You sink down on the rug in tears and wonder how you can ever keep going. Then you see your daughter's abandoned stuffie under the sofa, next to an overdue library book, so you scoop them out, tuck them on the shelf, shove your hair in a bun, and get started with the laundry.

What happened to your tears? You discarded them like your daughter did her stuffie.

Welcome to mom overwhelm.

Mom overwhelm is the science of feeling crushed by the weight of life and living it anyway!

This week, we're making space for overwhelm and talking about the ways we can bust through it.

If you feel like a cog in a wheel of making breakfast and answering email and rushing to activities and getting laundry done and finding lost library books and washing bodies and reading story books and wait, when did you last really see your partner?

Listen in.

Today we talk turning that overwhelm around…

• Why is overwhelm like eating a really hot curry
• Why modern life creates a perfect environment for overwhelm to flourish
• How to cultivate walk away moments
• Why you need to listen to warnings as whispers and see if they grow loud
• How redefining your mom role can create space and recognition
• Why urgent and important are not the same thing
• How to go to bed feeling happier you moved the needle

Summer enrolment for the Parent Club is closing soon. Check out our special summer offer…before it's gone

Join Abigail's rocking new community and be mother-flipping-awesome. Go here to get registered now.

We'd love to hear about your parenting challenges. You can follow Hand in Hand on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Be sure to drop Elle and Abigail a message at [email protected]

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• Don't forget to subscribe!

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"Last cookie," you say, lightly.

"No." Your son says. Then he stuffs the cookie into his mouth, grabs three more and runs from the room.

You're just about to charge from the kitchen in a chase when your eyes fall on another set of eyes.

Your younger son.

Wide-eyed and wondering.

Who's in charge here? his eyes seem to say.

How far can we push you? Are you going to...lose it?

This week we're talking the kid that pushes your buttons...and the brothers and sisters who are watching.

How does what you say or do in the heat of the moment reflect on them?

Abigail shares a big win when she got her over-tired tween to bed early, despite his resistance at every opportunity. But what surprised her most was how her younger son responded.

Listen in and feel inspired if you:

• Struggle with keeping calm in Staylistening
• Feel like one of your kids is playing you or pushing your buttons
• Get sucked into debate and reasoning with your child when you set a limit
• You feel like one child takes up so much more of your energy than the other
• Power battles between you and one child results in your kids taking sides
• Feel like you always give in...

You'll see how your responses can impacts everyone in your house - including you! And why it pays to keep positive with your children in ways you might not imagine.

Summer enrolment for the Parent Club is closing soon. Check out our special summer offer...before it's gone

Join Abigail's rocking new community and be mother-flipping-awesome. Go here to get registered now.

We'd love to hear about your parenting challenges. You can follow Hand in Hand on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Be sure to drop Elle and Abigail a message at [email protected]

• Listen on iTunes.
• Listen on Stitcher
• Don't forget to subscribe!

Get weekly tips, ideas, and inspiration for your parenting in our newsletter

The baby woke at 4am.

His brother just 45 minutes later.

Since then you've been puked on, drawn on, and changed three diapers. You burnt a bagel and your kid tipped his cereal over in a rage. Now the baby is screaming because he's hungry and your son is pulling at your pants leg because he wants to play.

Oh yeah. And it's only 7.53am.

Who you gonna call?

Ghostbuster's won't help. But there is someone else. A special person who will let you scream about how bad your morning has been, and gently tell you they understand. Who will nod sympathetically and not judge you when you say that you are Just.Too.Tired.To.Play!

Who will laugh with you when you admit, embarrassingly, that you just wanted to fling that dumped out cereal bowl across the living room, pick up your bag and walk out of there forever. (Or at least just until you'd had a mani-pedi/shopping binge/peace and quiet.)

If you know Hand in Hand Parenting then you know that when the going gets tough we call…a listening partner.

There's no other place that offers quite the same level of support, care and nurturing when you are at the end of your rope with parenting. It eases exhaustion, lightens the mental load and makes room for more energy and enjoyment with your kids.

But are you using your listening time to the max?

This week Abigail shares a powerful story about how listening rescued her when she hit rock bottom in parenting, and her and Elle discuss the ways you can boost your listening time to make it even more empowering, supportive and freeing.

And if you haven't started a listening partnership, don't worry! There's plenty in the podcast for you – and some downloads below!

On How to Superboost Your Parent Support, you'll find:

• Why making time honors your self-care and enhances the work and care you pour into your family
• The times a light clearing out of your feelings can be useful versus times to probe deeper
• Three ways to get more from your listening time and really boost your well-being
• Still journaling? That's great – but why haven't you started listening? Overcoming the obstacles and actually getting started with Listening Time

Never heard of Listening Time? You'll find everything you need to know in this ebook.

Want to find a listening partner? Join our free Facebook community and post to get started.

Listen to our earlier podcast and discover how Listening Partnerships can sound.

