Do you need help figuring out your work-life balance?

Today we brought on guest Julie Finn for our bonus episode where we highlight other mamas in the podcasting space. Julie is a podcast host, executive coach, speaker, thought leader.

Julie has mastered the art of creating balance in her career that gives her freedom, income all while helping other mamas do the same. In this episode, she shares how to create a career that supports a life you love and aligning your vision with what you do.

She dives into what it means to "play big" and why you have to make pivots that align with your joy and the bigger purpose you hope to accomplish. She also shares what you can expect from her podcast and how she hopes motherhood will evolve for the working mother.

• Julie's thoughts on goal setting and New Year's resolutions
• What it really means to "play big"
• Aligning your vision for your life with what you do
• Making pivots that align with your joy and the bigger picture of what you want in your life
• What people can expect from Julie's podcast, the Working Mother's Mentor

It's time to shift your thinking from "I don't have time for that," to "this is just not a priority for me."

Today we brought on Marisa Lonic, founder of Mama Work It and author of Time Momagement. Marissa loves helping other mamas find the time they need to do want they want.

You'll hear why multitasking can be self-sabotage if you're not doing it right. She also shares how you can use time journaling to make sure you are making time for what truly matters.

We discuss why moms need a tribe of support, how to identify areas where you can improve your own time management and the 4 most common words that moms say when it comes to time management.

• Why self-care needs to be a priority for moms
• Using your time to do activities that fuel you rather than indulging in time wasters
• Identifying areas where you can improve your time management
• The 4 most common words that moms say when it comes to time management
• Why you need a tribe of support as a mom

Do you ever find yourself hovering over your kids' every move and sheltering them from life?

Today's guest, Michelle Carlson, is the founder of Peace and Parenting. Michelle helps parents navigate through what it really means to be a connected parent.

In this episode, you'll hear what helicopter parenting is and why you should strive to be a less reactionary parent and how sometimes, it's okay to let your kids fail.

She shares how to recognize if you're inadvertently subjecting your kids to helicopter parenting, how to manage your anxieties without projecting them onto your kids and how dynamics from past relationships affect you as a parent.

• What helicopter parenting is and what it looks like
• Becoming a less reactionary parent and knowing you don't have to "fix" everything
• Reflecting back on your childhood to unpack issues that are brought to the surface in parenting
• How overprotective parenting can affect children in the long run
• Giving your kids the tools to do the right thing without the promise for rewards

Are you setting an example for your children that they should do work that they love?

Today's guest is Katya Libin, CEO and co-founder of Hey Mama, a community for mothers. Katya started her business with a friend and another past guest of Generation.Mom, Amri Kibbler.

In this episode, we talk about leading by example and showing our children that work should be something that brings you joy and fulfillment rather than something you "have" to do.

We dive into her experience of running Hey Mama with Amri including what it was like raising capital for her business, what she's learned from bootstrapping her company for 4+ years and her experience of running a business as a single mom.

• Why she created a community-based platform and how it's helped Katya with being a single mother
• The advantages of running her business as a single mom
• Setting an example for your children that work should be something that brings you joy and fulfillment
• Katya's experience with raising capital and crowdfunding for HeyMama
• Navigating the ups and downs of building a business to make the best decisions for your team, family and company

Nowadays, we're constantly bombarded with the educational gimmicks that our children "need" to prepare them for school and as they grow. On today's episode, we're discussing the actual skills your child needs for success in school and life. We are joined by Susie Allison of Busy Toddler, a former teacher turned blogger who helps parents to discover play-based learning activities for their children (of all ages!). We discuss why play-based learning is so important and how to encourage play-based learning. She also shares what our kids really need in their toddler years to help to set them up for success, what skills are most important for children to learn in early childhood years, which toys are essential for play and learning and the top 3 things you can be doing as a parent everyday.

