The Parenting Mentor

Danielle C is a mother to a 4 year old daughter who doesn't play well by herself. Her daughter is an only child who requires a lot of attention and entertainment, making Danielle worried that her daughter will always need someone to do things with. Danielle is struggling to get her own work and household chores accomplished. Her daughter often interrupts, asking her to play even when Danielle tell...

Ari is a mother to a 6 year boy who is not a fan of following schedules that are set up for him. While he is on the spectrum, getting  kids to follow orders is a frequent complaint from many parents. As Ari finds herself in daily battles with her son, she wonders, how does she find the balance between flexibility and discipline? And how does she get her son to school on time without a fight?  On t...

Sara H is a mother to a 4 year old girl who struggles with emotional regulation. When her daughter is angry or frustrated she goes straight to hitting, kicking and slapping others. With a new baby on the way, Sara is worried that her child doesn't have coping mechanisms to turn to, in order to regulate her emotions.  On today's podcast we discuss specific strategies that will help your child manag...

Jen B is a mother to a 16 year old high-performing perfectionist daughter who is completing her junior year of high school. Jen is a self-described micromanager who worries that her daughter doesn't have the coping mechanisms and resilience she's going to need for college. Jen knows she needs to back off and trust her daughter but she's finding it so hard to do. When her daughter comes to her for...

Lindsay M is a mom who is feeling pressure to "keep up with the Joneses" when it comes to signing her 7 year old son up for extracurricular activities. She wants to encourage him to try new activities that she feels would be good for him even if he might not be interested -  such as piano lessons. She is worried about constant arguments with her son who may refuse to go or may quit activities that...

Tina V has two boys, 3 years old and 1 year old. She has been struggling with potty training her 3 year old who is resistant to the process. She has tried bribing him with toys and chocolate and although this worked for a bit, he eventually stopped responding to these offers.    Tina has even set up a special potty training box for him in the bathroom that includes pull ups, underwear, wipes and b...

Jes L is a mother to two girls, 11 years old and a 15 months old. While her first daughter was fairly easy as a baby, Jes is finding the experience with her second daughter to be entirely different - she is intense and refuses to listen to the word "NO". Jes and her husband have told her numerous times not to do things like stick her finger in the electric socket yet she is determined to defy them...

As a father of 7 children, Jake certainly has his hands full. His kids are between the ages 12 and 17 months. For the kids in grades 3,4,5, and 6 he wonders how he can teach them about emotional intelligence. He also wonders about what to do when his kids are experiencing name calling or cliquish behavior from other kids. How can he create a deeper understanding and empathy in his kids when they d...

Dara is a mother to two boys, a 14 year old and a 11 year old. Their family has moved several times so they are no strangers to change and fluidity. Currently, the boys are involved in different sports and musical activities but Dara has noticed a pattern of her boys quitting. Dara comes to us with the question- When do you let your kids quit something and when do you not? And what are the factors...

Stephanie is a mother to a 2 and a half year old girl who just won't listen. Both Stephanie and her husband have been playing the control game with her daughter and you can guess who is winning?! Whether they are at home or out in public they struggle to get their daughter to listen to their rules. For example, their daughter won't sit for circle time at the start of gymnastics and instead runs ar...

Rahcyne is a mother to a 7 year old and a 5 year old. During the pandemic she watched devices and technology become a lifeline for her kids providing them education and socialization. Now she struggles with getting her kids to play with physical toys and use their imagination. Rahcyne wonders how she can honor the benefits of technology while raising her kids to also occupy themselves and be creat...

Janice is a mother to a 4 and a half year old boy and a 2 and a half year old girl. As a busy working mom she struggles with navigating how to practice "gentle parenting". She finds herself trying to choose between disciplining or coddling her son when he acts out. She asks herself questions like "am I coddling too much?" and "are they taking advantage of me and acting out?". She does her best to...

BJ is a father to two little boys, one is 4 years old and the other is 6 years old. Every morning, BJ brings his eldest son to school and the experience hardly ever goes smoothly. He struggles with getting his son out of bed to go through the morning steps in an expedited manner. He urges his son to brush his teeth, change his clothes, eat his breakfast and put on his shoes as fast as possible. He...

