The Balanced Parent Podcast

As we enter the last stretch of our month-long focus on play, I wanted to leave you with some super practical, easy to put into action tips for how to take your play with your child to the next level. We just had a tough year because of the pandemic and this is still a stressful time. We've been dealing with a lot of changes and kids CAN have a tough time processing these things too. And if you ar...

These days will be completely dedicated for you to take intentional and decisive actions to achieve a fulfilling child-led play. ​Play is important. If there is one thing you take away from this month we've dedicated to playing, it's that play MATTERS, to children, adults, & relationships. It's one of the powerful ways for our children to express themselves. And so, in this episode, I will be...

For the past few weeks, we have been slowing things down, observing our own reactions to play, and reflecting on how we feel about it. Now, we are getting ready to move into the ACTION phase! I know this episode will be packed with helpful mindset shifts and actionable tips to get deeper, more immersive independent play from your children ​And so, I am happy to have my new friend join me for today...

In the previous episode, you have learned about the importance of independent play. But do you still hear your child say: "Mom, Dad, play with me!" multiple times that it felt like IT IS AN OBLIGATION to do so? And when you do play with them, it drains the life out of you? Well, I want to help you be free from this pressure and teach you how to have more fun and bring playfulness into yo...

Happy New Year! ​The year 2020 gave us a lot of worries and fear but I hope you were able to welcome 2021 with positivity. And I wish that you and your family will have the peace and healing that you need from all that you have experienced in the past year. As we welcome the new year, I want to help YOU become more balanced, centered, and deeply connected to those you love. And when it comes to ki...

Early child developmental theorists used to believe that children are blank slates and it is our job as parents to "fill them in". Luckily the field has moved on from this and modern research has demonstrated repeatedly how untrue this really is. Children are curious beings who love to explore and discover new things . And thus, they are capable of initiating & directing their own learning pro...

In my Balancing U Membership Community Facebook Group, members are able to join me on the podcast for free Live Coaching. And so, for this week’s podcast, we will be having a live coaching call with one of the members. This member, who is a beautiful mom, bravely took this opportunity to take action towards bettering herself and her parenting for her good and for her family. ​There’s going to be a...

I have been receiving a lot of questions from parents lately telling me that no matter what they do, they just can’t get their child to stop wetting their bed and/or having accidents, and the pandemic seems to only have made things worse. Have you been there too?  Well, I just got the answers for you... are you ready for what we are affectionately calling "The Poop Episode" ?? (I swear,...

You know that moment where you realize you haven't heard your kids for a few minutes; where your house is suddenly suspiciously quiet?? And then you go and look for them and find them happily engaged in... redecorating your walls with markers, squeezing all the toothpaste out on the counter, climbing a bookcase (😱) or, (as happened once in my house) spreading shea butter all over themselves...

Tell me, does this sound familiar? ​You are getting your little one ready for bed but suddenly they burst into tears or explode into a tantrum. You are already tired from a long day and really just need bedtime to happen so that you can finally get a chance to relax, to turn off. But no matter what you do to try soothing your child and get them to sleep, it just won't work and you feel stuck....

Do you ever experience having your child sit on your face? Or your child keeps on chewing that toy? Or who likes to spin in circles and to move constantly? ​I do and I know parenting with sensitive, strong-willed, or spirited children can be tough. This can be a cause of stress and anxiety for us. ​For this episode, we are going to discuss a topic that you may find a little bit technical. But, I k...

The holiday season is a time for gift-giving, parties, and fun-filled activities that are meant to bring us feelings of happiness and love. But it can also be a stressful time for us (especially parents!) and a time when we often feel a lot of pressure to BE a certain way and to have it GO a certain way, and this can lead us to unconsciously slip away from our true intentions and goals for our fam...

