In this episode, Cara and Rythea delve deep into an inspiring story of deconstructing a fundamentalist Christian upbringing to embracing non-coercive parenting, with their guest, Siegwen, a single parent of four. Siegwen shares their powerful story of transformation, recounting the challenges of breaking free from a fundamentalist Christian environment and the pivotal moments that led them to embrace non-coercive parenting. They explore the key moments where they felt the pull towards...

Content Advisory: This episode contains discussion of childhood sexual trauma in a therapeutic context In this episode, therapist Rythea Lee introduces the episode's focus on navigating bedtime struggles with her 12-year-old daughter. Rythea explores how her childhood trauma currently impacts her relationship to bedtime triggers, and discusses how it challenges her ability to problem-solve or think clearly about the issue. She takes herself through a process called Inner Bonding®, an...

Welcome back to Your Kids Don't Suck! Today, we're thrilled to have Kelsie Olds, also known as The Occuplaytional Therapist on social media. Kelsie is a parent and occupational therapist specializing in child-led and neurodiversity-affirming occupational therapy. We discuss: Kelsie's Training and Approach: Rythea and Cara delve into Kelsie's background as an occupational therapist, exploring what this means and how it shapes her approach to working with children.The Child-Centered...

In this episode, hosts Rythea Lee and Cara Tedstone delve into listener questions about navigating conflicts between children and/or siblings, and co-parenting with differing parenting styles. Drawing from their expertise in non-coercive, collaborative parenting, Rythea and Cara provide insightful guidance on fostering connection with your child(ren) within difficult family dynamics. Rythea emphasizes the crucial role of active and involved parenting in resolving conflicts between children...

Welcome to another episode of "Your Kids Don't Suck"! In this episode, hosts Rythea Lee and Cara Tedstone engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Yolanda Williams, a radical justice educator, mother, and conscious parenting coach. Rythea and Cara delve into a crucial discussion with Yolanda on the pervasive influence of capitalism on our lives and, more specifically, on self-care. Together, they explore how societal structures impact our ability to prioritize our well-being and the...

It's an episode you've been waiting for - Cara and Rythea tackle the ever-controversial topic of screen time. As parents themselves and therapists working with families, they delve into the complexities surrounding this issue and offer practical insights for navigating screen time boundaries within family dynamics. We start by exploring why screen time has become such a polarizing and emotionally charged subject for parents. Drawing from our own experiences and observations, we unpack the...

In this episode of Your Kids Don't Suck, hosts Rythea Lee and Cara Tedstone dive deep into the world of non-coercive parenting within the framework of coparenting relationships. Joined by Rythea's partner Will and Cara's husband Sanjay, the conversation unfolds into a heartfelt exploration of parenting dynamics and philosophies. Sanjay and Will offer unique perspectives on parenting, bringing diverse backgrounds and value systems to the table. Together, they share their personal journeys...

In this episode of YKDS, hosts Cara and Rythea engage in a thought-provoking discussion on the concept of obedience. They delve into its definition, highlighting real-life examples of non-coercive parenting drawn from Cara's day-to-day experiences with her toddler. The hosts explore practical ways to implement collaboration with young children, emphasizing its crucial role in fostering trust, connection, play, and discovery. Cara and Rythea, both therapists, explore how our early childhood...

What does it look like to have grown up being treated like someone of equal value to your parent? Rythea Lee’s long-time sister-of-choice, Naomi Sparrow, parented in a non-coercive way long before there was a name for it. She didn’t call it that, she says: “I tried not to hurt my kid, justify it, and get away with it.” Naomi worked to protect her daughter's autonomy with no support or reference point. Eventually she could name it “attachment parenting a neurodiverse child with sensory...

In today's episode, we're diving into a Q&A format, addressing two thought-provoking questions from our listeners. Many of us grapple with the realization that our parents may have unintentionally or intentionally hurt us in the past, but the decision to confront them as an adult is a complex one. We share our insights on whether it's the right time for one listener to tackle this emotionally charged issue. Drawing from our experience as therapists, we discuss the potential benefits and...

We heard you and you want to know: How the hell do you collaboratively and consciously parent when you have multiple kids?! Non-coercive, conscious mom-to-five, Tanisha Henderson is here to answer this question and SO MUCH MORE. The episode begins with Tanisha sharing her personal journey to becoming a conscious, collaborative parent. She discusses her inspirations, pivotal moments, and the transformative experiences that led her to embrace non-coercive parenting as her guiding philosophy....

On today's episode, we'll be exploring the differences between non-coercive, conscious parenting and permissive parenting. So many people get confused by collaboration and mutuality with kids and think it points to a free-for-all, hands-off approach. Here we explore the fears that often prevent parents from embracing non-coercive conscious parenting and emphasize how societal norms and pressures can make parents feel that they must maintain control and authority at all times. We offer a...

In this episode, we're diving deep into the often uncharted waters of parenting and trauma. Just about every parent has some kind of trauma from their past. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a trauma survivor, it’s possible your body has some natural reactions to stress that you find overwhelming. Tools for trauma responses in the body can be so helpful. Also, we live in a traumatized world and have to interface with truly painful realities every day. How does this affect our parenting?...

In Episode 3, Rythea and Cara are joined by Vivek Patel of @meaningfulideas to discuss the framework of non-coercive, collaborative parenting. Rythea tells the story of what led her to this parenting lifestyle and how Vivek’s support and body of work brought her to where she is now. Also in this episode: What's wrong with coercion? How does coercion relate to boundaries and limits with our kids? Real life examples of the benefits of non-coercion from very young children, to grown up...

In this episode, we will explore the 10 promises of non-coercive, conscious parenting; what we can assure you will happen if you step on this path. This includes the discussion of: Kids and big emotions How to guide our children without controlling them The benefits of mutual respect and collaboration Discussion of the underlying fears of trusting our children's choices What "problem" behaviours can be pointing towards to with regards to attachment and bonding Cara and Rythea explore the...

What happens when two Mothers (who have never met until now) step off the traditional parenting path and become non-coercive, conscious parents? What does it look like as they aim to treat their children as equals, collaborators, and dare we say, friends? On this podcast, Rythea Lee and Cara Tedstone dive deep into the counter-culture journey of non-authoritarian parenting and invite you to explore your own attachment to the expected power-over paradigm. In their inaugural episode, these...