The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast
đâď¸ The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast⢠is a chart-topping parenting and education podcast hosted by Suzanne M. Swain, EdS, LMSWâa former middle school teacher, school librarian, administrator, professor of education, therapist, and educational sociologist with more than 20 years of experience working with tweens, teens, families, and schools.
Designed especially for parents, educators, and caregivers of children ages 10â15, each episode combines brain science, emotional regulation strategies, practical parenting tools, school culture insight, and real-world support for navigating the middle school years.
Topics include anxiety, autism, ADHD, executive functioning, emotional regulation, friendship challenges, screen time, social media, resilience, neurodiversity, school success, family communication, and adolescent development.
Known for its warm, research-based approach and Neurodivergent-Friendly design, the podcast helps families move beyond shame, punishment, and panic toward connection, understanding, and emotional growth.
Whether youâre raising a middle schooler, teaching one, or simply trying to better understand the adolescent brain, youâll find practical strategies, encouragement, and a little ridiculous joy along the way.
Stop. Regulate. Listen.
Learn more at msmarypoppins.com
Special thanks to Janine Stella at http://www.StellaMix.com for Producing MSMP. đâď¸
Episodes
38 episodes
S2 EP 30 - SEL Summer Camp Week 3: Oceans of Emotion: Why Middle Schoolers Feel Everything All at Once
Why does your middle schooler seem happy, anxious, excited, embarrassed, frustrated, and overwhelmedâall before dinner?In Week 3 of our whole family Socioemotional Learning (SEL) Summer Camp series, Suzanne M. Swain, EdS, LMSW, is joined...
S2 EP 29 - SEL Summer Camp Week 2: Are Screens Evil or Not? Chocolate Cake, Dopamine & the Middle School Brain
đâď¸ Are Screens Evil or Not? Chocolate Cake, Dopamine & the Middle School Brain | SEL Summer Camp Week 2Why do kids seem glued to their phones? Why do texts, group chats, likes, and social media feel so important during middle...
S2 EP 28 - SEL Summer Camp Week 1: Adolescent Brains: A Powerful Engine, Sensitive Alarm, & Driver Still in Training
âď¸ SEL Summer Camp is Here!Pack your curiosity, grab your emotional toolkit, and join us for a one-of-a-kind summer adventure!Middle School Mary Poppins is teaming up with Mightier for a special six-week SEL (Social Emot...
S2 EP 27 - Plain-Talk ~ Showing Grace: Donât You Forget About Me
Middle school can feel like a daily showdown⌠until you realize the kid isnât always the problem. Sometimes the kid is the signal.In this episode of The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast, Suzanne Swain, EDS LMSW explores the mo...
S2 EP 26 - Internet Culture & Emotional Health: The Safety Dance
Internet Culture & Emotional Health: The Safety Dancefeat. Adam Brooks, Program Coordinator from BARK Technologies adamb@bark.usSpecial MSMP listener offer:Use code POPPINS25 for $25 off any ...
S2 EP 25 - Dogs, Cats, and the Neurodivergent Brain: Youâve Got a Friend in Me
Plain Talk: Dogs, Cats, & the Neurodivergent Brain (Unscripted & Unedited) đśđđąđĽšThis episode is a different one, yâall!No outline.No âcheat sheet.âNo editing out the pauses or the âyou knows.â đ¤đ¤ŤJust a re...
S2 EP 24 - Leveling Up Self-Regulation: The Final Countdown
Screen time is not going anywhere, so instead of arguing about whether it is âgoodâ or âbad,â letâs get specific about what it doing positively for our kids. My EDS is in Education Technology, bring it! This is episode two in our ex...
S2 EP 23 - The Screen Time Clash: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Screens: the ultimate villain⌠or your kidâs emotional support sidekick? In this playful (and eye-opening) episode, Suzanne dives into the nightly showdown every parent knows too wellâthe âput the phone downâ battleâand flips the script in a wa...
S2 EP 22 - Growing Up Neurodivergent: Karma Chameleon
You can be smart, creative, and deeply caring and still walk through life feeling like youâre getting âthrown to the curb.â That ache hits a lot of neurodivergent adults, especially when old childhood labels keep playing on loop: too sensitive,...
