My New Life

As you may know, Lovevery now offers The Reading Skills Set . It's a phonics-based program that makes reading fun, motivating your child to read through play. It covers skills from pre-K through Second grade. In this episode, My New Life host Jessica Rolph talks with Sprout Labs CEO Carla Small about the neuroscience behind dyslexia, and why it has nothing to do with reversing letters. Carla and D...

This bonus episode features an interview with Spencer Russell, the dad behind Toddlers Can Read . Spencer struggled to learn to read as a kid, so when it came time to choose a career, he set out to help others avoid the same experience and took a job with Teach for America, continuing as a kindergarten and first-grade teacher in Houston, Texas.  When he started teaching, Spencer's students were sc...

Math is all around us. When it comes to teaching it, the challenge lies not in creating the opportunities, but in recognizing them. Counting grapes while they disappear is a fun one! Around the age of 4, a child's mathematical knowledge takes a big leap forward. They go from counting and recognizing numbers, to understanding 1:1 correspondence and being able to complete simple addition. As parents...

The Montessori method is rooted in the idea that children can—and should—be empowered to do things on their own. On this episode of My New Life, we consider handwriting through a Montessori lens. But how much independence can we truly expect from a child who is forming words on paper for the first time? You may be surprised to learn that a toddler can start practicing handwriting as early as age 3...

Even if your 3-year-old can recite their ABCs like a pro, they'll need to learn that spoken words are made up of individual sounds to succeed at reading. Hands-on activities that build this kind of phonemic awareness — and reinforce the connection between letter sounds and letter shapes — are the best way to teach them what they need to know.  As with all kinds of hands-on learning, Montessori is...

Empathy can be a puzzling concept for a young child. They often need adults to model it for them. When reading stories or playing with the wooden peg people together, ask your child: "How do you think that person is feeling right now? How can you tell? How would you feel in his place?" Encourage your child to notice the clues in their environment and use them to draw conclusions.  In this final ep...

Have you ever played "hot/cold" with your child? It's good for a laugh, particularly when a child can't find something in plain sight. But it's also great at teaching young children flexible thinking, or the ability to adapt to change. As they are searching for the lost item, they are listening to directions and staying flexible when they have to change course. In this series on executive function...

Success in life — that looks different for everyone. But skills like persistence, managing frustration and emotional regulation tend to scaffold that success, no matter what the end result looks like. These skills are all part of what scientists call executive function, something we're focusing on this season. We like to talk about executive function, because young children have lots of chances to...

Executive functioning skills are important, because they help us achieve our goals. Children with strong executive functioning skills have the focus, patience, flexibility and resilience to succeed in—and out—of school.  While children continue to develop these skills into adolescence, research shows they surge at 4 years old. And they can be really fun to practice! In this episode, My New Life Ho...

Our guest today is a mother of four children, ages 5 to 17. She knows well how the demands of parenting can run you into the ground. She made the choice to step off the "struggle bus of overwhelm" — as she calls it — but it was a move that took time, and conscious effort. The secret? Establishing clear boundaries. And choosing not to identify with the "mother as martyr" role. So many of us look fo...

Why can change be so unsettling for our toddlers? I mean, change up the snack crackers and you may have a major crisis on your hands. On this episode of My New Life, Jessical Rolph hosts Lael Stone, author of "Raising Resilient and Compassionate Children". Never is our resilience put to the test more so than in the face of change. If you and your family are changing things up — be it a new home, n...

For the most part, limits provide a framework that helps everyone move through the day more fluidly, and with less friction. But on this episode of My New Life, we discuss limiting beliefs — beliefs that interfere with our own wellbeing and that of our family.  A big one is the notion that we can "have it all". For parents who work outside the home, this can compound the pressure we already feel t...

We welcome Dr. Billy Garvey to this episode of My New Life. He runs a clinic in Melbourne, Australia, that helps parents focus on their children's strengths, and move through some of their challenges.  The clinic has a 3-year waitlist and after listening to this episode, you'll understand why: Dr. Billy is really good at helping caregivers and children connect in those moments when stronger limits...

