Are you wanting to better understand how to be firm and kind at the same time? Listen in to find your answers to respectfully having everyone’s needs met.

It was a true pleasure to converse with Jane. We connected during her short passage home between two trips as she spends much of her time on the road sharing her four decades of developing Positive Discipline tools.  

• Significance and belonging.
• Love and responsibility. 
• Firm and kind. Being firm is not being mean it simply means to respect your child’s capabilities.
• The paradigm shift to give up both permissiveness or punishment.
• The difference between praise and encouragement. 
• The importance of making mistakes.

"It’s unloving to let children miss-out on developing responsibility." - Dr. Jane Nelsen

"Teaching a child to say sorry is like teaching a child to lie." - Dr. Jane Nelsen

"Mistakes are wonderful opportunities to learn." - Dr. Jane Nelsen

"Praise teaches us to depend on others. encouragement teaches us to self-evaluate." - Dr. Jane Nelsen

"When we come from our heart that’s when we do what feels good and do what is most encouraging to our children." - Dr. Jane Nelsen

Click here for Show Notes and more from Jeanne-Marie, Your Parenting Mentor.

If hiring a professional nanny is one of your New Year resolutions, listen in to learn the questions to ask and the signs to look for. 

It was a delight speaking with Lara Ritson and discover the work she does helping both parents and caregivers find the perfect match. 

What we talked about:

• Her journey of working alongside parents and caregivers. 
• What she discovered joining several nanny agencies and why she created Peaceful Learning.
• What to look for in nanny agencies.
• The questions to ask and signs to look for when hiring a nanny.
• The mindset needed to welcome another adult in your home that will care for your child and creating the best relationship with your professional nanny.

Things to Remember:

“What infants really need is a relationship of trust and respect. -Lara Ritson

“How carers interact with your child is very important.” -Lara Ritson

“You are enough for your child. You are enough!.” -Lara Ritson

Click here for Show Notes and more from Jeanne-Marie, Your Parenting Mentor

Are you wondering what all the hype around Montessori at home is?  Or do you worry you're not enough for your child? Listen in to find the answers and support.

It was a pleasure talking with Ted as she shared about her country life in Northern Ireland raising her two children along with a slew of farm animals. 

• Her experience as a Montessori child from 2 to 10 years of age. 
• What it means to be an artful parent.
• What Montessori parenting means to her (it’s not about the shelves).
• Giving children freedom within limits. 
• Her self-care rituals and mindful affirmations.
• How to choose children’s books. 

“You are enough for your child.” - Ted Conway

“Children appreciate art. They are far more discerning than we give them credit for.” - Ted Conway

“Treat others like they would like to be treated.”  - Ted Conway

Click here for Show Notes and more from Jeanne-Marie, Your Parenting Mentor

Do you ever wonder if you’re being too fearful and not letting your children explore? Or maybe you wonder if you're giving too much independence?  Listen in to find out what the right balance might be. 

In this third episode with the lovely Karen Young, we focused on better understanding attachment in building strong relationships with our children. 

• Human babies are wired to attach to one main big person. 
• It is the pathway to safety to help them back to calm.
• Attachment is like a big rubber band.
• A safe foundation to grow from, reliable and safe, letting children know the world is ok to explore.
• Being careful not to hold them too close, too much of the time when we don’t need to. 
• Attachment is like an orientation table. 
• The difference between psychological and physical attachment.
• The more connected we are the more influence we have. 
• Everything happens through psychological attachment. 
• Children need to see our eyes light up when they enter the room. 
• The goal of attachment is feeling our presence even when we are absent. 

“We do not get to control the lessons our children need to learn. “ - Karen Young

“Children will make mistakes because they have to.”  - Karen Young

“We are the arms that hold the world steady when it feels unsafe. We are also the arms that lift them up to full flight. We are both.”- Karen Young

“Attachment is what lets us do our job as parents.” - Karen Young

Click here for Show Notes and more from Jeanne-Marie, Your Parenting Mentor

Would you like more calm and less reactivity in your home? Listen in as Hunter shares all her mindfulness tools for peaceful parenting. 

So thrilled to be sharing this wonderful conversation I had the pleasure of having with Hunter Clarke-Fields around the publication of her book  Raising Good Humans: A Mindful Guide to Breaking the Cycle of Reactive Parenting and Raising Kind, Confident Kids.

• Her journey into mindfulness and how it has transformed her parenting as well as the work she does as a Mindful Mama Mentor. 
• Parenting as a life long relationship
• Her decision to stop perpetuating unhealthy parenting patterns
• How mindfulness helps her deal with her own reactiveness. 
• We talked specifically about mindfulness, the research and the powerful impact it can have on our brains. 
• The evolution of our brains, the amygdala, and the prefrontal cortex. 
• How her own upbringing helped her transform her own parenting, giving her the opportunity to heal and transform generations.
• As parents, we have the opportunity to wake up and heal. 
• The process of Beginning Anew, to help us deal with unwanted behavior from relatives.

“Be the example rather than trying to shape others.” - Hunter Clarke-Fields

“Understanding the biology of our brains helps us take a step back.” - Hunter Clarke-Fields

“Kids are not rebelling against their parents they are rebelling against the destructive parenting techniques.” - Hunter Clarke-Fields

Click here for Show Notes and more from Jeanne-Marie, Your Parenting Mentor.

Do you wonder how to best support your child's developing brain? Listen in as Zahra shares what she has created to fill the education gap. 

