GENERATION ON A MISSION - Patient Parenting, Parenting Hacks, Faith-led Parenting, Christian Moms, World Changers

Hi, Friend!

Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, it’s easy to tell our kids what they are doing wrong and point out their flaws. Are you thinking, “What? I never do that!”

Have you ever said, “You never listen,” or “You always take forever to do anything”? Or maybe you tell them, “Why can’t you just clean up like your brother?”.

Have you ever noticed that those one-liners don’t actually work when it comes to motivating your kids? If you’re putting a globally generalized label on their actions, then that’s soon what they start to believe about themselves.

In today’s episode, we are talking about how to rephrase what we say in the heat of the moment when our kids are choosing not to listen or when our kids give up so easily. We need to rethink whether or not our words are lifting our kids up or putting them down, and we are exploring it all in episode 43!

I hope you find these tips to be successful for you and your littles!

Thanks for listening!

Hi, Friend!

If you ever wish you didn’t have to take your kids to the park because you dread leaving or you loathe bath time because you know it’s literally the worst time getting your kids out of the tub, then you will love this episode!

Yes, it’s normal for our kids to melt down, but how do we get through meltdowns with our toddlers? Is there a way to prevent meltdowns from happening?

Yes, it is possible! In today’s episode, we are talking about 4 successful strategies to use during meltdowns so that you can move on to the next task with your child more easily. These strategies will help your child feel encouraged, be successful during undesirable tasks and transitions, and learn how to self-regulate his emotions.

I hope you find these tips to be successful for you and your littles!

Thanks for listening!

Michelle

Hi, Mama-Friend,

Today, I’m sharing my personal experience with anxiety. I’ve battled anxiety since I was a child, and it actually didn’t hit me until I was an adult. Knowing what I know about how it impacted me as a child prompted me to share my experience.

We just don’t always understand what our kids are going through. It’s easy to tell them to brush it off. It’s easy to tell them that everything will be okay “It’s just a boo-boo,” but when you’re battling anxiety and struggling with mental health issues, hearing that can make it even worse.

We may not even know the why behind our kids’ anxieties, but it’s our job to create an environment of empathy for them, helping them understand that they aren’t alone, and although someone may not be able to take away the pains or worries, someone will be there while they go through it.

If you take away anything from this episode, I pray that you understand that our kids sometimes have big feelings and emotions that we don’t always understand; please be mindful of telling them that they are fine because they may not be.

Anxiety may be silent and hard to understand, and may even be scary for your kids. Be vigilant to signs that your little one might have anxiety about things, and be respectful of that; create a safe place for them to express their concerns, and find a way to support them and help them overcome those anxieties so they learn to become resilient.

Thanks for listening,

Michelle

Hi, Mama-Friend

Have you ever wondered, is there a secret formula to helping your child learn naturally through everyday life, without forcing it? Can my child really play and learn at the same time?

I have great news! I have broken down a formula for success when it comes to helping your child make deep connections, boost language, and learn new skills naturally—and it all starts with play-based learning!

This episode is filled with five easy ways to help your child learn naturally through everyday life, where they are leading the learning.

All you have to do is provide the resources to ignite their curiosity (which is a lot easier than you think)!

I hope you enjoy this episode and learn something new!

Michelle

Hey there!

“I’m so frustrated!” – Does that line ever come out of your mouth?... While you’re yelling at your kids??

Odds are, there are many times that warrant a short fuse throughout your day, but is there a way to find patience when your kids are being frustrating, needing reminder after reminder!

Yes, our kids may frustrate us, and yes, we lose our patience, but is there anything WE can do to fix that, or are we expecting our kids to make those changes…and then getting let down when they are unsuccessful reaching those expectations?

What is truly the cause of our impatience? Is it our kids, or is it the expectation of the situation?

Sit back and relax as we unravel an answer to “How do I become a more patient parent?!”  

Thanks for listening!! I hope this episode shines a new light on your parenting!

If you love it, I’d be so grateful if you would leave a review!

Be blessed, my friend!

Michelle

Hi, Mama-Friend!

Have you ever wondered, “How do I raise Godly children?” The answer is quite simple, but yet rather challenging at the same time.

We have to constantly ask ourselves, “Are my kids living more like God, or living more like me?! And how am I contributing to that?”

Am I teaching them to live like me, or am I teaching them to live like God? Oh, complex, right?! I want to say I’m teaching them to live like God, but am I showing them how to live like God? And if I’m not showing them how to live like God, where and how do I start?

