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You can listen wherever you get your podcasts, OR— BRAND NEW: we've included a fully edited transcript of our interview at the bottom of this post.In this episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, we have a coaching call with Laurel and Derrick. This call is such a good one because we cover ALL the big ideas behind the peaceful parenting approach, while applying them to real life scenarios in a home with three kids. Topics include sibling rivalry, nurturing our kids, self regulation, how to handle kids asking lots of questions and always wanting more, what parenting without punishment looks like, and more!**If you'd like an ad-free version of the podcast, consider becoming a supporter on Substack! > > If you already ARE a supporter, the ad-free version is waiting for you in the Substack app or you can enter the private feed URL in the podcast player of your choice.Know someone who might appreciate this post? Share it with them!We talk about:* 7:00 What it looks like when our children truly respect us* 9:00 7-year-old refusing to get dressed* 12:10 Why it is okay baby and nurture our kids* 14:00 Tuning into our own self regulation* 18:00 Mindset shifts to give our kids the benefit of the doubt* 19:30 How to handle sibling rivalry* 24:00 Don't try to make it a teachable moment* 38:00 When kids ask questions over and over* 41:00 Why kids always want more!* 45:00 Helping kids see how their actions affect other people* 55:00 Why kids lie and what to do* 57:00 Natural consequences, boundaries, and limits* 1:02 Peaceful Parenting MantrasResources mentioned in this episode:* Yoto Player-Screen Free Audio Book Player* The Peaceful Parenting Membership* Free Stop Sibling Fights E book* Free How To Stop Yelling at Your Kids e-coursexx Sarah and CoreyYour peaceful parenting team- click here for a free short consult or a coaching sessionVisit our website for free resources, podcast, coaching, membership and more!>> Please support us!!! Please consider becoming a supporter to help support our free content, including The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, our free parenting support Facebook group, and our weekly parenting emails, “Weekend Reflections” and “Weekend Support” - plus our Flourish With Your Complex Child Summit (coming back in the spring for the 3rd year!) All of this free support for you takes a lot of time and energy from me and my team. If it has been helpful or meaningful for you, your support would help us to continue to provide support for free, for you and for others.In addition to knowing you are supporting our mission to support parents and children, you get the podcast ad free and access to a monthly ‘ask me anything' session.Our sponsors:YOTO is a screen free audio book player that lets your kids listen to audiobooks, music, podcasts and more without screens, and without being connected to the internet. No one listening or watching and they can't go where you don't want them to go and they aren't watching screens. BUT they are being entertained or kept company with audio that you can buy from YOTO or create yourself on one of their blank cards. Check them out HERETranscript:Derrick: Hi, good morning.Sarah: Hi Derek. Nice to meet you. Hi Laurel. Hi. Are you a firefighter, Derek? I'm—yeah, I'm actually—I see you've got your sweatshirt.Derrick: Yeah. Just a heads up, I may have to jump off if we get a call.Sarah: Okay. Well, so nice to meet you guys. So you've got three—boy, girl, girl. And what would you like to talk about today?Laurel: I think I just love your whole—I've sent Derek a couple things—but I just love your whole premise of peacefulness and remaining calm when it's easy to get angry. Mm-hmm. And just some tools for doing that. I guess like some basic things, because we would both like to say where, you know, we have like, you know, the streaks where we're all calm, calm, calm, and then just—and then her, yeah, limit. Yeah.And so yeah, just tools for when that happens. We have very typical age-appropriate kind of response kids, mm-hmm, that need to be told 80 times something. And so it's frustrating. And then how to help them kind of see—without bribing, without threatening discipline, without all of that. Yeah. Like how to have a better dialogue with our kids of teaching respect and teaching kind of “we do this, you do this.”Sarah: Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, maybe. Okay. So there's always gonna be situations where it's hard to stay calm, you know? Just being a parent—like of course your kids are gonna push your buttons sometimes. But rather than—so, we do always start with self-regulation.And what I mean by self-regulation isn't that you never get upset. It's that when you do get upset, you know how to calm yourself and take a minute, take a breath—whatever you need to do—so that you don't yell. Because yelling hurts our relationship with our kids. You mentioned respect. I think there's an old idea of respect that used to mean that kids were afraid of their parents, right?But real respect is that you care what another person thinks. Like, that's real respect. I don't want to do this because I don't want my dad or my mom to be unhappy with me—not that I'm afraid of what's gonna happen if I do it, but I care what they think and they care what I think. And that's how I define respect. True respect doesn't mean that you're afraid of somebody; it means that you care what they think, right?So when we yell, we chip away at that. Like yeah, we could get them to do what we want through yelling or threatening things or taking things away, but we're chipping away at our relationship with them. And that's really the only true influence.And as your kids are getting older, you're gonna see that you can control them when they're little, right? Because you can pick them up and move them from one place to another or whatever. But there's a famous quote by a psychologist that says, “The problem with using control when kids are young is that you never learn how to influence them, which is what you need as they get older.” Right? You need to be able to influence them, to get them to do what you would like them to do. And it's all about the relationship. That's really what I see as the most important thing.So back to what I was saying about yelling—yes, that's really important to be working on—but there's also: how do I be more effective so the kids will listen to me and I don't have to ask 80 times? How do I get their attention in an effective way? How do I get them to cooperate the first time or at least the second time?So it's a combination of learning how to calm yourself and stay calm when things are hard, and also being more effective as a parent—not asking 25 times, because that just trains them to ignore you. Like, “Oh, I don't have to do it until they yell,” or “I don't have to do it until they've asked me 25 times.”If there's something really unpleasant you had to do at work that you didn't want to do, you might also ignore your boss the first 24 times they asked you until you knew they were really serious, right? Mm-hmm. I mean, you wouldn't, but you know what I mean. If they can keep playing a little bit longer, they will keep playing a little bit longer.So I think what would be helpful is if you gave me some situations that have happened that you find challenging, and then we can do a little bit of a deeper dive into what you could have done instead, or what you could do next time if a similar thing comes up.Laurel: Yeah. I mean, for my daughter, for example, the middle one—she's so sweet, she's such a feeler—but then when she gets to the point where she's tired, hungry, it's all the things. She often doesn't wanna pick out her clothes. Something super simple like that.But when I'm making lunches and the other kids are getting ready and all the things, I just have to have her—I'm like, “You're seven, you can pick out clothes.” I give her some options, and then she'll just lay on the floor and start screaming, “You don't care! Why don't you pick out my clothes?”And then instead of me taking the time that I know I need to, I just tell her, “You have one minute or else this—so you lose this.” I just start kind of like, “This is yesterday.” You know, so she doesn't wanna get dressed, doesn't wanna get her shoes on. “You get my socks, you get all the big—” And then I end up picking her up, standing her up, “You need to get dressed.” And then both of us are frustrated.Sarah: Yeah. No, that's a great example.So first of all, whenever there's difficult behavior in our child, we try to look below the surface to see what's causing it. The symptom you see on the outside is a kid lying on the floor refusing to do something she's perfectly capable of doing herself. That's the iceberg part above the water. But what's underneath that?To me, I'm seeing a 7-year-old who has a 3-year-old sibling who probably does get help getting dressed, a capable older brother, and it's hard to give enough attention to three kids. What I see this as is a bid for attention and connection from you.I don't know if you listen to my podcast, but I did an episode about when kids ask you to do things for them that they can do themselves. Seven is a perfect age because you're like, “Oh my God, you're so capable of getting dressed yourself—what do you mean you want me to put your shoes on you?” But if you can shift your mind to think, Ah, she's asking me to do something she can do—she needs my connection and nurturing.So what if you thought, “Okay, I just spent all this energy yelling at her, trying to get her to do it. What if I just gave her the gift of picking her clothes out for her and getting her dressed?” It would probably be quicker, start your day on a happier note, and you would have met that need for connection.And yes, it's asking more of you in the moment, because you're trying to make lunches. But this is a beautiful example because you'll probably see it in other areas too—what's underneath this difficult behavior? Kids really are doing the best they can. That's one of our foundational paradigm shifts in peaceful parenting. Even when they're being difficult, they're doing the best they can with the resources they have in that moment.So when someone's being difficult, you can train yourself to think: Okay, if they're doing the best they can, what's going on underneath that's causing this behavior?I just want to say one more thing, because later on you might think, “Wait—Sarah's telling me to dress my 7-year-old. What about independence?” Just to put your fears aside: kids have such a strong natural drive for independence that you can baby them a little bit and it won't wreck them. Everybody needs a little babying sometimes—even you guys probably sometimes. Sometimes you just want Laurel to make you a coffee and bring it to you in bed. You can get your own coffee, but it's nice to be babied and nurtured.So we can do that safely. And I tell you, I have a 14-year-old, 17-year-old, and 20-year-old—very babied—and they're all super independent and competent kids. My husband used to say, “You're coddling them.” I'd say, “I'm nurturing them.”Laurel: Oh, I like that.Sarah: Okay. So I just wanted to say that in case the thought comes up later. Independence is important, but we don't have to push for it.Derrick: Yeah. No, I think that's super helpful. And I love—one of my good buddies just came out with a book called The Thing Beneath the Thing.Sarah: Oh, I love that.Derrick: It's such a good reminder. I think sometimes, like you addressed, Laurel is often a single mom and there is the reality of—she's gotta make lunch, she's gotta do laundry, she's gotta whatever. And sometimes there's just the logistical impossibility of, “I can't do that and this and get out the door in time and get you to camp on time, and here comes the carpool.”And so sometimes it just feels like there needs to be better planning. Like, “You just gotta wake up earlier, you gotta make lunch before you go to bed, or whatever,” to have the space to respond to the moment. Because the reality is, you never know when it's coming.Like, totally independent, and she wants to pick out her own clothes in one example—but then all these things creep up.Another way to describe what Laurel and I were talking about in terms of triggers is: I feel like we both really take a long time to light our fuse. But once it's lit, it's a very short fuse.Sarah: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.Derrick: So it's like for me especially, I'm cool as a cucumber and then all of a sudden the wick is lit and I'll explode.Sarah: Yeah. I think that's really good to be aware of. The thing is, if you go forward from today and start looking—you're calm, calm, calm, calm, calm—sometimes what's actually happening is what my mentor calls gathering kindling.We don't realize it, but we're gathering kindling along the way—resentment, eye-roll frustration. If you can start tuning in a little bit, you'll see that yeah, you're not yelling, but maybe you're getting more frustrated as it goes on. That's when you can intervene with yourself, like, “Okay, I need to take a five-minute break,” or, “We need to shift gears or tap each other out.”Because it feels like it comes out of nowhere, but it rarely does. We're just not aware of the building process of gathering kindling along the way.Derrick: Yeah. No, that's helpful. I have two examples that maybe you can help us with. You can pick one that you think is more important.Sarah: Sure. And I just want to comment on one more thing you said before you go on—sorry to interrupt you. If it's annoying to have to dress a 7-year-old in the middle of your morning routine, you can also make a mental note: Okay, what's under the thing? What's under the difficult behavior is this need for more connection and nurturing. So how can I fill that at a time that's more convenient for me?Maybe 7:30 in the morning while I'm trying to get everyone out the door is not a convenient time. But how can I find another time in the day, especially for my middle child? I've got three kids too, and I know the middle child can be a bit of a stirring-the-pot kid, at least mine was when he was little, trying to get his needs met. So how can I make sure I'm giving her that time she's asking for, but in more appropriate times?Derrick: Yeah, no, that's helpful. I think part of my challenge is just understanding what is age-appropriate. For example, our almost 10-year-old literally cannot remember to flush the toilet.Sarah: Mm-hmm.Derrick: And it's like, “Bro, flush the toilet.” It's been this ongoing thing. That's just one example. There are many things where you're going, “You're 10 years old, dude, you should know how to flush the toilet.” And then all the fears come in—“Is he ADD?”—and we start throwing things out there we don't even know.But it seems so simple: poop in the toilet, you flush it when you're done. Why is that? And that'll light a wick pretty quick, the third or fourth time you go in and the toilet's not flushed.Sarah: Yeah.Derrick: And then you talk about it very peacefully, and he'll throw something back at you.Sarah: So do you have him go back and flush the toilet?Derrick: We do.Sarah: Okay, good. Because if you make it a tiny bit unpleasant that he forgot—like he has to stop what he's doing and go back and flush it—that might help him in a kind and firm way. Like, “Oh, looks like you forgot. Pause your video game. Please go back and flush the toilet.”Also, maybe put up some signs or something. By the sink, by the toilet paper. There are just some things that, if they're not important to kids, it's very hard for them to remember. Or if it's not…I can't tell you how many times I've told my boys, “Don't put wet things in the hamper.” They're 17 and 20 and it drives me insane. Like how hard is it to not throw a wet washcloth in the hamper? They don't care if it smells like mildew.Derrick: Yeah.Sarah: It's very frustrating. But they're not doing it on purpose.Derrick: That's the narrative we write though, right? Like, you're just defiant, you're trying—because we've talked about this a million times. This is my desire.Sarah: And you feel disrespecedt.Derrick: Right.Sarah: That is so insightful of you, Derek, to realize that. To realize that's a trigger for you because it feels like he's doing it on purpose to disrespect you. But having that awareness and a mindset shift—he's not trying to give me a hard time. He's just absent-minded, he's 10, and he doesn't care if the poop sits in the toilet. He's just not thinking about it.Derrick: Yeah.I think the other example, which I'm sure is super common, is just: how do you manage them pushing each other's buttons? They can do it so quickly. And then it's literally musical chairs of explosive reactions. It happens everywhere. You're driving in the car, button pushed, explosion. The 3-year-old's melting, and Kira knows exactly what she's doing. Then Blake, then Kira. They just know. They get so much joy out of watching their sibling melt and scream. Meanwhile, you're in the front seat trying to drive and it's chaos.For me, that's when I'll blow my top. I'll get louder than their meltdown. And my narrative is: they're not even really upset, they're just turning it on to get whatever they want.Sarah: Classic sibling rivalry. Classic. Like, “How can I get Mom or Dad to show that they love me more than the other kid? Whose side are they gonna intervene on?” That's so classic.Kira came along and pushed Blake out of his preferred position as the baby and the apple of your eye. He had to learn to share you. Is it mostly Kira and Aubrey, or does everything roll downhill with all three?Derrick: It just triangulates and crosses over. They know each other's buttons. And you're right—it's always, “You always take her side. You never—”Sarah: Yes. And whenever you hear the words “always” and “never,” you know someone's triggered. They're not thinking clearly because they're upset and dysregulated.Sibling rivalry, or resentment, whatever you want to call it, is always about: “Who do they love more? Will my needs get met? Do they love me as much as my brother or sister?” That fear is what drives the button-pushing.It doesn't make sense that you'd pick a fight hoping your parent will choose you as the one who's right. But still, it's this drive to create conflict in hopes that you'll be the chosen one.So I could go over my sibling best practices with you guys if you want. That's really helpful for rivalry.Derrick: Yeah.Sarah: Okay. Do you currently have any rules about property or sharing in your house?Laurel: Not officially. I mean—Derrick: We typically will say stuff like, “That's Kira's. If she doesn't want to share it with you, give it back.” But the problem is we have so much community property.Sarah: Okay. That's what I call it: community property. Yeah. So you're doing exactly the right thing with things that belong to one person. They never have to share it if they don't want to, and other people have to ask before they touch it. Perfect.And in terms of community property, I'd suggest you have a rule: somebody gets to use something until they're done. Period. Long turns.I didn't know this when my kids were little, and I had ridiculous song-and-dance with timers—“Okay, you can have it for 10 minutes and then you can have it for 10 minutes.” But that actually increases anxiety. You want to relax into your play, not feel like, “Oh, I've only got this for 10 minutes.”So if it belongs to everyone, the person using it gets to use it as long as they want. And you empathize with the other person: “Oh, I know your brother's been playing with that pogo stick for an hour. It's so hard to wait, isn't it? When it's your turn, you'll have it as long as you want.”So if you have good sharing rules and community property rules right off the bat, you take away a lot of opportunities for resentment to build upDerrick: My biggest question is just how do you intervene when those rules are violated?Sarah: You just calmly say something like, “Oh, I know you really, really wanna play with the pogo stick. You cannot push your brother off of it just because you want a turn.” I'm just making things up here, but the idea is: you can't push your brother off just because you want something. Then you go back to the family rules. You could even make a sign—I actually have