The Peaceful Parenting Podcast

Feeling a little off track lately?You’re not failing. You just need a reset. If you’ve been losing your patience more than you’d like, or wondering why peaceful parenting feels so hard right now? I get it.That’s why I created the 5-Day Peaceful Parenting Reset.✨ One simple tool a day ✨ 5 days of small, doable shifts ✨ Free live coaching Zoom calls with me each dayBy the end of the week, in a few minutes a day, you’ll feel calmer, more connected, and more confident — and it won’t take hours you don’t have.We start Monday, October 20.It’s free to join: https://reimaginepeacefulparenting.com/parentingreset 🌿Join us for The Parenting Reset so you can get on track for more joy and less struggle.You CAN be more joyful, relaxed and confident- we’ll show you how. 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

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 am giving you another sneak peek inside my Peaceful Parenting Membership! Listen in as I interview Rachel Simmons as part of our membership’s monthly theme of “Friendship Troubles”. Rachel is an expert on relational aggression, AKA mean girls. We discuss how to intervene in this behaviour when kids are young, how to prevent our child from doing this, and how we can support our children when they’re experiencing it.**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:* 6:27 What is relational aggression?* 8:50 Both boys and girls engage in this type of aggression* 10:45 How do we intervene with young kids* 14:00 How do we teach our kids to communicate more effectively* 22:30 How to help our children who are dealing with relational aggression* 33:50 Can you reach out to the aggressive child’s parents?* 38:00 How to reach out to the school* 47:30 How to help our kids make new friends after relational aggressionResources mentioned in this episode:* Yoto Player-Screen Free Audio Book Player* The Peaceful Parenting Membership* Rachel’s websitexx 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 HERERachel interview transcriptSarah: Hey everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the Peaceful Parenting Podcast. Today’s episode is another sneak peek inside my membership, where I interviewed Rachel Simmons — an expert on relational aggression, AKA “mean girls.” She wrote a book called Odd Girl Out, which is all about the topic of relational aggression and how we can support our children when they’re experiencing it — and what to do if our child is actually doing that to other people.If you don’t know what relational aggression is, don’t worry — listen up, because she goes into the definition of it. This was a great conversation. My members had questions, I had questions, and in the end, we all agreed it was a very helpful discussion. I think you’ll find it helpful as well — no matter how old your child is or whether or not they’ve experienced any relational aggression.This is something we should all be aware of, and as parents, we actually have a lot of control over preventing our child from becoming someone who uses relational aggression.As I said, this is a sneak peek inside my membership, where we have a theme every month. This month’s theme was “Friendship Troubles,” and it actually came as a request from one of our members. So we brought in Rachel to talk to us about relational aggression, which this member’s child had been struggling with.Every month in the membership, we have a theme — I do some teaching about it, and we also bring in a guest expert for teaching and Q&A.If you’d like to join us inside the membership, you can go to reimaginepeacefulparenting.com/membership to learn more and join us.Another thing we do inside the membership is office hours. You may have heard a recent podcast that gave a sneak peek into what those are like. We do office hours twice a week where you’re welcome to drop in, ask a question, get support, or share a win — from me, Corey, and other members. It’s just a wonderful place.Our membership is my favorite corner of the internet, and we’ve been doing it for six years. It really is a special place. I’d love for you to join us! Please let me know if you have any questions, or just head over to reimaginepeacefulparenting.com/membership to learn more.And now — let’s hear from Rachel.Hey Rachel, welcome to the podcast.Rachel: Thank you.Sarah: Can you just tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do?Rachel: Sure. Well, I’m based in Western Massachusetts, and I’m a researcher and author. Over the last eight years, I’ve also become an executive coach. I’ve always been fascinated by — and inspired by — the psychology of girls and women.Over what’s now become a long career, I’ve worked with women and girls across the lifespan — beginning, I’d say, in elementary school, and more recently working with adult women.I’ve always been animated by questions about how women and girls experience certain phenomena and spaces differently, and how paying attention to those experiences can contribute to their overall wellness and potential.Sarah: Nice. And I just finished reading your book Odd Girl Out, and I could see how much research went into it. I think you mentioned you interviewed people for a few years to write that book.Rachel: It was a long time, yeah. I was just actually reflecting