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

Parenthood is notoriously associated with sleep deprivation. Good sleep goes beyond just getting kids to sleep through the night. Do any of these things resonate with you? At the end of a long day you desperately need sleep, but you can’t put your Instagram/Netflix away. You drink coffee to wake you up in the morning and wine to help you go to sleep at night. You wake up in the middle of the night with a to-do list a mile long. You are so incredibly exhausted but yet you can’t fall asleep. Getting a good night sleep is important for your physical health and mental health. But it’s also important for the well-being of your family. Because if you are tired and irritable, you may struggle to be calm, present, and mindful with your children and spouse. In today’s episode, I talk with Dr. Janet Kennedy, the NYC Sleep Doctor. Dr. Kennedy and l discuss the barriers to being well-rested as a parent and tips for improving your sleep hygiene You can get Dr. Kennedy’s book here, or visit her at NYC Sleep Doctor.

Stress and overwhelm are an epidemic in childhood–which means mindfulness for kids has become essential. As adults, many (if not most) of us carry significant amounts of stress and overwhelm on a daily basis. It has become so ingrained into our society and culture that we have normalized it as a part of who we are as individuals. Even if “stressed out and anxious” is normal for you–you need to consider the effect that it has on your children. Stress impacts our children twofold: (1) they are impacted by the stress levels of their parents and (2) they are impacted by their own personal stress encountered in daily life. In today’s podcast episode I am speaking with Jessica Knopke about teaching mindfulness to kids. Jessica is an Occupational Therapist and Yoga Teacher who has dedicated her career to bringing calm and intentional movement to childhood. She is also the founder of Lily Pad Yoga, a yoga center and Youtube channel which brings movement and breath to children. In our chat, Jessica shares more ab

In today’s episode, I am sharing some simple (yet exciting) changes coming to the podcast and the Simple Families Community. Listen in to hear more, and click here to join the conversation for this month. The post SFP 96: Simple Families in March appeared first on Simple Families.

In today’s episode I am sharing more about what my typical day looks like. Like many women, I am always seeking to find a balance between having a career and spending quality time with my family. I am the primary caregiver for my 1-year-old and 4-year-old, but I also balance working from home as well. My days are full, but I don’t feel overwhelmed and busy. In today’s glimpse, I am sharing the balance that’s working for me right now. How do you balance work and family life? [Also, starting today you can sign up for the free Mindfulness program I am running for the month of March. We will dive deeper into finding peace, happiness, and mindfulness with family. I hope to get to know you better. Please join us!] The post SFP 95: A Day in Denaye’s Life appeared first on Simple Families.

Traveling with kids can be intimidating and even downright scary. But it’s also rewarding. In today’s episode, I have a special treat. I am chatting with my best friend and travel-with-kids-guru Amanda about adventuring both in and out of the country as  a family. Amanda and her family were recently in Hawaii for the false missile alert. She’s also been hospitalized while traveling on more than one occasion–but she doesn’t let any of this slow her down. In fact, we are preparing to head out on a joint international family adventure soon. In this interview we’ll talk about our upcoming trip to an unlikely destination, packing light, dealing with kiddie jet lag, and the importance of planning less for these types of adventures. Want to see my minimalist packing video? The post SFP 94: The How + Why of Traveling with Kids [with Amanda, my best friend and travel guru] appeared first on Simple Families.

In today’s episode, I talk with Carla Hannaford, world-renowned biologist and outdoor advocate, about her studies on the connection between movement and brain development. If you are brand new to learning about brain development, tune into episode 92 for a simple, quick overview before diving into this one. The post SFP 93: The Science Behind Outdoor Play + Movement [with Carla Hannaford PhD] appeared first on Simple Families.

In today’s world of baby gadgets and excitement around milestones, many babies are skipping the crawling stage and going straight to walking. But is this actually a good thing? In today’s episode, I discuss why crawling is important to development [and also give a preview of what’s to come for episode 93.] The post SFP 92: Why do babies need to crawl? appeared first on Simple Families.

There are so many children’s books out there, how do you choose what to include in your home library? In today’s episode, we talk about why not every classic makes the cut in our family and what I look for in both new and classic storybooks. The post SFP 91: How do you choose children’s books? appeared first on Simple Families.

There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes. Today, Swedish mother Linda Akeson McGurk joins us to talk about raising our kids to be more connected with nature. Linda’s new book is one of my favorites–and her blog, Rain or Shine Mamma, is a worth-while resource as well. I hope you enjoy this episode! The post SFP 90: There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather [with Linda from Rain or Shine Mamma] appeared first on Simple Families.

