Thriving Parent-ing

In this second part of the previous episode, I delve into actionable steps parents can take to prevent their children's emotions from defining their parenting. 

The episode begins by encouraging parents to reflect on their feelings, sharing practical ways to explore why certain child behaviors trigger deep emotional responses. Crying is highlighted as a common trigger, with suggestions for journaling to uncover underlying beliefs. 

The importance of setting clear, loving boundaries to create a secure environment for children is underscored, alongside advocating for the significance of self-care to maintain energy and patience in parenting. Seeking support from therapists or trusted friends, educating oneself about child development, and developing coping strategies such as mindfulness and deep breathing are also emphasized. 

I advocate for encouraging emotional expression in children by guiding them to manage emotions appropriately, and maintaining open, honest communication to help children feel heard and validated. Positive reinforcement for good behavior and the value of joining supportive parenting groups are discussed, as well as strategies for dealing with societal judgment. 

This episode wraps up with reflections on moving forward with empathy, understanding, and balanced emotional management, aimed at fostering healthier interactions and a nurturing environment for both parents and children.

PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia) supports the mental health of parents and families during pregnancy and in their first year of parenthood.

panda.org.au

Gidget Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that exists to support the emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents to ensure they receive timely, appropriate, and specialist care. Gidget House provides free individual psychological counselling sessions and telehealth sessions for expectant and new parents.

gidgetfoundation.org.au

Lifeline Australia is a national charity providing support to all Australians experiencing emotional distress. Lifeline offers a 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. If you are struggling, please call 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au

Watch my free empowerment video and in less than 20 mins, gain some healthy Instagram perspective to help you to stay clear and become mindful of the Instagram vortex.

For more information on this topic, head to the show notes: Episode 17 Show Notes

And I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Come and connect with me on Instagram at @sleep_thrive_grow.

And click the +Follow button to never miss an episode. New episodes are released every Tuesday!

To find out more about how I can support you, visit my website here. 

In this episode of Thriving Parent-ing, I discuss eight critical signs that parents may be letting their children's emotions define their parenting abilities. I provided a compassionate approach, encouraging parents to allow themselves to feel and process these emotions.

The episode covers the following signs: taking emotional reactions personally, creating inconsistent boundaries, overcompensating for the child's emotions, avoiding conflict, experiencing excessive guilt, constantly seeking validation, neglecting self-care, and becoming emotionally enmeshed with the child.

I personally have anecdotes and professional insights gathered from 12 years of parenting three children, emphasizing that these challenges are normal and that parents are not alone. Practical steps and reflections were shared to help parents recognize these patterns and start working through them.

Taking care of our emotional wellbeing is one of the best things we can do for our kids. Parenting can bring up a lot of emotions, some of which we can understand and others that may require additional support. If this podcast content has brought up challenging or distressing feelings, consider speaking with your GP about a referral to a psychologist or exploring alternative therapy options for extra support.

PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia) supports the mental health of parents and families during pregnancy and in their first year of parenthood.

panda.org.au

Gidget Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that exists to support the emotional wellbeing of expectant and new parents to ensure they receive timely, appropriate, and specialist care. Gidget House provides free individual psychological counselling sessions and telehealth sessions for expectant and new parents.

gidgetfoundation.org.au

Lifeline Australia is a national charity providing support to all Australians experiencing emotional distress. Lifeline offers a 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. If you are struggling, please call 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au

Watch my free empowerment video and in less than 20 mins, gain some healthy Instagram perspective to help you to stay clear and become mindful of the Instagram vortex.

For more information on this topic, head to the show notes: Episode 16 Show Notes

And I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Come and connect with me on Instagram at @sleep_thrive_grow.

And click the +Follow button to never miss an episode. New episodes are released every Tuesday!

To find out more about how I can support you, visit my website here. 

In this enlightening and comprehensive episode of Thriving Parenting, I sat down with Caitlin Hosking, a renowned shadow work coach and trainer. Caitlin shares her expertise on shadow work, a practice that involves diving deep into the hidden parts of ourselves formed by societal conditioning and personal experiences. We discussed how these hidden 'shadows' can impact our behavior, particularly in parenting, and how recognizing and addressing them can lead to profound personal transformation. 

