Your Parenting Mojo

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Hi, I\'m Jen Lumanlan, host and founder of the Your Parenting Mojo podcast and author of Parenting Beyond Power: How to Use Connection and Collaboration to Transform Your Family and the World. The Your Parenting Mojo channel shares evidence-based parenting strategies that help you navigate the challenges of raising children. Through interviews with child development experts, psychologists, and fellow parents, we explore topics like emotion regulation, understanding child behavior, and building practical parenting skills. My goal is to help you make informed decisions that work for your unique family--without relying on quick fixes or one-size-fits-all solutions--so you can focus on truly meeting your child\'s needs - and YOUR needs as well. Subscribe to learn how to parent with confidence, connection, and collaboration. Learn More About My Book: https://yourparentingmojo.com/book

  1. Aug 17

    Re-release: Creative Problem-Solving (Without Giving the Answer)

    If you want your kid to solve problems creatively instead of waiting to be told the answer, this episode is for you. I\'m talking with Sara, whose four-year-old started asking permission for things he used to just do on his own, like grabbing the markers off his own shelf. In this episode, Sara talks about the drone that showed up out of nowhere and the fifteen minutes her son spent working out how it worked, using nothing but a toy helicopter he already understood. She also talks about the perfectionism she didn\'t realize she was carrying into their explorations, until a coaching call helped her name it. https://yourparentingmojo.com//creative-problem-solving Key chapters: 00:00 — Can Your Child Be Your Teacher? 03:09 — The Pressure of Growing Up With “Be the Best” 10:14 — “Who Is the Child in Front of You?” 12:27 — How Perfectionism Affects Parenting 20:59 — The Simple Rule: Don’t Give Your Child the Answer 25:45 — How to Know If You’re Actually Teaching Your Child 27:11 — Is It OK If Your Child Gets the Wrong Answer? 33:39 — Turning Everyday Problems Into Learning Opportunities 41:13 — The Power of Saying “I Wonder” 50:20 — Can Working Parents Actually Do This? 51:36 — The Most Important Skills Kids Need to Learn Connect with us: Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourparentingmojo/ Join our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2174808219425589 Like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YourParentingMojo Read my blog: https://yourparentingmojo.com/blog/ Check out past audio episodes: https://www.yourparentingmojo.com/episodes #ChildLedLearning #InterestLedLearning #Parenting #ChildDevelopment #PositiveParenting

    Re-release: Creative Problem-Solving (Without Giving the Answer)

  2. Aug 3

    Re-release: Raising an Entrepreneur (Without Taking Over Their Business)

    Re-release: Raising an Entrepreneur (Without Taking Over Their Business) If you want your kid to build real skills like reliability and clear communication, and you\'re wondering whether starting a business could be the way to do it, this episode is for you. My daughter Carys started a pet sitting business at 10 years old, and I didn\'t expect how much she\'d learn from it. In this episode, I talk about the alarm that went off twice before Carys figured out how to remember the client\'s security code. I also talk about the client who wanted a regular early morning walk. Carys told him no, and a well-paying job sat right there while part of me wanted her to take it anyway. For links to references mentioned in this episode, go to https://yourparentingmojo.com/raising-an-entrepreneur Key chapters: 00:00 A shocking financial gift for kids (it\'s NOT a college fund) 01:26 Why kids should earn real income before middle school 03:08 The life skills every child learns from running a business 05:31 How entrepreneurship teaches organization naturally 07:13 Teaching healthy boundaries through business 08:07 Raising kind kids—not profit-obsessed entrepreneurs 09:35 Why difficult clients build resilience 11:11 How responsibility becomes self-motivation 12:50 Why entrepreneurship can be especially powerful for neurodivergent kids 13:59 Why ages 8–12 are the perfect time to start 17:50 Best businesses kids can actually start 20:24 The surprising power of starting young 22:05 Financial freedom vs. chasing money 25:02 How to support your child without taking over 31:54 Biggest concerns parents have (and the truth) 39:29 What running a kid\'s business actually looks like 47:31 A healthier alternative to screen time 48:38 How to help your child discover a business idea 52:05 Introducing Mind Your Own Business for Kids 53:13 The real goal isn\'t raising entrepreneurs Connect with us: Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourparentingmojo/ Join our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2174808219425589 Like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YourParentingMojo Read my blog: https://yourparentingmojo.com/blog/ Check out past audio episodes: https://www.yourparentingmojo.com/episodes #Parenting #ParentingTips #Entrepreneurship #KidsBusiness #FinancialLiteracy #RaiseIndependentKids #PositiveParenting #MoneyMindset #LifeSkills #YourParentingMojo #ChildDevelopment #Homeschool #Unschooling #EntrepreneurKids #ParentEducation