on that. I came across a shoebox filled with cassette tapes — little cassette tapes of the interviews I did when I wrote that book, which came out 20 years ago.I worked all over the United States and tried to speak to as many girls as I could.Sarah: It’s a great book — highly recommended. We’ll put a link to it in the show notes. Thank you for writing it.So today we invited you here because we want to talk about relational aggression. Can you give us a definition of what relational aggression is?Rachel: Yes. Relational aggression is a psychological form of aggression — a way that people express themselves when they’re trying to get a need met or are upset about something. It usually starts as early as two or three years old, when kids become verbal, and it’s the use of relationship as a weapon.It can start off as something like the silent treatment — “I’m going to turn away from you because I’m upset with you” — cutting someone off as a way of communicating unhappiness. That silence becomes the message.I remember once interviewing a seventh-grade girl who told me she gave people the silent treatment — that she’d stop talking to them as a way to get what she wanted. That was really unusual, because most girls won’t come up and be like, “Yeah, here are all the ways I’m mean.”In fact, it’s often the secrecy that makes this stuff hard to talk about. So I was like, wow, here’s a unicorn telling me she’s doing it. And I asked, “Why do you do it?” And she said, “Because with my silence, I let my friends know what’s going to happen if they don’t do what I want.”A very powerful description of relational aggression.So that’s the silent treatment, but it can also take more verbal forms. Like, “If you don’t give me that toy, I won’t be your friend anymore.” Or, “If you don’t play with me at recess today, then our friendship is over.”The threat is always that I’ll take away a relationship. And it’s so powerful because — what do we want more than connection? That’s a profound human need. So it’s a very, very powerful form of aggression.Sarah: Your book is called Odd Girl Out, and you focused on women and girls. Do you think this also happens with boys? Has it started happening more with boys? What’s your take — is it still mainly a girl thing? I mean, when I think of relational aggression, I think of “mean girls,” right?Rachel: Yes, I think a lot of people do — and certainly did when I first started researching this book many years ago. I did too.It’s important to remember that yes, boys definitely do this, and they do it as much as girls starting in middle school — at least according to the research I read. I haven’t read the very recent studies, so that could have changed, but back when I was doing this work, no one was writing about boys doing it.There was almost no research, and frankly, because of my own experience — seeing boys being more direct and girls being indirect — I assumed it was just a girl thing. But it most definitely is not.I think I and others, in many ways, did a disservice to boys by not studying them. I wish I had. It’s something that’s much more widely understood now by people out in the field doing this work.Sarah: Yeah, interesting — because my oldest son, who’s now 24, definitely experienced a lot of relational aggression in elementary school. And my daughter did too.And just as a side note — it’s so painful to watch your kids go through that. I want to ask you more about parents’ roles, but it’s so painful as a parent to watch your child have their friends be mean to them.You mentioned it can start as young as two or three, and I remember reading in your book — that sort of “you can’t come to my birthday party” thing. Even little kids will say that to their parents sometimes, right? Using that relational aggression.You sa

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, Dr. Jo-Ann Finkelstein returns to talk with me about what parents need to know about concerning anti-woman rhetoric and actions in the “manosphere” and the “womanosphere”. We cover the philosophy of each, the terms and important figures of these movements, as well as what to do if your kid is already being influenced and how to protect them from these harmful messages.**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 What is misogyny?* 7:45 What is the “manosphere”?* 15:00 What is the “womanosphere”?* 20:00 What are the false statistics that have a lot of traction?* 22:00 What do we do as parents for our boys?* 26:00 What to do if your boys are listening to misogynistic influencers* 28:00 The four parts of developing critical media literacy* 35:30 How to mentor not monitor social media* 34:00 Terminology we need to know as parentsResources mentioned in this episode:* Yoto Player-Screen Free Audio Book Player* The Peaceful Parenting Membership* Sexism and Sensibility: Raising Empowered, Resilient Girls in the Modern World with Jo Ann Finkelstein: Episode 164 * Sexism & Sensibility Raising Empowered, Resilient Girls In The Modern World * Episode 118: Raising Kids in the Era of Technology with Devorah Heitner * Jo-Ann Finkelstein’s Substack* Jo-Ann Finkelstein’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 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:Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Peaceful