April's biggest pain point as a parent right now is monitoring the screen time of her 8 and half year old son and 11 year daughter.  Her desire for her children to have a healthy relationship with technology bumps up against their need for " just one more minute " on the Ipad or TV. Sooner than later, arguments over completing video games and watching shows break out and the family is beyond frust...

Natalia is a single mother of two--6 and 2.5 years old--and an entrepreneur. Her children struggle to differentiate between work time and playtime, and Natalia is having a hard time establishing boundaries for them. Today, we talk about how Natalia can help the situation. We talk about the power of alone time, noting that it doesn't need to be anything fancy or long. I note the importance of letti...

Lisa's 8-year-old son really hates to do homework. In fact, just the mention of the word makes him feel anxious. Lisa is looking for ways to stop playing the homework warden and help her son feel less anxious about homework. Today, Lisa and I talk about how she can help the situation. I suggest that she use alternative words for "homework" and "anxiety", and I note the importance of validation. We...

Liz has twin 6-year-old daughters who spend a lot of time together. Lately, they have been arguing and calling for Mom a lot, and the fights tend to stem from one daughter in particular. Listen along for tips on how to stop being the referee and fixer, and empower your children to solve their own problems. Today, we talk about sibling rivalry, jealousy, and problem-solving. I note that Liz rarely...

Carrie has twin 10-year-old twins, Matthias and Ruby. Matthias has ADHD and has trouble controlling his emotions when he's home. Ruby, who has always been the "good girl", has been acting out lately in imitation of her brother, most likely out of a want for attention. In this episode, we talk about how to give each child the attention they deserve, as well as ways to defuse and minimize emotional...

Jennifer has three kids, and her youngest--the 2-year-old--won't sleep through the night. She goes to sleep with no trouble, but every night she'll come into her parents' room in the middle of the night and join them in their bed. Between homeschooling the boys and running a business, Jennifer and her husband need sleep, so this isn't a sustainable practice. Today, we talk about a potential soluti...

Namasha isn't thrilled with the way she's handling her 2.5-year-old daughter's small acts of defiance. Timeouts don't work, and while negotiating sometimes does, it's not what Namasha wants to continue to do. If you're finding yourself telling your child that if they eat three more bites of broccoli,  they'll get a sweet treat, then this episode is for you. Today, Namasha and I talk about what's b...

Elizabeth is a single mom to a 10-year-old. Most of the time, she thinks of herself as a laid-back mom, ignoring her son's minor infractions, but when she's stressed out this is not the case. She's worried about being inconsistent but doesn't know where to draw the line between letting things slide and making them a big deal. Today, we talk about how Elizabeth can find the right balance. I suggest...

Erin has two boys, 7 and 9, who can't sit still at dinnertime. Erin and her husband want a nice family dinner every night, but the boys complain about the food, jump up and down, and can't seem to get the cleanup done. Today, Erin and I talk about what she can do about the situation. We talk about how it might be a good idea to cut family dinners down to five times a week, and I offer the suggesti...

Alexis is struggling to let go of doing every single thing with her kids. She's hired someone to pick them up from school, take them to the playground, and do activities with them--and yet she's showing up beside the babysitter. If you are having trouble letting go, find yourself thinking that a good mom has to do it all, and are afflicted by the Mom Guilt monster, listen in to gain a new perspect...

Corrie is anxious and stressed about the looming introduction of a smartphone into her 9-year-old son's life. It may be a year or two off, but she's hearing worrying stories from friends with slightly older kids. She's looking for steps she can take now to promote a healthy and positive transition when the time comes. Today, we talk about striking the balance between not wanting your kid to be the...

Veronica isn't happy with the way she overreacts at her 3-year-old daughter, especially when she's not listening or making a mess. If you ever find yourself yelling at your children, this episode may help you reframe your reactions so that you and your child understand and can move forward. Today, we talk about how Veronica can revise her approach so that, in the moment, she's able to resist the t...