Be the best listener you can be. Learn the art of connected active listening and discover how you like to be listened to. This in-depth online video course teaches steps to building your ideal listening partnership so you can change parenting for the better. Learn more.

Join Abigail's rocking new community and be mother- flipping-awesome. Go here to get registered now.

We'd love to hear about your parenting challenges. You can follow Hand in Hand on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Be sure to drop Elle and Abigail a message at [email protected]

• Listen on iTunes.
• Listen on Stitcher
• Don't forget to subscribe!

Get weekly tips, ideas, and inspiration for your parenting in our newsletter

The last time you asked them to tidy their crayons, they smashed the whole box on the floor and ripped up the color sheet.

You have to psyche yourself up when you need them to turn off the TV, because…BOOM! Epic meltdown.

Forget about asking for a hug. Your child wriggles away from your hand on his shoulder.

Does every request you make send your child into a raging meltdown?

You spend life walking on eggshells. (As well as Lego bricks.)

But, do you know what?

This is actually when your child needs you most of all.

But how do you get close when your child acts like a tiny tyrant, doing everything they can to push you away? When it's hard to even be in a room with them?

This week, Abigail and Elle show you how to maximise a special tool you can use when you want to transform meltdowns into closeness and co-operation. Use it to stop power battles and turn your child's difficult, defiant behaviors around.

On the podcast this week:

• Learn what your child's ongoing acts of aggression and rage are showing you
• How to take shouting and screaming and turn then into smiles
• Maximise the tool so you two can laugh, play and actually enjoy each other again.

If you are exhausted or confused by your child's rage and meltdowns, listen in now and get these simple solutions you can apply today.

New to Special Time? Here's a free chapter from our book Listen. Learn all about this amazing tool.

Join Abigail's rocking new community and be mother- flipping-awesome. Go here to get registered now.

We'd love to hear about your parenting challenges. You can follow Hand in Hand on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Be sure to drop Elle and Abigail a message at [email protected]

• Listen on iTunes.
• Listen on Stitcher
• Don't forget to subscribe!

Get weekly tips, ideas, and inspiration for your parenting in our newsletter

Do you know how bad your child feels when they mess up?

They may look angry. They may look amused. They may show bravado.

But in every kid that messes up is a pit of shame, sadness, confusion and doubt about their own self-worth.

How do we know? Because aren't those the exact same feelings we adults feel when we mess up - when we really look inside?

And we parents often heap on that shame.

You get into blame and guilt, lectures and stand-offs. Just the way you were treated when you were little.

If you want to avoid the stand-offs, forced apologies, shame and humiliation we experienced when we messed up, we need new tools and new responses.

This week we share three ways to respond that will actually build trust and empathy with your child - whether mistakes are big or small!

On this week's podcast, we're talking mistakes - when you make them and when your kid makes them. Listen in for:

• Why confrontation and blame only builds kids shame and self-loathing
• Why empathy isn't a soft response when it comes to mistakes
• Why sharing your own mistakes maybe the best thing you can do when your child messes up
• Three different approaches you can use to build trust when your child messes up (or feels like they have)
• How to show your child that mistakes can be teachable moments

When mistakes happen in your house, these tools and ideas will guide and support your child and boost trust.

Join us this week for How to Respond to Your Kid's Mistakes in a Way You Can Be Proud Of

Here's the download Elle mentions. Reduce the stress of parenting! Get now

Get ready to join Abigail's rocking new community and be mother- flipping-awesome. Go here to get registered now.

We'd love to hear about your parenting challenges. You can follow Hand in Hand on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Be sure to drop Elle and Abigail a message at [email protected]

• Listen on iTunes.
• Listen on Stitcher
• Don't forget to subscribe!

Get weekly tips, ideas, and inspiration for your parenting in our newsletter

How do you make like Meghan Markle and stand strong when you face loud and opposing opinions on how you *should be* raising your child?

Meghan and Harry have broken many a protocol since bringing royal baby Archie into the world, from not using the royal family's preferred hospital to Harry holding Archie at a (delayed) press call.

No-one is telling them how to raise a prince, not even the queen!

How can you get the same support from your family when your ideas about parenting differ from theirs?

How you can avoid endless confrontations and feuds?

How can you stand strong when their feelings rock you and you face indecision and uncertainty about your parenting style?

Hand in Hand Parenting can seem very different to an older generation, and even younger friends and family that find mainstream parenting practices successful for them. So, how can we show the differences in a positive light without alienating anyone?

Listen to this episode and find out how to own your parenting when your family wants to rule over you.

• Why your parenting ideas rub moms and mom-in-laws up the wrong way and how you can ease this
• One easy tip for keeping everyone happy when your child moves offtrack and everyone expects you to act (and no, you won't need to time-out)
• How to see the good in their criticism and ways to handle their opinions

• Try these five tips for responding when you feel judged about your parenting
• Get the book Listen, to hear the 100s of stories from families using these tools.

Don't go it alone!

