Simple Families Podcast: Parenting | Simple Living | Minimalism | Purposeful Life With Kids + Family

Some days I feel like every mother I know is ridden with stress and overwhelm. This type of parenthood seems to be slowly becoming the norm. In today’s episode (episode 178) we are talking about what happens when your cup overflows. When your cup overflows the contents spill out and splash on the people who are nearest and dearest to you. What’s splashing out of your cup? Happiness? Gratitude? Stress? Overwhelm? What sort of helping hand do you need to get your emotional well-being on a path to balance and health? Show Notes/Links: The Mental Unload Where to go if you need mental health support: Get Immediate Help Suicide Helpline Mental Health Challenges – What to Look For The post When Your Cup Overflows appeared first on Simple Families.

I really don’t know much about art, but I’m learning. One thing I know for sure is that art is important, for kids and adults alike. Today I’m chatting with author Meri Cherry about art + kids. The tagline on her book “Creative Activities and Projects that Inspire Confidence, Creativity, and Connection” got me thinking. Giving our children opportunities for art isn’t just about encouraging a future career as an artist. Instead, art instills foundational elements such as confidence, creativity, and connection that will last a lifetime. Meri is an advocate for process art, which is the type of art that is focused on making/doing rather than the final product. As Meri says, “the focus is on process over product”. Art truly is for everyone, even the kids who seem uninterested or hard to engage–and we are exploring that more today. Show Notes/Links: The Mental Unload starts November 7th Meri’s Website Meri on Instagram Meri’s Book: Play Make Create Play, A Process-Art Handbook: With Over 40 Art Invitations f

In honor of my birthday week, I’m bringing you a casual conversation with my husband David. It’s his first appearance on the podcast and we are talking all things love, marriage, and parenting. The post SFP 176: Conversation With My Husband appeared first on Simple Families.

Parenting an early bloomer comes with its own set of challenges. Those of us who have precocious children know this well. Today, we are discussing the ins and outs of early blooming from a child development perspective. And I’m sharing more about my personal experience parenting an early bloomer and being an early bloomer myself. The post SFP 175: Early Bloomers appeared first on Simple Families.

Right now, I’m tired. We just returned from a two-week international trip with our family. Today I’m sharing all the details: the plans, the obstacles, dealing with jet lag, letting go of expectations, and why we keep doing it. Show Notes/Links: Packing videos on Instagram Saccharomyces Boulardii (to prevent travel’s diarrhea) The post SFP 174: Ambitious Travel with Kids appeared first on Simple Families.

When it comes to kids, buying more sustainably can feel intimidating. If you are unsure of where to start or how to prioritize, we are chatting more about this today. Our guest is Brendan Synnott, the CEO of Pact, and he’s bringing us insight on the sustainable fashion industry, organic cotton, and what he’s doing with his own family. *This episode is not sponsored by Pact and does not contain affiliate links* SHOW LINKS: Pact [use coupon SIMPLE to get 40% off your first order The post SFP 173: Sustainable Fashion for Kids [with Brendan Synnott of Pact] appeared first on Simple Families.

Life with young children is always evolving. The way we spend our time changes too. Finding the right balance that works for each of us is incredibly important. The way I spend my time is going to look very different from the way that you spend yours. In today’s episode, I am sharing what a typical day looks like in our house–right now. It could change next week, next month, or next year. Life is dynamic, and that’s what keeps it interesting! The post SFP 172: A Day in Denaye’s Life appeared first on Simple Families.

Have you started talking to your kids about money? Money can be a taboo topic, even within families. In today’s episode I’m chatting with Liz Frazier Peck author of Piggy Banks and Lemonade Stands: How to Teach Young Kids About Finance (and They’re Never Too Young). SHOW NOTES/LINKS: Piggy Banks and Lemonade Stands: How to Teach Young Kids About Finance (and They’re Never Too Young). How to Talk to Kids about the Birds and Bees Liz’s Website Liz on Twitter The post SFP 171: How to Talk to Kids about Money [with Liz, author of Piggy Banks and Lemonade Stands] appeared first on Simple Families.

Is there such a thing as overly-responsive parenting? I believe so. Early in parenthood I found myself being a mindreader. It is important to be in tune with our kids’ needs, but we also need to give them the opportunity to step up and advocate for themselves. The post SFP 170: Overly-Responsive Parenting? appeared first on Simple Families.

Do your kids have too many toys? When it comes to toys, there is no perfect number. But in today’s episode we are talking about why children don’t need a lot of toys. Having an abundance of toys is not only unnecessary but could be harmful. We are talking about all that and more. The post SFP 169: Too Many Toys? appeared first on Simple Families.

