The Self-Driven Child
Ned Johnson
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About This Podcast
Helping parents raise kids with healthy motivation and resilience in facing life's challenges. Oh, and having more fun while doing it!
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Recent Episodes
S1E68 8 Setbacks to Make A Child a Success: With Michelle Icard
If you’ve ever watched your child struggle and felt that almost unbearable pull to step in, fix it, smooth it over, or make it disappear, this episode is for you. In this conversation, I sit down…
S1E67 Mattering: an interview with Jennifer Wallace
If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing all the right things—checking boxes, meeting expectations—yet still wondering whether any of it really matters, this episode is for you. In this conversation, I…
S1E66 Adolescents Are Identity Scientists: Exploring With Chris Balme
In this episode, I sit down with education leader, parent, and author Chris Balme for a deep, thoughtful, and often funny conversation about what adolescents are really doing during the middle school…
S1E65 Why We Sleep - The Great Sleep Challenge
In this episode of The Self-Driven Child Podcast, I sit down with my longtime partner, co-author, and neuropsychologist Dr. William Stixrud to dig deep into something hiding in plain sight: sleep. We…
S1E64 How to Have Happy Holidays: What Science Suggests
In this episode, I dig into one of my favorite topics—what really makes us happy—and why the holidays are the perfect time to rethink how we create joy for ourselves and our kids. If you’ve ever…
S1E63 Great Parenting Advice From Lenore Skenazy ("America's Worst Mom") Or, "Why I Let My 9 Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone"
Ever wonder if we’re raising our kids with too much fear and not enough freedom? In this episode, I’m joined by Lenore Skenazy—founder of Let Grow, author, and self-described “America’s Worst Mom”—to…
S1E62 What Are They Thinking?: The Neuroscience of Nagging in Parents and Teens
If you've ever caught yourself reminding your kid—again and again—to get that homework done, check in with the coach, or finally read that book, this episode is for you. I dive deep into the…
S1E61 Stress Relief vs. Stress Release: What We All Need In Anxious Times
Hey folks, Ned here. If you’ve ever felt like life’s got you underwater—like you’re just barely catching your breath before the next wave crashes in—this one’s for you. In this episode, I sit down…
S1E60 Wise Effort with Diana Hill
We all want our kids to thrive—not just survive the pressure of school, sports, and life. But let’s be honest, it’s not easy. Too often we fall back into the same old habits, even when we know…
S1E59 Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You
In this episode of The Self-Driven Child Podcast, I sit down once again with my good friend and New York Times bestselling author Jeff Selingo. You probably know Jeff from his book Who Gets In and…
S1E58 Your Child Is Ready For College. Are You?
Hey folks, Ned here! In this episode, I sit down once again with my friend and co-author Dr. Bill Stixrud for a candid, real-world conversation not just about whether your kid is ready for…
S1E57 Challenge Accepted: 50 Adventures to Make Middle School Awesome
As parents, we often think of middle school as a gauntlet—something our kids just need to survive. But my guest today, education leader, author, and school founder Chris Balme, sees it differently.…
S1E56 School Phone Policies With An Educator Who Helped Craft Them
What happens when schools set boundaries on student phone use—not to punish, but to empower learning? In this episode, I sit down with Julie Yang, President of the Montgomery County, Maryland Board…
S1E55 Summer Downtime: The Power of Trees and the Default Mode Network
It’s summer, and that means more time outside—and for me, that means time with trees. In this episode, I dive deep into how trees, those quiet giants of our world, can actually help us and our kids…
S1E54 A Teen Perspective on Teen School Phone Policies
Hey folks, Ned here. If you're anything like me, you're always curious about how the younger generation views the world we're handing them—including the phones we put in their pockets and the social…
S1E53 Reimagining Education with Dr. Stuart Slavin
Hey folks, Ned here! This episode is a continuation of our eye-opening conversation with Dr. Stuart Slavin, a pediatrician, medical educator, and mental health advocate who's making waves in…
S1E52 Dr. Stuart Slavin: Simple Curricular Changes That Decreased Student Depression by 85% AND Raised Board Scores
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Stuart Slavin—pediatrician, medical educator, and a true superhero in the world of educational reform. Stuart’s groundbreaking work has shown that yes, we can…
S1E51 Six Steps to Being a Non-Anxious Presence
Hey folks, Ned here. In this episode, I’m diving into something that feels more essential now than ever—how to be a non-anxious presence for the people who count on you. Whether it’s your kids,…
S1E50 Ch. 8: "Seven Principles" for Supporting Student & Teacher Autonomy in Schools
In this episode, I’m joined by my dear friend and co-author, Dr. Bill Stixrud. We dive into a topic that’s been at the heart of so many recent conversations: how schools can do a better job…
S1E49 How To Redesign Schools to Unleash Extraordinary Learning For All
If you’ve ever looked at your kid’s school and thought, “Is this really the best we can do?”—this episode is for you. I sat down with the incredible Jenee Henry Wood, a national leader in…
Frequently Asked Questions
The Self-Driven Child has published 67 episodes since March 2023, covering topics in Education, Health & Fitness.
The Self-Driven Child is currently highly active with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 40m.
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