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PODCAST

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting & Education

Dr. Christopher Villarreal & Dr. Deb Anderson | PLCS Empowerment Collective

Mindshift isn"t just another education podcast – it"s your go-to guide for revolutionary perspectives on raising, teaching, and empowering the next generation. Join hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson as they tackle real challenges facing families and educators today, bringing you straight talk from experts who"ve been in the trenches. Whether you"re a parent navigating screen time, a teacher seeking fresh strategies, or anyone invested in youth success, Mindshift delivers the aha

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

15:36

How to Raise Kids with Positive Body Image: A...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2026/02/18

Healthy at Every Size: Raising Kids with Positive Body Image By age six, most children have already formed strong opinions about what they'd like to change about their bodies. In this episode of Mindshift, hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson sit down with Christina Powell, a mental health therapist with over 20 years of experience in eating disorders at Children's Hospital, to explore how parents can break the cycle of negative body image. Christina introduces the Health a...

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15:35

Is It Normal for Siblings to Drift Apart? What...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2026/02/11

Beyond Best Friends: The Truth About Sibling Relationships They used to be inseparable. Now they can't be in the same room. Sound familiar? In this honest conversation, hosts Christopher Villarreal and Deb Anderson sit down with Children's Nebraska therapists Rachel Kamianowski and Kim Massara to tackle the sibling questions that keep parents up at night: Are we doing something wrong? Should we treat all our kids the same? Is it normal for siblings to drift apart? Discover why closeness bet...

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15:09

What High School Students Really Need From Parents: A...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2026/02/04

"Do you want to vent or do you want a solution?" That simple question could transform how you support your teenager, and it came straight from a high school junior. In this groundbreaking episode of Mindshift, host Dr. Christopher Villarreal turns the microphone over to four high school students from Papillion La Vista Community Schools who share exactly what they need from the adults in their lives. Zachary, Lyric, Gabby, and Sarah reveal how their high standards create invisible pressure, w...

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16:12

It's Not Laziness: What Parents Get Wrong About ADHD

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2026/01/28

"They're just not trying hard enough." If you've ever thought this about a struggling kid, Dr. Ashnoo Nanavati is here to change your mind. This board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist joins hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson to debunk the most damaging ADHD myths and reveal what's really going on. Learn why ADHD isn't about effort or willpower, why teachers often see concerns before parents do, and how to navigate those first conversations with your pediatrician....

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16:06

Why Period Products Matter for Student Success and...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2026/01/21

How Period Product Access (and Other Barriers) Impact Education What if something as basic as access to period products or deodorant was keeping students out of the classroom? In this eye-opening episode of Mindshift, hosts Christopher and Deb tackle one of education's most overlooked barriers with Kristin Lowrey, founder of Access Period. Through candid conversation and real stories from Nebraska schools, discover why hygiene is an educational equity crisis affecting students across all dem...

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15:32

How to Help Kids Express Emotions: Art Therapy...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2026/01/14

Creative Tools for Emotional Expression Licensed clinical social worker and expressive arts therapist Betsy Funk reveals how creative activities help children process emotions when words aren't enough. Learn practical strategies parents can use at home, why art journals work for emotional regulation, and how non-artists can benefit from creative expression. Discover how schools are using art therapy groups to support student mental health and find resources for your family through the Nebrask...

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15:36

Balancing Academic Expectations: When to Push and...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2026/01/07

How Much Academic Pressure Is Too Much? PLSHS Principal Jeff Spilker reveals the "sweet spot" between helpful stress that motivates learning and harmful pressure that paralyzes students. Learn why today's students put more pressure on themselves than parents do, discover practical strategies for when your child fails a test, and understand why both students and parents should "never worry alone" when navigating academic challenges.

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15:40

How to Start a Difficult Conversation Without Making...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2025/12/17

How to Navigate Difficult Conversations That Build Trust Join communication coach Nicole Paul as she reveals why we avoid difficult conversations and how to transform them into relationship-building opportunities. Learn the critical difference between directives and dialogue, why treating hard conversations as one-offs is a mistake, and how to invite (not ambush) people into challenging discussions. She also reveals why conversations create change even when they don't go as planned, offering ...

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16:06

How Do Schools Use Test Scores? Understanding...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2025/12/10

Understanding School Testing: A Parent's Guide to MAP and State Assessments Join hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson as they demystify school testing with Angie Wright, Director of Assessment at Papillion La Vista Community Schools. Learn what MAP Growth and NSCAS tests really measure, how teachers use assessment data to personalize learning, and practical ways parents can support their children through the testing process. Discover why testing isn't just about ranking but ...

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16:03

How Do I Help My Child Cope with Death and Grief?...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2025/12/03

How to Talk to Kids About Death, Grief, and Hope When 1 in 15 kids lose a parent or sibling by age 18, knowing how to support grieving children becomes essential. In this powerful episode, grief expert Cliff McEvoy from the Collective for Hope shares practical strategies for talking to kids about death, including why using proper words like "dead" matters and the healing power of saying our loved ones' names. Learn about support resources available for families, discover why grief has no lin...