    Re-release: Raising an Entrepreneur (Without Taking Over Their Business)

  3. Jun 15

    Burnout vs Depression: The Mental Load of Mothers

    If you’re feeling exhausted, and overwhelmed and you aren’t sleeping - and you wonder if you might be depressed, this episode is for you. Bob Whitaker is a journalist who has spent decades investigating psychiatric treatment in the U.S. He won a George Polk Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His book Anatomy of an Epidemic is a New York Times bestseller. And he has a lot to say about why so many mothers are being handed a diagnosis when what they actually need is support. In this episode, Bob traces how women\'s distress has been medicalized instead of treated as a reasonable response to impossible circumstances. He describes psychiatry as a form of social control - because the entire system directs attention toward individual brains and away from the situations we’re living in. And he shares the results of a New Zealand study on postpartum depression that should have changed how we support new mothers - but it didn’t. For links to references mentioned in this episode, go to https://yourparentingmojo.com/adhd-without-medication Key chapters: 00:00 Why Depression Diagnoses Are Rising in Mothers 01:25 Is Burnout Being Misdiagnosed as Depression? 03:29 Psychiatry as a Form of Social Control 04:26 Why Women\'s Distress Gets Medicalized 06:47 From Valium to Antidepressants 07:34 Are We Treating the Wrong Problem? 10:49 Depression or a Response to Your Environment? 12:05 The Postpartum Depression Study That Changed Everything 13:33 What Actually Prevented Postpartum Depression 14:33 Is the Problem Your Brain—or Your Situation? 15:00 What Every Burned-Out Mother Needs to Hear Connect with us: Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourparentingmojo/ Join our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2174808219425589 Like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YourParentingMojo Read my blog: https://yourparentingmojo.com/blog/ Check out past audio episodes: https://www.yourparentingmojo.com/episodes #MomBurnout #MentalLoad #Motherhood #BurnoutVsDepression #MaternalMentalHealth #ParentingPodcast #YourParentingMojo #WorkingMoms #PostpartumDepression #MentalHealth #ParentingSupport #MomLife

    Burnout vs Depression: The Mental Load of Mothers

  4. Jun 1

    If ADHD Medication Doesn\'t Help Kids Learn, What Does?

