The stakes for a child’s education are always high, but something is different now.
We all feel it.
The world our children will inherit is filled with promise and peril. They will have unparalleled opportunities to create, to build, to fulfill their potential, and they will have to navigate just as many distractions and shifting tides.
We launched Grounded and Soaring because parents need help, and we at Marin Montessori School have years of experience that we want to share.
Grounded and Soaring explores what it means to parent and educate in today’s world.
Late summer transitions can feel less like a fresh start and more like an immediate stress test. In this Season 5 premiere of Grounded and Soaring, host Terry Dubow welcomes Rochelle Domingo, Director of Education for Toddler and Primary at Marin Montessori School, to unpack why back-to-school season triggers such high anxiety for modern families—and how to find calm amid the chaos.
In this episode, we cover:
The "After-School Meltdown": Why young children save their hardest emotional releases for home and how to support them.
The Prepared Environment at Home: Simple, actionable Montessori setups that take the friction out of morning routines.
Protecting Unstructured Downtime: Why post-school "white space" and boredom are critical for cognitive recovery and deep focus ("flow").
Anchoring Through Discomfort: How to be the steady, calm presence your child needs during messy transitions.
Learn more about our approach to early childhood education at groundedandsoaring.org (https://groundedandsoaring.org).
27 May 2026
The Magic of the Everyday: Simple Rhythms for a Joyful Summer
For parents, summer can feel like the longest season for a reason. When the predictable rhythms of the school year disappear, children can feel restless, leading to the "June spikes" in meltdowns we all know too well.
In this Season 4 finale, Terry Dubow sits down with Siri Panday to discuss how to keep the magic of summer alive without over-scheduling or burning out. They explore the Montessori secret to a peaceful summer: working beside your child instead of for them, and finding the beauty in a slower pace.
In this episode, we discuss:
The "June Shift": Why kids struggle when school scaffolding disappears and how to build a sturdy home rhythm.
The Gift of Boredom: Reframing unstructured time as a vital opportunity for discovery.
Parallel Work: Practical ways to invite toddlers and primary students into "real work" (laundry, gardening, cooking) so you can get things done while they learn.
The "Slow Down" Rule: Why rushing is the enemy of summer magic.
Farewell to Siri: A tribute to Siri’s impact on the Marin Montessori community as she prepares for her next chapter.
13 May 2026
Algorithm vs. Imagination: Why Stories Are the Ultimate Learning Hack
“We live by the stories in our heads,” but how often do we stop to consider which stories are actually fueling our children’s sense of what’s possible?
In a culture that often worships efficiency over wonder, it’s easy to treat storytelling as a mere "break" from hard work—something to occupy time in the car or a way to get the kids to sleep. But what if narrative is actually the most sophisticated innovation we have for raising capable, empathetic humans?
In this episode, Terry Dubow talks with Upper Elementary Guide Christina Carroll about why storytelling is an indispensable tool for self-actualization. They dive into the “Five Great Stories” of the Montessori curriculum and the fascinating "Baseball Experiment," which indicates that a good story actually builds the prior knowledge kids need for rigorous academic work.
Beyond the classroom, they discuss the powerful practice of “narrating” a child’s life to help them see themselves as the hero of their own kindness, and how family heritages provide the rootedness children need to navigate a noisy, divided world.
In this episode, we discuss:
Beyond Entertainment: Why stories are a primary mechanism for understanding the world, not just a frivolous distraction.
The Intrinsic Engine: How wrapping a lesson in a narrative sparks a curiosity that worksheets simply can't reach.
The "Hero" Narrative: Christina’s practice of reflecting a child’s own kindness and effort back to them through story.
Safe Rehearsals: Using literature like The Giver to explore "third rail" topics like adoption, race, and social justice.
Rootedness: How family and cultural stories provide a sense of shared humanity in a digital age.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
428
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.6 / 5
11 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 64 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
74
Social presence
0
YouTube
66
Engagement
71
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