I’m a fan of good therapy. But I also see so many moms, who are trying to help their strong-willed ones, in the wrong order imo…they look for a therapist first, before changing anything at home. 

Well this is what I’m talking about today with our fave author, Michaeleen Doucleff. 

In part one of this conversation, we discuss why pack leadership seems so natural for some folks, and so elusive for others. We also get into the topic of purpose, attention seeking, attachment styles and even disagree on a few things!

As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!

Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-304

About Randi Rubenstein

Randi Rubenstein coaches parents raising strong willed kids. Randi searched endlessly to find the magical resource that would help her own highly sensitive, strong-willed child. (He’s now 26, healthy and happy-ish:). She’s been passionate about helping other “cycle-breaker”  parents like herself for almost two decades.

Randi’s Web and Social Links

• Website: https://mastermindparenting.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparenting
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/

About Michaleen Doucleff:

Michaleen Doucleff is an award-winning global health correspondent and the author of Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans. https://michaeleendoucleff.com/hunt-gather-parent/ 

Resources Discussed/Links

Our 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/

Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/

Big changes mean big feelings, and as my youngest heads off to college, I’ve been deep in them.

I’m so glad I got to talk to psychologist and attachment expert Eli Harwood about this. Eli literally calls herself The Attachment Nerd, and she totally gets it.

This one was vulnerable and raw and felt like a therapy session for me. 

As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!

Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-303

About Randi Rubenstein

Randi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.

She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.

At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.

Randi’s Web and Social Links

• Website: https://mastermindparenting.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparenting
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/

About Eli Harwood

Eli Harwood is a licensed therapist who lives in Colorado with her husband, Trevor, and their three children. Eli has been nerding out on attachment research for the past two decades and is on a mission to help make the world a better place, one relationship at a time. She continues this mission in her clinical work, her writing, and running her mouth about attachment on social media. When she isn't working to make the world a more secure place, she is playing dress-up with her kids, obsessing about her sourdough starter, and reminiscing about that one time she won a set of globes as a Price is Right contestant. Visit her at AttachmentNerd.com.

https://www.instagram.com/attachmentnerd 

https://www.facebook.com/attachmentnerd/ 

https://www.tiktok.com/@attachmentnerd?lang=en 

Resources Discussed/Links

Raising Securely Attached Kids: Using Connection-Focused Parenting To Create Confidence, Empathy, And Resilience https://attachmentnerd.com/books/raising-securely-attached-kids 

Our 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/

Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/

You know those moments, when a little deal feels like a much bigger deal?  

And even though you tell yourself Don’t sweat the small stuff or Settle down, Sister…

You just can’t help it. 

 I call these Bratty Little Baby moments, and guess what? We all have them.

Big people. Little people. 

All the people have Bratty Little Baby moments. 

Why you may ask? 

Cuz…

Human-ing is hard. And messy. And and and. 

And the more we understand this, the less Bratty Little Baby hijacks happen.  

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How suppressing meltdown moments in kids leads to self-criticism in adulthood.
• The questions to ask when you’ve had a bratty moment and you’re convinced you’re a terrible parent.
• Why it’s okay to lose control sometimes, even if you feel like you should know better.

And much more! 

As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!

Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-302

About Randi Rubenstein

Randi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.

She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.

At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.

Randi’s Web and Social Links

• Website: https://mastermindparenting.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparenting
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/

 Resources Discussed/Links

Our 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/

Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/

Have you ever met someone who is doing the thing you wish “younger you” had known? 

Recently, I met Esther and wow…Just. Wow. 

In many ways she reminded me of “younger me” but better. 

Way. Better. 

(And with a cool accent to boot:)

She’s been a mom on a mission to turn her household around. And she has implemented so much in such a short amount of time - literal lightning speed. 

I feel like what took me decades to figure out has taken Esther minutes. 

She’s inspiring to say the least…especially if you have an extra spicy strong willed one. 

Esther started as a podcast listener and became a self-directed learner. Now she’s a committed and super impressive, pack-leading Mama Bear. 

Take a listen, and imagine all the ways you can transform your family with the right support!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How we can use tech tools and old-fashioned compassion to support moms wherever they are in their pack leadership journeys.
• Why well-meaning parents mistakenly see conformity and obedience as kid-raising goals.
• What I really think of the performative perfection standards too many of us hold ourselves to as parents.

And much more! 

As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!

Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-301

About Randi Rubenstein

Randi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.

She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.

At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.