The Hand in Hand Parent Club offers daily support from instructors, with free access to our Setting Limits class, and monthly Q&A Sessions with Hand in Hand's Founder Patty Wipfler.

We're re-opening in the summer. Drop us an email at [email protected] and we'll be in touch about dates.

Get ready to join Abigail's rocking new community and be mother- flipping-awesome. Go here to get registered now.

How do you make like Meghan Markle and stand strong when you face loud and opposing opinions on how you *should be* raising your child?

Meghan and Harry have broken many a protocol since bringing royal baby Archie into the world, from not using the royal family's preferred hospital to Harry holding Archie at a (delayed) press call.

No-one is telling them how to raise a prince, not even the queen!

How can you get the same support from your family when your ideas about parenting differ from theirs?

How you can avoid endless confrontations and feuds?

How can you stand strong when their feelings rock you and you face indecision and uncertainty about your parenting style?

Hand in Hand Parenting can seem very different to an older generation, and even younger friends and family that find mainstream parenting practices successful for them. So, how can we show the differences in a positive light without alienating anyone?

Listen to this episode and find out how to own your parenting when your family wants to rule over you.

• Why your parenting ideas rub moms and mom-in-laws up the wrong way and how you can ease this
• One easy tip for keeping everyone happy when your child moves offtrack and everyone expects you to act (and no, you won't need to time-out)
• How to see the good in their criticism and ways to handle their opinions

• Try these five tips for responding when you feel judged about your parenting
• Get the book Listen, to hear the 100s of stories from families using these tools.

Don't go it alone!

The Hand in Hand Parent Club offers daily support from instructors, with free access to our Setting Limits class, and monthly Q&A Sessions with Hand in Hand's Founder Patty Wipfler.

We're re-opening in the summer. Drop us an email at [email protected] and we'll be in touch about dates.

Get ready to join Abigail's rocking new community and be mother- flipping-awesome. Go here to get registered now.

Elle confesses that she really sucks at setting limits with her kids - and together she and Abigail suss out ways to make rules, boundaries and enforcing them a whole lot easier.

Join us this week if you've ever battled with yourself about when to set limits, or found that whenever you do set limits your kids just don't seem to listen.

• Top 3 reasons why limit setting is failing you
• Ways you can reframe what it means to set limits
• Why backchat isn't all bad
• Why determining what matters for you and your family really helps you set limits more effectively.

If you want to stop yelling and start setting calm limits, or you are sick of your buttons and boundaries getting pushed, join us for this podcast.

Discover Hand in Hand's 3-Step Approach to Setting Limits in this free ebook

Take our online Setting Limits class and get proven tools to set healthy limits that fosters closeness and cooperation in your family. Sign up here, or register for the Hand in Hand Parent Club and get this class free with your membership.

We'd love to hear about your parenting challenges. You can follow Hand in Hand on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Be sure to drop Elle and Abigail a message at [email protected]

• Listen on iTunes.
• Listen on Stitcher
• Don't forget to subscribe!

Get weekly tips, ideas, and inspiration for your parenting in our newsletter

We know we love our kids, but that doesn't stop them being hard to like sometimes.

This podcast is for you if you ever wondered how you were going to get through the next few hours with your kids close by.

We talk about how we get to the point where the dread feels real and we share things you can do when parenting feels this hard.

Listen to What To Do When You Aren't So Psyched To See Your Kids and

• Find the hidden power in giving in to a bad day
• Get play ideas and ideas for when play seems just too hard
• Learn how to hold off on constant control and mommy managing
• Why it's vital to have your own time to whine and tantrum sometimes

We also wanted to take a moment to thank you for being here and seeking ways for happier days with your family - you are amazing for all the caring you do.

This is the Listening Partnerships online class we mention. Don't forget you can get it for 25% off when you join the Hand in Hand Parent Club.

We'd love to hear about your parenting challenges. You can follow Hand in Hand on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Be sure to drop Elle and Abigail a message at [email protected]

This week Abigail and Elle respond to a mom who feels like she sees power struggles, aggression and kickback when she's parenting the way she wants to, and compliance only once she gets mad.

Are her efforts to parent kindly back-firing? And why would that be?

On the podcast this week we talk about:

• What to expect when parenting with respect
• Setting boundaries on your own levels of calm
• Comparison parenting and why no way is the perfect way
• What power struggles actually mean, and working on embracing them as a win not a loss.

Join us if you've ever felt like your efforts at being an empathetic parent are lost on your child and learn why that definitely is not what is happening!

This article on how kids acquire bad words and re-use them is very insightful. Read Bad Words from Good Kids.

"Mean mom," comments can be very triggering. Here's how instructor Irina handles it step-by-step. My Child Calls Me Mean Mom. What Should I Do?

We'd love to hear about your parenting challenges. You can follow Hand in Hand on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Be sure to drop Elle and Abigail a message at [email protected]

• Listen on iTunes.
• Listen on Stitcher
• Don't forget to subscribe!

Get weekly tips, ideas, and inspiration for your parenting in our newsletter