In today’s episode, I’m sharing a journey to simplicity. Marie, a Simple Families community member is giving us a closer look inside her day-to-day life. She’s been working towards simplicity for over a year and has found that a simpler life improves her well-being and the overall harmony of her family.

Marie and I discuss her adventure in decluttering the physical “stuff” in the home, as well as scaling back on the calendar to find more peace and quiet in the way they spend their time together. Thanks for sharing your journey with us, Marie!

The post Marie’s Story appeared first on Simple Families.

Should we insist that our kids apologize or say “I’m sorry”? I actually don’t. However, both my kids have come to apologize and express authentic empathy in their early years (without my demanding it). They have learned to do so naturally through their environment.

When it comes to teaching manners and empathy, we can cue our kids to use certain expressions. But often it’s not about teaching. It’s about exposing them to things like manners and empathy in their influential relationships with adults. Children learn better through exposure in their natural environment. So instead of direct teaching, we can show them how it’s done ourselves.

The post Q&A | Should you make kids apologize? appeared first on Simple Families.

In three years of podcasting, I’ve never shared my own views on sleep. This is not an accident. The reality is that I’m afraid to approach this divisive topic. I do have a lot of opinions on the topic, but today–I’m sharing the 7 most important things I’ve learned about sleep and parenthood in my own life.

7 Tips on Improving Sleep in Parenthood

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How do you get your kids to sleep in later? That’s the question for the day. Although there is no magic bullet, I have a few tips to help you move in the right direction. Including some strategies around using an “Okay to wake clock”. I’m also sharing something simple that I’m loving this week.

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Happy New Year! Today we are talking about the Simple Families “word for the year”: Community. Building a community in parenthood can feel like “one more thing” we have to do. But it’s invaluable to you and your family as you grow, change, and face the rollercoaster of life with kids. In this episode, I’m joined by my friends Erica Layne from The Life on Purpose Movement, Zoë Kim from Raising Simple, and Rachelle Crawford from Abundant Life with Less. We are sharing more about our own experiences with community throughout parenthood. 

Find Erica online:

Find Zoë online:

Find Rachelle online:

The post Find Your People appeared first on Simple Families.

Back in January, I joined the sober curious movement as I gave up alcohol for the year as a New Year’s Resolution. It was an amazing year and I learned so much about myself. Today I’m sharing my month-by-month experience and Brooke Conley joins me for moral support.

The post My Year Without Alcohol appeared first on Simple Families.

Stepping into new spaces can make anyone uncomfortable. For many of us, developing a relationship with an individual with special needs might be new territory. In today’s episode, we have Mama/Author/Advocate Heather Avis sharing her ideas about raising kids with kindness and moving towards inclusion.

“When we walk into the world with our children we know we are different. What we want is for people to embrace us, not turn away from us.”

Heather Avis

The post Scoot Over and Make Some Room appeared first on Simple Families.

Are you wondering how to talk to your kids about Santa? That’s what we are chatting about today.

Actually, I’m introducing something brand new today! Starting in 2020, I’ll be adding a second weekly episode to the Simple Families Podcast. In addition to the regular weekly episode, I’ll be adding a shorter form episode. Today, I’m sharing an example of how exactly this will look.

The new episode will be in two main parts: We’ll start the episode off with a Q&A segment where I answer a question from an audience member. Then, we’ll move on and discuss “Something Simple” that I am loving each week–which may be a concept, a book, a product or anything else.

I invite you to send me your contributions for the show!

The post Q&A | How to Talk to Kids about Santa appeared first on Simple Families.

In today’s episode, I’m bringing you a Journey to Simplicity. I’m chatting with Dr. Gillian Goddard, a physician living outside of New York City with her husband and four kids. Although Gillian’s life may feel anything but simple, she and her family have made strides towards finding the balance and rhythm that works for their family.

Photo by Alison Sheehy

Ready for a mindset shift around gifts this holiday season? In today’s episode, we are discussing how to gift with intention. This includes shifting the conversation around gift-giving with your kids and choosing gifts that will keep-on-giving. I’m also sharing the 10 items on the Simple Families 2019 Holiday Gift Guide.

“Our kids love spending time with you and I’ve enjoyed seeing your relationship grow. I fear that too many packages may distract them from appreciating all the wonderful gifts that you bring as a person. I want them to look forward to special time with you more than they do the gifts. How can we work together to keep them focused on the important stuff?” [Quote from Denaye’s Book Simple Happy Parenting]

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