the Mudroom

Does your kid make constant out-of-place noises? Have you noticed them doing them even after you've asked them to stop?   These noises are not arbitrary!    We could be talking about any kind of noises, loud or soft, chatter, clicking sounds, hand-clapping, you name it.    This is not them making nonsense sounds, as kids normally do. This is called "filtering".   Thes...

Have you ever wondered why two kids can receive the exact same education and instructions yet one ends up doing better than the other?  Or why they can start out with the same materials and information and one winds up being considered more capable than the other?   In this video we're going to cover:   •What is the Pygmalion Effect?  •What are the implications of the Pygmalion...

As you venture back out into the wide world have you noticed that your kids are kind of...clingy?    Even parents of kids who are general independent and fearless are reporting that they're seeing a high level of cling with their kiddos now that things are "going back to normal."    Are you trying to understand why your child is so clingy?   In this episode we'll discuss:...

We are revisiting MudRooms from the past 4 years that newer followers may not have had the chance to brush up on yet.    Usually, there's one parent who is chomping at the bit to make changes and another who is much more hesitant.    In my experience it's usually Mom (or the primary attachment figure) who is raring to go and Dad (or the secondary attachment figure) who isn't qu...

School is barely out ... but today we are talking about school starting up again.   The reality is you only have 2 months to get your kiddos skills built up if they're starting school in the fall!   In this replay of a 2019 episode we'll cover the skills your child actually needs in order to be ready for kindergarten in the fall so you can be prepared! Grab the Scripts to Manage the Top...

Throwing it back to old Mudroom episodes!    Are you struggling to understand why your child is harming themselves?   I also give advice on healthy ways too filter your young child.   In this video class we discussed:  - Why do little kids hurt themselves on purpose when they're upset!?  - What is filtering and why is it actually a good thing?  - How we can help...

Do you find yourself having to raise your voice to get your child to pay attention to ANYTHING you say?    In this episode w will to cover:   - What the "Gas Tank Theory" is and why it's causing your kids to ignore you.  - Why yelling is actually causing your children to listen less.  - What we need to be teaching our kids so that they can listen easily and quickly. Grab t...

During the month of June we're replaying some old MudRoom episodes to revisit useful topics.   If your child is struggling with staying on task, playing independently, getting out the door in the morning or any other interaction with time-based activities aren't going your way....you NEED to check out the Time Timer! Grab the Scripts to Manage the Top 10 Crazy-Making Behaviours: prnt.link/scr...

The Mudroom has been asking a lot of questions about Sensory Stress.   Sensory Stress can be difficult to understand.   In this video we will be talking about:   1. What does sensory mean?  2. How does sensory stress happen?  3. What should we be doing about sensory stress? Grab the Scripts to Manage the Top 10 Crazy-Making Behaviours: prnt.link/scripts Watch the video rec...

The warmer weather is here!   This means an increase of opportunities for socialization.   Many parents are noticing something else: an increase in hitting, biting, kicking, pushing, etc.    Why we're suddenly seeing this spike in aggression?   In this episode we'll cover:   - The 2 kinds of aggression we generally see in kids 2-6 years old.  - How to use the Log...

Many parents are feeling burnt out with over playing with their kids.   If you are feeling this, you are not alone!   We feel guilty because they don't have access to their playmates the way they did pre-covid.    Here's a not-so-secret: you don't have to play with them!   In this episode we'll cover:  - The most beneficial thing about play.  - Why half-assing pl...

Does the concept that your child is stressed make you get your back up a bit?  It does for most parents. But...what do I mean when I say that your child is stressed?  Let's talk about the concept of stress.   In this episode we'll cover:  - What is stress?  - How to differentiate stress from worry.  - How to reduce stress. Grab the Scripts to Manage the Top 10 Crazy-M...

It's recreational activity registration season!   Every year parents struggle with a similar question:  Why is my kid just sitting on the sidelines refusing to participate?!    We spent lots of $$ and time on these activites. Why won't they join in!?   In this episode we're going to talk about:  1) Why observation is important for young kids.  2) How observation...