Parenting Podcast.I’ve been noticing a lot in the media, and in the world around me, an enormous amount of tension around gender equity and ideology—as well as seeing concerning anti-woman rhetoric and actions. I’ve also heard from parents who are worried about the influencers and media their kids are being exposed to, and the really quite problematic ideas that come with that.That’s why I asked Dr. Jo-Ann Finkelstein to come back on the podcast. She was on an earlier episode about her book Sexism and Sensibility—we’ll link to that in the show notes if you haven’t heard it yet. I wanted her to talk with me about what parents need to know about the manosphere and the womanosphere.You might not even have heard of the womanosphere—I just learned about it through Jo-Ann’s work. And while I think most of us have heard of the manosphere, we might not be quite sure what it is. Jo-Ann gives us a great overview of the big ideas, terms, and key figures of these movements, as well as what to do if your child is already being influenced—and how to protect them from these, quite frankly, harmful ideas.If you know anyone who needs to hear this, please share it with them. And we’d really appreciate it if you’d rate and review the podcast on your favorite podcast player app—it really helps us reach more families and support more children and their caregivers.Let’s meet Jo-Ann.Sarah: Hey, Jo-Ann, welcome back to the podcast.Jo-Ann: I am so glad to be back.Sarah: I’ve really been wanting to talk to you about today’s topic because there’s just so much going on in the world—and in North America right now—that feels so hard. Especially as a person who cares about people, and as a parent. I get your Substack and I love what you write about gender equity and sexism. Of course, your book Sexism and Sensibility was what you were on the podcast to talk about last time—it’s a wonderful book. We’ll link to that episode and to your book in the show notes.But before I dive in any further, tell us a little bit more about who you are and what you do.Jo-Ann: I’m a clinical psychologist and a writer. I wrote the book Sexism and Sensibility: Raising Empowered, Resilient Girls in the Modern World, as you just mentioned. I see all genders in my private practice, but I do see a lot of girls and women—and a lot of mothers and daughters.Since writing the book, and especially since the political changes we’ve seen in the United States, I’ve really expanded the areas I study, think about, and write about. So I’m glad to be here to talk about such an important topic—the manosphere and the womanosphere.Sarah: I’m so glad you’re here to talk about it. My feeling is that we’re going backwards in terms of gender equity and women’s rights—rights that were hard-won over generations. We’ve seen the loss of reproductive rights in the U.S. and threats of even more restrictions. And it feels like it’s become more acceptable again to share misogynistic viewpoints, especially with the rise of the manosphere and the womanosphere.Before we go further, can you explain a few things for anyone who might not know? What is misogyny?Jo-Ann: Misogyny literally means “hatred of women,” but it’s often used more broadly to describe the sexism women experience. It can be an attitude or an action—something someone does to put down or harm someone who identifies as female.Sarah: Okay, and then the manosphere and the womanosphere—or femosphere, as you said it’s sometimes called.Jo-Ann: Yes, though there are slight differences between the womanosphere and femosphere. But basically, the manosphere is a diverse collection of websites, blogs, and online forums that promote masculinity, misogyny, and opposition to feminism.In a world where two-thirds of young men say that nobody really knows them—and where there’s no clear agreement on what a “good man” looks like or how to become one—it creates the perfect conditions for men to look for connection online, often through the manosphere.This network swoops in to provide what feels like clear messaging about gender roles and relationships—and it promotes the belief that for women to advance, men have to lose something.Sarah: When I was reading about it yesterday to prepare for this, one thing that stood out was that a lot of young men don’t necessarily encounter the overt anti-woman content right away. It often starts with fitness advice, or how to talk to girls—kind of self-improvement content. The anti-woman message is the undercurrent, but it’s still there.Jo-Ann: Exactly. They swoop in with these simple explanations of how to be a man—and they groom these boys in a very slow-drip way. The scary messages are mixed in with talk about gaming, relationships, mental health, wellbeing, getting rich, and getting enough protein.The misogyny starts as memes or jokes—things that can be brushed off as humor or “locker room talk.” But over time, algorithm pulsl them further down the rabbit hole, toward deeper messages about being victimized by society.You can imagine a lonely, rejected boy sitting at his computer thinking, “Yeah, that’s not fair—I haven’t done anything wrong. The system is rigged against me. I’m being victimized.” It’s a very appealing message for someone who feels like a loser—to reframe himself as an underdog, downtrodden by a world that’s