Podcasts · Kids & Family · Education

The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast

The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast with Suzanne Swain, EdS LMSW

48 episodes

THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MARY POPPINS PODCAST™ The #1-charting podcast about the wonderfully complicated years between childhood and adolescence. Hosted by educator, educational technology specialist, and licensed social worker Suzanne M. Swain, EdS, LMSW, The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast™ has grown into an internationally listened-to platform for families, educators, counselors, and everyone helping young people navigate the middle. With more than 900,000 lifetime plays and downloads, 48,000+ Spotify followers, 8,000+ Spotify ratings with a 5.0-star rating, listeners in 135+ countries, and repeated #1 placements on Apple Podcasts—including #1 chart positions in Parenting and Kids & Family—MSMP™ has become a growing voice in the conversation about middle school development. But the numbers aren't the reason this show exists. The kids are. STOP. REGULATE. LISTEN. Middle school isn't simply an academic transition. It is a neurological, emotional, social, technological, and identity transition. MSMP™ explores what is happening underneath young people's behavior—and what the adults who love, teach, counsel, and care for them can do next. Episodes combine developmental science, educational practice, mental-health perspectives, neuroscience, technology, humor, storytelling, and more than two decades of experience working with young people. Topics include emotional regulation, executive functioning, critical thinking, anxiety, friendships, bullying, identity, resilience, motivation, school success, family communication, creativity, digital citizenship, social media, artificial intelligence, gaming, screen use, and the rapidly changing adolescent brain. NEURODIVERGENT BRAINS BELONG HERE Neurodiversity isn't an occasional topic on MSMP™. It is part of the way we understand young people. The show regularly explores autism, ADHD, giftedness, twice-exceptionality, sensory needs, masking, executive-function differences, emotional intensity, communication differences, accommodations, regulation, and what happens when a child's brain doesn't fit neatly into the environment adults have created for them. Instead of beginning with: “How do we stop this behavior?” MSMP™ begins with: “What is happening underneath this behavior—and what does this young person need next?” — Looking for something a little softer at the end of the day? Check out Bedtime Stories for Middle School Hearts, a new Middle School Mary Poppins storytelling podcast filled with cozy mysteries, gentle adventures, familiar animal friends, and just a little bit of magic. It’s made for tweens, teens, families, and anyone who still loves being read to before bed. Just for tweens & teens. EDUCATION + TECHNOLOGY + MENTAL HEALTH Suzanne began her career with an unusual long-term plan: experience education from as many perspectives as possible before trying to tell anyone how schools should work. That meant teaching. Libraries. Curriculum. School administration. Higher education. Educational…

Episodes

  1. Let the Joy Come Barging In: Consent, Boundaries & the Wholehearted Yes

    · 23 min · S4 E5

    What does consent actually mean for a middle schooler — and how do we teach boundaries without making the conversation scary? In this episode of Middle School Mary Poppins, Suzanne M. Swain EDS LMSW explores consent,…

  2. Talking in Your Sleep: Why Sleep Is a Middle School Superpower

    · 40 min · S4 E5

    Why can a middle schooler be wide awake late at night and nearly impossible to wake up in the morning? Why does sleep matter so much for learning, memory, growth, mood, and emotional regulation? And what in the world…

  3. MSMP Special: Bedtime Prayer for Bend, Oregon

    · 2:34 · Bonus

    A quiet bedtime prayer and audio hug for the children, families, educator, and community of Bend, Oregon. Tonight, we simply hold them close in our hearts and send love, comfort, and kindness. Become a supporter of…

  4. 2 Life Truths & a Lie: Critical Thinking Brain Training Game - Week 2

    · 33 min · S4 E4

    2 Life Truths and a Lie: Busting Cognitive Distortions - Critical Thinking Brain Training Pt. 2What if your brain is telling you a story that feels completely true… but isn’t?In Season 4, Episode 4 of The Middle School…

  5. Let’s Get Critical! Are You Smarter Than an Eighth Grader?

    · 37 min · S4 E3

    MSMP Family Game Week begins with seven verbal brain games designed for middle schoolers, parents, teachers, and anyone else who wants to play along. Inspired by our field trip to Creature Features in Athens,…

