Let’s talk about mainstream parenting and conscious parenting.

Here is some truth to chew on...mainstream parenting is brutal and harmful and we are all tired.

Conscious parenting, on the other hand, is a long and tedious journey but it is worth the sacrifice.

The conscious parenting journey is two-fold, and before we can excel in conscious parenting, we must strip off the negativity of our cultural backgrounds and all the social injustices we’ve internalized. We are in a constant battle of mind over matter, and we have to stay in the fight and win for the sake of our children. We must allow ourselves to go through the process of creating new patterns in our minds and neuro systems. It is an internal work that impacts on our children and the world at large. This journey is predicated on focused resistance.

Vivek Patel of Meaningful Ideas has been teaching Conscious Parenting concepts to families for over 10 years. The ideas he shares have been used by thousands of families to create more harmony and connection in their homes.

His online audience has grown to over 100 thousand people. He has written over 500 parenting articles and created over 100 videos. There is also a book in the works.

Vivek cares deeply about empowering parents to develop more harmonious relationships with their kids using a powerful parenting model based on Communication, Connection, and Collaboration.

Check out Vivek on social media as he shares his wealth of knowledge:
www.facebook.com/meaningfulideas
www.youtube.com/meaningfulideas
www.instagram.com/meaningfulideas
www.meaningfulideas.com
www.gentleparentsunite.com/

In this episode with DeAntwann “DJ” Johnson, we discuss the importance of vulnerability, reimagining masculinity, fostering healthy relationships with teenage children.

Britta Ofori-Kuragu of The Purposeful Parenting Paradigm talks entrepreneurship and fostering independent children. Her children, ages 7 and 3, found themselves with an accidental soap-making business which she used as an opportunity to teach independence while cultivating her kids' creativity. In this episode, explore the ways in which Britta utilizes entrepreneurship to empower her family.

Dr. Seanna Leath is back to discuss her latest work, a study on how Black mothers’ socialization shapes the way Black girls come to understand racism. Often Black girls learn early on that conversation on racism, discrimination, and police brutality center concern for the men and boys in their lives. This is curious because we all know that violence against women of any race is a public health emergency and has been for many decades. The intersection of gender and race makes Black women prime targets for every category of violence.

Part 2 of this important discussion, asking you to evaluate your parenting practices and assess if you have been parenting like the police. Listen here for Part 1: https://www.spreaker.com/user/13316275/28-janelle-scales-part-1

Guest Info: Janelle Scales is an educator, activist, writer and mother of two. She is a public speaker and teaches social justice courses for both children and adults. Her essays on womanism and motherhood have been featured on Yahoo, Scary Mommy, and Expressing Motherhood. She is the co-host of Love is Justus, a social justice podcast centering black women and femmes. She is the cofounder of Neighbors Not Nuisance, an organization committed to encouraging activism among community members to help improve the lives of marginalized members of society. She is a proud Black American and lifelong California resident. www.janellescales.com

In this episode, Janelle Scales and I talk about the nuances of Black parenthood and the striking similarities between traditional corporal punishment we often see in Black families and the white supremacist system we try to protect our kids from. When our kids misbehave or express big emotions that we aren’t equipped to handle, what do we do? We send them to time-out. We take away rights and material possessions. We try to silence them. We do whatever it takes to get them to “fall back in line.”

How is time-out any different than solitary confinement? When we take away rights and privileges, we disempower them and perpetuate a hierarchy within the home. When we try to silence their tantrums versus supporting them during their emotional dysregulation (which is completely normal for all human beings, even adults!), we send the message that their emotions are not safe with us. If not with us, then where are our Black children safe to just be? To exist? Listen to parts 1 and 2 of this important conversation for strategies to stop parenting like the police.

Guest Info: Janelle Scales is an educator, activist, writer and mother of two. She is a public speaker and teaches social justice courses for both children and adults. Her essays on womanism and motherhood have been featured on Yahoo, Scary Mommy, and Expressing Motherhood. She is the co-host of Love is Justus, a social justice podcast centering black women and femmes. She is the cofounder of Neighbors Not Nuisance, an organization committed to encouraging activism among community members to help improve the lives of marginalized members of society. She is a proud Black American and lifelong California resident. www.janellescales.com

Parenting Decolonized is excited to announce the Rona, Racism, and Radical Parenting conference
that will help parents make big mental shifts so they don't revert back to oppressive parenting practices when you're stressed. In this solo pod I explain the details of the conference and go into more detail about my big vision for the future. Sign up for the conference here: https://www.parentingdecolonized.com/parentingconference

Because of Coronavirus, our kids are on social media more and more, which has many parents wondering about how to navigate conscious parenting in a digital age. Enter Elizabeth Milovidov, Digital Parenting Consultant, who helps parents develop strategies for digital engagement for their families. We talk about how to protect your children against online predators, how to create a family media agreement, and ways we can use technology to bridge the digital divide in the Black community.

Get more tips from Elizabeth here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheDigitalParentingCommunity
http://www.digitalparentingcoach.com/
https://digitalparentingshop.com/

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is why I wanted to sit down with Melody Gross, a DV survivor and single mom turned advocate. Melody is the owner of Courageous Shift, a domestic violence coaching and consulting company. as a certified professional life coach, Melody offers her clients the tools needed to create a new life after experiencing abuse. She also speaks to companies and organizations about the value of domestic violence policies and workshops. As someone who witnessed DV as a child and experienced it as an adult, this episode is very personal, touching on warning signs of domestic violence, why conscious parenting is important for children who have experienced trauma and how to parent after domestic violence.

You can contact Melody on her website https://courageousSHIFT.com or on social media at
Facebook link: Fb.me/CourageousSHIFT or on IG: @CourageousSHIFT

Please make sure to leave a rating and review! And I hope you consider becoming a Patreon: http://bit.ly/PDPatreon

Autism is a hot-button issue, with Black children squarely in the center. And if you’ve been following me, you know that my own daughter, while not officially diagnosed, is most likely on the spectrum. This is why I was super excited to chat with Faduma Bulale, who is helping other parents learn how to be better advocates to their autistic child. This episode is a little longer than usual, but I there’s so many great nuggets of information, I didn’t want ya’ll to miss anything!Consider becomin