What's In This Episode:

• Play-based learning vs. direct instruction
• When to start encouraging play-based learning
• Creating dedicated time for play and an environment that supports play
• Toys that help kids with play-based learning
• How Susie creates activities that incorporate different ages

Listen to the full episode here: https://generation.mom/busy-toddler/

Have you ever felt shamed by a healthcare provider, especially during pregnancy?

Today's guest is Jen McLellan, founder of Plus Sized Birth. She started her blog after her own pregnancy when she realized there weren't enough resources out there for pregnant plus-sized women.

In this episode, Jen talks about her experience of using a midwife and the misconceptions that many plus-sized women face during their pregnancy, labor and delivery.

We also chat about the shame that many women feel from healthcare providers and why the language that healthcare providers use when speaking with patients matters. She shares how to teach children to embrace people of all sizes and what "body love" means to her.

• Why Jen opted to go with natural birth and how her pregnancy led her to start her blog
• How important the language that care providers use with patients is
• What you should look for from a care provider for your pregnancy
• Misconceptions that plus size women face during their pregnancy, labor and delivery
• What "body love" means to Jen

We are taking a break till January 8, 2020. If you are traveling and have some downtime over the holiday break, tune in to some popular episodes from this year. Listen in for more info!

We're wrapping up this year and this decade with a big bow and looking forward to what's to come with this amazing community we have here at Generation.Mom in 2020.

Today we're reflecting on all of our wins and losses this year, talking about holiday traditions and what we're looking forward to as we wrap up 2019.

We have so many episodes with amazing mama's and experts lined up for the new year to help to continue to guide us through navigating modern-day motherhood and we cannot wait to share them all with you next year.

It's time for a short holiday break but we'll be back January 8th, 2020. In the meantime, be sure to relisten or tune into any episodes you missed in 2019 and take some time for yourself to enjoy this holiday season.

If you've enjoyed listening this year, it'd be a gift to us if you could take a few minutes to rate and review the podcast - it would mean so much to us.

• Jenn being back from maternity leave and the challenges of having more than one child
• What challenges they've faced over the course of the year
• The surprises they've faced in 2019 including being able to quit her corporate job, navigating a miscarriage and being able to travel
• How Jenn and Lara prepare for the new year (and the new decade) by goal setting, manifesting and trusting in her spirituality
• Reflecting on the words that they chose for 2019 and what words Jenn and Lara have chosen for the new year

How do our children's nutrition needs change as they grow?

Today's show is part 2 of a two-episode series with Jessica Gust, pediatric dietitian and founder of Element Nutrition Co.

In this episode, we continued with our conversation on childhood nutrition and discussed how to handle mealtime for kids of all ages from toddlers to teenagers. She shares the importance of figuring out a schedule, how much food to serve based on your child's age and how to make sure your child is staying hydrated.

Jessica also shares how to get kids involved with packing their own lunches, encouraging kids to make healthy food choices as they grow up and meeting them where they're at when they hit their teen years.

• How to deal with a toddler who just won't eat and the importance of a meal and snack schedule
• How meals will change when a child moves into their elementary school years
• How to encourage teenagers to continue eating healthy
• How family meals can make a huge impact on your
• The calculation that lets you know how much water your child needs per day

Do you often wonder what your child really needs to be eating?

Today we had on Jessica Gust, a pediatric dietitian and the founder of Element Nutrition Co. to talk about child nutrition and how to handle picky eaters.

Some children are extremely particular about their food, which let's face it, can be really exhausting for us mamas. But why are kids picky about eating and how do we get them to learn to like the foods that offer the nutrients and vitamins they need for growth and development?

Jessica shares how to teach kids to like certain foods and why family meals are crucial for our children from a very young age. She discusses the differences of baby-led weaning vs. traditional weaning, how to use comfort foods at mealtime and how to know when it's time to start your baby on solid foods.

• What a pediatric dietitian is and how they help families with their child's nutrition
• Key factors to consider when raising "healthy" children
• Why family meals are essential for teaching kids socialization, role modeling and table manners
• Letting your children make choices around meals and giving them the structure to make good choices
• How to know if you're dealing with a picky eater and when to seek out extra help