See Me Hear Me Love Me

When I asked myself, what do I look to in toys? This was my answer - after magic, fun, imagination, curiosity and discovery, I arrived at it's the "ahhhhhh" moment - the deep, genuine, personal emotional connection each child feels when they play with something meaning-filled.

Is being a single parent different than being a two-parent family? maybe yes, maybe no. One thing it most certainly is - it is enough and it is whole! Listen to two moms share how they have created "single mom" families that are everything a child needs to grow, thrive and be loved! at the table with Bea and Beth

My gratitude message for you this week is: take in all that wonder, pause, say "thank you" out loud. Give yourself and your family mindfulness moments to feel all that you have to celebrate. Find time and space for some Daily Gratitude with your family, especially to honor and recognize all the things that make your family the one-of-a-kind family that it is. And finally, help your child see all the gratitude there is in giving. Giving fills your child up with belonging and purpose. Happy Thanks giving!!!

Parenting is hard but one person does not have to carry all the emotional burden. With enormous self-awareness and honest communication, moms and dads can redefine each of their roles to better meet their own needs and to give children the benefit of more hands and hearts on-deck. at the table with Kim, Alana and Rachel

And the question is - does the mental load of parenting fall heavily on the shoulders of moms? Here's a great conversation about how parents carry the emotional load of parenting - the worries, the planning, the weight of all those decisions big and small. All families find their own way - by agreement or by default. Let's just hope moms and dads are okay with how the "burdens" are shared. It can't always be "all joy - no fun" parenting! at the table with Erin, Tyler and Karol

Here's my take on Episode #16, What Lies Beneath - feelings and needs behind children's behavior. Start with feelings. Address basic needs. And really ask what do I want or need as the parent in this? Parents do not need a Ph.D. to be a parent but it helps to take time to realize your child is a newcomer to a very big, unfamiliar world. And, yes, you do know your child best of all!

Temperament is the key to all parenting - to understanding your child's rhythms and routines, preferences and strengths, ways to comfort, how to encourage new skills and new situations, how to master change and unpredictability. When we understand a child's temperament, we understand that children are individual people with their own way of being in the world. At the table with Laurie and Brooke

Listen for some timeless wisdom about how to continue to raise resilient, optimistic children in a stressful world. Dr. Aaryn Gottesfeld brings a calm and reassuring voice as she helps us all find our coping strategies in the face of anxiety, worry and uncertainty.

Raising children in bilingual and multilingual homes gives parents a personal and powerful way to share their roots and connections to stories and traditions. It gets complicated though because children don't always embrace everything that parents want to share with them. Here is a great conversation about raising children in multilingual homes that goes beyond language to the heart and soul why language is so personal and changes how our children think, feel and connect to the world. At the table with Laura, Michelle, Edoardo and Avivit

Stress? What stress? Life is stress. Life-with-kids is messy, chaotic and, in a million ways, chaotic. From general, everyday-life stress to the stressful challenges of living-with-kids - cooperation, routines, negotiations, and all the things that sabotage your best efforts, there is a way through and around every stress. At the table with Julie and Wendy

Here is a replay of Episode #2: How We Got Our Name - for all our new listeners out there. For me, See Me Hear Me Love Me is a parenting and life mantra that reminds me that relationships are first, above all those "right" parenting choices and philosophies. It is the principle that reminds me that emotional intelligence - honoring each other and ourselves - is the foundation of everything, especially the messiness of life with kids.

Respond to the anxiety and panic of FOMO with See Me Hear Me Love Me, Parent-child problem solving partnerships, and Connecting the dots for learning. At the table solo with Karen

Here's a short podcast with Karen about helping kids to know understand and communicate what they need. Self awareness becomes the foundation of social-emotional learning including self-management and problem-solving skills. Our goal is to teach children to think and feel at the same time.

Potty training is not about about the potty, or about the pee and the poop. It's about a child learning how to manage his or her body, about learning new skills - physical, cognitive and emotional. It's about bringing all those skills together in thoughts, actions and choices. And, it's about parents guiding, supporting and encouraging while maintaining a fragile power balance of whose in charge. Listen to two parents talk about different children and different strategies. Books help but potty training is individual and personal - The Potty Training Answer Book can help you create a customized plan based on temperament and developmental skills. at the table with Amy and Lauren

Fears are a normal part of starting something new whether you are 2 or 32 years old. Listen to two caring parents talk about how they manage their emotions as they support and honor their children's back-to-school emotions and transitions. With a special shout-out to The Boca Raton Counseling Center. At the table with Gabriella and Dustin

We are here to celebrate the messiness of life-with-kids - that means we celebrate mistakes on the way to learning, epic fails for taking a chance, and the embarrassing and humbling moments because we are all-in this magnificent ride. And we are in it together! Bravo to the bold and brave moms who shared their stories with honesty and openness in this episode! At the table with Rachel and Alana

Setting limits lovingly and respectfully can be a challenge as parents experience the complex emotions and emotional messiness of life-with-kids, especially when reasonable parents are met with resistance, attitude and pushbacks from emotionally assertive children. Listen as these very smart, well-informed, fair and loving parents allow themselves to learn and grow with their children. at the table with Elise, Lindsey and Jessica

Juggling the busyness and now-ness of being with kids is always challenging. Slow and simple has extraordinary value for kids learning to think and feel and become themselves. Listen to two very busy moms find that balance for their families. at the table with Jamie and Stacy

Self-care is and must be a priority, and is especially challenging during the early years - with all the physical and emotional needs of young children, the steep learning curve of figuring out your own parenting identity, and figuring out each stage for your ever-changing child. What fills your bucket so you have everything you need to give to others? at the table with Carly, Melissa and Jessica

This podcast helps parents find their way to consistency and compromise and creating a united front when it really matters while respecting individual differences and different parenting styles. At the table with Dustin, Tara, Motti and Stacey