Art Creativity & Wellbeing

Welcome to the fourth and final installment in our series about school, and how it can screw up your child, and how to make sure that that does not happen! Today we discuss the dangers that come with someone feeling continually assessed, judged, and evaluated. I work really hard to give you ideas to overcome this challenge. Plus in Parenting News: I share about this documentary that I first watche...

It's almost time! -- NPC Cyber Monday special: 30% off of annual Ninja Parenting Community membership… Get on the waiting list (and get 7 of my best parenting resources – for free) by clicking weturnedoutokay.com/cybermonday ! In this episode find out: – What's the right age for starting soccer – What to do with your three-year-old's tantrums – How to handle night terrors in your young child – How...

Surprise! Bonus episode on how to have a happy Thanksgiving! Special thanks to Graham Smith and Kirsten Dunlap of the Welcome Home podcast, and Desirae Endres of Minimal-ish , for sharing in this edition of We Turned Out Okay … We are connecting our shows, each of us with a "Best Thanksgiving Day Ever" in a pod hop, similar to the blog hops of old! FYI: NPC Cyber Monday special: 30% off of annual...

NPC Cyber Monday special: 30% off of annual Ninja Parenting Community membership… Get on the waiting list (and get 7 of my best parenting resources – for free) by clicking weturnedoutokay.com/cybermonday ! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As a preschool teacher I used to get asked all the time about when we would be teaching reading. Or writing. I cou...

NPC Cyber Monday special: 30% off of annual Ninja Parenting Community membership… Get on the waiting list (and get 7 of my best parenting resources – for free) by clicking weturnedoutokay.com/cybermonday ! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Fortunately the children have no words to define the panic and anger they feel at constant violations of natural...

We talk with the Mindful Mama Mentor, Hunter Clarke-Fields, in this episode of We Turned Out Okay! Hunter is a parent coach who found real solutions to her own anger and frustration with meditation and mindfulness. She is a force for good, and I am so excited to bring her on the show! The title of this episode was very nearly "Mindfulness: A Cool Parental Brain Hack," which is how today's guest ch...

"This morning we were reading a space book and [my three-year-old] was talking about how he was going to kill the astronauts. Aggressive talk really freaks me out." When one of the parents I mentor in the Ninja Parenting Community posted this recently, I knew that you might be hearing "aggressive talk" with your child as well. Why DO kids seem to talk and think so much about death, and killing? We...

There are lots of reasons why we want our kids to become independent, in their actions and their thinking. (If for no other reason than, when our kids are independent, we do less for them. This means we are happier, and also it helps help our children understand the joys of being part of a system in which we all work together.) Today's episode is about how, if we're not careful, we might be teachi...

We're celebrating today, 300 episodes of We Turned Out Okay! I am super excited to welcome back beloved guests Tricia Tomaso, preschool teacher extraordinaire, and Janine Halloran, coping skills expert, for a roundtable discussion talking about social and emotional learning, and if schools actually do screw up kids… And we're also answering your questions in this tri-centennial episode! Join us! G...

"I am still just so scared these challenges are going to last forever, and school and daily life will always be a struggle. It's so hard to see the stuff other kids can do that [my three-year-old] just can't." If this lament – if these fears – sound familiar, I hope today's episode will help. Raising children is a hard job, especially when you're worried about a child's behavior, and if it's norma...

This episode almost didn't make it. Not because I don't think it is wicked important. I do think that. But because I worried about hurting your feelings. Ultimately (as you'll hear in the first five minutes or so) I decided to bring it to you, because from everything I'm seeing, school is broken. Systemically. In the long-term, I hope we can work together to fix it. But in the short-term, we need...

Reminder: join my Ninja Parenting Community for $1 for your first 30 days! But only by joining before October 1! “Thank you for all of your help! You have truly changed our lives and helped navigate some massive life changes and I am so grateful!” – Mama Llama, Mom of a three-year-old boy and NPC member "Karen helps me feel like I actually know what I am doing.” – Steve, Dad of 3-and-5-year-old bo...

