The Minimal Mom Dawn Madsen

Is my child addicted to video games? How do I know? What is a healthy amount of video game playing? Today Dawn visits with Dr. Alok Kanojia, also known as Dr. K, to discuss practical steps for preventing video game addiction. Dr. K, a former gaming addict and Harvard-trained psychiatrist, shares insights from his book "How to Raise a Healthy Gamer" on how to identify and manage gaming addiction in children.
How to Raise a Healthy Gamer Book: https://amzn.to/3x3zJdP
IN THIS EPISODE
00:00 Welcome Dr. Alok Kanojia 01:13 Can we REALLY raise a "healthy" gamer? 03:58 What about gaming addiction? 04:59 How have video games changed over time? 10:00 Sense of virtual identity 13:46 Are there actually benefits to playing video games? 15:47 Practical steps to getting video games under control 16:50 Get on the same team 22:09 25% rule 24:52 Can kids learn to manage video games on their own? 26:20 Ideal age to start playing 31:06 What if my spouse is the addicted gamer? 33:15 Do first person shooter games desensitize kids to real life? 36:04 Is there hope if I feel like I've ruined my child?
MORE ABOUT DR. K:
Follow Dr.K's podcast HealthyGamerGG https://open.spotify.com/show/6VaJwyS2KXxiXqR77jqzmP
Healthy Gamer Website https://www.healthygamer.gg/
- Instagram: @healthygamergg
- X: @dralokkanojia
- YouTube: @HealthyGamerGG
- TikTok: @healthygamer.gg
 
ABOUT THE MINIMAL MOM:
Hi, I'm Dawn, if we haven't met before, I'm married to Tom and we have four kids ages 8-13. We live outside of the Twin Cities in MN and have called ourselves minimalists for 8 years now. We got rid of 85% of our stuff and don't miss ANY OF IT! If you'd like to see more instructional videos about minimalism and decluttering, be sure to check out my YouTube channel!

Our Summer Declutter Challenge kicks off on Monday! Find full details here: https://www.theminimalmom.com/mentorship-group
Today I'll answer YOUR questions! If you'd like to leave a voicemail with your own question, you can do so here: https://www.speakpipe.com/MinimalMom
In this episode:
00:50 How do I solve my “Monica” closet? 06:27 My husband and I can't agree on this, help? 11:25 How do I push further without feeling guilty? 15:90 How do I get out of the comparison trap? 17:50 Decluttering with ADHD and no motivation, how do I get going? 23:30 How do I let go of perfectly good things?
Resources mentioned:
Podcast with Sarah McDonald: 5 Tips on Surviving, Thriving & Decluttering with Chronic Illness
The Science of Stuff by Britt Frank
The Minimal Mom Mentorship Group 

Summer Declutter Challenge: Refresh & Re-Home begins soon! Find full details HERE!
Do you or someone you love struggle with decluttering due to chronic illness? 
Listen in as Dawn talks with Sarah, a professional organizer and decluttering expert who also deals with chronic illness. She shares five tips to help those with chronic illness overcome hurdles in decluttering and simplify their lives.
 IN THIS EPISODE:
0:00 Top tips for surviving and thriving with chronic illness 01:05 Sarah’s Story 3:10 Planning for sickness 5:50 Ask for help how you need in the way YOU need 11:24 How to help others 14:20 Recognizing the mental load 17:26 Encouragement for those with chronic illness 18:46 Simple doesn’t mean bad 26:48 Weird but it works 28:37 Not all jobs are equal 36:34 Convenience sometimes is survival  
ABOUT SARAH McDonald
Sarah is a declutter expert, professional organizer, minimalist and simple living enthusiast; embracing simplicity, one change at a time.  She came from a family of hoarders, but Sarah broke free and is now on a mission to help others do the same! She believes that less is more and she loves sharing my experiences, tips, and tricks to make life easier and more meaningful.
LINKS: 
Find Sarah on IG: https://www.instagram.com/smallchangestv/Find Sarah on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallChangesMy jewelry is from Trades of Hope (Shop to help women out of poverty!): https://tradesofhope.com/minimalmom
 
Mother's Necklace on Etsy: https://cli.re/mom-necklace
(I have the gold in 18")Welcome to The Official Minimal Mom Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and could I ask a favor? Would you mind following? It helps podcast apps recommend this podcast to more friends. Thank you! Dawn

“How do I help my kids declutter when they are attached to EVERYTHING?  I don’t want the pressure of minimizing our stuff to lead my kids into hoarding!”Listen in as Dawn speaks with Laurie, a professional organizer, about her personal experience raising a neurodivergent child, helping kids declutter, and her learnings along the way. 
 
