The Uplift Kids Podcast

We've wrapped up two year's worth of episodes related to the lessons in our lesson library! We hope they've been helpful for prepping to do the lessons in your home. At this point we'll be doing a few new things with the Uplift Kids podcast, including a book club for Uplift Kids members. Join us as we explore the first book — Already Free by Bruce Tift. Stay tuned via our podcast a...

When we break the cycle of shame, we can express ourselves more freely and better connect with the people we love. Note  that there are many definitions and approaches to shame. In this lesson, we follow leading psychologists, including university professor Brené Brown, who says that shame is the “intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of lov...

At Uplift Kids, we take an expansive approach to spirituality and values, and our approach to Easter is no different. Whether you tell the traditional Easter story or focus on the more metaphorical and universal aspects of the holiday, our Easter lesson can help you make the most of the holiday's many layers. Listen for insights you can use at home, and use our Easter lesson for pragmatic reso...

In this episode, Michelle Larson interviews a longtime friend named Heidi about her experiences using Uplift Kids. If you're looking for ideas about how to have conversations about life's most important topics, this episode can help you see and enjoy new possibilities.

Do your kids ever feel overwhelmed by failure? How can you help them view the experience as an essential part of the learning process? In this discussion, Amanda Suarez, school psychologist, talks about how to help kids deal with failure. Members can see the full lesson at: UpliftKids.org/lessons/failure

How do you help kids understand the physiological and emotional components of addiction? How do you help them understand the different effects that different substances can have on the body? In this episode, Michelle Larson, marriage and family therapy associate, and Amanda Suarez, school psychologist, share their direct insights about how to best help kids with this tricky topic. See our full les...

How do you have healthy, positive conversations with your kids about sex? We explore that question in this episode. See our full lesson on the topic (for members): https://upliftkids.org/lessons/sexuality-conversation/

James Ure has done almost all 100+ of our main Uplift lessons and has fabulous insights about how families can use the program — or just have makeshift conversations about the topics that matter most — at home. He's also the co-director of Uplift family camp alongside Elizabeth Seeley, who have also started a teen camp together. Use the code Uplift100 for $100 off the teen camp at TheMojoVillage.c...

Elizabeth Seeley, co-director of Uplift Kids family camp, talks about her unique approach to doing Uplift lessons at home — an approach that starts with chocolate tasting and ends with open conversation. Hear ideas about how to do Uplift lessons, as well as Elizabeth's thoughts about family camp and a new project she's involved with for teens looking to explore an expansive approach to spi...

Kids can feel deep grief when they lose something, when they move, when a friendship ends, or when someone close to them passes away. How can you help them navigate these feelings? In this episode, school psychologist Amanda Suarez, marriage and family therapy associate Michelle Larsen, and curriculum creator Jon Ogden talk about the ways to help kids navigate these big feelings.

Need strategies to help your kids work through difficult situations with a coping skills toolbox. Hear practices that have worked with the kids Amanda Suarez works with as a school psychologist and that Michelle Larsen works with as a therapist. Members can see the full lesson at: https://upliftkids.org/lessons/coping-skills-toolbox/

In this episode, Uplift Cofounder Jon Ogden is joined by Jordan Harmon, a dialectical behavioral therapist who leads workshops for parents. Jordan attended our recent 3-day parenting retreat in Oregon where he told a story about how certain insights he gleaned from his work as a therapist helped his son manage his angry outbursts. Hear Jordan tell this powerful story, which can help you with simil...

We just wrapped up our second parenting retreat at Scholls Valley Lodge, just outside of Portland, Oregon, and learned so much from the wonderful parents who attended. In this episode we discuss one small part of the experience, which focused on spiritual practices that families can try at home.

Kids (and grownups!) sometimes get fixated on certain tasks, or they get distracted by open awareness — both of which can relate to the spectrum of autistic tendencies and ADHD. In this conversation, we explore how to help kids who lean in either direction (or a combination of the two).

How can you help kids find something they care about, something they're good at, something that's needed, and something they can get paid for? It takes balance and persistent but gentle guidance. This episode explores how to do it well so that kids join an ongoing and ever-changing human conversation.

How do you help your kid build a sense of determination to achieve their lifelong dreams and goals? How do you help them see when they might want to ease off and take a break? This week we explore the polarity of bearing down and easing up, in line with our member lesson on grit. Use the lesson to explore the concept in your home: https://upliftkids.org/lessons/grit

How do you help kids find the inner courage to act on their values without spilling over into recklessness? How do you help them practice caution without spilling over into paralysis? In this episode, Amanda, Michelle, and Jon give practical insights about striking a blend between courage and caution — helping kids and parents find wisdom.

At Uplift Kids, we talk about learning how to align with our inner compass and helping kids do the same. But how do we balance our inner authority with useful insight from external authority — from people who are experts in their field or who have lived long lives and have something to share from it? This conversation pairs with our lesson on listening to your inner compass: https://upliftkids.org...

"Actions may speak louder than words," writes the psychology professor Angela Duckworth, "but actions and words *together* send the clearest message of all." Uplift Kids helps families helps families strike a balance of warmth and structure — a balance that parenting researchers says is critical to familial wellbeing. In this episode, we explore why talking about values at home matters and differe...

In this episode, Amanda, Michelle, and Jon share ways to approach the holidays that can transcend and include a variety of beliefs and approaches. If you find yourself wondering how to make Christmas work when so many people disagree about beliefs, get some ideas here and in our Christmas mini-lesson: https://upliftkids.org/lessons/christmas/

Setting aside time to reflect on the year creates space for gratitude, celebration, and growth. This episode helps listeners prepare for our new year-in-review lesson in our lesson library, which gives families simple activities to remember the successes and failures of the year. https://upliftkids.org/lessons/looking-back

The ancient philosophy of Stoicism urges us to focus on what we can control and to not worry about what we cannot control. It's an insight that has tremendous value in therapy, counseling, and at home. Listen to this episode to see how to put this insight to use.

"Rituals play very important functions in human societies," writes Dimitris Xygalatas, author of Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living. "They help individuals through their anxieties, connect to one another. They help people find meaning in their lives.” In this episode we explore how rituals can help kids feel a sense of stability and connection.

How do you navigate potential disagreement with family members during Thanksgiving? How do you create an atmosphere of gratitude? We explore these questions and also demonstrate how you can use sentence stems during the Thanksgiving meal — found in our Thanksgiving mini-lesson: https://upliftkids.org/lessons/thanksgiving/

Regardless of belief or disbelief, having regular time to express intentions, gratitude, and awe can deepen wellbeing. In this episode, Amanda, Michelle, and Jon explore different ways to approach prayer and meditation, including attuning to your wisest self, and how the essence of prayer can be helpful for spiritual health — again, regardless of belief or disbelief.