Life gets busy. Sometimes it gets hard to make time for the simple things–like taking your kids for a walk in nature. But the value of the free and simple things should never be underestimated. Today, I’m sharing my favorite strategies for hiking with kids and the immense (yet not-so-obvious) benefits for the whole family. Show Notes/Links: Episode 90, There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather with Linda Åkeson McGurk. Tula Toddler Carrier The post SFP 168: Hiking with Kids [How + WHY] appeared first on Simple Families.

In today’s episode, we are discussing the 5 Love Languages as they pertain to children. I am joined by Diane Debrover, the Deputy Editor of Parents Magazine where we talk through each of the Love Languages and explore how they show up in children. Spoiler alert: I’ve got my reservations about the Love Language of gifts. Show Notes/Links: Article on Parents.com The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively Parents IRL The post SFP 167: The Love Languages + Children [with Diane Debrovner of Parents Magazine] appeared first on Simple Families.

Summer is supposed to be relaxing, yet I have found that this summer we’ve had a lot of transition, a lot of change, and my brain has been very busy. Therefore, today’s episode is dedicated to just that: We’re talking about the “Tip of the Iceberg” and brain busyness. The post SFP 166: The Tip of The Iceberg (Brain Busyness) appeared first on Simple Families.

Today I’m chatting with Jane Monnier about her journey towards reducing mental and physical clutter. Jane is a longtime member of the Simple Families Community. She’s also is a rocket-scientist-turned-military-wife-and-mother who has lived around the world with her family. I think you will enjoy Jane’s wisdom in this episode! (Full episode transcription below). Show Notes/Links: The Mental Unload Jane’s Website Jane on Facebook Jane on Instagram The post SFP 165: Journey to Simplicity | Jane’s Story appeared first on Simple Families.

In today’s episode, I am chatting with Rich Karlgaard, Publisher of Forbes Magazine, about his new book Late Bloomers. Rich is a self-proclaimed late bloomer. He’s sharing more of his story along with some research that will give fellow parents of late bloomers some piece of mind. Show Notes/Links The Book: Late Bloomers Rich’s Website Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset The post SFP 164: Late Bloomers [with Rich Karlgaard of Forbes Magazine] appeared first on Simple Families.

It happens. All kids will use less-than-desirable language as they are growing up. Whether its potty words or outright profanity, we all deal with this as parents. Today I’m reflecting on how we’ve been managing it in our house–including what is working and what is not working. Hi, there it's episode 163. And today we're talking about kids using bad words and not just necessarily profanity, but just undesirable words. The post SFP 163: Reflections on Bad Language + Potty Talk appeared first on Simple Families.

I recently went through and did a huge book overhaul. I got rid of all the “twaddle” in favor of prioritizing high quality, well-written children’s books. To quote today’s guest Emily Cook, “well-read children will grow into well-read adults”. In this episode, Emily and I talk about reading aloud and choosing great books for our children. Show Notes/Links: (Our new fairytale books) Atlas of Classic Tales/Atlas of Fairy Tales My Father’s Dragon Good Omen Emily’s Website: Build Your Library Emily on YouTube: Arrrgh Schooling Emily on Instagram: bylibrarycurriculum Emily on Twitter Emily’s Book: A Literary Education  The post SFP 162: Reading Aloud + Our Book Overhaul [with Emily Cook of Build Your Library] appeared first on Simple Families.

It’s officially book launch week! In today’s episode I am sharing more about the publishing process behind Simple Happy Parenting, along with my goals and hopes for the book and what exactly I am afraid of. The post SFP 161: Behind-The-Scenes appeared first on Simple Families.

There is a fine line between selfishness and selflessness in parenthood. In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Hunter Clarke-Fields of Mindful Mama Mentor. We talking about martyrdom in motherhood and how trying to be-it-all and do-it-all is not actually the best thing for kids. This is an important message for every parent. SHOW NOTES/SHOW LINKS: Facebook: Hunter Clarke-Fields, Mindful Mama Mentor Instagram: Mindful Mama Mentor Twitter: HClarkeFields Denaye’s Book: Simple Happy Parenting The post SFP 160: Selfish vs. Selfless Parenthood [with Hunter of Mindful Mama Mentor] appeared first on Simple Families.

Slow living with kids…what does that look like? Frankly, the days can feel painfully slow. But sometimes they can be delightful. What gives? Today we are talking about shifting toward a slower lifestyle and what that looks like with family life. Finding a balance between structured and unstructured family time can help us find more happiness in parenthood. Show Notes/Links: Preorder Simple Happy Parenting Claim the Preorder Bonus The post SFP 159: Slow Living with Kids: Painful or Delightful? appeared first on Simple Families.