  6. Living in a Material World - Ego, Spotlight People, Scapegoats, & Staying Clever

    · 27 min · S4 E2

    What happens when someone seems to value your talent, creativity, or helpfulness more than they value you? In “Living in a Material World: Spotlight People, Scapegoats, and Staying Clever,” I explore something I…

  7. True Colors: Potentiality & 8 Hidden Superpowers for a Brand-New School Year 🌈💎

    · 53 min · S4 E1

    TRUE COLORS: 8 Hidden Superpowers for a Brand-New School Year 🌈💎 Season 4 is here! 🎉 And we’re starting with a radical idea: what if some of the things we’re quickest to label as “problems” in middle schoolers are…

  8. SEL Summer Camp Week 6 - The Last Campfire: Saving Big Hearts a Seat | Skills Wrap Up

    · 42 min · S3 E16

    🏕️ In the final episode of our SEL Summer Camp series, we bring together everything we’ve explored about the middle school years: the developing adolescent brain, screens and environment, emotions, anxiety, anger,…

  9. SEL Summer Camp Week 5 - Deep Dive into Anger, Reactivity & Rage | Why Tweens Explode (And What to Do Instead)

    · 1 h 10 min · S3 E15

    🍎Apple Listeners: The show’s ratings were hacked & dropped to 3.1 rating from 4.9. It is under investigation currently. If you could help out & provide a positive star rating, it would mean everything! So grateful!…

  10. SEL Summer Camp Week 4: Garden of Weedy Thoughts: Helping Middle Schoolers Bust Cognitive Distortions & Calm Anxiety

    · 30 min · S3 E14

    🍎Apple Listeners: The show’s ratings were hacked & dropped to 3.1 rating from 4.9. It is under investigation currently. If you could help out & provide a positive star rating, it would mean everything! So grateful!…

  11. SEL Summer Camp Week 3: Oceans of Emotion: Why Middle Schoolers Feel Everything All at Once

    · 36 min · S3 E13

    Why does your middle schooler seem happy, anxious, excited, embarrassed, frustrated, and overwhelmed—all before dinner? In Week 3 of our whole family Socioemotional Learning (SEL) Summer Camp series, Suzanne M. Swain,…

  12. SEL Summer Camp Week 2: Are Screens Evil or Not? Chocolate Cake, Dopamine & the Middle School Brain

    · 27 min · S3 E12

    💜☂️ 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…

  13. SEL Summer Camp Week 1: Adolescent Brains: A Powerful Engine, Sensitive Alarm, & Driver Still in Training

    · 29 min · S3 E11

    ☀️ 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…

  14. Every Middle Schooler Needs Grace: Don’t You (Forget About Me)

    · 22 min · S3 E10

    Middle school can feel like a daily showdown… until you realize the kid isn’t always the problem. Sometimes the kid is the signal. In this episode of The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast, Suzanne Swain, EDS LMSW…

  15. Digital Rules of the Road: The (Online) Safety Dance

    · 36 min · S3 E9

    Internet Culture & Emotional Health: The Safety Dancefeat. Adam Brooks, Program Coordinator from BARK Technologies adamb@bark. MSMP listener offer: Use code POPPINS25 for $25 off any Bark phone model or watch (limit…

  16. Dogs, Cats, & the Neurodivergent Brain: You’ve Got a Friend in Me

    · 32 min · S3 E8

    Plain Talk: Dogs, Cats, & the Neurodivergent Brain (Unscripted & Unedited) 🐶💕🐱🥹This episode is a different one, y’all! No outline. No “cheat sheet.” No editing out the pauses or the “you knows.” 🤓🤫Just a real “plain”…

  17. Leveling Up Self-Regulation: The Final Countdown- How to Stop, Regulate, & Listen

    · 36 min · S3 E7

    Screen time is not going anywhere, so instead of arguing about whether it is “good” or “bad,” let’s get specific about what it doing positively for our kids. My EDS is in Education Technology, bring it! This is episode…

  18. The Screen Time Clash: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

    · 17 min · S3 E6

    Screens: the ultimate villain… or your kid’s emotional support sidekick? In this playful (and eye-opening) episode, Suzanne dives into the nightly showdown every parent knows too well—the “put the phone down”…

