The Moms I Know Podcast

Sheila and Maria discuss the importance and benefits of introducing children to animals of all kinds and offer suggestions for ways to do so.

"A child who loves animals is an adult who has compassion for people." - Toni Payne

Whether you live in a small city apartment or down home on the farm, there is something for everyone. Studies show that there are so many benefits, mentally, emotionally, and physically, of introducing children to animals at a young age. From reducing anxiety and the possibility of developing asthma, and allergies, to learning compassion, kindness, and responsibility, there is just no reason to say no.

In this episode, we offer tips and suggestions for safe ways to begin introducing children to animals, ideas for types of pets that might be right for your home, and stories from our personal experience to inspire you to find the best way for your family to get involved with animals.

Resources From This Episode:

Contact Your Local SPCA for volunteer programs!

If you didn't grow up going on outdoor adventures with your parents, the idea of taking your own children into the wilderness may seem overwhelming. In this episode, we give you the basics of what to expect and how to plan for a successful family camping trip.

"Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity of the human spirit and as vital to our lives as water and good bread." - Edward Abbey

From sea to shining sea, the United States is full of amazing outdoor adventures just waiting for you! In this episode, we talk about where to go, what to expect, and how to plan for a successful family camping trip - even if you're new to camping!

Children need to be outdoors, where they can explore and learn, challenge their bodies, and establish connections to nature. It's also a great opportunity for you to bond with your children as a family. So, this summer, study up, plan a trip, and make some amazing memories! We're here to help guide you!

Resources from This Episode:

Sheila's Camping Guide: http://bit.ly/PBN-Camping-101

Nan Jeffrey, Adventuring with Children: The Complete Manual for Family Adventure Travel

Christine O'Connell George, Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems

Dave Kyu, Campfire Stories: Tales from America's National Parks

HipCamp.com: https://www.hipcamp.com/

ReserveAmerica.com: https://www.reserveamerica.com/

Maria and Sheila discuss the import role that family culture plays in developing strong, lifelong relationships for siblings.

"Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring - quite often the hard way." - Pamela Dugdale

The experience of raising siblings brings with it many joys and many challenges. Love multiplies as we continue to stretch and grow in new ways as parents.

In this episode, we talk about the joys and struggles we've each experienced as parents of siblings and how we intentionally chose to frame our family cultures to help our children build strong, trusting, life-long relationships with one another.

Whether you are parenting adults, teenagers, toddlers, or are expecting your second child soon, this episode offers lots of valuable tips and resources for you to explore as you seek to deepen your relationship with your children and encourage them to strengthen their relationships with one another.

Resources From This Episode:

Dr. Laura Markham, Peaceful Parent Happy Kids Online Course: https://www.ahaparenting.com/

Laura Davis & Janis Keyser, Becoming the Parent You Want to Be: https://lauradavis.net/becoming-the-parent-you-want-to-be/

Tracy Gillett, Raised Good: https://raisedgood.com/

"Connection Before Correction":https://www.positivediscipline.com/articles/connection-correction-0

Now We Are 6 by A.A. Milne

Our children are an amazing reminder of what life is all about and the lessons they teach us are countless.

"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about." - Angela Schwindt

In this episode, Sheila and Maria sit down with Jessica Rios of Leaning Into Light to have an in-depth conversation about the lessons we learn through motherhood.

Through the ups and downs, the struggles and triumphs, we can become aware of our power and learn to trust and believe in ourselves as women and mothers.

Resources From This Episode:

Jessica Rios, Leaning Into Light: http://www.leaningintolight.com/

As we continue our dive into storytelling this month, we had the pleasure of sitting down with author and writing coach, Chloe Rachel Gallaway, to talk about more about the healing powers of storytelling.

"Know the truth and the truth shall set you free." - John 8:32

After a very unique early childhood, Chloe found her path to healing through the unconditional love modeled for her by her foster mom as well as through writing her first book, The Soulful Child.

In this interview, Chloe shares her experience as an author and writing coach, guiding others through the journey of healing through storytelling.

We were moved by what she shared in this interview and hope you will listen and be inspired to explore your own story in a deeper way.

