You’re Doing It Right is a monthly, expert-led podcast hosted by Drs. Leslie Roos (C.Psych, UManitoba) & Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen (R.Psych, U British Columbia) created to support Canadian parents and caregivers of children aged 2–10. The podcast offers warm, practical, and evidence-based guidance designed to help parents feel more confident, supported, and less stressed in their everyday parenting journey. Each episode features a trusted expert who shares clear, non-judgmental insights on parenting, child development, emotional wellbeing, and family life.
Below you’ll find all released episodes, plus information about the guests and links to resources.
Episode 1: Introducing the Podcast: Parenting Is Hard… But You’re Doing It Right
Host: Dr. Leslie Roos
Dr. Leslie Roos is an Associate Professor at the University of Manitoba with appointments in the Departments of Psychology and Pediatrics, and the host of the You’re Doing It Right podcast. Her research focuses on improving parent mental health and strengthening family relationships to support children’s wellbeing.
Dr. Roos leads research into developing and evaluating scalable programs that support families experiencing stress, beginning in the prenatal period. Her work combines insights from psychology, neuroscience, and parent-child research to identify practical ways to improve family wellbeing.
She collaborates with community organizations and research teams to advance accessible, equitable, evidence-based supports for families. Dr. Roos completed her clinical residency at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto and received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Oregon. She is a former Junior Fellow at the Harvard Centre on the Developing Child and current Canadian Institutes of Health Research Chair in Implementation Science.
She is also a mother of three and brings both professional expertise and lived parenting experience to her work.
Host: Dr. Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen
Dr. Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen is an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia and co-host of the You’re Doing It Right podcast. She is a clinical psychologist and researcher whose work focuses on parent mental health, sleep, and early family wellbeing.
Dr. Tomfohr-Madsen leads the Healthy Families Lab at UBC, where her research explores how stress, social factors, and early experiences shape the health of parents and children. Her work aims to develop and scale accessible interventions that support families during pregnancy, the transition to parenthood, and early childhood.
Through her research and clinical work, she is committed to translating evidence-based knowledge into practical tools that help families thrive.
Resources
Compassionate Parenting: Lessons from our Forest Friends by Stace Burnard
Mental Health Commission of Canada
Caring for Kids
The Mom Psychologist
Episode 2: Are You Listening to Me? Meeting Your Child’s Needs
Guest: Dr. Brendan Andrade
Dr. Brendan Andrade is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and Associate Professor in the School and Clinical Child Psychology Program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto. He is also a Collaborator Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and holds an Associate Professor (status-only) appointment in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Andrade’s clinical and research work focuses on helping children, youth, and families navigate emotional and behavioural challenges using practical, evidence-based approaches. His research examines why mental health and behavioural difficulties develop in children, how parenting and family relationships shape these challenges, and what interventions are most effective in helping families build stronger connections, healthier coping skills, and lasting change.
Known for translating complex psychological research into relatable, real-world strategies, Dr. Andrade is passionate about empowering parents with tools that foster resilience, emotional wellbeing, and positive family relationships.
Resources
Nobody’s Perfect Parenting Tip Sheets
Episode 3: Screen Time Solutions: Helping Kids Navigate the Digital World
Guest: Dr. Jo Ann Unger
Dr. Jo Ann Unger is a clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Health Psychology at the University of Manitoba. She works with children, adolescents, adults, and families, providing assessment, treatment, and consultation services.
Her research and clinical work focus on child and adolescent mental health, parenting, and family functioning, with a particular interest in improving access to practical, evidence-based supports that help families promote healthy child development and wellbeing.
Resources
Canadian Psychological Association “Psychology Works” Fact Sheet: Teens and Screens
Canadian Psychological Association “Psychology Works” Fact Sheet: Young Kids and Screens
Canadian Pediatric Society Digital Media Resources
American Academy of Pediatrics Family Media Plan
Media Smarts
American Psychology Association (APA) Health advisory on social media use in adolescence
APA Tip Sheet: Keeping teens safe on social media
APA Health Video Viewing: A Guide for Parents of Teens
APA Health Advisory Artificial Intelligence and Adolescent Well-being
Children and Screens
Episode 4: Connection, Parenting, and Family Wellness: Indigenous Perspectives and Teachings
Guest: Sandra Hunter
Sandra Hunter is a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Manitoba. She is Anishinaabe on her mother’s side and a member of Lake St. Martin First Nation in Manitoba. Sandra is also a mother and grandmother and previously worked for many years as a Families First Home Visitor supporting parents and young children.
