Janet and her guest Tasha Lansbury, LICSW, consider the role of self-care and mindfulness as elements of easier, happier, more successful parenting. Tasha has been in private practice for over 3 decades and describes herself as “an enthusiastic psychotherapist and wide-eyed mother.” She believes mindfulness is a parenting essential and offers some simple tools to handle common stressful situations. For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's books at Amazo...
Nov 22, 2017•16 min•Ep. 83
A mother of three kids writes that she’s irritated and confused by her six-and-a-half-year-old daughter’s constant demands for attention and her refusal to cooperate. She believes that her daughter is old enough to comply with simple requests, but “she won’t listen, and she won’t do it until I shout or scold her.” For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's books at Amazon and Audible (adbl.co/2OBVztZ). Also available for download, her audio series "Sessio...
Nov 15, 2017•9 min•Ep. 82
The mother of a 3-year-old feels she has very little control over some of her son’s unpleasant behavior, and she’s struggling to come up with appropriate responses. In her email to Janet, she cites examples like screaming, running away when she’s trying to dress him, and throwing himself to the ground. “How do I set boundaries around things like this that I feel I have no influence over?” For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's books at Amazon and Audi...
Nov 08, 2017•14 min•Ep. 81
Janet responds to two comments from one of her website articles, “Independent Play: 5 Hints to Get the Ball Rolling”(http://bit.ly/2iEdOPV). First, a mother’s question about reading and her 13-month-old’s demands for attention when she has other things to do; and then another mom’s critique of Janet’s advice. Both comments bring up helpful points but highlight certain misconceptions about Magda Gerber and Janet’s parenting approach. For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, plea...
Nov 01, 2017•13 min•Ep. 80
Janet responds to an email from a parent whose son has been coming home from daycare recently and telling her he can’t do certain tasks and activities. “It disturbs me,” she writes. “I just want him to do his best and be proud of himself.” She says his attitude seems to be getting worse, and she’s seeking advice how to respond to him. For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's audio series "Sessions", her private recorded consultations with parents discus...
Oct 24, 2017•12 min•Ep. 79
Janet responds to the mother of an almost 3-year-old who says she used to appreciate and encourage her son’s boundless energy, but now that he has a new sibling, he’s having a lot of trouble sitting in his chair to eat, dressing, and following basic directions. This mom has found herself yelling and threatening lately, and she’s disappointed in herself. “This is not how I saw myself with him.” For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's books at Amazon and...
Oct 10, 2017•14 min•Ep. 78
The mother of a 23-month-old girl writes that she and her husband recently spent a week with some relatives and their 2.5-year-old in a shared house. This mom says her daughter had always been “a joy to be around,” but now she’s imitating the negative behavior of the other toddler, whining and yelling, and she’s wondering how to best respond. For more on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's audio series "Sessions", her private recorded consultations with parents discu...
Oct 04, 2017•15 min•Ep. 77
Janet responds to an email from a mom who says she is good about accepting her sensitive boy’s feelings without trying to fix them, but she also wants him to be emotionally resilient. She’d like Janet’s advice about how to “teach him to bounce back when others hurt his feelings.” For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's books at Amazon and Audible (adbl.co/2OBVztZ). Also available for download, her audio series "Sessions" -- recorded consultations with ...
Sep 27, 2017•15 min•Ep. 76
Janet is joined by Lisa Sunbury to provide insight and answers to a mom who says she is spending hours every night trying to get her 21-month-old to sleep. Her daughter refuses to stay in her bed alone, and this mom is frustrated and sleep-deprived. For more on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's audio series "Sessions", her private recorded consultations with parents discussing their most immediate and pressing concerns. Find out more at: SessionsAudio.com. Our Spon...
Sep 19, 2017•24 min•Ep. 75
Janet responds to a mom whose 21-month-old son has become possessive about toys, and she’s worried that he’s showing aggression towards other kids. “I don’t know what to do,” she writes, “and I am so scared that through my mistakes of parenting he will become a bully.” For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's books at Amazon and Audible (adbl.co/2OBVztZ). Also available for download, her audio series "Sessions" -- recorded consultations with parents dis...
Sep 13, 2017•17 min•Ep. 74
Janet responds to an email from a mother who says her husband gets irritated when she acknowledges the feelings of their 16-month-old son. She writes: “He says it feels very patronizing, and that if someone suggested to him what his feelings were, he would get mad.” This mom wonders how to respond to her husband’s attitude and whether she’s using the right language when acknowledging their son’s feelings. For more on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's audio series "...
Sep 05, 2017•10 min•Ep. 73
Janet responds to a mother struggling to moderate her toddler’s enthusiastic, energetic interactions with his 7-month-old sister. She believes that her son means well, but she’s afraid his play is too intense. “I want to encourage sibling play, but how do I get him to understand he can’t play that rough with her?” For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's books at Amazon and Audible (adbl.co/2OBVztZ). Also available for download, her audio series "Sessio...
Aug 29, 2017•14 min•Ep. 72
A dad is perplexed about how to best support his son when he gets hurt. “I have always tried to give him the space and freedom to express his emotions,” he writes, but lately his son has been rejecting support and insisting through tears that he is not hurt. This dad isn’t sure how to handle it. “I want him to know he can express his emotions in a safe way.” For more on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's audio series "Sessions", her recorded consultations with paren...
Aug 22, 2017•9 min•Ep. 71
A parent who works full time writes that her toddler son has recently become extremely clingy and whiny when she comes home. She knows that he’s testing her but doesn’t feel she handles it well, and she sometimes loses her cool. “I’m totally lost,” she says. “I’m very upset and feel I’m a bad mother.” For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's books at Amazon and Audible (adbl.co/2OBVztZ). Also available for download, her audio series "Sessions" -- record...
Aug 15, 2017•13 min•Ep. 70
The mother of a 2.5-year-old writes that her boy gets frustrated easily when he attempts new things, and then gets angry and “demands I do it for him.” She says she tries to be encouraging and accepting of his emotions, but she wants to know if Janet has any suggestions on how she might communicate more effectively with her son. For more on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's audio series SESSIONS, her recorded consultations with parents discussing their most immedia...
Aug 09, 2017•15 min•Ep. 69
A mom writes that she’s recently noticed her 2.5-year-old avoids looking her in the eye -- as if she’s ashamed. She’s worried that her stern lecturing and irritation when setting limits has damaged her daughter’s spirit, and she wants to know if it’s too late to make reparations. For more on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's audio series SESSIONS, her recorded consultations with parents discussing their most immediate and pressing concerns. Find out more at: Sessio...
Aug 01, 2017•12 min•Ep. 68
Janet responds to an email from the mother of an almost-3-year-old boy who has started asking if she is happy, usually after he’s done something wrong. This mom admits that she does freely show her emotions “because I think that is a healthy thing,” but she doesn’t want her son to be so concerned about her reactions and moods. For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's books at Amazon and Audible (adbl.co/2OBVztZ). Also available for download, her audio s...
Jul 18, 2017•18 min•Ep. 67
A mother writes that she and her husband are frustrated that they can’t share a peaceful meal with their toddler. They’ve tried a number of different set-ups, but their son ends up throwing tantrums and food. “I don’t enjoy meals,” this mom says, and she’s looking for a new approach. For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's books at Amazon and Audible (https://adbl.co/2OBVztZ). Also available for download, her audio series "Sessions" -- recorded consult...
Jul 11, 2017•21 min•Ep. 66
Janet responds to two mothers who share a common challenge: giving their small children necessary medications that are unpleasant or painful. Both mothers are caring and respectful, but both are struggling. One mother believes, “I’m definitely doing something wrong here.” The other wonders, “How do I speak to my baby when I’m doing something that hurts, but is necessary?” For more on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's audio series SESSIONS, her recorded consultation...
Jul 05, 2017•17 min•Ep. 65
Janet answers a question from the mother of a four-month-old who says she is having trouble getting her husband on the same page when it comes to independent play. He doesn’t see the baby much, so when he does, he wants to engage “face-to-face, total stimulation and entertainment.” While she empathizes with her husband’s desire, she also worries that he’s undercutting one of her basic parenting principles. Janet's exclusive audio series "Sessions" is available for download. This is a collection ...
Jun 26, 2017•12 min•Ep. 64
A mom who’s been carrying her 5-month-old on her back is now trying to get her daughter to spend time playing on her own. So far, it isn’t working for either of them, and this mom is frustrated and looking for solutions. “My back would adore a break,” she writes. “And I want her to be the happiest, most confident baby she can be.” For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's books at Amazon and Audible (adbl.co/2OBVztZ). Also available for download, her aud...
Jun 19, 2017•18 min•Ep. 63
A mother confides to Janet that she is concerned that her son’s roughhousing on the playground has become too aggressive. “I don’t want to label,” she writes, “but this looks like the beginnings of future bullying behavior to me.” She’s alarmed by her son’s aggressiveness, and her instinct is to intervene, yet she wonders if she’s overreacting. For more advice on common parenting issues, please check out Janet's best-selling books on audio at Audible (https://adbl.co/2OBVztZ). Her exclusive audi...
Jun 05, 2017•11 min•Ep. 62
A mother writes that she has been using a pacifier in certain instances to soothe her 7-month-old daughter but has mixed feelings about it. She says that she really appreciates that the pacifier “gives me some space… some possibility to relax,” but she is also concerned that it may be “a stopper of feelings.” She would like to know Janet’s thoughts. For more on common infant and toddler issues, please check out Janet's new audio series SESSIONS, her recorded consultations with parents discussing...
May 22, 2017•14 min•Ep. 61
A mother believes that her 4-year-old’s best friend is a bad influence. She feels her daughter has adopted this friend’s behaviors and attitudes that are exclusionary and bullying towards other children. She wants to trust her daughter to choose her own friends but admits, “I really have come to dislike this child.” Check out Janet's new audio series SESSIONS, her recorded consultations with parents discussing their most immediate and pressing concerns: SessionsAudio.com Our Sponsors: * Check ou...
May 15, 2017•15 min•Ep. 60
The mother of a 14-month-old writes that she aspires to be a respectful parent, but her living situation presents some physical dangers for an active toddler, and lately she finds herself swatting his hand. “I feel torn between two worlds," she says. "Is there any place in gentle parenting for a hand swat?” For more on toddler discipline and specific parenting issues, please check out Janet's new audio series SESSIONS, her recorded consultations with parents discussing their most immediate and p...
May 08, 2017•16 min•Ep. 59
Janet responds to a question from her Facebook page from the mother of a 20-month-old who’s started to show his dissatisfaction with various situations by screaming, crying, and in some cases hitting. This mom says she typically handles it “by talking through his frustration with him," and she's wondering if there's more she could be doing to support him. For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's books at Amazon and Audible (adbl.co/2OBVztZ). Also availa...
Apr 25, 2017•10 min•Ep. 58
Janet responds to an email from a mother who says her “strong-willed, super clingy toddler” has gotten into the habit of incessantly asking her for anything and everything in sight. This mom says that even if she gives her the thing she wants, her daughter will then demand a different object. “It is driving me crazy.” For more on demanding toddlers and specific parenting issues, please check out Janet's new audio series SESSIONS, her recorded consultations with parents discussing their most imme...
Apr 17, 2017•12 min•Ep. 57
The mother of a 4-year-old says her son wants to stay and play with his friend after school, and when she says it’s time to go, he either runs away or she leaves with him screaming. She admits that she struggles with setting limits and wonders how she can be more successful in avoiding this daily drama. For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's books at Amazon and Audible (adbl.co/2OBVztZ). Also available for download, her audio series "Sessions" -- reco...
Apr 04, 2017•14 min•Ep. 56
Janet responds to a mother who says whenever her 10-month-old gets together with her best friend’s 2.5-year-old, the older child “hits, punches, pushes, and grabs toys” from her son. She says she feels guilty for letting her boy get pushed around, but she doesn’t want to insult her friend or “pretend I know anything about parenting by intervening in the conflict.” She asks Janet how she would respond and how to better understand the toddler’s perspective. For more of Janet's respectful care advi...
Mar 28, 2017•12 min•Ep. 55
A mother writes that she “feels like a failure” for having provided constant stimulation to her baby. Now 4 years old, she says her son lacks self-confidence. She describes him as insecure, easily embarrassed, and reluctant to try new things, which she blames on herself for having “dictated” his play as a baby. She doesn’t know what to do and is looking for advice. For more advice on common infant/toddler parenting issues, please check out Janet's books at Amazon and Audible (adbl.co/2OBVztZ). A...
Mar 20, 2017•12 min•Ep. 54
