Our Nuclear Family - Parenting Ideas for an Explosive World

We've all either heard or felt the sentiment behind the expression, "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."  Both moms and dads can have an outsized impact on the emotional barometer of the house, which can sometimes hurt our relationship with our kids. Today's episode is about what's behind these moments and what we do to navigate them. Find us on Instagram @...

We want our kids to be confident and full of self-love, but we do not want them to become arrogant. And like all new things our kids learn, they have to learn that balance. On this episode, we discuss how we can help our kids walk that tightrope between confidence and humility, and whether or not those two things are mutually exclusive. Want to support us financially? Click here to send us a cup o...

Parenting can sometimes feel like an ongoing cycle of wondering whether our child is old enough to do the next thing. From sleeping in their own room and potty training to having a cell phone and dating, we are constantly evaluating whether or not they are ready for a certain conversation or responsibility. Today, we discuss our approach to answering this question. The book Kathryn references is T...

We love our kids, and we love developing their imagination, but it can be exhausting--especially as we are trying to cook, clean, do school, work from home, or just have a minute to ourselves. So, is it really ok to let my kids play by themselves? And if so, how can I start that transition? All of that and more in this episode! We are listener supported! To make a donation, please visit this link...

None of us want to be those annoying parents who exasperate our children, but if we are not careful, that is exactly the kind of parents we might become. In this episode, we discuss why it is such an easy trap to fall into and some ideas for how we can avoid it. We are listener supported! To max a tax-deductible donation, click here:  OurNuclearFam is a parenting encouragement podcast (buymeacoffe...

One of our biggest fears as parents is that we might say the wrong thing or do something that will leave our kids "scarred for life." Fear not, however, as we explore what the science has to say about it in this TED Talk:  (3) Yuko Munakata: The science behind how parents affect child development | TED - YouTube .  We are listener supported! Donate to us for as little as the cost of a cu...

Have you ever felt you were too busy? Have you thought of yourself as a bad parent or an angry parent? Have you ever said, "I can't," or heard your kids say it? The words we use have significant power. They anchor us to certain traits or attributes, and if we are not careful, these become our default settings and can turn into self-fulfilling prophecies. Today's episode is abou...

There are plenty of topics that are difficult to talk about with our kids, and the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine is just one more example. On this episode, we discuss why we felt it was important to talk to our own kids about the crisis and provide some practical things to consider if you decide to do the same with your own children. We are listener supported! Send us a donation for...

We want our kids to have a fun, safe, and easy childhood. So we treat them like glass, and the problem with glass is it is fragile. On this episode, we discuss developing kids with grit so we can equip them to handle the challenges of adulthood. This episode is inspired by this article: https://reason.com/2017/10/26/the-fragile-generation/ We are listener supported! To send a small donation our wa...

You may have heard the saying, "Comparison is the thief of joy." Unfortunately, our brains are naturally comparative; we cannot shut it off. So what do we do? On this episode, we talk about what we can do when we catch ourselves comparing our kids or our parenting to others. Got a question or comment for us? Find us on instagram @our.nuclear.family or click the blue button here:  ABOUT T...

Listening to our kids argue can be mentally exhausting, and our desire to maintain a peaceful house can have us continuously acting as the judge, which further drains our energy. To stop this never-ending spiral, we suggest a combination of letting kids argue and teaching them how to do it well. We'd love to hear from you! Send us a voice memo by clicking the blue button here ABOUT THE PODCAS...

The New Year is a great time for reflecting on the past and looking forward to the future. On this episode we reflect on season 1 of our podcast and look ahead with some practical thoughts on keeping New Year's resolutions.  Find us on Instagram @our.nuclear.family Send us feedback or questions via voice memo by clicking the blue button here: ABOUT THE PODCAST |OUR NUCLEAR FAMILY (wixsite.com...

It's the Holiday season, and there are a ho ho whole lot of ideas about how we should approach the Santa question with our children. On this episode, we give our thoughts on how we approach Elf on a Shelf and Santa Claus, especially as our kids get older and more curious about Christmas spirit. Have a question? Reach out to us on instagram @our.nuclear.family Want to send us a voice memo? Cli...

