YAbooks
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E31 – Father Figures Who Steer Rather Than Stifle Teenage Sons
What does it really take to raise confident, emotionally grounded teenage boys? In this episode, host Sonia Dong sits down with Edmund Chien, a retired finance professional, public speaker on behavioural finance, and military veteran. Edmund shares how studying attachment theory transformed his own parenting and why he parents by “steering vs. stifling”. He also…
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E30 – It’s All About the Baby Steps
Before a child can walk on their own, they fall about 2,500 times (2012 study from New York University’s Infant Action Lab). And every single time, we cheered them on.So why do we expect our teens and tweens to get it right on the first try? In this talk, speaker and host of Raising the…
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E29 – Teens, Sportsmanship, and Navigating Disappointment
In this episode, Sonia welcomes Kimberly Snider, a strategic leadership coach and team builder, for an engaging conversation about raising resilient children. They discuss mindset management during unexpected challenges like airline strikes, the power of maintaining optimism, and how family travel teaches valuable life lessons. Kimberly shares insights from raising two sporty teenagers, exploring how…
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E28 – Teen Money Skills and Post-Secondary Budgeting Tips
In this episode of Raising the Next Gen, host Sonia Dong welcomes Tara Downey, owner of Tru Insurance & Investments, to discuss financial literacy for teens and young adults. Tara shares her journey as a single mom navigating financial challenges while raising three children, now aged 20-27. She reveals practical strategies for teaching money habits…
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E27 – Parents Are the Algorithm Behind Digitally Savvy Kids
Sonia is joined by Yetty Williams on Raising the Next Gen for a conversation about raising digitally savvy kids. As a digital parenting coach and social entrepreneur who helps families navigate raising children in a highly connected world, Yetty is passionate about supporting parents to parent intentionally in the digital age. Yetty introduces the idea…
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E26 – From Parenting Teens to Guiding Adult Children
In this episode of Raising the Next Gen, Sonia is joined by Julie Cober, a certified executive leadership coach who supports female founders and senior leaders navigating career transitions. Julie reflects candidly on balancing executive leadership with motherhood. They talk about how it’s never too late to repair a relationship and why apologizing to our children…
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E25 – Helping Kids Find Confidence Through Stories
In this episode of Raising the Next Gen, Sonia is joined by educator and children’s author Krishana Johnson-James for a heartfelt conversation about confidence, creativity, and helping kids embrace challenges. Krishana shares how her lifelong love of writing and teaching led to her books Planting a Song and There’s No One Just Like Me. They…
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E24 – The Freedom of Leaving My Phone at Home
What happens when you accidentally leave your phone at home? In this solo episode, I share how a simple morning school drop-off became an unexpected lesson in presence and freedom. After forgetting my phone on the kitchen counter, I had to decide whether I’d turn back for it in a panic, or continue on without…
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E23 – Strengthening Your Relationship While Parenting
In this episode of Raising the Next Gen, Sonia chats with psychologist Clarissa Ee to explore how becoming parents impacts connection, communication, and conflict between partners. They discuss why relationship satisfaction often declines after kids and how misalignment between parents affects the whole family. The episode also highlights how the way parents handle conflict becomes…
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E22 – Sparking Wonder Through Stories and Science
In this episode of Raising the Next Gen, Sonia is joined Vicky McGrath, author of The Dragon and the Mysterious Artifact and the Tales from the Clinic graphic novel series. Vicky shares how a season of isolation during COVID motivated a creative breakthrough, blending her daughter’s love of animals, a passion for science, and a…