unfair to him.Sarah: Do you think that connects to the Me Too movement? Was the rise of the manosphere a response to that, or did it start earlier?Jo-Ann: I don’t know if there’s a direct line, but yes—I write a lot about backlash. Me Too was a real moment for women to speak up and have their voices heard, to talk about the things in our culture that are frightening, violent, and deeply unfair.Whenever there’s progress, there’s backlash. As women began to be heard and things started to change, it felt threatening to some men. That’s part of what fuels the manosphere.And just to clarify for your listeners—kids don’t call it “the manosphere.” Adults do. The kids think that term is totally cringe.Sarah: Right, your teenager’s not going to respond if you say, “Who do you follow in the manosphere?” They’ll be like, “What?”Jo-Ann: Exactly.Sarah: But I have had a friend—a progressive dad—reach out to say, “My 15-year-old son loves Andrew Tate. What do I do?” And Andrew Tate seems like one of the biggest figures in the manosphere.Jo-Ann: Yes, Andrew Tate is huge—and very toxic. He was charged with sex trafficking and sexual assault in Romania and London, and Trump is thought to have even helped bring him back to the U.S. so he couldn’t be tried.Sarah: Let’s talk a bit about the femosphere, but before that, I just want to say—my 18-year-old daughter started working in restaurants this year, and as much as it feels like we’re going bac

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 doi

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 the spring for a third 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 tod

In this episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, I have a conversation with Zach Brittle, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and couple’s therapist certified in both Gottman Method Couple’s Therapy and Relational Life Therapy. We focus on the two big areas that partners struggle with: what do you do when you disagree about parenting, and what do you do when one parent is highly reactive.We talk about:8:00 Sorting through different levels of disagreements between partners11:00 Start by finding what you agree about/values/parenting goals18:00 Explaining “Relational Life Therapy”21:00 How “repair” is the goal in peaceful families27:00 How to go into triggering conversations with our partners30:00 Take care of yourself, so you can show up for your partner and kids31:00 When one parent is more reactive than the other36:00 What do you do if your partner won’t change?Resources mentioned in this episode:Sarah’s podcast about limits and boundaries and the issues with themYoto Player-Screen Free Audio Book Player The Peaceful Parenting Membership Reimagining Limits (and more) in Peaceful Parenting Zach’s podcast Marriage Therapy Radio Zach’s private practice Connect with Sarah Rosensweet:Instagram Facebook Group YouTubeWebsiteJoin us on SubstackNewsletterBook a short consult or coaching session callxx Sarah and Corey**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!Share 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

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 the spring for a third 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 resi

This episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast is my fourth interview with anxiety expert Lynn Lyons! We discuss how to handle school avoidance, including: how to figure out the root cause of school avoidance, how anxiety works including physical symptoms, and how to teach parents and children how to handle anxiety when it inevitably shows up.We talk about:4:31 Finding the root cause to school avoidance7:00 Using “home days” when kids need a break9:00 Normalizing needing breaks, rather than pathologizing 11:40 Emotionally based school avoidance- includes anxiety and depression16:00 How anxiety can cause physical symptoms like stomach aches and headaches23:03 Teaching kids and parents to tolerate uncertainty30:00 Why techniques to “get rid” of worry don’t work32:00 How to talk back to worry48:13 How to handle “The Moment of Goodbye” when dropping kids offResources mentioned in this episode:Three Skills to Protect Our Kids’ Mental Health with Lynn Lyons https://reimaginepeacefulparenting.com/episode35/ Membership Q&A – How to Help Anxious Kids in Real Life Scenarios with Lynn Lyons https://reimaginepeacefulparenting.com/episode45/ How Anxiety Shows Up in Our Parenting and What to Do About It with Lynn Lyons https://reimaginepeacefulparenting.com/episode-99-how-anxiety-shows-up-in-our-parenting-and-what-to-do-about-it-with-lynn-lyons/ Lynn Lyon’s podcast Flusterclux https://www.flusterclux.com/episodes/ Lynn’s website https://www.lynnlyons.com/ Connect with Sarah Rosensweet  Support us on Substack: https://sarahrosensweet.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahrosensweet/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/peacefulparentingfreegroupWebsite: https://reimaginepeacefulparenting.com  Book a short consult or coaching session call: https://book-with-sarah-rosensweet.as.me/schedule.php    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