Randi’s Web and Social Links

• Website: https://mastermindparenting.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparenting
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/

Resources Discussed/Links

The Highly Sensitive Child, by Elaine Aron, Ph.D. https://hsperson.com/books/the-highly-sensitive-child/

Dr. William Sears’ Attachment Parenting https://www.askdrsears.com/topics/parenting/attachment-parenting/

No Bad Parts, by Richard C. Schwartz, Ph.D. https://ifs-institute.com/nobadparts

Our 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/

Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/

Getting the kids out the door in the morning…

I don’t think most parents would describe this simple daily process as simple.

But what if it could be?  

When I was thinking about what to share with you on the podcast this week, I remembered this resource, and had to share it with you to help simplify the mornings and set your family up for a super successful school year. 

If you need help with the morning madness, this is the episode for you.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why nurturing your child’s agency is so critical to making mornings less of a fight.
• The top five morning tasks a kiddo needs to accomplish before they’re ready to take on the day.
• How to develop a plan for morning success, and how to get your child onboard with it.

And much more! 

As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!

Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-300

About Randi Rubenstein

Randi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.

She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.

At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.

Randi’s Web and Social Links

• Website: https://mastermindparenting.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparenting
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/

 Resources Discussed/Links

Our 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/

Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment

You listen to parenting podcasts. You read books. You are a student of how to be the best mom for your kids. 

You work your tushie off for your kids…maybe even to be the parent you would’ve wanted. 

I see you. 

And I know you beat yourself up about the hard moments when you just can’t hold it together anymore. 

And wouldn’t it be amazing to have a partner that sees all of you? All that you do. All that you are as a mom. 

Would it help you to not be so hard on yourself for those “oops” moments with your kids, if your partner was there to remind you:

• Remind you that you are beautiful inside and out.
• Remind you that a few unproud moments don’t make you a bad mom.
• Remind you that so many things are working!
• Remind you that your kids are lucky to have a mom like you.

Enjoy this little back and forth convo between a dad and me about exactly this. 

And if you want to start Masterminding your house, come and join us!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to recognize and ride the cycle of times where you feel like you’re winning, and times when you feel like you can’t do anything right.
• What to do when you’re in the Messy Middle and feeling guilt over parenting mistakes you’ve made in the past.
• To give yourself grace when you feel like things suck, so you don’t make yourself feel bad for feeling bad.

And much more! 

As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!

Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-299

About Randi Rubenstein

Randi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.

She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.

At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.

Randi’s Web and Social Links

• Website: https://mastermindparenting.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparenting
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/

Resources Discussed/Links

Strange Situation: A Mother's Journey into the Science of Attachment, by Bethany Saltman https://www.bethanysaltman.com/strange-situation 

Our 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/

Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/

If you’re looking for support in figuring out the “now what” after diagnosis, you’ve gotta know Yetta Myrick. Yetta has been in the trenches, supporting her son for 21 years, who was diagnosed early with Autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability.

When it came to finding stellar support for her child with cognitive and developmental challenges, Yetta had no quit!

This often felt like an uphill battle in a confusing and uncaring system. She is an Erin Brockovitch level Mama Bear -  inspiring like an instant bestie who has your back. 

If you’ve felt overwhelmed trying to make sense of a diagnosis and on a quest to curate an excellent care team for your kiddo…don’t miss this convo.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How a fierce love and determination to do right for her son helped Yetta become a resource for other families that have been touched by neurodiveristy.
• Why it’s so important for the home environment to reinforce the support your child gets from their other caregivers.
• How frustrating it can be to find compassionate help for kids who need extra care, and how you can learn from the experiences of mamas like Yetta who’ve been there.

And much more! 

As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!

Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-298

About Randi Rubenstein

Randi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.

She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.

At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.

Randi’s Web and Social Links

• Website: https://mastermindparenting.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparenting
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/

 About Yetta Myrick

Yetta Myrick is the mother of a young adult son diagnosed with Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability. Yetta is the Founder and President of the nonprofit DC Autism Parents, and author of the book Mr. Marshall’s Block Party. She has served as an advocate in roles with the Centers for Disease Control, Children’s National Hospital, the Department of Health and Human Services, the DC Developmental Disablities Council, and many others. In 2024 she received the Advocate in Equity Award from the DC Developmental Disability Awareness Month Planning Committee.

Resources Discussed/Links

DC Autism Parents https://dcautismparents.org/ 

Our 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/

Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/

Teenage-hood. It’s a loaded topic. It’s a loaded time. 

• Just you wait til this one’s a teenager.
• Payback’s a bitch - you were a nightmare as a teenager!
• We turned out fine but the risks are too risky for kids today. 

Ya’ll have been asking me for teenager resources for forever. 

The teen years have always been tough. Changing schools, changing bodies, racing hormones. 

But today’s teenagers face more. The world has become more complicated. 