IN THIS EPISODE: 0:00 Intro
4:35 - Personal experience of Laurie 
7:26 setting healthy boundaries with kids and treasures 
18:42 - (GEM) “But will I turn them into hoarders?” 
24:49 - When your kids are ready to move on, and you’re not  
26:36 - setting up your kids for success
37:42 - reach out to Laurie
ABOUT LAURIE: 
Laurie is the founder of Simply B Organized (SBO) where she writes, teaches, and works with people of all ages helping them to declutter and work smarter. She also hosts This ORGANIZED Life, a weekly podcast where she chats with awesome guests about life, work, parenting, and the role that organization has in their lives.
LINKS: Laurie’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/simplyborganized/
Podcast episode with Logan: https://simplyborganized.com/2019/08/01/ep-138-podcast-on-parenting-with-special-guest-logan-palau/
Logans followup episode: https://simplyborganized.com/2023/06/22/ep-341-navigating-college-with-adhd-tips-and-insights-from-logan-palau/
Lauries podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-organized-life-organizing-tips-for-busy-moms-to/id1193014252
My jewelry is from Trades of Hope (Shop to help women out of poverty!): https://tradesofhope.com/minimalmom
 
Mother's Necklace on Etsy: https://cli.re/mom-necklace
(I have the gold in 18")
Welcome to The Official Minimal Mom Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and could I ask a favor? Would you mind following? It helps podcast apps recommend this podcast to more friends. Thank you! Dawn

What do two polar opposite, yet identical twins unanimously praise as the most impactful elements of their upbringing by their incredible mom (and dad, too!)?
Listen in as Dawn and Dianna share about the benefits of growing up with little and the wonderful way it has shaped them.
 
0:00 Catching Up 
8:50 Dawns new mothers necklace and wanting more kids? 
11:05 Parenting tips that we learned from our mom
11:58 Tip #1 - Be realistic about what the family can handle and afford 
22:33 Tip #2 Celebrate well 
23:22 Tip #3 Don’t draw attention to the difference in families 
27:28 - Tip #4 Love unconditionally 

LINKS:
Pink Sweater I'm wearing on repeat: https://amzn.to/3UVdW15
Color block shirt I love: https://amzn.to/4drUYWW
My jewelry is from Trades of Hope (Shop to help women out of poverty!): https://tradesofhope.com/minimalmom
Mother's Necklace on Etsy: https://cli.re/mom-necklace (I have the gold in 18")Welcome to The Official Minimal Mom Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and could I ask a favor? Would you mind following? It helps podcast apps recommend this podcast to more friends. Thank you! Dawn

My kids want to keep everything - how do I help them declutter? I want clear counters, but where do I put the stuff? My “fantasy self,” “Justin Case,” and “Some Day” keep talking to me all at once - HELP!Listen in as Dawn answers from listeners on these topics and more!
Want to record a decluttering question? You can do so here: https://sayhi.chat/MinimalMom
1:05 - How do I navigate kids with an age gap sharing room? 4:13 - I want clear counters, but where do I put the food? 7:26 - How do I get rid of my kids sentimental items? 13:49 - My “fantasy self,” “Justin Case,” and “Some Day” keep talking to me all at once! 19:19 - Do I include my kinds in decluttering? 24:28 - How do I handle a partner who wants to keep piles of stuff? 
Welcome to The Official Minimal Mom Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and could I ask a favor? Would you mind following? It helps podcast apps recommend this podcast to more friends. Thank you! Dawn