Simple Families

By Denaye Barahona Ph.D.Parenting Kids & Family Education for Kids

Simple Families episodes

March 12, 2018SFP 98: Sleep + Parenthood [with Dr. Kennedy of NYC Sleep Doctor]
Parenthood is notoriously associated with sleep deprivation. Good sleep goes beyond just getting kids to sleep through the night. Do any of these things resonate with you?
At the end of a long day you desperately need sleep, but you can’t put your Instagram/Netflix away.
You drink coffee to wake you up in the morning and wine to help you go to sleep at night.
You wake up in the middle of the night with a to-do list a mile long.
You are so incredibly exhausted but yet you can’t fall asleep.
Getting a good night sleep is important for your physical health and mental health. But it’s also important for the well-being of your family. Because if you are tired and irritable, you may struggle to be calm, present, and mindful with your children and spouse. In today’s episode, I talk with Dr. Janet Kennedy, the NYC Sleep Doctor. Dr. Kennedy and l discuss the barriers to being well-rested as a parent and tips for improving your sleep hygiene
You can get Dr. Kennedy’s book here, or visit her at NYC Sleep Doctor.
What’s keeping you up at night?

The post SFP 98: Sleep + Parenthood [with Dr. Kennedy of NYC Sleep Doctor] appeared first on Simple Families.
42 min
March 12, 2018 SFP 98: Sleep + Parenthood [with Dr. Kennedy of NYC Sleep Doctor]

Parenthood is notoriously associated with sleep deprivation. Good sleep goes beyond just getting kids to sleep through the night. Do any of these things resonate with you?

* At the end of a long day you desperately need sleep, but you can't put your Instagram/Netflix away.
* You drink coffee to wake you up in the morning and wine to help you go to sleep at night.
* You wake up in the middle of the night with a to-do list a mile long.
* You are so incredibly exhausted but yet you can't fall asleep.

Getting a good night sleep is important for your physical health and mental health. But it's also important for the well-being of your family. Because if you are tired and irritable, you may struggle to be calm, present, and mindful with your children and spouse. In today’s episode, I talk with Dr. Janet Kennedy, the NYC Sleep Doctor. Dr. Kennedy and l discuss the barriers to being well-rested as a parent and tips for improving your sleep hygiene
You can get Dr. Kennedy's book here, or visit her at NYC Sleep Doctor.
What's keeping you up at night?
41 min
March 07, 2018SFP 97: Mindfulness for Kids [with Jessica from Lily Pad Yoga]
Stress and overwhelm are an epidemic in childhood–which means mindfulness for kids has become essential. As adults, many (if not most) of us carry significant amounts of stress and overwhelm on a daily basis. It has become so ingrained into our society and culture that we have normalized it as a part of who we are as individuals.
Even if “stressed out and anxious” is normal for you–you need to consider the effect that it has on your children. Stress impacts our children twofold: (1) they are impacted by the stress levels of their parents and (2) they are impacted by their own personal stress encountered in daily life.
In today’s podcast episode I am speaking with Jessica Knopke about teaching mindfulness to kids. Jessica is an Occupational Therapist and Yoga Teacher who has dedicated her career to bringing calm and intentional movement to childhood. She is also the founder of Lily Pad Yoga, a yoga center and Youtube channel which brings movement and breath to children.
In our chat, Jessica shares more about her observations of the growing rates of childhood anxiety and depression–along with specific strategies that we as parents can use to plant seeds of mindfulness in our children during these early years. Jessica shared that mindfulness in children doesn’t necessarily mean stillness, because they have an internal drive to move.
Jessica will be joining us in the Mindfulness focus group for this month, click here to join in the discussion and ask her any questions you may have! In the mean time, check out five of Jessica’s simple strategies to teach mindfulness to kids.
Mindfulness for Kids at Home: 5 Simple Ideas
Blowing on feathers. Blow feathers off the palm of your hand. This will help children to experiment with different intensities of breath.
Starfish breath. Make a starfish with one hand by opening up all the fingers. With your other hand gently trace the outline of the starfish. Breath in as your finger moves up and breathe out as your finger moves down. Using our finger to trace as we breathe fosters a mind-body connection.
Anchoring to sounds. Listen for the subtle sounds outside the room, inside the room, and then within your own body. It might be the hum of the furnace or the chirping of a bird–we can pause our brains and tune into the sounds that are present right now.
Mindful eating. You can really pay attention to that first bite of your meal. How does it look? How does it smell? Is there a sound it makes while you chew? If you are picking it up with your hands, what does it feel like? Before you take that first bite, who can you thank for that food? The worms that nourished the soil, the sun for helping it grow, the farmers who grew it, the workers who packaged it, truck drivers who drove it to the market, the grown ups who put it on the table….then chew that first bite really slowly.
Glitter jars. Put warm water, sparkles, glitter glue and food coloring (optional) in a jar. Shake it up and it resembles how we feel in our bodies and minds when we are scared or angry. As you sit in stillness watching the glitter settle your mind and body begin to settle too. Then we can see the water clearly, just as we can see more clearly now that we are calm.
Do you want to chat more about bringing mindfulness to kids? Join the discussion!
Be sure to check out Jessica on Youtube!

