Where Parents Talk

About Where Parents Talk

The Where Parents Talk podcast empowers parents to navigate the challenges of raising kids, teens, and young adults today with science-backed insights, evidence, and the lived experiences of parenting thought leaders. Every Saturday, host, award-winning journalist and mom, Lianne Castelino, distills parenting hot topics with her guests, including: managing hormonal changes, fostering healthy communication, and promoting emotional, mental, and physical health and well-being of kids. Get proven tips and expert advice on addressing device usage and managing social media to the latest evidence on bullying, consent, and relationships, to help instil discipline, encourage independence, and build resilience in children. Discover trusted advice, delivered with empathy and optimism, to support your parenting journey and help your family thrive.

Publisher

Lianne Castelino

Category

education · kids & family

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

22 Sept 2020

Latest episode

31 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

3 of 299 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   31 Oct 2026

   A Parent's Guide to AI, Fake News & Digital Independence

   The single most important takeaway is that parents need to teach media literacy—starting early and centred on companion (lateral) reading—so kids learn to verify sources before trusting or sharing anything online. We explain why appearances are deceiving in an era when social media and AI can fabricate audio, images and believable claims in minutes, and why a two‑step process (quick source checks, then close reading) saves time and keeps families sane. I (as your host) and Matthew Johnson break down practical habits: co‑viewing and ongoing communication, modelling intellectual humility by admitting when we’ve been wrong, and teaching simple routines—ask where this came from, why I’m inclined to believe it, and what would change my mind. We also cover related parenting pain points like device usage and discipline, protecting emotional and mental health when teens encounter upsetting news, and giving young people multiple tools to respond to cyberbullying and harmful content. For older kids we emphasise independence paired with accountability—curate reliable news feeds, consider impact before you share, and use measured responses (question first, correct or debunk when needed). Along the way we touch on consent & relationships, how misinformation can affect physical health decisions, and why building critical thinking is as much a family practice as it is a school subject. If you’re juggling work, other kids and the ever‑accelerating tech landscape, our advice is manageable: have the conversations, take small teachable moments, and you won’t need to become a full‑time fact detective to raise digitally savvy kids. Takeaways: I urge parents to begin early, using co‑viewing and teachable moments to build media literacy and discernment; no need to be a tech genius — curiosity suffices. We teach companion (lateral) reading: always seek external evidence, provenance, and professional fact‑checkers before trusting visual or written claims online. I model intellectual humility—admit when we were wrong, update beliefs, and demonstrate critical thinking in practice rather than merely lecturing. We recommend prioritizing ongoing communication, balancing discipline with growing independence, and setting clear device usage boundaries as kids mature. Before sharing on social media, I encourage asking how sure you are and considering the potential personal and societal harm of misinformation. We coach kids to respond to misinformation and cyberbullying with a menu of options—from asking questions to debunking—to protect their emotional and mental health. I stress that AI makes convincing fakes common; teach kids to verify sources, question health and physical claims, and discuss consent & relationships carefully. Links referenced in this episode: whereparentstalk.com (https://whereparentstalk.com) Companies mentioned in this episode: MediaSmarts Statistics Canada Health Canada Gemini ChatGPT Where Parents Talk

2. 

   24 Oct 2026

   Raising Future-Ready Kids: Entrepreneurship, AI and the Skills Kids Need to Succeed

   What does it really mean to prepare our children for the future? In this episode of Where Parents Talk podcast, host Lianne Castelino speaks with entrepreneur, former engineer and mother of three Krystal Popov, founder and CEO of Futurepreneur, about why parents may need to rethink traditional definitions of success—and start preparing children for a rapidly changing world shaped by artificial intelligence. Krystal shares why she believes innovation, communication and courage will be essential skills for the next generation, and how parents can begin fostering an entrepreneurial mindset in children from an early age. She also discusses the importance of identifying and nurturing a child’s individual strengths, using entrepreneurship as a practical way to teach problem-solving, creativity, communication and financial confidence. From helping children start their first small business to teaching them about money, inventory, marketing and customer demand, Krystal explains why real-world experience can teach lessons that classrooms and textbooks cannot. The conversation also explores children and screen time, the difference between consuming and creating, and how parents can make meaningful “future-building” time with their children—even amid busy family schedules. This podcast is for parents, guardians, teachers and caregivers to learn proven strategies and trusted tips on raising kids, teens and young adults based on science, evidenced and lived experience. Links referenced in this episode: whereparentstalk.com (https://whereparentstalk.com/) Links referenced in this episode: whereparentstalk.com (https://whereparentstalk.com) Companies mentioned in this episode: Where Parents Talk FuturePreneur ChatGPT Target Etsy Netflix

3. 

   17 Oct 2026

   Raising Teens in the Age of AI: What Parents Need to Know About Careers, College and the Future of Work

   Artificial intelligence is reshaping how companies hire, and the career advice many teens and young adults are getting hasn’t caught up. In this episode of Where Parents Talk, host Lianne Castelino speaks with Scott Kosch, an AI business transformation entrepreneur, angel investor, father of two and author of A Student’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of AI. After 25 years watching how employers decide who to hire, and many conversations with CEOs and investors leading AI change, Scott noticed something: even the people driving the technology didn’t know what to tell their own kids. That led him to write a practical, research-based guide for high school and college students. Scott explains why AI is here to stay, how using AI to do the work of learning can undermine a student’s education, and why young people will need to take more ownership of their learning. He also shares fresh ways to think about high school, choosing a college, picking a major and planning a career in an AI-driven world. It’s a helpful conversation for parents of tweens, teens and young adults who want to guide their kids with facts instead of fear. Takeaways: AI is here to stay; students must contend with it proactively rather than burying their heads, prioritizing responsible device usage and disciplined study habits to preserve genuine learning. Caution that using AI to do your homework corrupts the learning process, undermining independence, discipline, and the development of real-world problem-solving skills employers value. Advise students to take agency over their education: reassess majors, college choices, and career pathways through an AI-aware lens instead of following outdated parental roadmaps. Many adults genuinely lack answers about AI; foster open communication with your teens so decision-making feels collaborative rather than paternalistic. Emphasize balancing technological fluency with protections for mental, emotional, and physical health — set social media and device boundaries to maintain wellbeing. Cultivating process-oriented learning, critical thinking, ethical judgment around consent & relationships, and resilience against bullying amplified by online platforms. Companies mentioned in this episode: Where Parents Talk ChatGPT This podcast is for parents, guardians, teachers and caregivers to learn proven strategies and trusted tips on raising kids, teens and young adults based on science, evidenced and lived experience. You’ll learn the latest on topics like managing bullying, consent, fostering healthy relationships, and the interconnectedness of mental, emotional and physical health. Links referenced in this episode: whereparentstalk.com (https://whereparentstalk.com/)

Inside a recent episode

Plastics Decoded: Myths, Facts, and Parenting Insights

Published 18 Apr 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] So then it begs the question, how should parents in particular be interpreting these studies? Because obviously the average parent doesn't have the breath and scope of the knowledge that you have on this topic. When it comes to like, how should they be interpreting studies around microplastics and their effect on the body and being found in the body? Yeah. Well, there are people whose job it is to interpret this. So for example, there's FSA, that's the European foodstates agency. They found no evidence of any problem. The FDA has released a statement that they've reviewed the science and not found any problem. […]

Who has been a guest on Where Parents Talk

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Bailey Gaddis
• Melinda Wenner Moyer
• Pam Lobley
• Drew Soleyn
• Dr Michael De Robertis

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

285,359

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.3 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 79 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

98

Social presence

0

YouTube

82

Engagement

67

Contact Where Parents Talk

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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