Parenting Decoded

In this podcast I interview Richard Carpriola an expert in addiction counseling with over 20 years of experience.  He's the author of The Addicted Child: A Parent's Guide to Adolescent Substance Abuse.

I found the book and talking with Richard really useful in learning about the different substances – marijuana, alcohol, vaping, inhalants and more, and what signs to look for in determining addiction and where to turn if you need help. Leave a review and let me know what you think!

Leave me a review or email me at [email protected].

Email me at [email protected] or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com. 

Have a blessed rest of your day!

Do you have kids who are always running to the car and saying: “I’m first!”?  Or maybe they argue over who mom or dad reads to first at night?  How about who gets to sit where at the dinner table?  Or who does dad pour the catsup on French fries first?  I know my boys would have a battle each time we got into an elevator over who gets to push the buttons.  It’s exhausting, isn’t it?  You might even say it “drains your energy” if you’re a Love and Logic parent. 
 
 In this podcast I want to help you turn that constant bickering into an opportunity for modeling cooperation and fairness.  You'll learn to use a problem solving method with your kids that allows everyone to have a say in how things that were once competitions can become fair and equitable situations. 

You'll learn:
Step 1 - how to set up a Family Meeting
Step 2 - how to start the Family Meeting
Step 3 - How to brainstorm ideas of what possible solutions there could be
Step 4 - How to select which idea you'll experiment with first
Step 5 - Run the experiment
Step 6 - Review the results and revise ideas for another round of experiments
Step 7 - Celebrate a win!

By modeling these problem solving steps together as a family your children will learn that it's possible to come up with solutions and that the best solutions take time and effort to come to. 

SEE FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE

Email me at [email protected] or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com. 

Have a blessed rest of your day!

Parents are often baffled by their kids not listening and totally ignoring them.  In this seminar which was taped during a Zoom presentation, parents learn that how we talk to our kids and when we talk to them has a huge impact on their ability to listen to us. 

In this talk you'll learn not only WHEN to communicate but about these techniques to be more impactful when you do:

• How to go "brain dead" when our kids are emotional
• How to use loving limits to state what you're willing to do
• How giving choices can activate your kid's brain while sharing control about things you don't really mind sharing
• How letting our kids solve their own problems instead of hovering and telling them what to do can allow our kids to feel supported and listened to

If you'd like to watch the YouTube video,  here's a link for that:  YouTube Link

If you have questions, email me at [email protected].

Email me at [email protected] or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com. 

Have a blessed rest of your day!

This is special podcast recording of a seminar at Prospect High School meant for all of you who are having a tough time communicating with your teens.  I also have a YouTube version from Evergreen High School that includes all my PowerPoint slides that you can find on my Parenting Decoded YouTube Channel.  Whether you prefer podcasts or YouTube I want get you as much help as I can in supporting your teen.  

In this seminar I go over how we currently talk to our teens, what that might be communicating to them and finally ideas on how we can break through to our teens using good choices, setting loving limits, and allowing them to solve their own problems. I’ll show you how to come alongside your teen in a loving and empathetic way that allows them to own their lives and lets us be a helpful consultant instead of an interfering helicopter or drill sergeant. 

YOUTUBE Communicating with Teens

If you have an organization who’d benefit from hearing this presentation either on Zoom or in person, please contact me.  I’d love to reach more folks and it’s seminars like these that seem to reach the most parents. 

If you have questions, please contact me at [email protected]. 

Email me at [email protected] or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com. 

Have a blessed rest of your day!

In this episode I interview Bianca D'Agostino.  She's a family and child therapist in Ottawa Canada who has lots of experience help families with issues around anxiety.

Learn how to identify and then deal with some common scenarios in dealing with kids and anxiety. 

Here's the link to Bianca's helpful graphic on the different levels of anxiety, A through F:
ANXIETY GRAPHIC

Bianca's contact info and professional information:
BIANCA D'GOSTINO

Email me at [email protected] or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com. 

Have a blessed rest of your day!

This is the audio version of my online seminar which is also available on my YouTube Channel, Parenting Decoded.  There is also a  YouTube link to this seminar if you'd like to see all the slides that go along with this presentation.  YouTube LINK 

In this expanded conversation we go over tips to handle our anger that is triggered by our children and family situations.  
 The most important of these is setting up a RELATIONSHIP SAFETY TEAM. 
#1 - YOU
#2 - Your Spouse or Partner
#3 - Your Children

In each area we talk about how to use the Team Members to optimize communication in our homes.  It is good COMMUNICATION that will make all the difference in your homes.  Each Team Member can help make this happen.

