Getting teens and tweens to talk to parents is an age old battle the repeats itself over and over again with each new generation.  Times change but our teens wanting independence from us doesn't.  In this episode learn some tips and tricks for how to get our kids to relax and just enjoy being with us so that they'll open up and want to trust us.  There is a list of activities and how to use them to break down the barriers and engage your teens and tweens that should lead to building...

Kids of all ages need to feel connected and loved unconditionally.  How can you set up a system in your family for creating and keeping those connections?  In this podcast we go over connections for kids between 2 and 10.  The next podcast covers what you can do for teens and tweens, a much harder demographic than younger kids who still think the world of you.  In this episode we explore ideas on how to have regular "quick" connections on a daily or weekly basis while also considering...

Grumpy kids can really put your home into a foul mood.  What can we do to help tame these dark clouds and bring some sunshine back into our lives? In this episode we'll cover these four steps: Step 1 – Keep Your Cool  Step 2 – Offer Empathy and Hugs  Step 3 - Fix the Broken Connection  Step 4 – Go on a Trigger Quest and Brainstorm The transcript for this episode is HERE Here are the resources mentioned in the podcast: Kings Corner Card Game YouTube Instruction Video Mood Meter...

Parents struggle with how to motivate their children toward certain behaviors. Typically rewards and bribes are used.  In this episode learn about when bribes and rewards are most likely to motivate your child.  There are pros and cons of both types of motivations.  Bribes tend to reinforce negative behaviors, while rewards are commonly thought of as something that's planned ahead and well-thought-out, used for positive behaviors.  However, sometimes our plans backfire!  When? How? What...

Kids being bullied isn't new.  What's new is the extent at which they are being bullied and, with the internet, in new and harmful ways.   In this episode, we'll cover the different types of bullying: Verbal - teasing, name-calling, taunting, etc., Social - spreading rumors, leaving kids out, embarrassing them, etc. Physical - hitting, spitting, tripping, etc.  Cyberbullying - using digital devices to cause others harm Why does bullying occur? What can families do? How you can role-play...

Do you have an anxious child?   Does it worry you or drive you crazy?  Either way you need to listen to this podcast! In this podcast, hear from Stephanie Pinto, founder of Let’s Raise Emotionally Intelligent Kids and author of the best-selling book From Chaos to Connection.   We talk about how parents can support their kids who have anxiety.   Learn about the 4 different types of anxiety, then the 4 parenting traps that we fall into when we attempt to "help" that wind up having negative...

Today with the launch of the Barbie movie and so much emphasis on selfies and having perfect bodies, it's worth considering how we help out the millions of kids who aren't "perfect".  In this episode I interview Pam Luk, Founder of Ember & Ace, a clothing brand for plus-sized kids.  We talk about how to support our kids both socially and emotionally as well as how we as parents need to tamp down our own feelings about perfection that harm our kids in emotional ways that hurt more than...

What do you with kids who are wired differently?   Who might be on the spectrum (ADHD, Asperger's, OCD, etc.)?  Maybe they've had a diagnosis, maybe you just can see they are off the charts brilliant and some things but a total failure at socializing with kids their age.  If you have such challenges with your kids,  take a listen to Sam Young of Young Scholars Academy in this episode as he explains how his online community for neurodivergent and gifted children works.  He brings a...

Some kids seem to be born not caring where stuff is.  They rely on us to find things and if we can't find them they blame US!  Yikes!  This episode gives you ideas about how to let go of the responsibility for items in our kids lives that should be THEIRS but seem to have become OURS.   Learn how to keep a calm head as we turn over the job of owning "stuff" back to our kids in loving ways.  

Most parents seem to get hit with this at some point in our parenting journey.  It can start at around 6-7 months and usually goes away gradually throughout early childhood.  But… sometimes we’re just put to the test with separation issues and we wish someone would let us know what’s normal, what’s extreme and give us some ideas about what to do. In this podcast we have Jessica O’Connor, LMFT, a licensed marriage and family therapist to help step us through ideas in dealing with separation...

Listen to Heath Wilson, co-founder of Aro, talk about their innovative technology that helps families develop good screen habits in a positive and fun way.  There's a smart tech "box" to hold your devices when families decide to have non-tech time and an app that will track how long technology has been in the box.  It's the complete opposite of our normal "get off your device" that many families fight about now,! This is more like: "hey, how fun to see how long you been off your device"...

There are so many pressures we face as parents but one of the most challenging can be managing our own parents when it comes to gifting to their grandkids.  It's enough to drive some of us crazy! In this episode we'll talk about the types of interference we might be dealing from our family values being over run to dealing with huge amounts of clutter that we have to organize not to how too many toys can interfere with creativity in our kids.  Take a listen to hear more possible issues....

