Didn’t start out as a gentle parent? You’re not alone — and the best time to begin again is today.

Psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Vanessa LaPointe joins Wendy to explore how to parent right from the start—and what to do if you didn’t. From inner-child healing and nervous system safety to practical, firm-and-kind boundaries, Dr. Vanessa offers a compassionate roadmap for raising kids without shame or fear.

You’ll hear why “we parent as we were parented,” how to spot (and soothe) your own age-regressed reactions, and what Dr. Vanessa calls parental swagger—the calm, confident presence kids lean into at every age. If you’re parenting tweens or teens, don’t miss her reframe: it’s not too late—it’s prime time.

Perfect for parents of strong-willed kids, caregivers rethinking punishment, and anyone ready to trade compliance for connection.

Head to https://www.freshstartfamilyonline.com/299  for more info and guest links.

⭐️​Grab my FREE Quick Start Compassionate Discipline Learning Bundle today and discover how to build a strong, compassionate, FIRM & effective discipline toolkit that works with kids of ALL ages!!

👉 https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/discipline

🗺 The Firm & Kind Parenting Blueprint is your step by step plan & video training to help you build the family of your dreams. Click here to learn more!

👉⁠⁠https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/firmandkind ⁠⁠

🔔 Don't forget to check us out over on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

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Is step-parenting feeling harder than you expected? You’re not alone — and you’re not doing it wrong.

In this heartfelt and practical episode, Wendy talks with Cameron Normand, founder of Step Family Solutions and host of The Stepmom Diaries, about the five most common mistakes stepparents make — and what to do instead.

Drawing from her own experience as a stepmom of four (including one with special needs) and years of coaching stepfamilies, Cameron shares real-world tools for building connection, setting boundaries, and finding peace in the beautiful chaos of blended family life.

You’ll learn:

✨ Why striving for perfect only fuels burnout (and how to shift to “present & good enough”)

✨ How to practice connection before correction and redefine discipline in stepfamilies

✨ Why kind boundaries are essential self-care for every stepparent

✨ The “circle of control” reframe that protects your energy and confidence

✨ How to stop comparing your stepfamily to a “first family” and build your own positive memory bank

Head to https://www.freshstartfamilyonline.com/298  for more info and guest links.

⭐️​Grab my FREE Quick Start Compassionate Discipline Learning Bundle today and discover how to build a strong, compassionate, FIRM & effective discipline toolkit that works with kids of ALL ages!!

👉 https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/discipline

🌱 Head to ⁠http://freshstartfamilyonline.com/kidsoils⁠ to get your hands on the kids essential oils kit that helps fill your home with peace one deep breath at a time.

🗺 The Firm & Kind Parenting Blueprint is your step by step plan & video training to help you build the family of your dreams. Click here to learn more!

👉⁠⁠https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/firmandkind ⁠⁠

🔔 Don't forget to check us out over on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

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When one in three births in the U.S. is a C-section, why aren’t we talking more openly about what those experiences feel like?

In this heartfelt conversation, journalist and author Rachel Somerstein joins Wendy to discuss the hidden trauma many parents carry after surgical birth — and how awareness, preparation, and compassion can change everything. 

Together they explore:

• What a “gentle C-section” really means

• How language like “failure to progress” fuels shame

• Ways to prepare emotionally and physically for surgical birth

• Tools for healing afterward — from EMDR to somatic movement

This episode offers validation, hope, and practical ways to advocate for yourself and others — whether you’re preparing for birth or still making peace with the one you already had.

Kind note: This episode includes discussion of surgical birth, emergency procedures, and difficult postpartum experiences. Please listen with care.Head to https://www.freshstartfamilyonline.com/297  for more info and guest links.

⭐️​Grab my FREE Quick Start Compassionate Discipline Learning Bundle today and discover how to build a strong, compassionate, FIRM & effective discipline toolkit that works with kids of ALL ages!! 👉 https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/discipline

🗺The Firm & Kind Parenting Blueprint is your step by step plan & video training to help you build the family of your dreams. Click here to learn more! 👉⁠https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/firmandkind ⁠

🌱 Head to http://freshstartfamilyonline.com/kidsoils to get your hands on the kids essential oils kit that helps fill your home with peace one deep breath at a time.

🔔 Don't forget to check us out over on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

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On this enlightening episode of the Fresh Start Family show, Wendy welcomes educator, coach, and host of the Enlightening Motherhood podcast Emily Hamblin to talk about impulsivity in neurodivergent kids and what actually helps. Drawing from her work with families and her own parenting journey, Emily shares simple brain science, the ways wiring and conditioning interact, and playful practices that help kids build self-control without shame.

Together, Wendy and Emily explore practical strategies for setting firm-and-kind boundaries, reframing challenging behaviors, and recognizing the strengths hidden inside “impulsivity.” This conversation is hopeful, compassionate, and packed with “try it today” ideas to bring more calm and confidence into your home.

Head to https://www.freshstartfamilyonline.com/296  for more info and guest links.

⭐️​Grab my FREE Quick Start Learning Bundle​ & discover 3 secrets to empower, connect, and build true collaboration with your strong-willed child! 

