The Learning Curve - Mishpacha

In episode 14 of The Learning Curve, Rabbi Garfield and Rabbi Schonfeld talk 3-point celebrations and how to handle moving with school-aged children. And the big question with Dr. Mayer Grunfeld: Do we need to medicate ADHD children?

Season sponsored by Israel Bookshop Publications.

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In episode 13 of The Learning Curve, Rabbi Schonfeld and Rabbi Garfield discuss if you should allow your daughter to attend a friend's bas mitzvah, and if a parent should discourage a son from following a derech that differs from theirs. And the big question: What is going on with my middle schooler's middos?

Season sponsored by Israel Bookshop Publications

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In episode 12 of The Learning Curve, Rabbi Garfield and Rabbi Schonfeld have a deep discussion with Rav Yussie Zakutinsky and explore what different neshamos in this generation really need. Plus: how to keep kids excited about Shabbos, and whether mesifta causes boys to lose their personalities.

Season sponsored by Israel Bookshop Publications.
Shop now at https://israelbookshoppublications.com

In episode eleven of The Learning Curve, Rabbi Schonfeld and Rabbi Garfield discuss if you should intervene when your child disagrees with your spouse, if it's ok for a Rebbi to go through his talmid's drawers, and the big question: How can a rebbi live on a typical rebbi's salary? Season sponsored by Israel Bookshop Publications Shop now at https://israelbookshoppublications.com

In episode 10 of The Learning Curve, Rabbi Garfield and Rabbi Schonfeld discuss kids stealing; what age is normal, and when should you seek outside help? How can you help a child who refuses to accept accountability?

And the big question: Should a "new age" teacher keep some old world decorum in her classroom?

Season sponsored by Israel Bookshop Publications

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In episode nine of The Learning Curve, Rabbi Schonfeld and Rabbi Garfield discuss if you should bribe kids not watch the superbowl, how a parent should approach poor Purim behavior, and welcome Rabbi Yoel Kramer, a chinuch legend, to the podcast to explain what makes a great Rebbi.

Season sponsored by Israel Bookshop Publications

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In episode 8 of season 3, Rabbi Garfiel and Rabbi Schonfeld answer reader emails and voicemails, including how rebbeim can assur texting for bachurim when they have texting themselves, whose responsibility is it decide if a child should be medicated for ADHD, and how should someone know if he should go into chinuch?

Season sponsored by Israel Bookshop Publications! Shop now at  https://israelbookshoppublications.com/collections/sale

In episode seven, Rabbi Schonfeld and Rabbi Garfield dicuss navigating the thorny waters of AI, even on a filtered flip phone. They also talk about leaving school punishments in school, and when you need to address them at home. And for the big question: What can a parent do if they did everything right and their child was still rejected?

In Episode six, Rabbi Garfiel and Rabbi Schonfeld unpack their own eighth grade student experiences, discuss if you should parent someone else's kids, and answer the big question: What should parents do if their child's school is not equipped to handle the services they need?

Our guest, Mrs. Devorah Pinkus, can be reached at dpinkusconsulting@gmail.com

In episode five, Rabbi Schonfeld and Rabbi Garfield record live from the Torah Umesora Convention! They discuss convention takeaways and winter vacation stress, and the big question: If a school wants to medicate a child and the parent doesn't want to, what should you do?

In this episode, Rabbi Garfield and Rabbi Schonfeld continue discussing chutzpah, teaching moderation in a modern world, and the big question: how can we foster a sense of self esteem in our children?

In this episode, Rabbi Schonfeld and Rabbi Garfield talk about if you should encourage your child to go to their bully's simcha, and whether Jewish MP3 players are the best or worst thing that's ever happened to us. And the big question: Are kids today more chutzpadik than ever?

In this episode, Rabbi Garfield and Rabbi Schonfeld answer our listeners' amazing feedback on the pressure conversation (and address the now-infamous "elite right" claim). And for the big question: how do we prepare our kids for mesivta?

In our first episode of Season 3, Rabbi Schonfeld and Rabbi Garfield discuss kids who have a hard time getting up in the morning and whether schools should use tuition as leverage to allow children back to school. And for the big question, are our boys and girls under too much pressure in school?

On this episode, Rabbi Garfield and Rabbi Schonfeld discuss the back-to-school struggle and hear how parents and mechanchim prepare for a new year. Plus: what can a mother do to connect to her mesivta-aged sons? And what should you do if your child is paired up with a teacher who has a difficult reputation?

For The Learning Curve season two finale, Rabbi Schonfeld and Rabbi Garfield host a live Zoom and take real-time questions from our listeners. They answer: Should intelligence be prioritized over effort? How much can a parent be mechanech in the heat of the moment? Is dorming right for your mesivta-aged son?

On this episode, Rabbi Schonfeld and Rabbi Garfield host a roundtable discussion with veteran menahelim. What does your child’s menahel wish you knew? How should a school balance your son’s unique needs with what they can realistically offer? And how can a menahel make each child feel special in a school with hundreds or thousands of students?

On this episode, Rabbi Garfield and Rabbi Schonfeld discuss how to best approach tefillah with your children. Also: Are gifted students being disregarded in yeshivos? And how can  parents maintain their values while living in a diverse community?