one I can send you to print out—that says, “In our family, we get to use it as long as we want.”And then you empathize with the aggressor about how hard it is to wait. Keep going back to the rules and offering lots of empathy. If someone's being difficult, recognize that they're having a hard time.Laurel, when Derrick said, “You always…” or “You never…,” anytime you hear words like that, you know somebody's hijacked by big feelings. That's not the time to make it a teachable moment. Just empathize with the hard time they're having. Nobody ever wants to calm down until they feel empathized with, acknowledged, and heard. You can always talk about it later if something needs to be discussed, but in the moment of heightened tension, just acknowledge feelings: “Oh my goodness, you were doing this thing and then your brother came and took it. This is so hard.”I also have a little ebook with these best practices laid out—I'll send it to you.The third best practice is: always be the moderator, not the negotiator. If there's a fight between the kids, your goal is to help them talk to each other. Don't try to solve it or say who's right or wrong. Even if you're right and careful not to favor one child, your solution will always fuel sibling rivalry. The child who wasn't chosen feels slighted, and the one who was chosen might think, “Dad loves me best.”So my phrase is: “Be Switzerland.” Stay neutral, intervene in a neutral way, and help them talk to each other. Give each child a chance to speak. Do you want to give me an example we can walk through?Derrick: A lot of times it's not even about taking, it's about disrupting. Aubrey has this baby doll she's obsessed with. She carries it everywhere—it looks really real, kind of creepy. Blake will walk by, pull the pacifier out of its mouth, and throw it across the room. Instant meltdown. His thing is, he knows the rules and how to toe the line. He'll say, “I didn't take the baby, I just disrupted it.”Sarah: Right, right.Derrick: And then, “Deal with it.”Sarah: Yeah, okay. So that's not exactly a “be Switzerland” moment, because it's not a two-way fight. He's just provoking his sister to get a rise out of her. That's classic sibling rivalry. It also sounds like he worries you don't love him as much as his sisters. Does he ever say that out loud?Laurel: He has sometimes. His other big thing is he doesn't have a brother, but they have each other. He constantly brings that up.Sarah: That's what I call a chip on his shoulder. When he provokes her like that, it's because he has feelings inside that make him act out. He's not a bad kid; he's having a hard time. Picking fights is often an attempt to get rid of difficult feelings. If we have a bad day and don't process it, we might come home cranky or pick a fight—it's not about the other person, it's about us.So I'd suggest having some heart-to-hearts with Blake, maybe at bedtime. Give him space to process. Say, “It must be really hard to have two little sisters and be the only boy. I bet you wish you had a brother.” Or, “I wonder if it's hard to share me and mom with your sisters. I wonder if it's hard being the oldest.” Share your own stories: “I remember when I was growing up, it was hard to be the big sister.” Or Derrick, you could share what it was like for your older sibling.The same goes for Kira: “It must be hard being in the middle—your big brother gets to do things you can't, and your little sister gets babied more.” The point is to let them express their feelings so they don't have to act them out by provoking.That provocative behavior is just difficult feelings looking for a way out. Your role is to open the door for those feelings. Say things like, “I know this must be hard. I hear you. You can always talk to me about your feelings. All your feelings are okay with me.” And you have to mean it—even if they say things like, “I wish they didn't exist,” or, “I wish you never had that baby.” That's totally normal. Don't be afraid of it. Resist the urge to offer silver linings like, “But sometimes you play so well together.” It's not time for optimism—it's time for listening and acknowledging.You can also say, “I'm sorry if I ever did anything that made you feel like I didn't love you as much as your sisters. I couldn't love anyone more than I love you.” You can say that to each child without lying, because it's true. That reassurance goes to the root of sibling rivalry.Derrick: That's really helpful. I'd love your insight on some of the things we're already doing. Lately, I've realized I spend more time in the girls' room at bedtime. Blake has his own room. He's more self-sufficient—he can read and put himself to sleep. For the past year, I've been reading in the girls' room instead, since they need more wrangling. So I've tried to switch that and spend more time in Blake's room reading with him. We've also started doing “mom dates” or “dad dates” with each kid.Sarah: That's perfect! My final best practice is one-on-one time. You're on the right track. It doesn't have to be a “date.” Special Time is 15 minutes a day with each child, right at home. You don't need to go to the aquarium or spend money. Just say, “I'm all yours for the next 15 minutes—what do you want to play?” Try to keep it play-centered and without screens.Laurel: Sometimes when we call it a “mommy date,” it turns into something big. That makes it hard to do consistently.Sarah: Exactly. You can still do those, but Special Time is smaller and daily. Fifteen minutes is manageable. With little ones, you might need to get creative—for example, one parent watches two kids while the other has Special Time with the third. You could even “hire” Blake to watch Aubrey for a few minutes so you can have time with Kira.Laurel: That makes sense. I did think of an example, though. What frustrates me most isn't sharing, but when they're unkind to each other. I harp on them about family sticking together and being kind. For example, last week at surf camp, both kids had zinc on their faces—Blake was orange, Kira was purple. She was so excited and bubbly that morning, which is unusual for her. In front of neighbor friends, Blake made fun of her purple face. It devastated her. I laid into him, telling him he's her protector and needs to be kind. I don't want to be too hard on him, but I also want him to understand.Sarah: Based on everything we've talked about, you can see how coming down hard on him might make him feel bad about himself and worry that you don't love him—fueling even more resentment. At the same time, of course we don't want siblings hurting each other's feelings. This is where empathic limits come in.You set the limit—“It's not okay to tease your sister because it hurts her feelings”—but you lead with his perspective. You might say, “Hey, I know people with color on their faces can look funny, and maybe you thought it was just a joke. At the same time, that really made your sister feel bad.” That way, you correct him without making him feel like a bad kid.Do you think he was trying to be funny, or was he trying to hurt her?Laurel: I think he was. He'll also reveal secrets or crushes in front of friends—he knows it's ammo.Sarah: Right. In that situation, I'd first empathize with Kira: “I'm so sorry your brother said that—it never feels good to be laughed at.” Then privately with Blake: “What's going on with you that you wanted to make your sister feel bad?” Come at it with curiosity, assuming he's doing the best he can. If he says, “I was just joking,” you can respond, “We need to be more careful with our jokes so they're not at anyone's expense.” That's correcting without shaming.Laurel: I love that. Sometimes I'm trying to say that, but not in a peaceful way, so he can't receive it. Then he asks, “Am I a bad kid?” and I have to backtrack.Sarah: Exactly—skip the part that makes him feel like a bad kid. Sensitive kids don't need much correction—they already feel things deeply. Just get curious.Laurel: That makes sense. Correcting without shaming.Sarah: Yes.Laurel: We also tried something new because of the constant questions. They'll keep asking: “Can I do this? Can I watch a show?” We got tired of repeating no. So now we say, “I don't know yet. Let me think about it. But if you ask again, the answer will be no.” Is that okay?Sarah: I used to say, “If I have to give a quick answer, it's going to be no.” I'd also say, “You can ask me as many times as you want, but the answer will still be no.” With empathy: “I know it's hard to hear no, but it's still no.” Another thing I said was, “It would be so much easier for me to say yes. But I love you enough to say no.” That helped my kids see it wasn't easy for me either.Laurel: That's helpful. Another thing: our kids do so much—they're busy and around people a lot, partly because of our personalities and being pastors. We try to build in downtime at home, but often after a fun day they complain on the way home: “Why do we have to go to bed?” They don't reflect on the fun—they just want more.Sarah: That's totally normal. You could go to an amusement park, eat pizza and ice cream, see a movie, and if you say no to one more thing, they'll say, “We never do anything fun!” Kids are wired to want more. That's evolutionary: quiet kids who didn't ask for needs wouldn't survive. Wanting isn't a problem, and it doesn't mean they'll turn into entitled adults.Kids live in the moment. If you say no to ice cream, they fixate on that, not the whole day. So stay in the moment with them: “You really wanted ice cream. I know it's disappointing we're not having it.” Resist the urge to say, “But we already did all these things.”Laurel: I love that. We even started singing “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman, and now they hate it. It feels like nothing is ever enough.Sarah: That's normal.Laurel: I also want to bring it back to peaceful, no-fear parenting. I can be hard on myself, and I see that in my kids. I don't want that.Sarah: If you don't want your kids to be hard on themselves, model grace for yourself. Say, “I messed up, but I'm still worthy and lovable.” Being hard on yourself means you only feel lovable when you don't make mistakes. We want our kids to know they're lovable no matter what—even when they mess up or bother their siblings. That's true self-worth: being lovable because of who you are, not what you do. That's what gives kids the courage to take risks and not stay small out of fear of failure. They'll learn that from your modeling.Laurel: That makes sense.Sarah: And I've never, ever seen anyone do this work without being compassionate with themselves.Laurel: Hmm. Like—Sarah: You can't beat yourself up and be a peaceful parent.Laurel: Yeah, I know. Because then I'd see them doing it. It's like, no, I don't. Yeah. Yeah. I purposely don't want you guys to be that way. Yeah. That's great. Those are all good things to think about. I think the other questions I can tie back to what you've already answered, like being disrespectful or sassiness creeping in—the talking back kind of stuff. And that's all from, I mean, it stems from not feeling heard, not feeling empathized with.Sarah: Totally. And being hijacked by big feelings—even if it's your own big feelings of not getting what you want. That can be overwhelming and send them into fight, flight, or freeze. Sassiness and backtalk is the fight response. It's the mild fight. They're not screaming, hitting, or kicking, but just using rude talk.Laurel: Hmm. And so same response as a parent with that too? Just be in the moment with their feelings and then move on to talking about why and letting them kind of—Sarah: Yeah. And empathizing. Just like, “Ah, you're really…” Say they're saucy about you not letting them have some ice cream. “You never let me have ice cream! This is so unfair! You're so mean!” Whatever they might say. You can respond, “Ugh, I know, it's so hard. You wish you could have all the ice cream in the freezer. You'd eat the whole carton if you could.” Just recognize what they're feeling. It doesn't have to be a teachable moment about sugar or health. You can just be with them in their hard time about not getting what they want. And they'll get through to the other side—which builds resilience.Laurel: How do you discipline when it's needed—not punish, but discipline? For example, a deliberate rule is broken, somebody gets hurt, or stealing—like when it's clear they know it was wrong?Sarah: You want to help them see how their actions affect other people, property, or the community. That's where they internalize right and wrong. If you give them a punishment for breaking something, that only teaches them how their actions affect them—not how their actions affect others. That makes kids think, “What's in it for me? I better not do this thing because I don't want to get in trouble,” instead of, “I better not do this because it will hurt my sister or disappoint my parents.” So punishments and imposed consequences pull kids away from the real consequences—like someone getting hurt or trust being broken.You really want to help them understand: “The reason why we have this rule is because of X, Y, Z. And when you did this, here's what happened.” If they have a problem with the rule, talk about it together as a family. That works much better than punishment.Laurel: We had an incident at church where our 10-year-old was talking about something inappropriate with another kid. The other parent reached out, and I feel like we handled it okay. We talked with him, he was open, and we discussed what was said. Then we apologized to that parent in person and had a conversation. It didn't feel like we were forcing him to do something bad or shaming him.Sarah: That's good—it's about making a repair. That's always the focus. Without knowing the whole situation, I might not have said apologizing to the parent, because technically the parent wasn't directly involved. But if your son was willing and it felt authentic, that's great. What matters is the outcome: repair. Sometimes parents suggest an apology to make the child feel ashamed so they'll “remember it,” but that's not helpful. The question is: does the apology or repair actually improve the situation? That's what you keep in mind.Laurel: Well, thanks for all your wisdom.Sarah: You're welcome. It was really nice to meet you both.Part 2:Sarah: Welcome back, Laurel and Derek. Thanks for joining again. How have things been since our first coaching call?Laurel: Yeah. I feel like we gained several really good nuggets that we were able to try. One of them was about my daughter in the mornings—not wanting to get dressed, feeling stuck in the middle and left out. I've gotten to stop what I'm doing and pay attention to her. Even this morning, she still had a meltdown, but things went faster by the end compared to me being stubborn and telling her to do it on her own.Sarah: So you dropped your end of the power struggle.Laurel: Yeah. And it felt great because I wasn't frustrated afterward. I could move on right away instead of also blowing up. If we both blow up, it's bad. But if she's the only one, she can snap out of it quickly. I can't as easily, so it usually lingers for me. This way, it was so much better.We've had some challenging parenting moments this week, but looking at them through the lens of making our kids feel worthy and loved helped us respond differently. One thing you said last time—that “the perpetrator needs empathy”—really stuck with me. I always felt like the misbehaving child should feel our wrath to show how serious it was. But we were able to love our kids through a couple of tough situations, and it worked.Derrick: For me, the biggest takeaway was the “kindling” metaphor. I've even shared it with friends. Before, I thought I was being patient, but I was just collecting kindling until I blew up. Now I recognize the kindling and set it down—take a breath, or tell the kids I need a minute. This morning on the way to soccer, I told them I needed a little pity party in the front seat before I could play their game. That helped me calm before reengaging.Sarah: That's fantastic. You recognized you needed to calm yourself before jumping back in, instead of pushing through already-annoyed feelings.Laurel: Yeah. We did have questions moving forward. We had a couple of situations where we knew our kids were lying about something significant. We told them, “We love you, and we need you to tell the truth.” But they denied it for days before finally giving in. How do we encourage truth-telling and open communication?Sarah: Kids usually lie for three reasons: they're afraid of getting in trouble, they feel ashamed or embarrassed, or they're afraid of disappointing you. Sometimes it's all three. So the focus has to be: we might be unhappy with what you did, but we'll just work on fixing it. When they do admit the truth, it's important to say, “I'm so glad you told me.” That helps remove shame.Natural consequences happen without your involvement. If they take money from your wallet, the natural consequence is that you're missing money and trust is broken. But adding punishments just teaches them to hide better next time.Derrick: How do you frame the difference between a consequence and a boundary? Like if they mess up in an environment and we don't let them back into it for a while—is that a consequence or a boundary?Sarah: In peaceful parenting, we talk about limits. If they show they're not ready for a certain freedom, you set a limit to support them—not to punish. A consequence is meant to make them feel bad so they won't repeat it. A limit is about guidance and support.The way to tell: check your tone and your intent. If you're angry and reactive, it will feel punishing even if it's not meant to be. And if your intent is to make them suffer, that's a punishment. If your tone is empathetic and your intent is to support expectations, it's a limit.Derrick: That's helpful. Sometimes we beat ourselves up wondering if we're punishing when we're just setting limits. Your tone-and-intent framework is a good check.Sarah: And if you mess up in the moment, you can always walk it back. Say, “I was really angry when I said that. Let's rethink this.” That models responsibility for when we act out while triggered.Derrick: That's good.Sarah: You mentioned sibling rivalry last time. Did you try the “It's theirs until they're done with it” approach?Derrick: Yes—and it's like a miracle. It worked especially in the car.Sarah: That's great. I know car rides were tricky before.Laurel: What about mantras to help us remember not to let our kids' behavior define us as parents—or as people?Sarah: What you're talking about is shame. It's when we feel unworthy because of our kids' behavior or what others think. We have to separate our worth from our kids' actions. Even if your child is struggling, you're still a good, worthy, lovable person.Laurel: Almost the same thing we say to our kids: “You are worthy and lovable.”Sarah: Exactly. So when you feel yourself going into a shame spiral, remind yourself: “Even though my child did this thing, I am still worthy and lovable.” Hold both truths together.Laurel: Yes. That helps. One last question: mornings. School starts in a day, and we worry every morning will be a struggle with Kira. She resists everything—getting dressed, socks, breakfast. Then she's fine once we're in the car. How can we help her set her own boundaries about mornings?Sarah: It sounds like she gets anxious around transitions. She doesn't do well with being hurried. That anxiety overwhelms her, and she goes into fight mode—pushing back, lashing out.Laurel: Yes, that's exactly it.Sarah: So part of it is adjusting your routine—giving her more time in the morning. But another part is building resilience. The anti-anxiety phrase is: “We can handle this.” Remind her, “Even if it's not going how you wanted, you can handle it. We can do hard things.” Add in laughter to ease tension.And maybe accept that for now, you might need to spend 10 minutes helping her get dressed. That's okay. You can balance it by giving her extra nurturing at other times of the day so she doesn't seek it as much during rushed mornings.Derrick: That's good.Sarah: Thank you both so much. I've loved these conversations.Derrick: Thank you, Sarah.Sarah: You're welcome. It's been wonderful. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sarahrosensweet.substack.com/subscribe

