“It takes a village to raise a child.” is an old saying I’m sure many of you have heard. We’re so worried about the judgment of other parents that when our kids misbehave, we spend more energy fighting them when that same energy should be spent on connecting with our kids and raising them. So in this episode, I’m excited to be joined by DJ Johnson, a fellow parenting coach and my first guest dad on the podcast. With a specialty in working with teens, he’ll share with us his personal parenting ph...
Oct 22, 2021•25 min•Season 3Ep. 103
We parents have been taught that our children’s behavior must be corrected through punishments and manipulations, and sadly, this has been accepted as the default mode of parenting. And when compounding other stressors in lives, it becomes so easy to unconsciously fall back on that out of desperation to change their behavior. So I want to talk about where we should focus when it comes to our children’s behavior. Looking inward and self-reflecting on our own behavior is a critical factor in trans...
Oct 14, 2021•13 min•Season 3Ep. 102
With schools slowly opening back up too, it might be a period of uncertainty and anxiety for our kids-- especially for the little ones who are coming into kindergarten or middle school for the first time. It’s a time where they’re trying to figure out their own interests, hobbies, and identities, alongside their own peers while simultaneously dealing with academics and social interactions. These are some of the concerns fellow mother and this week’s guest, Navia, shared with me. I’ll be sitting ...
Oct 07, 2021•23 min•Season 3Ep. 101
Even when you have the best of intentions as parents and try to do everything right, it’s completely normal to mess up every now and then. What matters is the continuous and conscious process of becoming a better parent for our kids. This week, I’m joined by Carolina. She has recently begun moving towards a positive parenting approach for her daughter alongside her girlfriend whose been co-parenting alongside her, but there have been some bumps along the way. I’ve dedicated this episode to help ...
Sep 30, 2021•21 min•Season 2Ep. 100
Defiant and strong-willed children are something I’m sure we’ve all experienced. Whether it’s as toddlers or teenagers, it’s a tale as old as time in the book of parenting. Sometimes when this defiance is targeted towards you or their siblings, it can lead to further conflict so you want to find a way to properly nip that in the bud. As a mother of two young girls, my guest, Liz, is no stranger to these frustrations so she and I will discuss her dynamics with her daughters, how to manage conflic...
Sep 23, 2021•28 min•Season 2Ep. 99
When your child makes a mistake, you want to help them process and understand their mistake without the use of shame, punishments, or making them feel like you’re disappointed in them. Harsh parenting does absolutely no favors for us or our kids, and as a parent who used to subscribe to that kind of parenting, I want to take the time to talk about this, and share how shifting my mindset towards a more conscious and connective one has done more good for my family than any punishment has. There ar...
Sep 16, 2021•14 min•Season 2Ep. 98
Many of us have had experiences with bottling up emotions, and kids are no exceptions to this. Kids aren’t as capable of properly communicating their emotions so when there’s a backlog of feelings like frustration and sadness, this can make them act out so they can vent. This can be equally frustrating for parents too but it is possible to connect with your kids in a way they can easily understand. For this episode, I’m joined by Emily, a member from the Hand in Hand Parenting group and she will...
Sep 10, 2021•22 min•Season 2Ep. 97
Our kids have the right to say “no” and have choices. But it’s a delicate balancing act between that and making sure not to give in to everything they say either. Since kids also have underdeveloped brains, it can be difficult for them to properly communicate their negative emotions which can put them into conflict with their parents and other kids. This challenge is a natural frustration for parents and is something my guest is familiar with. Shelly Belk, behavior change coach and mother, joins...
Sep 02, 2021•26 min•Season 2Ep. 96
Humans are built to work and depend on each other for survival and when you’re a parent, that desire to protect and help is increased tenfold. It’s a natural feeling to want to protect our kids from the harms and struggles of the world but it doesn’t mean we should micromanage them either. Sometimes the best course of action is to take a step back and watch. Our guest for this episode is Dr. Siggie Cohen, a child and family therapist who aids parents establish a better connection with their kids...
Aug 26, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 95
Life’s full of challenges, and as parents, we want to send our children out into the world ready and self-assured so they can get through everything society throws at them. Self-esteem plays a huge role in that, and their time as kids and teens is a crucial time in building it. For this solo episode, I’ll be talking about my personal struggles with self-esteem and how I turned them into lessons towards how I approach my kids, as well as give ways on how we can help build our kids’ self-esteem at...