On this episode, Rabbi Schonfeld and Rabbi Garfield discuss how to best care for a child with anxiety. Also: We want our kids to share with us, but how do we react when they share their own bad behavior? And is “doing fine” good enough for a mesivta boy?

On this episode, Rabbi Garfield and Rabbi Schonfeld ask how we can raise balanced kids when more things are off-limits than ever before. Also, is my daughter’s school overdoing it with the tznius rules? And are yeshivos giving Rebbeim a path toward a dignified retirement?

On this episode, Rabbi Schonfeld and Rabbi Garfield ask: how schools can better partner with their parent body? Also: does installing a technology filter mean you don’t trust your child? And how much can we ask of our sons during bein hazemanim?

On this episode, Rabbi Garfield and Rabbi Schonfeld ask: How should parents and schools handle bullying? Also: Are our children getting too much candy in school? And how much homework is too much homework?

This podcast takes an honest look at three pressing parenting concerns: the pressures of mid-winter break, the balance between Purim fundraising and meaningful Yom Tov experiences for children, and the challenges of introducing a first phone to a preteen.  Guest Rabbi Yossi Strickman, founder of Project TRUST, joins the discussion to provide expert advice on safe technology use, helping parents navigate the digital world with confidence.

Is using chat GPT cheating in school? Are school bee’s the best way to encourage mastery? And the spotlight issue: How do we discipline challenging children without sacrificing our relationship with them?

In our season 1 finale episode, Rabbi Garfield and Rabbi Schonfeld discuss the most relevant topic in a high school girl's life: seminary. They discuss how the goals of seminary goers have changed, how the cost impacts the decision to go, and if " seminary brainwash" is a legitimate concern. 

Also: How should a divorced spouse deal with drastic chinuch differences with their ex-spouse?
And the BIG question: Where does the pressure to get into seminary stem from, and should it matter?

On this episode, Rabbi Schonfeld and Rabbi Garfield discuss a hot topic in boys chinuch: The role and importance of general studies in cheder and elementary schools. They discuss the challenges yeshivos face in implementing (and staffing) a general studies curriculum that is valued by students and parents. 

Also: What is the best way to work with a stubborn or rigid child? 
And the Big Question: Our son is very bright and a metzuyan in yeshiva, so why isn't he learning more than the basic secular subjects?

On this episode, Rabbi Garfield and Rabbi Schonfeld discuss one of the most impactful decisions a parent can have in their son's lives... where to send them for mesivta. They discuss the best way to best your child up for success in mesivta and beyond, and how to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible. 

Also: What to really do when your child's school has different shittos than you?

And the big question: What is the parent's role and the yeshiva's role when choosing a mesifta for a child?

On this episode of the pod, Rabbi Schonfeld and Rabbi Garfield delve deeper into mental health with renowned educational-developmental clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Shmuel Mandelman PhD. They discuss the single most important thing a parent can do to ensure positive mental health outcomes in their children, and the importance of choosing the best possible practitioners when it comes to a mental health professional. 

ALSO: Why does Rabbi Garfield appreciate when his students lie? How should we talk to our kids about vaping?

And the big question: How do I know when my child's behavior is normal vs. when it's time to get my child help?

In this episode, Rabbi Garfield and Rabbi Schonfeld discuss the stigmas around mental health with Dr. Yossi Shafer PhD. 

Also: Does the "work it out yourselves" approach to sibling rivalry actually work? Is it so bad if my daughter plays games on my phone when she needs to be entertained and quiet in public? 

And the BIG QUESTION: 
Do kids these days need therapy more than ever?

Featuring Rabbi Armo Kuessous and Mrs. Debbie Selengut, on this podcast, Rabbi Schonfeld and Rabbi Garfield ask the questions you need to know before you send your kids to camp. 

ALSO: If you don't like the rules why do you send your child to that school? Are teacher gifts an unfair bribe?

And the BIG QUESTIONS: How are camps prepared to handle the extremely sensitive issue of abuse?  And what would be a big enough issue to warrant a child being asked to leave camp?

In part two of this important topic, Rabbi Schonfeld and Rabbi Garfield continue their discussion about gemara with honored guests Rav Aaron Lopiansky and Rabbi Yaakov Oppen.

How do you reconcile the Torah's view of the age of the world with the theories that the scientific community suggest? How should we be teaching children that eisav soneh Yaakov practically, when they might have regular interactions with the umos haolam? 

And the BIG QUESTION: How do we relay to boys who are struggling with gemara that they are as equally as important as the metzuyanim?

The Learning Curve is a  podcast hosted by Rabbi Ari Schonfeld and Rabbi Yerachmiel Garfield tackling the important parenting issues facing frum families today

On our first ever episode, Rabbi Schonfeld and Rabbi Garfield discuss the burning questions parents have about raising their children. 
Is there any validity to the opinion that forcing middle school boys to go to shul on Shabbos is the way to go? When your child reports "facts" that don't line up with that the teacher says, who do you believe?

And the BIG QUESTION: Is it possible my son is not cut out for Gemara?

The Learning Curve is a  podcast hosted by Rabbi Ari Schonfeld and Rabbi Yerachmiel Garfield tackling the important parenting issues facing frum families today.