Hey all, we just wanted to let you know that we are doing a little podcast hiatus, while Corey and I both take some time off in the summer and enjoy time with our families. We will be back with a new episode in a few weeks. Until then, look over the archives. There may be an episode or two that you've missed. We've been doing this podcast for a long time now and we have over 200 episodes. So maybe there's one you've missed or maybe there's a favorite one that you would like to revisit. And also if you love the show, please take the time to rate and review us and make sure you're following the show so you don't miss an episode when we do come back. Thanks for being such a great listener and can't wait to come back to you in this space. See you soon! 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 episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, we are giving you a sneak peak inside my Peaceful Parenting Membership. We have virtual office hours twice a week, and during this particular Office Hours we cover a lot of ground including limit setting, anxiety, sibling conflicts, parenting peacefully even when triggered, and using play to give children power.    We talk about: 5:00 A member working through conflicts with siblings 11:07 A member having conflicts with their child’s school being too punitive 12:41 Working through when you can accommodate your child’s preferences vs. when you are accommodating your child’s anxiety 21:00 What we take into consideration when setting a limit 28:45 Working through sibling sharing rules 33:00 When siblings are saying mean things to one another 35:00 A member sharing a big win about sticking to being peaceful even when things get hard with her kids 43:00 Setting limits around play dates during the week 49:00 Giving children intentional “boss us around time”   Download the episode transcript HERE    Resources mentioned in this episode: https://reimaginepeacefulparenting.com/yoto  The Peaceful Parenting Membership https://reimaginepeacefulparenting.com/membership  Be Your Child’s Play Therapist! The Way of Play with Georgie Wisen-Vincent: Episode 178    Connect 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.php    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 episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, is a conversation with Ned Johnson who is the co-author of three books including his most recent The Seven Principles for Raising a Self-Driven Child: A Workbook. This is Ned’s fourth time coming on the podcast and this time we discuss letting kids learn from controlling their own lives and making mistakes, being kids “technology consultants”, and motivating teens to make changes when they are engaging in unhealthy behaviours. We talk about: 6:30 What is a self driven child?  11:50 How parental anxiety leads to not giving kids control over their own lives 15:52 Why we need to stop forcing our kids to do things 18:00 Why kids should be in charge of their own college/university applications 26:00 Letting kids learn from their own mistakes/natural consequences 32:00 How do we handle our kids’ tech use without controlling them? 45:00 How to handling fighting over a teen’s phone use 50:00 Case study about an autistic teen who is smoking a lot of weed   Download the episode transcript HERE    Resources mentioned in this episode: https://reimaginepeacefulparenting.com/yoto  The Seven Principles for Raising a Self-Driven Child: A Workbook Unmasking Autism by Devon Price  What Really Works for Children with Autism by Peter Vermeulen  Is This Autism by Donna Henderson   Connect 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.php  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 episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, is a conversation with parenting coach and author Lori Sugarman-Li. We discuss how to teach the next generation to care for the home by focusing on making care work visible, discussing shared family values, and respectfully getting children involved in care tasks. We talk about: 5:00 What is Fair Play? 1:00 Getting kids involved in caring for the home 14:32 Elevating the work of giving care and having men participating in that 18:22 How what is visible is valued 19:22 The Peaceful Parenting approach to raising helpful kids 24:000 Starting from a place of being a Family Team with shared values 29:43 What happens when family members have different values 32:30 Explaining the “why” behind chores 39:00 When kids say “no” to chores   Download the episode transcript HERE    Resources mentioned in this episode: https://reimaginepeacefulparenting.com/yoto  Our Home: The Love, Work, and Heart if Family  Lori’s website  IG @ourhomeourpride   Connect 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.php    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 episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, is a conversation with Scott Novis, a 25 year veteran in the video game industry. We discuss how to choose quality video games, how to manage ending video game time, the problems with free games and games connected to the internet, how too much screen time disrupts children’s development, and how to apply lessons learned in video games to the real world!   