S2 EP 21 - Cancer Changes Everything: Listen to Your Heart
What I thought was a routine appointment turned into an 11-hour stretch in the ERâand then the words no one is ever ready to hear: stage four metastatic cervical cancer. Iâm sharing this with a shaky voice but a steady purpose, because my best ...
S2 EP 20 - Unpacking Neurodivergence: She Blinded Me With Science
What if the behaviors we rush to fix are actually signals from a beautifully organized, differently wired brain? In this episode, we explore new neuroscience showing why attention differences, sensory intensity, and big emotions often appear to...
S2 EP 19 - Anger & Reactivity: Under Pressure
Anger feels fast. Powerful. Loud. But whatâs really underneath it?In this special, kid-requested episode, Suzanne M. Swain, EDS, LMSW â child therapist, educational specialist, and veteran middle school teacher â talks directly to tweens...
S2 EP 18 - Neurodivergent Perseverance: I Need a Hero
Heroes arenât always loudâand they donât always wear capes.In this episode of Middle School Mary Poppins, Suzanne M. Swain explores what heroism really looks like in the real world: persistence, joy, empathy, and showing up as yourself...
S2 EP 17 - Outsmarting Bullies: Tainted Love
Bullying in middle school isnât always loud or obviousâand thatâs what makes it so confusing and harmful. In this episode of Middle School Mary Poppins, child therapist and educational specialist Suzanne M. Swain, EDS, LMSW explores the subtle,...
S2 EP 16 - Emotional Safety: Time After Time
Ever wonder why your child completely melts down the second they walk through the door after school? In this episode, veteran middle school teacher and child therapist Suzanne M. Swain, EdS LMSW breaks down whatâs really going o...
S2 EP 15 - Food for Mood 2: Sweet Dreams are Made of This
In Part II of the Food for Mood series, Suzanne explores how the Inside Out socially-based emotions like anxiety, embarrassment, envy, boredom, & ultimately motivation quietly influence behavior, mood, and emotional regulation.&nbs...
S2 EP 14 - Food for Mood: Hungry like a Wolf
Itâs a new year, so letâs talk about food and feelingsâbecause theyâre way more connected than we realize. In this episode, we break down how what you eat can either calm you down or completely throw you off, without diet rules or restriction.<...
S2 EP 13 - Holiday Joy & Eustress: Run Run Rudolph
Happy holidays from Middle School Mary Poppins! In this heart-centered episode, Suzanne M. Swain, EdS, LMSWâyour friendly neighborhood kid therapistâdives into a powerful holiday homophone: presents vs. presence. One is wrapped....
Poetry Special: Twas the Night Before Middle School Break
Sharing a little bit of holiday cheer with you by creating a poem about life in middle school during the holiday season. Hope you enjoy it and happy holidays andMerry Christmas to you all.
S2 EP 11 - Ridiculous Joy: It's a Beautiful Life
Middle school can feel weird, overwhelming, awkward, emotional, and completely ridiculous sometimes⌠so maybe the answer is learning how to hold onto a little âRidiculous Joyâ to help us cope with the difficulty.In this episode of Th...
S2 EP 10 - Thanksgiving Social Skills Special: We Are Family
Hey yâall & happy Thanksgiving, everyone! As we all know, this can be a stressful time of year for some individuals who may be struggling. I wanted to take a moment today to give you a list of some conversation, starters and questions that ...
S2 EP 9 - Learning Empathy: Right Here Waiting
In this thoughtful and essential episode of Middle School Mary Poppins, Suzanne M. Swain, EDS, LMSWâEducation Master & Specialist as well as working school-based Child Therapist introduces a new concept she believes every family, t...
S2 EP 8 - Tweens & Money: The Secret of My Success
In this episode, child therapist and master teacher Suzanne M. Swain, EDS LMSW, dives into a topic that makes many of us squirmâmoney management for neurodivergent kids. Whether your child has ADHD, autism, or another form of ...
S2 EP 7 - Masculinity: Letâs Hear It for the Boys
In this heartfelt and necessary episode, Suzanne dives into the topic of masculinity and emotional safety, exploring how adolescent boys communicate, why they struggle to open up, and how we can help them feel seen and supported. With wa...
S2 EP 6 - Educational Epic Fails: Insane in the Brain
What do Abraham Lincoln, a dead bird, and the local Fire Department have in common? Believe it or notâSuzanneâs teaching career. In this episode, kid therapist and master teacher Suzanne M. Swain spills her epic teaching fails