Good Enough Parenting

In honor of Mother's Day, we are revisiting one of our most popular episodes "How to Have a Happy Mother's Day" because who couldn't use a littler reminder that the day is actually supposed to feel good for YOU ❤️

A few years ago, I got a call around 3:00 on Mother’s Day. A dear friend asked me if I would be able to meet her for a drink before dinner. Hell yes. We had both had less than ideal days that were meant to celebrate us but instead were filled with cranky kids and unmet expectations. We needed to commiserate.

And at the risk of sounding like a terrible mother I’m going to be honest – our cocktail hour was the best part of my day. We laughed, we cried and we went back to our families restored and reconnected.

It reminded me of what my dear friend and mentor Carrie Contey has always said about Mother’s Day – ask for what you want.

For some women, spending Mother’s day with their children or their own mother or mother-in-law is perfect. For others, not so much. It can be a vulnerable day, especially if you have lost your mother, have a tricky relationship with her, or if motherhood is not living up to your expectations at the moment.

So now is the time to ask for what you want from this day. Does being with your children and having them make you breakfast in bed sound ideal? Do it. Do you want to binge Netflix shows you never get to watch because you’re asleep in your kid’s bed at 8pm? See if your partner (or babysitter) can bring your kids to Kung Fu Panda 4 while you order a pizza with your favorite toppings. Do you want to journal and cry about missing your mom? Just as valid.

I want a mix – a little time with my family and a little time to myself. So you’ll probably find me eating home made pancakes in the morning followed by a matinee viewing of a movie SOLO and maybe even a cocktail with a friend afterward. And I’m going to ask for this now – so my partner knows what is going to fill my cup on a day meant to celebrate me. No surprises, no disappointments.

What do you want your Mother’s Day to look like? Despite what Hallmark tells us, there’s no wrong way to do it. As long as you do it your way, that's good enough. 

To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!
http://www.paceparent.com/play 

And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

I try not to stay too tuned into the daily news cycle (because going into an anxiety spiral every time my phone dings with a news alert is not my favorite way to spend the day) but it’s hard to ignore just how bananas things feel right now. 

This is especially true in our economy -  inflation, tariffs, layoffs, budget cuts—it’s enough to make any adult anxious. But guess what? Our kids feel it too. If we’re feeling unsettled as adults, imagine how it feels for our kids, who only catch snippets of grown-up conversations and headlines they don’t understand.

So in this month’s episode of “Good Enough Parenting” I wanted to take a deep dive into how to talk to your kids about money in a way that builds emotional resilience, teaches lifelong financial literacy, and helps them feel safe—especially in unpredictable times.

I’ll walk you through:

• 💰 Why your relationship with money is the biggest influence on your child’s
• 💡     How to give age-appropriate explanations about money, saving, and values
• 💵     Simple ways to set up allowance systems that actually teach financial skills
• 😬 The power of letting kids make mistakes with money (better to learn at five than fifty!)
• 🌈    How to shift the vibe in your house from scarcity to noticing everyday abundance

Plus, I share a resource that completely changed my own relationship with money: a free 3-day workshop called Good with Money by my mentor Kate Northrup—coming April 17! If you’ve ever felt your stomach drop when opening your credit card bill SIGN UP HERE NOW! 

Times are tricky. The future feels uncertain. Helping our kids remember what really matters in our lives may not shift the markets, but it will bring more peace (and maybe even prosperity!) to your home. And that’s good enough. Resources Mentioned:
📚 Money: A Love Story by Kate Northrup
🎉 Free Workshop: Good with Money - Starts April 17 SIGN UP HERE!

To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!
http://www.paceparent.com/play 

And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

The number one question I get from parents is... 

How do I get my kid to just… DO the things I need them to do ??

And if you’ve been with me for a long time, you know my usual answer: Don’t start a sticker chart! It’s a short term solution that usually leads to more stress than success. 

BUT (get ready for it)… today I’m going to tell you that when done right 

sometimes sticker charts can work

Yep. Messy Mixed Messages.

On this month’s Good Enough Parenting episode I’m sharing  the key ingredients for sticker chart success:

✅ Your relationship is the real motivator. Kids don’t listen to charts—they listen to people they feel seen and valued by.

