Mastermind Parenting Podcast

Mother’s Day is so loaded for so many reasons. Now that it’s in the rearview for another year, this is a great time to share some more of my most embarrassing/inspiring mothering mistakes. Embarrassing because they seem painfully obvious in hindsight. Inspiring because they’re a loving reminder from me to you that no parent is perfect. We all want to do better for our kiddos than our parents did f...

When kids don't do simple things for themselves, it's easy to future trip and freak out. But what if you knew that they'd be okay and it will all turn out just fine? What if you could have that reassurance? Would it change how you show up now when you're feeling fed up about them not knowing how to make a hair appointment, make a sandwich, or do their own laundry? If you could drop the panic, what...

Raising our kids to understand and share our values is a central part of being a parent. But so often when we send them out into the world, they come back using words or acting in ways that conflict with the things we’ve tried to teach them. Recently, a Mastermind mom shared that her six-year-old came home from playing at a neighbor’s house and called something “gay” like it meant “bad.” This reso...

When our kids are talking down about themselves, of course our first instinct is to push back. But even though we say “you’re so beautiful,” or “you’re so smart,” or “you’ll get better if you practice,” the message we send is “I’m not listening and understanding your experience.” If you want to know the secret to tackling your kiddo’s insecurities without undermining their agency and self-determin...

If you’re a parent with a kiddo who’s constantly angry and acting out, a diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) can seem like an explanation for a lot of disruptive behavior. But what if that defiance and opposition are actually caused by other sensitivity? I’ve worked with so many parents who struggle to understand why their strong-willed kid is lashing out. An ODD diagnosis can seem li...

Housework. Homemaking. Chores. Whatever you call it, it’s hard work to maintain a safe, clean house, and it’s made so much harder by the expectations around that work. So many moms, whether they’re employed outside the home or not, find themselves in charge of a lot more of those household tasks than their kids or their partners. If we’re going to change those expectations we have to change the wa...

Kimberly Samson is the author of F*Ck This , a candid and hilarious collection of essays about the journey through midlife. She’s also one of my oldest friends, who has witnessed a ton of my formative moments as a person and a parent. In this conversation, Kimby shares what motivated her to write a book about the midlife experience and what she’s learned by living through it. She also lifts the cu...

Every parent has some version of this story. Your kid crosses a line that’s important to you. You exchange angry words, but eventually you talk it out and repair your rapport. Now you’re stuck with conflicting feelings. You don’t want to cause further disruption to your relationship with your child, but you also know their behavior isn’t likely to change without some consequence. This time, I’m sh...

Therapy can be a big help for some people. But for stressed-out parents, healing our old wounds and stepping up for our kiddos often requires a different approach. One of my Masterminders, Dr. Shawn Hondorp, has experienced this disconnect from the inside. Shawn is an experienced clinical psychologist who isn’t satisfied with the tools and techniques of the traditional diagnostic therapy methods....

Last week’s conversation about ADHD got my brain firing about what a diagnosis can and can’t do for the parents of a highly sensitive child. Getting that label can be a starting point, but our mental health system doesn’t train medical professionals - or support struggling parents - to understand what those kiddos need to adapt and thrive. Membership Coordinator (and Mastermind Co-parent) Lindsey...

An ADHD diagnosis can be a welcome answer for parents who are struggling to understand their child’s behavior. But a diagnosis doesn’t come with a user’s manual, and kids especially can have a hard time understanding what all the clinical terms mean for them and their needs. This time I’m in conversation with pediatric neuropsychologists Dr. Katia Fredriksen and Dr. Yael E. Rothman. They’ve writte...

We all want our kids to grow up confident and self-sufficient. But by doing too much and protecting our kids from failure, so many well-meaning moms and dads end up discouraging the autonomy they want their kids to achieve. Welcome to the first episode of an ongoing conversation with my friend and fave, Michaeleen Doucleff, author of the phenomenal book Hunt, Gather, Parent . We use real stories f...