Tell me if this has happened to you: You're with your family and the kids start squabbling or acting out and you can see your partner's blood start to boil. You can tell they are getting triggered and that their thoughts are going down a path that will lead them to start parenting outside of your goals and values... Have you been there? Me too! And it can be so hard to know what to do in...

As you pack away your Halloween decorations and begin looking toward the start of the holiday season if you're anything like me you're already feeling the worry and overwhelm starting to bubble up. The holiday season during ANY year can be stressful for families, especially moms who carry so much of that load. But this year is a whole other story. This year we have a pandemic to worry ab...

As we evaluate our parenting, we realize that what we do is reminiscent of how our parents raised us. And this traditional way of raising our kids, lead us to control, yell, isolate, and punish our kids when they resist or when they feel big emotions. If we continue this path, our kids will eventually pick up what we teach them and bring this with them into adulthood. In this episode, we are going...

If you're parenting children of different ages, I could imagine how difficult it must have been for you to balance each of their needs. Each age brings its own challenges, so how do we support everyone in a way that is developmentally appropriate for each individual kid? ​How do you balance your children's emotional needs at various stages of life? How do you help each of your children w...

Even though Halloween in the time of Coronavirus is looking like it will be a little different, one thing that will be the same is the increased access to candy and sweet treats our kids have this time of year. If you've ever wondered how to take a balanced, healthy, and evidence- based approach to halloween candy (and treats year round!) then this episode is for you! So, how can our kids hav...

Growing up you were likely told by your parents what to do, how to do things, how to behave, etc. And because of how you were brought up, you bring with you these learned values in parenting your children. And even though you are working toward embracing more relationship-focused, respectful approaches, you likely still have the tendency to control your kids' lives (I know I do!)... ​But what...

I know that as you transition from being a couple to becoming new parents is overwhelming . Your SLEEP DEPRIVED, EXHAUSTED, AND ISOLATED. And it's even more challenging when you and your partner have misunderstandings about your roles as parents. In this episode, my guest Stacy Spensley and I will be talking how to be intentional in dividing your parenting roles for you not to feel overwhelme...

You know, a lot of us FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE when big feelings come up. Feelings such as FEAR, ANXIETY, SADNESS, FRUSTRATION, and any other negative emotions can easily make us freak out and panic. They are uncomfortable and trigger unwanted thoughts such as "I can't handle this" or "this is horrible, I need to push it down" linger on our minds which makes us even more an...

You know, just like us parents, our kids have big feelings when they are stressed. Just like us they feel overwhelmed, angry, sad; the full range of human emotions. But unlike us, their brains aren't fully developed and they have less experience regulating those emotions, which leads to big displays of feelings, like tantrums and meltdowns that can leave parents feeling confused and overwhelm...

We've all been there. What starts out as a simple disagreement gets away from us. We get angry or triggered, we say things we don't mean. And now we feel misunderstood and disconnected. It's so hard in that moment to know what to do to bridge that gap, to make up, to reconnect. But it is SO IMPORTANT that you do. So in this episode, join me as I share the strategies to repair and re...

When my guest this week on the podcast, Chemay Morales-James, who is a social liberation education activist, became a parent and looked the educational resources available to her family, she didn't see her child in any of the materials. She wanted them to grow up seeing themselves and knowing that their histories, perspectives, and futures matter. Out of this, My Reflection Matters was born....

In this episode, join me as I sit down with Dr. Lynyetta Willis, a psychologist, and a family coach. We will talk about how you can bring harmony and joy to your family, parenting, and relationships. Ultimately, preventing yourself from falling into a pit of stable misery.  To get a copy of the Release Stable Misery Roadmap workbook, download it here:  www.healingstablemisery.com Follow her on her...

Back to school is ALWAYS hard on kids and parents. The transitions, change, new expectations, all make this time taxing on little one's growing brains and bodies. And you can expect this to be even more intense this year. I'm hearing from parents from all over the world, in all different learning settings, that this time is really challenging. I'm here to help! In this "Back to School" Edition of...