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

How do we raise secure, authentic children?  In this episode I talk to Anna Seewald, the founder of Authentic Parenting®. She is a speaker, author, podcaster and a parent educator. With background in psychology and education and working with kids for nearly 18 years, today she help parents.  Anna and Hunter go deep in their discussion of the dynamics between children and parents. Topics include: A...

Are you ready to step into a bigger role? Are you ready to create a positive difference in this world? Are you ready to become a true model, leader and mentor in your family? In this podcast, we talk about why it can be so important for you to follow your callings beyond motherhood. AND we talk about why it is so vital for your children that you do so too. Signup for the Your Next Big Thing live w...

The recent violence in Charlottesville, VA has left us reeling. How do we deal with this? How do we stay engaged and stay grounded too? In this special episode of the Mindful Mama podcast, Carla Naumburg and I discuss these issues and give you seven ways to move through this time mindfully. There are times when the world feels fundamentally unsafe. When that happens, we can empower ourselves to cr...

“To become a mother is to enter a dharma door.” What does that mean? It means that the experience of parenting is a teaching, or a path to awakening, and I absolutely believe that. In this episode of the podcast, I talk to Leslie Davis of Dharma Mamas, a blog and online community for mindful mothers. Leslie and I share a spiritual tradition in that we follow the teachings of mindfulness from zen m...

Poolside, about a month ago, I had a conversation with a couple of cool mamas in my neighborhood. I'm not sure we had ever discussed parenting before. One mom mentioned that her greatest realization in parenting was this: It's not about you. What does that mean? It means that our kids will have problems, moods, etc. that are not about you. Your job is not to fix every single one of your kid's prob...

What are the 5 rules of parenting? In this episode, Carla Naumburg and I talk about the article, The 5 Rules of Parenting by Mike Troiano. After 54 collective years of parenting, does Mike have all the answers? Yes, and no. There are things we really agree with, and things don't. My three big takeaways from our conversation were: You need support at the baby stage Should your toddlers fear you? No...

Family mindfulness retreat? Yes, it exists! Earlier this summer, my two girls, husband, and I packed ourselves off to a quiet mountain in New York for a week of no phones, no wifi, no screens, no alcohol, no meat...and it was actually fun! In this episode, I tell you all about it.  Around 200 people were there, interested in living mindfully, including tons of children and teens. As adults, we had...

Did you know that many of the most common things we say to our kids actually makes things worse? Today's Mindful Mama guest will help you know what to say and what not to say to your kids to create close, connected relationships for life. We talk about: Common communication barriers What to do when you are wracked with guilt How kids are not logical, they are emotional, reactional What to say inst...

Did you know that highly stressed western children looked just like war refugee children in terms of stress? In this episode, I talk to Kim Payne, author of Simplicity Parenting. We talk about "the undeclared war on childhood,” and how our culture of too much too fast, too young, is overwhelming our kids.  Learn how simplifying you and your child's stuff and environment will bring more ease to you...

What is vacation mind? In this episode of the podcast, I discuss this idea as presented by Leo Babuta in his Zen Habits post, The Practice of Work Mind & Vacation Mind, Simultaneously. He defines it: "Vacation mind lets that anxiety go, and is just present in the current moment. Time is less important, enjoying yourself is the priority." So how do we do that in parenting? In everyday life? I'd lov...

How are you handling the onslaught of screen technology with your kids? In today's podcast episode I talk to Devorah Heitner, author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World. How do you answer these questions with your child? When do they watch a show independently? When do they make their own media choices?  When can they do some creating? When to interact with othe...

Like it or not, your attachment style is probably influencing your parenting. In this episode, Carla Naumburg and Hunter Clarke-Fields discuss Attachment Theory - what is it, and how does it relate to your parenting? Does attachment theory even matter?  Plus, Carla and Hunter share their current parenting wins and fails.  Find out more about Carla Naumburg - her books, Parenting In the Present Mom...