It's Saturday, and Bobby usually likes to sleep in if he doesn't have practice. But this time, he might be in trouble because there is a bad smell coming out of his backpack. Can he turn this stinky smell into biofuel and make one of his robots come alive?  ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ ✔️ Themes: • Imagination & Creativity • Family Connection • Dealing with failure • Science experiments • Problem solving Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

In part 2 of Fern and Crunch Look for a New Home they realize that their owners are really gone. Before they go back to the shelter Crunch wants to go on an adventure and look for new owners on their own. They decide to head to the dog park and get some advice. Let's see if someone can help them.  ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

Red and her friends tackle a mystery that feels almost “normal” for once—the case of the missing school mascot costume. But when their investigation leads to raccoons living in luxury and suspicious cameras, the gang realizes this case may be part of something bigger. Can they keep up appearances as ordinary kids solving ordinary problems while Agent Torres keeps watching? ✔️ Perfect for ages 5+ ✔️ Themes: Problem-solving and creativity • Teamwork and cooperation • Using humor to handle stress • Thinking critically about what's real vs. distraction • Communication and negotiation skills • Trusting instincts while staying playful Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

Welcome back to Witching Hour – the show where two mums and sort of cousins figure out how to make work, work. Today on the show:We can't afford our friends anymore: how cost of living pressures are reshaping friendships.Just because you can, doesn't mean you should: why being the office ‘doer' is holding women back and how to start saying no.This episode was brought to you by Yoto. Head to yoto.space for free audio, offline activities and 15% off with the code READY15.Thanks for listening! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram:@readyornot.pod@laurentreweek_@lucindamckimm_— This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land. We Pay The Rent and you can too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Collage a planet with Pema!Sunday episode of Yoto Daily - the mini podcast from the people at yotoplay.com.If you loved this episode, download the Yoto app to listen to the rest of the week's Yoto Daily episodes for free.If you want to share your artwork with Jake, or contribute your own joke for the Friyay jokes round up, check out yoto.space!Did you know you can tune into Yoto Daily for fun facts and trivia, jokes, and riddles each and every day? Access all episodes of Yoto Daily by downloading the Yoto App. You'll find loads of a world of free kids' radio, and you don't need a Yoto Player to use it.Follow us at @yotoplay on Instagram and Facebook! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Story Time with Jake! The Diplodocus Who Couldn't Focus.Saturday episode of Yoto Daily - the mini podcast from the people at yotoplay.com.If you loved this episode, download the Yoto app to listen to the rest of the week's Yoto Daily episodes for free.If you want to share your artwork with Jake, or contribute your own joke for the Friyay jokes round up, check out yoto.space!Did you know you can tune into Yoto Daily for fun facts and trivia, jokes, and riddles each and every day? Access all episodes of Yoto Daily by downloading the Yoto App. You'll find loads of a world of free kids' radio, and you don't need a Yoto Player to use it.Follow us at @yotoplay on Instagram and Facebook! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this chapter, Red and her friends make a daring escape through hidden tunnels beneath the quarry, carrying evidence that could expose the corrupt agents threatening Martian refugee families. Back on the surface, they regroup and agree to keep a low profile at school. But Monday morning brings a surprising change of pace—a brand-new mystery much closer to home. When the school mascot costume goes missing, Mr. McCaskill enlists the team to investigate. After the intensity of their weekend mission, solving the case of the missing woodchuck feels like the perfect cover for a group of kids who need to look “normal.” ✔️ Perfect for ages 5+ ✔️ Themes: Teamwork and trust • Balancing serious responsibilities with everyday life • Problem-solving and critical thinking • Coping with stress through humor • Courage to face big and small challenges • Community spirit and school pride Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

Welcome back to Ask Ready or Not! It's Ready or Not's tip-based episode, landing in your ears every Friday.If you're stuck in leggings, feeling ‘meh' about your wardrobe, or just want to look a little more like yourself again post-kids, this one's for you. Style expert Victoria Latu joins Loz to share the hacks every mum needs to feel confident, polished, and put together without spending a fortune or overhauling your entire closet.From the outerwear that does all the heavy lifting, to budget-friendly buys that outlast designer price tags, Vic's practical tips will help you level up your everyday outfits while keeping comfort (and sanity) front of mind.—This episode was brought to you by Yoto. Head to yoto.space for free audio, offline activities and 15% off with the code READY15.Thanks for listening! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram:@readyornot.pod@laurentreweek_@lucindamckimm_—This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land.We Pay The Rent and you can too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this story we are going to meet a dog and a cat who are the best of friends. Fern and Crunch have been together since they were little and when their owners find out they need to move for work they try to find a home for the two of them. A friend offers to help take care of them until they can find a new home but it is hard to find a home for a dog the size of Fern. They end up in a shelter and realize they have to find a way out.  ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