  19. Growing Up Neurodivergent: Karma Chameleon

    · 17 min · S3 E5

    You can be smart, creative, and deeply caring and still walk through life feeling like you’re getting “thrown to the curb.” That ache hits a lot of neurodivergent adults, especially when old childhood labels keep…

  20. Cancer Changes Everything: Listen to Your Heart

    · 19 min · S3 E4

    What I thought was a routine appointment turned into an 11-hour stretch in the ER—and then the words no one is ever ready to hear: stage four metastatic cervical cancer. I’m sharing this with a shaky voice but a steady…

  21. Unpacking Neurodivergence: She Blinded Me With Science

    · 11 min · S3 E3

    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…

  22. Anger & Reactivity: Under Pressure - Why Anger is a Superpower

    · 16 min · S3 E2

    Anger feels fast. Powerful. Loud. But what’s really underneath it?In this special, kid-requested episode, Suzanne M. Swain, EDS, LMSW — child therapist, educational specialist, and veteran middle school teacher — talks…

  23. Neurodivergence & Perseverance: I Need a Hero

    · 15 min · S3 E1

    Heroes aren’t always loud—and they don’t 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…

  24. How to Outsmart Bullies: Tainted Love

    · 19 min · S2 E17

    Bullying in middle school isn’t always loud or obvious—and that’s what makes it so confusing and harmful. In this episode of Middle School Mary Poppins, child therapist and educational specialist Suzanne M. Swain, EDS,…

  25. Middle School Emotional Safety: Time After Time

    · 18 min · S2 E16

    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 what’s…

  26. Food for Mood 2: Sweet Dreams are Made of This: Emotions & Eating

    · 21 min · S2 E15

    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…

  27. Food for Mood: Hungry like a Wolf: How Food Choices Guide Your Day’s Emotions

    · 20 min · S2 E14

    It’s a new year, so let’s talk about food and feelings—because they’re 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…

  28. Holiday Joy & Eustress: Run Run Rudolph: Presence over Presents

    · 23 min · S2 E13

    Happy holidays from Middle School Mary Poppins! In this heart-centered episode, Suzanne M. Swain, EdS, LMSW—your friendly neighborhood kid therapist—dives into a powerful holiday homophone: presents vs. presence. One…

  29. MSMP Poetry Special: Middle School Twas the Night Before Middle School Break

    · 2:44 · S2 E10 · Bonus

    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.Send Suzanne a Question or…

  30. Finding Ridiculous Joy: It's a Beautiful Life! How Joy is Healing Teen Minds

    · 24 min · S2 E11

    Middle school can feel weird, overwhelming, awkward, emotional, and completely ridiculous sometimes… so maybe the answer is learning how to hold onto a little “Ridiculous Joy” to help us cope with the difficulty. In…

  31. Thanksgiving Social Skills Special: We Are Family - Initiating Conversation Skills for Tweens

    · 14 min · S2 E10 · Bonus

    Hey y’all & 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,…

  32. Learning Empathy: Right Here Waiting- Exploring Mindfulness, Kindness, & Thoughtfulness

    · 19 min · S2 E9

    In this thoughtful and essential episode of Middle School Mary Poppins, Suzanne M. Swain, EDS, LMSW—Education Master & Specialist as well as working school-based Child Therapist introduces a new concept she believes…

  33. Tweens & Money: The Secret of My Success - Neurodivergence & Relationships with Money

    · 14 min · S2 E8

    In this episode, child therapist and master teacher Suzanne M. Swain, EDS LMSW, dives into a topic that makes many of us squirm—money management for neurodivergent kids. Whether your child has ADHD, autism, or another…

  34. Tween & Teen Masculinity: Let’s Hear It for the Boys - Today’s Male Social Standards

    · 27 min · S2 E7

    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…

  35. Educational Epic Fails: Insane in the Brain

    · 17 min · S2 E6

    What do Abraham Lincoln, a dead bird, and the local Fire Department have in common? Believe it or not—Suzanne’s teaching career. In this episode, kid therapist and master teacher Suzanne M. Swain spills her epic…

