Mama Knows

In this conversation, Nina and Eli delve into the intricacies of attachment theory and its profound influence on parenting. Eli shares her personal journey with attachment styles, the impact of childhood experiences on adult relationships, and the importance of fostering secure attachments with children. They discuss the various attachment styles, how they manifest in parenting, and the significance of conflict resolution and repair in maintaining healthy relationships with children. In this conversation, Nina and Eli explore the complexities of parenting, focusing on the emotional challenges parents face and the importance of secure attachment. They discuss the balance between acknowledging one's own insecurities while striving to provide a nurturing environment for children. Eli emphasizes the significance of making repairs in relationships, the pitfalls of over-apologizing, and the misconceptions surrounding boundaries and connection. He outlines four essential practices for parents to foster secure attachments with their children, highlighting the need for emotional regulation and self-awareness in parenting.

00:00: Understanding Attachment Theory

07:09: The Impact of Attachment on Parenting

13:57: Exploring Attachment Styles

20:08: Navigating Conflict and Repair in Parenting

25:38: Navigating Parenting Insecurities

27:24: The Burden of Repair in Parenting

29:07: Over-Apologizing: A Common Parental Pitfall

32:40: Misconceptions About Boundaries and Connection

35:36: Four Essential Parenting Practices

42:33: Finding Balance in Parenting

Meet Eli

Eli Harwood is a licensed therapist, author, and educator who has more than 17 years of

experience helping people process relational traumas and develop secure attachment

relationships with their children and partners. Eli has three children, one husband, two cats, and

an extraordinary number of plants.

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In this conversation, Nina interviews Stephen and Erin Mitchell, a couple who run a company called Couples Counseling for Parents. They discuss the common issue of in-laws causing tension in relationships and provide insights on how to navigate this challenge. They emphasize the importance of setting boundaries, validating each other's experiences, and working as a team. The conversation covers topics such as handling sensitive conversations about in-laws, dealing with defensive partners, and finding effective communication strategies. Overall, the conversation normalizes the difficulties of navigating relationships with in-laws and offers practical advice for couples. In this conversation, Stephen and Erin discuss the importance of setting boundaries with in-laws and navigating challenging relationships. They emphasize the need for clear communication and expressing needs in a vulnerable way. They also discuss the distinction between difficult relationships and toxic relationships, highlighting the importance of addressing toxic dynamics. They provide insights on how to have proactive conversations, give positive feedback, and navigate challenging situations with in-laws. They also touch on the topic of cutting out toxic family members and the importance of being on the same page as a couple.

00:00: Introduction and Background of the Guests

02:00: The Common Issue of In-Laws Causing Tension

06:21: Navigating the Complexities of In-Law Relationships

08:19: Validating Experiences and Emotions in In-Law Discussions

13:03: Setting Boundaries and Expectations with In-Laws

19:28: Working as a Team to Navigate In-Law Challenges

23:12: Navigating Boundaries with In-Laws

27:00: Proactive Communication and Positive Feedback

28:15: Setting Boundaries with In-Laws

33:05: Differentiating Difficult Relationships and Toxic Relationships

44:19: The Serious Decision of Cutting Out Toxic Family Members

About Erin and Stephen

We are a married couple with three kids and founders of Couples Counseling for Parents. Also, we both have advanced degrees in psychology. Stephen is a psychotherapist and has a PhD in Medical Family Therapy and Erin has a Masters in Counseling Psychology.

Just like every couple we want to feel in love and feel deeply connected to one another. As parents we want to give our kids the world, be phenomenal parents, and feel close to our kids.

Sometimes in the chaos of parenting it doesn’t feel like you can be close as a couple. Your are too tired, too busy, too overwhelmed, too everything…

We have taken all our experience (personal and professional) and education about relational wellness and developed practical tools for couples to connect and stay connected as they parent.

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In this conversation, Nina and Rebekka discuss the often-overlooked importance of sleep for adults, particularly for parents. They explore the concept of chronotypes, how understanding one's natural sleep patterns can enhance productivity, and practical tips for adjusting sleep habits. The discussion also addresses common sleep issues, misconceptions about sleep, and the significance of establishing a healthy bedtime routine. Rebekka shares her expertise as an adult sleep consultant, emphasizing the need for realistic and sustainable sleep strategies for busy individuals.

00:00: The Importance of Sleep for Adults

05:07: Understanding Chronotypes and Their Impact

10:15: Adjusting Sleep Patterns: Tips for Night Owls

14:50: Common Sleep Issues and Healthy Habits

22:39: Debunking Sleep Myths and Misconceptions

Rebekka Wall is a certified adolescent and adult sleep consultant with Sleep Wise Consulting and is passionate about helping people prioritize sleep and proper rest. As a wife and a homeschooling mother to three boys, Rebekka knows the ability to live with more energy, less stress, balanced hormones, reduced mental fatigue, and achievable health goals are met through consistent, quality sleep. She has a special interest in how hormonal shifts throughout a woman's life impact sleep and is all about providing realistic and sustainable tools for long-term success.