You can listen wherever you get your podcasts, OR— BRAND NEW: we've included a fully edited transcript of our interview at the bottom of this post.In this episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, I have a conversation with Devon Kuntzman, an ICF-certified coach and author of the new book Transforming Toddlerhood. We cover why toddlers are so misunderstood, and how to work with our toddlers by better understanding their needs and development. Tune in to learn better ways to work through car seat struggles, diaper changes, tooth brushing, throwing things, and more!**If you'd like an ad-free version of the podcast, consider becoming a supporter on Substack! > > If you already ARE a supporter, the ad-free version is waiting for you in the Substack app or you can enter the private feed URL in the podcast player of your choice.Know someone who might appreciate this post? Share it with them!We talk about:* 7:10 Why do toddlers have such a bad reputation?!* 10:00 Contractionary needs of toddlers* 11:00 What hard toddler behaviours are totally normal?* 13:00 Nuance around “limit setting” and power struggles* 19:30 Having unrealistic expectations for our toddlers* 24:00 Understanding crying* 29:00 Toddlers need for movement and bodily autonomy* 30:00 Car seat struggles* 31:15 Refusing diaper changes* 32:00 Tooth brushing* 35:00 Throwing things* 38:00 The problems with Time OutsResources mentioned in this episode:* Yoto Player-Screen Free Audio Book Player* The Peaceful Parenting Membership* Transforming Toddlerhood: How to Handle Tantrums, End Power Strugglers, and Raise Resilient Kids --- Without Losing your Mind * Devon's website xx Sarah and CoreyYour peaceful parenting team- click here for a free short consult or a coaching sessionVisit our website for free resources, podcast, coaching, membership and more!>> Please support us!!! Please consider becoming a supporter to help support our free content, including The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, our free parenting support Facebook group, and our weekly parenting emails, "Weekend Reflections" and "Weekend Support" - plus our Flourish With Your Complex Child Summit (coming back in November for the 3rd year!) All of this free support for you takes a lot of time and energy from me and my team. If it has been helpful or meaningful for you, your support would help us to continue to provide support for free, for you and for others.In addition to knowing you are supporting our mission to support parents and children, you get the podcast ad free and access to a monthly ‘ask me anything' session.Our sponsors:YOTO is a screen free audio book player that lets your kids listen to audiobooks, music, podcasts and more without screens, and without being connected to the internet. No one listening or watching and they can't go where you don't want them to go and they aren't watching screens. BUT they are being entertained or kept company with audio that you can buy from YOTO or create yourself on one of their blank cards. Check them out HEREInterview transcript:Welcome back to another episode of the Peaceful Parenting Podcast. Today's guest is Devon Kuntzman, who is an expert on all things toddler. We discussed why toddlers get a bad rap—why they can be really challenging—and what's going on with them developmentally. Devon has so much insight into how to understand your toddler better, and therefore how to make life with them easier by knowing how to support them.We also talked about mysterious toddler behavior, and I asked her the questions I get most from you—what to do in tricky situations like car seats, teeth brushing, diapers, and more. You are going to finish this episode with a deeper understanding of your toddler and a deeper appreciation of these wondrous and sometimes challenging little beings.Even if you don't have a toddler anymore, you might find it interesting—as I did—to understand in hindsight exactly why they acted the way they did. And if you don't have a toddler anymore but you do know someone with a toddler—that's ages one through four—send this podcast on over to them. I'm sure they're going to find it really, really helpful. Devon is just wonderful.Okay, let's meet Devon.Sarah: Hey Devon, welcome to the podcast.Devon: Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.Sarah: Me too. I'm so excited to talk about your new book that's coming out. But before we dive into that, can you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do?Devon: Yes. So, I am Devon Kuntzman, and I'm an ICF certified coach, toddler expert, and the founder of Transforming Toddlerhood. I'm also a mama to a toddler and now an author with a book coming out October 21st called Transforming Toddlerhood as well.I really started Transforming Toddlerhood in 2018 to dispel the myth that toddlerhood is terrible. Yes, toddlerhood is very, very challenging developmentally for so many reasons, but it's also a critical developmental period. If we just go into it white-knuckling it, bracing ourselves for the worst, we actually start to miss the magic of this developmental period and the opportunity to set our kids up for success in the long run.The first five years of life set the foundation for brain development and social-emotional development for years to come.Sarah: I love that. And actually, I love the toddler stage. I know a lot of people find it really challenging, and I can see why, but also, as you said, it is really magical. They're such interesting little creatures, and I just love that stage.So, your book is coming out October 21st, and we would encourage anyone listening to pre-order it. I was so excited to read your book because, when I was reading it, I was thinking, “You know what this is? It's like a perfect peaceful parenting primer, except everything is focused on this age group.”There are a lot of great peaceful parenting books out there, but they don't focus on this age group. And this age group is so specific. I don't know if that's what you were intending to write when you wrote it. If you weren't intending to, I think that's what you did.Devon: Yes. The reason I wrote this book is because we have so many parenting books out there—amazing books that talk about peaceful parenting, respectful parenting, and all of these things. But none of them are truly tailored to the toddler years.At the same time, I have parents DMing me every day asking me so many different questions, and I can see the desperation of these parents. They're searching on Instagram, they're Googling, they're trying to find the answers to these very real, challenging problems in their lives. And there wasn't just one place to go to get all of these answers.That's why I wrote Transforming Toddlerhood. It's an all-in-one, comprehensive, easy-to-read guide that truly covers just about every challenge you might have throughout toddlerhood. Whether it's healthy, developmentally appropriate discipline, being on a different page from your parenting partner, your child whining, struggling with parental preference, or introducing a new sibling—I really cover everything in this book.I wanted parents to have a place they could go to get quick answers that were trusted, so they didn't have to search everywhere for them.Sarah: Yeah, you absolutely did it. You succeeded at your goal. I get lots of questions about toddlers too—in my coaching and in my communities—and every single one of the questions that I get was in the book. That was great.So, I encourage people to go out and get it. I'm actually going to order a copy for my husband's cousin and his wife. They have a little girl who's about 15 or 16 months now, so it'll be perfect for them.Devon: Perfect.Sarah: So, toddlers—as you mentioned before—have a bad rap, right? You know, the “terrible twos,” the “horrible threes,” or whatever people call them. Why do you think that is? And maybe tell us a little bit about what's going on developmentally. I think those two answers are probably connected.Devon: I am so excited to answer this question, because this is a question I always ask everyone who comes on my annual summit. And I'm so excited to get to answer it myself.I really feel that toddlerhood is so challenging for parents because it's the first time your child is realizing that they're a separate entity from you. And at the same time, you're realizing your child is a separate entity from you as well.The whole point of toddlerhood is for your child to become their own separate individual. And the way they do that is through behaviors that delineate a line between your toddler and yourself. They're going to say “no.” They're going to push back. They're going to have their own agenda.We start seeing this even as early as nine months old, with a child who doesn't want to get their diaper changed. Or you have a 12-month-old—you ask them to come over, they laugh and run the other direction. Or you have a 14-month-old who thinks you're moving too slowly, or doesn't like what you're doing, and then they hit you on the head.It's really the first time we move out of a purely caregiving role into what I like to call a really active parenting role, where we have to decide how we're going to respond to these behaviors.I think the bigger challenge is that we're looking at these behaviors through a logical lens with fully mature brains. So, we label these behaviors as bad or wrong. But really, all the behaviors that drive us crazy are developmentally appropriate behaviors for toddlers.Because of that mismatch—between our expectations of what we think is typical and what our toddlers are actually doing—it creates a lot of frustration. It creates fear spiraling: “Are they always going to be this way? Is my child going to grow up to be a bully?” X, Y, Z. All of that makes parenting this age group really, really challenging.Sarah: Yeah, I was just talking to someone this morning who has a 2-year-old and a new baby—which, of course, as you know, exacerbates the challenges of toddlers when you're adding to your family.I have noticed anecdotally that people tend to think two or three are the hardest years, and it almost always comes back to when they had their next child. If they had them two years apart, they found two harder. If they had them three years apart, they found three harder.This mom was just telling me about some struggles, and I said, “Yeah, your daughter is at that stage where she has her own ideas about things she would like to do or have. And it's combined with a lack of logic, perspective, and brain development.” It's like a perfect storm: “I know what I want, but I don't have any experience in life or brain development to be able to express it in a different way.”Devon: Yes, exactly. And another challenge that's really happening in toddlerhood—which comes through in their behavior—is this idea of contradictory needs.As I was saying, your toddler is trying to become their own person. They want to be independent. They're developmentally driven to have a sense of control, feel capable, and exert their will. But at the same time, they're highly reliant on the adults in their life to meet their social and physical needs.So even though these developmental needs are so strong, they still need you—that safe and secure base—to help meet their emotional and physical needs. Toddlers are constantly trying to balance these opposing needs, and that really comes out in contradictory, challenging behavior that can drive us crazy.Sarah: Yeah, I love that. I remember that so well—that “I want to do it by myself. No, I want you to do it for me.” The contradictory needs. That's such a beautiful way to put it.Devon: Yeah.Sarah: What is something you hear all the time that you find yourself saying, “Oh, that's totally normal for toddlers”? What's something parents don't know is normal, but you find yourself reassuring them that it is?Devon: Yes. Basically, the behaviors we as adults really don't like, that we think are inappropriate. Yes, in our logical, fully mature adult brains, hitting, biting, throwing, kicking, screaming, crying—all of these things—feel wrong.But if you think about it, babies' only way of communicating is to cry. Then, as toddlers start to grow, they go through a lot of physical development. They start communicating through their behaviors.For example, if you have a toddler throwing food from their high chair at 15 or 18 months old, they might be experimenting with cause and effect: “If I drop this food, what happens? Does the dog pick it up? How do my parents respond?” They're experimenting and exploring, which is very appropriate.Or take hitting and biting. Toddlers, especially one- and two-year-olds, cannot say, “I don't like this. I'm feeling frustrated.” So instead, they hit you or bite you.I just want parents to know: behavior is not good or bad. We have to step away from that dichotomous lens. Behavior is communication. Once we understand that, we can ask: “What skill does my child need to learn to be successful here?” instead of “What punishment do I need to give to make them listen or to teach them a lesson?”Sarah: Yes—or not only, “What skill?” but also, “What support does my child need to meet my expectation?” Right? Because sometimes the skill's not going to come for a long time with a toddler. But the support is something you can give them.Devon: I love that. This comes up a lot—the idea of “My toddler's not listening to me.” We set the limit, and then we expect our toddlers to just fall in line, follow through, and listen.But the truth is, we need to ask: “What support does my toddler need to meet this limit I'm setting?” We often think saying the limit is the end of our job, but it's actually the beginning.Setting the limit is step one. Then we have to help our kids follow through on that limit—especially the younger they are or the more unmet needs they have in that moment. If they're tired, hungry, overstimulated—then they're going to need even more help to follow through.Sarah: Yes. And I'm going to jump ahead in my list of questions. I was going to ask you about power struggles later, but I want to ask now since you just mentioned limits.I find parents sometimes get too hung up on limits—not that limits aren't important, because they are—but they often get too attached to their own sense of what the limit should be.I love that when you were writing about power struggles, you suggested starting with the question: “What's the goal here?” I'd love for you to talk about power struggles and limits through that lens. Because, as I mentioned this morning to a parent of a 2-year-old, there's so much a 2-year-old has no control over in their life. We want to think about how we can be flexible about the rest.So maybe just talk about your lens of power struggles a little bit, starting with that “What's the goal here?” I love that.Devon: Oh my gosh, I have so much to say on this subject.When we ask ourselves, “What's the goal here?” the main thing to consider is: are we trying to win? Because if you're battling your toddler to win, then you've probably lost sight of the bigger picture—which is: How do you want to show up as a parent? What relationship are you trying to create? What support are you trying to give your child? What skills do they need to learn?When we get caught up in trying to win, we're in our stress response. The more committed we get to winning, the more tightly we get locked in the power struggle. And then everyone's just on their own emotional roller coaster.The reality is, it takes two people to be in a power struggle. And if you're waiting for your toddler to suddenly say, “Oh, just kidding, I'll do what you want,” you'll be waiting a long time. Toddlers are developmentally driven to exert their will and be their own person. They're likely to double down.And toddlers can be really persistent. So we have to zoom out and think about the bigger picture. Instead of being so attached to one way of doing something, we can pivot in an empowered way.That might mean moving forward and letting your toddler follow you. Maybe it's giving them a choice between two things within your boundaries. Maybe it's saying, “When you brush your teeth (or pick up this toy), then we can go outside (or read a book).”There are so many different tools we can use to pivot out of power struggles. Because quite frankly, we're the adults. We have to be the leaders and guides in these moments. Our toddlers aren't going