A Heart For All Students

“My kid started kicking me as I was trying just to get him up and ready for Transitional Kindergarten today.  Brutal morning!!”

Yep… in this week’s episode of the podcast I share w you a situation that happened with me and my boy last year. That day, I ended up sharing w the moms in AHFAS private Facebook community about that really hard morning w my kid.  

Let’s just be real…  we’ve all had crappy mornings w our kids.  Some of us may have more crappy mornings than others.   

When you take that deep breath to gird yourself up for wake up time.  Some of you may know that feeling when you prepare yourself for one of two options.

It’s either going to be that a choir of angels shines down on you from heaven as your kid has a relatively smooth transition to consciousness.  Or you’re gonna encounter a full-blown attack the moment you dare breathe the words,  “Good  morning, Sweetie.”

Well, let me tell ya… That morning was a doozy… and at the same time, it was a morning of clarity.  Yep.  My son started kicking me as I prepared him to get ready for his morning transitional kindergarten (one more year of preschool before kindergarten in our homeschool). It could’ve gone down in flames from there, but we rebounded.  

I’ll tell you why and how I handled it in today’s episode of the podcast. 

If you have a child with executive functioning issues… whether your child is in preschool or is in high school… If your child tends to be familiar with volatile reactions, listen in and be encouraged.  

You’re not alone and there is a better way to navigate these tough moments.  We don’t have to freak out and project years into the future… we can stay present and respond differently than the world and tradition tells us. 

Listen to the episode and tell me what you think.  How do you navigate those wrong side of the bed mornings?  Sweet momma friend, we’re in this together.

For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-28/
 

Who simply loves it when the kids are fighting?!!!!  I know I do! 

Nothing brings this momma more joy than when the oldest is picking on the youngest.  Even better... when the kids are wrestling for the remote control and end up whacking one another with passionate rage and aggression!  Yes!  What a proud and peaceful mom moment!! 

Said NO MOMMA EVER!!

In this episode, I speak specifically to a mom in AHFAS private facebook community.  She is open and honest about losing her ever loving mind with the kids' constant fighting and bickering.

I hear you, Girlfriend, I hear you.  We all hear you. 

Today, we're talking about:

• Mom's frame of mind & reaching out the the Lord for miraculous calm in those moments
• Addressing the root issues behind the tension
• Specific language and verbiage to use in those moments when you want to scream at the kids to 'STOP IT NOW OR I'M GOING TO LOSE MY MIND. WAIT?!!  I JUST DID!!"

All this and I'll offer a specific strategy to end sibling rivalry that I like to call Peacemaker Points.  (While this will likely work up until the age of 12, you can use the general principle of this strategy to end sibling rivalry in older sibling dynamics).

Be encouraged, Momma!  Sibling rivalry is no fun, but remember that these relationships are to be a blessing to our children as they learn how to navigate conflict.  God has chosen these kids to be the sibling of the others and I believe wholeheartedly that He is in this 100% with them.

In the end, it's really not only on Mom to solve these issues.  We just get to participate at some level.  We won't be able to fix it always.  And that is ok, Friend.

For more encouragement and mom support as we navigate the messy of parenting, register for the 5 Day Devotional Series For The Exhausted Mom. Check out the first module right away!

For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-27/

Related Post: 

Jessica asks, "My kid is so disobedient!  He's so strong-willed and will not obey.  Help!  What do I do?"

In today's episode, I will speak to an amazing momma, who knows what it's like to parent a more strong-willed or determined child.  I love Jessica because she is so authentic and real as a momma.  Her openness about her struggles with her child allows other moms to come out of the shadows to really hash through some of the hard and messy of motherhood.  Thank you, Girlfriend!!

In answering Jessica's question about her son, I discuss my experiences with my oldest daughter when she was younger.  My girl was a tough cookie back in the day and I employed traditional, authoritative Christian parenting strategies with her. 