Caitlin explains the concept of conditioning by drawing parallels with dog training, illustrating how societal norms shape our perceptions of good and bad behavior from a young age. This conditioning can create internal fractures affecting self-esteem and self-worth, leading to behaviors like procrastination and people-pleasing. Moreover, Caitlin unpacked the concept of people-pleasing, explaining how it often stems from an inability to set boundaries and the fear of being judged or disliked. She provides a detailed explanation of how shadow work can help identify and address these deep-seated fears, allowing for healthier boundary-setting and emotional regulation. 

This episode also covers the societal stigmatization of emotional expression, particularly anger, and how this repression can lead to explosive outbursts. Caitlin offers practical advice on healthy anger release techniques and emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence in parenting. Personal stories and reflections further illustrate the transformative power of shadow work, highlighting the importance of self-awareness, self-compassion, and personal responsibility.

Connect with Caitlin Hosking:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/complete_bycaitlin

Website: completebycaitlin.com

Self mastery accelerator: https://completebycaitlin.com/self-mastery-accelerator

Email: [email protected]

Watch my free empowerment video and in less than 20 mins, gain some healthy Instagram perspective to help you to stay clear and become mindful of the Instagram vortex.

For more information on this topic, head to the show notes: Episode 15 Show Notes

And I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Come and connect with me on Instagram at @sleep_thrive_grow.

And click the +Follow button to never miss an episode. New episodes are released every Tuesday!

To find out more about how I can support you, visit my website here. 

In this episode of Thriving Parenting, I unpacked the challenges of separation anxiety in young children. I highlight various aspects of the development stage, including its timing, common behaviours, and underlying causes such as stranger anxiety, object permanence, and physical development.

I shared some practical advice that you can add to your toolbox as a parent on how to support children through this phase, including practising short separations, maintaining a calm and positive tone, and using comforters and consistent sleep routines.

This episode emphasises the importance of co-regulation and maintaining a calming presence, offering a comprehensive guide to support parents through this developmental phase. Also, it underscores the importance of understanding and addressing both the child's and the parent's emotional needs during this challenging time.

Watch my free empowerment video and in less than 20 mins, gain some healthy Instagram perspective to help you to stay clear and become mindful of the Instagram vortex.

For more information on this topic, head to the show notes: Episode 14 Show Notes

And I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Come and connect with me on Instagram at @sleep_thrive_grow.

And click the +Follow button to never miss an episode. New episodes are released every Tuesday!

To find out more about how I can support you, visit my website here. 

In this episode, my discussion centres on the Middle Ground Parenting Movement, which encourages parents to balance their needs with their children's, offering flexible and personalised approaches to parenting and baby sleep.

I address the challenges parents face, such as societal pressure and the dichotomy between constant physical contact and cry-based sleep training methods. The aim is to empower parents to explore a variety of co-regulation tools and approaches, highlighting the significance of self-awareness, perspective, and flexibility in parenting.

Through practical examples and personal insights, the episode advocates for the rejection of perfectionism, promoting self-care, and the prioritisation of parental well-being as essential for fostering resilient and securely attached children.

Watch my free empowerment video and in less than 20 mins, gain some healthy Instagram perspective to help you to stay clear and become mindful of the Instagram vortex.

For more information on this topic, head to the show notes: Episode 13 Show Notes

And I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Come and connect with me on Instagram at @sleep_thrive_grow.

And click the +Follow button to never miss an episode. New episodes are released every Tuesday!

To find out more about how I can support you, visit my website here. 

This episode dives into the well-known adage "It takes a village to raise a child", exploring its relevance and application in contemporary Western society. I shared personal experiences of initially resisting assistance in parenting, reflecting a common societal mindset that equates accepting help with inadequacy. Through recounting moments of realisation and change, the discussion highlights the importance of allowing others to contribute to child-rearing, not only for the parent's benefit but also for the child's development of secure attachments with multiple caregivers and family members.

In this episode, emphasis is placed on the need for a collective approach to parenting, encouraging listeners to open their parenting "village" to include partners, family members, and wider community connections. The episode aims to shift the perception that parenting should be a solitary journey, instead advocating for a more inclusive, supportive, and interconnected approach to raising children.

Check out this resources to learn more about Window of Tolerance.

https://youtu.be/K1ovJu2GNVo

https://youtu.be/TNVlppGz0zM

For more information on this topic, head to the show notes: Episode 12 Show Notes

And I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Come and connect with me on Instagram at @sleep_thrive_grow.

And click the +Follow button to never miss an episode. New episodes are released every Tuesday!