In the world of parenting, there is no shortage of well-intentioned people willing to tell us the best way to raise our children, but there is a shortage of advice that will actually work for us. How to sift through the sand of advice to pull out the valuable gems is the topic of this conversation. To support Our Nuclear Family, click here: OurNuclearFam is a parenting encouragement podcast (buyme...

The Holiday Season is upon us! From Christmas parties with friends to family get-togethers, this is a busy time and can be overwhelming for us and our children. In this episode, we talk about how our introverted and extroverted kids alike can experience unique challenges during this most wonderful time of the year. Support Our Nuclear Family by clicking here:  OurNuclearFam is a parenting encourag...

No matter the parent and no matter the kid, it seems like there are some friction points that always pop up in our parenting experiences. From not cleaning their rooms to not doing their schoolwork, from avoiding chores to getting out the door, we try to incentivize good behavior or threaten bad behavior. But maybe there's something else we can do. Got a question for us? Record it by clicking...

Often times as parents, we feel like we have to always have everything together all the time. But life happens, and being fine all the time is not practical. In this episode, we encourage parents that it is ok to not be ok. Support Our Nuclear Family by clicking here:  OurNuclearFam is a parenting encouragement podcast (buymeacoffee.com) Have a question for us or want to give us some feedback? Cli...

How do we handle it when -- not if, but when -- our kids lie to us? Today we talk about this universal parenting quandary. Despite our best efforts, our kids will lie to us, and it's up to us to figure out how best to respond so that our kids will learn the importance of honesty. Thanks for supporting Our Nuclear Family by clicking here:  OurNuclearFam is a parenting encouragement podcast (bu...

As parents, we may struggle getting into a rhythm or routine. But if we can do it, the benefits are immense. A good routine helps us and our kids' mental well-being. And, surprisingly, they enable us to have more flexibility by limiting decision fatigue. Support Our Nuclear Family here:  OurNuclearFam is a parenting encouragement podcast (buymeacoffee.com) Got a question for us or want to con...

We don't like disciplining our kids, but having undisciplined children is worse! On this episode, we talk about giving our kids consequences and how that is different than punishment. Support Our Nuclear Family by clicking here:  OurNuclearFam is a parenting encouragement podcast (buymeacoffee.com) Share your parenting stories and questions here:  ABOUT THE PODCAST |OUR NUCLEAR FAMILY (wixsit...

Is there anything more scary to talk about in parenting circles than disciplining our children? In this conversation, we try to make it less scary by focusing on how boundaries can help us grow in our own lives and can help our kids grow, too! Leave us a message by clicking the blue button here: ABOUT THE PODCAST |OUR NUCLEAR FAMILY (wixsite.com) Support Our Nuclear Family by clicking here: OurNuc...

Dealing with failure is tough for any human, but it's especially tough for our young tiny humans who so desperately want to make us proud. But failure does happen, so how do we help our kids get through all the failures required to make it on the path of success? Listen in for our thoughts. Click the blue button here to send us a voice message: ABOUT THE PODCAST |OUR NUCLEAR FAMILY (wixsite.c...

Money is all around us. It pervades so much of our lives. If we want our kids to grow up to be successful adults, they have to learn about money. In this episode, we dig into why it's important to teach our kids about money and how we choose to do so. Share a messy parenting moment by clicking the blue button here: ABOUT THE PODCAST |OUR NUCLEAR FAMILY (wixsite.com) Support Our Nuclear Family...

We all want to be good parents. In fact, it is probably our biggest fear as parents that we are not doing a good enough job. So what does successful parenting look like? Matthew and Kathryn share their thoughts in this thoroughly uplifting conversation. Support Our Nuclear Family by clicking here:  OurNuclearFam is a parenting encouragement podcast (buymeacoffee.com)

It's three of the scariest words for a parent to hear: "Mom (or Dad), I'm bored." Today, we talk about how to fight through the boredom and the benefits of allowing space in our daily schedules for our kids to be bored. Support Our Nuclear Family by clicking here:  OurNuclearFam is a parenting encouragement podcast (buymeacoffee.com)