    If ADHD Medication Doesn\'t Help Kids Learn, What Does? Most parents medicating their child with ADHD in the U.S. are doing it because they want their child to learn and succeed in school (social concerns are seen as more important to parents in the U.K.). But the largest ADHD treatment study ever conducted followed 538 children for six to eight years - and found no difference in academic achievement, grades, or test scores between kids on medication and kids who weren\'t. There were no significant differences even after the medicated group increased their average daily dose by 41%. Medication changes kids’ behavior. It doesn\'t improve learning. And once you understand what the research shows really helps kids with ADHD in the classroom - and why most kids stop taking medication within a few years - the conversation about treatment may look very different. You\'ll hear what kids say about being on stimulant medication in their own words, why the majority stop taking it within a few years, and what evidence-based classroom approaches actually produced real learning gains in a controlled study. For links to references mentioned in this episode, go to https://yourparentingmojo.com/adhd-without-medication Key chapters: 00:00 Where We Left Off: ADHD Medication as the Answer 01:21 Does the Medical Model Hold Up? 02:57 Dr. Barkley’s ADHD Contradiction 05:45 Who Gets to Define ADHD Symptoms? 07:21 Parents vs. Children: Whose Voice Counts? 10:17 When ADHD Disappears in the Right Environment 12:24 If Medication Works, Why Do So Many Kids Stop Taking It? 13:00 Does ADHD Medication Improve Learning? 16:02 Good Teaching vs. Medication 18:02 What Actually Helps Kids Learn 20:00 What Kids Say Medication Feels Like 20:32 Should Children Have a Voice in Treatment Decisions? 22:02 Why Most People Quit ADHD Medication 23:23 What Kids Really Need to Thrive 24:16 Coming Next: Is ADHD the Problem—or the Environment? Connect with us: Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourparentingmojo/ Join our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2174808219425589 Like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YourParentingMojo Read my blog: https://yourparentingmojo.com/blog/ Check out past audio episodes: https://www.yourparentingmojo.com/episodes #ADHD #ADHDMedication #ADHDParenting #ParentingPodcast #YourParentingMojo #ChildDevelopment #Neurodiversity #Education #ParentingTips #ADHDResearch #ChildBehavior #EvidenceBasedParenting

    If ADHD Medication Doesn\'t Help Kids Learn, What Does?

  5. May 12

    Einstein Never Used Flash Cards: How Kids Learn Best

    Einstein Never Used Flash Cards: How Kids Learn Best If you\'ve ever stood in the toy aisle wondering which educational toy will actually help your kid learn - or signed them up for another enrichment class just to make sure you\'re not missing something - this episode is for you. Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek has spent more than 20 years studying how children learn. She\'s a psychology professor at Temple University, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and co-author of Einstein Never Used Flash Cards - just updated for the age of AI. And her answer to the question of what actually helps kids learn best is probably not what the toy aisle is selling. In this episode, she breaks down what playful learning actually looks like - with real examples from real classrooms and from the everyday things you\'re already doing at home. She explains the difference between free play, guided play, and direct instruction, and when each one actually serves kids. And she makes a case that the push to start earlier and do more may be working against what parents say they want for their kids. There\'s also a moment at the end of the conversation where Jen asks Dr. Hirsh-Pasek two questions about research and culture that don\'t usually get asked in interviews like this one - and her answers are worth hearing. For links to references mentioned in this episode, go to https://yourparentingmojo.com/einstein-never-used-flash-cards Key chapters: 00:00 Why Play Matters More Than Ever 01:05 The Pressure Parents Feel Today 03:34 “Stop Micromanaging Childhood” 05:24 The Science Behind Playful Learning 06:24 Why Modern Schooling Isn’t Working 07:40 What Playful Learning Actually Looks Like 11:53 Skip the Flashcards? 12:21 Real Learning Happens at Home 15:30 Are We Pushing Kids Too Hard? 16:55 Why Kids Need More Downtime 17:55 The Problem With Early Achievement Pressure 19:23 Why Researchers Avoided Studying Play 22:22 What Schools Should Really Teach 25:03 The Questions Parents Still Need to Ask Connect with us: Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourparentingmojo/ Join our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2174808219425589 Like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YourParentingMojo Read my blog: https://yourparentingmojo.com/blog/ Check out past audio episodes: https://www.yourparentingmojo.com/episodes #PlayBasedLearning #LearningThroughPlay #ChildDevelopment #ParentingPodcast #ParentingPodcast #PlayBasedLearning #ChildDevelopment #GentleParenting #PositiveParenting #LearningThroughPlay #EarlyChildhoodEducation #YourParentingMojo #RespectfulParenting #ParentingTips #KidsLearning #PlayIsLearning

    Einstein Never Used Flash Cards: How Kids Learn Best

  6. Apr 27

    Who Really Decided Your Child Needs ADHD Medication?

