Parental Development
Episodes
124 episodes
Body Image
This episode talks through how to talk about weight changes, health, and body image with our kids.How we talk about our bodies and the bodies of others sets the stage for how our kids think and talk about their own bodies. It's importan...
Back To School
As our kids head back to school,this episode gives some tips and tricks to make this time of year a little less stressful and little more connecting with our kids.To help with the stress associated with back to school, try these things:...
Validation
There has been quite the dust up in the Gentle Parenting community over the last week, which triggered Leah enough that she needed to talk about it!There seems to be a real misunderstanding of the meaning of the phrase "validating emoti...
It's About Us
In this episode Leah does her own work, in front of everyone. Illustrated by an interaction with her 9-year-old, she works through her own history and how it impacts her responses to her own children.We often assign very neg...
There's Another Way
Now that we've encouraged you to stop using physical punishment, this episode gives specific ideas related to other discipline techniques.We talk through specific questions from parents about what to do to address back talk, sucking fin...
Stop Hitting Kids
This episode addresses parenting and discipline using pain and physical punishment. The research is very clear about how physical punishment alters brain structures and functioning and causes kids to feel unsafe and as though they have to...
No Biting
This episode talks through really challening behaviors including biting, hitting, and spitting. Most of us understand this behavior is somewhat normal but often don't know how to respond in a way that is helpful.If you're not fami...
Dear Single Moms
This episode talks through a really sensitive subject, and Beka and Leah do their best to have an honest conversation about the challenges of being a single parent, and how to navigate some of those situations.If abuse is happening in y...
No Quitting
Parents often ask if they should let their kids quit sports, clubs, lessons, etc. We fear that if we let them quit they'll be quitters forever and never learn to work hard. In this episode, Leah and Beka talk through their thoughts on this and ...
Sibling Rivalry
When our kids fight with one another it can be so draining and super challenging to know what to do in those moments. This episode talks through ideas for how to intervene and help our kids develop skills.Our kids' first exposure to dev...
Mental Health
Mental health has been thrust into the national conversation over the last few weeks, often leading to suggestions, ideas, and conclusions from people who do not work in the field and have no experience with the system. This episode does not in...
Hard Conversations
It's been a really challenging week for all of us, and many of us are questioning how to talk to our kids about some of the really hard things going on in our world. This episode talks through some of those concerns and gives some thoughts and ...
Food, Glorious Food
These statistics about our kids' relationship with food and their bodies are heartbreaking, and led Beka and Leah to talk about food and how to use different tools to promote healthy r...
Rupture and Repair
As parents, we often beat ourselves up when we experience a rupture in our relationship with our children. This episode explores the idea that ruptures are inevitable and can even be healthy for relationships, because they give us opportunities...
Little Liars
We all want to raise honest kids and when they lie it can be really hard to know how to respond or what to do!Lying is a very normal part of child development and there are lots of reasons they engage in this type of behavior. Here are ...
Triggered
This episode covers a listener question about how to stay calm and regulated when our kids trigger us, including trauma triggers.It's first important to differentiate typical triggers that bother us as parents and those that are related...
On the Same Page
This has been the most asked question we've ever received: How do I get my partner/spouse on board with this style of parenting?Research has demonstrated there are generally four different
Time To Go Potty
In this episode we answer all your potty training questions!Potty training can be confusing and overwhelming as a parent, and something that can lead to judgment from others if our kids don't do it at the "right" time." The average age ...
Separation
Separation anxiety is a normal developmental stage for kids, usually peaking around 18 months and resolving between the age of 2-3. Sometimes kids struggle with separation for a longer period of time or in ways that make it difficult to leave t...
Let Me Sleep
In this episode we talk through the importance of sleep for us and our kids, and how to promote better sleep habits.Sleep hygiene is important to set the stage for positive sle...
Tantrum
Tantrums can be one of the most challenging things to manage as a parent. They seem to come out of nowhere and can feel almost impossible to stop. This episode talks through some of the science behind tantrums and what parents can do to try to ...
Perfectionism
In this episode we talk through perfectionism, anxiety, and school pressures. The way we react to our kids as it relates to grades, performance, and school sends subtle messages about how e value those things and what it means if our kids perfo...
The Old School Teacher
Schools often struggle to implement discipline in a way we would support, and it's challenging as a parent to know how to advocate for our kids in their classrooms and with their teachers. In this episode, we respond to a text message from a mo...