Resources from this Episode:

Chloe Rachel Gallaway: https://chloerachelgallaway.com/

The Soulful Child: 12 Years in the Wilderness by Chloe Rachel Gallaway (book)

The Voices Series: https://voicesmovement.org/

After reflecting on the power of storytelling, we've decided to share our interviews with our own mothers with you. This special, 50-minute episode of The Moms I Know offers you an intimate look into the life of Maria's mother, Elaine Anderson.

"Be useful. Be kind." - President Barack Obama

For this episode, Maria sits down with her mom, Elaine Anderson, for an intimate interview. Elaine shares all about her childhood, what becoming a mother was like for her, and how she has continued to give back now that her children are grown and are becoming grandparents themselves.

There is so much we can learn from the generations that have come before us. We hope this inspires you to learn from the elders in your own life. Ask questions. Record the answers. And tell their stories.

Storytelling has the power to connect generations, and yet, we don't always share them.

"In every conceivable manner, family is the link to our past and bridge to our future." - Alex Haley

You may know many stories from your parents and grandparents, but maybe you've never taken the time to dive deeper. To uncover exactly how those experiences made them feel and to understand the motivations behind their decisions or how they felt about current events. In this episode, we hope to inspire you to dive deeper with your loved ones, ask them questions you've never asked before and see what you uncover. We believe that storytelling has the ability to connect generations, expand your capacity for empathy, break down barriers, and so much more. Not sure what questions to ask or how to start the conversation? Listen in for our best tips to help you conduct your own family interviews and get the most out of the experience.

This is a great time of year to get outdoors! Children are naturally drawn to nature and there are so many learning opportunities in the garden.

"Why try to explain miracles to your kids when you just plant a garden." - Robert Brault

Whether you are growing a full vegetable or flower garden or just starting out, whether you are homeschooling or wanting to add to your children's experiences and knowledge, the benefits are undeniable and extend to health, wellness, mental clarity, family bonding, creating memories, education, and so much more!

In this episode, we explore the values and life-lessons that families can learn together in the garden. We even have tips on vegetables that are easier for beginners and lots of resources to help you get started!

What will your family grow this season?

Resources From This Episode:

Jon J. Muth, Stone Soup

Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/

Grace Lin, The Ugly Vegetables: https://www.gracelin.com/content.php?page=book_uglyveg

Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

Bill Peet, The Wump World: http://www.billpeet.net/pages/wump.htm

University of California, Life Lab: https://www.lifelab.org/

Project Season - Shelburne Farms, Project Season: https://shelburnefarms.org/

As moms, when we master time management, we can also master so many other things, and we can start to design our lives in a way that is in alignment with our values and be more present for our families and for ourselves.

"You can't pour from an empty cup." - Unknown

Often times moms are overwhelmed, over-worked, over-stressed and burning out. Holistic time management brings together the corporate practice of managing time for efficiency and profitability with all of the ways we can manage the responsibilities and demands of our personal lives at home.

In this episode, we welcome Helen Peterson, a holistic time-management coach, who shares from her personal experience and professional insight, how we can begin to look at time management from a more well-rounded, holistic perspective that serves us better as multi-passionate humans.

Resources From This Episode:

Helen Peterson: https://www.mshelenpeterson.com

It's so important to bring our children into the kitchen, not just to teach them about cooking, but so much more. In this episode, Maria and Sheila offer their recommendations and reasons for teaching children kitchen skills from an early age.

"You have got to have a 'what the heck' attitude in the kitchen." - Julia Child

So many valuable life skills are learned in the kitchen, not just the obvious ones like cooking and cleaning. In the kitchen, our kids can learn teamwork, experimentation, following directions, measuring, and so much more!

In this episode, we dive into some valuable resources and share from our personal experiences with our own families what has been possible through early education and empowerment in the kitchen.

Resources From This Episode:

Sheila Walsh Dunton, The Mom Map Membership Program: https://www.themommap.com

Join Sheila's Mom Map Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/198250290661088/

Sally Fallon Morrell, The Nourishing Traditions Cookbook for Children: http://nourishingtraditions.com/

Mollie Katzen, Pretend Soup: http://www.molliekatzen.com/

Pamela Druckerman, Bringing up Bébé: https://pameladruckerman.com