What you look for, you will find. I have believed that about motherhood for a long time now, long enough that I built a whole journal around the idea, and I have heard from hundreds of mothers who have had the same experience. They weren't finding more good because their children had suddenly changed. They were finding more good because they had started looking for it. That is the whole heart of today's principle, and I love teaching it because it is such a happy way to parent. It makes you feel like a good mom. It reminds you that your kids are awesome, even on the days they are hard. And it gives you hope that all of this work you are doing is worth it, and that it is working. This is the fifth episode in my back-to-school check-in series for moms, six short episodes walking you through the six principles of Self-Assured Motherhood, each one with a concrete way to assess how you're actually doing. Today's principle is Gather the Good, and we're talking about it specifically in the context of noticing and calling out the good in our children. When you start naming the good out loud, something lovely begins to happen. Your child starts to believe that story about who they are, and then they start behaving in ways that support it, which gives you more good to notice, which gives them more reason to believe it. It's a beautiful cycle, and it can start with one sentence said within earshot at the dinner table. In this episode, you'll hear: ✨ The two sentences I say out loud about my kids when I know they can hear me, and why I'm not doing it to get them to behave ✨ Why the child who is hardest to praise is usually the one who needs it most, and what to do when that's the season you're in ✨ The green, yellow, and red descriptions for this principle, so you can figure out where you actually are right now, before the school year gets loud There is so much good happening in your home already, and I hope this is the school year you get to spend more of your energy finding it. For full show notes, including takeaways, click here. *** Announcements: ✨ Want to know how you're really doing across all six principles of self-assured motherhood? Take my free quiz. You'll get a clear picture of where you're thriving and where you could use some support, and you'll be added to the info list for my Self-Assured Motherhood program, which opens for enrollment on September 14th with a special discount for quiz-takers. ✨ If you're looking for a concrete daily practice for this principle, the Flecks of Gold Journal is the perfect tool to help. Related Episodes: 447: What Parents in Disney Movies Got Wrong 304: Motherhood is hard. This helps. 158: Creating Golden Moments with Teenagers // Saren Eyre Loosli of Power of Families Episode Sponsors: Quince: Make your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. K12 Powered Schools: See how K12 Powered Schools can help unlock your child's full potential. Enroll online today at K12.com/3in30. Zenni: Go to zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for fifteen percent off your first order, plus free shipping on all US orders over sixty five dollars. Let's Connect! Join me on Instagram! Get weekly-ish emails with BTS of my life Find Your Magic in Motherhood: Free 3-Day Email Course ***