Parenting

Parenting tips, advice, kid’s activities and how to manage a family.

Podcast Episode 345: How to Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk When It Comes to Body Image with Dr. Whitney Casares
| |

Podcast Episode 345: How to Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk When It Comes to Body Image with Dr. Whitney Casares

Struggling with body image talk at home? Dr. Whitney Casares shares expert tips on how to help your child develop a healthy body image—and maybe even improve your own in the process. Learn how small language shifts can make a big impact, why extreme body positivity isn’t always the answer, and practical ways to foster confidence without toxic extremes. If you’ve ever worried about passing down body insecurities, this is the conversation you need.

344: 3 Decluttering and Organization Mistakes Keeping Your Home in Chaos with Lisa Woodruff
|

344: 3 Decluttering and Organization Mistakes Keeping Your Home in Chaos with Lisa Woodruff

Discover how to tackle decluttering and organization mistakes that are keeping your home in chaos! With Lisa Woodruff, we share 3 game-changing tips to avoid common decluttering and organization problems and create systems that actually work for your family. Stop wasting time and start organizing smarter by avoiding these decluttering and organization issues.

Podcast Episode 342: The Truth About College Admissions No One Tells You with Dr. Pamela Ellis
| |

Podcast Episode 342: The Truth About College Admissions No One Tells You with Dr. Pamela Ellis

Feeling overwhelmed by college admissions and college applications? Learn how to support your teen without stress! Get tips on navigating college admissions, avoiding common pitfalls in college applications, and creating a plan that works for your family. Take the guesswork out of college admissions and help your child succeed with confidence.

Podcast Episode 341: 3 Things You Need to Know to Heal Your Grief After a Loss with Krista St-Germain
|

Podcast Episode 341: 3 Things You Need to Know to Heal Your Grief After a Loss with Krista St-Germain

Struggling with grief or how to support someone who is grieving? Many people feel unsure of what to say or do after a loss. Grief expert Krista St-Germain shares powerful insights on how to support someone who is grieving without making it awkward. Learn why the five stages of grief don’t apply to loss and discover a better way to offer comfort. If you’ve ever wondered how to support someone who is grieving, this is a must-read.

Podcast Episode 338: Why Diet Culture is Sneakier Than You Think – and How to Fight Back with Jennifer Beasley, LPC, CEDS
|

Podcast Episode 338: Why Diet Culture is Sneakier Than You Think – and How to Fight Back with Jennifer Beasley, LPC, CEDS

Discover Jennifer Beasley’s powerful story of battling eating disorders and escaping the grip of diet culture. Learn how diet culture fuels eating disorders and impacts mental health, and how to rebuild self-worth, support teens, and find freedom from toxic diet culture.

Podcast Episode 336: Passwords to Predators: Internet Safety Tips for Every Parent with Fareedah
| |

Podcast Episode 336: Passwords to Predators: Internet Safety Tips for Every Parent with Fareedah

Internet safety tips for parents aren’t just rules—they’re about fostering open communication and guiding kids through today’s digital world. Discover essential internet safety tips for parents to protect kids online with tech safety expert Fareedah Shaheed’s SAFE Method which builds trust, connection, and empathy, and keeps your kids safe.

Podcast Episode 335: Feeling ‘Blah’? Let’s Talk About What’s Really Going On (& how to make it better) 
|

Podcast Episode 335: Feeling ‘Blah’? Let’s Talk About What’s Really Going On (& how to make it better) 

Feeling unmotivated as a mom? You’re not alone. If you’re stuck in that “blah” state and wondering if it could be depression, this post has the answers you need. Learn what’s behind feeling “blah” and practical ways to reclaim your motivation and joy.

Consequence for Hitting a Sibling: The simple method that teaches kids to communicate, not hit
| |

Consequence for Hitting a Sibling: The simple method that teaches kids to communicate, not hit

Not more than 2 seconds after they hop in the car, the screaming begins.

“No, that’s not what happened Erik. My lunch is at 11:35am, not 11:30.”