Her research focuses on traditional Indigenous child-rearing practices and the reclamation of cultural teachings to support family wellness, cultural identity, and intergenerational connection within Indigenous communities.
Guest: Dr. Aleah Fontaine
Dr. Aleah Fontaine is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Health Psychology at the University of Manitoba and provides clinical services to women during pregnancy and postpartum within Manitoba’s public health system. She is Anishinaabe, British, and German, and a proud urban band member of Sagkeeng First Nation.
Her research focuses on Indigenous wellbeing, perinatal mental health, and intergroup relations. She is especially interested in developing culturally grounded, community-informed mental health supports for Indigenous mothers.
Resources
Parenting in the Present: A resource for First Nations, Inuit and Metis parents and caregivers of children aged 6-12 years in Manitoba
Growing Up Healthy: A resource booklet about healthy children for First Nations and Métis parents in BC
A Sense of Belonging: Supporting Healthy Child Development in Aboriginal Families
GoodMinds First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Books
Storykeepers Podcast
Indigenous Organizations in Manitoba Directory
Virtual Drum Book developed by the Ontario Native Women’s Association
The Animal People Choose a Leader by Richard Wagamese
I Sang You Down from the Stars by Tasha Spillett-Sumner
[Preschool/Anishinaabe] “chi miigwech big thank you” by astra márta and Illustrated by Jordan Stranger
[Preschool/Cree]”Kohkom’s First Drum” by Monique Grey Smith and Illustrated by Karlene Harvey
[Kindergarten/Anishinaabe] “Wiisinidaa! Let’s Eat” by Elizabeth Albert-Peacock and Illustrated by Anne Granholm
[Grade School/Anishinaabe] “Mashkiki Road” by Elizabeth S. Barrett and Illustrated by Johathan Thunder
[Grade School/Inuit] “A Promise is a Promise” by Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak and Robert Munsch and Illustrated by Vladyana Krykorka
Episode 5: Sleep Like a Baby: Helping Kids (and Yourself) Get Rest
Guest: Dr. Elizabeth Keys
Dr. Elizabeth Keys is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia Okanagan and a registered nurse with a background in community and public health.
Her research focuses on infant sleep, parent–child relationships, and supporting the mental health and well-being of both parents and children. She leads the SLUMBER research lab, where her work explores practical, evidence-based approaches to improving sleep and family wellness, including the use of digital tools to support families in real life.
Through her research, she is committed to developing accessible, family-centred supports that help parents and children thrive.
Resources
BC Children’s Hospital Healthy Sleep for Kids
Safer Sleep for My Baby
Infant Sleep – Birth to Six Months
Raising Children Network (Australia)
Baby Cues
Settling Babies for Sleep
Learning to sleep like learning to walk (Canadian website developed by Dr. E Touchette): Nightmares & Night Terrors
Give the Gift of Sleep to Moms with Babies this Mother’s Day
Why Your Baby Isn’t Sleeping Through the Night yet … and How to Teach Them
Pediatric Sleep Council
Sleep and Postpartum Depression: You’re Not You When You’re Sleepy
Episode 6: Parenting Without Punishment: Tools for Positive Discipline
Guest: Dr. Ashley Stewart-Tufescu
Dr. Stewart-Tufescu is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba and a Research Affiliate at the Centre for Human Rights Resarch. Her program of research aims to prevent child maltreatment by implementing rights-informed evidence-based parenting interventions designed to promote healthy child development, enhance family relationships, and support community well-being.
Resources
Positive Discipline for Young Children
Parenting The Positive Discipline Way
Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting
‘Time-Outs’ Are Hurting Your Child
Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting (Dr. Joan Durrant, Canadian/UM, 2023). Available free online.
Discipline without Damage: Discipline Without Damage: How to Get Your Kids to Behave Without Messing Them Up (Dr. Vanessa Lapointe, Canadian, 2025)
Parenting Right From the Start: Laying a Healthy Foundation in the Baby and Toddler Years (Dr. Vanessa Lapointe, Canadian, 2019)
The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Proven Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind (Drs. Tina Payne & Daniel Siegel, American, 2012)
No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind (Drs. Daniel Siegel & Tina Payne, American, 2016)
Episodes 7 – 12… coming September 2026!