Extremely Good Parenting

Dive a little deeper into how you spend time as a parent and how you can reduce "busy" to maximize time with your kids.

Guest, Kylie Hastings from Scribbles and Dots discusses both short-term and long-term tips for parenting your kids when your spouse is away. 

Spreading compassion in the world by raising our children to be empathetic and understand their emotions. 6 main ways you can easily teach empathy, compassion, and emotional intelligence to raise socially intelligent kids. 

Guest, Kristen Mason, from Busy Kids Happy Mom and I discuss how to teach life skills to our children and how it relates to independence and ending entitlement. From Kristen's tip to simplify family life to how her son thought the word "bored" was a bad "B" word, we discuss opening the doors to raising tiny adults in little child-size homes that nurture and foster independence. 

Because messes happen, kids have a ton of toys, and not all of us live in an HGTV dream world. So how do you teach responsibility and have fun while letting your kids learn to help with the messes?

Guest, Val from Bon Bon Break and I discuss why we shouldn't be constantly praising our kids or be too quick to say "good job". We have lots of great resources for you too and interesting topics like how parenting and narcissism can be interrelated. 

After a brief hiatus because of sick kids and unexpected travel plans, I'm back with an episode on how balance doesn't exist because you cannot give yourself equally to everyone and everything. Learn how to do this and how to create a plan. 

Paula from Beauty Through Imperfection is back (even though this was actually recorded before episode 11) and we're talking about planning for more kids in your family and what to expect when the new baby arrives. Maybe you or a friend is contemplating having another child and we chat all about this! She literally wrote the book on introducing a new baby into your family so it's a great show!

Liz from Love & Marriage Blog discusses one of her favorite subjects with me -- getting kids to sleep. She wrote the book Hacking Sleep and is passionate about helping parents get their kids to sleep better so they too can sleep better. 7:06 Liz Recommends Moms on Call to learn about sleep solutions. They also have online classes. 14:09 Foam-lined Blackout Curtains 15:40-17:00  Happy Light and Sleep/Wake Light bulbs 16:00 "OK to Wake!" Stuffed owl 18:00 Liz talks about bananas, sleep, and her bedtime popsicles 27:00 More naps = better nighttime sleep 29:20 Taming the Overly Tired Toddler Liz's Extremely Good of the Week: Dubsmash Kara's Extremely Good of the Week: Family time after a year of being away

Talking to our kids about terrorism in the world or other catastrophic events doesn't have to be scary as a parent. Easy ways to discuss terrorism, ease fears, and teach safety to young children. 

3 simple ways to set and teach positive expectations and boundaries with your children.  Read more about Parenting without saying no (more detailed) and about positive negotiating with kids. 

Guest Katie Joiner and I chat all about great ways to connect with kids and get them to really listen. From little tricks that work to understanding parent-child dynamics when communcating. 2:35 My Extremely Good of the week 6:45 Katie's Parenting Fail Story The first time mom sanctimommy referenced 19:00 Waiting until they're ready 22:40 Respecting our child's needs in the moment 24:09 Katie's "Frontloading" tip 28:15 Adapting to the day 29:01 When your child listened to you but there's a disconnect Read bonus content on extremelygoodparenting.com

A quick 14-minute episode for surviving parenthood 3:00 Scary Mommy No Our kids do not need exercise bike desks Posts mentioned on problem solving & Independence  Raising kids to problem solve so you don't have to Encouraging Independence in young kids Raising your baby to be a rational thinker 5:13 Creativity is one of the greatest assets to our kids 8:45 The dangerous aspect of problem-solving 10:03 Set them up for reality, but also to be an out-of-the-box-thinker Read more and get links in the show notes

All about teaching our children to have a broader worldview and help them care for others in everyday life.  31:50 Addressing a child's feeling of scarcity 34:55  Little kids can put stickers on food donations. 38:05 Why teaching little acts of kindness now can be so important for kids 39:05 How to get involved in your community with 1 to 3-year-olds 45:00 Hello, Wonderful Rainbow Rock Project   See the show notes post for bonus content and links!

A quick 14 minute episode for surviving parenthood 1:07 My Extremely Good of the week 3:05 What really is communication? 6:25 Why looking eye-to-eye is important 9:15 Detailed explanation of learning styles in communication. Communicating through your child's learning style Tips for communicating to toddlers Read more

Episode 3 resources and affiliate links: Her book, Sensory Processing 101 Explore her Sensory Shop, Project Sensory 10 tips for parents of anxious children Her new class, Calm the Chaos – Secrets to Calming an Anxious Child Essential Oils for Sensory Needs Weighted Blanket Check out even more tips and tips on the meltdown show notes post!

This is a 10-15 minute "Surviving Parenthood Episode" Communicating through your child's learning style Tips for communicating to toddlers

  Amanda & I discuss strategies to make it through tough days, how to work through our struggles, and more. Mama's Anger Management Class A guide to stop yelling at your kids Getting out of the Mom Funk Countering every bad with 5 "goods"  TED Talks, getting stuck in the negative Read more and find 5 questions to address when the weight of parenthood is overwhelming in the show notes link.