I brace myself.

“NO SISSY! YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT”

And then, WHAP!

He reaches his little arm across the space in the bucket seats between them and hits her.

“Erik, DON’T HIT ME!!!”

That’s when I intervene.

I don’t know how school bus drivers do it. How do you discipline 30 kids when you’re trying to keep safe and focus on not veering your large yellow, monstrosity off the road

I’m in a Toyota Highlander with only two children and I’m ready to lose my mind.

How to deal with a grumpy child: 5 positive actions to help with whining, sulking and pouting
|

How to deal with a grumpy child: 5 positive actions to help with whining, sulking and pouting

It’s the fifth temper tantrum of the morning.

Your son is mad at you because you poured milk on his cereal when he only wanted it on the side.

Your daughter huffs past you in a little ball of rage because her brother is taking all the attention… AGAIN.

And you?

You are fed up.

3 Things to Do When Your Kid Cries over Homework
| |

3 Things to Do When Your Kid Cries over Homework

“Noooo… I can’t do it. I don’t have the time!!”

Have you heard this from your child when she sits down to do homework? My gosh, it wrecks me.

I can feel her overwhelm and so relate to it.

I know what it feels like to have so much to do and what seems like no time to do it.

So, I jump in and try to help.

“It’s ok sweetie, let’s write down all the things you have to do to get it out of your head.”

“NO!” she pouts back, “That won’t help. I don’t know any of this and I have to get started now.”

What do you do with that? You see the problem, you know the steps to take to fix it and yet your child pushes you away like you couldn’t possibly know what she’s talking about or what she’s dealing with.

The One Secret to Get Kids to Pick Up After Themselves Without Being Told
|

The One Secret to Get Kids to Pick Up After Themselves Without Being Told

Ever walk in your house and become immediately overwhelmed with the stuff lying around?

Its bad enough when you have a kitchen junk counter stacked with 3 layers deep with kid’s artwork, random books and those gadgets for your door that you don’t want to throw away but you don’t really know how to install.

But then is all the stuff your kids leave laying in the living room or crammed onto the top of the family room game shelf.

Girl Drama: How to Help Your Daughter with Mean Friends
|

Girl Drama: How to Help Your Daughter with Mean Friends

Middle school was complete hell.

When my daughter entered sixth grade this year, I was terrified.

I didn’t want her to think it was her fault that other people were mean to her. I wanted her to know how to confront problems and the typical, stupid ways that people would react.

Ways that had nothing to do with her.
Girl drama is one of those things.

3 Simple Ways to Make Homework Fun

3 Simple Ways to Make Homework Fun

I’m going to be blunt.

Right now, your child’s homework time just plain sucks.

It does.

You dread it every night. “Hey, have you done your math homework yet?

“NO! I can’t do my homework. I don’t want to do it yet. Can’t I watch TV? I’ll do it after dinner.”

So much back and forth and back and forth. It’s become too much.

The question is, how do you make your child want to do homework?

How do you make homework less boring?

Podcast Episode 119: Finding your Authentic Self with Ryan Haddon
| |

Podcast Episode 119: Finding your Authentic Self with Ryan Haddon

It can be hard finding your authentic self when we put so much energy into our family every day. It becomes so difficult to untangle where your identity ends and your identity as a parent begins (news flash- they are different)! We’re going to share 3 things you can do to have healthy boundaries with our kids and family and help you find your authentic self.

Podcast Episode 86: Parenting on the Same Page with Amy McCready
|

Podcast Episode 86: Parenting on the Same Page with Amy McCready

It’s hard enough when you are trying to pick a place to go out to eat and no one is on the same page, but when you and your partner or co-parent aren’t on the same page…it can be downright agonizing! We discuss with Amy how parents can identify what the real issue is causing their parenting struggles and how to best get on the same page and become a united front.

Four Steps to Deal with your Tween’s Next Mood Swing
|

Four Steps to Deal with your Tween’s Next Mood Swing

You walk in the door from school. Your nine-year-old comes in after you.