You know how kids will sometimes hurt or upset someone and then laugh? Or act indifferent?    That scares the crap out of us as parents, doesn't it?    A lot of parents struggle with teaching empathy.   No matter how much we explain why we should be nice and gentle...our kids do not care at all.    In this episode we're going to cover:   1) What is empathy?&...

Early in our parenting journey most parents get accosted by the word stress.    Over the last 10 years, I have heard some form of the phrase "don't let them cry too much, stress causes developmental delays!" in the their first week of parenting, if not before.    When I'm up here on my soapbox telling you your child is stressed, it understandably causes alarm.    Here...

Why are we all so afraid of kids being bored?!    When COVID hit my inbox was flooded with emails from parents panicking becaue their kids were bored at home.    Boredom, it seems, has become an unforgiveable sin.    I've got news for you parents: we're robbing our kid of a HUGE opportunity by keeping them constantly entertained.   In this Episode we'll be coveri...

Tantrums vs Meltdowns   Wait, they're not the same thing?  Nope!    Let's talk about the differences and how to respond based on what you're dealing with. Grab the Scripts to Manage the Top 10 Crazy-Making Behaviours: prnt.link/scripts Watch the video recording here: Join the Parenting Posse: prnt.link/group the Mudroom is recorded live every Wednesday at 1:30pm ET/ 12:30pm CT/...

The warm weather is hitting and rough play can be difficult to navigate through.    This video we discuss how to navigate through the rough play with your child. Grab the Scripts to Manage the Top 10 Crazy-Making Behaviours: prnt.link/scripts Watch the video recording here: Join the Parenting Posse: prnt.link/group the Mudroom is recorded live every Wednesday at 1:30pm ET/ 12:30pm CT/ 10...

What is the difference between punishment and discipline?    Who disciplines their kids?    Can you discipline without punishment?    In this episode, we define the differences between punishment and discipline and how it fits in with Uncommon Sense Parenting. Grab the Scripts to Manage the Top 10 Crazy-Making Behaviours: prnt.link/scripts Watch the video recording he...

Most parents think that listening is a singular skill.    Your chlidren either knows how to do it or they don't.   This is not true!   In this episode we'll be discussing:  - Why listening is hard for children   - How to help them get better at it. Grab the Scripts to Manage the Top 10 Crazy-Making Behaviours: prnt.link/scripts Watch the video recording here: Join the...

Your child needs all 3 of those pillars in place in order to behave well.    If one of those 3 things is missing it doesn't matter what you do...your kiddo's going to struggle.    There's often a lot of confusion about when each of those 3 pilars come into play- particularly calming vs critical thinking.   In this episode we're going to cover:  - What comes first? Cal...

How can you tell if the behavioural issue your kids are presenting will just go away on it's own or if you should address it?   In this video we'll be covering:  - What does it mean to "grow out" of something?  - The benefits and drawbacks to waiting for your child to grow out of it.  - How to decide which route to take. Grab the Scripts to Manage the Top 10 Crazy-Making Behavi...

Do not anger the anger the Goddess of Consistency.   A lot of parents are expecting her to do all the work alone.   In episode class we're going to talk about:  - Why consistency alone isn't going to solve your child's behaviour struggles.  - Why punishments stall us out and make it impossible for our kids to learn.  - How to tell it's time to try something new to manage y...

Nobody is laying in bed at night, unable to sleep, and thinks "I need a parenting coach."    Nobody!   Who are these families I work with?    I think it's one way for parents to figure out if working with me is for them or whether they should be looking into occupational therapy, a psychologist, or something else.   After all, we all want to find our posse!  And...

Are you struggling to show your parents that your parenting style is better for your children?   In this episode, we discuss how it's ok that your family is different than the family you grow up in. Grab the Scripts to Manage the Top 10 Crazy-Making Behaviours: prnt.link/scripts Watch the video recording here: Join the Parenting Posse: prnt.link/group the Mudroom is recorded live every Wednes...