Bickering, fighting, jealousy, constant comparison and competition — sibling rivalry can be exhausting. Here to help us reduce the conflict between our children is parent educator, Kristin Mariella. Her approach is to hold the limits, while welcoming the waves of emotion. You can find more from Kristin Mariella @respectfulmom . Takeaways: Hold your tongue! Kristin urges parents to resist getting i...

There are lots of parenting experts talking about choosing connection over discipline, but today's guest on My New Life has a fresh take on limit-setting: She compares bad behavior to a smoke alarm going off. Punishment is like taking a hose and pointing it at the alarm. If the pressure is great enough, the alarm will stop. But we still don't know why it went off in the first place. We need to fin...

When it comes to starting or growing a family, many of us come face-to-face with a painful reality: Infertility. Even if you had an easy time conceiving, it doesn't guarantee subsequent pregnancies will be just as easy.  Problems in men's bodies are the cause of around half of all infertility. Does that statistic shock you? That could be because women of child-bearing age are bombarded with market...

Host Jessica Rolph breastfed all three of her children, but weaning the last has been an emotional experience. It's hard to say how many mothers breastfeed beyond that first year or two, but often those mothers feel judged for choosing to continue.   Lyndsey Hookway joins us to help demystify "extended" breastfeeding and offer tips on weaning for those who are ready. She is an Internationally Boar...

Switching your child from a crib to bed can be a big milestone! Most sleep experts recommend waiting until your child is around three years old.    Jessica Rolph, your host,  is joined by Dana Obleman to discuss what factors might go into that timing. Dana is an Infant and Child Sleep Consultant and the creator of The Sleep Sense Program .   Highlights: [1:08] What are the signs that your child is...

Navigating the ups and downs of divorce looks different in each situation, but there are some universal ways to make it easier on our children. These start with better communication — rules around communicating that put your child first.   Here to help us establish some of these best practices is Dr. Tamara Afifi, a professor in Interpersonal Health Communication at the University of California, S...

Birthing is a topic we all want to weigh in on, but death? Not so much. We tend to avoid the subject, and when it comes to talking to our child about death, choosing the right words is hard. Of course, there's no "right" way to talk about death except to lead with honesty and love.   Jessica Rolph, your host, welcomes Michele Benyo to the show. She is the founder of Good Grief Parenting . Michele...

Pacifiers are so convenient… until they're not. At some point, there can be concerns about developing teeth and interference with speech, and weaning a child off a pacifier can be challenging.   The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and speech and language therapists recommend starting that weaning process between 6 to 12 months, and weaning entirely befo...

The stress of separation is real — it can be upsetting for both you and your child. Whether it be a child sobbing for you to stay when the babysitter shows up or clinging to your leg at drop-off, it's easy to feel like you're doing it all wrong when these raw emotions take over.   My New Life's Jessica Rolph welcomes Family Psychologist Ashleigh Warner to help parents navigate this tricky terrain....

Screens are hard to avoid in today's world, and when our children do have access, turning them off can bring on some big emotions! Have you ever wondered why they have these oversized reactions? Or how to avoid them?   My New Life host Jessica Rolph is joined by  Dr. Martha Deiros Collado, a psychologist specializing in family therapy who has her own podcast called  Talking Sense , and an Instagra...

Is your child refusing to sit on the toilet? Or waiting until the pull-up is on to go poop? You're not alone. For a lot of parents, the potty learning process is more drawn out than we anticipate. For some, it takes months or even years.   In previous episodes, you heard some common potty-training scenarios. We shared the advice of the author of Oh Crap Potty Training and Nicole Kavanaugh's Montes...

This week we are revisiting our most-downloaded episode from Dec. 1, 2021, as we prepare for our upcoming season: Transitions. In the new season of the podcast, we will take a look at transitions from diapers to potty, crib to bed, saying goodby to pacifiers, and lots more.   Language milestones are a hot topic. When should my baby be speaking? And how many words? So much is tied up in our ability...