Calm the Chaos Parenting

Latest Episodes:

Peaceful Parenting for Complex Kids with Sarah Rosensweet Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

EPISODE 27: Ever felt like you're ticking all the right boxes in parenting, staying calm, connecting with your child, and yet, your child seems to be that 'exception'? If that's ringing any bells, you're in for a treat with today's podcast!

Today, we dig into the world of peaceful parenting tailored for complex kids with Sarah Rosensweet, a certified coach, speaker, and the founder of Reimagine Peaceful Parenting.

She defines peaceful parenting as a non-punitive, connection-based approach that uses firm limits with lots of empathy. Sarah works one-on-one virtually with parents all over the world to help them go from frustrated and overwhelmed to, “We’ve got this!”

She also has an amazing Summit coming up soon, where she has brought together experts from around the world (including yours truly), all focused on parenting complex kids.

She has been asking them all sorts of questions and getting tips and techniques that could help parents have a better relationship with these kids.

Join us in this episode as Sarah shares the gems from her expert talks, dives into the core of peaceful parenting, and uncovers why it might not click with some kids all through our You-CUE framework.

Ready to reimagine a world where parenting is without punishments or rewards, tailored perfectly for your unique child?

Tune in now!

Key Takeaways:

Intro (00:00)
Who is Sarah Rosensweet (01:06)
What is peaceful parenting? (02:28)
What do we mean by 'complex kids'? (05:20)
When peaceful parenting is not enough (09:51)
Mindset shift: Your kid wants to be good (13:52)
You-CUE framework of peaceful parenting (16:51)
Connection - Bonding with hard-to-connect children (20:21)
Understanding - Science behind the struggles (31:22)
Empowering - Ways parents can work with kids (38:00)
One thing struggling parents need to hear (42:37)
How to connect with Sarah and get a free ticket for her summit (46:50)

Additional resources:

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Get your free ticket for the Flourish With Your Complex Child summit

🎙️ Check out Sarah’s The Peaceful Parenting Podcast

- - -

📖 Get your copy of Calm The Chaos Book

✨ Hear the Success Stories

🔍 Check out my website

👉 Check out my YouTube channel

Connect with me on social media:

🔹 TikTok

🔹 Instagram

🔹 Facebook

Calm the Chaos Parenting is a podcast offering parents practical tools and strategies to navigate the challenges of raising strong-willed, highly sensitive, and neurodivergent children.

🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!

Self-Harm with Amanda and Marc Ferraro (TW) Oct 03, 2023

Show notes

EPISODE 26:

TRIGGER WARNING: Today's topic covers self-harm.

In this episode, we are diving into a topic that many parents face, yet few openly talk about: self-harm.

We'll be hearing from a family who experienced this challenge firsthand. They'll share how they addressed this dangerous and frightening situation and where they stand today.

Let's welcome Amanda and Marc Ferraro. This brave couple reached out to Calm the Chaos after discovering their daughter's self-harm behaviors. Understandably, they were terrified.

Imagine watching your child hurt, praying things don't escalate while scrambling to figure out how to support them best… Beyond tough. For a while, their daughter masked her pain, wearing long sleeves even on warm days – an unmistakable sign she was in a dark place.

With guidance from Calm the Chaos, Amanda and Marc learned the importance of patience and allowing their daughter to open up at her own pace.

This trust-building eventually paved the way for her to see a doctor, begin therapy, use therapeutic cream for her injuries, and eventually return to school - a huge step forward.

So, if you're looking for more information on this topic, either for yourself or for your children, I encourage you to tune in today. We'll discuss the steps to take after discovering a child's self-harm and where to find support.

I promise this episode will offer hope.

Join us.

Key Takeaways:

Intro (00:00)
No one is talking about self-harm (01:14)
Meet Amanda and Marc’s family (06:01)
When they realized their daughter was struggling with self-harm… (07:10)
What the parents tried before they discovered Calm the Chaos (09:25)
The first couple of CTC steps (12:57)
How Amanda and Marc’s expectations of their children have shifted (21:15)
Anxiety and self-advocacy in middle school (24:08)
Stop, Breathe, Anchor - a simple thing that is hard to do (29:34)
Advice to parents concerned about their kid’s self-harming behaviors (36:53)
Resources for parents discovering their child’s self-harming behaviors (39:55)
CTC helps Marc at his work, too (45:09)
Let us help you (46:32)

Additional resources:

Suicide hotlines:

☎️ 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

☎️ Crisis Text Line for Self-Harm

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➡️ Sign up for the FREE workshop 7 Days To Less Chaos

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📖 Get your copy of Calm The Chaos Book

✨ Hear the Success Stories

🔍 Check out my website

👉 Check out my YouTube channel

- - -

Connect with me on social media:

🔹 TikTok

🔹 Instagram

🔹 Facebook

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Calm the Chaos Parenting is a podcast offering parents practical tools and strategies to navigate the challenges of raising strong-willed, highly sensitive, and neurodivergent children.

🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!

Autism, PDA, and Meltdowns with Rachel Le Sep 26, 2023

Show notes

EPISODE 25: Ever felt like your life is at the bottom of the barrel, thinking things couldn't get any worse? And around every turn, it just feels like more challenges are coming up, especially when it comes to your kids’ behaviors.

Ever felt stuck, as if each day was an uphill battle, sinking to an all-time low and struggling in pretty much every aspect:

at school
around your house
in getting your kids to listen

If that's you, then you're going to absolutely love this week's episode. I have a guest who's been there, felt that - much like many of us. She will share how she climbed out of that abyss and found both hope and a way forward.

Meet Rachel Le, an inspiring voice from Ottawa, Canada, a mother of three superkids aged 11, 8, and 6. She isn't just an ordinary parent - she's autistic, raising three neurodivergent children, one of them being nonverbal.

Rachel received a late diagnosis and was officially recognized as autistic about a year and a half ago. She also believes she aligns with the PDA profile of autism (even though it's not yet part of the DSM).

In our heart-to-heart conversation, Rachel opens up about her and her kids’ diagnoses, their overwhelming journey, and the ray of hope she found using the Calm the Chaos principles.

Don't miss this episode - it’s truly a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

Let’s dive in!

Key Takeaways:

Intro (00:00)
Who is Rachel (01:17)
Understanding “superkids” and the “superpower swap” concept (03:57)
What was life like in Rachel’s home before finding Calm the Chaos (09:29)
Rachel’s CTC emergency plans (15:13)
Where is Rachel's family at now? (20:40)
Managing PDA behavior in children and adults (25:58)
Rachel started making plans for herself (31:15)
Rachel’s message to struggling parents (38:17)

Additional resources:

📖 Get your copy of Calm The Chaos Book

✨ Hear the Success Stories

🔍 Check out my website

👉 Check out my YouTube channel

Connect with me on social media:

🔹 TikTok

🔹 Instagram

🔹 Facebook

Calm the Chaos Parenting is a podcast offering parents practical tools and strategies to navigate the challenges of raising strong-willed, highly sensitive, and neurodivergent children.

🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!

How to Connect With and Empower Foster and Adoptive Children Sep 19, 2023

Show notes

EPISODE 24: Joining me on this podcast episode is Jenifer Beaney - a CTC community member and a mom of four who is going to talk about her adopted 16-year-old daughter, the tough times they had at first, and how she turned it around.

Before joining Jen's family, her daughter was tagged "challenging" so many times, and the people in her life just gave up on her. In just eight years, she’d been shifted through 12 placements. (Imagine how challenging that must've been, even for an adult.)

She was described as more challenging than any other kid: way off track, too much to handle, a lost cause, you name it. And that came from the professionals in the system that was meant to help her.

But where others gave up and turned their back, Jen was all in. She accepted the challenge and tried a different approach - the Calm the Chaos way.

And guess what? It worked!

Jen got through to this child, helping her feel seen, heard, and understood without trying to change who she was.

Now, this teen is successfully balancing both high school and a Community College Cosmetology course. And only 9 months ago, she'd been kicked out of school.

Want to hear how Jen and her daughter transformed from being near strangers - with the kid only communicating through screams - to a deeply connected parent-teen duo? Dive into this episode.

Her daughter recently said: "Mom, thanks for giving me a voice." That's where their journey led. Bet you'd love to hear the whole story.

Tune in now!

Key Takeaways:

Intro (00:00)
The challenge of calling kids challenging (01:17)
How Jen adopted her daughter (07:04)
Jen’s daughter was written off by the social worker (10:54)
A CTC plan that made a big difference (16:04)
Special moments of connection (22:40)
What to do when they can't/won’t tell you what's wrong or blame you (26:03)
Removing consequences and punishments (30:34)
Jen’s takeaway for a parent who has a foster or newly adopted child (36:19)
Forgetting structure and rules FOR NOW (39:40)
Do not ask them to share their story (43:56)
Jen’s favorite resource for parenting foster or adoptive children (45:58)

Additional resources:

📖 Get your copy of Calm The Chaos Book

✨ Hear the Success Stories

🔍 Check out my website

👉 Check out my YouTube channel

Connect with me on social media:

🔹 TikTok

🔹 Instagram

🔹 Facebook

Calm the Chaos Parenting is a podcast offering parents practical tools and strategies to navigate the challenges of raising strong-willed, highly sensitive, and neurodivergent children.

🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!

How ‘Calm the Chaos’ Became My Lifeline when Parenting Teens w/ Danielle Rossi Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

EPISODE 23: We’ve all heard the horrendous stories of drugs, sex, truancy, friendship drama, and urgh homework, not to mention modern society's constant barrage of social media, influencers, and YouTubers.

I’m not sure there is a parent out there who feels confident, let alone excited, about the teenage years.

That's precisely why today's podcast episode is so special. Joining us is Danielle Rossi, an Australian mom of three teenagers who was grappling with some alarming situations with her teens.

Think school suspensions, drug issues, risky behaviors, police run-ins, and deep-seated emotional struggles, including self-harm and anxiety. It was a period full of slamming doors, constant yelling, and family members avoiding each other.

Things were really going to hell in a handbasket until she discovered Calm the Chaos four years ago.

Fast forward to today, things couldn’t be more different in Danielle’s family. They are comfortable just being in the same space, they trust each other, they have each other's backs, they are a true family team now.

Danielle's home now feels warm and inviting, something she never thought her family would experience.

The turning point came when she discovered the Calm the Chaos program - especially its You-CUE framework.

In this episode, Danielle opens up about how she just couldn’t think when emergencies happened until she had just the 4 simple steps of the You-CUE to get her through the hardest parenting times (and believe me, she had a fair share of them).

For all of you feeling like you are drowning in the chaos of parenting teens, this Danielle Rossi interview is a lighthouse.

You'll not only find comfort in knowing you're not alone but also gain practical insights into employing the You-CUE framework through the toughest years of raising your teenagers.

Let’s dive in!

Key Takeaways:

Danielle - a mom of three teenagers (00:00)
Being alone while navigating teen struggles (02:54)
Using the You-CUE framework to cope with stressful situations with teenagers (07:37)
You (10:11)
Connection (14:47)
Understanding (19:54)
Empowerment (25:56)
What is Danielle’s life like after 4 years of using Calm the Chaos (28:56)
Advice for parents who are worried about their teenagers (31:39)

Additional resources:

📖 Get your copy of Calm The Chaos Book

✨ Hear the Success Stories

🔍 Check out my website

👉 Check out my YouTube channel

Connect with me on social media:

🔹 TikTok

🔹 Instagram

🔹 Facebook

Calm the Chaos Parenting is a podcast offering parents practical tools and strategies to navigate the challenges of raising strong-willed, highly sensitive, and neurodivergent children.

🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!

Make Electronics Your Kids' Ally, Not Enemy w/ Susan Stiffelman Sep 06, 2023

Show notes

EPISODE 22: When I ask my communities what is your #1 biggest struggle, guess what I hear a lot?

“Electronic battles”

“Sneaking Electronics”

“My kid’s addicted to their screen!”

“Getting my kid to get off electronics.”

Sound familiar? Trust me, you're not alone. All of us in this digital age ask ourselves:

How much is too much?

What's age-appropriate?

Is screen time harming my child's brain?

So this week, I've got someone who can help us navigate these murky waters. I'm absolutely thrilled to introduce Susan Stiffelman as my guest for this episode.

I can say that Susan is actually the superhero of the parenting world. She's been a family therapist for more than 35 years, and before that, she worked as a teacher. So, she has spent her entire life working with kids.

Susan is the author of the book and podcast “Parenting Without Power Struggles.” She also authored “Parenting With Presence.”

Susan is on a mission to help parents break free from old, ineffective parenting patterns.

In this conversation, we're diving deep into the complexities of parenting in the electronic age.

We'll explore our own beliefs around electronics, delve into the brain science behind screen time, and provide the key to getting your kids off screens. Plus, we'll discuss how electronics aren’t always the enemy (especially for neurodivergent kids) by turning them into a tool.

So don't miss out on this opportunity to learn how to be "the captain of your ship" while also staying compassionate and in tune with your children's needs.

Join us now!