🗺 The Firm & Kind Parenting Blueprint is your step by step plan & video training to help you build the family of your dreams. Click here to learn more! 👉⁠https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/firmandkind ⁠

🔔 Don't forget to check us out over on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

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In this episode of The Fresh Start Family Show, Wendy talks with authors Kelsey McGinnis and Marissa Burt about their new book, The Myth of Good Christian Parenting. Together they explore how spanking culture took root in many church communities, what Scripture really says (and doesn’t say), and how parents can move toward a faith-aligned, compassionate approach to discipline.

This conversation is full of hope, healing, and encouragement. You’ll walk away with tools to release old fears, respond with calm and connection, and build the kind of legacy your kids will carry with joy.

Head to https://www.freshstartfamilyonline.com/295  for more info and guest links.

⭐️ ​Grab my FREE Quick Start Learning Bundle​ & discover 3 secrets to empower, connect, and build true collaboration with your strong-willed child!

🗺 The Firm & Kind Parenting Blueprint is your step by step plan & video training to help you build the family of your dreams. Click here to learn more! 👉 ⁠https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/firmandkind ⁠

🔔 Don't forget to check us out over on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

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Parenting can feel lonely—especially when your spouse isn’t on board, your extended family doesn’t understand, or you’re trying to end painful generational cycles on your own. But the truth is, you don’t have to parent alone.

In this re-released episode of the Fresh Start Family Show, Wendy shares why community is such a vital piece of the parenting journey. From the science-backed research on how groups create real change, to powerful success stories from actual Fresh Start Experience Members, this conversation will encourage you to be intentional about surrounding yourself with like-minded parents who share your vision.

When you choose community over isolation, you discover courage, resilience, and the support you need to create a family legacy rooted in connection and firm kindness.

Head to https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/294 for links and more info.

🌟 It's time to step into a full support program that will guide you every step of the way as you create the family legacy of your dreams! The Fresh Start Experience is open for enrollment for a limited time! Head to ⁠https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/jointoday⁠ to learn more.

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Ever find yourself reacting to your kids in ways that feel awful but strangely familiar? In this episode, Wendy Snyder explores the idea of “comfortable hell vs. uncomfortable heaven” and how nervous system conditioning impacts the way we parent.

Through personal stories and hard-earned lessons, Wendy shares what it means to shift from old patterns of fear, force, and punishment into a new way of parenting rooted in connection, firm kindness, and peace.

This conversation is about more than handling meltdowns—it’s about breaking cycles, rewiring your nervous system, and building a healthier emotional legacy for your family.

Head to https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/293 for guest links and more info.

🌟 It's time to step into a full support program that will guide you every step of the way as you create the family legacy of your dreams! The Fresh Start Experience is open for enrollment for a limited time! Head to https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/jointoday to learn more.

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In this Student Spotlight, Wendy interviews Anna McNeese, a mom of four from Mississippi, about her family’s transformation through the Fresh Start Experience and Full Mastery program. Anna shares openly about the early days of exhaustion, power struggles, and shame-based patterns, and how learning new tools gave her family hope, connection, and peace.

From navigating strong-willed kids with compassion, to breaking cycles of fear and shame, to modeling emotional literacy for her children, Anna’s story shows the power of choosing a new way forward. Today, her home is more peaceful, her kids are practicing self-control, and even tough moments have become opportunities for growth and connection.

Tune in to hear Anna’s story and be encouraged that it’s never too late to choose peace, break old cycles, and step into joy as a parent.

🌟 Our FREE 4-Day Unfrazzled Event is here! Get registered and caught up in a snap at ⁠https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/unfrazzled⁠

Catch this full episode on⁠ YouTube!

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In this Student Spotlight, Wendy Snyder interviews Caitlin—a mom of two from Indianapolis—about her real-life journey with the Fresh Start Experience. Caitlin shares how shifting from reactive habits to peaceful parenting has strengthened connection at home, built emotional literacy in her kids, and helped her break generational cycles with empathy and consistency. 

She also celebrates inviting her parents (the boys’ grandparents) into the learning—proof that growth can ripple through an entire family. With practical wins rooted in nervous system regulation, Caitlin shows how modeling calm, naming feelings, and holding firm, kind boundaries can transform everyday moments like transitions, spills, and sibling tension into chances to learn and bond. If you’re curious what positive parenting looks like beyond theory—and how community support keeps you consistent—this encouraging story will give you hope and a roadmap for real change.

Head to ⁠https://www.freshstartfamilyonline.com/291⁠  for more info and guest links.

🌟 Our FREE 4-Day Unfrazzled Event is here! Get registered and caught up in a snap at https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/unfrazzled

Catch this full episode on⁠ YouTube!

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As we step into a brand-new school year, many parents are coming out of summer feeling frazzled, overwhelmed, and stuck in old cycles. In this episode, Wendy Snyder shares how to shift from a scarcity mindset—where fear, stress, and urgency tend to rule—into an abundance mindset that fuels calm, connection, and confidence at home.

This conversation is a reset for your parenting. If you’ve been feeling short-tempered, overwhelmed, or unsure of how to handle another busy school year, you’re not alone. Wendy will encourage you to wipe the slate clean, find your courage, and parent with more peace, patience, and long-term vision.

✨ Tune in for practical parenting tips, nervous system insights, and encouragement to step into the season with fresh energy—for you and your kids.

Head to https://www.freshstartfamilyonline.com/290  for more info and guest links.

🌟 Our FREE 4-Day Unfrazzled Event is coming up! Get registered today at https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/unfrazzled - Starts Sept 8!

Catch this full episode on YouTube!

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