Mindful Mama: Raising Kind, Confident Kids Without Losing Your Cool | Parenting Strategies For Big Emotions & More

What if the way you speak to your child is shaping not just their language—but their identity? In this episode of the Mindful Mama Podcast, Hunter Clarke-Fields talks with Cara Tyrrell, linguist and early childhood educator, about how intentional language can transform your relationship with your child—from birth and beyond. They explore the powerful difference between communication and language,...

This is from Hopestream: Parenting Kids Through Addiction & Mental Health with Brenda Zane. Hunter Clarke-Fields was a painter. She had a graduate degree in art education, a high school teaching job, and what looked from the outside like a creative life. What nobody could see was that she was white-knuckling her way through it, cycling between intense highs and pits of despair she could not explai...

Most parents underestimate the power of changing their approach—it's not about strict rules or punishments, but about reconnecting through compassionate discipline. Wendy Snyder and Hunter Clarke-Fields dive into how shifting from control to connection transforms your relationship with your children and creates a peaceful, respectful home. Discover the hidden influence of your nervous system patte...

Summer brings more than sunshine and vacations—it brings change. Whether your child is heading to camp, navigating more freedom with friends, learning new responsibilities, or preparing for college, summer often reminds us of a truth that's easy to avoid during the busy school year: our children are growing up. In this special summer conversation, Hunter Clarke-Fields and Chris Willard explore how...

When a tween or teen experiments with drugs or alcohol, many parents spiral into fear, shame, and self-blame — wondering Where did we go wrong? and What do we do now? In this deeply honest episode of the Mindful Mama Podcast, Hunter Clarke-Fields speaks with Brenda Zane, TEDx speaker, podcast host, and co-founder of Hopestream Community, about parenting through teen substance use — without shame,...

Mom Needs a Moment: Moving From Parenting Reactivity to Self-Trust with Dr. Cassidy Freitas Why do the parents who care the most often feel the most shame when they lose their temper? In this episode, Hunter talks with licensed marriage and family therapist and author Dr. Cassidy Freitas about the deeply human moments of parenting—when we react in ways we wish we hadn’t, and the shame that can fol...

What happens when we stop hovering and start trusting our kids a little more? In this episode of the Mindful Mama Podcast, Hunter talks with Lenore Skenazy — president of Let Grow and author of Free-Range Kids — about why childhood independence is becoming one of the most important parenting conversations of our time. After a media firestorm erupted when she allowed her 9-year-old son to ride the...

What’s really happening in your child’s brain when screens, sugar, or shows feel impossible to take away? In this powerful and grounding conversation, Hunter Clarke-Fields talks with Michaeleen Doucleff, PhD—author of Dopamine Kids and Hunt, Gather, Parent—about how modern parenting has become deeply entangled with dopamine, and what families can do to restore balance without shame, punishment, or...

What if the hardest parts of your parenting journey could become the very thing that helps other families heal? In this heartfelt mini-episode, Hunter Clarke-Fields shares the vision behind the Mindful Parenting Teacher Certification — a transformative training designed for parents, therapists, coaches, educators, and helpers who feel called to support families in a deeper way. Hunter explains why...

Small humans can have some BIG emotions! How do we navigate tantrums, meltdowns, and defiance and actually raise emotionally intelligent kids? Alyssa Blask Campbell returns to the Mindful Mama Podcast to discuss her new book, Tiny Humans, Big Emotions. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you li...

So many parents feel like they’re failing — not because something is truly wrong, but because life feels messy, rushed, and uncertain. In this episode of the Mindful Mama Podcast, Hunter Clarke-Fields speaks with Suzan Song, psychiatrist, global mental health expert, and author of Why We Suffer and How We Heal, about what children actually need to feel safe, connected, and resilient — even when li...

Hunter talks to Julie Lythcott-Haims about How To Raise An Adult. Are you undermining your child’s future by doing too much for them? Julie Lithcott-Haims shares with us the frightening consequences of over-parenting. She calls it the “checklisted childhood,” and it’s leaving a generation of kids who are anxious and overwhelmed by life. In this podcast we talk about how to avoid the overparenting...

The Screen Time Struggle: When Screens Hijack Childhood with Christopher T. Willard & Hunter Clarke-Fields Screens are everywhere—and they’re changing childhood in ways we’re only beginning to understand. In this powerful live-recorded conversation, Hunter Clarke-Fields sits down with psychologist and mindfulness expert Christopher T. Willard to unpack the real impact of screen time on kids (and a...

Sibling rivalry can feel exhausting, confusing, and never-ending — but what if the fighting isn’t really about toys, fairness, or who started it? In this episode of the Mindful Mama Podcast, Hunter Clarke-Fields talks with Sarah Rosensweet, certified peaceful parenting coach and host of the The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, about what sibling conflict is really about — and how parents can respond in...

Many parents want to raise securely attached children — but worry that one mistake, one meltdown, or one bad day could cause lasting harm. In this episode of the Mindful Mama Podcast, Hunter Clarke-Fields speaks with Adam Lane Smith, The Attachment Specialist, about what secure attachment actually looks like in real life — not theory, not perfection, but everyday moments of regulation, repair, and...

So many of us know how we want to parent…And yet, in the moments that matter most, we find ourselves reacting instead of responding. In this episode, Hunter Clarke-Fields explores why this happens—not as a personal failing, but as a biological stress response—and how mindfulness helps parents work with their nervous systems instead of against them. You’ll learn: Why parenting triggers are rooted i...

Motherhood is a profound transformation — yet many moms feel overwhelmed by guilt, anxiety, and an unforgiving inner critic. In this episode of the Mindful Mama Podcast, Hunter Clarke-Fields talks with Dr. Angele Close, clinical psychologist and author of Unburdening Motherhood, about how the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model helps mothers understand their inner world, release “good mom” myths,...

Do your child’s meltdowns or aggressive outbursts leave you feeling frustrated, anxious, or unsure how to respond? On this episode of the Mindful Mama Podcast, I talk with Dr. Bethany Bilodeau, behavioral expert and founder of The Behavior Bootcamp, about practical strategies to manage challenging behavior with humor, compassion, and science-backed techniques. Dr. B explains why behavior escalates...

Why do kids show challenging behavior—and what actually helps? In this episode, Dr. Ross Greene shares a powerful mindset shift: behavior isn’t about motivation, it’s about skills and unmet expectations. When we view behavior as communication, we can move from reacting to problems to proactively solving them with our kids. This conversation will help you bring more calm, connection, and collaborat...

In this episode of the Mindful Mama Podcast, I talk with Mary Van Geffen, parenting coach and mom, about what it means to parent a “Spicy One” — children who are strong-willed, deeply feeling, and emotionally intense. Mary shares practical strategies for staying calm, kind, and firm, setting limits without breaking a child’s spirit, and protecting parents and siblings from burnout. She also explor...

Many parents carry the weight of giving too much—often without realizing it. In this episode, Amelia Nagoski dives into Human Giver Syndrome and its impact on mental health, stress, and burnout. We talk about the importance of sleep, connection, and joy in completing the stress response cycle, as well as practical strategies for managing stress and caring for yourself in the midst of parenting and...

In this episode of the Mindful Mama Podcast, I talk with Katie Kimball about how chores can quietly build children’s competence, confidence, and independence. Katie shares practical strategies for engaging kids of all ages, creating chore systems that actually work, and introducing responsibility in ways that feel collaborative rather than controlling. Whether you’re parenting elementary-aged kids...

Parenting can leave intimacy feeling impossible—but it doesn’t have to. In this episode, Hunter Clarke-Fields talks with Dr. Rebecca Eudy, sex therapist and author of Parents in Love, about navigating desire, connection, and pleasure in long-term relationships. You’ll discover: • Why desire differences are normal—and not a sign something is wrong • How parenting affects intimacy and touch • Practi...

Caring for kids, aging parents, and work—often all at once—can leave caregivers exhausted, overwhelmed, and silently burning out. In this episode of the Mindful Mama Podcast, Hunter Clarke-Fields and clinical psychologist Dr. Christopher Willard explore the unique emotional and nervous-system challenges of the sandwich generation. You’ll learn why caregiver burnout isn’t a personal failure, how ch...

In this episode of the Mindful Mama Podcast, Hunter Clarke-Fields talks with Sharon Salzberg, meditation pioneer, bestselling author, and co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society, about practicing mindfulness and lovingkindness in today’s fast-paced, hyperconnected world. Sharon shares why so many of us feel disconnected and overwhelmed — even when we’re not alone — and how lovingkindness can...