to suddenly say, “Oh, just kidding, sorry.”Sarah: Yes. And the other thing I've been thinking about a lot lately is, if we're not modeling flexibility, how are our kids going to learn it? If we can't be flexible as parents, then how will our kids learn to be flexible?So often parents say, “My kid is so rigid, they're not flexible at all.” And then you listen to the parent a little, and it sounds like they're also being pretty rigid with their child.I think finding those graceful sidesteps—what you're talking about—is so important. It's not about someone winning and someone losing, but about how we can still get to the goal we're trying to reach.Devon: Exactly. And this is a very Montessori-aligned thought: we as parents have to create the container, the foundation. But within those boundaries, there are a million ways something can happen and get done.So, we can give our child freedom within the boundaries. Of course they still need our guidance, but the key is to avoid backing out in a way that says, “Fine, you win.” Instead, we ask: how can we give them a sense of control within our boundaries? That way their developmental need for autonomy is met, while we're still in charge overall.Sarah: Okay. Going back to expectations—one thing I read in your book really struck me. You cited research showing that half of parents believe kids are capable of self-control and milestones earlier than they actually are.I find that too—parents' expectations are often way too high for the age their child is, or for where they are developmentally.So, how do you know if your expectations are out of whack? And what happens—what are the negative things that can happen—when they are?Devon: I always say we typically underestimate our child's physical abilities and overestimate their social-emotional capabilities and impulse control.There's a lot of research and polls showing this is the case. And when we hold unrealistic expectations, we get really frustrated, because we think our toddler is being “bad,” doing something they shouldn't be doing developmentally.Then we turn it inward: “I must be doing a bad job. I'm messing up.”The best way to know if your expectations are appropriate is by looking at your child's behavior over time—over several days or a week. What's really happening in those moments? If you see a consistent pattern, you can start to say, “Okay, maybe I'm asking too much of my child.”That doesn't mean you just throw the expectation out the window and say, “Too bad, I'll try again next year.” It means they need more support.So you scaffold the skill. For example, something like getting dressed takes a lot of planning and coordination. It's a skill that needs to be built over time. We need to start transferring those skills to our children—with our support.So when your expectations are too big, you don't throw them out completely. You ask: how can I support my child to get where I need them to be?Sarah: Yeah. I always talk about when there's the gap between your expectations and the reality, a lot of conventional parenting is like, “Okay, well what threat or consequence do I need to close that gap?” But I always think about just like, what support do we need to close the gap between the expectations and reality?And of course, sometimes I think you do—there is a place for throwing expectations out the window. Because sometimes they're so far off that it's better to let go of the expectation than to try to get your kid to do it.Or, you know, I think resources can go up and down. One day your kid might be able to do something, and the next day their resources might be a lot lower and they can't manage. We have to be flexible.Devon: For the parent too. There are going to be days when we're more resourced, and days when we didn't sleep well. Maybe our toddler was up at 2:00 AM and we're tired. There are days when we just feel like there's too much to do and not enough time. Days when we have our own feelings, emotions, and needs that need attention, and there's not a lot of space for that.That's where we really just need to have compassion for ourselves and for our toddlers, and really give each other the benefit of the doubt—knowing that we're doing the best that we can. Then we can start working from that place: right now, we're doing the best we can in this moment. What's the next step to getting where we need to be?I didn't mention this in the book, but something I talk about a lot with my private clients is that oftentimes we want to jump from A to Z. And that's a really big leap, right? We want to leap across the Grand Canyon, when really what we want to do is step across on stepping stones. Move from A to B, B to C, C to D. That's how we eventually get to where we need to be.This is true across the board when we're thinking about expectations, skills, and things of that nature. So when we don't try to do it all at once, we're going to have more realistic expectations and we're going to be less frustrated.Sarah: Yeah.Devon: That makes so much sense.Sarah: I love also that you really, in the book, normalize toddler behavior. You mentioned before, throwing—and at one point, as I was reading your book, I wondered, “I wonder if she's going to talk about play schemas.” And then you had the section on play schemas.So much of what toddlers do, parents just don't know is normal. Like you were talking about throwing food off the highchair. I always remind parents of the trajectory schema—how does the food move through space, or what happens when I drop this, and learning about gravity.Speaking of normalizing, one of the things that I loved in your book was when you talked about avoiding positive dismissiveness. I loved how you addressed that—when parents say that kids are crying for no reason. Can you talk about that a little bit, what to avoid, and what to do instead?Devon: Yeah. I decided to dedicate a chapter to crying because crying is such an important communication tool for kids. Beyond that, research shows that crying is actually beneficial to our bodies. It helps release hormones that make us feel better.So crying serves a lot of purposes. When we look at crying as “fake crying” or “crying for no reason,” it really shortchanges a normal biological process, a normal way of communication for young children. It also dismisses a child's needs.Now, I will tell you, it is hard to hear your child cry. It is so hard. I had a baby that cried for hours on end—I'm talking five-plus hours a day. So I've heard my fair share of crying, probably enough for ten lifetimes.It's really hard for me, even now with my toddler, to hear him cry. But knowing that you're not a bad parent and there's nothing wrong if your child is crying—that this is actually an emotional release—is super helpful.We don't want our kids to shove it down. Instead of saying, “You're fine, you're fine”—which usually comes from a good place, because we just want our kids to feel better—we can say things like, “That must have been hard,” or, “That was unexpected,” or, “Oh, you fell down and scraped your knee. I'm sorry that happened.”This creates emotional connection and helps build emotional resilience.Sarah: I love that. Listeners to this podcast will have heard me talk a lot about emptying the emotional backpack. That's what you're talking about too—crying might not even be about the thing that just happened. It might just be how they're releasing pent-up stresses, tensions, and big feelings they've been carrying around.And the second part of what you're talking about is really empathy, right? It's so hard because we don't always get why something is so upsetting—like you cut the sandwich wrong, or the muffin is broken in half and they want it whole.But I always tell parents, it's appropriate for little kids to have big feelings about small things. That's their life perspective right now. They don't have big adult problems like we do; they just have toddler problems. And to them, those are just as big.Devon: Yeah. And I think it also really stems from this idea of a lack of control. A lot of crying isn't really about the thing that happened—it's just the release of all the pent-up stuff, and that was the last straw.But why that becomes the last straw—like cutting the sandwich wrong or peeling the banana when they didn't want you to—is because toddlers have so little control over their lives. Yet this is the stage where they're craving control so badly, as they're differentiating themselves and becoming their own person.So that little thing, like peeling the banana when they didn't want you to, just reinforces the lack of control they feel—and that's what sends them over the edge.Sarah: That makes so much sense. I just have so much compassion and empathy for toddlers. I think toddlerhood and middle school are the hardest times of childhood.Okay, let's shift into some tips, because I'm going to use you to ask some of the questions I get all the time. These have been the questions on repeat for the last 12 years I've been doing this.Here's what I hear:My kid won't get in the car seat—or they cry when they're in the car seat.They don't want their diapers changed, even if it's really wet or dirty.They don't want me to brush their teeth.They won't stop throwing things.So if you want to lump some of those together, go for it—or take them one at a time. I'd love to hear your advice on those situations.Devon: Absolutely. Most of these have to do with the toddler's developmental drive to experiment and explore—and that happens through movement. Couple that with bodily autonomy: kids know inherently that they are in charge of their bodies.You can't force a child to eat, use the bathroom, or fall asleep. They are 100% in control of their bodies. That idea—that control is an illusion—is really tough for toddler parents to reckon with. But toddlers are great at teaching us this.The faster we accept that control is an illusion, and that instead we are partners who have to work with our children, the better things will go. At the same time, we are the adults, and we are in charge. Sometimes we do have to cross a child's bodily autonomy to keep them safe and healthy.So let's go through the examples.Car seats: Toddlers don't like being restricted—in a high chair, stroller, or car seat. Every toddler will push against this at some point. It can last for a while and come in phases.Giving your child a sense of control helps: let them climb in, let them choose whether you buckle them or they do it, let them clip the chest strap. Play a silly song as a celebration when they're in. Keep special toys in the car that they only get to play with there.Also, start earlier than you think you need to, so you're not rushing. But in the end, sometimes we do have to keep them safe by buckling them in. If we go against their autonomy, we need to talk them through what's happening, support their emotions, and try again next time.Diaper changes: When toddlers start refusing diaper changes, it means they're ready for something new. They want to move from a passive bystander to an active participant in their toileting journey.The first step is to change them standing up in the bathroom. Teach them how to push down their pants, undo the diaper tabs, or lean forward so you can wipe them. Yes, it's harder to clean them up this way, but it gives them control.Tooth brushing: Toddlers want control here too. I recommend three toothbrushes—one for each of their hands and one for you.Sarah: I remember letting my kids brush my teeth with my toothbrush while I brushed theirs.Devon: Exactly! That's perfect. Another tip: start brushing your own teeth in front of them from a young age. Don't put pressure on them; let them get interested in what you're doing.If it's become a big power struggle, change up the environment. We often brush my son's teeth in his bedroom, with his head in my lap—it's actually easier that way. Change of scenery can make a big difference.Sarah: I'll share a tip that worked with my kids—we made up a story about “Mr. Dirt” who lived in their mouths, and every night we brushed him out. They loved hearing about his adventures while we brushed.Devon: I love that. That's playfulness—and playfulness creates connection, which creates cooperation. Play is the language of toddlerhood. The more we can tap into that, the better things go.Sarah: Yes! I'm surprised we got this far without specifically calling out playfulness—it's the number one tool in the toolbox for working with toddlers.Devon: Exactly. Playfulness, role play, brushing a doll's teeth first, or letting your child brush yours—it all helps toddlers feel powerful and understood.Sarah: Okay, the last challenge: throwing things. I talked to a young couple who wanted to make a “no throwing” rule in their house. I told them I didn't think that would work, since it's such a developmental need. How do you manage throwing when it could be unsafe or destructive?Devon: Great question. I talk about this in my book when I explain the recipe for effective discipline: connection, limits, and teaching skills.First, get curious about what's driving the behavior—throwing can mean so many things. Then, set clear limits: it's not okay to throw breakables or throw at people. Finally, teach skills and alternatives.Sometimes you can't expect a two-year-old to regulate in the heat of the moment, so give them safe alternatives: a basket of balled-up socks, or paper they can throw into a laundry basket. This meets the need within your boundaries, while you also work on calming skills in calmer moments.Sarah: That's so helpful. Now, can you talk about why you don't recommend timeouts, and why you prefer time-ins instead?Devon: Yes. Timeouts are usually used as punishment—to teach a lesson or stop a behavior. But that's shortsighted. Behavior is communication, and if we don't understand what it's telling us, it will keep popping up—like a game of whack-a-mole.Also, kids often escalate in timeout, because they're being cut off from their safe base—you. They need you to help them calm down.That's why I recommend time-ins instead. With time-ins, you're still upholding limits and keeping everyone safe, but you're staying with your child, supporting them, and helping them regulate. This builds long-term skills and emotional resilience.Sarah: Love that. Thank you so much for coming on and for writing this book. I really encourage anyone who is a toddler parent—or who knows one—to pre-order your book. It's a fantastic addition to the peaceful parenting world, and so specific to toddler needs and development.Before I let you go, here's the question I ask all my guests: If you could go back in time to your younger parent self, what advice would you give?Devon: Gosh. I waited a long time to have a child, and I had a vision of how I wanted things to go. But I had a child with a lot of extra needs, and the things I thought would happen didn't. So I would tell myself to loosen my expectations, be grateful for the moments I have, and be flexible in how needs get met.Sarah: I love that. Perfect advice for parents of toddlers especially. Thanks so much, Devon.Devon: Thank you! You can find me on Instagram at @transformingtoddlerhood, or on my website, transformingtoddlerhood.com/book for preorder info and bonuses.Sarah: We'll put the link in the show notes. Your book is comprehensive and very readable—even for me, far past the toddler years. Great job, Devon.Devon: Thank you. That was my whole goal.Thanks for reading Reimagine Peaceful Parenting with Sarah Rosensweet Substack! This post is public so feel free to share it.>> Please support us!!! Please consider becoming a supporter to help support our free content, including The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, our free parenting support Facebook group, and our weekly parenting emails, “Weekend Reflections” and “Weekend Support” - plus our Flourish With Your Complex Child Summit (coming back in November for the 3rd year!) All of this free support for you takes a lot of time and energy from me and my team. If it has been helpful or meaningful for you, your support would help us to continue to provide support for free, for you and for others.In addition to knowing you are supporting our mission to support parents and children, you get the podcast ad free and access to a monthly ‘ask me anything' session. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sarahrosensweet.substack.com/subscribe

