Fight Like a Mother

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a perceived or real power imbalance that is repeated over time.  Amber Robbins shares her expertise and person experiences about bullying and the importance of not being just a bystander but an Upstander.  When witnesses to bullying intervene, the bullying stops within 10 seconds more than half the time.  We can teach our kids to be kind but...

Three moms raising kids with mental illness get honest and real about the struggles, but also the joys and gifts from raising these warrior kids.  You'll hear some of the challenges facing families raising kids and teens with developing brains who struggle with their mental health.  Diagnoses change, medications work until they don't, therapists and therapies work until they don't any longer.  It'...

Our world today is filled with scary things.  Partisan politics, gun control, children being sex trafficked, addiction to everything from gaming to pornography, mental illness and suicide, cyber bullying and technology.   When we allow ourselves to wallow in the fear and have it be the driving force behind our actions, it can lead to a desire to control everyone and everything, it can disconnect u...

Sensory processing disorder and challenges are often not understood, midiagnosed as other things (such as ADHD, anxiety etc) or go undiagnosed for years.  These have significant impact on daily life, behaviors, learning abilities etc.  Wendy Bertagnole a special ed teacher and sensory expert shares vital info that can help parents and educators alike understand their kids and be observant to their...

Dr. Stefani Reinold is a psychiatrist specializing in eating disorders and body image.  She gives vital and important tips for parents trying to raise kids with positive body image in the age of social media, reality tv, airbrushing, plastic surgery etc.   This is such an important issue for parents to understand and Dr. Reinold is articulate and relatable.   Dr. Stefani Reinold website   Join the...

So here is the thing.  YOU are their parent for a reason. They are your child for a reason.   YOU are meant to parent according to your strengths and personality.  Yes it is valuable to have some knowledge about children, some mentors who guide you, some people you follow who you jive and connect with.  YOU ARE THE EXPERT ON YOUR CHILD.  You have the intuition, love and emotions to guide you.  I a...

In this "in the trenches" episode Sarah McKenna shares her battle with bipolar disorder.  She discusses how she knew in a high school psychology class that something wasn't right, but was dismissed when she approached the adults in her life.  In college she finally realized what was happening and found a therapist and started taking medication.  However it wasn't until she was in her 30's that she...

Jasmine Bradshaw host of the First Name Basis podcast masterfully teaches us how to empower our teens to be anti-racist stand up for those who need it.  We share about how being open minded to learning and growth can empower us as parents as we learn and grow ourselves.  Jasmine's life experiences are such important teachers as she has been a victim of racism in her own life.   She answers questio...

Teen life coach and middle school teacher Joey Mascio shares with us how to care for our relationship with our teens by restructuring our thoughts surrounding them.  Parenting teens can be challenging, but we can change our thoughts surrounding some of the circumstances we find ourselves in and words they say to us.  These are valuable ways to improve your own perspectives and relationship with yo...

How can you support families who are living with mental illness?  Show up and be vulnerable, don't judge or dismiss and mostly just love.  I asked over a dozen families how people have supported them and what hasn't been supportive.  I share several real life examples from these families I chatted with who either have a child, spouse or they themselves deal with mental illness.      Empathy vs Sym...

Self care is looking at and being aware of your mental health and how it affects your world.  It's not an indulgence, it's a discipline.  Brenna Brooks shares her journey with her mental health struggles, grief in losing her mom last year and how caring for herself allows her to show up in her work as a mom, wife and hospice social worker.      Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Renew, refuel and refresh are the very definition of self care.  Often women/moms are so focused on everyone else, they forget to put themselves in their circle of care.  In this episode Reva Cook LCSW and I  chat about how we can show up so much better as women, wives and mothers if we care for our souls, bodies and minds.   Just because our family is our top priority, doesn't mean we need to be...

Motherhood can be challenging when we lose our self identity and deplete ourselves.  We should do something daily that brings us joy and create a life our kids can be excited to grow up for.  We are the model of happiness for our children.  Motherhood does not mean our personal growth is on hold.  Kids need a human parent they can connect with and have a good relationship with. Dr. Julie Hanks Jul...

What are your parenting values?  Are you united in your parenting?  Are  differing parenting styles a point of conflict in your marriage?  For years it was one of our biggest conflicts, but in the last few years we have both been willing to be humble and teachable and learn new patterns and behaviors to bring more harmony and connection in our home.  Kids do well when they can and behavior is comm...

Anxiety is a buzzword these days that sometimes is downplayed and brushed off.  Alivia Irwin licensed social worker, and child therapist who specializes in anxiety teaches us about the brain science behind it.  Many of our kids who have never struggled with anxiety previously are now facing the challenge with the Covid 10 pandemic with schools shutting down and many of their activities being taken...

I interview relationship expert Georgia Anderson about how we can become leader based parents and create a balanced power relationship with our teens.  She shares encouraging and positive ways to build our connection and weather the storms of the teen years. Georgia Anderson coaching Whole kids Emotional wellness courses use code Cheryl15 for 15% off the first three months.

Andrea Davis from Better Screen Time shares with us multiple ways to prepare our children for technology and how to connect and partner with them on creating a healthy family tech plan.  Andrea's new book Creating a Tech Healthy Family has 10 prepared discussions/lessons to teach your children. Find her on Instagram under Better Screen Time.  Andreas website/courses: Better screen time courses Cre...

I interview therapist Clair Mellenthin author and director of Child Services at Wasatch Family therapy about ADHD and best parenting practices for these kids.  She discusses how the brain with ADHD is much like a snow globe, shaken and confused.  These kids need opportunities for movement and learning impulse control.  Medication is one tool to use, but needs to be paired with therapy and learning...

Alyson Deussen a mother of a gay son speaks about how we as members of a faith community, neighbors, friends, teachers etc can better love and accept our LGBTQ teens and young adults.  She lost her son to suicide 8 years ago and teaches us how to support and love these teens and their families. Resources: Facebook group for LDS parents of LGBTQ+ kids:  I'll Walk with you Facebook group:  Let's lov...

Ganel-lyn Condie is an author, public speaker and passionate suicide prevention advocate.  She shares the story of losing her sister Meg to suicide and how that has driven her passion to speak out about mental health and suicide.  We chat about how we as humans are all broken and that is okay, but we need radical acceptance and love not only from others, but most importantly ourselves.    

September is suicide awareness month.  Therapist Niki Olsen talks about 5 myths surrounding suicide and what the truth really is.  She shares the importance of being a trusted person for someone with suicidal ideation and give several tools on how to be an advocate for someone dealing with these thoughts.  

September is national suicide prevention and awareness month and perhaps it has never been more timely.  During the Covid pandemic, mental health has taken a deep dive for many.  Not only is suicide prevention important nationally, but has become personal and of vital importance in my own family.  I share part of our story along with statistics and resources to find help.   Resources: Suicide Hotl...

Middle school special educator Kristen Robinson discusses how to communicate with educators when your child is struggling in school.  How do we advocate and create a team with teachers, administrators and parents.  What are IEP's and 504 plans?  How do I know when my child needs special education services?  All these questions are more are answered in this episode.

Paul Cardall, internationally renowned and top Billboard pianist, shares his health journey with us.  He shares from being born with a congenital heart defect to receiving a heart transplant.  He also shares how his physical health journey also created some mental health challenges as well.  It is a story of heartache and triumph.

 David Kozlowski who specializes in teenagers, shares ideas of how to parent children and teens without shame or punishment.  He shares valuable ideas of how to build relationships and parenting partnerships with our kids.