#1 - YOU

• Start to recognize when your anger is coming on and how to stay out of Fight or Flight mode.
• Use Brain Dead so you DON'T engage when kids are annoying
• Separate if you have to
• Learn a few mindfulness techniques or get mindfulness apps on your phone
• If you really can't get your anger under control, consider seeking professional help

#2 - Your Spouse or Partner

• Develop verbal signals to help signal that you are needing help with anger
• Develop non-verbal signals as well by using physical queues or touch
• Help set up Calm Down options 
• Make sure each partner has "Me Time" to recharge

#3 - Your Children

• Set up verbal and non-verbal signals for your kids to use with you
• Hold regular FAMILY MEETINGS to discuss sensitive topics
• Model problem solving skills to show how communication about things that bother us helps to keep anger and resentment under control

Use other techniques to prevent anger triggers from happening:

• Setting Loving Limits - set up what YOU will do for your kids in a loving and positive manner
• Choices - use them A LOT!!!  Give our kids as much control over things you don't care about
• Problem Solving - let kids make mistakes with love and empathy

BOTTOMLINE: Communication is going to make a HUGE difference in your parenting journey. 

Email me [email protected] if you have questions!

Email me at [email protected] or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com. 

Have a blessed rest of your day!

26: Lying, Cheating, and Stealing

Many parents get very upset when they catch their children lying, stealing, or cheating. We all hate the feeling of betrayal, being lied to, or cheated. But we all lie for lots of reasons. Sometimes to cover up bad behaviours. Other times, we do it out of fear because we want to spare ourselves of punishment or avoid sanctions.

The same goes with our young ones. But one thing is certain, it’s often not as intentional as we adults think and do.

Have you ever felt like no matter what you do, your child keeps on lying? Why do they do it? How can you encourage your children to tell the truth?

Join me in this episode as I go into detail about why our children lie as well as the strategies you can use to address lying! 

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why lying bugs us so much?
• Why do kids lie and why does it come so easily to them?
• The different categories of lying and where your child might fit into
• The 3 main goals for parents when dealing with lying
• Teaching your kids how to apologize from the heart
• How to teach and help your kids learn from their mistakes
• Age-based ideas on dealing with lying
• Earning back your child’s trust
• How to encourage honesty
• Communication will always be key in a loving relationship

Resources Mentioned:

• How to Handle Your Child’s Dishonesty by Child-Psych.org
• Why Kids Lie from ChildMind.org by ChildMind.org
• Cheese Pizza Idea from Natasha at ReadingIsBetterThanChocolate.com
• Lying Guide By Age from Parents.com
• Honor Code Ideas by ReadBrightly.com
• Favorite Picture Books on Honesty from ChildrensLitLove.com
• How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk by Faber and Mazlish

Share this episode with a friend! Please email your questions to [email protected] or join my Facebook Group for more chatter on parenting topics.

Join the FREE Lecture on Anger Management for Parents this Thursday, February 25, 2021 8-9pm SIGN UP HERE

TRANSCRIPT OF ENTIRE PODCAST

Email me at [email protected] or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com. 

Have a blessed rest of your day!

Tantrums continue to be a huge problem for parents.  Take a listen to this one hour Zoom seminar Mary did with a live audience with lots of practical advice on how to get a handle on tantrums in your home.  Learn about:

• Why tantrums happen
• What to do while the tantrum is happening
• What to do AFTER the tantrum is over
• How to avoid tantrums in the future

If you'd like to see the full video with slides go to the Parenting Decoded YouTube channel:
WATCH VIDEO HERE

Mood Chart:
LINK TO MOOD CHART

Email me at [email protected] or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com. 

Have a blessed rest of your day!

It’s very difficult as a parent to see our kids struggle either academically or socially.  For some of us we feel that our kid is the only one struggling and we have no idea where to turn to.  In this podcast I interview Lexie Burnes of NeuroPlay Academics for information about how and when you might look to get your child tested if you suspect something is not quite right. 

I don't have a transcript yet but here's a link to Lexie's website:
http://www.neuroplaybraintraining.com/

Email me at [email protected] or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com. 

Have a blessed rest of your day!

Holidays and gift giving can bring about so much stress to families who are sucked into the commercialism of our current situation.  In this podcast I want to give you all some hints about making gift giving a more heartfelt experience not only from you as the giver but also how to create an attitude of gratitude in our kids who are receiving those gifts.  I’ll also go over some ideas about how to handle sibling-to-sibling giving as well as extended family situations which can easily get messy.  I’m recording this in the holiday season, but it really applies to gifting at birthdays, graduations or any other type of event. 

The article from Happy You, Happy Family that I talk about in this podcast can be found here:
GIFT IDEAS from Happy You, Happy Family

TRANSCRIPT OF ENTIRE EPISODE

Email me at [email protected] or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com. 

Have a blessed rest of your day!