When you have a child who refuses to read or is delayed in their reading compared to their peers it can be a very stressful time for parents as we try to navigate the what-to-dos and the why-is this-happening-to-my-child thoughts that constantly run through our minds.  The same stress can hit us when our kids don’t want to write and then again if they start falling into the “I hate school” mode which really tears us up.  Having learning differences can contribute heavily to this stressful...

In this third installment of my manners series we discuss how to train your kids to chew their food with their mouths closed.  It can be a challenge but with some consistency, love and a bit of fun and games it's possible to move your kids into the social graces.  There are two books for younger kids that might come in handy: “How Dinosaurs Eat Their Food” by Jane Yolen “Dinner with Olivia” by Emily Sollinger Here's a copy of the TRANSCRIPT on my website. Also,  feel free to email me with...

When kids drain our energy by doing things that drive us crazy we need to respond in a loving and empathetic manner.  However,  when we're so tired of them doing things that drain us -- like whining, talking back, fighting with their siblings, or ignoring screen time limits -- we just don't know what to do.  In this podcast you'll learn not only how to recognize things that drain your energy but how to let your kids know and then ask them to do things for you that help replenish that...

What was Mary like as a parent?  In this special episode hear from Mary's two grown sons on what it was like growing up with Mary as a parent.  They talk about how natural consequences shaped them and how energy drains encouraged them to make better decisions among other topics. This episode was created at the request of Mary's Facebook Group, Parenting Decoded, who were curious about the long term impact of good, solid parenting techniques on children.  What better examples than Mary's boys...

In this episode we learn how to get our kids to say “thank you” and how to help develop a general sense of appreciation for not only “things” but also training them in thankfulness which will help to promote an “attitude of gratitude”.  Start Early Be ConsistentGive Praise for using Thank You Use Family Meetings to Set ExpectationsSet up Family Thanking EventsDinner time thank you routinesBedtime blessings routineThank you note practice for birthdays and holidaysMake it FUN!  We'll talk...

We all want our kids to grow up being kind and courteous.  In this episode I talk with Teresa Ramirez, a motivational speaker and Kindness Koach.  Listen to lots of fun ideas on how to promote kindness inside and outside your home.   Here's some of the ideas we talk about! - Model it INSIDE your home  Use Family Meetings to talk about how to be kind to each other Come up with a list of ideas from putting sweet notes in lunch boxes to doing surprise chores for some oneMake a meal for...

This is the first podcast in a series relating to getting our kids to learn manners which are fundamental to their becoming responsible, respectful adults.  Starting with Life Lessons early has the biggest impact but in this series of podcasts, whether you have a toddler or a teen, it's worth investing in their future through manners. Here are the basics of what's covered in this podcast: 1 - Start young!  The earlier the better.  Using "baby sign language" if you have a very little one. ...

In this episode I interview Liz Bayardelle author of Clean Your Plate! 13 Things that Good Parents Say that Ruin Kids’ Lives.   This book covers all sorts of unintended consequences that good parents say regularly like Get Straight As, Don’t Hit, Sit Still, Don’t Be a Quitter and many more.   She goes into detail in all these areas and has wonderful ideas about how to combat our natural tendencies to push our kids in ways that might backfire.    We talk specifically about the impact of...

Some of us struggle with trying to figure out if our kids are addicted to screens.  In this episode Emily Cherkin, The Screentime Consultant, and I discuss what causes screen addictions and what resources might help to determine if our kids are addicted.  We also go over different levels of intervention in overcoming screen issues in our homes.  Emily is launching a new course for parents that will help train parents week by week to get their arms around the issue.  With parenting practices...

In this episode enjoy hearing from Emily Cherkin, The Screentime Consultant, as we talk about strategies to deal with kids and screen time use in our homes.  Emily works with families all the time to help put "tech intentional" ideas into homes.  Listen for ideas on how to set clear and reasonable limits in a way that can be integrated into your home, one step at a time. Emily can be found at:  https://thescreentimeconsultant.com/ You can learn about her new course on Becoming a...

Siblings who hate each other is unfortunately all too common an issue for parents to ignore.  In this podcast we explore what a parent can do with their kids who aren't getting along, who are unbearably mean to each other.  Our kids fighting all the time can be: 1 - draining for the ENTIRE family 2 - full of opportunities to learn some life lessons about getting along In order to help stop the energy drain and actually learn those lessons that will help later in life we cover  three...

Setting limits for our kids can be such a challenge.  We set them, they ignore or break them.  Ugh!  In this episode learn how to set better boundaries that we can stick by so that our kids know that we mean what we say. Learn to say: 1 - "AND WHAT DID I SAY" Using this phrase helps stop the whining and begging that gets so annoying that we often times give in just to quiet our kids down. 2 - Set consequences for whining and complaining when our kids try to push our boundaries in directions...