We talk about: 9:30 Why you should pay for games and get ones that don’t require an internet connection  13:27 Make sure your kids only play with people they know 15:00 Know how games end and when they can pause 18:00 Flick lights to get kids attention when gaming 19:00 Being intentional about social interaction and applying this to gaming 20:00 Why Scott doesn’t like tablets 26:24 What makes a quality game? 27:45 The problems with the Hook Algorithm 34:00 Why we shouldn’t call video games a waste of time 36:51 Applying what kids learn in good video games to the real world 40:00 Brain science behind why screens are disruptive to kids’ development    Download the episode transcript HERE    Resources mentioned in this episode: https://reimaginepeacefulparenting.com/yoto  Scott’s blog that includes his favourite games  Contact Scott     Connect 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.php  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 episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, is a conversation with Jackie Silver, a registered dietician who works with neurodivergent kids, teens, and adults. We cover when you should seek help with your child’s selective eating, why eating is so complex and the steps to feeding, helping kids understand their hunger cues, and routines that help make mealtimes fun, low pressure, and increase exposure to new foods.    We talk about: 7:30 Why we need to let go of shame around feeding our kids 13:00 How does a parent know when their child’s selective eating is a “problem” 15:00 Why eating is complex and the “steps to feeding” 18:14 How do you get a child engaged in the process of expanding their diet? 21:00 Managing the anxiety as parent when your child is having challenges 25:00 Helping children who have trouble understanding their hunger cues 33:00 Why some Dieticians are shifting away from the Divisions of Responsibility 34:00 Routines families can set at mealtimes to make it low pressure, fun, and conducive to trying new foods 37:56 Food chaining to help with new food exposure 40:56 Why we shouldn’t hide or sneak things into foods for kids   Download the episode transcript HERE    Resources mentioned in this episode: https://reimaginepeacefulparenting.com/yoto  Work with Jackie Silver Nutrition https://jackiesilvernutrition.com/  IG @accessiblewellness   Connect 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.php    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 episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, is a conversation with Dr. Sheryl Gonzalez Ziegler, a psychologist and the author of the new book The Crucial Years, the Essential Guide to Mental Health and Modern Puberty In Middle Childhood. We cover how to normalize and celebrate puberty, how to teach moderation with screens, and red/yellow flags of disordered eating in middle childhood.  We talk about: 10:45 Why we need to talk to children about puberty in middle childhood 12:00 Historical context- how the timing of puberty has changed  16:00 Red parties and celebrating/normalizing puberty 29:00 Normalizing having conversations about tough topics in age-appropriate ways before kids ask questions 35:00 What you can do to teach your kids moderation with screens and technology 43:00 Making a small pod with other families who are delaying smartphones 46:33 Signs that kids are engaging in disordered eating in middle childhood   Download the episode transcript HERE    Resources mentioned in this episode: Yoto Player- non-screen audiobook player  Dr. Sheryl Ziegler’s book The Crucial Years, the Essential Guide to Mental Health and Modern Puberty In Middle Childhood  Erin Loechner’s book The Opt-Out Family, how to Give Your Kids What Technology Can't    Connect 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.php    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 episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, is a conversation with Rebecca Minor, a gender specialist who works with queer and trans youth and their families. We discuss the cost of not affirming kids’ identities, how we can raise our kids in an affirming environment, and how we can support and advocate for LGBTQ+ kids out in the world! We talk about: 4:40 Statistics for kids who don’t have loved ones affirming their identities 8:45 How can we raise kids in an affirming environment, before we know their identity? 13:07 How to advocate for your LGBTQ+ child 17:40 How to handle unsupportive people in your life (family, friends, etc.) 21:38 How to handle the hostile environment against LGBTQ+ people and families  25:30 Take your kids to family friendly PRYDE events!   Download the episode transcript HERE    Resources mentioned in this episode: Dealing with Non-Affirming Family Members: PFLAG’s guide for families: https://pflag.org/resource/guide-to-being-a-supportive-parent/  Gender Spectrum’s resources for caregivers: https://genderspectrum.org/articles/family-resources  Rebecca’s blog: www.genderspecialist.com/blog   Who to Call, Write, or Donate To: Trans Youth Emergency Fund: https://southernequality.org/tyep/  Transgender Law Center: https://transgenderlawcenter.org ACLU Action: https://www.aclu.org/action or https://www.aclu.org/writing-your-elected-representatives Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org Raising Trans Kids: What to Expect When you Weren’t Expecting This https://amzn.to/4e0XWT1  Organizations for people of faith who are supporting LGBTQ+ kids:  The Real Mama Bears https://www.realmamabears.org/   Free Mom Hugs https://freemomhugscanada.ca/ Mama Dragons https://www.mamadragons.org/   Connect 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.php    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 episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast, Corey and I cover eight different times when parents tend to talk too much to their kids! We discuss times when you can make minor tweaks such as when kids are engrossed in play or when we are giving kids directions. As well as major changes we can make such as not talking at all when kids are completely dysregulated or upset. 