#FACTS. 

Recently, I talked to Coach Kevin Baker, and I think you’ll hear immediately why I invited him on the pod. Kevin is super committed to helping stuck in a rut or struggling teenagers.  

Listen as we break down this topic and how we can help our kids rather than accidentally stressing them out more. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the freedom to make choices - good AND bad - is so important to your teenager’s development.
• How to hold expectations for your kiddos, and how to know when it’s more important to let them go and just be supportive.
• How to stay compassionate and preserve your sanity during the transition from easy, chatty kid to sullen, surly teen.

And much more! 

As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!

Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-297

About Randi Rubenstein

Randi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.

She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.

At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.

Randi’s Web and Social Links

• Website: https://mastermindparenting.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparenting
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/

 About Coach Kevin Baker

Kevin Baker is a Certified Professional Life Coach who specializes in empowering teenagers. Kevin is on a mission to nurture self-esteem, confidence, and resilience in young minds. With a firm belief that true happiness and success stem from inner strength, he guides adolescents through the transformative process of self-discovery and growth.  

Website: https://lifecoachkevin.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinebaker/

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

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

Resources Discussed/Links

Dr. Dan Siegel https://drdansiegel.com/

Our 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/

Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/

Do some days seem like a never-ending emotional rollercoaster living with your strong-willed and/or highly sensitive one? Like no matter what you say or do, they just can’t seem to get it together? 

On days like these, you might be fighting like hell to stay calm on the outside, but inside your heart is racing and your stomach is tied up in knots. 

And these days seem way longer than a mere 24 hours. By bedtime, no wonder you finally blow a gasket…you’re like a human tea kettle and that steam must be released, right?

My guest this week can help. Michelle Grosser is a coach, mom, and neuroscience expert. She knows a ton about what stress does to our brains and bodies. She’s helped so many moms address their triggers, calm their nervous systems and find the peace they so desperately want in their families and lives.

We hit it off instantly. You’re going to learn so much about how to manage overwhelm and avoid burnout.

Listen as we discuss tangible real-life methods for emotional rollercoaster days with your highly sensitive humans.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How we make meaning out of our kiddos’ behavior (and how to make that meaning into something positive).
• Why it’s so crucial to recognize, honor, and contain our reactive feelings so we don’t pass our stress on to our sensitive kids.
• To start with your own healing and mental health in order to build safety and stability for your family.

And much more! 

As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!

Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-296

About Randi Rubenstein

Randi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.

She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.

At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.

Randi’s Web and Social Links

• Website: https://mastermindparenting.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparenting
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/

 About Michelle Grosser

Michelle is an attorney, pastor, Nervous System Expert, Certified Master Life Coach, and host of The Calm Mom Podcast. Through somatic and neuroscience-based modalities, she coaches women through discovering what’s beneath their triggers and emotions, so they can begin their healing journey and find peace in the present. She deeply believes that the most profound thing we can offer our children is our own healing. She and her husband Jeff have two daughters and live in Miami, FL.

https://michellegrosser.com/

Social: @michellegrosser.coach

Resources Discussed/Links

Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing https://traumahealing.org/

“All The Rage,” a documentary about the life and work of late back pain specialist Dr. John Sarno https://alltheragedoc.com/

Our 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/

Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/

As a mom, figuring out when to give my kids a phone has been one of the hardest topics to tackle.

While there have been conveniences once they got a phone, like being able to know where they are at all times and reach them if I need to, the cons have far outweighed the pros in my family. 

A phone is the default way lots of kids stay in touch, organize activities, and learn about the world. But it can also suck them into the online world, and make it harder for them to engage in reality.

So this week, I sat down with my youngest kid, Cory, and talked about this hot topic: 

• What age to give a kid a phone
• What type of phone
• Social Media access
• How a parent should handle all the common arguments kids often give

At 18, Cory is old enough to see both the pros and cons and can vividly remember how his first smartphone changed his life. 

I had so much fun getting his perspective on this question and even putting him in the hot seat - weighing in on how he’d handle it with a badgering teen, claiming that EVERYONE has a phone and blah blah blah.

When it comes to technology, it’s like the wild wild west for parents. I think I’d do things differently if I had to do it all over again…especially based on my own kid’s advice!

Cory and I discuss what kinds of changes happen in the life - and mind - of a kid when they get their first smartphone, how to decide when they’re ready to handle those changes, and how to (and how not to) talk to your kids about the limits around smartphones.

As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!

Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-295

About Randi Rubenstein

Randi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.

She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.

At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.

Randi’s Web and Social Links

• Website: https://mastermindparenting.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparenting
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/

 Resources Discussed/Links

Our 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/

Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/