And it worked.  Kind of.  I was able to get my kid to zip it, and behave outwardly in a way that me me "look and feel good" about myself.  But was it the best approach?  Did it serve my child in the long run to learn that her outward behavior was the most important thing to me?

I'm not so sure.  Being totally real here, Friend. 

If we want to get our kids to obey, we often need to start by looking at ourselves.  Relationship changes everything.  Listen up and be encouraged as I offer my suggestions and tips so that we moms can best equip our strong-willed kids to thrive.

Today we discuss all things parenting, discipline and most importantly, we discuss the reality that we mommas have a lot of garbage rolling through our heads.  Often we carry a lof of unhealthy burden that stems from beliefs and ideas of motherhood that are often left unchecked in the church and in our culture.

Let's talk about it today and chew on some different tactics that allow parents to better influence their kids' heart, beliefs and, ultimately, their behavior.  I discuss this in my book, Behind the Behaviors, as well as in the FREE 5 Day Video Teaching Devotional Series for the exhausted momma. 

Related Post: 

Are you homeschooling a child with ADHD?  Does your kiddo hate all things school?  Chores?  Sitting still?  Ha!  Don’t be discouraged.  ADHD can be an incredible gift!!

Regardless, whether you are a new or veteran homeschool mom, harnessing the attention of the ADHD brain can be a challenge. You know the signs:

• Trouble paying attention to non-preferred activities (think math, reading, chores… whatever is not interesting)
• Can’t sit still,
• Difficulty taking turns,
• Trouble making transitions,
• A bedroom that is always messy no matter how many times it has been organized…

You get the idea.

Insisting on the traditional school-based approach in our homeschools only sets up our kids (and moms) to fail.  Mom becomes frustrated with her inability to teach her child.  Academic growth stalls while frustrations and tensions between child and mom grow.

The good thing is that ADHD is often not the problem!  It’s our adult expectations that’s the issue.  When we adjust our expectations to see the abilities and strengths of the ADHD brain, we can harness its genius!

Listen to this week’s episode full of ideas to best harness the power of your child’s ADHD brain.  My sweet friend, Alicia Mathews, a pediatric Occupational Therapist offered some of her favorite OT strategies to use to support optimal learning for our ADHD kids.

Get excited and have some fun this week as you try out these simple, but powerful tips in your homeschool! 

And get this… these strategies work for ALL.THE.THINGS… behavior, chores and to simply allow your child to thrive in so many ways. 

Listen in and be encouraged!  Comment below with your favorite ways to teach your ADHD kiddo at home!   We’re in this together!!

For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-25

“My son screams bloody-murder to get our attention.  He interrupts constantly.  What do I do?”

Do you have a child who is constantly interrupting?

Screams in frustration when he can’t get his words out?

I speak to this issue in this week’s episode of the podcast.

1 - Speech & language processing & delays
2 - Sensory processing as a whole,
3 - ADHD (including Adult ADHD)
4 - How to guide our kids (and ourselves) through some of the toughest moments.

Remember, Friend, behavior is information.

Be encouraged.  There is so much behind the behavior. 

Let’s rally around our kids and support them with the tools and strategies they need to thrive.

Be encouraged!  There’s hope!

For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-24/

When the world tells us that our kids’ “poor” behaviors are always WILLFUL we can end up so frustrated when traditional ways of discipline don’t work.

So many of us are great at becoming “offended” when our kids behave “badly.”  This happens because deep down, we believe that our value comes from our children’s outward behavior.

Girlfriends, this is such a lie and it’s killing us moms and it’s destroying our kids who don’t fall in line with the world’s expectations!

Mommas are always asking me what to do about their kids whose default response is RAGE.  When our kids become ANGRY at the slightest hint of correction.  

Within the church community, we moms have an extra level of pressure because we are continually reminded that ANGER is SIN.  Therefore, we mommas had better nip that in the bud.  Ugh!  Such a life-sucking belief that destroys.

So many of our kids are struggling not because they are intentionally trying to be ugly, but because THEY NEED HELP.  And when we moms continue to push harder with the same old rewards and consequences mentality, we often only make things so much worse.

In this week’s episode, I discuss the challenges and pain (I’ve been there, Girls) of having a raging, destructive child.  I share what I’ve learned and why we must approach these kids differently.

Be encouraged!  There’s hope!

For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-23/

I want to change the lives, and the trajectory... the long-term outcomes for our children that dare to live outside-the-box and don’t fit the mold.

And the only way that I can do that is by creating a tribe of moms who are willing to parent differently, who are brave enough to parent differently.

What I found when I was navigating the most horrific behaviors of my boy, was that I felt so alone.

Once I moved to the other side of this, I realized how desperately I needed community then.  We need one another!

I need other moms to join with me in order for us to change the long-term outcomes for our outside-the-box, neurodiverse, uniquely-designed children

I want to share what I've learned with other moms who know there must be a better way to parent their kids, but aren't sure what that looks like.

Let's rally together.  One mom at a time... I share with you.  You share with your friend.  That friend shares with another friend and eventually we create a tribe of moms that boldly parent the children in front of them instead of parenting the "prototype" kid of norms and cultural expectations.

God calls us to love others.  And He models this through relationship. We need to model that love to our kids and equip our kids using the power of our relationships with them.

Relationship first.  Always. 
 
Join us and grab the Free 5 Day Devotional for you. Be encouraged and grab your free copy at www.Bit.ly/exhaustedmomhope


For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-22/

Freaking out about homeschooling your child this year? 

Friend, you can do this. 

"How am I supposed to homeschool my child?!!  I'm not a professional teacher."   

A sweet momma from A Heart For All Students Private Community asked me to speak to this question... and you know I have a BIG opinion on this. 

In today's episode of the podcast, I talk all about co-learning and why you do not have to be a professional teacher to equip your child with a stellar education. 

Of course, I mention my favorite homeschool writing curriculum... Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW), and of course I throw in a @classical_conversations history sentence as well. 

Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do this, Friend!  If you are feeling led, go for it!!  Learning happens all the time!!  Rock this with your children and co-learn with them. 

I'm all about equipping our outside-the-box thinkers.  Even if your child has a learning difference, you and your child can thrive in your homeschool!!

Be encouraged!  Listen to the episode (forgive my son's interruptions... #homeschoollife)... and get inspired!! 

For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-21/

As a homeschool coach, moms are constantly asking me to help them figure out how to help their kids write.  Or at least not hate it.

When it comes to helping our children learn to write, let me encourage you.  It’s all going to be ok.

I’ll share some of the major reasons why children hate writing. 
 
What is the objective of teaching our kids to write?

To learn to communicate ideas and thoughts to the world. 

Friend, our kids hate writing for a reason.   It’s our job to help them find the reason.

If we want our kids to get over their hatred of writing, we’ve got to make writing as accessible as possible.

We must accept what our child offers.  This is critical for our children who hate to write.

When our kids have the undivided attention of a supportive adult, confidence builds.  Internal motivation to communicate through words grows. 

Practice penmanship separately from new concepts and skills.  Your child who hates writing will pick up a pen when intrinsically motivated.


For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-20/

If you have a child with any form of anxiety, this selective mutism story is for you.

I’ve asked a sweet teen friend of mine, Sarah, to share her selective mutism story to encourage other young girls.

Nearly 4.4 million children have been diagnosed with childhood anxiety.  This does not include likely millions of others who do not have a diagnosis.

Awareness of this issue is critical to improving the long-term mental health of these amazing, valuable and God-created people.

Ultimately, spreading awareness of childhood anxiety in its many forms will help us better equip our children with what they need to thrive and overcome.

Selective Mutism is one form of anxiety that affects our children and teens.

My hope is that her story will not only serve to encourage younger girls but will spread awareness of the multiple faces of childhood anxiety. 

Parents, educators and other people influencing the lives of our kids need this information. 


For more information, post transcript and time stamps visit:  https://aheartforallstudents.com/aheart-19/