Raised Resilient: Help Your Highly Sensitive Child

How many times a day do you hear: “Mommy, come play with me!”? You might be in the middle of putting the dishes away or working or just (finally!) having a moment to yourself … and then this request pulls at your heartstrings – and you either say yes begrudgingly or say no with heaps of guilt. But what if I told you that there was another option?   In this week’s episode, I talk about why it’s act...

Screens are everywhere in 2022, and kids love them – but parents often use them with reluctance, guilt & anxiety. Maybe you can relate: Have you ever felt bad about using screens with your child? Have you Googled: “How does screen time affect kids?” or “Are screens safe for toddlers?” or “How much screen time is too much?” or “Why does my child melt down every time we turn off the TV?!”   In this...

If your child’s on summer break, you’re probably already hearing the dreaded “I’m bored!”. When our kids beg us to entertain them, we can feel pulled to come up with an endless stream of ideas & activities, which is exhausting. But here’s the thing: entertainment is not what your child actually needs when they’re feeling bored.   In this week’s episode, I share my strategies for managing summer bo...

We all want our kids to LISTEN, right? We want them to clean up their toys, get their shoes on when it’s time to go, and stop teasing their siblings when we ask them to. If you’re feeling this, you’re not alone; I get asked allllll the time “How do I get my child to listen?!”   In this week’s episode, I talk about the mindset shift required to get kids to listen, and I share my 3-step process to e...

You’re at the store, and a kind stranger says hi … but your child freezes & says nothing. You take your child to the playground, but he won’t leave your side. What should you do when your child acts shy? And does it mean something’s wrong?   In this week’s episode, I share why I don’t think it’s helpful to call our kids shy. I’ll help you reframe how you see “shy” behaviors & empower you with ways...

In the aftermath of the school shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, TX yesterday, we're all grieving. We're heartbroken & outraged at the same time. And in the midst of all of these feelings, how do we support our kids?    In this bonus episode, I talk about how to take care of our kids (and ourselves!) in the wake of a tragedy. I break down the important considerations around talking to your ki...

It can be so tough to know how to support our kids when they’re feeling anxious. Sometimes we can start to feel anxious about their anxiety, and this can lead to everyone feeling even more anxious.   In this week’s episode, I answer a question from a listener whose 11-year-old daughter is struggling with anxiety about riding in the car. I explore why our children’s anxiety is tough for us as paren...

As parents, we all want to help our kids build frustration tolerance. It can be so tough – for us and for them! – when our kids shut down before they even give something a chance. But sometimes the things we do to try to help our children tolerate frustration better only make things harder. (Frustrating, right?)   In this week’s episode, I share why it’s so, so normal for kids to get frustrated ea...

If we want to help our children develop emotion regulation, allowing them to express their feelings is key. But what do you do when you have to be somewhere, but your child is having a tantrum? Or what about when you have multiple kids who all need you at once – like when your toddler is crying, but your baby needs a diaper change? How do you meet your child’s emotional needs in those moments?   I...

Dealing with hitting, kicking, biting, pushing, scratching, spitting, and other aggressive behaviors in our children is one of the hardest parts of parenting. If you struggle in these moments, you’re so not alone! Aggressive behaviors during tantrums and meltdowns can be SO triggering and tricky.    In this week’s episode, I dive into why these aggressive behaviors happen, why they’re SO hard on u...

Most of us grew up hearing “good job” or “I’m proud of you” when we did things that pleased our parents. And because we grew up hearing these things, it probably comes naturally to say them to our own kids – which seems innocent enough, right? In today’s episode, I explore the effects of different ways of praising our kids – and I talk about which ones build REAL confidence (and which ones leave o...

Have you ever sat with your child in a tough moment and said ALL the “right” things … but your child only seems to get more & more upset? It can be SO hard! I’ve been there, too. In this week’s episode, I talk about what our kids need MOST from us in difficult moments & explore four common mistakes we make when trying to validate our children’s feelings  – complete with real life examples to help...

One of the most common misconceptions about parenting in a way that allows children to express all feelings is that kids basically get to do whatever they want. But that could not be further from the truth; allowing all feelings never means allowing all behaviors! The truth is that boundaries are essential in parenting … but actually setting them can be exhausting! If you’ve ever asked your child...

I talk a lot about how our children’s behaviors are actually a window into what’s going on for them “under the surface”; their behaviors communicate skills that they haven’t yet developed, impulses they can’t yet control, and sometimes needs that haven’t been met.  And that last one – the part about unmet needs – can be really triggering to think about as a parent! You might feel like it means you...

Most of us grew up being told to “say sorry!” if we did something wrong. And maybe we learned to say the words … but I would argue that in saying these words, we didn’t actually feel remorse or learn how to repair our mistakes in any real way.  In this episode, I share why I don’t force my kids to apologize (& why I recommend you don’t, either). I explore the downsides of forcing apologies, and I...

One of the most important jobs we have as parents is helping our children learn to regulate their emotions ... but HOW do we actually do this? The answer seems so simple: We do this by allowing ALL of our children’s feelings to exist in our safe presence. But what does that actually mean? What does it look like in practice? In today’s episode, I unpack the phrase “allowing space for feelings” & sh...

Have you ever lost your cool with your child? Have you yelled, said things you didn’t mean, or given in (when you know you shouldn’t) just to avoid a meltdown? The guilt we feel in these moments can be SO heavy. And sometimes that guilt makes it hard to know how to move forward.   In today’s episode, I’m going to walk you through the process of repairing your relationship with your child when you...

Anger is one of the trickiest emotions we deal with as parents. When our kids are angry – especially *at* us – it can be SO tough to stay calm and regulated and to respond in a way that feels good! In today’s episode, I explore WHY anger is so tricky (hint: it’s related to our OWN feelings!), and I share some ideas to help you navigate your child’s angry moments with confidence.  Here’s the thing:...

Have you ever wondered what terms like “respectful parenting”, “gentle parenting”, and “peaceful parenting” actually mean?    In today’s episode, I share why I’m not a fan of labels – and then I talk about the major ideas that define MY approach to parenting. (Hint: They all come back to parenting in a way that feels good – for you AND your child.)   If parenting isn’t feeling good for YOU right n...

We all want to parent in a way that feels good. But raising kids is HARD, and there’s no instruction manual! It’s easy to find yourself struggling & wondering if you’re getting it right.   Today, in the very first episode of Raised Resilient, I'm sharing my own journey into the world of respectful parenting – and the 3 ideas that have  empowered me to become the parent I always hoped I’d be.    We...

Parenting: It’s the hardest job we’ll ever do. Most of us are tired, stressed, struggling through meltdowns, and counting the minutes until bedtime.   But what if raising kids could feel just a little lighter? What if you could end even the hardest day feeling good about how you’re parenting?    I’m Dr. Hilary Mandzik – a licensed psychologist and mama of 3 changing the way we do parenting, so the...