Simple Families

Latest Episodes:

SFP 99: Perfectionism in Motherhood [with Catia Holm] Mar 20, 2018

Show notes

She’s skinny, crafty, active, accomplished in her career, family-focused, and well-dressed (all the time, even at drop off). She’s the perfect mom. She’s the mom that we are secretly striving to be–the one that does it all and has it all.

In fact, many of the things we spend our time and energy striving towards are because of her. It’s because we feel like we don’t measure up. Because we feel like we aren’t enough.

Today on the podcast I am chatting with Catia Holm, author and inspirational speaker. We are talking about the striving that we do as mothers. What if we could let go of that perfect mother and embrace the very person we are today?

I never knew how much magic could be found in the ordinary -Catia Holm

Show Notes/Links in this episode:

The Courage to Become by Catia Holm
The Six Stages of Parenthood by Ellen Galinsky
The Robcast

The post SFP 99: Perfectionism in Motherhood [with Catia Holm] appeared first on Simple Families.

SFP 98: Sleep + Parenthood [with Dr. Kennedy of NYC Sleep Doctor] Mar 12, 2018

Show notes

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.

What’s keeping you up at night?

The post SFP 98: Sleep + Parenthood [with Dr. Kennedy of NYC Sleep Doctor] appeared first on Simple Families.

SFP 97: Mindfulness for Kids [with Jessica from Lily Pad Yoga] Mar 07, 2018

Show notes

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 about her observations of the growing rates of childhood anxiety and depression–along with specific strategies that we as parents can use to plant seeds of mindfulness in our children during these early years. Jessica shared that mindfulness in children doesn’t necessarily mean stillness, because they have an internal drive to move.

Jessica will be joining us in the Mindfulness focus group for this month, click here to join in the discussion and ask her any questions you may have! In the mean time, check out five of Jessica’s simple strategies to teach mindfulness to kids.

Mindfulness for Kids at Home: 5 Simple Ideas

Blowing on feathers. Blow feathers off the palm of your hand. This will help children to experiment with different intensities of breath.
Starfish breath. Make a starfish with one hand by opening up all the fingers. With your other hand gently trace the outline of the starfish. Breath in as your finger moves up and breathe out as your finger moves down. Using our finger to trace as we breathe fosters a mind-body connection.
Anchoring to sounds. Listen for the subtle sounds outside the room, inside the room, and then within your own body. It might be the hum of the furnace or the chirping of a bird–we can pause our brains and tune into the sounds that are present right now.
Mindful eating. You can really pay attention to that first bite of your meal. How does it look? How does it smell? Is there a sound it makes while you chew? If you are picking it up with your hands, what does it feel like? Before you take that first bite, who can you thank for that food? The worms that nourished the soil, the sun for helping it grow, the farmers who grew it, the workers who packaged it, truck drivers who drove it to the market, the grown ups who put it on the table….then chew that first bite really slowly.
Glitter jars. Put warm water, sparkles, glitter glue and food coloring (optional) in a jar. Shake it up and it resembles how we feel in our bodies and minds when we are scared or angry. As you sit in stillness watching the glitter settle your mind and body begin to settle too. Then we can see the water clearly, just as we can see more clearly now that we are calm.

Do you want to chat more about bringing mindfulness to kids? Join the discussion!

Be sure to check out Jessica on Youtube!

The post SFP 97: Mindfulness for Kids [with Jessica from Lily Pad Yoga] appeared first on Simple Families.

SFP 96: Simple Families in March Mar 01, 2018

Show notes

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.

SFP 95: A Day in Denaye’s Life Feb 12, 2018

Show notes

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.

SFP 94: The How + Why of Traveling with Kids [with Amanda, my best friend and travel guru] Feb 05, 2018

Show notes

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.

SFP 93: The Science Behind Outdoor Play + Movement [with Carla Hannaford PhD] Jan 29, 2018

Show notes

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.

SFP 92: Why do babies need to crawl? Jan 29, 2018

Show notes

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.

SFP 91: How do you choose children’s books? Jan 24, 2018

Show notes

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.

SFP 90: There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather [with Linda from Rain or Shine Mamma] Jan 22, 2018

Show notes

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.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Show Notes/Links in this episode:

Mindfulness for Kids at Home: 5 Simple Ideas

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected