Sunshine Parenting

Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done  by  Laura Vanderkam My rating: 5 of 5 stars I've been obsessively telling everyone about this quick read. If you, like me, feel a bit "at war" with time, feeling there's "never enough" and you "don't have time to relax," then you'll benefit from Vanderkam's wisdom, too. The book, true to its title, offers realistic ways to both feel less busy...

In this episode, Sara Kuljis is back to talk about giving kids meaningful compliments and focusing on our kids' strengths. We recently hosted our Raise Thriving Kids workshop in Newport Beach where we spent the day discussing positive parenting tools. Since then, we've received a lot of positive feedback, especially on the topic of Level 3 Affirmations. Big Ideas Part of camp staff training involv...

What comes before gratitude in our children? In this episode, Sara and I discuss how we can prepare our kids to become grateful people. Sara and I talked about gratitude last year in this episode about Growing Gratitude. Big Ideas As the Thanksgiving holiday nears, it is important to remember that we can cultivate a heart of gratitude all year long. Good manners are important but employing these "...

In this episode, I'm speaking with Suzanne Tucker of Generation Mindful , a website dedicated to helping kids learn how to regulate their emotions. Big Ideas While working as a physical therapist, Suzanne realized there was much more going on in people's wellbeing than just the physical body. The whole health approach to healing and wellness is what led her to start Generation Mindful. Parents and...

In this episode, I'm talking with Dr. Ruth Gerson, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at NYU's Langone Medical Center, about helping teens who have been exposed to trauma. Trauma is, by definition, when an experience feels so threatening to one's safety and well-being that it overwhelms one's ability to cope. Human beings, especially children, are amazingly resilient. Not only can we humans survi...

In Episode 54, I'm chatting once again with my long-time friend and camp colleague, Dr. Jim Sears. I've known him as Camp Doctor  "Bones" for the past 14 years, but he is better known by his patients at his family's pediatric practice as "Dr. Jim." You might have caught our previous episode ( Episode 51 ), where we talked about building kids' self esteem. In this episode, we talk about some of the...

  In Episode 56, I'm chatting with Laura Vanderkam about her book Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done . Laura is the best-selling author of several time management and productivity books including 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think, I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time, and What the Most Successful People do Before Breakfast. Laura al...

I've had such an incredible time this fall meeting with parents, teachers, and kids in person to talk about some of the strategies I write about in my book, Happy Campers . One topic that comes up regularly is the importance of learning to keep ourselves calm and model calm down strategies for our kids, as well as helping our kids figure out their own calm down strategies. In this episode, I am sh...

In this episode, I am speaking live with parents from Wayne Highlands School District and Superintendent Greg Frigoletto at Lakeside Elementary. We discuss my book, Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults, and my key parenting tips and takeaways from lessons learned at camp. I spent the first week of October in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin speaking with teach...

In episode 107, I'm talking with Paul Tough about his latest book, The Years That Matter Most: How college makes or breaks us , a powerful mind-changing inquiry into higher education in the United States. We talk about the state of higher education today and how can we help more young Americans achieve success. Big Ideas Paul Tough's book examines the relationship between higher education and soci...

In this episode, I'm chatting with author Nefertiti Austin about her latest book, Motherhood So White: A Memoir of Race, Gender, and Parenting in America . We talk about her journey to adoption as a single Black woman and some of the issues faced by mothers of color and adoptive mothers. When she couldn't find any books on the topic while going through the adoption process, she decided to write he...

In this episode, I'm chatting with Dr. Rob Reiher, co-host of the Live Above the Noise  podcast. Dr. Reiher is a developmental and educational psychologist, media expert and author. We discuss the escalating impact of technology, media, and consumerism and the overload on children, families, and society. Dr. Reiher focuses on educating parents on the importance of teaching children to live above t...

In this episode, Sara and I are chatting with Pam Roy , who offers research-based and important information for parents about education and career planning. We talk about how the world we're working in has changed and evolved since we were in college and how to position our kids for a successful future. This episode was recorded in response to the recent news about the college admissions scandal....

In Episode 103, I'm chatting with Carla Naumberg, a writer, speaker, clinical social worker, and parenting coach. She's the author of three parenting books, including the one that we discuss in this podcast episode, How To Stop Losing Your S*** With Your Kids: A practical guide to becoming a calmer, happier parent. BIG IDEAS Mindful parenting allows you to have stronger relationships with your chi...

10 Friendship Skills Every Kid Needs Listener Question: How do I help my 13-year-old daughter with her social anxiety? Social Anxiety Resources: What is Social Anxiety? Social Anxiety Disorder, WED MD Parenting News:  New research on screen time's impact on our kids' ability to persevere through problem solving:  "Turn it Off Right Now!" Great Schools Parenting Tip: Have family members think up a...

In Episode 102, I'm chatting with Lisa Heffernan, the co-founder of Grown and Flown, the popular website, blog and Facebook group with nearly 120,000 members. We talk about the brand new book that she has co-authored with Mary Dell Harrington, called Grown And Flown, How To Support Your Teen, Stay Close As Family, And Raise Independent Adults , which draws upon the expert advice they've curated ov...

In Episode 53, I'm chatting with my oldest daughter and favorite high school English teacher, Gretchen Monke. She has done a terrific job of connecting with her students and has some excellent insights on how parents can partner with teachers to help kids succeed at school. We discuss four ways to help your child succeed at school. #1 Promote Ownership Over Their own Education Help child take more...

  "Giving too much is oftentimes an affliction of the wealthy, but taking away the struggle is a problem with everybody." -Richard Watts "Palm trees, in that process of growing, what's actually happening in the wind is they're actually cracking and they're breaking. And when the skin breaks, they scar. And when they scar, they become stronger. And as they get older and older, they get to the point...

In Episode 100, I'm chatting with an amazing group of young adults ages 16 and 17 who participated in a month-long junior counselor program. They share their thoughts on ways parents can raise thriving, independent and responsible young adults. BIG IDEAS To help kids learn, gain confidence and independence, there are things parents should be letting their kids do early on, such as: traveling alone...

The Myth of the Perfect Girl In Episode 99, I talk with Ana Homayoun, a nationally recognized counselor and consultant specializing in positive strategies for junior high and high school students. Ana was previously on the podcast ( Ep. 45 ) talking about her book Social Media Wellness: Helping Tweens and Teens Thrive in an Unbalanced Digital World (Corwin Teaching Essentials) .  I feel equally as...

Episode 95 is a replay of one of my most popular episodes (Ep. 20) with a new intro and additional tips. In this episode, I interview Tina Payne Bryson about the book she co-authored with Dr. Dan Siegel , The Yes Brain- How To Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience In Your Child . We talk about what a "Yes Brain" is, how it's different from a "No Brain," why it's so important to cultivate "y...

In Episode 96, I'm talking with my friend Brooke Cheley-Klebe of Cheley Colorado Camps . We cover a range of summer camp-related topics including longer camp stays, adjusting to camp and overcoming homesickness, what it's like for teenagers to have the much-needed break from screens, video games, and social media that traditional summer camp programs provide, and the life-long friendships that cam...

  In Episode 97, I'm chatting with Signe Whitson. We talk about her book, Parenting The Challenging Child: The Four-Step Way To Turn Problem Situations Into Learning Opportunities , which is based on her work at the Life Space Crisis Intervention , an organization dedicated to training teachers, counselors, and parents on how to appropriately respond to challenging behaviors from kids. The program...

In Episode 94, I talk about why I wrote my new book, Happy Campers- Nine Summer Camp Secrets For Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults , why I changed to a 'less is more' style of parenting, how the book is set up, who I wrote the book for, how I want people to use the book, and what we're going to be doing in the Happy Campers Book Club this summer! Why I wrote Happy Campers I wrote Happy Campe...

In Episode 93, I interview Dr. Alicia La Hoz, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Founder, and Executive Director of Family Bridges . Dr. La Hoz works with the Latino community in the Chicagoland area, where she leads her team in developing and coordinating Family Bridges comprehensive marriage and relationship programs. Away from the office, she spends her time with her two inquisitive children and...