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In this conversation, Nina and Danielle discuss the challenges of maintaining friendships, especially in motherhood. They explore the different types of friendships and how to align with different friends. They also discuss the importance of setting boundaries and managing expectations in friendships. Danielle provides tips on how to navigate a perceived lack of balance and reciprocity in a friendship, and how to identify toxic dynamics. They also discuss the impact of social media on female friendships and ways to make and nurture friendships in busy seasons of life.

00:00: Introduction

03:00: Understanding Different Types of Friendships

08:28: Setting Boundaries and Managing Expectations

13:15: Dealing with a Lack of Balance and Reciprocity

18:48: The Impact of Social Media on Female Friendships

29:06: Making and Nurturing Friendships in Busy Seasons

Danielle Bayard Jackson is a female friendship coach and educator who speaks nationally about the science of women’s platonic connections. She is also the author of Fighting for Our Friendships (May 2024).

Danielle’s coaching business, Friend Forward, is dedicated to teaching women how to create and maintain better female friendships, and her expertise has been featured in The New York Times, NBC News, Psychology Today, Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, Good Morning America, and a host of other media outlets.

A former high school teacher, Danielle now uses her teaching skills and leverages her background to study what the latest research has to say about women’s cooperation, communication, and conflict.

As a member of the American Sociological Association, she uses the latest research to create tangible strategies to help women create more depth in their platonic relationships. Companies like TikTok, the NBA, NFL, and Etsy have all booked Danielle as a speaker to address the topic of connection psychology. She’s even served as Bumble’s resident friendship expert and spokesperson for its new app Bumble for Friends.

Danielle shares her insight weekly on The Friend Forward Podcast, has several viral videos on social media, and has written for Insider and Harvard Business Review.

You can learn more about Danielle and her work by visiting www.betterfemalefriendships.com.

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Danielle Bayard Jackson is a female friendship coach and educator who speaks nationally about the science of women’s platonic connections. She is also the author of Fighting for Our Friendships (May 2024).

Danielle’s coaching business, Friend Forward, is dedicated to teaching women how to create and maintain better female friendships, and her expertise has been featured in The New York Times, NBC News, Psychology Today, Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, Good Morning America, and a host of other media outlets.

A former high school teacher, Danielle now uses her teaching skills and leverages her background to study what the latest research has to say about women’s cooperation, communication, and conflict.

As a member of the American Sociological Association, she uses the latest research to create tangible strategies to help women create more depth in their platonic relationships. Companies like TikTok, the NBA, NFL, and Etsy have all booked Danielle as a speaker to address the topic of connection psychology. She’s even served as Bumble’s resident friendship expert and spokesperson for its new app Bumble for Friends.

Danielle shares her insight weekly on The Friend Forward Podcast, has several viral videos on social media, and has written for Insider and Harvard Business Review.

You can learn more about Danielle and her work by visiting www.betterfemalefriendships.com.

Episode Sponsor:

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In this conversation, Nina and Dr. Darria discuss baby safety and the importance of keeping children safe in various aspects of their lives. Dr. Darria, an ER physician and mother, shares her passion for helping families navigate the overwhelming amount of information on baby safety. They discuss the importance of trusting a mother's intuition and the challenges of balancing safety with allowing children to explore and play. Dr. Darria emphasizes the key areas of focus for baby safety, including safe sleep, car safety, and bath safety. She provides practical tips and reassurance for parents to reduce risks and create a safe environment for their children. In this conversation, Dr. Darria discusses the top injuries that parents could have addressed at home to prevent ER visits. The main injuries she mentions are related to water safety, car safety, choking and poisoning, and falls. She also emphasizes the importance of baby-proofing the home and provides tips on how to do it effectively. Dr. Darria advises parents to remove, relocate, and co-locate dangerous items, as well as create safe spaces where they can leave their child unattended for short periods. When purchasing products like car seats and toys, she recommends checking for JPMA certification and buying from reputable vendors. Lastly, she shares some amusing stories about children putting objects in their orifices.

00:00: Introduction and the Importance of Baby Safety

02:58: Dr. Darria's Background and Passion for Child Safety

05:50: Balancing Safety and Allowing Kids to Play

08:59: The Key Areas of Baby Safety: Sleep, Car, and Bath

14:06: Challenges and Tips for Car Seat Safety

16:55: Bath Safety and the Importance of Supervision

19:52: Conclusion and Final Thoughts on Baby Safety

20:17: Top Injuries That Could Have Been Addressed at Home

22:08: Preventing Accidents: Water Safety, Car Safety, Choking, and Falls

23:13: Baby-Proofing: Remove, Relocate, and Co-Locate

24:08: Choosing Safe Products: JPMA Certification and Reputable Vendors

36:22: The Dangers of Orifice Exploration

38:09: Supervision and Childproofing

Dr. Darria Long leverages the best of science, to make our lives healthier, better… and easier.