    Who Really Decided Your Child Needs ADHD Medication? If your child\'s doctor has suggested stimulant medication for ADHD - or your child just got diagnosed and you\'re trying to figure out what to do next - you’re probably trying to figure out what to do next. In this episode, I dig into the medical model of ADHD that most parents encounter when their child gets diagnosed. It comes largely from one very influential researcher, Dr. Russell Barkley, and it shapes what doctors say, what drug company ads claim, and what most parents believe about ADHD and medication. But when you look closely at the research, cracks start to appear - in the diagnostic criteria, in the science, and in the financial ties between the researchers who built this model and the pharmaceutical companies that profit from it. You\'ll hear why the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria rely on a word - \"often\" - that has no objective measure, why there are large differences in diagnosis rates across states (and why it happens), and what the drug company ads used Barkley\'s research to tell parents - and the FDA’s ineffective response. For links to references mentioned in this episode, go to https://yourparentingmojo.com/stimulant-medication-adhd Key chapters: 00:00 Why This ADHD Mini-Series Matters 01:18 Meet Dr. Russell Barkley 03:05 What Dr. Barkley Says ADHD Is 06:42 How ADHD Is Diagnosed 10:08 The Problem With “Often” 13:02 Cultural Values Inside the Criteria 16:20 ADHD Compared to Diabetes 20:10 Brain Growth vs Lifelong Medication 24:18 Who Changed the Diagnosis Rules? 33:12 Following Pharma Money 39:22 Why Some States Diagnose More Kids 43:05 How Easy Is It to Get Diagnosed? 47:30 Scary ADHD Outcome Claims 53:18 Fear-Based Drug Ads to Parents 57:10 What Comes Next in Part 2** Connect with us: Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourparentingmojo/ Join our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2174808219425589 Like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YourParentingMojo Read my blog: https://yourparentingmojo.com/blog/ Check out past audio episodes: https://www.yourparentingmojo.com/episodes #ADHD #ADHDParenting #ParentingPodcast #YourParentingMojo #ADHDMedication #ChildBehavior #ParentingTips #MentalHealth #Neurodivergent #ADHDSupport

    Who Really Decided Your Child Needs ADHD Medication?

  7. Apr 20

    What\'s Really Behind Your Child\'s End of Day Meltdowns

    What\'s Really Behind Your Child\'s End of Day Meltdowns If your child holds it together all day at preschool or daycare and then completely falls apart the moment they get home - melting down over dinner, refusing to go potty, battling every transition - you\'re not imagining it. There\'s a name for it: afterschool restraint collapse. And once you understand what\'s driving it, you can actually do something about it. In this episode, I coach parent Kathleen through the end-of-day struggles with her three-year-old, who just started full-time preschool. Dinner is a battle. Potty time is a battle. Bedtime is a battle. And Kathleen has started to wonder if things would go more smoothly if she just... wasn\'t there. If that thought has ever crossed your mind, this one\'s for you. You\'ll hear why low capacity at the end of the day shows up as meltdowns and transition resistance, what your child\'s need for connection has to do with mealtime battles and bedtime resistance, and one concrete practice that addresses the root cause instead of just managing the behavior. For links to references mentioned in this episode, go to https://yourparentingmojo.com/afterschool-restraint-collapse Key chapters: 00:00 Why Kids Melt Down After School 02:11 Parent Shares Evening Chaos 05:20 “It’s Absolutely Relentless” 07:08 The Real Cause of Meltdowns 08:15 Why Connection Comes First 10:48 Best Time for Special Time 12:00 School Changes Drain Capacity 13:00 Why Choices Sometimes Backfire 14:02 The “I Know You Can Do It” Trap 17:02 Why Family Dinner May Not Work 17:50 How to End Power Struggles 18:02 Meet Your Needs Too Connect with us: Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourparentingmojo/ Join our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2174808219425589 Like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YourParentingMojo Read my blog: https://yourparentingmojo.com/blog/ Check out past audio episodes: https://www.yourparentingmojo.com/episodes #ParentingPodcast #ToddlerMeltdown #GentleParenting #YourParentingMojo #ChildBehavior #PositiveParenting #Tantrums #ParentingTips #PreschoolParenting #MomLife #EmotionalRegulation #AfterSchoolMeltdown