I am super excited to bring you a conversation with two of the most beloved people in podcasting, Biz Ellis and Theresa Thorn of One Bad Mother ! Take note: there WILL be swears, so listen away from your kiddos… Also I totally mess up in describing a genius moment of my own! (I guess that's a fail at a genius moment : ) So in the preshow I try to rectify that. Biz and Theresa are such generous peo...

So, today's Parenting News segment makes me cry, those mushy, parenty, happy/sad tears. You know the ones. That's coming up in today's break. Also! Join my private coaching community for just $1 for your whole first 30 days! Get the support you need to help your child – or yourself – through the huge challenges that parenting can bring. This is for a limited time, only through September 30, becaus...

If the anxiety is hyped up in your home right now, for kids and/or for you, hopefully you'll find this episode helpful! It even includes a discussion, during the break, about how to deal with our own parental anxieties. I read listener Cathy's letter, sharing about her own anxiety, which starts off the thinking about what we can do to feel less anxious ourselves. Plus in Parenting News: I complete...

Are you, as a parent, coming to view American healthcare as a soul-sucking showstopper of happiness? Don't despair. Today's guest, Dan Weissmann, has some great ideas and advice! Dan sparked a movement when he began a podcast about the many ways average Americans - confronting a healthcare system that can be ruinous both financially, and healthwise - think of and approach family health and happine...

Whether public school, charter school, private school, or homeschool, this time of year brings massive changes to lots of families' lives. It's exciting, but it can also be stressful. Today I want to help you stay more on the positive side of the exciting/stressful balance! How are you feeling about the start of the new school year? Today we discuss 4 ways to start the year off right. Important Pr...

"Learning" can mean different things to different people: – Getting good grades – Passing a test – Reading, writing, coding, mathematics, etc. But how do we get to the point where we know, and can demonstrate, our knowledge? It all starts in early childhood. Today we dive into how young children learn best. Plus in Parenting News: As parents, we can't be all serious and big-business. Without some...

Today's guest, Anna Seewald of the Authentic Parenting Podcast , experienced a truly traumatic event in her childhood, an earthquake in which she lost her mother. In part because of this experience, she went on to become a therapist, a woman who has dedicated her life to helping others through their toughest moments. "My true passion is to help children to thrive," she writes. Today we discuss man...

We have all been hit hard by the news recently. And if we, as adults, are feeling the strain and stress, it's a safe bet that our children feel it too. How can you help? In this bonus episode I offer five ways. Helpful links: Click here for episode 261 of We Turned Out Okay , my conversation with Maureen Healy (whose Bubble Breathing exercise I suggest in this episode.) Click here for the link to...

(Possibly due to Mommy Brain, I don't mention the survey link in today's episode until I've practically already said goodbye. So, here it is: weturnedoutokay.com/wreck Click there to help me wreck this podcast : ) Also included in the survey: the chance for you to have a quick 1-to-1 call with me in September! Completely free, and without obligation. September is really hard for a lot of you, and...

In this week's episode of We Turned Out Okay, we examine a parent's role in a child's education! Lots of parents have no idea how to help their kiddos in learning how to read, write, do math, or code. But these are the essential skills of the future. How do we help our kids, when they're young, get ready for all that learning? Find out by listening to this episode of We Turned Out Okay ! Plus in P...

Do you ever feel like your family life is sliding in a direction you don't want? In today's episode you will hear how one mom, a coaching client of mine, worked with me to take control. [caption id="attachment_2614" align="alignleft" width="300"] NPC member Jen, with her two daughters.[/caption] Getting control over the direction her family is going has brought has meant many good things, includin...

How does one mom handle it, when she finds her daughters throwing dirt at each other? (FYI: I'm taking your questions for an upcoming episode! What's on your mind about your kiddos right now? I'm a child development expert and parent coach, I'd love to help! Ask, and I'll address your question in our August 6 episode... I'm taking questions until Thursday, August 1 (which is when I'll record the e...

In today's bonus podcast episode I answer WTOO Facebook group member Jennifer's question about how to get kids to take responsibility without continually hovering around them and "politely interrupting" in order to get kids to clean up their messes. I put this in the context of a roadmap, which includes three crucial steps to independence, responsibility, and guilt-free parenting. (BTW: I share ab...