Aug 19, 2021•11 min•Season 2Ep. 94
For many parents, the first six to twelve months of their baby’s life are probably one of the most stressful thanks to sleep deprivation. The emotional and physical toll of listening to your baby cry isn’t easy, but it’s important to realize that it’s just as stressful for them as their body and brain try to adjust to life outside of the womb. For this week’s episode, I’ve invited Rachel, a pediatric sleep specialist, to share with us her experience and realizations with sleep training her baby,...
Aug 12, 2021•23 min•Season 2Ep. 93
Change is a choice. Sometimes it may be a difficult one and requires a lot of effort. It’s also not something that can always happen in a snap, but rather takes the form of a continuous series of choices we consciously make. These choices become the path my guest takes to be better and do better as a parent. Joining me for this week’s episode is Rivkie, a mother of seven. It’s not easy to raise that many kids but as an ex-yeller, she made the choice to become a more empathetic and connected pare...
Aug 05, 2021•22 min•Season 2Ep. 92
When we believe our children are being difficult, we tend to use yelling to make them listen to us. But yelling can only go so far before it starts to form cracks in the relationship with our kids and leave them with emotional scars that might never go away. At some point, we need to ask ourselves: Is my child’s obedience worth losing their love and respect? In this solo episode, I share my experience of being a parent who used to yell and how I continue to overcome that urge with hopes that I c...
Jul 29, 2021•15 min•Season 2Ep. 91
Traditionally, children are meant to obey their parents without question and any sign of defiance is met with punishment. We believe that our child’s behavior is a reflection of us as parents and that opens us up to judgment from others. No one wants to be labeled as a “bad parent” but just because something is accepted as the norm doesn’t always mean it’s automatically right either. Chitra Peña, a member of the Peace and Parenting community, sits down with me to share her story and experiences...
Jul 22, 2021•28 min•Season 2Ep. 90
Parents try to prop themselves up as these invincible figures who aren’t affected by sadness or fear, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. They have their own fair share of anxieties and trauma; and when all of that just builds up, it starts to leak into other aspects of their lives. When that happens, it’s good to have someone who's willing to empathize and listen. For this episode, I’ve invited two members of the Peace and Parenting community, Cassie and Lindsay. They have been listeni...
Jul 15, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 89
Parenthood is a challenge enough in itself, but when you throw in becoming a stepparent; it can become a whole new ballpark. The desire to form a genuine bond with their stepchild while also trying not to overstep their boundaries is a balancing act that our guest is familiar with. Joining me for this episode is Nikki, a stepmom of 10 years, to share with us her experiences and how she managed to navigate what she considered as uncharted territory. For any struggling or upcoming stepparents, be ...
Jul 08, 2021•25 min•Season 2Ep. 88
Parenting shouldn’t be synonymous with control, but for my guest, Iris Chen, this was her reality while growing up in an Asian-American household. Our childhood experiences can shape what kind of parents we’ll become to our kids; but as their parents, it is our role to guide and care for them while also respecting their own autonomy. This is the realization that Iris came to when she saw her tiger parenting was driving her son away from her. Iris is the author of the book, Untigering, where she ...
Jul 01, 2021•26 min•Season 2Ep. 87
The initial transition to connective parenting isn’t exactly a straight line, and it can take years for us as parents to unlearn everything that was imposed on us when we were younger. But, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. For this episode, I’ve invited long time member, Emilie, to share with us her success story with connective parenting. Being a mother of two, she knew she needed to do her homework to prepare her elder son for a new baby sibling. Thanks to connective parenting, she’s definitel...
Jun 24, 2021•22 min•Season 2Ep. 86
There are going to be many times while raising our kids that they come to us with their problems, and we as parents might feel the need to immediately jump in as Mama Bear and tell them exactly what they need to do. But what if that isn’t what they really need? In this episode, I’m joined by Blimie from Unconditional Parenting to open up a conversation about why and how we can be reflective listeners for our kids-- allowing them to come to their own realizations and courses of action. Be sure to...
Jun 17, 2021•38 min•Season 2Ep. 85
When dealing with sibling rivalry, it’s important we validate all sibling feelings. If we choose sides it can jeopardize our connection. In this episode, I’ve invited April, a long-time listener to the podcast who has worked hard and long on her parenting. She’ll be walking us through the sharing issues between her two girls, while Michelle helps her unravel this common sibling struggle. If you’re feeling the same way, be sure to listen to this episode and let it serve as your guide to building ...
