Generational Wisdom Podcast

Dad and I talk about two topics on my mind this week. First, how do we avoid passing along our own fears to our kids? Secondly, how do we provide our kids the tools they'll need to cope with life's challenges? Dad suggested that modeling and teaching kids about mindfulness (i.e. how to stop and think before acting) can help.

Dad and I talk about toddler tantrums and he shares a tip for letting the tantrum diffuse by not jumping in to "fix things" in the heat of the moment. This conversation led to the challenges Cody and I have been having with bedtime routine with our three year old. After a little discussion, dad suggested a creative solution to help with bedtime stalling and resistance. Spoiler, we've been trying both tips for several weeks now and they've helped a lot! Playing pretend at bedtime has been a game changer.

"No, mommy do it!" Sound familiar? This week my dad and I talk about the importance of understanding the "why" behind behaviors and we brainstormed a few solutions to help my toddler equally prefer daddy to help her do things.

Mom of three and school psychologist, Alissa Anderson, shares examples of how to be mindful in the heat of the moment. She also talks about her family's screen time checklist that even her three year old daughter has embraced!

Mom of three and school psychologist, Alissa Anderson, shares a great example of a mindful parenting moment she experienced with her family. She also describes how we can help our kids by rewarding their character vs. behavior.

This is part 2 to Dad and I's conversation about discipline. In this episode we talk through a few tools that can help parents avoid jumping into the ultimate power struggle - grounding.

What do you do when your toddler or child doesn't do what you asked? In this episode we talk through why 'momentary rules' allow you to be mindful and flexible and how pre-set rules can box you into a power struggle.

Theresa, mom to a toddler (and one on the way) shared how she has had to reflect on the power of words when talking through situations with her two year old.

As we're all cooking at home more often during the pandemic, it can become challenging to make meals that are nutritious and toddler-friendly. In our "Part 2" interview with Alex Larson, Registered Dietitian, she shares three tips to help parents find a balance between making healthy meals and being able to relax and enjoy a simple and fun meal together.

Alex, mom of two sweet boys, shares her story of discovering her toddler's sensory processing disorder. Hearing how she has adjusted her parenting to meet the needs of her child, instead of trying to change her child's behavior to meet her own needs, is very insightful. Alex is also a Registered Dietitian and will be sharing some great children's nutrition tips in a "Part 2" episode!

What started as a conversation about viewing mistakes as learning experiences turned into a new "ah hah" moment about how mistakes are also an opportunity to build credibility with your kids, which can be a powerful tool as you continue to give them advice through their life. We also talked about toddler tantrums and brainstormed a few approaches to help work through them.

This episode has our first parent interview! What's it like to have two kids under two? We interviewed Jolie, Mom of two kids under two, to hear her story and learnings.

How can we avoid over using "no?" Dad and I brainstorm a few phrases to help switch up over using "no" and other solutions to communication challenges.

Schedules are great, but I often find myself chasing time to the next thing. In this episode my Dad helped me come to the realization that the best parenting version of myself is found in unplanned moments.

I believe in life that you get out what you put into anything you do, including parenting. My Dad and I started this podcast because we've been having conversations about overcoming life challenges and problems for 20+  years. Now that I have a toddler, our conversations have naturally shifted to focus on parenting challenges.What is mindful parenting? Thinking about situations ahead of time and having a plan instead of reacting in the moment. When you have had a discussion in advance and know how you'd ideally like to approach a challenge, then you're more likely to have the outcome you want. Instead of reacting to a situation, it's acting. It won't always go according to plan, which is why it's important to be flexible.  We see mindful parenting as adding more tools to your tool belt. Our behavior as parents falls into one of three foundational categories:Loving themHelping them learnProtecting themParenting is not black and white - it is all of the gray area. Having these conversations ahead of time helps to make the best decision in the moment as possible. It's also reflecting because things do not go according to plan. Being open to making changes is being mindful, too. We call this the "Generational Wisdom Podcast" because parenting can build and improve with each generation. Not everything parents do will be successful. Each generation takes what makes sense with what their parents did, and makes improvements for their own approaches.Key takeaways from this episode:If you're in a power struggle, you've already lost.It's not just about building your own tool belt, it's about giving your child tools so they can learn how to get what they want without throwing a fit.Try asking yourself, "What is her/his unmet need?" to better understand the situation and find a solution when your child is acting out.