✅ The goal has to be clear. No vague “be good” nonsense. Try “Put Your Shoes on When Asked”

✅ Short time frames = success. No “be kind all week.” More like “use gentle hands in the car on the way to school”

✅ Earn, don’t punish. Losing stickers for every slip-up just makes kids quit. Focus on building success.

✅ Motivators matter. Yes, some experts say “no sweets or screens” as rewards but I once bribed my kid with cans of soda to get them hooked on reading. No regrets. 

Most importantly—reward charts are a jumpstart, not a forever plan. The goal isn’t stickers, it’s habits. If it’s working, great. If it’s stressing everyone out? Ditch it.

Because at the end of the day, connecting with your kid is the best way to get cooperative behavior—not some piece of paper covered in Paw Patrol stickers.

And even if your junk drawer is basically a graveyard for half-finished “stay in bed” and “clear your plate” charts, don’t worry. That’s still good enough. 

With love,

Carley

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

• Rita Pierson’s TED Talk: Every Kid Needs a Champion
• Good Enough Parenting Episode #20: Better Behavior with Brain Basics

To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!
http://www.paceparent.com/play 

And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

February is rough. The winter blues are real, the kids are bouncing off the walls, and if your family has managed to dodge the flu, norovirus, and pink eye this season—tell me your secret!

This past weekend, my husband and I got a much-needed break while the grandparents took over. And while I love that my kids get this time with them, it also meant one thing: a weekend filled with sugar and screens.

So today, we’re diving into the ever-evolving world of screens. What’s too much? What actually matters more than time limits? And how do we, as parents, set tech boundaries that actually work?

In this episode, I share:
📱 Why how kids use screens matters more than how long
🧐 The one question I ask my kids (and myself) about screen time
🚫 The simple rule we have about tech in bedrooms (game-changer!)
📵 My own experiment with a digital detox—how it’s going so far

There’s no perfect answer, and we’re all figuring it out together. But sometimes, just being intentional is good enough.

To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!
http://www.paceparent.com/play 

And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

Happy New Year! We made it to 2025. And if the first few weeks are any indication, it looks like we might be in for a bit of a bumpy ride.

Which is why I open this month’s “Good Enough Parenting” episode with the reminder that tapping into things that bring us joy is not a luxury as parents – it’s a necessity for your family’s well-being. Whether it’s catching a movie, meeting up with a friend or simply savoring a quiet coffee, prioritizing things that fill your cup isn’t selfish; it’s essential.

To start my year, I indulged in a favorite tradition: seeing a Broadway show solo. This time, it was Our Town—front row and close enough to get spit on by Jim Parsons (yes, it was worth it).

Watching those turn-of-the-century moms yell for their kids to come to breakfast reminded me of something important:

• Some parenting struggles are timeless (like kids not listening the first, second, or third time).
• And parents losing their cool? Yeah, that hasn’t changed in 125 years either.

In this month’s episode, we’re diving into:

 ✨ How to stop “shoulding” all over yourself and your kids.
 📺 Proven strategies for managing transitions (like turning off YouTube without tears).
 🌱 Why letting go of unrealistic expectations frees you to trust that your kids will grow toward the light—in their own messy, beautiful ways.

Here’s to a year of realistic expectations, more joy, and a whole lot of good enough. 

To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!
http://www.paceparent.com/play 

And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

This month, we’re diving into the sacredness of multi-generational family time. After returning from a vacation with 20 relatives—ranging from babies to grandparents—I’m reflecting on why these connections matter so much for our kids and for us as parents.

We’ll talk about how spending time with multiple generations helps kids develop empathy, responsibility, and self-worth (yes, even when they complain). Plus, I share why parenting wasn’t meant to be a solo act and how leaning on a larger community—whether it’s relatives or chosen family—can help us stay calm and grounded.

Whether you’re heading into a big ol’ family gathering this holiday season or leaning on a community you’ve recently built, know this: those multi-generational connections aren’t just a “nice-to-have.” They’re a lifeline for our sanity and our kids’ growth.

So before you spend your year-end bonus on enough wine to block out the unsolicited parenting advice from Aunt Sally, take a deep breath and remind yourself to embrace the messiness and magic of extended family. Your village may not be perfect, but they’re good enough.

To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!
http://www.paceparent.com/play 

And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

In this episode, we’re taking a classic fire safety rule—Stop, Drop, and Roll—and turning it into your new secret weapon for navigating those fiery parenting moments. Remember how often the fire department visited your elementary school to drill this into our heads? Turns out, that advice is just as helpful for when your kid is melting down over the color of their cup as it is for actual flames.

