Kids These Days

Everyone knows that maintaining a good sense of humor is important in everyday life - especially when it comes to the ups and downs of raising a family. On this program we'll explore how we can all insert more laughter (the best medicine!) into our day-to-day lives while learning to laugh more as a family. We'll find out why laughing is good for the bodies, minds and spirits of people of all ages and why with humor educator Mark Kay Morrison, medical laughter researcher Dr. Lee Berk and Scared Scriptless Improv's Jason Martin.

Sometimes life detours. Even the most organized plans can change and things don’t always happen as we expect. Especially when it comes to family life - a new baby, a marriage, a divorce, falling in love, a death - these are all things that can cause detours in our lives. This time on KTD, we’ve gathered touching, funny, amazing, heartbreaking and uniquely Alaskan stories from those who've experienced a detour in their life - a young family whose complicated pregnancy meant relocating to a new city, a novelist who detoured from Mongolia to Alaska, a single mom of three teens in Ohio who moved to a rural Denali homestead for the love of a dog musher and an injured Olympian gets back on track. And much more!KSKA: Tuesday 6/19 @ 2p & 7p

With Father's Day coming up, we at Kids These Days! thought it the perfect time to explore the role of fathers through history. How have dads changed, and how have they stayed the same through wars, civil rights movements, evolving social expectations and shifting economic times? We'll learn about the growing Alaska Native Fatherhood Movement and the groups that advocate for an active, engaged father (or father figure) in every child's life - and why it matters. Join us for this discussion that spans decades, cultures and a country as we look at dads in the USA, then and now.KSKA: Tuesday 6/11 @ 2p & 7p

New technologies are giving us an unprecendented view of the inner-workings of our brains. So this time on Kids These Days!, we're talking about brain development during a child's teenage years. Adolescent development expert and author, Dr. Laurence Steinberg & UAA's Dr. John Petraitis join us to discuss how your teen's odd or risky behavior could be explained by normal adolescent brain development. Plus, motivational expert to the teens, Josh Shipp aka 'The Teen Whisperer' and a new Dr. KTD. KSKA: Tuesday, 6/5 @ 2p & 7p

Looking for love, companionship and a life partner means dating - for better or for worse. So this time on Kids These Days! we're exploring what happens when mom or dad start dating again after a divorce or death of a spouse, and we'll also turn an eye to teens and dating - how are the kids these days doing relationships (or not). Plus, Susie Carter, founder of Alaskan Men magazine offers her best advice from 25 years of matchmaking. KSKA: Tuesday, 5/29 @ 2p & 7p

Whether you graduated last week or 30 years ago, chances are that there was a standout teacher at some point in your school career. Perhaps they had a unique teaching style. Maybe they took extra time or showed you special kindness. Or, they may have seen the potential in you earlier than anyone else. So on this program we celebrate and appreciate those educators who have made us all better people as a result of their work. We're joined by special guests Anchorage School District Superintendent, Carol Comeau, and two previous Alaska Teachers of the Year, Lorrie Heagy and Patricia Truman.KSKA: Tuesday 5/22 @ 2pm & 7pm

This Mother's Day special explores how motherhood has evolved since the Greek and Roman times. We'll be looking at moms through the ages as well as discussing modern trends in motherhood with our guest Dr. Shari Thurer, author of Myths of Motherhood: How Culture Reinvents the Good Mother. It's a fascinating discussion on family structure, societal expectations and the importance of moms. KSKA: Tuesday, May 8 @ 2p & 7p

Preparing for college can be an entire family affair, not to mention the teachers and counselors who all pull together to help a young person get ready to succeed in higher education. This time on KTD we're talking about what it takes to get to university - and once accepted - how to do one's best during those college years. For this conversation we check in with advisors from two of Alaska's higher learning institutions: University of Alaska, Anchorage and Alaska Pacific University. KSKA: Tuesday 5/1 @ 2p & 7p

Place-based education means learning about the immediate environment and cultural history and heritage, too, as part of a student's overall education. This time on KTD educators Paul Ongtooguk and Lynda Prince, join host Shana Sheehy in the studio to talk about the philosophy behind the movement and explain its origins. And we'll hear from Dr. Ben Chavis, a School Choice supporter who is critical of the idea that schools should teach culture.KSKA: Tuesday 4/24 @ 2p & 7p

Autism is being diagnosed with more and more frequency; recent reports say 1 in 88 kids in the United States have it. So next week on Kids These Days! we're talking about autism spectrum disorders wit our guests Teresa Hirst, ANP and Kris Green, Autism and Services Manager for the State of Alaska. We’ll learn about screening, supports and resources for Alaska families, and what's changing for autism when new diagnostic criteria come out in 2013.KSKA: Tuesday 2/17 @ 2p & 7p