We have to remember how important it is to teach our kids Godly expectations, but also model those Godly expectations, which is obviously so easy, right? Ha. Kidding.

But, seriously, sometimes it takes help, and that’s a-okay.

We are talking about it all in episode 38! I’d love for you to comment, what do you find easy or challenging about living up to Godly expectations? Do you find that some things are easier than others? I’d love to know—be sure to share with us www.facebook.com/groups/generationonamission and comment on this post!

Thanks for listening!

Michelle

*Don’t forget to join us starting Feb 21 in the Facebook group for a crossing the midline challenge! Every day (M-F), I will be sharing out an activity that you can do with your kids that also ties in some learning and brain boosting exercises, as well! I hope to see you there!

Hi, Mama!

Did you know that helping your child build coordination and motor skills at an early age is actually EASIER (and more important) than you think?!

In today’s episode, you’ll learn a super quick, easy way to help your kids boost their coordination and motor skills every single day. Bonus, there’s actually little to no prep involved for you, which is always a win!

Doing this one simple thing every day will help your child become a stronger reader and writer, as well, because it helps them learn how to more easily use BOTH sides of their brain at the same time—which sounds all fancy-like!

I hope you learn a little somethin’-somethin’!

Be sure to join our Facebook group, where I’ll be sharing out learning activities to go along with this week’s episode every day during the week of Feb. 21. You’ll see easy, no or little prep activities that you can do with your kids to help grow those brain muscles by using both sides of their brains! See you there!

Michelle

Hi, Sweet Mama!

In today’s episode, we are answering the question, “How do I prepare my child for new life experiences,” like having a new sibling, starting school or moving homes, for example?

It’s up to us, as their parents, to help them understand what new life changes will bring, and to help them learn to identify any emotions that might come along with these changes. Life changes may not always be easy for our little ones to handle, so we have to make sure we prepare them as adequately as we can!

This comes through helping them identify emotions, showing them visuals and talking through what might happen as these new life changes occur.

When we do this, our little ones know what to expect, and they are able to navigate through the life change with a better understanding, which will hopefully better prepare them for any uncertain emotions that they may experience.

Thanks for listening!

Michelle

Hey Mama-Friend!

Quick Question: Is how we respond to our kids when they ask us something important?

Yes. Absolutely.

Sometimes, I think we forget that our kids’ behaviors are actually happening because of how we handle situations, as adults, or even how we respond to our kids. We have a bigger impact on their behavior than we might think.

In this particular episode, we are diving into the response of saying, “I don’t care” to our kids when they ask us if they can do something. Now, we may not care, but is it really beneficial to respond with, “I don’t care”?

Here’s something to think about. How many times have you responded with, “I don’t care,” but then moments later, realize that you actually do care, and you are taking back what you said in the first place? Or maybe you’re yelling at your kids to stop what they are doing because they “took advantage of you”?

We have to get into the habit of putting effort into our responses, so that our kids are clear on our expectations. When they are clear on expectations, with little gray area, they are more likely to listen. Our kids need to know that we are invested in them, in their health and well-being, which is why we are diving into alternative ways to respond to your kids, rather than saying, “I don’t care.”

How do you let your kids know that you don’t mind them doing things, while still letting them know that there are boundaries in place? I’d love to know!

Thanks for listening!

Michelle

Hey, Mama-Friend!

I know how it is! My kids just got all the toys in the world for Christmas and they are still left wanting MORE! They are unsatisfied, yet again, but have you ever stopped to wonder why that is?

Our kids get so wrapped up in the things that they WANT and think will make them happy, that they lose focus on the things that they have right in front of them.

I’d like to call it the sweater phenomenon…I’ll explain. This is where we look in our closets that are FULL of clothes, yet we think we have NOTHING to wear. It’s the same for our kids. They look in their toy boxes and think they have NOTHING to play with! Well, we can’t very well be mad at them for saying that, when we say the same thing ourselves when it comes to never having enough clothes in the closet or food in the pantry!

How do I help my kids learn to appreciate the things they have? I think it all starts with creating an attitude of appreciation and gratitude OURSELVES before we can expect our kids to show any sort of appreciation for the things that they have, and it’s all about finding balance, mama-friend!

We have to constantly reflect: How am I modeling the fact that I appreciate the little things? Am I complaining about never having enough or even being unsatisfied when I’m serving my family? What are my kids hearing ME say on a daily basis?

That all plays a role in creating an attitude of gratitude and an environment of appreciation, which is what we are diving into today!

Thanks for listening, and as always, if you love the episode, I’d love for you to leave a review!

Michelle