In the 90s Oprah had a life coach on who said something that shocked her studio audience of suburban moms. She had asked the audience to make a list of all the priorities in their lives. Then she asked, “Where are you on that list?” Lots of the audience did not have themselves on the list at all. Then she made her outrageous suggestion: “You should be the #1 priority on your list.” The audience bo...

School ends soon and summer will officially begin around here. In the past, this triggered anxiety for me. What would we do all day? How do we get through the long days of summer? This is the same feeling that leads many to put their kids into camp after camp, activity after activity. Downtime is like an enemy to be conquered. In my house, we aren’t worried about hearing “I’m bored” anymore. In fa...

Hunter and Carla come together again to discuss the need for moms to get away from it all for a little while and how this can benefit families. Moms need a break too. Head over to this weekend retreat for rest and relaxation, insight, grounding, and humor. There are a few spots left! Find more from Carla – books, articles, etc. – at CarlaNaumburg.com. Thank you so very much for listening, my frien...

Elizabeth Dialto is known for her raw, honest and grounded approach to self-help and spirituality, Elizabeth is also the founder of Wild Soul Movement, author of Untame Yourself, and host of the Untame The Wild Soul Woman podcast. “Women who are connected to and trust their bodies hold the keys to a life of infinite joy, love, possibility and freedom.” - Elizabeth Dialto Her website: http://untame...

Are you a mama martyr? Find out in this podcast episode.  You may have been infected by the martyrdom disease, which detrimentally effects not only you, but your family too! Listen for signs that you may be putting yourself last too much and how (and why) to stop it.  Thanks so much for listening my friend! If you got something out of this episode, please share it with a friend or leave a review o...

Brian Leaf is author of Adventures Of A Garden State Yogi, Adventures Of A Parenting Yogi, and his new book, The Teacher Appears. His 2nd time on the podcast. Hunter and Brian talk about coming into alignment, and go deep (with hilarious asides) on faith and "surrendering to oneness." His new book: When the student is ready…. THE TEACHER APPEARS. For anyone wanting to deepen their yoga practice, t...

Carla Naumburg joins me again for their monthly segment on the Mindful Mama podcast. We talk about a wonderful article, Give Kids Your Undivided Attention - Or No Attention At All by Catherine Newman. This author never uses the word "mindfulness" yet gives us lessons like a modern-day buddha. We discuss the idea of fully paying attention, then fully ignoring our children and how we can all benefit...

Picture yourself in this scenario: it’s early Spring. You are walking to the park with your child on one of those warm days that feels like a gift. Winter jackets home on their hooks, you feel the fresh breeze on your arms. Now take the same setting, but this time you are pre-occupied with your thoughts... Your daughter tugs at your hand to go look at a worm. No, you say, you have to get going. Yo...

Now that I’ve taken the jogging stroller around the block a few times, I realize that the two things that I really did need, the two things that mattered most... weren’t even on my radar. What are the two things parents really need? Parents need help when we have conflict. When there’s a conflict, a few things happen: our stress response kicks in and we become reactive, then we often communicate f...

Get a taste of what the Mindful Parenting course is like by listening to the actual first lesson of the course. Go check out the Mindful Parenting course now! “I have read lots of books in the past but the program was more helpful; having lesson plans, something new to work on every week, listening to the audio and realizing we all have similar experiences, using the meditation practices and minim...

This story illustrates the importance of play more than most: In studies of sociopaths stuck in prison with life sentences, NONE of them had healthy play histories. Play and creativity is essential for children's development, but is threatened by our too-busy, achievement oriented lifestyle. Are your kids getting enough of the right kind of play? Avital, The Parenting Junkie, and Hunter riff about...

Recently my 9-year old daughter has been watching a certain t.v. show and coming back with some pretty snarky retorts. It's been driving me bananas! What do you you do about a 'teen' attitude in your child? How do you deal with media that may not be sending the kind of message you want? Carla Naumburg, author of Parenting In the Present Moment, and Hunter Clarke-Fields, Mindfulness Mama Mentor has...