Become A Calm Mama

Just like the rest of the body, your brain needs times of attention, focus and activity as well as times of rest. Today, I’m talking about two different networks within the brain and how to toggle between them. It will help you understand how to get your brain to do more and rest better so you can feel more focused and less overwhelmed.  You’ll Learn: What the Task Positive Network and Defaul...

In this episode I'm talking about what I call the screentime dilemma - basically the overwhelm and frustration you feel around figuring out screens. I’m helping you understand why it feels so hard and why it actually falls outside of your wheelhouse as a parent.  You’ll Learn: Why figuring out screentime is so confusing How screentime is following in the footsteps of driving, smoking and diet...

One of my kids has pretty severe ADHD. When he was younger, it showed up a lot in the form of hyperactivity and impulse control. The challenges have evolved as he’s gotten older. Today, I’m talking about my experience of parenting a kid with ADHD and sharing what I’ve learned along the way. You’ll Learn: Why ADHD is about way more than behaviors What it’s like to experience our modern world with a...

A manifesto is a list of principles to help guide you how you want to live each day. Maybe you’ve made one before and didn’t even realize it. Today I’m sharing my parenting manifesto and showing you how to create one of your own. You’ll Learn: What a manifesto is and why it is so helpful in parenting The commitments behind my parenting manifesto What I would add or change if I wrote mine over agai...

Today on the podcast, I am interviewing Tracey Yokas , the author of Bloodlines: A Memoir of Harm and Healing . She is here to share her experience of navigating a teen mental health crisis with her own daughter, including the struggles and what she learned through the process that helped them both cope and heal.  You’ll Learn: The true cause of eating disorders (it goes much deeper than you...

Today on Become A Calm Mama, you get double the parent coaches! My guest, Eileen Devine, specializes in supporting parents who are raising kids with neurobehavioral conditions.  Signs that your child might be struggling with a neurobehavioral condition Common challenges for kids with neurobehavioral conditions and their parents Eileen’s favorite mantra for difficult moments 3 key factors to f...

Recently, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory saying that parents aren’t ok. There’s a lot that goes into raising emotionally healthy kids, and a huge part of it is your own mental health, including how you handle stress and negative emotions.  In today’s episode, I’m breaking down this 36-page advisory and sharing some of the highlights (or lowlights) of the report in simple terms. Y...

Today I’m talking about Venmo moms, volunteer moms and everything in between.  If you haven’t heard of a “Venmo mom”, it’s a term that’s been going around on TikTok and Instagram lately. Essentially, a Venmo mom is someone who isn't really interested in being a hands-on volunteer with their kid’s school, team, etc. They wanna just send some money to support those programs.  You’ll Learn:...

I’ve just dropped off my youngest son at college. And rather than focus on my home being an empty nest, I like to think of it as my roomier nest.  You’ll Learn: How to find the wisdom in procrastination The different ways feelings show up in our bodies and minds My take on an empty nest What I want out of this next stage I hope that by sharing my story and perspective, you’ll feel less alone...

Over the course of my experience being a mom and coaching hundreds of other moms, I’ve noticed 3 distinct stages of motherhood. No matter what stage you’re in right now, I want you to feel seen and understand more about why you feel the way you feel. In this episode, I’ll explain these stages and give practical advice for surviving the 3 stages of motherhood. You’ll Learn: The 3 stages of motherho...

It’s that time of year, so I’m back with an encore episode sharing my top 5 back to school tips. In this episode, you’ll find strategies (and a few reality checks) for a smooth transition into the new school year.  You’ll Learn: 5 challenges that often arise as school starts - and how to handle them Thoughts to help you (and your kids) through the back-to-school transition What your #1 job is...

It can feel really hard when your kid is unhappy or uncomfortable. It’s easy to blame yourself and feel like you should have done something differently. But your kid’s happiness isn’t your job.  In this episode, I’ll explain what I mean by that and how you can help your child process their emotions without trying to solve all their problems for them.  You’ll Learn: How much responsibilit...