Everything seems fine. She’s happy. All is well and good.

Then, you remind her that the dishwasher needs unloading.

Boom. It’s like something inside her detonates.

“Noooo… I don’t have time to do that. That’s so unfair. I can’t believe you’re making me do this!:

She glares at you, stomps over to the kitchen sink and starts crying.

WHA-ATT just happened? She was happy. I didn’t blame her. I just had a simple request.

Podcast Episode 112: What is Social Justice Parenting?
|

Podcast Episode 112: What is Social Justice Parenting?

When it comes to parenting, so many of us want to raise “good kids”. Kids who will be kind to others, who can problem solve, kids who truly understand and act out of compassion, and who understand inclusivity, justice, and equality. But there is often a space between raising “good kids” and raising pro-justice kids. That’s where the concept of Social Justice Parenting comes in.

Podcast Episode 61: How Logical Consequences are More Effective Than Punishments at Home
| |

Podcast Episode 61: How Logical Consequences are More Effective Than Punishments at Home

Too often, we fall into the trap of punishing our kids in the heat of the moment after something’s happened. But that hardly ever works. Here, we’ll discuss the difference between logical consequences and punishments, as well as how to make effective logical consequences that will have a positive impact on your discipline at home.

Podcast Episode #146: How to Parent Like a Spy with Christina Hillsberg
| | |

Podcast Episode #146: How to Parent Like a Spy with Christina Hillsberg

Have you ever thought that being a parent should carry some training? How about spy training? I mean, who doesn’t want to learn how to parent like a spy? Meet Christina Hillsberg, former CIA agent and author who shares how her training as a spy has influenced her parenting with her 5 kids.

How to Help Your Middle Schooler Organize with this Simple Checklist
|

How to Help Your Middle Schooler Organize with this Simple Checklist

It’s 6pm on a Thursday and I get a frantic text from a friend. Her daughter goes to the same school as mine.

“Hey, does your daughter have the math test from 2 months ago? The teacher is letting Celina retake it but she can’t find it.”

“Yeah, hold on, let me ask her.”

My daughter does have the test – which she doesn’t hand over right away because she wants to know exactly why she needs it, what it will be used for… third degree basically.
Satisfied with all my answers,she opens her binder to the math section, pulls out the test and hands it to me.
“Thanks,” my friend texts back, “I don’t know what Celina did with it.”

Could this be why you’re so frustrated as a mom?
|

Could this be why you’re so frustrated as a mom?

Do you feel like you’re too nice?

One of my students called me out for that my first year of teaching.

In her very astute, wise little fifth grade voice she told me, “Mrs. Crohn, you are too nice”

But wait… don’t you want to be nice? Isn’t that something to aim for?

Kind yes. But nice…nice is taking on the full responsibility of other people’s feelings and adapting your behavior to make others happy.

That’s what I was doing when an 11-year-old called me out.

Creating A Bare Bones Budget When You’re Not Making Much Money
|

Creating A Bare Bones Budget When You’re Not Making Much Money

In the midst of this strange season of social distancing and change, money may well be a scary topic for you. Maybe you’re like my family and you’re working through a big loss of income due to the pandemic? Maybe overwhelm and anxiety define your money situation in this season of uncertainty? Maybe you’ve decided to keep your head down and eyes closed, playing the “if I don’t look at it, then it can’t be real game” that our kids played when they were little?

Overwhelmed? Homework Help for your Middle School Student
|

Overwhelmed? Homework Help for your Middle School Student

Dread your middle schooler’s homework every night? These tips for middle school parents will guide you in effective homework strategies.

There I was, sitting in my son’s 7th grade Parent-Teacher conferences, listening to the Literature teacher tell me the same thing I have heard for the past few years at every single conference…

“Your son is very bright, well-behaved, an absolutely pleasure in class. However, he doesn’t seem to get his homework done. And our first test of the year didn’t go very well for him.”