This week, I am excited to be talking on the podcast with Courtney Carver from Be More With Less. On the blog and podcast, I frequently discuss the “how” of minimalism. But in this episode, Courtney takes us one step further. She explains why simple living is good for your heart, family, and future. I just wrapped up Courtney’s brand new book, Soulful Simplicity: How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More. Courtney shares her story in moving from a stressed out, cluttered life to minimalism as a result of a devastating diagnosis. Her story is beautifully written–it will both lift you up and bring you to tears–I am not sure if I can say I have ever cried about someone else’s dog dying–but now I have. Here’s quick excerpt from Soulful Simplicity that spoke to me: I’m confident that because I got lost, disconnected, and turned upside down, I was able to come out even better on the other side and experience the kind of gratitude you just can’t tap into unless you know what it’s like to live outside of your

We need to respect our children and their desires–but we can also help to steer them to buy more intentionally. In today’s episode we discuss how to get older children on board with simplicity using 3 simple questions.   The post SFP 88: How can I get older kids into simplifying? appeared first on Simple Families.

Fitness and nutrition are on the minds of many at the beginning of a New Year. As we transition into motherhood, our bodies change. I know for me personally, the way I view my body changed after babies. But the way I use my body changed also. Fitness in motherhood is about more than just looking good, it’s about being strong. When we are strong it helps us to be the calm, present, engaged parent that our kids need. In today’s podcast episode, I chat with Cari Oschman from Fit Mama in 30. Cari is a fitness expert and mother of two young children. Cari and I dove deeper into a topic of which she’s well versed–fitness in motherhood. We discuss the following questions: How does motherhood change our body image and the way we view ourselves? How can we inspire fitness and wellness in our families? Why do we need to be fit as mothers? Click here to learn more about Fit Mama in 30 and sign up for the Free 7 Day Program. Follow on Facebook | Instagram. The post SFP 87: Simple Fitness in Motherhood [with Ca

Is your holiday season feeling busy? In today’s episode we talk about how to find calm this holiday season–including tips to keep it simple. How to combat busyness? How to minimize decorating? How to drop the guilt? How to decrease the sugar? How to create traditions? The post SFP 86: How do you move toward a calm, simple holiday season? appeared first on Simple Families.

In today’s episode I have an interview with Megan Lyons from The Lyon’s Share Wellness (Facebook | Instagram). Megan is a health and wellness coach based in Dallas, Texas and provides services worldwide. In our chat today, we talk all about sugar. She answered several of my questions such as: Is there such thing as a sweet tooth? How can we create holiday traditions that revolve around something other than candy and desserts? How can we make sense of the many types of “sugar” alternatives on the market today. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Megans book: Start Here: 7 Easy, Diet-Free Steps to Achieve Your Ultimate Health and Happiness. (Affiliate Link) Holiday Webinar My Experience With Food Intolerance Testing The post SFP 85: All About Sugar [with Megan from The Lyons Share Wellness] appeared first on Simple Families.

Potty training regression is discouraging and frustrating. In today’s episode we discuss how to handle a situation when a child suddenly starts having accidents after they’ve been successfully potty trained. Suggested Book: Oh Crap! The post SFP 84: How should I handle potty training regression? appeared first on Simple Families.

Early risers can leave moms and dads feeling exhausted and irritable. In today’s episode we talk about how we can survive this common stage, especially with little ones who still require some supervision. Suggested: Ok to Wake Clock + Visual Timer The post SFP 83: How can I handle an early riser? appeared first on Simple Families.

Dealing with a child that whines and complains a lot is draining. In today’s episode we talk about how we can help model the kind of attitudes we want to see in our children, along with how to validate their feelings without encouraging the unwanted behavior. The post SFP 82: How do you handle whining/complaining? appeared first on Simple Families.

Starting solids with your baby can be intimidating, especially when you add in the worry of choking. In today’s episode we talk about baby led weaning and how you can tell if your baby is just gagging (and why that’s totally normal) versus choking. The post SFP 81: I am terrified that my kid will choke, what should I do? appeared first on Simple Families.

Most babies go through a stage with separation anxiety. Even though it’s a normal development stage, it can be hard on both mom and baby. In today’s episode, we discuss how to handle a clingy baby and still get the things we need to do done. The post SFP 80: How should I handle a clingy baby? appeared first on Simple Families.

The mental load in motherhood is overwhelming. In today’s special episode, we are discussing why this matters and what we can do about it. Denaye also introduces a simple, 4-step plan to begin peeling back the layers. Want to starting unpacking the mental load together, join us! The post SFP 79: SPECIAL EPISODE: How can I reduce the mental load? appeared first on Simple Families.