To find out more about how I can support you, visit my website here. 

In this episode of Thriving Parenting, I explore the concept of the window of tolerance, originally coined by Dr. Dan Siegel, explaining it as the optimal state of arousal where individuals can best support their mental health, well-being, and emotional regulation. 

The discussion covers the impacts of being outside this window, in either a hyper or hypo-aroused state, and their effects on parenting. I shared personal examples and emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, mindfulness, and self-care in expanding one's window of tolerance to better manage parenting stressors and challenges. Strategies such as mindfulness, proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep are highlighted as ways to maintain and widen the window of tolerance, alongside an exploration of self-care techniques tailored for hyper and hypo-arousal states.

For more information on this topic, head to the show notes: Episode 11 Show Notes

And I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Come and connect with me on Instagram at @sleep_thrive_grow.

And click the +Follow button to never miss an episode. New episodes are released every Tuesday!

To find out more about how I can support you, visit my website here. 

For this week's episode, I dived deep into the topic of sleep regressions, addressing common parental concerns such as its impact and management strategies.  Sleep regressions as natural developmental milestones that can disrupt a child’s sleeping patterns, arguing against the notion that such regressions are a negative phenomenon. Instead, I promote understanding and positive management of these periods.

Also, I emphasize that sleep regressions are a sign of healthy growth and advise parents on how to support you child through these times without creating dependency or stress. The discussion covers the impact of a child’s sleep history, temperament, and the parenting approach on experiencing sleep regressions. Various age-related regressions are explored, including the notable ones at four months, highlighting the permanent changes in sleep patterns, and offering practical advice on adapting to these changes. This episode stresses the importance of staying informed, maintaining consistency, and leveraging various tools and techniques to support both the child and parent through sleep challenges.

For my 4-18 month-old e-book, click here . This e-book has 12 chapters designed to empower the heck out of your parenting journey as well as support you and your little one to optimise sleep in your home for your health and well-being.

For more information on this topic, head to the show notes: Episode 10 Show Notes

And I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Come and connect with me on Instagram at @sleep_thrive_grow.

And click the +Follow button to never miss an episode. New episodes are released every Tuesday!

To find out more about how I can support you, visit my website here. 

Here's why embracing the inevitable bumps on the road to better parenting can actually be a good thing.

In this episode, I discussed seven reasons why parenting can be challenging. I also explored how these challenges can be a learning curve, filled with emotional ups and downs. But fear not! I also shared some great tips for navigating these early days. Leaning on your partner, family, and friends – your "village" of support – is key.

I emphasized the importance of self-care (because a well-rested parent is a happy parent!), and letting go of rigid routines in favor of adapting to your baby's needs.

Remember, trusting your gut instincts and having a toolbox of responses for your little one is crucial. Additionally, I discussed the importance of setting healthy boundaries, even if it means your little one gets frustrated sometimes. It's all part of raising happy, well-adjusted humans!

For my Sleep Godmother Program, my most tailored sleep program going beyond sleep itself, click here 

For more information on this topic, head to the show notes: Episode 9 Show Notes

And I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Come and connect with me on Instagram at @sleep_thrive_grow.

And click the +Follow button to never miss an episode. New episodes are released every Tuesday!

To find out more about how I can support you, visit my website here. 

Change is a constant in life, but why does it often feel so hard?

In this episode of Thriving Parenting, the focus is on the complexities of change, particularly how it can incite discomfort and fear, yet ultimately lead to personal growth and better parenting. I share insights into the neurological aspects of change, emphasizing that discomfort is a normal and necessary part of the process.

Key points include understanding why change feels so daunting, recognizing the importance of practice and repetition in forming new habits, and the need for self-compassion and realistic goals during the transition. I also share personal anecdotes to illustrate these concepts, including the challenges and triumphs encountered when shifting parenting practices. Additionally, practical advice on how to navigate change, such as seeking support and setting attainable goals.

This episode aims to empower parents to embrace change, acknowledging the initial discomfort while highlighting the long-term benefits of perseverance and resilience.

For my Sleep Godmother Program, my most tailored sleep program going beyond sleep itself, click here 

For more information on this topic, head to the show notes: Episode 8 Show Notes

And I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Come and connect with me on Instagram at @sleep_thrive_grow.

And click the +Follow button to never miss an episode. New episodes are released every Tuesday!

To find out more about how I can support you, visit my website here.