If you’ve ever thought, “But my kid only listens when I yell,” this is for you. Today, I’m explaining why threats aren’t great when you’re trying to change behavior and what to do instead. You’ll Learn: Why threats might work short-term but aren’t great in the long run The difference between threats and limits  How to set limits that work What to do when your kid doesn’t stay within your boun...

Moms often start the summer feeling energized, encouraged and ready to go! Then around week 6 or 7, the kids are fighting, they never seem happy and everything sucks. This is your late summer pep talk to help you get out of that funk and get through the rest of summer. If you're having a great summer, I love that for you. But if you're struggling, if you're burned out, resentful or overwhelmed, if...

Today, I’m talking about how to do a digital detox, why you should consider trying it and the benefits to your kids. Plus, I’ll give you tips and some ideas of what your kids can do when they aren't on screens. You’ll Learn: What a digital detox is and why you might do one How to know if now is the right time for a detox Ways a digital detox can benefit your kids Tips for doing a digital detox in...

Cultivating a screen free mindset is the first step to helping your kids develop a healthy relationship with technology. Today, you’ll learn what it means to have a screen free mindset (it doesn’t mean no screens ever!) and how to get started setting new limits with your family. You’ll learn: The problems with too much screen time Screen time best practices for kids of all ages How I managed scree...

During the summer, kids have the opportunity for more leisure time, free play and creativity. But as a parent, you might not like the way your kid acts when they’re bored.  In this episode, you’ll learn why encouraging boredom is a good thing and how you can feel more at peace when your kids are bored, dysregulated and frustrated this summer.  You’ll learn: Why kids act out when they’re...

We know that play is fun, but there is so much more to it than that. Today, I’m talking about the importance of play-based childhoods, why our society has moved away from them and some strategies to bring play back into your family and create a play-based childhood for your kid. You’ll Learn: The importance of play for our kids Why play is a challenge in our current society The key elements of pla...

Who better to talk about strategies for grandparents, than one of the best grandparents I know? I’m so excited to have my mother-in-law, Judie Childress, on the podcast with me today talking all about how parenting has changed over the years and what happens when the worlds of parenting and grandparenting collide.  You’ll Learn: How my mother-in-law learned about compassionate parenting as I...

If you’re anything like me, you sometimes find yourself feeling grumpy, discontent or dissatisfied. And you’d rather be feeling joy, hope, trust or safety. Today, I’m sharing my step-by-step process for how to shift any mood.  You’ll Learn: My step-by-step process to shift any mood Why we tend to slip into negative moods How your thoughts help create the feelings you want When to use this moo...

Summer Break can somehow be both easier and more stressful for parents. Create a rhythm and make sure your kid’s (and your) needs are met with these 7 family essentials this summer. You’ll Learn: The 7 essential ingredients every family needs to thrive Why boredom is super important and how to deal with it How to troubleshoot when your kid is complaining, grumpy and over-tired What to do to calm a...

Inspired by the Netflix documentary “Stutz”, these 3 unavoidable aspects of parenting are actually unavoidable aspects of life. They’re universal truths that we all have to deal with as humans.  You’ll Learn: The 3 unavoidable aspects of parenting (and life) The lies we tell ourselves that keep us doing more, more, more How to cope with pain, uncertainty and constant work as a parent Why the...

There are 4 primary parenting styles out there, but they aren’t all completely separate from each other. Like so many other things, they exist on a spectrum. You might fall into different parenting styles in different stages or situations.  You’ll Learn: The 4 main parenting styles, and how to recognize when you are using each one The benefits of authoritarian parenting How to shift away from...

I’m a little fired up on this one, so get ready! Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve read a few different headlines that have gotten me really mad, because these articles want to blame parents for pretty much every societal problem.  I want to let you know that you don't have to pay attention to these kinds of headlines and articles that want to blame parents. There are much larger issues at...

Mother’s Day is coming. And if you've had a few Mother's Days that end with you getting into bed feeling totally wiped out and resentful, this podcast episode is for you. I’m talking all about how to create your best Mother’s Day plan for a day you actually enjoy! You’ll Learn: Why Mother’s Day can be so hard Steps for creating your best Mother’s Day plan How to process the “Mother’s Day Hangover”...