TPP 499: Stephanie Malia Krauss Shares Insights Into How We Thrive

TPP 499: Stephanie Malia Krauss Shares Insights Into How We Thrive

Author: Debbie Reber April 14, 2026 Duration: 40:10
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

Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children is a space for parents who are moving at the speed their kids require. Hosted by Debbie Reber, an author and activist who understands the terrain, this podcast offers more than just advice-it offers a sense of shared experience. Each episode delves into the real-world challenges and joys of raising children with ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), giftedness, or twice-exceptional (2e) profiles. You’ll hear from specialists, educators, and therapists who provide actionable strategies, but the core of the conversation is always connection. Debbie guides discussions that move beyond theory to address the daily realities: managing meltdowns, advocating within school systems, nurturing a child’s unique strengths, and preserving your own well-being in the process. It’s a resource for those moments when standard parenting approaches fall short, offering insights that are both practical and deeply empathetic. Listening to this podcast feels like a conversation with a knowledgeable friend who gets it, one that leaves you with tangible ideas and the reassurance that you’re not navigating this path alone. The focus is on building a supportive framework for your family, one episode at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
Podcast Episodes
TPP 266a: A Conversation with Poet and Advocate LeDerick Horne [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:28
Performance poet and advocate LeDerick Horne talks about his journey with a hidden disability, his advocacy work, and how he found his love for poetry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
TPP 522: A Whole Child Approach to ADHD with Phil Boucher, M.D. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:51
Today I’m talking with Dr. Phil Boucher, a board-certified pediatrician who’s particularly interested in helping families understand and support kids with ADHD and help parents better understand their child, trust their…
TPP 521: A Conversation with Dr. Peter Gray About Restoring Childhood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:48
I’m talking with developmental psychologist Dr. Peter Gray about his new book, Restoring Childhood: How to Set Kids Free in the Age of Anxiety, which challenges one of the dominant narratives about the youth mental healt…
TPP 253a: Advocate and Author Jonathan Mooney on Why Normal Sucks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:45
I’m excited to share this powerful and gut-punching conversation with Jonathan Mooney, a self-described “do-gooder,” speaker, and writer who didn’t learn to read until he was 12-years-old. Growing up with Dyslexia, Jonat…
TPP 519: Brendan Mahan on Overcoming the Wall of Awful [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:16
What if the reason you or your child can’t “just do the thing” is not laziness, but a Wall of Awful built from repeated frustration, shame, anxiety, and failure? Brendan Mahan breaks down the hidden emotional barrier beh…
TPP 518: Good Sleeping for Neurodivergent Kids, with Dr. Melisa Moore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:12
​Today we’re talking about the complex and often misunderstood sleep challenges that show up in neurodivergent kids with Dr. Melisa Moore, a clinical psychologist who is board-certified in behavioral sleep medicine and h…