  36. ADHD Goes Back to School: Take on Me - Get Organized For Your School Year

    · 27 min · S2 E5

    Welcome back to the chaos and charm of back-to-school season! In this episode, therapist and former middle school teacher Suzanne M. Swain (EDS, LMSW) dives into one of her most requested topics—ADHD. Suzanne flips the…

  37. Tween & Teens Obsession with Technology: & VR and AI Killed the Radio Star - Boundaries on Kids’ Tech

    · 21 min · S2 E4

    In this jam-packed, joy-filled episode, Suzanne Swain dives headfirst down the digital rabbit hole to share her lifelong love of tech—and how it’s changing the game for kids and families alike. From her first VGA…

  38. Meltdowns & Trauma: When Bad Things Happen - to Good Middle Schoolers - The Labyrinth

    · 16 min · S1 E11

    At 3:18 AM, Suzanne Swain found herself wide awake, anxious, and overwhelmed. In this heartfelt episode, she shares how a late-night rewatch of Labyrinth became the unexpected comfort she needed. Blending nostalgia,…

  39. Grandparents: A Coat of Many Colors - Exploring Family Mentor Relationships and Love

    · 14 min

    What’s the grandest thing you’ve ever done? Built a treehouse? Made a birthday cake from scratch? Raised a child… twice? In this heartwarming episode, Suzanne Swain (aka your favorite rural kid therapist) dives into…

  40. Tween & Teen Test Anxiety: This One's For the Children - Self Regulation & Standardized Testing

    · 16 min · S2 E1

    Season 2 of The Middle School Mary Poppins Podcast is officially here, and Suzanne M. Swain—your go-to guide for all things educational, emotional, and real—is kicking things off with a deep dive into test anxiety.…

  41. School Stories - Simply the Best Around: Blow Pops, Business, & The 8th Grade Hustle

    · 1 h 07 min · S1 E8

    FIXTION STORY WEEK: Normieville Middle School’s eighth graders have taken entrepreneurship to a whole new level—by launching a booming Blow Pop business that’s causing a stir. Suzanne Swain steps in to unravel the…

  42. Living Teacher Life: Perception: The Hidden Emotional Struggles of Teachers

    · 51 min · S1 E7

    Ever thought about how traffic jams and middle school classrooms have more in common than you’d expect? In this episode, we dive deep into the power of perception—how it shapes our experiences, learning, emotions, and…

  43. Spirituality: The Wind Beneath My Wings

    · 26 min · S1 E6

    In this heartfelt and thought-provoking episode, we explore the essence of spirituality—not through religion, but through the stories, characters, and moments that shape our understanding of kindness, bravery, and…

  44. Teacher Stories: Word Play - Nice Nice Baby! A Fictional Address from Superintendent Suz

    · 37 min · S1 E5

    MSMP STORYTELLING (Fictional) This year, we’re taking education to a whole new level—one playful idea at a time! From Lin-Manuel Miranda’s rap seminar bringing history to life, to eighth graders designing a better…

  45. Stars of Teacher Education: You Spin Me Like a Record - The Incomparable Dr. Akenson & Divergent Thinking Practice

    · 39 min · S1 E4

    Step into the extraordinary world of Dr. James Akenson, the educator who redefines what it means to teach. Known as the "Mr. Rogers of Teacher Education," Dr. Akenson blends visual thinking, storytelling, and thematic…

  46. Stories - The New Kids On The Block: The Write Stuff - New Kid Intro w Principal Suz

    · 40 min · S1 E3

    Join "Principal" Suzanne in this lively and heartwarming episode as she kicks off the school year with a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and kindness. From shouting out local sponsors like "Pretty Fly for a…

  47. Teachers: Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Why K12 Teachers Deserve Joy & Consideration

    · 49 min · S1 E2

    In this heartwarming and thought-provoking episode, Suzanne explores the metaphor of the apple to uncover the often hidden struggles and strengths of both teachers and students. Just like an apple may appear perfect on…

  48. Middle School: Mary Poppins 2.0: A Spoonful of Educator Sugar - Why Mary Needs a Comeback

    · 26 min · S1 E1

    Remember when Mary Poppins seemed like the ultimate fix for everything? As a teacher and therapist, I’ve spent years wishing we had her magic back in the classroom. I’m Suzanne M. Swain, EDS/MSSW, and I've lived…

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