In this bedtime story, Bernice wakes up from the most delicious dream. She visited a chocolate factory hidden deep in the mystical forest! At breakfast, she tells Mama and Papa Bear all about it.  ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ ✔️ Themes: • Imagination & Creativity • Family Connection • Emotional Awareness • Joy & Gratitude Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

Hi there,I'm thrilled to share something special I've been part of creating, and I think you and your child are going to love it.Introducing: Big Emotions: Kids Listen Mashups About Feelings! This is a brand-new, limited podcast series that combines voices from more than 40 beloved children's podcasts to help kids understand and cope with big emotions.Episode 1 is out now: Fear & Bravery!Helping children learn to understand, cope with, and communicate about emotions in themselves and others is essential for developing strong and caring relationships. This series features feelings-laden clips from over 40 different kid podcasts to make learning about emotions engaging, meaningful, and actionable.What makes this special:* 7 emotional themes, explored through 14 episodes* Each theme gets 2 episodes, released on Tuesdays and Thursdays* Running from September 16th through October 30th* Immersive stories, music, reflection questions, and activitiesI had the pleasure of hosting the Jealousy & Openness episodes - out this week (September 23 & 25), and Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured in several other themes throughout the series. I'll be adding those as bonus episodes on the Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic feed.The complete lineup:* Fear & Bravery (Sept 16, 18) - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured in part 2!* Jealousy & Openness (Sept 23, 25) - I'm hosting these!* Anger & Forgiveness (Sept 30, Oct 2) - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured* Belonging & Independence (Oct 7, 9) - Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic is featured* Embarrassment & Pride (Oct 14, 16)* Love & Sadness (Oct 21, 23)* Endings & Beginnings (Oct 28, 30)Listen wherever you get podcasts: https://pod.link/1502915722 and on Yoto in October!Warm wishes, Dr. Eileen Get full access to Dr. Friendtastic for Parents at drfriendtastic.substack.com/subscribe

Prabha Nandagopal is a force. She's a human rights and discrimination lawyer who's worked on big national enquiries on immigration detention law and policy and Respect@Work. She's also a woman of colour who became a single mum at just 10 days postpartum. And when you add those things together, it'd be easy to conclude that in life and in work, the odds have been stacked against her. But, as you're about to hear, Prabha has always considered herself a rebel and a changemaker, and she's made a career out of it. From her experience navigating a challenging conception journey and life as a single mum to the ways in which motherhood has impacted her for the better, this is a story that is inspiring and comforting in equal measure. —This episode was brought to you by Yoto. Head to yoto.space for free audio, offline activities and 15% off with the code READY15.—Thanks for listening! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram:@readyornot.pod@laurentreweek_@lucindamckimm_— This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Witching Hour – the show where two mums and sort of cousins figure out how to make work, work. Today on the show:Gen Z vs everyone else: How does our generation define how we show up at work? Is questioning the ‘why' of the task at hand lazy or smart?Feminism isn't to blame for why mothers are overwhelmed and exhausted. This is a post Lu saw from motherhood studies sociologist Dr Sophie Brock and it got her hook, line and sinker. This episode was brought to you by Yoto. Head to yoto.space for free audio, offline activities and 15% off with the code READY15.Thanks for listening! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.You can also find us on Instagram:@readyornot.pod@laurentreweek_@lucindamckimm_— This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land. We Pay The Rent and you can too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blast off! Draw a rocket with Jake in today's Draw-Along.Sunday episode of Yoto Daily - the mini podcast from the people at yotoplay.com.If you loved this episode, download the Yoto app to listen to the rest of the week's Yoto Daily episodes for free.If you want to share your artwork with Jake, or contribute your own joke for the Friyay jokes round up, check out yoto.space!Did you know you can tune into Yoto Daily for fun facts and trivia, jokes, and riddles each and every day? Access all episodes of Yoto Daily by downloading the Yoto App. You'll find loads of a world of free kids' radio, and you don't need a Yoto Player to use it.Follow us at @yotoplay on Instagram and Facebook! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for Jake Says! Don't let him catch you!Sunday episode of Yoto Daily - the mini podcast from the people at yotoplay.com.If you loved this episode, download the Yoto app to listen to the rest of the week's Yoto Daily episodes for free.If you want to share your artwork with Jake, or contribute your own joke for the Friyay jokes round up, check out yoto.space!Did you know you can tune into Yoto Daily for fun facts and trivia, jokes, and riddles each and every day? Access all episodes of Yoto Daily by downloading the Yoto App. You'll find loads of a world of free kids' radio, and you don't need a Yoto Player to use it.Follow us at @yotoplay on Instagram and Facebook! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Red and her friends embark on their most exciting mission yet— venturing to an abandoned quarry to find Dr. Hart's hidden archive. What they discover in a secret underground chamber is bigger than they ever imagined, but when agents arrive unexpectedly, the gang must use all their wits to escape through a mysterious tunnel system. Will they make it out safely with the vital information that could change everything? ✔️ Perfect for ages 5+ ✔️ Themes: Friendship • Belonging • Courage • Teamwork • Standing Up for What's Right • Family • Trust • Adventure • Problem-Solving • Helping Others Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

Everett enjoys school but isn't enjoying the extra responsibility that Grade 4 brings. When he learns that he has homework to do over the weekend, he cannot believe it. Ev, as he is usually called, can't get his work done fast enough, and when he finds a shortcut, he realizes how lucky he is until he gets to school on Monday and hears the other students talking about their homework, and he realizes maybe he shouldn't have taken the shortcut.  ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

When Libby comes home upset about being separated from her friends in a new homeroom, Margherita has a surprise that might make her feel a whole lot better.  ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ ✔️ Themes: Friendship • Adjusting to change • Finding comfort in pets • Family support • Creativity and art • Resilience • Being yourself Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

September sale now on Supercast! We're having our annual super special September sale on Sleep Tight Premium through Supercast. It's the perfect way to help you and your grownups ease back into the school year and make bedtime even more special for the whole family. Because when kids Sleep Tight, families do too.

Settle in for a cozy story from Pema, about a most delicious soup!Sunday episode of Yoto Daily - the mini podcast from the people at yotoplay.com.If you loved this episode, download the Yoto app to listen to the rest of the week's Yoto Daily episodes for free.If you want to share your artwork with Jake, or contribute your own joke for the Friyay jokes round up, check out yoto.space!Did you know you can tune into Yoto Daily for fun facts and trivia, jokes, and riddles each and every day? Access all episodes of Yoto Daily by downloading the Yoto App. You'll find loads of a world of free kids' radio, and you don't need a Yoto Player to use it.Follow us at @yotoplay on Instagram and Facebook! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roll the dice with Jake in today's Dice of Destiny!Sunday episode of Yoto Daily - the mini podcast from the people at yotoplay.com.If you loved this episode, download the Yoto app to listen to the rest of the week's Yoto Daily episodes for free.If you want to share your artwork with Jake, or contribute your own joke for the Friyay jokes round up, check out yoto.space!Did you know you can tune into Yoto Daily for fun facts and trivia, jokes, and riddles each and every day? Access all episodes of Yoto Daily by downloading the Yoto App. You'll find loads of a world of free kids' radio, and you don't need a Yoto Player to use it.Follow us at @yotoplay on Instagram and Facebook! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Red wakes up still reeling from everything Meridian revealed the night before. At school, she and her friends struggle to act normal while secretly planning their Saturday mission to the quarry. A tense encounter in the cafeteria proves that Agent Torres is watching closely, but later at Alexa's house the group pulls their ideas together into a real plan. At home, Red begins to suspect her mom knows more than she's letting on. By Friday, the countdown to the mission has begun. ✔️ Perfect for ages 5+ ✔️ Themes: • Planning and organization • Working together as a team • Balancing honesty and secrecy • Coping with worry and stress • Family trust and communication  Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