Dr. Darria is offering her new course to our listeners for a discounted rate. Visit NoPanicParenting.com with code MAMAKNOWS. The course launches Course launches 10/16. Pre-sale goes from 9/17 - 10/16!

By combining her life’s work as an Emergency Room physician and being a mom of three – Dr. Darria has become the nation’s ‘making life better for women’ doctor by helping individuals pave ways to stay present and remain healthy during times of constant distractions and high stress. With a website devoted to distilling health headlines and creating a thriving lifestyle, Dr. Darria shares simple, evidence-based (from western, eastern, and integrative medicine) advice on physical and mental wellness, and the health guidance you’d expect and trust from a close friend.

A favored national TV contributor and national bestselling author of Mom Hacks, Dr. Darria is also a TED speaker “How to triage your life like an ER doctor,” and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee. She received her training in emergency medicine at Yale School of Medicine and her MBA from Harvard Business School. A featured regular on CNN, Headline News, NBC, Interview Healthline, Hallmark,Lifetime, Dr. Oz, Thrive Global, Atlanta Small Business Network, Parenting for the future, and many others.

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In this conversation, Nina and Alyssa discuss the topic of money and its impact on relationships. They explore the concept of money guilt and scarcity, and how it can stem from one's background and upbringing. They also delve into the challenges couples face when it comes to money, including conflicts and financial infidelity. Alyssa provides tips on how to have productive conversations about money with your partner, as well as the importance of budgeting and building an emergency fund. She emphasizes the need for mindset shifts and reframing negative money narratives to improve financial wellness.

00:00: Introduction and Money Guilt

11:59: Money in Relationships

19:07: The Importance of Budgeting

21:45: Building an Emergency Fund

26:57: Mindset Shifts for Financial Wellness

About Alyssa:

Alyssa Davies is a Trauma of Money certified facilitator and a published author living in Calgary, Alberta. She founded the two-time award-winning Canadian Personal Finance Blog of the Year, Mixed Up Money, and is the cohost of Money Feels, a podcast dedicated to healing your relationship with finances. Alyssa is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, and her books, The 100 Day Financial Goal Journal and Financial First Aid are currently available for purchase.

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In this conversation, Nina discusses her concerns about her son's reading development with Jessica Farmer, an expert in early literacy. They cover key milestones in early reading development, tips for parents to introduce reading skills, common mistakes to avoid, and red flags that indicate a child may be struggling with reading. Jessica emphasizes the importance of early intervention and provides resources for parents to support their child's reading journey.

Chapters

00:00: Introduction and Concerns

05:10: Key Milestones in Early Reading Development

08:43: Tips for Introducing Reading Skills

18:42: Common Mistakes in Teaching Children to Read

25:58: Recognizing Red Flags and Seeking Intervention

31:14: Conclusion and Resources

Meet Jessica Farmer, the force behind Farmer Loves Phonics, a literacy advocate in the world of education on social media. With a bachelor's degree from Florida International University, Jessica also holds a reading endorsement in the state of Florida. Her journey into the science of reading began in 2020, spurred by the onset of the pandemic. In response, she took to TikTok to create informative content, aimed at assisting parents in supporting their children's learning at home. Since then, Jessica has maintained a consistent presence on TikTok and Instagram, offering valuable resources and insights for both parents and educators.

Dedicated to advancing the field of reading instruction, Jessica has expanded her knowledge through specialized training. In 2021 and 2022, she successfully completed LETRS for Early Childhood and Comprehensive IMSE Orton-Gillingham. Her unwavering passion lies in making reading instruction accessible and effective for every learner. With a commitment to reaching and empowering all readers, Jessica continues to be a trusted source of guidance and support in the science of reading community. Jessica is currently the lead professional trainer for Rainbow Phonics and a facilitator for LETRS EC.

Episode Sponsors:

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In this conversation, Nina discusses the topic of shame in children with Alexandra Idens, the founder of Big Life Journal. They explore how children experience shame, how parents can recognize and address it, and how to build resilience in children to handle setbacks and failures constructively.

00:00: Introduction and Personal Experiences with Shame

08:38: Creating Family Agreements to Address Shameful Behavior

17:07: Supporting Children Through Shameful Experiences

25:23: Building Resilience in Children to Handle Setbacks

28:45: The Importance of Connection and Unconditional Love

30:56: Letting Children Feel and Learn from Shameful Moments

Alexandra Eidens is the found and CEO of Big Life Journal. At Big Life Journal, their mission is to give parents, teachers, therapists, and counselors the tools they need to help kids grow up confident, resilient, and ready to take on the world. They work to make it easier for you to nurture kids who believe in themselves and their ability to achieve big things.

