Exceptional Parenting Podcast

Latest Episodes:

EPP 040 One Simple, Science Backed Tip to Taming Tantrums Jul 10, 2019

Show notes

In the middle of a meltdown, when your ears are about to burst, and your patience is worn thin, it's hard to know what to do.

Sure, people can tell you to "be firm" but that just ends in a massive power struggle.

Others can tell you to "validate their feelings" but that doesn't even get heard sometimes. So what can be done in those crazy, exhausting moments when all emotions are running high?

Lauren Tamm from https://themilitarywifeandmom.com shares with us one simple and science-backed tip that can definitely help in those stressful moments.

In this episode, you'll learn:

* why it doesn't work to talk calmly in heated moments

* how to use tantrums/meltdowns/whining for good

* why ignoring the whining won't work in the long term

EPP 039 Encouraging Creativity With Kids Who Don't Feel Creative Jul 03, 2019

Show notes

I never learned how to cultivate creativity in my own kids, and most parents find themselves in the same boat as me. But, it's something I feel is so important to my kids' development and future success, so this episode is one I've found to be super helpful.

In this episode, Jean Van't Hul talks about how to foster creativity in kids...not only through art, but also through daily life.

Jean outlines 3 common but unintentional ways parents can dampen their kids creativity by doing any of these things;

Overscheduling
Using coloring books
Asking kids to explain their creations

I've found myself doing so many of those and now I can see how they are working against my kids' natural sense of creativity. So, in the episode you'll learn how to shift those habits and turn them into more productive practices for you and your kids.

EPP 038 What to Do When Your Partner Disagrees With Your Parenting Jun 26, 2019

Show notes

"How do I get my partner on board if he says I'm just being a pushover?"

"How can I get my partner to see that yelling or spanking isn't helping?"

Changing the ways we parent is a process and can be hard when we feel like we are doing it alone, or if we are being judged for it.

In this candid episode, I'm opening up about the differences between my husband and I when it comes to our parenting ideas. Spoiler alert, we don't always agree.

When this is the case in your home I have three ideas for you to try out, to see how they work for you. It all centers around the idea that we first have to change the question we ask to "what to do when my partner doesn't agree with my parenting. The answers are all based on these three ideas:

1. Agree on the outcome, not the process

2. Lead by example

3. You do you

EPP 037 How to Help Your Child Find and Develop Their Best Self Jun 19, 2019

Show notes

We hear it all the time "living their best life" but what does that really mean and how do we really help kids to live their best lives?

Laura Earnshaw of MyHappyMind (https://myhappymind.org/) is on the podcast today helping us to not just say the words, but truly help our kids understand and become their best selves.

In this episode you'll learn;

How as parents we can retrain our own brains to focus on their character rather than their achievements
How this builds their self-esteem and resilience
How to help a child develop a new character trait
How to decrease sibling rivalry by helping kids understand and celebrate the character differences within a family
How to help our kids not be defined or bothered by society's measure of "success"

You can find Laura at https://myhappymind.org/ and on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/myhappymind/

EPP 036 Managing Big Feelings in the Best Way Possible Jun 12, 2019

Show notes

We all want our kids to grow into well rounded and emotionally stable people, but when it comes to the daily meltdowns, tantrums, and whining we face, sometimes it's hard to know how that will happen.

Here in this episode Ty Aller, a licensed Marriage and family therapist explains the best practices for supporting healthy social-emotional growth by doing something that may seem counter-cultural, but is absolutely supported by research and practice.

In this episode you'll learn;

How emotions are indicators to be aware of things we need to know
How to integrate mindfulness and practice into daily routines to help us and our kids better understand our emotions
Why it's best not to label emotions as "good or bad"
How to sit with emotions more easily (both our own and our kids')

EPP 035 How to Feel Like a More Patient Mom Jun 05, 2019

Show notes

Knowing how to react when our kids act out and wondering if it's even possible to go a day without losing our patience is HARD! There are so many different ideas about what moms should do in those situations, but Lisa Andersen from thriving motherhood takes a countercultural approach that involves letting go.