Key Takeaways:

Intro (00:00)
Who is Susan Stiffelman (02:09)
Helping parents be the captain of the ship (03:48)
Using screen time to help kids regulate (09:49)
Staying connected with kids while navigating technology (15:44)
Understanding why kids are drawn to electronics and why parents worry (19:33)
How electronics can be used as a tool (24:14)
The one thing parents can do to offset technology’s impact on kids (27:28)
Tech-Wise Parenting Summit (30:39)

Additional resources:

- - -

📖 Get your copy of Calm The Chaos Book

✨ Hear the Success Stories

🔍 Check out my website

👉 Check out my YouTube channel

Connect with me on social media:

🔹 TikTok

🔹 Instagram

🔹 Facebook

Calm the Chaos Parenting is a podcast offering parents practical tools and strategies to navigate the challenges of raising strong-willed, highly sensitive, and neurodivergent children.

🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!

Why You Feel STUCK and How to Break Free (Science of Stuck w/ Britt Frank) Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

EPISODE 21: Do you feel like you’re trapped in a loop? Yelling at your kids, fighting with your spouse, and struggling to breathe under the overwhelming weight of daily chaos?

Constantly wondering, "Why am I like this?" or "Am I broken?"

Trust me, we've all been there.

We get trapped in these ruts of doubt, self-blame, shame, and not-enoughness, not only in parenting but in many other parts of our lives.

But I have good news. It’s not because you’re lazy or not trying hard enough. And there’s nothing wrong with you.

How can I be so sure?

Well, I have a science-backed confirmation from today’s incredibly special guest:

Britt Frank, author of The Science of Stuck: Breaking Through Inertia to Find Your Path Forward. (Her book is a beacon for all of us who've felt paralyzed in any aspect of our lives.)

She's not just a licensed psychotherapist and trauma expert - she's lived through the struggles herself.

Joking that she’s “just a recovering disaster of a human being” with a long list of DSM diagnoses, she shares that she’s overcome drug addiction, eating disorders, childhood trauma, and other personal traumas.

Britt has been on both sides of the couch, and she definitely gets how it feels like to be a hot mess sometimes. And in this episode, she’ll be talking about the science behind why we get stuck and how to break free.

So, if you need a change, a fresh perspective, or an explanation for why you’re stuck in procrastination, anxiety, self-doubt, ruminating thoughts, and more, tune in.

I promise, by the end of our chat, you'll love Britt just as much as I do.

Join us!

Key Takeaways:

Intro (00:00)
Who is Britt Frank? (01:32)
Why Britt wrote The Science of Stuck (03:21)
Anxiety is not an attack but a signal (05:59)
The benefits of staying stuck (12:44)
Nothing is wrong with you (16:27)
Britt’s message for parents who are stuck? (18:48)
Where can you find Britt Frank (24:33)

Additional resources:

👉 Check out Britt’s website

👉 Connect with Britt on Instagram

- - -

📖 Get your copy of Calm The Chaos Book

✨ Hear the Success Stories

🔍 Check out my website

👉 Check out my YouTube channel

Connect with me on social media:

🔹 TikTok

🔹 Instagram

🔹 Facebook

Calm the Chaos Parenting is a podcast offering parents practical tools and strategies to navigate the challenges of raising strong-willed, highly sensitive, and neurodivergent children.

🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!

From “Failing” as Parents to Thriving with Super Kids - Calm the Chaos Success Stories Aug 22, 2023

Show notes

EPISODE 20: This week, my dream came true.

All I’ve wanted since starting my blog a decade ago is to help as many parents like me, parents who were feeling helpless and hopeless, to feel less alone. To show them that there is a way out.

And this week, My "Calm the Chaos" book hit the shelves and I know it can do just that.

Because the framework has already helped hundreds of thousands of parents, move past struggles with their challenging kids and begin to thrive as families.

This week's podcast episode features some of those amazing parents. These are firsthand accounts of how they transformed their families using their unique 4-step You-CUE plans, addressing challenges that left even experts saying, "We can't help you - good luck with this."

You'll get insight into real-life experiences of moms who used the Calm the Chaos system to:

Transform the way they interacted with their kids
Totally reinterpret their children’s screen time
Manage constant meltdowns
Overcome the turmoil left in the wake of a husband's sudden departure and the loss of all income
Put an end to sibling fights
Find hope in a previously overwhelming family life

Join us and find out how to fall in love with your super kid again!

Key Takeaways:

Intro (00:00)
Jen’s story: Electronics as a tool, not a torment (03:32)
Ashley’s story: “I used to try to control my kids” (14:26)
Angela’s story: “We lived in pure chaos just a year ago” (25:41)
Experts gave up, but Leslie didn’t - a single mom’s story (34:50)
Nicollete’s story: How I fell in love with my super kid again (45:07)
You are not alone now (54:03)

Additional resources:

🔴 Join Calm the Chaos Live - happening on August 26th!