You can listen wherever you get your podcasts, OR— BRAND NEW: we've included a fully edited transcript of our interview at the bottom of this post.In this episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, I have a conversation with Desireé B. Stephens about her 10 conscious steps to talking to kids about global crisis. **If you'd like an ad-free version of the podcast, consider becoming a supporter on Substack! If you already ARE a supporter, the ad-free version is waiting for you in the Substack app or you can enter the private feed URL in the podcast player of your choice. You can find the private feed URL for the ad-free version in your Substack account settings under “manage subscription”.Know someone who might appreciate this post? Share it with them!We talk about:* 7:30 What inspired Desiree to write about talking to kids about global crisis* 9:50 1- Start with consent not control* 12:30 How to rest, reset, resist* 15:00 2- Ask, don't assume* 16:34 3- Name the reality, not the details* 20:24 4- Honour their hidden hives* 24:00 5- Let them see your grief with boundaries* 28:00 6- Link emotions to actionable compassion* 31:00 7- Revisit, don't one and done* 35:00 8- Build their critical consciousness* 39:00 9- Co-creating boundaries for when it's too much* 42:00 10- Root it all in relationship, not rhetoricResources mentioned in this episode:* Screen Free Audio Book Player https://reimaginepeacefulparenting.com/yoto* The Peaceful Parenting Membership https://reimaginepeacefulparenting.com/membership* Concious Parenting for Social Justice Collective https://parentingdecolonized.com/join-the-collective/* IG post: Conscious Steps to Talking with Kids about Global Crisis with Desiree B Stephens * https://desireebstephens.bio/digitalproductsConnect with Sarah Rosensweet:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahrosensweet/* Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/peacefulparentingfreegroup* YouTube: Peaceful Parenting with Sarah Rosensweet @peacefulparentingwithsarah4194* Website: https://reimaginepeacefulparenting.com * Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/peacefulparenting* Newsletter: https://reimaginepeacefulparenting.com/newsletter* Book a short consult or coaching session call: https://book-with-sarah-rosensweet.as.me/schedule.phpxx Sarah and CoreyYour peaceful parenting team- click here for a free short consult or a coaching sessionVisit our website for free resources, podcast, coaching, membership and more!>> Please support us!!! Please consider becoming a supporter to help support our free content, including The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, our free parenting support Facebook group, and our weekly parenting emails, "Weekend Reflections" and "Weekend Support" - plus our Flourish With Your Complex Child Summit (coming back in November for the 3rd year!) All of this free support for you takes a lot of time and energy from me and my team. If it has been helpful or meaningful for you, your support would help us to continue to provide support for free, for you and for others.In addition to knowing you are supporting our mission to support parents and children, you get the podcast ad free and access to a monthly ‘ask me anything' session.Our sponsors:YOTO is a screen free audio book player that lets your kids listen to audiobooks, music, podcasts and more without screens, and without being connected to the internet. No one listening or watching and they can't go where you don't want them to go and they aren't watching screens. BUT they are being entertained or kept company with audio that you can buy from YOTO or create yourself on one of their blank cards. Check them out HEREInterview Transcript: Talking with Kids about Global Crisis with Desireé B. Stephens: Episode 205Sarah: Today's guest is Desiree B. Stephens, and we are going to be talking about 10 Conscious Steps to Talking with Kids About Global Crisis. With everything that's going on in the world right now, it's so important to know how to effectively talk to our kids about what's happening and to help them become social change-makers, rather than wanting to turn away from everything scary.I loved this conversation with Desiree. I was inspired by her and the work that she does, and I thought it would be a great overlap to have her come on and talk to us about this topic.On her Instagram, she asks the question: Ever wonder how decolonization and whole self-healing can transform our world? She and I would both agree that adding conscious parenting—or peaceful parenting—to that is really important. It's one way we are changing the world. Slowly, yes, but still changing the world.Hey Desiree, welcome to the podcast.Desiree: Hello. How are you, Sarah?Sarah: Good. I'm so glad! We've crossed paths a couple of times, but we've never really sat down to talk. I'm so glad to have this opportunity.Desiree: I am as well.Sarah: So, tell us about who you are and what you do.Desiree: Okay. Well, my name is Desiree B. Stephens, and I used to open up on TikTok and say, I pathologize whiteness as a system. What I do is believe in dismantling systems through somatic and trauma-informed practices and education. We work on removing shame spirals and touching on the root of the oppression that intersects us all.Sarah: Awesome. I found you—well, I knew you from Yolanda Williams—but I also came across an article you wrote on Substack that someone forwarded to me. That's what we're going to be talking about today.But I was also looking at your Substack, and you write about everything from parenting to history, decolonization, and politics. You cover a lot of really interesting topics. I encourage everyone to check it out—we'll link it in the show notes.The article that really piqued my interest was titled 10 Conscious Steps to Talking with Kids About Global Crisis. This is something I get asked about a lot, and honestly, I've never felt like I had great answers. Now you do! So I'm excited to hear about your steps. I think conscious parents are really struggling with this right now. I know I am, both personally and as a professional.My kids are older, so they have a little more understanding—not that it makes it easier, but at least they can use logic a little bit more. Whereas little kids are like, but why?You opened your article with the line: The world is burning and our children are absorbing the smoke. How do we talk to them about war, injustice, genocide, climate collapse, and economic fear? Just a few light dinner table topics, right?So what inspired you to write this? And then let's get into your ten steps.Desiree: What inspired me was simply that I am a conscious parent. I think we've all traversed different parenting styles over the years. I've been parenting since I was 17 years old. My youngest just started first grade, and over the years I've always had conversations with my children about what's happening in the world.I think where parents struggle is that it's innate to want to protect our children. Protection often looks like insulation. But in this current climate—having parented through the ‘90s and now parenting kids who have access to the entire world—it doesn't matter if we talk about it or not. They're going to find out. They can get on TikTok, and parental controls don't stop that.So I asked myself: how can I do this in a trauma-informed way? How can I honor their bodies? Because, like you said, we can't logic our way through colonization, genocide, starving people, or climate collapse. None of it makes sense.What we can do is trust what our kids are feeling, what they're going through, and what they're hearing from friends. So I began sitting down with them and asking: What did you hear about today? How did that make you feel? Where did that show up in your body?Our bodies tell us something. If they say, “My tummy hurt,” that's anxiety. For example, if a child hears about a school shooting, then suddenly doesn't want to eat and complains of a stomach ache, they're not sick—they're anxious. I can't tell them, You're safe, there's a security guard at school. That doesn't erase their fear.So the question is: how do we process those feelings and help them engage in social justice within a framework that makes sense to them—usually, the home?Sarah: That's such a good point—that none of it makes sense, and that the fear is real. I love that one of your steps is asking them what they already know. But before that, you have a step that I think is so important: start with consent, not control. Can you talk about that?Desiree: I believe in consent in all things. We often talk about consent in the context of sex—like, don't touch me here, that's my no-no square. But consent is much broader. A touch on the shoulder could be the lead-in to inappropriate behavior. Most children who are harmed are hurt by someone they know, who has built trust.So for me, consent extends to all things—including conversations. That ties into the second step, which is: What have you heard? But it begins with consent: Would you like to talk about this today? How are you feeling? Do you have questions?It lets them lead and make a choice. Because sometimes, even I don't want to talk about it. Sometimes I just want to eat dinner or relax, not think about the world burning. And if I feel that way, surely they do too.Sarah: You know what I love about that? I think of my oldest child, who's 24 now. From day one, he carried this existential angst. He cares so deeply about everything we're talking about, but he's always had a hard time putting it down.As he was growing up, I kept saying, It's amazing that you care so deeply and you go to protests, but you don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. That's such an important lesson—and it's embedded in your idea of starting with consent.Desiree: Exactly. Right now, I'm in what I call a season of rest, reset, resist. On my Substack, I've been writing lessons on these themes: two on resting, two on resetting, and two on resisting.There's no way this work can be sustainable if we live in constant crisis. If we only focus on the terror, we lose the joy. But joy and rest are also acts of resistance. They are resilience.For example, in my work on decolonization, I remind people that these systems have existed for thousands of years. And yet—we're still here. That should bring joy. It's proof of resilience.White-bodied people who are new to anti-racism work or activism often burn out quickly. They go to every march, every meeting, until they're exhausted. And I ask: When are you just going to take a walk? When are you going to gather with friends and celebrate?This doesn't have to feel like an emergency all the time. That sense of urgency is one of the pillars of supremacy culture. Not everything is urgent. We're still here.Sarah: Yeah.Desiree: And that's why it's so important to balance. Otherwise, kids end up feeling crushed under the weight of global crisis, on top of their own developmental changes. Sometimes the best response is: Okay, baby, breathe.Sarah: Yes. And so, by starting with consent, you give them the choice to say, Tonight I'm just going to play video games, even if there was a school lockdown earlier that day.Desiree: Exactly. That's fine. Because later is coming. These conversations are not going away.Activism has to be sustainable. You have to know your capacity. Not everyone can march. Some people write emails. Some people color with their kids and talk about it during that time. That's valid too.Sarah: I love that.Desiree: Coloring with your kids, reading children around the world books, talking about culture—these are beautiful, simple ways to weave in social justice. It doesn't have to be violent or traumatizing.Sarah: Yes—because if you traumatize people, they shut down. And then nothing gets done.So, your second step is ask, don't assume. Ask them what they've heard, what they know, and how they feel. And your third step is name the reality, not the details. Tell us about that.Desiree: This changes with age. I have children from adulthood down to six years old. So, for example, when my kids ask about expensive sneakers, I explain: They cost $3 to make, using child labor. That's why I won't pay $300 for them.That's naming the reality—without overwhelming them with traumatic details. Similarly, with Gaza, I don't need to show my kids graphic images of starving babies. That's traumatizing. The reality is enough: This is happening. People are suffering.Children don't need trauma dumps. We can speak clearly without overwhelming them. For a younger child, it could be as simple as: Some leaders are hurting people, and some people are standing up to stop it.Sarah: Right. And you use examples at home too, like play-fighting among siblings. One child steps in and says, That's too rough. That's social justice on a small scale.Desiree: Exactly. Small examples at home translate to global understanding. We can show kids that standing up for others matters. And then we help them find their own capacity—whether it's writing letters, talking about it, or making a video.Sarah: Yes. And if you just pour out trauma, kids will shut down.Desiree: Exactly.Sarah: So step four is honor their hidden hives. What does that mean?Desiree: Kids have their own communities, their own secret lives. Online especially, they connect globally—with Palestinian friends, Jewish friends, Congolese friends, kids in red states, kids with MAGA parents. Their reach is global in a way ours never was.So, honoring their hidden hives means respecting that their conversations matter. Ask: What are you and your friends talking about? What do they think? Don't dismiss them as “just kids.” They often understand more than we do.Sarah: Yes! I remember being dismissed by adults as a child, and how frustrating that felt. I had real thoughts and opinions. That's a kind of adult-centrism, and I know that's a theme in your work.Desiree: Exactly. Center kids in their own lives. What matters to them matters—just like what matters to us in our friendships.Sarah: Okay, now step five: Let them see your grief, with boundaries. This is a hard one for me. I cry easily when talking about these topics, but I don't want to traumatize my kids.Desiree: But why do we think crying is traumatizing?Sarah: I guess I worry that if they see me overwhelmed, they'll feel overwhelmed too.Desiree: The opposite can also happen. If you never let them see you grieve, they may feel they have to hold it in as well.Our parents and grandparents grew up in eras of war, enslavement, displacement. They learned to “button it up” and carry on. They raised us to believe there's “no crying in baseball.”But my parenting journey has been about humanizing myself. I don't want my kids to only realize I'm human after I die. If they see me cry about a world in crisis, that teaches them it's okay to feel deeply too.Now, the boundary is important—we don't completely fall apart in front of them. They still need to feel safe. If a parent collapses emotionally, kids may feel like they have to take care of the parent. That's the line we don't want to cross.Sarah: Yes—that's exactly what I was worried about.Desiree: Right. So we want to find that balance of communal care. We take care of each other here, right? Let's set aside a moment for grief. How are you feeling? What are you grieving today?What made you feel sad? What made you feel displaced? What made you feel unheard, unseen, unloved? Let's get into that. Let's feel that for a moment. And then — what could feel different? What could we all do better as a community?This made me feel bad when you said that. I share with my kids: “When you don't do X, Y, and Z, it makes me feel like you don't care about what I think. And that hurts me.” Right? I don't want to be a parent who just seems angry. I want to be clear that I'm hurt. That hurt my feelings.And I love you so much, I care about you so much, that your feelings matter to me — but I also want to matter to you. And that, for me, is communal care.Sarah: You mentioned a couple of sentences back about “what can we do,” which links nicely into your next step: link emotions to actionable compassion.There's that Mr. Rogers quote about whenever anything bad is happening, look for the helpers. And research shows that when you have big emotions without feeling like you can do anything, that's when kids (and adults) turn cynical.So maybe you could give us a couple of examples. You already mentioned going to marches and emailing. But what are some other things you've done with your kids, or that you've seen other people do with their kids, that connect emotions to actionable compassion?Desiree: Well, again, it all ties together. What's your capacity? What are you able to do that's long-term and sustainable?When the George Floyd protests were happening, my eldest was outside. She said, “Absolutely not. I'm not going to march, I'm not going to take risks.” I said, “Okay, but how do you feel? Do you feel like you're making a difference?”She started going out with water and sandwiches. That turned into a nonprofit — Feed the Revolution. Donations poured in. We even had to get a storage unit for all the water and dry goods. That's linking compassion and passion with actionable steps. It was something she could do safely.And that's how you bring in community care. Other people couldn't march, but they could bring food, bring water, or look for the helper.With kids, it might look different. If they have a Discord group, maybe they can have a conversation once a week: What are your thoughts on this? How do you feel? That's activism too. Sharing, course correcting, letting people know, “Hey, that was harmful. Can we do better?”So: What are you feeling? What do you have the capacity for? What's sustainable? And what can we do?Sarah: And you mentioned even some quiet things, like coloring with your kids, learning about kids around the world, lighting a candle at home, making art for peace, or helping someone locally. Even helping actions that aren't tied to a “cause,” but are just about kindness.Desiree: But that is the issue, right? Because then you start raising helpers.The other day, we had some leftover curry. My son Kira said, “I don't want any more… but can we box it up and give it to somebody?” I said, “I love that. Great. Let's microwave some rice, put it in a container, and go outside to share it.”So now he's learning about not wasting food, about climate collapse, about taking care of community. And people often think it has to be big. “Oh, you need to feed 50 people.” But you fed one. That matters.Sarah: Even if it's just your next-door neighbor who doesn't cook much — bring them some food.Desiree: Or the burned-out parent who's doing all the caretaking. How nice would it be to say, “Hey, I got dinner for you. I know you've already fed your kids. Let someone take care of you.”That shows your children you can make a difference without it having to be huge. The fatigue comes from feeling like we need to combat everything at once. That's overwhelming, and overwhelming leads to burnout.Sarah: Right.Desiree: Liberation isn't one-and-done. It isn't a single conversation. It's a practice, a relationship, a rhythm. You're modeling that the truth takes time, and we don't have to rush.Sarah: I love that. It's like conversations about sex, right? You don't have one talk and then you're done. You keep talking as kids grow and change.Desiree: Exactly. When I talk about liberation work and decolonization, it's about creating a culture shift. None of us like to feel lectured to. Making it conversational changes everything. It becomes about solution-finding: there's a problem, what's the solution, what are the steps?That teaches kids that even if a problem can't be completely eradicated, we can do something. Harm reduction matters. How can we create less harm and do more good?Sarah: And it leaves space for thought and choice. For example, my daughter's iPhone screen broke. She wondered if she should just buy a new phone. I told her, “I'm not going to judge you, but my value is: fix what's still good.” It might not be the most practical or cheapest option, but it feels better ethically.So we talked. And then she made her own decision.Desiree: Yes, exactly. It's harm reduction again. And you gave her the choice — you didn't say, “Absolutely not.”Sarah: Right.Desiree: That's powerful.Sarah: Okay, so your next step is build their critical consciousness. This means inviting them to go deeper — asking questions like, “Who benefits from this system? What would fairness look like? What do you wish adults would do differently?”Desiree: Yes. The safest place to practice that questioning is at home. But that's hard in a hierarchical society.Sarah: Right, you're like, “Question other people, not me!” (laughs)Desiree: Exactly. But raising reflective rebels — kids who can think critically, even with us — is essential.We even did this around bedtime. My kids didn't want a set bedtime. I explained why rest matters. Then we co-created a boundary: “Okay, stay up as late as you want, but you have to get up happily, on time, and not be dysregulated at school.”It lasted less than two weeks! They realized for themselves that lack of sleep doesn't work. That's better than me saying “Because I said so.” They learned through experience.Sarah: That's such a good example of co-creating boundaries. What does that look like in the context of activism and social justice?Desiree: It's about recognizing reality. Not everyone is open to these conversations, especially because they're kids, and also because they're Black and neurodiverse. They need to know when to call me in, and when to stand firm with a respectful “no.”For example, my kids don't do homework. I don't want them indoctrinated into an 80-hour work week. They come home to rest, play, and have a balanced life. That's our boundary.Sarah: Yes, that's so good.Desiree: And finally, root it all in relationship, not rhetoric. If I don't trust you, I won't have conversations with you. Punitive parenting “works,” but only out of fear. The opposite of fear is radical love.Our kids need us to see them as human beings and build real relationships with them. That includes repair when we mess up. Restoration is key.Sarah: Yes.Desiree: Parenting is inherently hierarchical, and that creates a power imbalance. It can be abusive if we're not conscious of that. So our goal is to shift from power over to power with. That's how we raise kids who believe in communal power — and who grow up ready to change the world.Sarah: I love that. That's a hopeful place to stop. Thank you so much.Desiree: Thank you.Sarah: One last question I ask all my guests: if you could go back to your younger parent self, what advice would you give?Desiree: Parent the child in front of you. That's the best advice I ever got. Don't parent from your own trauma.Sarah: Beautiful. And where can people find you?Desiree: My Substack is desireebstephens.com— that's Stephens with a PH. I also co-host Parenting Decolonized with Yolanda, and we run a parenting support group. I'll share those links.Sarah: Perfect. We'll put all of that in the show notes. Thank you again.Desiree: Thank you.Sarah: We're all out here trying to change the world. Slowly, but sustainably.Desiree: Absolutely.>> Please support us!!! Please consider becoming a supporter to help support our free content, including The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, our free parenting support Facebook group, and our weekly parenting emails, "Weekend Reflections" and "Weekend Support" - plus our Flourish With Your Complex Child Summit (coming back in November for the 3rd year!) All of this free support for you takes a lot of time and energy from me and my team. If it has been helpful or meaningful for you, your support would help us to continue to provide support for free, for you and for others.In addition to knowing you are supporting our mission to support parents and children, you get the podcast ad free and access to a monthly ‘ask me anything' session. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sarahrosensweet.substack.com/subscribe