In this episode you'll learn;

How to really feel like a more patient mom who yells less
How to still have expectations and boundaries without feeling like it's a struggle to get your kids to respect them
How to teach your kids to respect you (without using punishment)
How to teach kids to respect each other (sibling rivalry happens to everyone)
The STEAR process Lisa developed to help any mom respond in more helpful and less reactive ways

EPP 034 Two Personal Stories I'm Scared To Share With You May 29, 2019

Show notes

Cleaning my son's room I noticed a whiteboard we had bought him for car trips. I picked it up to put it away and saw written on it something that stopped me in my tracks.

The words there brought back memories of my older sister who, after battling an unseen mental illness of depression or bipolar or something that went undiagnosed, ended her suffering by taking her own life at the age of 24.

Since then I've always wondered if there were signs I missed. Had she reached out? Did I just not see it? Was I too busy with my own life that I couldn't hear what she wasn't saying through her words?

Looking back now, with what I know, there were a lot of cries for help.

Both my son and my sister had called out for help many times, but I had missed it. Since then, I've changed the way I show up for those around me, to support them, and be in a position to hear what they might not be saying through their words.

In this episode, you'll learn the three things I've changed that help me be more aware, more present, and more sensitive to any call for help.

EPP 033 Raising Kids Who Listen Part 2 May 22, 2019

Show notes

Raising kids who listen, respect others, and don't talk back isn't an easy job. Especially for anyone who grew up in an authoritarian home where it was expected that kids "do what they are told" without question "or else..." So how does a mom integrate positive parenting strategies with the rules and expectations for helping out around the house without having to yell, bribe, or beg? It starts with three small changes I share here. In part 1, episode 22 you learned: -why your kid isn't listening -how to talk so your kid will listen without having to yell -the one small change you can make today to encourage your kid to be more cooperative In this episode, part 2, you will learn: -what to do when your kid says no -how to say no without it ending in a meltdown -how to teach your child to be respectful, and know when to say no, and when not to

EPP 032 Raising Kids Who Listen Part 1 May 15, 2019

Show notes

Raising kids who listen, respect others, and don't talk back isn't an easy job. Especially for anyone who grew up in an authoritarian home where it was expected that kids "do what they are told" without question "or else..." So how does a mom integrate positive parenting strategies with the rules and expectations for helping out around the house without having to yell, bribe, or beg? It starts with three small changes I share here. In this episode, you will learn -why your kid isn't listening -how to talk so your kid will listen without having to yell -the one small change you can make today to encourage your kid to be more cooperative In episode 33 you'll get part 2 of this workshop which will show you -what to do when your kid says no -how to say no without it ending in a meltdown -how to teach your child to be respectful, and know when to say no, and when not to

EPP 031 Popular Parenting Myths Debunked May 08, 2019

Show notes

There are likely millions of different parenting practices out there. Different authors, coaches, mentors, and experts all laying out strategies, and tactics for "getting kids to behave"

Some of the more popular strategies include "ignoring junk behavior" and "praising positive behavior." Coaches are calling these positive parenting practices, stating that these two strategies will eliminate 98% of all junk behavior, and teach kids to be more calm.

In this episode Alfie Kohn dives into the research and practical long term, damaging effects of these two practices.

Here, in this episode you'll learn;

*how to switch from a "doing to" to "working with" approach in parenting

*why ignoring behavior, sending kids to timeout, or withdrawing attention is damaging long term

*how praising behavior creates less intrinsic rewards for kids

*the research behind these practices

*how most "behaviorist" parenting practices originated and why they aren't effective for kids in the long run

Alfie is an author of 14 books, the one I personally have read and highly recommend is called Unconditional Parenting. All his books, blog articles, and work can be found on alfiekohn.org

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