Dr. Jerrod joins me again for this jam-packed, educational episode on Emotional Intelligence. Here's a Dr. Jerrod quote from the episode -

"People with high levels of emotional intelligence typically have better interpersonal communication skills where they're more empathetic, they understand cooperation, they engage in constructive communication. They don't avoid conflict. They stick with it, but they don't become completely dysregulated. But they know how to tap into their resources and communicate and work things out. Maybe they're not going to be aggressive. They're going to be assertive, but they can name their emotions, label their emotions, and hang in there when things get tough. Adaptability is another big, big component of emotional intelligence. People with high levels of emotional intelligence are typically more adaptable, more flexible, and they're able to really cope with change and uncertainty and fear and worry and just the unknown."

After explaining the definition of emotional intelligence, Dr. Jerrod digs into the weeds of kiddos with trauma histories and brain-based impairment, prenatal drug, and alcohol exposure- there might be structural damage to parts of their brain that can absolutely impact emotional intelligence. 

Grab a cup of coffee and join us. You don't want to miss this important episode!

In this episode, I talk about family government and culture. I think this is an extremely important episode because it's something that we have control over to a large extent, but often something we don't even think about. We don't even think about the fact that we each have a family, government, or culture within our own family. And we don't think that we can change things if we need to or want to. We get stuck in a "this is the way it is" pattern. I'm sharing three tips today:

1. Examine your culture of origin.

2. Examine your kiddo's culture of origin.

And I'm talking about if you adopt it or you foster or also if you are in a family situation where you are co-parenting with someone you're divorced or some other situation, kinship, parenting, all those sorts of things.

3. Decide what sort of family government you want to have.

Grab a cup of coffee (and maybe a pen and journal) and join me for this important episode!

Dr. Jerrod is back to talk about executive function, the boss and CEO of the brain. 

First, he tackles what executive function is and then weaves in trauma-informed parenting.

The Big Three:

1. Working memory (internal post-it note)

2. Inhibition (pause button)

3. Cognitive flexibility (shifting thinking from one topic to another) 

He shares some best practices for parents and with our kiddos.

Please grab a cup of coffee, a pen, and a notebook,  and join us in this practical, educational, episode!

In this episode, I interview Anita Kroeker as she shares -3 Benefits of Homeschooling.

We have a great conversation about education in general!

If you're considering homeschooling or parenting remember - we are ultimately responsible for our kiddos' education. Education is about more than academics. It's about their worldview. Our kids are learning all the time.

It's important to know what our kids are surrounded by and learning!

Grab a cup of coffee and join us! 

Kenny, adopted at the age of 8, is a young business owner with FASD,  and the author of the book -  It's OK to Be You: Living Well with FASD or Other Disabilities. This book is for anyone with FASD or other disabilities. Kenny shares that many books are written for caregivers of people with disabilities, but this book is aimed at those who have disabilities. 

"This book is written by someone who lives with FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) and who understands the struggles of living with this disability on a daily basis. Kenny talks about his journey towards acceptance and how to better live with disabilities (and with those who love and care for you). This book focuses on the relationships one has with others, themselves, and the world at large. “It’s OK to Be You” seeks to affirm who you are, what you need, and gives you encouragement. While this book is not all-encompassing, it attempts to cover large swathes of daily living with FASD. If your life feels paralyzed by self-doubt because of your disabilities, this book will prod you to embrace the whole of who you are and that it is okay." - Book Blurb

Grab a cup of coffee and join Kenny and I for a great chat full of his unique perspective and wisdom! 

January is Human Trafficking Awareness month with the official day being January 11th. It’s a topic that I’m passionate about shining light on – not only to raise awareness for but to prevent it in children with trauma histories. Grab a cup of coffee and join me as I share the 3 phases of human trafficking, an opportunity to grab a copy of Defining Home - a thriller human-trafficking novel, plus a harrowing personal family story.

Job syndromes come in many shapes and sizes. There are two types of affliction – self-inflicted and God-backed. You may be in the middle of circumstances that feel Job-like.

I get it. It’s tough. You may feel as if you’ve gone back to ground zero and your children are regressing.

If you have a diagnosis of a Capital Letter Syndrome (FASD, ASD, ADHD, GAD, SPD, etc) or your child has a trauma-history, the end of the holidays can seem as if you have entered a Job Syndrome.

Or maybe you have a major life change headed your way and things at home are unorganized and unscheduled, whatever the cause, you may be panicking. All your triggers are triggered. All their triggers are triggered. Grab a cup of coffee and join me as I share three tips for handling the Job Syndrome!

Join me today as I talk with Jillana Goble, author of A Love-Stretched Life: Stories on Wrangling Hope, Embracing the Unexpected, and Discovering the Meaning of Family and No Sugar Coating: The Coffee Talk You Need About Foster Parenting. Jillana has a great deal of wisdom and experience so you don't want to miss this episode. Grab a cup of coffee and join our conversation!

In this episode, I'm sharing Ten Tips for Navigating Holiday Gatherings.

The holidays are overwhelming for neurodivergent kids. 

Let's face it, the holidays are stressful for everyone—stress whether good excitatory stress or negative stress impacts the body. 

It's our job as parents to lessen the stressors, be proactive in standing up for what our children need - felt-safety. We want our kids to enjoy the season!

Grab a cup of coffee and join me as I share some tips that have worked for our family!

One of the questions I received from a podcast listener-  How do you change yourself?

In other words, how do you heal from your past and parent well at the same time?

I get it. I have reparented myself. It is possible to heal from your past while parenting. Healing from your past trauma includes reparenting yourself. 

It is possible to reparent yourself and heal all while parenting at the same time. Just know, it’s not going to happen overnight or magically. You actually have to put the time and work into – journaling your triggers, reframing your beliefs, and instituting practices that provide felt-safety for yourself. Set aside time to process. You can make sense of and make peace with your past. Grab a cup of coffee, a pen, and your journal, and get ready to start healing from your past trauma!