The post SFP 97: Mindfulness for Kids [with Jessica from Lily Pad Yoga] appeared first on Simple Families.
46 min
March 07, 2018 SFP 97: Mindfulness for Kids [with Jessica from Lily Pad Yoga]

Stress and overwhelm are an epidemic in childhood--which means mindfulness for kids has become essential. As adults, many (if not most) of us carry significant amounts of stress and overwhelm on a daily basis. It has become so ingrained into our society and culture that we have normalized it as a part of who we are as individuals.
Even if "stressed out and anxious" is normal for you--you need to consider the effect that it has on your children. Stress impacts our children twofold: (1) they are impacted by the stress levels of their parents and (2) they are impacted by their own personal stress encountered in daily life.
In today's podcast episode I am speaking with Jessica Knopke about teaching mindfulness to kids. Jessica is an Occupational Therapist and Yoga Teacher who has dedicated her career to bringing calm and intentional movement to childhood. She is also the founder of Lily Pad Yoga, a yoga center and Youtube channel which brings movement and breath to children.

In our chat, Jessica shares more about her observations of the growing rates of childhood anxiety and depression--along with specific strategies that we as parents can use to plant seeds of mindfulness in our children during these early years. Jessica shared that mindfulness in children doesn't necessarily mean stillness, because they have an internal drive to move.
Jessica will be joining us in the Mindfulness focus group for this month, click here to join in the discussion and ask her any questions you may have! In the mean time, check out five of Jessica's simple strategies to teach mindfulness to kids.
Mindfulness for Kids at Home: 5 Simple Ideas

Blowing on feathers. Blow feathers off the palm of your hand. This will help children to experiment with different intensities of breath.
Starfish breath. Make a starfish with one hand by opening up all the fingers. With your other hand gently trace the outline of the starfish. Breath in as your finger moves up and breathe out as your finger moves down. Using our finger to trace as we breathe fosters a mind-body connection.
Anchoring to sounds. Listen for the subtle sounds outside the room, inside the room, and then within your own body. It might be the hum of the furnace or the chirping of a bird--we can pause our brains and tune into the sounds that are present right now.
Mindful eating. You can really pay attention to that first bite of your meal. How does it look? How does it smell? Is there a sound it makes while you chew? If you are picking it up with your hands, what does it feel like? Before you take that first bite, who can you thank for that food? The worms that nourished the soil, the sun for helping it grow, the farmers who grew it, the workers who packaged it, truck drivers who drove it to the market, the grown ups who put it on the table….then chew that first bite really slowly.
* Glitter jars. Put warm water, sparkles, glitter glue and food coloring (optional) in a jar. Shake it up and it resembles how we feel in our bodies and minds when we are scared or angry. As you sit in stillness watching the glitter settle your mind and body begin to settle too. Then we can see the water clearly, just as we can see more clearly now that we are calm.