It was a pleasure connecting with Zahra today and catching up on the amazing work she has been doing to support families during the first three critical first years.

• What it means to guide children to help them create a life that is right for them.
• Being ok with who they want to become.
• Why she started the toy subscription service Monti Kids.
• How she conquered the toy safety dilemma for children under 3 years of age.
• The importance of helping our children have a growth mindset. 
• How her multicultural and immigrant upbringing shaped her parenting
• How grandparents can help
• The importance of modeling self-care to our children

“The biggest misconception we have is that we know what is best for our children.” -Zahra Kassam

“Little choices making leads to big choice-making” -Zahra Kassam

"Recognize who your child is and nurture their uniqueness” -Zahra Kassam

Click here for Show Notes and more from Jeanne-Marie, Your Parenting Mentor.

Do you stress when it comes to mealtime with your little ones? Listen to get some helpful strategies. 

Mealtime can bring up a sense of dread and stress for some, but it doesn’t have to. In this episode, I share simple strategies and shifts that will help you create a peaceful and positive ritual around nourishing your bodies together as a family. 

• What is your relationship with food?
• Children are very aware of what their body needs.
• The child’s nutritional plate is per week, not per day, nor each meal. 
• The foundation: feeding from infancy and the loving connection you build with your child. 
• When you notice their interest in what you’re eating, provide options for them to put in their mouths.
• Involving children in cooking and allowing them to try what you are eating. 
• Using utensils from an early age. 
• Invite them to the dining room table with the proper chair. 
• Put everything on the table before sitting down together to minimize getting up.
• Phones/screens are not invited to the table.
• Offer a variety of healthy options and let them choose.
• Set boundaries around mealtime and snacks.
• Take them to the market and the farm to involve them in the ritual of food. 
• Children are very capable and eager to help you in the kitchen. Be open to inviting them.

“Children are more in tune with what their body needs than we typically give them credit for.” -Jeanne-Marie Paynel

“The process is what is important, not the end result.” -Jeanne-Marie Paynel

“You don’t have to repeat what was done to you. It’s up to you to reinvent it.” -Jeanne-Marie Paynel

Click here for show notes and more from Jeanne-Marie, Your parenting Mentor.

Do you struggle to communicate with your pre-verbal child? Listen in to learn about early communication with baby signs.

It was a delight to speak with Lane and learn more about how to help our babies communicate before they are verbal communicators. Lane is the founder of Tiny Signs helping families discover the benefits of signing with their little ones. 

I’ve always been fascinated with the miraculous language development that occurs in all of us and had many questions for Lane. 

• Baby sign language versus ASL (American Sign Language)
• How being able to sign helps our babies be less frustrated.
• How signing actually enhances language development. 
• What are the best signs to teach your child?

"Babies understand a lot more than you realize." - Lane Rebelo

"Let things not be OK sometimes." - Lane Rebelo

"The best signs are dependent on your environment and your child’s interest." - Lane Rebelo

"Be gentle with yourself. Take time to observe your children." - Lane Rebelo

Click here for Show Notes and more from Jeanne-Marie, Your Parenting Mentor.

Are you worried about welcoming a new family member into your home? Listen to get some helpful tips to make it a breeze. 

It was a delight speaking with Theresa from Montessori in Real Life. I’ve been following her journey into parenthood and most recently her transition from one to two children at home. She shares what she did to prepare her oldest D, just two years old for the arrival of Baby S, now 5 months. 

• How she discovered Montessori and how it changed both her life and her family's. 
• Transitioning from having one child at home to two. 
• She shared her tips on how to make that transition easier for the older sibling.
• The dynamic triangle of the adult, the home environment and the child. 
• The importance of having our partners involved in our care and the important role the father can have when it comes to the second child. 
• What she appreciates from her Montessori home. 

"Toddlers do not get bored with sameness, they thrive on it." – Theresa

"Worry less about milestones and more about embracing their uniqueness."   – Theresa

"Our home is a constant work in progress."  – Theresa

Click here for Show Notes and more from Jeanne-Marie, Your Parenting Mentor. 

Do you ever feel at a loss when your child is throwing a tantrum? Listen in for some helpful strategies. 

Thrilled to be bringing you Karen Young, back today. We met online a few years ago when she was part of the very first Be the Best parent You Can Be interview series. She runs the very informative website, Hey Sigmund: Where the Science of Psychology Meets the Art of Being Human. For the full introduction episode please refer to episode 07

• What exactly are tantrums and why it’s important for us to understand them so we can be our children’s anchor?
• Big feeling and the role of the amygdala
• A tantrum is a normal reaction to the brain in overwhelm
• The pre-frontal cortex, the reasoning part of the brain does not fully develop until 24
• Tantrums are normal and are in no way a reflection of your parenting or whether your child is ‘good or bad’. 
• How to lend them your calm to help them register safety.
• Every time they have a tantrum it is a precious opportunity for us to strengthen their brain in terms of self-control. 
• Validate be warm and wait until they are calm. The magic happens when they are calm. 
• The words you need to use when you feel you are being judged for wanting to parent with respect. 
•  

"Discipline was never meant to hurt." - Karen Young 

"Children are not meant to ‘control’ big feelings." - Karen Young

"Stay calm and ride it out."  - Karen Young

"We are wired for touch and feel safest when we are close to our important big people."  - Karen Young

"Big feelings are a way to recruit support."  - Karen Young

Click here for Show Notes and more from Jeanne-Marie, Your Parenting Mentor.