In this bedtime story for kids, Bernice comes home from school to the smell of Papa Bear's freshly baked cookies. But something is different today—Bernice isn't sure if she should eat them. After a class discussion about sugar and healthy food, and some comments from friends at lunch, she starts to wonder if cookies are “bad.” Papa Bear helps Bernice learn that treats in moderation can be part of a happy, balanced life, especially when they're shared with someone you love. ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ ✔️ Themes: Self-awareness · Healthy choices · Conflicting messages · Moderation · Empathy · Family connection · Comfort and reassurance Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

Big news - from September 8th to September 22nd, you can start a 14-day free trial of Koala Shine Plus and join Kenji for a collection of his biggest lessons yet! Our Kenji Collection is over 4 hours long, and is bursting with school-inspired adventures where each lesson takes you somewhere amazing - from the deepest seas to blazing firestorms, mighty rulers of the past to prehistoric giants, and even daring balloon flights and record-breaking animals. It's the perfect way to keep your curious mind buzzing - whether it's after school, on the weekend, or even during your school run - with fun facts and big laughs. Tap to subscribe in Apple Podcasts, or use the Supercast link in our show notes for Spotify, Yoto, and other players, to start your free trial and set off on Kenji's epic adventures!

Jake is here with a quiz for the whole family - questions in maths, literature, science and history!Sunday episode of Yoto Daily - the mini podcast from the people at yotoplay.com.If you loved this episode, download the Yoto app to listen to the rest of the week's Yoto Daily episodes for free.If you want to share your artwork with Jake, or contribute your own joke for the Friyay jokes round up, check out yoto.space!Did you know you can tune into Yoto Daily for fun facts and trivia, jokes, and riddles each and every day? Access all episodes of Yoto Daily by downloading the Yoto App. You'll find loads of a world of free kids' radio, and you don't need a Yoto Player to use it.Follow us at @yotoplay on Instagram and Facebook! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's so much happening in the world of Tumble, and we're excited to share it all with you! Plus we answer questions about plants with the help of plant biologist Carina Baskett. Tumble Yoto Cards  A brand-new pack of 3 cards with Tumble episodes on our most popular themes - Animals, Bugs, and Gross Science - for the Yoto audio player!  Get it 20% off during Yoto's Back to School sale on educational cards: https://us.yotoplay.com/products/animal-facts-critter-curiosities-gross-science-pack Tumble Science in the Field: Europe Our first ever audiobook featuring science adventure episodes in Europe! Find it where you get  your audiobooks:  Audible , Libro.fm , Hoopla , Audiobooks.com , and more!! Tumble Live Events! Cambridge Science Festival in Cambridge, MA - Sept 21 Princeton Public Library, Thursday September 25th The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University. Saturday September 27th Connecticut River Museum in Essex, CT - October 11  Lincoln Center, NYC - February 7, 2025 We can't wait to see you there.

Can you complete Jake's tasks before the buzzer buzzes?Saturday episode of Yoto Daily - the mini podcast from the people at yotoplay.com.If you loved this episode, download the Yoto app to listen to the rest of the week's Yoto Daily episodes for free.If you want to share your artwork with Jake, or contribute your own joke for the Friyay jokes round up, check out yoto.space!Did you know you can tune into Yoto Daily for fun facts and trivia, jokes, and riddles each and every day? Access all episodes of Yoto Daily by downloading the Yoto App. You'll find loads of a world of free kids' radio, and you don't need a Yoto Player to use it.Follow us at @yotoplay on Instagram and Facebook! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this chapter of The Transfer Student, Red and her friends realize someone new at school might not be who he seems. After a long day of classes, they meet Lio at the playground. With new maps, secret codes, and safety rules, the group begins preparing for their biggest challenge yet: reaching Dr. Hart's hidden cache before it falls into the wrong hands. ✔️ Perfect for ages 5+ ✔️ Themes: • Trust and honesty • Problem-solving • Hope for the future Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

Bernice is getting ready for bed and tells Papa Bear that she made a mistake. Papa Bear tries to discover the mistake, and then they talk about what happened. Bernice says she is tired and asks Papa Bear for a short story. Papa Bear decides to tell her a story about Boo-Boo and Kai-Kai visiting the Whispering Tree.  ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

In tonight's bedtime story, Little Pip is embarrassed by the duck-like quacks she makes instead of proper penguin sounds. She tries everything to sound normal, but when a storm hits during the colony's First Dive ceremony and a young chick gets swept away, Pip's unique voice becomes exactly what everyone needs for the rescue. ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ ✔️ Themes: Self-Awareness • Self-Acceptance • Celebrating Differences • Finding Your Voice • Courage Under Pressure • Empathy for Others Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

Katie used to love school, especially English class where books took her anywhere she wanted to go. But ever since Kevin started teasing her about her glasses, school has felt awful. One afternoon, Katie meets a tiny spider named Fred who knows a lot about bullies. With Fred's help, Katie learns she isn't alone, and that being kind and true to herself is braver than trying to be like someone mean. ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ ✔️ Themes: bullying • empathy • self-worth • seeking help from adults • friendship • confidence • kindness Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

Imagidance with Pema! How does a firework dance? What about a humpback whale? Sunday episode of Yoto Daily - the mini podcast from the people at yotoplay.com.If you loved this episode, download the Yoto app to listen to the rest of the week's Yoto Daily episodes for free.If you want to share your artwork with Jake, or contribute your own joke for the Friyay jokes round up, check out yoto.space!Did you know you can tune into Yoto Daily for fun facts and trivia, jokes, and riddles each and every day? Access all episodes of Yoto Daily by downloading the Yoto App. You'll find loads of a world of free kids' radio, and you don't need a Yoto Player to use it.Follow us at @yotoplay on Instagram and Facebook! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jake plays some classic Yoto Daily games.Saturday episode of Yoto Daily - the mini podcast from the people at yotoplay.com.If you loved this episode, download the Yoto app to listen to the rest of the week's Yoto Daily episodes for free.If you want to share your artwork with Jake, or contribute your own joke for the Friyay jokes round up, check out yoto.space!Did you know you can tune into Yoto Daily for fun facts and trivia, jokes, and riddles each and every day? Access all episodes of Yoto Daily by downloading the Yoto App. You'll find loads of a world of free kids' radio, and you don't need a Yoto Player to use it.Follow us at @yotoplay on Instagram and Facebook! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this bedtime story, Nicole begins her very first day of seventh grade on Prince Edward Island. After weeks of magical discoveries in the garden and through the hidden door, she suddenly finds herself facing a different kind of adventure—school!  This is the final part. Look for more adventures featuring Nicole in the future. ✔️ Perfect for ages 5+ ✔️ Themes: friendship • resilience • balance • self-discovery • family support • courage • curiosity • belonging • adapting to change Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

Libby has a lot of homework, and her teachers seem really strict about it. Mom is calling Libby for dinner, but she doesn't get an answer. She goes up to Libby's room and finds Libby on the floor among a pile of papers and books. When it is time for Libby to get her homework into her bag and head to breakfast, there is something missing. Will she be able to find it? ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

In this bedtime story for kids, Bernice comes home from her second day of school full of stories to tell. There are chocolate chip cookies waiting on the table, and Papa Bear is eager to hear everything—about Bobby's brand-new “raptor cut” haircut, her science club's lessons on the human brain, and even her very first French words.  ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ ✔️ Themes: Curiosity • Growth Mindset • Self-Expression • Friendship • Supportive Family • Resilience Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

Tracy loves everything about summer—running barefoot through the grass, chasing butterflies, and learning from the little adventures each day brings. But as school creeps closer, she wonders why the seasons have to change and why rules—like wearing shoes—have to exist at all. ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ ✔️ Themes: Curiosity • Self-Expression • Identity • Parent-Child Bonding • Coping with Change • Resilience • Rules and Boundaries • Emotional Growth • Confidence • Belonging Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

Red finally told the gang the truth they are from Mars. To her amazement, everyone took it in stride. Now, with their secret out, Red feels a new sense of hope… and a new sense of risk. What if someone slips up?   ✔️ Perfect for ages 5+ ✔️ Themes: Trust · Courage · Friendship · Secrecy · Teamwork · Belonging · Critical Thinking · Identity Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

Do you like to go to sleep? Jackie in our story does not like sleeping. He enjoys getting ready for bed but not actually sleeping. His mom has asked him to try counting sheep. Jackie does, but when number 10 doesn't jump over the fence, Jackie goes to see why. ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

After coming home early from Bobby's because it was as "hot as the surface of the sun outside," Bernice has lemonade, learns some big news, and when evening comes, has a bedtime story featuring Boo-boo and Kai-kai, who are taking a new class that lets them talk with all the creatures of the magical forest. ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ ✔️ Themes: friendship • family connection • curiosity • empathy • humor • gratitude • communication • coping with change • celebrating others' achievements Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

In this short story, we meet Benny the golden retriever and Penny the tabby kitten who have always been inseparable. They chase butterflies, share snacks, and are often mistaken for each other by Mrs. MacKenzie. But when the Prince Edward Island Pet Show is announced, their friendship is tested by the old dog-versus-cat rivalry. As they try to prove who's better, they discover that being different doesn't mean they aren't still the best of friends. ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ ✔️ Themes: Friendship • Identity • Belonging • Conflict Resolution • Empathy • Emotional Growth • Teamwork • Inclusion • Respecting Differences Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

In part 24, Nicole wakes to the memory of yesterday's discoveries, and a new worry. School is starting in just two weeks, will she have time to visit the magical garden and her friend Angus? Determined to share everything she's learned about their families' connection, Nicole steps through the garden door and into the past. There, a wooden box, a letter, and an unexpected visitor reveal just how deep the bond between guardians and caretakers truly runs. ✔️ Perfect for ages 5+ ✔️ Themes: friendship • responsibility • family connections • coping with change • trust • self-discovery • balancing priorities Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

 Libby is getting ready to return to school but is not looking forward to it. She has been nervous for a week about everything that could happen. Libby chats with Margherita and tells her everything she is worried about. When Libby wakes to hear her mother call her, she realizes she is late and can't find Margherita anywhere.  ✔️ Perfect for ages 5+ Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

Based on a real experience here on Prince Edward Island. When a gentle crow named Coco begins hearing the calls of her wild kin beyond the garden, she faces a choice between the safety of home and the pull of the wider world. With the help of the old man who rescued her, Coco learns that belonging doesn't have to mean choosing just one place—or one family. ✔️ Perfect for ages 5+ ✔️ Themes: Belonging • Courage • Empathy • Friendship • Patience • Communication • Adaptability • Kindness Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

Riley's reluctant first night sleeping under the stars takes an unexpected turn when Zip Zip, a lost sky-sailor in a tiny moonbeam boat, crashes nearby. Zip is completely lost and searching for the Big Dipper. Together, they learn that sometimes the best way to find your way home isn't to rush, but to slow down and really look. ✔️ Perfect for ages 4+ ✔️ Themes: Overcoming fears, Friendship, Problem-solving, Patience, Mindfulness, Helping others, Perspective-taking, Curiosity Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️

In this episode, Red finally shares her biggest secret with her Earth friends: she's not from around here—she's from Mars. As the truth sinks in, her friends must decide whether to believe her… and whether to stay by her side. Meanwhile, a mysterious message from Lio hints that everything is about to change. ✔️ Perfect for ages 5+ ✔️ Themes: Trust · Identity · Honesty · Courage · Friendship · Empathy · Belonging · Bedtime mystery Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark ❤️