See Me Hear Me Love Me

This is a must-hear episode of the things you believe you can never handle - mom getting sick or dad having a terrible accident. Listen and discover strength, bravery and hope in the face of the impossible. At the table with Stacey, Bonnie and Michelle

Here's Part 2 of the Strong Willed Child conversation. This time we speak to parents of school-age children. "Strong willed" isn't something kids grow out of but they do learn better self management skills, a little emotional flexibility and social-emotional adaptability. It's all about teaching emotional intelligence and problem solving. At the table with Lauren and Stephanie

Parents of strong willed children are extraordinary because they must find a way that is respectful, nurturing and guiding without taking away a child's age-appropriate power. It's not easy but, with respect and deep understanding, these children grow into powerful leaders with strong voices. At the Table with Kim, Brooke and Rita

Listen as we revisit Episode #96 to hear how parents manage Back to School tears and fears with emotional resilience and trust.

Trust teachers. Trust your child. Trust yourself.

Body love - body hate - body shame? Facing our body in the mirror and teaching our daughters to be okay with all the body moments. This conversation is honest and real and filled with questions and themes for all of us to continue to explore. Bravo to the brave and beautiful moms at the table with me at the table with Rachel, Alicia, Jessica and jill

What matters and what can you let go of? What needs your attention and what can you trust will be okay? Are you a Micromanager Mom stressing over doing everything "your way"? How about a little "benign neglect", a little trust that your child is amazingly capable and your guidance, your teaching and your love will pay off in the long run? You got this! At the table with Christina, Jenn and Nicole

Screens and technology are challenging in this very connected world. Each family considers and evaluates quantity and quality of use to create their own rules and routines. Listen to these three moms describe how they choose and continue to adjust their technology usage for their families. At the table with Stacey, Jayne ad Jessica

Here it is - why social-emotional skills are the foundation of all learning! Educators truly care about academic excellence, children reaching their fullest potential and students being academically challenged. We also know that focusing on academics alone, without the complimentary social-emotional skills, is destined to fall short of our highest goals. Here's what children need to be successful in Kindergarten and in life, and why. At the table with Stephanie, Naomi and Alana

Tips from moms who truly enjoy food, enjoy planning and prepping meals, enjoy being creative in the kitchen. And....share their hacks and short cuts to keep sane. The struggle is real!

Our podcast guest is Elana Ostroff, the PJ Library Director for South Palm Beach County FL. PJ Libary sends free award-winning books that celebrate Jewish values and culture to families with children 6 months to 8 years old. In this podcast, Elana and I discuss how personal and meaningful this experience is for families. Beyond creating amazing home libraries, families are sharing intimate moments celebrating being Jewish - discovering traditions and creating new ones for themselves. Don't forget to listen to PJ Library Radio too!

Summers are definitely not boring with big, open-ended play experiences and parents stepping back to create time and space for deep, genuine, all-in play! For smaller "adventures", consider making a Boredom Jar with favorite activities - http://www.familytimeinc.com/2018/07/02/a-boredom-jar/

It's a fine line being the parent to grown children and being a grandparent. How do you stay involved and let go? Agree and maybe disagree? Juggle your idea of a wonderful grandparent with your children's idea of a wonderful grandparent? Love and expectations? At the table with Brenda, Evie and Marilyn

We all know that real kids are very different than the ones we imagine and especially different than the ones in books and on social media. How to adapt to each child's needs is the key to parent sanity and to raising each child to her fullest potential. Listen to two extraordinary parents share their insights and earned wisdom. At the table with Dylan and Alana

The depth of heartache for recent public suicides touches so many in our communities, particularly women. As I see so many posts of care and compassion, I can't help but wonder are we doing our part in this social puzzle. Are we creating safe places for children, for families, for women, for men, for the lost, lonely, scared, forgotten and invisible? Are we teaching about emotional intelligence so that honest emotions can be "seen, heard, and acknowledged"? Are we living with the "messiness of life-with-kids" instead of the myth of perfect lives? I choose in my classroom, in our school, in this podcast....to listen, to hear, to see, to care. We can do this together and you are not alone.

Wishing you a time for daydreaming this Summer! And time to encourage daydreaming in your children. My 3 tips for creativity and daydreaming: 1. Allow and Accept 2. Play with "what if" 3. Celebrate the quiet in each child

How-When-If to incentivize children's behavior is a genuine question for parents and teachers. Are there effective ways to use if-then motivation? Do external motivations help children to learn to make great choices, tackle challenging skills, do what they are asked, to be responsible and to learn to manage themselves and the rules around them. As you will hear, the answers are not always black and white. The answer may depend on individual children in specific situations for specific goals. At the table with Jamey, David and Dr. Marnee Schneider

Traveling with children, especially younger children, takes a special attitude and maybe a few tips from those who actually like traveling with babies and children. Get ready for a fun adventure! At the Square Table with Cara and Anupa

This episode is Karen thinking outloud about "who's in charge" and how parents, and grown-ups, walk that balance between guiding-teaching-leading and honoring each child's voice and choice. Here's where I believe we start: 1. Always believe you are on the same side as your child. 2. Connect with your child's need to feel seen-heard-loved. 3. Become the best you can be at understanding what is needed in a particular moment. 4. Learn together what works and what doesn't work for both of you (parent and child), for your family, and for moving forward together. See NPR article mentioned - Secrets of a Maya Supermom: what parenting books don't tell you by Michaeleen Doucleff

Parenting is exhausting! Sleep deprived, managing the needs of children, trying to manage the demands of work and life commitments. One writer described it as physically, mentally and spiritually exhausting. Listen to two extraordinary moms peel away the layers of their exhaustion - different kinds of exhaustion for different ages and stages of parenthood. There is hope! At the Square Table with Lindsey and Laura