Authentic Parenting

This is our first, experimental RoundTable. We are taking a deep dive into the dreaded, yet very important topic of boundaries . Healthy relationships require effective, firm and good boundaries. How good are you at setting them? Are you a people pleaser? Do you have a hard time saying "no" to people? How about in your parenting with your kids? Do you set and hold effective limits with ease, kindn...

What do you do with so much information and advice that is out there? Do you often doubt yourself as a parent whether you are doing it right?  On today's on-air coaching call I'm helping Cara, mom of a one year old girl.  When is the right age for sending a toddler to daycare? When should she wean her baby from breastfeeding? Is it ok to pick up babies when they cry or wait 15 min before respondin...

Yvette Erasmus on what happens when your needs are not fulfilled, the difference between needs and feelings, choicefulness, taking responsibility, stopping playing the victim and much more.  Effective communication is at the heart of strong relationships.  A critical aspect of effective communication is learning how to express our needs. But in order to learn to express first we need to get in tou...

Dr. Joan Rosenberg is a cutting-edge psychologist, speaker and trainer. She is a two-time TEDx speaker and the author of 90 Seconds to a LIfe You Love. Most of us are not comfortable with our unpleasant feelings. We tend to avoid, numb out or distract ourselves from feeling their discomfort.  Knowing how to deal with intense, overwhelming and uncomfortable feelings is essential to building confide...

Renowned neuropsychiatrist and author of many influential books Dr. Dan Siegel talks about the importance of showing up in our parenting with presence. He discusses the 4 S's; safe, seen, soothed and secure and goes in depth into the 2 S's; feeling safe and feeling soothed. As well as we talk about the importance of parental regulation and he shares some practical strategies of developing the 4 S'...

Paria Hassouri, the author of an utterly engaging memoir Found in Transition: A Mother's Evolution During Her Child's Gender Change shares her story of finding acceptance after dealing with loss and grief, anger and fear.  As her 13 year old daughter transitions from male to female, Paria discovers her own capacity to evolve. She eventually comes to realize how the deep-seated insecurities she was...

In the final episode of the year I sat down with Julie Star, an active member of the Authentic Parenting Community to review the year 2020. We talked about what the podcast meant for me, what lessons I've learned, we share the top 10 episodes of the year, my favorite episodes, we talk about our amazing Support Group and what to expect in the new year. As well, we both share our lists 21 for '21. ...

The year 2020 has challenged us and changed us in many ways. In this episode I sat down with one of the members of the Authentic Parenting Community, Julie Star and talked about this historic year.  Here is a list of questions for you to reflect on. Hear our answers in the episode.  1. What is the most important lesson you learned this year? 2. What is the best thing that happened? 3. What challen...

How do you feel when you are faced with challenging behaviors such as screaming, crying, kicking, hitting, swearing, biting, spitting...Do you feel angry, helpless, overwhelmed when your child outright doesn't listen, cooperate and shows defiance? Do you want to know how you can get them to do things without rewards and punishments? Solve problems collaboratively rather than unilaterally and proac...

This has been a challenging year. Besides the global COVID-19 pandemic many of us have also dealt with other life matters. This year has particauly been a challenging year for me in many ways, with lots of ups and downs, and personal struggles but there are things, practices that I have been doing to keep myself emotionally well balanced, mentally strong, well-resourced, so that I can serve others...

In this edition of our special episode with Laura Froyen we tackle issues related to emotion regulation, stress management, and helping kids with virtual learning. We received countless questions related to anxiety in the parent and the kids. Learn the red flags of stress in yourself and your kids. Increase autonomy and lessen control to diminish defiant behaviors. Examine your expectation for you...

On this on-air coaching call I help Hilary, a busy mom of two young kids, to rethink her current routines, bring the same flexibility and mindset that she applied to her business to her home life and parenting, find time to connect with her spouse, and most importantly reestablish her somewhat struggling connection with her 4 year old son. She finds herself lacking in patience, snapping at her kid...

Larry Hagner, the host and creator of the Dad's Edge Podcast and a father of four boy talks about how regardless of growing up virtually in a "fatherless environment" for most of his life found his passion for being a dad.  In this episode we primarily focus on improving your communication with your significant other, an area most couples can use some help, and strengthening your marriage.    Also...

Are you performing at life or living your authentic life?  Choosing to live authentically is the most important step you can take to thrive in your personal life, your relationships, and your career.  In this episode with Ritu Bhasin we explore what it means to truly embrace who you are. She talks about her transformational framework of the three selves: the authentic self, the adapted self and th...

We are continuing the 3  R's of Pandemic Parenting. I have a compilation episode. I reached out to some of my favorite online people, and asked them to contribute their thoughts and best tips for regulation, routines and relationships. Now more than ever we need to prioritize our children's mental health and emotional well-being, and not focus on grades, performance, achievement, chores….and "good...

In this solo episode Anna shares what she calls the 3 R's of pandemic parenting: regulation, routines and relationships. She emphasizes that we need to prioritize our children's mental health and emotional well-being now more than ever.  Anna talks about:  Her thoughts on the current state of our lives; loss, stress, emotions, uncertainty and how she thinks this might be considered an adverse chil...

As children we need attuned, caring, consistent, present and safe caregivers for optimal growth and development. Parental presence shapes who we become. When there is consistent disruption of a child's sense of being safe and loved within the family relational trauma occurs.  In this episode we are exploring how to deal with emotional triggers and heal our relational wounds with Dr. Nima.    Other...

As parents we want to have loving, meaningful and strong relationships with our children. One way we build and maintain these relationships is communication. Learning to communicate effectively, listening with love and responding with care and respect is the foundation upon which healthy attachment develops. In this easy to follow guide Anna Seewald offers simple, yet practical tools for deepening...

How can you set limits around screen time without feeling guilty? What to do when your kid has an explosive reaction when screen time is over? How much is too much and what kind of content is ok? Is Tik Tok inherently bad? Will violent video games cause aggression in kids? These and other important questions in this episode with an education correspondent for NPR and the author of The Art of Scree...

In this Special Episode Anna is joined by her friend and colleague, co-host Laura Froyen. In it they:  Tell personal stories from their lives Answer your parenting questions Share helpful resources  Here are some of the questions answered in this episode: "How to start setting limits when they haven't been set/enforced in the past. When things have gotten so out of control, where to start first?"...

Today I want to share with you 5 practices that I've learned from the podcast that enrich my life, contribute to my daily happiness, and my overall well-being.  These are practical exercises that I have adopted from 5 fantastic guests of the show. Here are the 5 episodes where you can find the full interviews.   Ep 109: Mindful Parenting in a Messy World with Michelle Gale Ep 148: The Upside of Yo...

What is self-love?  Where do the roots of low or lack of self- love originate? Are there degrees of self- love? Is the opposite of self-love self-hatred? Can you love someone if you don't love yourself fully? How can you cultivate and practice more self-love?  This is the topic of today's exploration.  I'm joined by Nathalie Ellis .  I'd love to hear from you. 3 things I'm particularly interested...

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