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16:06

How to Manage Holiday Stress and Overwhelm: Expert...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2025/11/26

What Holiday Chaos Teaches About Priorities and Connection Join hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson as they welcome wellness coach Heather Kearney, a 15-year veteran of stress management with military service in both the Air Force and Navy. Discover practical strategies for managing holiday overwhelm, including the powerful breathing technique you can do in your car, tips for communicating boundaries with family, and why prioritizing self-care isn't selfish. Learn how to bal...

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15:55

How to Set Boundaries with Kids Without Feeling Guilty

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2025/11/19

Why Boundaries Actually Build Stronger Kids In this game-changing episode, hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson explore why setting boundaries feels so hard, and why the repair after breaking them matters even more. Social work expert Katie Robbins reveals the surprising truth: boundaries aren't about walls, they're about connection. Discover why kids need you to lose your temper sometimes (yes, really), how to repair after you've yelled, and the one family routine that chang...

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15:44

What to Do During Child Meltdowns: Teaching Kids...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2025/11/12

Child Meltdowns and Tantrums: Teaching Emotional Regulation Skills Is your child having daily meltdowns and tantrums? In this essential episode, veteran first-grade teacher Carla Heumann shares 17 years of proven strategies for managing emotional outbursts and teaching kids emotional regulation. Hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson explore why toddlers and children struggle with big feelings, how to recognize dysregulation, and practical calm-down techniques that actually wor...

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15:46

Youth Sports Parenting: Supporting Without Pressuring...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2025/11/05

The Youth Sports Pressure Cooker: When Does Support Become Too Much? Remember when youth sports were just... fun? Dr. Lisa Chipps, Senior Associate Athletic Director at Creighton University, joins hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson to unpack the mounting pressures facing young athletes today - and how parents can support without suffocating. Drawing from years working with college athletes, Dr. Chipps reveals the evolution of student-athlete expectations, the difference bet...

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15:42

What to Do When Your Kid Says 'I Don't Care' About...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2025/10/29

When your kid says "I don't care" about homework, what are they really telling you? Nick Zadina from the Boys Town National Hotline joins us to flip the script on motivation. Drawing from his work in crisis intervention and motivational interviewing, Nick explains why punishments and fear-based motivation stop working the moment kids leave for college. He shares practical strategies including how to identify what your child actually values, why "gentle pressure constantly applied" beats threa...

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15:58

How to Tell if a School Threat is Real: FBI Expert...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2025/10/22

In this critical episode, hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson sit down with FBI Supervisory Special Agent Brian LeBlanc to decode school threats and expose the online predators targeting our children. Agent LeBLanc, who leads the FBI's Domestic Terrorism and Threat Response Squad, reveals why anonymous bomb threats are almost always hoaxes and explains why students are actually safer staying inside during threat assessments rather than evacuating. Parents will learn how to d...

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16:34

What Happens During a School Shooting: A First-Hand...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2025/10/15

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of school violence that may be sensitive for some listeners What really happens when a school goes into lockdown during an active shooter incident? In this powerful episode, Dr. Christopher Villarreal shares his first-hand experience of a school shooting, when he was a third-year teacher hiding under his desk, unable to reach anyone, learning about the crisis through news reports on his laptop. Now serving as Director of Communications and lea...

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15:49

Parental Controls for Devices: Where to Start and...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2025/10/08

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by device settings or wondered what your kid's school Chromebook is actually filtering, this one's for you. PLCS Director of Technology Matt Moore breaks down the difference between what schools manage and what you can control at home - from iPhones and Androids to gaming consoles and Netflix profiles. He explains where to find parental control tools you didn't know existed, why that "downtime" feature matters for sleep, and the warning signs (like defensivenes...

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15:44

Stop Fighting About Food: Expert Tips for Picky Eaters

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2025/10/01

Ever wonder why your child loved blueberries yesterday but refuses them today? Jennifer Anderson from Kids Eat in Color joins us to solve the "blueberry lottery" mystery and share game-changing strategies for feeding picky eaters. Learn why putting a cookie on the dinner plate might actually work, discover the simple protein-energy-color formula for balanced meals, and find out why those "three more bites" negotiations might be backfiring. Plus, get reassurance that you're not ruining your ch...

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14:52

Do School Cell Phone Policies Actually Work?...

Mindshift: Transforming Perspectives on Parenting &... ·

2025/09/24

The kids themselves are saying it: "Thank you for putting in a cell phone policy." In this revealing episode of Mindshift, hosts Dr. Christopher Villarreal and Dr. Deb Anderson sit down with Papillion La Vista High School Principal Jason Ryan to explore the surprising reality of phone-free classrooms. Ryan shares how his school's three-year journey from "phones in pockets" to "phones in caddies" transformed not just grades but the entire social fabric of the school. Students are having real c...

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43 results

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