    What\'s Really Behind Your Child\'s End of Day Meltdowns

  8. Apr 13

    How Limits Show Up in Your Child’s Body

    How Limits Show Up in Your Child’s Body If you have a preschooler, your morning may look something like this: cereal on the floor, shoes on the wrong feet, jumping on the bed when you needed to leave five minutes ago. And you\'ve said \"no\", \"stop\", and \"not like that\" so many times you\'ve lost count. In this episode, I take one ordinary preschool morning - minute by minute, from wake-up to car seat - and look at it from a completely different angle. Not: \"how do I get my child to cooperate,\" but: \"what is my child actually trying to tell me right now?\" Because when you understand that, you can find strategies that meet both of your needs. You\'ll hear why morning dawdling, defiance, and silliness before 8am is trying to communicate, what your child needs from you in those moments, and why the total pile-up of corrections across a morning matters just as much as any single limit you set. If your mornings feel like one long battle and you\'re not sure how to change that without throwing up your hands and giving in, this episode is for you. Ready to move from correction-heavy mornings to fewer, truer limits? If this episode resonated and you want real support putting the ideas in it into practice, the Setting Loving (& Effective!) Limits workshop is for you. 8 short, focused modules, and three live group coaching calls to get your questions answered. The self-guided workshop is available year-round, but every April we run it live to give you even more support. Enrollment is open until April 26. Until April 16 at midnight Pacific you can Pay What You Want: any amount (even $1) gets you full access. You choose what you pay. After that, the price moves up to a fixed rate. Learn more about the Setting Loving (& Effective!) Limits Live workshop & sign up at the Pay What You Want rate! Learn more here: https://yourparentingmojo.com/settinglimits/ For links to references mentioned in this episode, go to https://yourparentingmojo.com/preschool-morning-routine-behavior Key Chapters: 00:00 – Why Mornings Feel Like a Battle 01:05 – A New Way to Look at Limits 02:18 – “I’m Fine.” (But They’re Not) 03:12 – Inside a Child’s Morning: A Play-by-Play 05:44 – The Pile-Up of Corrections 07:28 – What Your Child’s Behavior Is Really Saying 10:10 – Breakfast Drama: The Hidden Needs 12:25 – Getting Dressed: Play or Defiance? 14:40 – Toothbrushing Chaos Explained 17:00 – Shoes & Leaving the House 19:20 – Your Needs Matter Too 22:05 – Why Constant Correction Doesn’t Work 23:50 – Meeting Both Your Needs: A New Approach 25:30 – Practical Examples of Connection-Based Limits Connect with us: Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourparentingmojo/ Join our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2174808219425589 Like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YourParentingMojo Read my blog: https://yourparentingmojo.com/blog/ Check out past audio episodes: https://www.yourparentingmojo.com/episodes #ParentingPodcast #YourParentingPodcast #GentleParenting #RespectfulParenting #ConsciousParenting #ChildBehavior #ParentingTips #ToddlerLife #PreschoolParenting #ParentingSupport #PositiveParenting #MorningRoutineWithKids

    How Limits Show Up in Your Child’s Body
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About

Hi, I\'m Jen Lumanlan, host and founder of the Your Parenting Mojo podcast and author of Parenting Beyond Power: How to Use Connection and Collaboration to Transform Your Family and the World. The Your Parenting Mojo channel shares evidence-based parenting strategies that help you navigate the challenges of raising children. Through interviews with child development experts, psychologists, and fellow parents, we explore topics like emotion regulation, understanding child behavior, and building practical parenting skills. My goal is to help you make informed decisions that work for your unique family--without relying on quick fixes or one-size-fits-all solutions--so you can focus on truly meeting your child\'s needs - and YOUR needs as well. Subscribe to learn how to parent with confidence, connection, and collaboration. Learn More About My Book: https://yourparentingmojo.com/book

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