1, 2, 3, STOP TALKING!   We talk about: ·         2:20 Stop talking when kids are engrossed in play ·         4:17 We don’t have to make it a teachable moment ·         7:52 Giving unnecessary directions to our kids ·         10:33 Problems with praise ·         13:00 The Zone of Regulation as a guide for when and when not to talk ·         24:00 Over explaining ourselves when setting limits ·         28:00 Avoiding safety chatter ·         30:45 Stop talking when kids have a problem   Download the episode transcript HERE   Resources mentioned in this episode:   ·         Coaching with Sarah or Corey  ·         Our Peaceful Parenting Membership  ·         Podcast about not making it a teachable moment  ·         https://www.alfiekohn.org/article/five-reasons-stop-saying-good-job/ ·         Podcast about cultivating nonchalance     Connect 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.php  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

This episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast is a conversation with journalist Melinda Wenner Moyer about her new book Hello, cruel World Science-Based Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times. This is Melinda’s second time on the podcast, and this time we cover what the research says about teaching kids self-compassion, managing tech use, preventing addiction, achievement culture, and more!    We talk about: 5:00 Helping kids learn self-compassion 9:30 The simple themes that keep coming up to help our kids in multiple domains 11:45 How the research about tech use surprised Melinda 15:00 Communication is the most important part of managing screens 19:39 What the research says about preventing addiction and substance use 29:30 Sneaky ways we pressure our kids to achieve 36:20 Teaching Kids media literacy   Download the episode transcript HERE    Resources mentioned in this episode: Hello, cruel World Science-Based Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times  How to Raise Kids Who Aren’t A******s  https://www.melindawennermoyer.com/  https://melindawmoyer.substack.com/    Connect 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.php    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

This episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast is a coaching call with Charlotte who has a 7-year-old, 4-year-old, and 3-year-old. We had an interesting conversation about when we are giving too much empathy to sensitive kids and all the nuance around having a more nonchalant attitude to big feelings. We also discussed self regulation challenges and how to set limits with little kids. We talk about: 8:30 When deep breathing isn’t enough to calm you down 13:30 Why you have to be there to enforce a limit with little kids 16:20 What is “discipline”? 19:00 Managing Aggressive Tantrums 23:00 Having a nonchalant attitude to big feelings 36:00 Getting playful when a child is being aggressive 41:00 Getting kids thinking brain back online 46:00 Checking back in after Charlotte tries Sarah’s suggestions 47:00 When you are all out of patience 56:30 Finding time for one-on-one time 58:00 No one has to be a perfect parent   Download the episode transcript HERE    Resources mentioned in this episode: Coaching with Sarah or Corey Our Peaceful Parenting Membership    Connect 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.php    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

This episode of The Peaceful Parenting Podcast is a conversation with Dr. Gila who is a psychologist, neuropsychologist, and peaceful parenting coach that specializes in supporting single parents. We discuss the unique challenges and blessings of being a single parent, as well as how being a single parent amplifies many aspects of the parental experience. We also cover encouraging research about attachment and how to let go of perfectionism.   We talk about: 6:00 What does the research say about being a single parent? 9:00 Why we should not chase being “perfect” 13:00 Fears, anxieties, and grief single parents experience 14:35 Logistical challenges of being a single parent 16:55 Strategies to manage stress as a single parent 18:23 “Sink metaphor” for self regulation strategies 24:00 The importance and challenge of finding community 32:47 The special relationship you can have with your kids as a single parent   Download the episode transcript HERE    Resources mentioned in this episode: https://www.drgilaparenting.com/ Facebook Group: Single-Parenting with Connection, NOT Perfection, with Dr. Gila    Connect 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.php  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