Less Drama More Mama

Ever wondered how to strike the right balance between giving your teenager independence and maintaining family connections? Today’s episode was inspired by an email I received from a listener grappling with the challenges of adapting family dynamics during this critical period. Tune in to navigate the challenges of parenting a teenager with confidence and connection! For full show notes and inform...

When you understand how your nervous system responds to stress, you gain the upper hand in managing it and being able to calm yourself down. My guest on today's episode is passionate about teaching others how to resolve and prevent burnout, stress, and compassion fatigue. Leah Davidson is a certified life coach, professional resilience coach, and consultant. She's also a registered speech language...

Recently, I reached out to you, my incredible subscribers, to uncover the parenting topics you're most curious about, and one theme stood out - navigating the unique challenges with your partner. So, I came up with seven questions to serve as a starting point for meaningful conversations that can deepen your understanding of each other and strengthen your relationship as both partners and parents....

As parents, we want our kids to grow up with compassion, kindness, and a desire to make the world a better place. But how do we instill these values in them? The answer might be simpler than you think! Tune in to today's episode to hear how you can foster compassion in your kids with a family approach. www.lessdramamoremama.com/274 The post Raising Compassionate Kids: A Family Approach – 274 appea...

Drs. John and Julie Gottman, well-known for their extensive research on relationships, coined the term "bids for connection" to describe the ways people try to connect with each other. Kids are constantly expressing their need for connection through bids, but adults don’t always pick up on them. In today's episode, I share some of the most common ways kids and teens make bids for connection, so yo...

Today’s episode is my second interview with Abbi Perets. In our first episode over a year ago, Abbi talked about parenting a child with special needs and making money as a freelance writer working from home. This interview is very different -- it's her account of living and parenting five children during the current war in Israel. When the war broke out on October 7, Abbi started posting daily abo...

October is Bullying Prevention Month in the U.S. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, one in five U.S. high school students is bullied. That's 8.2 million kids a year – in high school alone. Bullying is a crucial concern for many parents, and in this episode, I'm sharing nine ways you can work with your kids to reduce the likelihood of them becoming bullies or being on the rec...

Remember that time you shouted an obscenity as a kid without having a clue what it actually meant? Yeah, me too. Cursing kids is a topic that’s been buzzing in my coaching sessions, and I bet you've had your moments with it, too. So, today we’re tackling this “fudgy” topic once and for all. Sit back and enjoy the episode for insights on how to handle these "colorful" parenting moments. For full sh...

In today's episode, I sat down with my almost-18-year-old daughter, who's going by the nickname "Mars" these days, for an honest chat that's filled with wisdom, laughter, and a whole lot of love. She discusses her experience touring colleges, her thoughts about leaving home and becoming more independent, and our evolving relationship as mother and daughter. Mars talks about making new friends and...

Enrollment for Damn Good Mama is open and today, you're in for a treat! We've got four incredible moms sharing about their experiences inside the program. First you'll hear from Katie, whose day-to-day life was filled with frustration and conflict, and didn't quite match the family life she'd imagined. She decided it was time for a change, and hoped that by transforming her inner world, she would...

Parenting is full of surprises, but one of the most unexpected aspects is the flood of opinions from everyone around you – whether it's your mom, in-laws, outspoken friends, people at church, or even strangers. It can sometimes feel challenging to stand your ground when someone disagrees with you. In this week's podcast episode, I'm delving into the art of handling these situations gracefully. Aft...

This week, I’m excited to have Rhonda Farr back on the podcast. Rhonda is a certified Life Coach who specializes in connecting men and women through the practice of emotional intelligence and emotional intimacy. She teaches high-achieving men how to become aware of emotions and communicate with vulnerability, so they can enjoy more intimacy with the people they love. Rhonda is a woman in a man’s w...

Grandparents' Day is coming up this Sunday and sadly, for some kids, it may not be a very enjoyable holiday because they don’t get along with, or even like, one or more of their grandparents. As moms, we can feel a number of emotions about this from hurt and heartbreak to frustration, disappointment, and guilt. So, do we try to convince our kids that grandma and grandpa are great, act as a mediato...

