her patient population grew older, Dr. Haver started receiving numerous complaints and concerns about weight gain during menopause. This inspired her to do a deep dive into the science of menopause, aging, and inflammation beyond what she was taught in school and residency, which led to the creation of The Galveston Diet online program and, in 2023, a national bestselling book. Dr. Haver integrates a patient's medical history, symptomatology, nutrition, exercise, supplements, and possibly hormone therapy, or what she likes to call "The Menopause Toolkit." 

Dr. Haver has a large social media following of over 7 million, where she posts advice for menopausal women and learns a great deal from her followers and community. She aims to make menopause care easy and accessible for everyone. She founded The 'Pause Life, a comprehensive approach to menopause education and support, and is the author of the New York Times bestseller, The New Menopause and her most recent title The New Perimenopause. 

Things you'll learn from this episode 

• What differences there are between the biological process of perimenopause and menopause

• The impact of hormone shifts in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone on women’s mental health and brain fog during perimenopause

• Ways to effectively communicate with healthcare providers who may not be up to speed on menopause research and/or may be dismissive of symptoms

• The benefits and timing of menopause hormone therapy during perimenopause

Resources mentioned

• The Pause Life (Mary Claire’s website and online community)

• The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

• The New Menopause: Navigating Your Path Through Hormonal Change with Purpose, Power, and Facts by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

• UnPaused Podcast

• Dr. Mary Claire Haver on Instagram

• Dr. Mary Claire Haver on YouTube

• Dr. Mary Claire Haver on Facebook

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Mike Postma joins me for a personal conversation about the many challenges facing gifted and 2e / twice-exceptional students, especially social and emotional challenges, and this is one of those episodes that just might leave you feeling pensive, concerned, and ignited all at the same time.

About Dr. Mike Postma

Dr. Michael Postma is an educator, author, speaker, coach and consultant dedicated to the holistic development of the gifted/twice-exceptional (2e) community. Over the last two decades, Dr. Postma has served as a gifted teacher in the classroom, as an administrator and leader of gifted schools – both public and charter schools in multiple states, and was the architect of the Minnetonka Navigator Program, a magnet school in Minnesota specifically designed for highly gifted and twice-exceptional students.

He currently is the President and co-founder of Gifted and Thriving, LLC and the Programming Director for the non-profit SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted) organization.

Dr. Postma has published a number of articles and two books, the latest titled The Inconvenient Student: Critical Issues in the Identification and Education of Twice-Exceptional Students. He travels and speaks nationally and internationally on a variety of topics such as: the social/emotional development of the gifted, understanding twice-exceptional learners, gifted/talented programming, neuroscience and the gifted/2e brain and more.

Things you’ll learn from this episode

• Mike Postma’s personal story of growing up a gifted and 2e kid with very little support in a time when many neurodifferences weren’t recognized or understood

• What “holistic development” means in the context of children, especially twice-exceptional children

• Why Mike says social emotional development has to be one of the foundations for academic and intellectual potential

• Where society is with regards to understanding asynchronous development

• How schools can make small accommodations to make school more successful for gifted and 2e students

• Why Mike wrote his book The Inconvenient Student and what he hopes it does in the world

• Mike thoughts on how the educational system needs to be revamped

• Why Mike says 2e people are among the most vulnerable populations

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices