Simply Jewish Parenting

Adina Soclof
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Judaism

Practical Jewish parenting tips for raising resilient, grateful, value-driven children in today’s world. Welcome to Simply Jewish Parenting — practical guidance for raising confident, resilient, values-driven Jewish kids. Hosted by Adina Soclof, Parent Educator, Speech Pathologist, and founder of ParentingSimply.com, this channel helps parents build calm homes, strong character, gratitude, emotional intelligence, and Jewish connection. Expect short, research-based episodes on real parenting challenges: tantrums, entitlement, sibling conflict, screen time, teens pulling away, and holiday overwhelm. Learn how Jewish wisdom, rituals, Shabbat, blessings, Modeh Ani, and traditions can make parenting easier, not harder. Adina has taught thousands of parents and professionals and is the author of Parenting Simply: Preparing Kids for Life. Join a community that understands your struggles and equips you with language, tools, and compassion. Subscribe for Jewish parenting tips, behavior insights, family communication skills, and encouragement—because parenting is hard, but you don’t have to do it alone.

  1. 6d ago

    Simple Elul Practices For Busy Jewish Families

    Elul shows up at the most inconvenient time, right when school starts, calendars fill up, and everyone’s patience is already thin. So how do we bring the spirit of Elul into our homes in a way that feels calm and real for kids, instead of becoming one more overwhelming project? We take inspiration from a list of practical Elul ideas and translate it into something parents can actually use on an average Tuesday night.  We talk about why the “giant Elul plan” usually backfires, and how picking one or two simple practices can create more meaning than an ambitious checklist. We share concrete, kid-friendly options like a quick Tehillim moment, a gratitude share at supper, choosing one middah to work on as a family, writing Shanah Tovah cards, or playing Yamim Noraim music while you cook. The thread running through it all is Jewish parenting that’s warm, realistic, and built for real life.  We also explore how to weave Elul into routines you already have, like bedtime check-ins and car-ride questions, and how sensory cues can help children feel that something special is happening as the High Holidays approach. Then we get personal with one-on-one conversations that communicate, “I see you, I believe in you, and you can grow,” which is a powerful form of connection and teshuvah for the whole family. If Elul also has you noticing your own reactions, we point you toward support for building a calm home when you feel overwhelmed or tempted to yell.  Subscribe for more practical Jewish parenting tools, share this with a friend who feels stretched thin in Elul, and leave a review so more families can find us. What’s your one Elul anchor going to be this year?

  2. Aug 18

    Elul Gives Us A Simple Way To Raise A Mensch

    Elul has a way of shining a light on what we want to change, but as parents, the question isn’t only “How do I improve?” It’s also “How do I help my child grow into a mensch?” I’m sharing a grounded, realistic approach to Jewish parenting that builds middot without turning your home into a constant lecture and without adding a giant project to your already packed week.  We talk about what “be a mensch” actually means when you translate it into real life: honesty when it’s uncomfortable, kindness when siblings are competing, persistence when school feels hard, and self-control when emotions run hot. I connect these Torah values to emotional health, including how middot strengthen a child’s self-efficacy so they feel more capable, more hopeful, and better able to handle challenges.  You’ll also hear practical tools you can start using today: modeling the trait you want to see, naming the middah when it shows up, using stories to make character come alive, and noticing your child’s strengths so Elul isn’t only about what’s wrong. We end with a simple family practice for the week: choose one middah, look for it, model it once in a visible way, and ask one question at supper that gets everyone reflecting.  If you’re craving more calm and you’re noticing moments where you feel frustrated or yell more than you want to, I also share a resource to help. Subscribe for more Torah-based parenting support, share this with a friend who’s in the Elul mindset, and leave a review so more families can find the show.

  3. Aug 11

    Family Vacation Survival Guide

    Your family vacation doesn’t fall apart because you picked the wrong destination. It falls apart when the plan ignores what your kids can actually handle. We’re talking about the practical side of traveling with children and how to make trips go more smoothly, not perfectly, by designing the days around real needs instead of sky-high expectations. We share concrete family vacation tips you can use right away: planning for your child’s age and stage, building in downtime every single day, and making peace with the fact that routines matter even when you’re away. We also get very specific about the “small stuff” that saves the day: snacks and drinks (yes, always), leaving space between activities, and keeping the itinerary simple so you’re not spending half the trip managing exhaustion and frustration. We dig into choices that are easy to overlook but make a huge difference, like child-friendly accommodations and a sleep setup that won’t sabotage bedtime, plus setting a budget ahead of time to cut down on arguments. And we end with the mindset shift that makes parenting on vacation feel possible: expect the unexpected. Weather changes, sickness, sunburn, lost items, and meltdowns happen, and flexibility is the real goal. If you want calmer, more realistic family travel, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a friend planning a trip, and leave a quick review so more parents can find us.

