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

Get a taste of the Raising Good Humans Summit! We’ve come together with New Harbinger to hold an event in July, 2023, and you can listen to a sampler of it here. You’ll get practical guidance and hear fascinating discussions that will help you cultivate greater self-compassion in the face of everyday stress, transform generational patterns of reactivity, navigate mental health challenges, and disc...

What do you need right now? Can you even answer that question? Many parents—moms especially—aren’t comfortable asking for our needs when our children have so many. There’s a real sense of scarcity of time and energy for meeting our needs and this can lead to BURNOUT. I talk to Mara Glatzel, author of Needy, about the signs of burnout and how to avoid it.  If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspir...

What happens to little kids, tweens, and teens in a world where technology is ubiquitous? How does it affect their development and how should we parent when it comes to technology? I talk to University of Washington researcher, Katie Davis, about all of these things and how we can be a “good enough” digital parent. We also talk to cyber security “evangelist” Howard Globus about how to be safer onl...

Would you want parenting classes to be required of fathers? Bassem Gerges believes that fathers have a profound impact on their kids' lives—for both the good and the bad—and fatherhood should be treated like a profession that we have to study for. We talk about how fathers can have more positive relationships with their children. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d lo...

When a couple separates, it’s usually the kid’s lives that are disturbed the most—being shuttled from house to house. What if, instead of that, the kids stayed in their family home and the parents moved back and forth? This is called nesting, and it’s exactly what my guest, Beth Behrendt did when she divorced. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it...

Kids independent play time has dropped precipitously in the last 30 years and it’s hurting kids. Hunter talks to Avital Schreiber Levy, author of Reclaim Play about why that is and how we can reclaim the lost art of independent play. Picture yourself putting your feet up while your child plays without your involvement! We’ll give you concrete steps to help make that happen. If you enjoyed this epi...

None of us want our kids to grow up addicted to alcohol or drugs, but how do we prevent it? It turns out there are research-based ways to inoculate our children to the harmful effects of addiction (turns out, it starts with being open, honest and giving good information). Jessica Lahey comes on the Mindful Mama Podcast to help us raise healthy kids in a culture of dependence. If you enjoyed this e...

What do you do when your child won’t do chores? Paloma is the mom to a 9-year old daughter who is starting to act way too much like a teenager. Tempers have been running high and she wants her daughter to contribute to chores. Hunter walks her through how to heal this relationship and get her daughter to help around the house. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love...

It’s the 400th episode of the Mindful Mama Podcast!!! To celebrate, Hunter hosted a party/roundtable with a few of her favorite guests. She talks to Zaiba Hasan, Bethany Saltman, and Dr. Lynyetta Willis about how parenting has changed in the last 20 years; What should parents be focusing on? What do you wish you knew as a young mother? And so much more. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired...

Sometimes we get all excited to declutter and then the stuff just…comes back! We manage to re-clutter—especially with kids around. Why does it seem like spaces never remain decluttered for long? Professional organizer and author Stacy McCubbin helps us understand why this happens and how to interrupt the cycle for more ease in our homes and more confidence and connection in our lives. If you enjoy...

Need some inspiration to get your kids into the kitchen? In this episode, we have Nadiya Hussain on the Mindful Mama Podcast—a British television chef, author and television presenter. You may have watched her win the Great British Baking Show or some of her many other travelogues or cooking shows, but did you know she’s struggled with anxiety and writes amazing children’s books? Join Hunter as sh...

Tweens and teens can be super-challenging for us parents. They’re going through massive changes, they can be impulsive, and they need us as they navigate their transition to adulthood. How can we raise happy, self-confident tweens and teens? What should we know about technology? Hunter talks to Douglas Haddad about all these things and more. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some...

Gun violence recently surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death for American children. This is the reality, so how do we American parents keep our kids safe from guns? It turns out there are some very simple questions we should be asking our kid’s friends’ parents: Do you have a gun in your home or car? How is it secured? If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’...

We’re learning more and more about the “man-box” and how harmful it is to men, boys, and all of society. Men are lonely and disconnected and many are in crisis. What do we need to do to address it? How do we raise our boys so they aren’t hamstrung by toxic masculinity? Todd Adams comes on the Mindful Mama Podcast to help us parse out these issues. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you i...

Being in a long-term monogamous relationship is notoriously difficult, and then you add kids into the mix, and it can be the death blow to a healthy sex life. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Your relationship with your partner (if you have one) is the most important foundation for a stable family, and hot sex can be part of that! Don’t feel guilty for feeling dissatisfied. In this episode, Ash...

Kids with ADHD and their families often face many struggles, including tantrums and stress. Often a multifaceted approach is needed to provide children and their families with the tools needed to not only survive, but to thrive with ADHD. It is becoming more and more evident that one of these tools for potentially reducing ADHD symptoms is through a child's nutrition. Dana Kay, founder of the ADHD...

You’re watching your toddler or preschooler act aggressively, what do you do? It can be confusing and scary because you’re not modeling that behavior and we often don’t know how to respond. In this episode, Tosha Schore comes on to talk about boys and aggressive behavior. We talk about why it happens and what to do about it. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to...

Are you a stepparent or dealing with divorce with kids? If so, you know that it can be a relationship mine-field. That’s why I invited Naja Hall, creator of VIPStepmom.com to talk about being a stepparent. What is it like to become a part of a family with kids who may be devastated by the divorce of their parents? One hint: the only thing you can control is you.  If you enjoyed this episode, and i...

How do we parent consciously? In this episode, I bring on Dr. Shefali Tsabary, acclaimed clinical psychologist and multiple bestselling author to give us the lowdown on her new step-by-step guide to disrupting toxic inherited patterns and creating healthy, conscious relationships with our kids. We learn why kids are doing what they’re doing and how to direct our energy to what we can control. If y...

How do we talk to tweens about sex?? I invited Amy Lang back to the Mindful Mama Podcast to tell us how to approach subjects like gender, bodies, puberty, consent, relationships, and so much more. We talk about how to approach these conversations and how they will protect our kids. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeawa...

Little kids can be so challenging! Sometimes it feels like a time to just get through—but wait, there are many powerful seeds to be planted in this very important time. In this episode I talk to Julieta Skoog and she busts the myths of parenting littles, like they’re “too little to help.” This is a must listen episode for parents of toddlers and preschoolers! If you enjoyed this episode, and it in...

Toward the end of 2022, I joined more than 60 other parenting experts at the first ever global parenting conference in Abu Dhabi —Parenthood: The UnConference. In this episode, Casey O’Roarty, fellow speaker and teen expert joins me to talk about our experience at the conference and how it changed our lives! If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it an...

When Seth Perler was little he was called “lazy, unmotivated, and easily distracted,” by his teachers. Now he helps struggling ADHD kids not just survive, but thrive. In this episode we talk about helping kids with executive functioning, why it’s so important, and even give some concrete tools to use with your child! If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear ab...

** Trigger Warning** How do we talk to our kids about body safety? It’s not easy! Oftentimes, we can miss out on these most important of conversations because they are so difficult. That’s why I’m so excited to introduce you to Dr. Missy Gryder who developed the Body Safety Box. Hear her talk about the importance of this and how it might be the number one most important thing you ever do for your...

When your toddler is freaking out, how do you stay calm? Mindful Parenting member Sarah has a baby and a 2 ½ year old and she feels overwhelmed when her toddler has big emotions. She doesn’t want to shame and blame him (and repeat harmful generational patterns), so what to do? Listen as Hunter coaches Sarah on the podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to h...