{"podcast":{"title":"play on words","slug":"play-on-words-6399561","podcast_index_feed_id":6399561,"rss_url":"https://feeds.zencastr.com/f/B4HeOMxA.rss","website_url":"https://www.bigcityreaders.com/","image_url":"https://media.zencastr.com/image-files/643d94b7e5cd786efbd7958c/e7504645-5337-4b02-8927-e5d3e551d61d.PNG","author":"miss beth","episode_count":83,"summary":"Learning to read starts with learning to play. This is the podcast for parents and teachers of kids ages 0-8 who want to have FUN learning evidence backed early development and literacy strategies in a short amount of time. This is the podcast for the teacher who needs a bestie to ask questions to and the parent who wants to know the best developmental practices to implement in the 3 minutes a day they have. You're not alone. Ask your questions here. If I can't answer them, one of my friends will be on to help! There are so many confusing parts about the learning to read journey. Miss Beth is here to simplify it, affirm you are the best person to teach your child, and give you the confidence you need in the early childhood education years. This podcast is for fun, community and confidence making tough topics more bite sized for every parent teacher and child.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-23T02:21:13.034856+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/play-on-words-6399561"},"episode":{"title":"Back-to-School Anxiety: Parenting Tips & Morning Routines That Work","slug":"back-to-school-anxiety-parenting-tips-morning-routines-that-work","published_at":"2025-09-17T20:06:04+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/play-on-words-6399561/back-to-school-anxiety-parenting-tips-morning-routines-that-work","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/play-on-words-6399561","url":"https://zencastr.com/z/esy2hOxu","audio_url":"https://redirect.zencastr.com/r/episode/68cb14acd04ee7a7504e1eb7/size/586817702/video-files/643d94b7e5cd786efbd7958c/d9f8d6d0-94d4-4304-9b02-55f0db09ef04.mp4","summary":"Welcome back to episode 73 of Play On Words from Big City Readers! In this kickoff episode, Miss Beth dives into one of the most common challenges families face each fall: back-to-school anxiety. If mornings feel chaotic, drop-offs end in tears, or your child worries about school all weekend, this episode is for you. Drawing from her years of working with families, Beth shares practical, playful, and totally doable strategies to ease anxiety and help your child feel confident about school. What You'll Learn in This Episode: * The Power of Routine: Why the same breakfast at the same time can reduce stress. * Connection Items: How a matching bracelet, heart doodle, or silly ritual helps kids feel close to you all day long. * Drop-Off Rituals That Work: From synchronized car door slams to secret handshakes, small traditions make big transitions smoother. * Practice Runs: How Saturday morning school visits (plus donuts!) can transform how your child feels about the building. * Timing Anxiety Talks: Why Saturday mornings beat Sunday nights for reading \"first day of school\" books and having big feelings conversations. * The Hardest Step for Parents: How to keep goodbyes short, sweet, and empowering—without feeding the worry loop. Why It Matters Instead of letting anxiety take over, these routines give kids jobs to do, helping them channel nervous energy into action. Parents and children become a team, turning the hardest part of the day into a moment of connection and pride. ✨ This episode isn't just about managing anxiety—it's about building confidence, connection, and joy around school routines. Mentioned in this episode: Big Feelings Booklist [https://www.amazon.com/shop/bigcityreaders/list/3UGTRRVHOHMSU?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_C1CKDPJT27CADBN0WWRK] Printable Routine…","meta_description":"Welcome back to episode 73 of Play On Words from Big City Readers! In this kickoff episode, Miss Beth dives into one of the most common challenges familie…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2024,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/play-on-words-6399561/episodes/back-to-school-anxiety-parenting-tips-morning-routines-that-work/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/play-on-words-6399561/back-to-school-anxiety-parenting-tips-morning-routines-that-work.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}