Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families Dr Justin Coulson

It has been 9 months of homeschooling for the Coulson crew, with plenty of ups and downs and many lessons learned. One of those lessons is that homeschool is not and cannot just be "school at home". When a child is struggling in a school setting, taking them out of that environment only to set up the same structures and lessons at home doesn't change the challenges that your child is experiencing! 
In this episode:
Resilient Kids Conference - (recording available)
Help, hug, or space?
When school isn't working Homeschooling is not school at home Letting go of expectations/perceptions Self-directed learning Autonomy Exercise - cycling, swimming Working from home Setting boundaries Steven Covey's "Big Rocks of Life" analogy The overwhelm of to-do lists Related links: 
Taking the Pressure Off School Refusal .
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Devices can calm our emotional children - but does a screen actually help them to emotionally regulate or is it just distracting them from their emotions in the heat of the moment? Are there long term consequences to letting screens "manage" a child's emotions?
We also talk about a controversial topic - using "screen-time" as a reward! There is an important connection between screen use and children's executive function and emotional regulation, and it's not good news!
In this episode:
Your words have power:  @always.upper.elementary Toothpaste Words: The most important back to school lesson you can do Should we comment on someone's appearance? Cure for tantrums? Longitudinal associations between parental digital emotion regulation and children's self-regulatory skills Using devices as digital pacifiers Frustration tolerance Unplug Childhood: Join the village, sign the petition #1038 - Managing Emotional Dysregulation
Tolerable discomfort
Resilience Associations between media parenting practices and early adolescent screen use
Social media
Using screens as punishment or reward leads to higher screen use
Alfie Kohn, author of 'Punished by Rewards' Positive/negative reinforcement The most important "app" for our children Related links: 
Unplugging Parenthood #137 Punishment & Rewards with Alfie Kohn .
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Our goal as parents is to raise good humans, but sometimes we actually get in the way of doing that! Beck Delahoy shares three things parents can do to move away from centuries of unhelpful patterns to a better way of parenting.
In this episode:
Lessons Learned | Beck Delahoy | Substack John B. Watson - 1920's behaviourist What do we want to do as parents to raise good humans? teaching thoughts, values, feelings, acceptable behaviour History of parenting Long-term consequences of punishment/reward Calculation of Risks Blind Conformity Revolt Fostering acceptable behaviour Moral development Building emotional regulation  Related links: 
The Secret to Regulating Emotions Punishment, Rewards, & Other Disciplinary Mistakes .
Doors are now open to the Happy Families Membership 
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Two questions from listeners: Emma asks for advice on helping her 10 year old son who is struggling with being at school, withdrawing from friends, and feeling sad. And Kari, a homeschooling mum of 3 little boys, has requested an update on the Coulson's Homeschooling experience!
In this episode:
The 3 basic psychological needs Supporting children at school 'School Can't' Building frustration tolerance Attention amplifies discomfort Changing classroom or school Persistence and consistency Homeschooling update Euka Curriculum Autonomy-supportive structure Emotional regulation wins .
Related links: 
The Secret to Regulating Emotions How to Help when School Sucks .
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A conversation about what it means to be emotionally regulated or dysregulated, with five quick ideas for parents to help their children regulate well.
In this episode:
What are emotions? Maladaptive responses Etymology of 'emotion' French: to excite Latin: to move Emotional regulation: The ability to control your emotional state.  Emotional dysregulation: When your emotions are stronger than your ability to act with autonomy.  Amygdala triggers survival/fight/flight mode Spanish: Tengo hambre (I have hunger) Developmental realities Creating a safe and predictable environment Brené Brown on emotions #822 The Emotional Lives of Teenagers (Part 1) Homeschooling  .
Related links: 
The Secret to Regulating Emotions Emotion Coaching [ Webinar - if you are a HF member you can find this in your video library] .
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Family holidays and traditions are important! Sometimes though, they can feel out of reach - perhaps unaffordable or even impossible. The good news is that traditions don't have to be big, or cost any money, and you don't even need to leave home to create them! 
In this episode:
Why traditions matter Avoid big holidays with little kids  Stick to pools/beaches when they are young What the research says Family meals, meetings, or games One-on-one time with children Marking milestones Hamish Blake's epic birthday cake tradition! .
Related links: 
Family Traditions Help Kids Make Sense of Life .
Doors are now open to the Happy Families Membership 
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