Find out more on her socials:

www.biglifejournal.com

On Instagram

This episode's sponsors:

City Beauty

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Lands End

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The conversation explores the importance of talking to kids about disabilities and how to approach the topic. Amanda Owen, who has a brother with a rare chromosomal disability, shares her personal experience and passion for advocating for individuals with disabilities. They discuss the need to normalize disabilities early on, finding common ground with individuals with disabilities, and the importance of open and honest conversations. They also touch on the generational shift in attitudes towards disabilities and the impact of societal norms on children's perceptions. In this conversation, Amanda Owen discusses how to address children's curiosities and teach empathy and inclusivity towards individuals with disabilities. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing similarities and finding common interests, as well as using moments of curiosity as teaching opportunities. Amanda also suggests using the phrase 'excuse us while we're learning' to address inappropriate comments and engage in a respectful conversation. She encourages parents to have scripted conversations with their children about differences and to model empathy and inclusivity in their own behavior. Amanda also shares her books, 'Owen the Wonder' series, which teach children about disabilities and promote understanding and acceptance.

Chapters

00:00: Introduction and Personal Experience

02:50: Normalization and Early Conversations

07:46: Finding Common Ground

13:00: Open and Honest Conversations

17:55: Challenging Societal Norms

22:21: Recognizing Similarities and Finding Common Interests

27:17: Modeling Behavior and Having Scripted Conversations

31:45: Promoting Understanding and Acceptance Through Books

About Amanda

Amanda Owen is a children’s book author, speaker, podcaster, nonprofit founder/director and lifelong advocate for those with disabilities. Her big brother, Nick, was the 11th person in the world diagnosed with his rare chromosomal disability, which meant Amanda grew up as an advocate. She became a special education teacher to help students like her brother, but desired to offer her students and their families more. Taking a leap of faith, Amanda left the classroom 11 years ago to launch Puzzle Pieces, a Kentucky-based nonprofit that serves individuals with disabilities, offering them targeted autism services, residential living, vocational training, supported employment, behavior services and more. Amanda’s work has become a state and national model for disability services, allowing her to speak all over the country on advocacy, provider services and her perspective as a sibling. She inspires everyone she meets to dream big, work hard, own their mistakes and learn from them, be themselves, and most of all -- laugh!

Amanda loves to connect! Find her at:

Website: piecesofme.org

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pieces-of-me/id1547078857

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piecesofmebyamanda

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/piecesofmebyamanda/

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Disney Jr.’s Ariel is an animated musical series for preschoolers inspired by the beloved story of “The Little Mermaid.” It follows 8-year-old mermaid princess Ariel as she and her friends embark on fun-filled, action-packed underwater adventures throughout their Caribbean-inspired fairytale kingdom of Atlantica and beyond. The series features fan-favorite characters, including King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian, and Flounder, as well as exciting new additions like Ariel’s two best friends, mer-children Lucia and Fernie, and lots of other adorable sea creatures. The series debuts Thursday, June 27 on Disney Jr. and next day, Friday, June 28 on Disney+.

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In this conversation, Nina and Jessica discuss the importance of routines for children, especially during the back-to-school transition. Jessica, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of Rooted in Routine, shares the benefits of routines for children's physical and mental health, cognitive development, and stress management. They also discuss strategies for preparing children for the school year, managing screen time, and helping children decompress after school. Jessica provides advice for parents navigating different routines in two households. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the significance of routines in creating stability and supporting children's well-being.

Jessica Irwin is a childhood routine expert, pediatric occupational therapist, mom of a toddler, and lover of all things child development. She founded her online business, Rooted in Routine, to help parents learn simple, easy-to-implement routines for optimal baby and child development at every age. Her approach is largely rooted in going back to the basics to help you establish solid, age-appropriate routines for things like feeding, play, mealtimes, potty, and sleep. She believes this is the most important foundation you can provide for your child - and she wants to help you do just that! You can find her on socials at @rootedinroutine or www.rootedinroutine.com.

Jessica is having a back-to-school sale this August (8/15-8/19) where her Comprehensive Routine Guides will be 20% off!

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Disney Jr.’s Ariel is an animated musical series for preschoolers inspired by the beloved story of “The Little Mermaid.” It follows 8-year-old mermaid princess Ariel as she and her friends embark on fun-filled, action-packed underwater adventures throughout their Caribbean-inspired fairytale kingdom of Atlantica and beyond. The series features fan-favorite characters, including King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian, and Flounder, as well as exciting new additions like Ariel’s two best friends, mer-children Lucia and Fernie, and lots of other adorable sea creatures. The series debuts Thursday, June 27 on Disney Jr. and next day, Friday, June 28 on Disney+.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices