5: Raising Resilience with Tovah Klein

In this episode, I sit down with one of the most respected experts in early childhood, Tovah Klein. I’ve admired Tovah since I first read How Toddlers Thrive at the start of my career, and I’ve had the privilege of knowing her firsthand over the years. Now, with her latest book, Raising Resilience, I knew I had to have her on to discuss a topic that has been central to both my work and my parenting: resilience. While I’ve studied and shared insights about resilience for years, I still struggle to find the right balance between supporting my children and preparing them for the real world. In this conversation, I get to turn the tables and ask Tovah for guidance in my own parenting—particularly with my older daughter. We dive into real-life challenges, from handling friendship rejection to navigating morning routines, and explore how to build the kind of parent-child relationship that encourages openness rather than secrecy as kids grow. What I Took Away From This Episode: Resilience isn’t something we can instill with a quick tip or hack—it’s built through authentic relationships. If we feel like we’re doing too much for our kids, we probably are. The kids who always seem “good” may be the ones we need to check in on the most. Trusting our kids to come to us—rather than constantly rescuing them—is key. Parenting isn’t just about our kids; it’s also about understanding what we bring to the relationship—our own fears, projections, and patterns. (Which, at its core, is what this podcast is all about!) This might be my favorite episode yet—I haven’t stopped thinking about it since we recorded. Tovah is the mentor and expert we all wish we could have coffee with. I feel lucky I got to sip my Culture Pop soda with her while soaking in her wisdom. *All links are affiliate links supporting both this podcast and each guest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices