Finding Moments

This one is a little "calorie dense”.  Today we review Michaeleen Doucleff's, PHD Dopamine Kids.  So many thoughts!  Chad, Trisha and LenEll dive deep into the major concepts outlined in this book.  We also appreciate the solutions presented.  This is not an all or nothing approach.  Rather, it’s a great baseline for identifying the trap we fall into with both technology and ultra proces...

Oh, where to start?  Setting boundaries is a skill that most adults are still trying to figure out.  For our kids it is a critical life skill that requires prompts, patience and a ton of empathy.  Our podcast touches on when to teach our kids to walk away from a bad situation and that boundaries are more than ok for the benefit of the long term friendship.  Friendship boundary red flags like aggre...

Actually recorded in 2025 but life happens and we went on vacation (which was so amazing!)  Welcome to 2026!  To pickup where we left off with our episode on polite truths, we focus on the importance of critical thinking .  In a world where what is real is being redefined, how can parents help teach our kids how to be certain what they see is truly fact?  LenEll is so good and really highlights th...

Our cup of coffee discussion focuses on polite truths and how to teach our kids the difference between a lie that can hurt someones feelings or a lie that can spare someones feelings.  We discuss in depth white (harmless) lies vs matter of fact truths and polite truths.  Teaching our kids how to filter their thoughts is next level parenting.  "Think about how someone will feel if you say this...

Part 3 of 3 of our making friends series dives into the importance of perspective in relationships.  Understanding others, social problem solving, awareness and empathy, recognizing social expectations, and understanding intent are key topics discussed to close out our series.  For our kids (and yes, for adults) it is important to learn to see a topic through another lens.  What do you see?  What...

Part 2 of 3  of our making friends series , LenEll, Trisha and Chad talk about the line of humor vs sarcasm.  Humor is anything that makes people laugh.  It can be light-hearted or dark, slapstick or witty.  Humor includes jokes, puns, funny stories!  Sarcasm is more biting and intended to mock or convey contempt.  It’s often used to criticize or insult.  An important part of making friends is kno...

Part 1 of a 3 part series is focused on making friends and the importance playdates.  Helping our kids build friendships base on common interests and a good friend fit is only the beginning.  Helping them understand the importance of perspective taking, empathy, flexible thinking and expandable interests will help them find those long-lasting friendships that will be there for them when they need...

Episode 25 is an honest conversation surrounding The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt .  We highly recommend this book for parents of teens and tweens even though it completely scared the bleep out of us! Also check out the author's companion video Smartphones vs Kids .  Jonathan Haidt does an amazing job breaking down why we are where we are.  The 90's gave us personal computers and...

Ages & Stages!   Using American Academy of Pediatrics take on Ages and Stages as a guide, we discuss the importance of early intervention, milestones, and the challenges faced with significant gaps coming out of the pandemic and living in an age of social media.  Playdates, board games, cooking, and general non-virtual moments all matter.  Reading to our kids at an early age is so important. ...

Problems, problems, problems!  Big ones for parents may be little ones to our kids.  Big ones to our kids may seem little to parents.  It doesn't matter, all are important.  Listening is critical.  Telling someone else how to feel never truly ends well.  Chad, Trisha & LenEll discuss parenting strategies on how to navigate the tricky balance of teaching our kids how to cope while allowing...

Episode 22 was recorded prior to the holidays.  Well, it took us a minute and we gave ourselves a bit of grace and the permission to take off January!  With that, we focus our cup of coffee conversation on finding kindness.  The best moments happen when we give of ourselves, and we take a breath, and do the smallest of things to make someone else's day matter.  Our kids watch us and model wha...

Special Guest!  Jody Diebold, registered dietician, certified diabetes care and education specialist joins LenEll, Trisha & Chad in a self-care discussion as it relates to parenting today.  ZOOM meetings, routines, sleep ... all on the table.   Jody is our first "guest".  She's amazing.  The topics discussed over a cup of coffee conversation .... legit!  It is hard to find the t...

Parents are human after all!  Mistakes are daily.  It's OK! There is no playbook.  Parents are not perfect.  For #20 ... we discuss Tom Huddleston Jr's article on CNBC with psychotherapist Amy Morin from April 16th, 2023 ... "Parents who raise mentally strong kids never use these 7 phrases when their children are young".   Also there is so much truth Giannis Antetokoumpo's...

Kicking off our 3rd season of our Finding Moments podcast!  We start with a little fun with what our kids know and don't know about "stuff" from the 80's & 90's.  Our special guests were killing it!  Our discussion then kicked off our 3rd season theme of social skills and the challenges for both our kids ... and their parents!  Our discussion took a few turns and range...

We took a break for a few months, but coming back strong with a review of How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids by Carla Naumburg, PhD .  This book is great!  We agree that we are going to lose our Sh*t ... it's not as matter of if, just when.  Our kids push our buttons.  It's simply what they do.  The trick is ... how do we as fully developed PFC brained adults deal with it.  Join...

An honest conversation all about WTF!  2022 keeps swinging big by leveling up the #parenting challenges.  While the news cycle is a scary place, how do parents stay level?  Having to explain current events?  Self care?  How?  Coming out of a pandemic sounded easier but every day adds a new layer of special sauce to how #moms and #dads must adapt to stay above it to help our kids.  Over a cup of co...

With summer coming, how do we balance memorable moments our kids will remember without adding stress to mom & dad?  Are summer moments built around expensive vacations, or is it simply about spending time with family & friends?  Is summer for our kids to practice their social skills, learning and growing in an unstructured environment?  Join our cup of coffee conversation talking summer ac...

On December 30th the Marshall Fire in Boulder County, Colorado claimed 1100 homes.  On December 31st, we posted that Finding Moments was taking a moment to collect our thoughts as Chad and Trisha's home was one of the homes that was a total loss.  It has taken us 75 days to tell our story.  We are ready to share this moment with you.   What we've learned is that our friends and family ci...

Discussing "next" with coming out of the pandemic, and looking for ways to find our Joy as parents.  Courtesy of How to Find Joy in your Everyday Life , courtesy of Nicol Natele, Prevention Magazine.  1. Look for meaning 2. Think small picture 3. Straighten out your spiral 4. Make room for a passion 5. Set a goal outside of your comfort zone 6. Be present 7. Confront your past 8. Choose...

Episode 13 focuses on "Finding Moments".  We are one year old!  Reflecting on our first year, discussing the tools we've built and how they can help parents find less tension with time-outs and must do's to make more time for fun things.  Self care matters.  Stay-cations can make for great moments.  How it is important to take advantage of every minute with our family now to av...

Episode 12 explores the parenting styles permissive, uninvolved, authoritarian and authoritative also touching on free range parenting and asking the question, should we ever tell our kids no?  What style of parenting do you lean to?  Is it all or nothing, or is it simply how to balance different styles within a household.  How our kids learn from our example.  Ultimately how recognition of where...

 After reading both Reset Your Child's Brain by Victoria L. Dunckley, MD and Glow Kids by Nicholas Kardaras, Ph. D.  we discuss the impact of screen time on our own children as well as the concept and the practicality of a 3 week "reset" as recommended by Dr. Dunckley.   In our discovery, our kids are being stimulated at a rate unlike any other generation.  The gaming industry has p...

How do we get our kids to listen?  Truly.  Seems like they listen to everyone but their parents.  From the perspective of 2 moms and a dad.  Rooted in psychology.  We look at different strategies that help.  Positive parenting styles that reward positive interactions.  Based on various sources, including Robert Shramm, the author of The Seven Steps to Earning Instructional Control; Raising Human B...

Routines vs Schedules.  Knowing what to expect makes us all feel better.  Episode 9 is a conversation centered around how to build age appropriate routines and how flexibility in daily routines are critical to child development as well as family sanity.  Striking the right balance is very personal and centered around each families needs.  However, there are core tent poles each day that can be the...

As we look forward to happier, brighter 2021, check out Russ Harris' book The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living.  There is light at the end of the tunnel, yet we are still in the tunnel.  One year into the pandemic, and where do we stand with our kids?  Are we doing a good job?  How do we talk to our kids about current events.   How do we keep communication open, while p...