Do you want to chat more about bringing mindfulness to kids? Join the discussion!
Be sure to check out Jessica on Youtube!
43 min
March 01, 2018 SFP 96: Simple Families in March
In today’s episode, I am sharing some simple (yet exciting) changes coming to the podcast and the Simple Families Community. Listen in to hear more, and click here to join the conversation for this month.

The post SFP 96: Simple Families in March appeared first on Simple Families.
3 min
March 01, 2018 SFP 96: Simple Families in March

In today's episode, I am sharing some simple (yet exciting) changes coming to the podcast and the Simple Families Community. Listen in to hear more, and click here to join the conversation for this month.
3 min
February 12, 2018 SFP 95: A Day in Denaye’s Life
In today’s episode I am sharing more about what my typical day looks like. Like many women, I am always seeking to find a balance between having a career and spending quality time with my family. I am the primary caregiver for my 1-year-old and 4-year-old, but I also balance working from home as well.
My days are full, but I don’t feel overwhelmed and busy. In today’s glimpse, I am sharing the balance that’s working for me right now.
How do you balance work and family life?
[Also, starting today you can sign up for the free Mindfulness program I am running for the month of March. We will dive deeper into finding peace, happiness, and mindfulness with family. I hope to get to know you better. Please join us!]

The post SFP 95: A Day in Denaye’s Life appeared first on Simple Families.
14 min
February 12, 2018 SFP 95: A Day in Denaye's Life

In today's episode I am sharing more about what my typical day looks like. Like many women, I am always seeking to find a balance between having a career and spending quality time with my family. I am the primary caregiver for my 1-year-old and 4-year-old, but I also balance working from home as well.
My days are full, but I don't feel overwhelmed and busy. In today's glimpse, I am sharing the balance that's working for me right now.
How do you balance work and family life?
[Also, starting today you can sign up for the free Mindfulness program I am running for the month of March. We will dive deeper into finding peace, happiness, and mindfulness with family. I hope to get to know you better. Please join us!]
14 min
February 05, 2018 SFP 94: The How + Why of Traveling with Kids [with Amanda, my best friend and travel guru]
Traveling with kids can be intimidating and even downright scary. But it’s also rewarding. In today’s episode, I have a special treat. I am chatting with my best friend and travel-with-kids-guru Amanda about adventuring both in and out of the country as a family.
Amanda and her family were recently in Hawaii for the false missile alert. She’s also been hospitalized while traveling on more than one occasion–but she doesn’t let any of this slow her down. In fact, we are preparing to head out on a joint international family adventure soon.
In this interview we’ll talk about our upcoming trip to an unlikely destination, packing light, dealing with kiddie jet lag, and the importance of planning less for these types of adventures.
Want to see my minimalist packing video?

The post SFP 94: The How + Why of Traveling with Kids [with Amanda, my best friend and travel guru] appeared first on Simple Families.
39 min
February 05, 2018 SFP 94: The How + Why of Traveling with Kids [with Amanda, my best friend and travel guru]

Traveling with kids can be intimidating and even downright scary. But it's also rewarding. In today's episode, I have a special treat. I am chatting with my best friend and travel-with-kids-guru Amanda about adventuring both in and out of the country as a family.
Amanda and her family were recently in Hawaii for the false missile alert. She's also been hospitalized while traveling on more than one occasion--but she doesn't let any of this slow her down. In fact, we are preparing to head out on a joint international family adventure soon.
In this interview we'll talk about our upcoming trip to an unlikely destination, packing light, dealing with kiddie jet lag, and the importance of planning less for these types of adventures.
Want to see my minimalist packing video?
39 min

About Simple Families

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Simple Families offers solutions for living well with children. In this show, we focus on child behavior, positive parenting, family wellness, and decreasing the mental load. As a Mama with a…