I share a recent moment where I found myself at the edge of a parenting meltdown (yes, even therapists have those!) and how Stop, Drop, and Roll helped me regain control—well, at least of myself, if not the chaos. 😉 Learn how to apply this three-step strategy to put out emotional fires and keep your cool when the heat is on at home.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to apply Stop, Drop, and Roll to your parenting toolbox 🧯
• Why stopping in the middle of chaos can be a game-changer
• How dropping the need for control leads to calmer outcomes
• What “rolling with it” really means in the wild world of parenting

To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!
http://www.paceparent.com/play 

And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

Fear Isn’t the Enemy 👾 

We often think we need to protect our children from things that scare them, but in reality it's better to help them face it.

“Fairy Tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed.” 

~GK Chesteron 

Kids know that scary sh*t is out there. But their biggest fear is not the monster under the bed or the bully on the playground. The biggest fear many children have? Feeling powerless. That's why fear can lead to aggressive outbursts—because when a child feels scared, they try to regain control, often through extreme reactions.

What Helps? Facing Fear with Control 💪

It’s not about keeping scary things away from them, but about teaching them to face fear while remaining in control. Let them go at their own pace—approaching the edge of their comfort zone but not pushing them into distress.

Practical Tips for Managing Fear 👻

Here’s how you can help your child manage their fears:

• Take Baby Steps: Start small, letting them explore their fears in a controlled way.
• Validate Their Feelings: Acknowledge their fear without rushing to solve it for them.
• Playfully Conquer Fear: For imaginative fears (like monsters or vampires), try creative solutions—draw pictures of what they’re scared of and destroy them, or come up with funny tools to "banish" their fears.
• Create Safe Opportunities: Games like hide-and-seek can help kids practice separation in a fun, controlled setting.

The goal isn’t to shelter kids from fear but to help them practice feeling scared and managing that fear. When we let them take control, they become more empowered, resilient and ultimately cooperative! 

On today's "Good Enough Parenting" podcast, I share a personal story of how I was able to move my three year old from paralyzed to playful on Halloween night. 

And while we can't make all the dragons disappear, we can give our kids the swords they need to feel less afraid. And that's good enough. 

To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!
http://www.paceparent.com/play 

And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

Oh dreaded transitions. 

Anytime we’re asking our kids to move from one activity to another (“stop playing and come to dinner” or “head upstairs to brush your teeth”) a whole host of things need to happen in their brain and body to turn their boat in a new direction. 

Transition struggles are the biggest complaint I hear from families I support. It is incredibly frustrating when you have to yell “Get your shoes on!!” 600 times before your kid hops to it. 

But there are some ways to make transitions easier (or at least slightly less painful). 

On today’s “Good Enough Parenting” podcast, I share tips and tricks for getting your kid moving BEFORE you start throwing things at them. The key is to honor the transition itself, not just focus on the before/after activities. 

I also share how to honor the bigger life transitions – like moving or heading to a new school – to help ease the passage from one phase to the next.  

Might be advice we all could use when we're stuck in a youtube rabbit hole even though  we should be heading to bed. Turns out transitions aren't just tricky for kids.... 

To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!
http://www.paceparent.com/play 

And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

Have you ever had to peel your 4 year old off your leg at daycare drop off? Or tried to convince your 7 year old that they’ll have fun at school when they’re begging you to stay home because the idea of leaving you makes them want to puke? 

Separation anxiety is tough. And unfortunately many of the strategies that parents try, like being logical (“You love your teacher – you’re going to have a great day!”) or bribing (“If you don’t cry on the way to school you’ll get a cupcake!”) actually make things worse. 

On today’s “Good Enough Parenting” podcast, I explain why separation anxiety develops (thanks ancestors!), how to help your child understand what they’re feeling, and what to do when the dreaded moment of separation occurs. 

Sneak peak: Be clear. Be calm. Be consistent. Anxiety doesn’t stand a chance when a parent speaks clearly about expectations, maintains their own calm, and holds consistent boundaries. 

Tune in to hear my top tools for taming this common childhood struggle so that you can become the steady guide your anxious kid needs rather than getting stuck in their storm of stress. 

To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!
http://www.paceparent.com/play 

And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG!