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

We all want to have our growing kids eat nutritious foods and develop good eating habits, but sometimes it feels like a lot of work. Seriously, I dream that my fairy godmother will magically grant me a personal chef that will make kale that my children love to eat. So, I reached out to Dr. Natasha Beck, "Dr. Organic Mommy," to come talk to us about how to get our kids to eat better. *New!* Watch v...

When my kids were little, I really wanted to get them in the habit of giving back and doing service projects. However, I discovered that it can be challenging to find age-appropriate volunteer opportunities for little kids. Today, I am joined by Sarah Aadland. As a program director for Doing Good Together, Sarah creates and curates tools to help families and organizations raise kids who care and c...

How often do we find ourselves not really paying attention to what we’re doing? We may be going through the motions, but we’re thinking about something else, not being fully present to what we’re doing. Today, I have a fascinating conversation with Dr. Amishi Jha, professor of psychology at the University of Miami and author of Peak Mind, about the impact a wandering mind has on our ability to liv...

Do you find that all too often you’re having to bark orders to get things done? What if there was a better, more playful way to get your kids to cooperate? Today, I talk with Dr. Lawrence J. Cohen, psychologist and author of Playful Parenting and The Opposite of Worry, about the importance of play in childhood and how we can tap into our child’s innate desire to play to build connection. *New!* Wa...

To celebrate, we made a special "Best Of" episode with the top 5 Mindful Mama convos of 2021.   Listen to learn about: How To Be Less Reactive How to Communicate More Skillfully With Your Kids Unconditional Parenting  The Science of Self Care How to Help Kids With Self-Regulation *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! If you enjoyed this episode, and it ins...

Can we have success without others? Today, I talk to Parker Palmer, Founder and Senior Partner Emeritus of the Center for Courage & Renewal, is a writer, teacher, and activist who focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality, and social change. We discuss filling human need and the importance of community. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtub...

Today, I talk to Ex-NFL kicker Sean Conley. Sean shares his story of how he was able to re-center his life after suffering career-ending injuries from overtraining. He began practicing yoga as part of his rehabilitation, and soon embraced yoga’s mindfulness, meditation, and philosophy. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! If you enjoyed this episode, and...

In the U.S. we firmly believe in freedom and independence, but is our current parenting culture one that teaches our children how to be free, independent people? I had a fascinating conversation with Sara Zaske, author of Achtung Baby: An American Mom on the German Art of Raising Self-Reliant Children, about her experience living in Germany for more than six years with her family. We talk about th...

What is a great way to build confidence in your kids? Affirmations! Today, I talk to Sandy Zanella, a mom of 2, a physician by training, and a kids yoga teacher. She is also the author and creator of “Happy Yogis,” a colorful pose by pose book inspired by her kids. In our conversation, we discuss the benefits of affirmations (for both you AND your kids) and easy ways to start practicing them with...

A lot of us have heard things like, “first born children are leaders” or “Youngest children are more relaxed” but is there any truth to character traits being associated with birth order. Today, I talk to Yvonne Nass, Certified Parent Educator and family counselor, about the truth behind these claims and why it matters. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear...

What is the goal of parenting? If you could magically snap your fingers and have a happy, healthy, emotionally well-adjusted 30-year-old, would you? Would you fast forward life, just to get the outcome you are hoping for? This is the question posed by today’s guest Jill Stoddard. Jill is director of The Center for Stress and Anxiety Management, an award-winning teacher, TEDx speaker, author, and c...

Children (heck, all of us) need free time to balance out their activities, get to know themselves, and feel peaceful. Today, I talk about the hidden opportunity cost of having an action packed schedule versus adding in some time to just BE. Are you ready to transform your family life? Get on the waitlist for Mindful Parenting! >> https://mindfulparentingcourse.com/ Learn more about your ad choices...

How do you practice Mindful Parenting with little kids? Joanna Faber & Julie King have written the book on it. Their communication lessons have the power to completely transform your relationship with your toddler. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your big...

  Are you ready to transform your family life? Get on the waitlist for Mindful Parenting! >> https://mindfulparentingcourse.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do our needs, much less wants and dreams, seem to be secondary to the needs, wants, and dreams of those around us? Today, I talk to Dr. Gertrude Lyons, a professional life coach, host of the mot(HER) podcast, and founder of the Rewriting The Mother Code initiative. Dr. Lyons asserts that all women have a “mother code” instilled in them—the current model for mothering in our culture is broken,...

In today’s episode, I share my journey into mindfulness. It can be challenging to begin practicing mindfulness regularly, so I share what I have found works well for me and the benefits I have experienced by making mindfulness a priority. Are you ready to transform your family life? Get on the waitlist for Mindful Parenting! >> https://mindfulparentingcourse.com/ Learn more about your ad choices....

Do you ever look at other parents and wonder how you measure up? Today, I talk to the hosts of the podcast, Family Looking Up, Andrea Nielson, Beth Millward, and Camille Ward. Three very funny women, with very different upbringings, and very different parenting styles. We talk about the struggle of comparison, appreciation for others, and accepting ourselves for who we are. *New!* Watch video clip...

Perfectionism is often seen as a positive trait that increases your chances of success, but it can lead to self-defeating thoughts or behaviors that make it harder to achieve goals. In this episode, I talk about the problems with perfectionism and the habits that thwart our chances for success. Remember, your child doesn’t need you to be perfect, they need you to be happy. Are you ready to transfo...

Do you have to dig through closets to find what you need? Do your kids complain that they have nothing to play with, but their bedrooms are covered in toys? In today’s episode, I talk to Diane Boden, author of “Minimalist Moms: Living and Parenting With Simplicity” and host of the Minimalist Moms podcast. Diane gives practical advice on how we can dig out and move towards a more minimalist lifesty...

Has your meditation practice been inconsistent, maybe non-existent? Do you feel as though there are so many things to do during the day, that having a regular meditation practice would be nice, but struggle to find where to fit it in? In this episode, I share 8 tips for finding time to meditate. Are you ready to transform your family life? Get on the waitlist for Mindful Parenting! >> https://mind...

Today, I talk to Darcey Fairchild, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the first Certified Mindful Parenting Teacher! She takes us through her journey of healing and how this path led her to the Mindful Parenting Teacher Training. She shares how she is using her Mindful Parenting skills to help families change the dynamic in their homes, as well as how it has positively affected her own family. *N...

Are you ready to transform your family life? Get on the waitlist for Mindful Parenting! >> https://mindfulparentingcourse.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Raising a neurodiverse child comes with a unique set of challenges. Today, I talk to Julie Falcone, author of “Dear Loved Ones" An Honest Guide to Helping the Special Needs Family You Love, and mother of four. Julie gives an insider’s view into the family life of a family with not one, but three neurodiverse children. We talk about raising kids with invisible special needs and how to find the supp...

We often feel a lot of pressure in our culture to have extravagant birthday parties for our kids, but who is this really benefiting? In this episode, Hunter shares why we may want to rethink the idea of “the more the merrier” and a good rule of thumb for simplifying the invite list. Are you ready to transform your family life? Get on the waitlist for Mindful Parenting! >> https://mindfulparentingc...

Why do so few of us look back at our middle school years with fond memories? Has this period of adolescence always been so difficult? What can we do to help our children positively navigate this time in their lives? In this episode, Hunter talks with Judith Warner, author of And Then They Stopped Talking to Me: Making Sense of Middle School, about the social and emotional challenges kids face duri...