Jun 10, 2021•28 min•Season 2Ep. 84
So many parents and families struggle with pickiness in children’s eating habits. Our guest today, Gitte, has figured out what exactly might be the problem. With years in child psychology, she believes that the problem doesn’t lie in the food-- but rather their experience during mealtime. Gitte has developed a 4-week course called Real Food Hero, where she teaches us how to take back our mealtimes and allow our kids to grow a healthy relationship with food. Be sure to tune in on this episode so ...
Jun 03, 2021•28 min•Season 2Ep. 83
When kids are disrespectful, it can feel like a very personal attack leaving us wondering if our child will grow up to be an unkind and immoral adult disrespecting everyone they know. In this episode, I’ll be walking you through all the ways we can alleviate their behaviour without correcting them immediately, allowing for self-reflection and time to be their teacher. By effectively teaching them to self-regular through our calm presence. Be sure to listen in so we can guide our kids better! Epi...
May 27, 2021•15 min•Season 2Ep. 82
Raising a kid is a journey. It's our job as parents to love and support our children through it, making sure we guide without controlling and establish a deep emotional trust and connection. This week Sarah Ockwell-Smith joins us to discuss her book BETWEEN. and her own personal experiences with her 4 children. Be sure to listen in as she tells all we need to know about those “BETWEEN” years. Episode Highlights: Sarah’s book and what guided and inspired her through the process Why it's so import...
May 20, 2021•46 min•Season 2Ep. 81
Today I’m joined by Amy! She’s a follower of mine, and part of our online community. In this episode, she’ll share with us her transition from conventional parenting, to connective parenting. She’s also a graduate of the UBE Course! She’ll share with us her experience, and some advice she has for parents tuning in-- and why it’s so important to thrive with a community that shares the same ideals and ways of thinking. Be sure to listen in for this episode! Episode Highlights: Amy’s practices befo...
May 13, 2021•19 min•Season 2Ep. 80
When we’ve exhausted all efforts like diaper changing, feeding, and checking out babies for harm-- sometimes it looks like they’re crying for absolutely no reason. So what else can we do to support our infants and babies while crying? Today I’ve invited Patty Wipfler, founder of Hand in Hand Parenting where I was first inspired then trained to make the changes in how I parent my daughters. In this episode, Patty shares with us the ways we can support our infants, providing them with special time...
May 06, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 79
What exactly is a natural consequence and why are they useful? Can we allow some things to unfold naturally without interfering in order to give our children space to learn on their own? This week I walk you through some very familiar situations and explain the natural and not so natural ways in which we can handle them in order to give more onus to our children. Episode Highlights: Outlining natural consequences How we can help our children navigate decisions without manipulation Allowing our k...
Apr 29, 2021•22 min•Season 2Ep. 78
If you are an exhausted parent looking to find more cooperation and peace in your household while avoiding becoming tangled in the game of asking your kids the same thing over and over then you have come to the right place! To get started with cooperation-centered parenting, click here to check out my Guide to Cooperation; where you can learn to put your relationships with your kids first-- not control! -- Support this podcast through my partnership with Hand in Hand Parenting. Find useful paren...
Apr 26, 2021•4 min
As parents we often spend much of our time intervening in sibling upsets. There’s nothing more upsetting than seeing one of your children be unkind to the other. But what can we do to help them foster their relationship without shame and blame? How can we ensure they are learning how to effectively communicate with one another if we don’t use punishments or threats? Today I’ve brought in Dr. Laura Markham, to talk about how we can best navigate sticky situations between siblings, how we can talk...
Apr 22, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 77
Beginning to speak to your children about all things adolescence begins much younger than you might imagine. Many children enter puberty as early as 8. There doesn't necessarily need to be a formal "talk" but rather many conversations which build over time. My guest for this episode is Dr. Dolly, a family medicine physician, who now helps parents and children broach all the uncomfortable discussions that might leave us wondering just what to say and when. Episode Highlights: Initial reactions an...
Apr 15, 2021•31 min•Season 2Ep. 76
Aggression is the product of a child who isn’t doing so well. Be it from frustration they can’t communicate well, or other factors that we as parents cannot always understand. I always recommend daily time with our kids-- but for our guest Cara, daily time has turned into frustrating and oftentimes painful rough play. In this episode, I explain how else we can curb aggression by listening to feelings and allowing them to download while protecting ourselves as well. This definitely isn’t going to...
Apr 08, 2021•31 min•Season 2Ep. 75