It’s finally here! Today is the official launch day for my new book Less Drama More Mama: How to Go from Frazzled and Disrespected to Calm and Connected! I almost can’t believe this is actually happening, and I am so excited to share it with you! This book is something I’ve dreamed about for a long time, and I believe it can and will do so much good. I hope that every mom who needs it, finds it. M...

If you haven't heard yet, my book, Less Drama More Mama: How to Go from Frazzled and Disrespected to Calm and Connected, is releasing next Tuesday, August 29th at 9AM PST (10AM MST/11AM CST/12PM EST)! I’ve been working on it for over a year, and I'm thrilled to finally share it with you. This week’s episode of the podcast is a flip of the script. Instead of interviewing, I'm being interviewed! My...

The transition from summer to school can be tricky for everyone, so getting clear about expectations and goals for the upcoming year can help everyone feel more prepared and at ease. By involving everyone in setting goals around family, home, and school responsibilities, you can foster a sense of ownership and teamwork within the family, which not only helps lighten the load for you, but also teac...

Throughout the month of July, my Damn Good Mama group and I embarked on a 30-day challenge based on the bestselling book How to Break Up with Your Phone by Catherine Price. We took steps to reshape our relationships with our smartphones, and the results were truly remarkable. Tune in to hear about what the challenge entailed, what we noticed about ourselves, and how you can break up with your phon...

Today I'm joined for the second time by Hunter Clarke-Fields, a mindfulness mentor, the host of the Mindful Mama Podcast, #1 Bestselling Author of Raising Good Humans, a mindfulness meditation teacher, and creator of the Mindful Parenting Course and Teacher Training. We’re talking about her brand new book, Raising Good Humans Every Day: 50 Simple Ways to Press Pause, Stay Present & Connect with Yo...

After decades of working with families, and as a mom myself, I can tell you that one of the biggest “hacks” to parenting is letting kids learn through their own mistakes. As simple as that sounds, it can be extremely challenging for parents (especially moms) to allow mistakes and consequences to occur. So in this episode, I’m talking about the benefits of letting your kids learn through natural co...

Do you wish you could connect more with your kids, but have trouble finding the time? Would you like ideas for screen-free family fun? If so, this episode is for you! I've compiled a list of 31 ways to connect with your kids in ten minutes or less that don't involve screens, are mom-tested, and kid-approved. Tune in to get fresh ideas and spark some more of your own. Get full show notes and inform...

Today's guest is my good friend and Certified Teen Coach, Kendra Huffman. Kendra helps teenagers find relief from anxiety, stress, and pressure from trying to feel "enough." She helps them release the need to be perfect, and replace it with more self-confidence and self-compassion. This episode is packed with great wisdom and tools for dealing with your own anxiety and helping your teens with thei...

After working with hundreds of moms, I know I’m not alone in feeling anxious about the decisions our kids make. I’m not alone in tightening my grip when I can’t control my kids, their decisions, or their behavior, either. So today, when America celebrates Independence Day, consider this episode your invitation to release some control and allow your children the freedom to take more risks and make...

I’ve had lots of experience disciplining other people’s kids in my role as clinician in an adolescent day treatment program, as a religious school teacher, a camp counselor, and a school counselor. But when it comes to disciplining other people’s kids in my role as a mom, it feels a bit tricky because I don’t want my behavior to impact my kids' friendships in a negative way. In this episode, I'm t...

Fun fact: Today (June 20th) is World Productivity Day. I'd never heard of this holiday, but since productivity is a common struggle among moms, I thought I'd take the opportunity to share some hands-on, practical strategies you can start using today to help you get the important things done in less time, so you can spend more time doing what you enjoy with people you love. Whether you want to feel...

If you had to guess, what do you think dads struggle with the most? That's the very first question I asked today's podcast guest, Tommy Geary, and his answer might surprise you. Tommy is a life coach who helps take the pressure off high-performing men so they can be better leaders, husbands, and dads, and I asked him to come on the podcast in honor of Father's Day (which is this Sunday!). We talke...