No parent loves to admit feeling annoyed by their kids. It’s tempting to dismiss little problems, and try to ignore the frustration they cause inside us. This is extra hard if we’ve experienced gaslighting in the past. If we’ve gotten the message from partners or parents that our emotions aren’t trustworthy, it can be so easy to repeat that pattern and not trust our reactions. But if we pay attent...

Emotionally immature parents set us up for lots of challenges in our own role as family pack leaders. One of the most difficult ways that shows up is when our actual kiddos act in ways that echo behavior we endured from emotionally immature grown-ups. This week I invite you to listen in on some coaching I did with two of my amazing Masterminders. They’re making huge strides recognizing the behavio...

Look out, listener, I have another new book crush, and I can’t wait to discuss her work with you! I’ve recently been captivated by Lindsay C. Gibson and her book Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents . It spoke to so much of my experience with my own parents and their resistance to reflecting on how they raised me, and it also explains the conditioning that so many of my Mastermind parent...

If you’ve listened to the podcast, you’ve probably heard me mention how much I love television. Since I was a kid, TV has been a place where I could escape from reality for a little while. But it’s also helped me to understand what kind of family relationships I want, and modeled the kind of parent I want to show up as. I recently rediscovered The Mary Tyler Moore Show , which was a favorite when...

My mind is on fire with all the things we’re discovering in my new Pack Leadership group. One of our newest Masterminders is experiencing a very familiar kid scenario: pulled in too many directions, never enough time, her energetic daughter is seeking attention by acting out. Usually, I’d send her to our NICE Framework, to help her better understand her daughter’s behavior. But this time, I took a...

We’re coming into 2024 with a whole new perspective on the pack leadership our families need. We’re done performing robotic perfection. We’re rejecting the script, tips, and how-tos that reinforce our feelings of inadequacy. We’re giving ourselves the grace to feel our feelings, and granting ourselves permission to fuck up sometimes. We’re embracing self-awareness, and celebrating our messiness. W...

It’s a brand new year, and a new opportunity to set goals for ourselves. It’s a chance to work toward being the kind of parent you want to be, and to step up as the pack leader your family really needs. But traditional New Year’s resolutions usually don’t cut it when you’re talking about a lifetime project like parenting. This time we’re resharing an episode that will help you give yourself the to...

We all know that holiday festivities can be stressful. When you’re navigating a sensitive, strong-willed child through extended family get-togethers and seemingly endless days with no schedule or structure, it can be especially nerve-wracking. What your family needs is leadership. The episode we’re resharing this week will give you the tools to step into that pack leader role, set up the structure...

The holiday season is a time for making lovely, warm memories, and nothing pours cold water on holiday cheer faster than other adults judging you for the way your kids behave. This week’s episode is a throwback to one of my most powerful tools to build up your confidence, keep judgment in perspective, and short-circuit the defensiveness before you take it out on your kids. Listen to help you make...

Even the most joyous holiday events disrupt routines. Getting together with family and friends, sitting down for extra-long meals, and observing rituals and traditions are all out of the ordinary. Of course your kiddos might have a hard time knowing how they’re supposed to behave. They need you to step up as pack leader even more than usual, to set expectations, communicate expectations, and make...

The Winter holidays can be a struggle for parents. We want to provide plenty of space for our kids to relax and de-stress. But too little structure can quickly turn into restlessness and boredom and tension. This week we’re listening back to a classic episode that features the timeless wisdom of the sage Lorelai Gilmore. Her example will help you find the courage you need to set better boundaries...

Our Mastermind Monthly calls are always eye-opening, but this one was so on point I had to share it with you. In this season that’s so focused on gratitude, it can be especially frustrating when our kiddos don’t understand how fortunate they are. There are all sorts of popular ways to practice gratitude, but what good are they if your child takes their home and family for granted? But acting entit...

It’s no secret that I love my Mastermind community. The ways we support and challenge each other are just magical. Masterminder Aryn is a perfect example of that. She came to us in total overwhelm, so focused on being available for her family that she couldn’t even let herself close the bathroom door to take a shower. Through honest, vulnerable conversations and lots and lots of empathy, she’s gro...