Although holidays were stressful in past years, they also meant fun traditions, time with family, and (at least some) events to look forward to. Now, after an already-challenging year, this holiday season is going to look very different for most of us. It’s easy to wonder how you’re going to get through this time when things you’ve enjoyed about holidays in the past… aren’t happening. In this episode, you’ll learn a simple strategy (based on two sentences!) that will not only help you feel less stressed this holiday season, but will also bring some joy -- even if that joy looks a little different.

When our children misbehave, we often assume that they are “choosing” to do what they are doing. In reality, their negative behaviors and attitudes are more likely a sign of missing skills than a choice they are making. In this episode, we’ll discuss the science behind why children don’t “choose” negative behaviors or attitudes. You’ll also learn why this doesn’t mean that we excuse negative behavior...and what we can do to effectively address it.

Of course we want our children to have great relationships with their siblings, other family members, friends, and peers. But what happens when our children struggle with these relationships? While we can suggest ways they can act differently, we tend to underestimate the impact that our own relationships have on our children’s relationships. In this episode, we’ll look at the impact that we do have, and you’ll learn simple ways that you can use your relationships to improve theirs.

Many of us spend the majority of our parenting time and energy trying to address the behavior, moods, and attitudes of the same child... But what about the siblings of these “challenging” children who don’t receive as much of our attention or energy because they’re simply “easier”? Should we worry about them? Do they need more? In this episode, you’ll learn how to identify when children may (or may not) benefit from more support... and the two simple things you can do to ensure that these children are getting what they need.

The demands on our time and energy are greater than ever before. And many of us have already TRIED taking things off of our plate and decreasing our expectations of ourselves, but we’re still feeling overwhelmed. In this episode, I’ll offer a strategy for how to reduce the feeling of overwhelm by shifting how you see your time...so that you can feel more productive and less exhausted.

We may believe that it’s our job to foster responsible, respectful behavior in our children. But what if we try to talk to them about their behavior and they refuse to acknowledge that they’ve done anything wrong? What if, when we bring up things they’ve done (or haven’t done), all they do is defend themselves...or blame others? In this episode, we’ll discuss how to understand and handle this type of behavior effectively -- not only in children, but in anyone!

Most of us want to raise responsible, resilient, confident children -- without feeling overwhelmed ourselves. I started my business over a decade ago (and this podcast a little over a year ago) because I genuinely know how to help parents do just that. So when the pandemic hit and parenting became even MORE of a challenge for so many MORE parents, I knew I had to help; but honestly, I couldn’t figure out how to do it without burning myself out! So I joined forces with Christina (Chris) Croll to identify ways to support more parents in ways that are realistic for myself… and for parents. In this episode, I’ll introduce you to Chris. She’ll tell you a bit about her parenting journey, and then we'll discuss how we’re going to continue to support you (without assuming you have extra time or energy!). Remember, creating your parenting long game doesn’t TAKE longer; it just lasts longer.

It’s relatively easy to show kids how much we support them when they’re doing what we want them to do. But what happens when they are not doing what we want? During those times, many of our children feel that we are NOT supportive… which often makes them think that we only “accept” them when they are being the person we want them to be. In this episode, we’ll discuss why we must demonstrate unconditional acceptance if we want to raise responsible, resilient, confident children.  You’ll also learn why unconditional support is NOT the same thing as being permissive, and how you can demonstrate this type of acceptance even (especially) when you don’t condone their behavior.

As the novelty of a new school year is starting to wear off, kids’ behavior may be becoming more and more frustrating. Often in response to this behavior, our instinct is to ask “How can we make them do what they’re supposed to do?” instead of “WHY aren’t they doing what they’re supposed to do?” In this episode, I interview two experts, Debbie Rosen and Lindsey Thoms, who discuss that frustrating school-related behavior is often related to under-developed executive functioning skills… and that there is a solution! Debbie and Lindsey offer specific strategies to compensate for these under-developed skills AND suggest how to approach kids and adolescents in a way that they’ll be open to our suggestions.

Many of us were raised to believe that when you’re responding to kids’ behavior, you can either be firm OR you can be respectful -- not both, and definitely not both at the same time. Not only is it possible to balance firmness and respect, but it’s actually essential to do so if you want to be a powerful positive influence in children’s lives. In this episode, we’ll discuss why balancing these two qualities is necessary, and what it actually looks and sounds like to respond with firmness and respect, even in challenging situations.