📖 Get your copy of Calm The Chaos Book

✨ Hear the Success Stories

🔍 Check out my website

👉 Check out my YouTube channel

Connect with me on social media:

🔹 TikTok

🔹 Instagram

🔹 Facebook

Calm the Chaos Parenting is a podcast offering parents practical tools and strategies to navigate the challenges of raising strong-willed, highly sensitive, and neurodivergent children.

🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!

Simple Roadmap to Parenting Even the Most Challenging Kids Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

📖 Get your copy of Calm The Chaos Book!

EPISODE 19: It’s here! Today is the day we’ve been waiting for!!

Calm the Chaos book is finally out in the wild after four long years in the making.

And I can tell you, we’re all in a party mood here.

Instead of doing our regular scheduled podcast episode, we want to step back and celebrate, not just our journey but the amazing journey of all the thousands of families whose stories form the basis of this book. And to see all of the lessons we’ve learned come to life in the form of a book, it feels so surreal!

In today’s episode, we’ll get into the behind-the-scenes (or pages) of the Calm the Chaos book.

Jason and I share the big “why” behind this book, how it came to be and who we wrote this for.

You see for years, people have said there is no manual for parenting. Now, we’re proud to say that there is–Calm the Chaos is the manual we’ve all been looking for.

Now let’s peel back the pages of this book and discover why you should get yourself a copy of Calm the Chaos.

Tune in now!

Key Takeaways:

Intro (00:00)
It's finally out! (01:07)
Making Calm the Chaos book accessible (05:14)
The four key steps to approachable parenting (09:25)
Stages in making Calm the Chaos book (13:06)
Why we wrote this book (19:51)
Who this book is for (22:49)
My inspiration ground (29:46)
What moves me (32:06)
Why do you need to get a copy of this book (38:45)
Final message to parents and caregivers (40:36)

Additional resources:

✨ Hear the Success Stories

🔍 Check out my website

👉 Check out my YouTube channel

Connect with me on social media:

🔹 TikTok

🔹 Instagram

🔹 Facebook

Calm the Chaos Parenting is a podcast offering parents practical tools and strategies to navigate the challenges of raising strong-willed, highly sensitive, and neurodivergent children.

🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!

21 Expert Tips for Parents Who Are Barely Surviving the Chaos Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

EPISODE 18: Ever wished you could go back and talk to your younger self and tell them everything you wish you’d known?

Well, in this week's podcast, we’re going to do just that.

In it, we asked 21 parenting experts the same question:

What message do you have for parents who are struggling, who are where you were at the start of your journey?

Because parenting is hard. And sometimes, it can feel like we can barely keep our head above water.

These experts are here to offer you a life raft so you can go from barely surviving the storm to thriving.

Listen in to learn more.

Key Takeaways:

Intro (00:00)
The magic of letting go with Amanda Diekman (03:17)
You're not failing with Alyssa Blask Campbell (04:58)
Understanding the executive function with Seth Perler (06:13)
The five core principles with Aliza Pressman (08:32)
Know less with Cathy Cassani Adams (10:25)
What is our role as parents with Penny Williams (12:45)
Behavior as a cue or glue with Robyn Gobbel (14:40)
Embrace the temporariness with Vanessa Kroll Bennett (16:42)
Don't get mad. Get Curious with Sarah R. Moore (17:42)
“How do I be when...” with Dr. Vanessa Lapointe (18:49)
What is self-compassion with Mona Delahooke (19:47)
You are enough with Debbie Reber (20:30)
Be empathetic with JoAnn Crohn (21:17)
The world of mindfulness with Hunter Clarke-Fields (22:44)
Drop the what-ifs with Amanda Morin (23:40)
Be compassionate with Sarah Rosensweet (24:34)
Disability is not an emergency with Meghan Ashburn (25:36)
You're not alone with Heidi Mavir (27:12)
Comfort can be quiet with Katie Hurley (28:56)
Be a coach and mentor to your kids with Debbie Steinberg Kuntz (29:52)
You can with Colleen Kessler (32:02)

Additional resources:

📖 Pre-order your copy of Calm The Chaos Book

🔍 Check out the Expert Secrets

👉 Check out my YouTube channel

Connect with me on social media:

🔹 TikTok

🔹 Instagram

🔹 Facebook

Calm the Chaos Parenting is a podcast offering parents practical tools and strategies to navigate the challenges of raising strong-willed, highly sensitive, and neurodivergent children.

🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!

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