  4. Aug 4

    Realistic Family Vacations Without The Meltdown

    You can spend months planning a family vacation and still end up thinking, why is this so hard? I get it, because the hardest part is often not the travel, the packing, or the budget. It is the pressure we pile onto the trip before we ever leave the driveway: everyone should get along, the kids should be grateful, the weather should cooperate, and we should come home rested and deeply connected. That perfect version sounds nice, but it turns every normal hiccup into proof that the vacation is “going badly.”  I walk through a mindset shift that makes traveling with kids feel lighter: don’t expect a perfect vacation, expect a real family vacation. That means planning for the most predictable parts of parenting on the road, like sibling fighting, cranky moods, whining, surprise hunger, and at least one plan that falls apart. When you expect a little messiness, you stop treating bumps like disasters and start recovering faster with more patience and flexibility.  We also talk about what actually makes a trip meaningful. The best memories are often the small moments, not the big activity: ice cream after dinner, laughing in the hotel room, a short walk after supper, or collapsing in pajamas because everyone is done. I share a practical exercise to do before your next family vacation: write down three realistic expectations and one simple thing that would still make the trip feel successful, even if plenty goes wrong.  If you want more tools for staying calm when parenting stress spikes, I also mention my email course Stop Yelling and Create a Calm Home. If this helped, subscribe, share it with a friend planning travel, and leave a review so more parents can find these family vacation tips.

  5. Jul 28

    Screen Time Limits Without The Fight

    Turning off the TV or tablet shouldn’t feel like pulling a fire alarm, but for a lot of families, ending screen time sparks instant negotiating, complaining, and dramatic predictions of doom. I’m Adina Sakloff, and I’m walking through how to set screen time limits without getting dragged into a daily power struggle, even when your child is loud, persistent, or heartbreakingly convincing.  We start with a calming truth: kids are supposed to push back against limits. Their disappointment doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong; it means they’re practicing being a kid. From there, I share three practical strategies you can use today across video games, phones, computers, and TV. You’ll hear simple language for saying no calmly, why long explanations often backfire, and how consistency teaches children that arguing won’t change the boundary.  Next, we lean into humor and confidence as a parenting tool. When kids try emotional negotiation, we can stay warm and firm at the same time, keeping our nervous system grounded so theirs can settle. Finally, we talk about boredom and why “There’s nothing to do” is not a problem to solve for them. Boredom can be the doorway to creativity, independence, and real frustration tolerance, which supports healthier digital habits and child development over the long run.  If this helped, subscribe, leave a review, and share the show with a friend so more parents can feel confident setting healthy screen time boundaries.

  6. Jul 21

    What To Say When Your Teen Says You Don’t Trust Me

    “You don’t trust me.” Few teen phrases hit faster or harder, and it’s so easy to snap into defense mode, lecture, or sarcasm. Today we slow that moment down and look at what’s usually happening under the words so we can respond with more calm and a lot more clarity. We’re parenting in the messy middle where teens want privacy, independence, and freedom, while we still have to provide limits, supervision, and guidance. I talk through why that tension is normal, why curfews and check-ins feel controlling to them, and why our job isn’t to hand out unlimited freedom but to teach our kids how to handle freedom responsibly. We also name an honest idea that can change the tone of the conversation: trust isn’t all-or-nothing, and boundaries aren’t the opposite of trust. You can trust your teen and still ask questions. You can trust your teen and still say no. If trust has been damaged by lying or poor choices, we shift away from blame and toward rebuilding with consistent actions over time. I share simple language you can use, plus a memorable three-step script you can pull out in real life: validate, clarify, give hope. Most of all, we hold onto the core Jewish parenting value that relationship is bigger than the mistake, and our teens need to know we stay connected even when we’re correcting them. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this with a friend who’s in the teen years with you. What’s the hardest boundary conversation in your house right now?

  7. Jul 14

    A Simple Parenting Tool To Reframe “Difficult” Behavior

    The fastest way to change a child’s behavior might be changing the story we tell ourselves about who they are. When we’re deep into summer routines and siblings are together all day, it’s easy to slip into labels like “messy,” “bossy,” “lazy,” “shy,” or “difficult” even if we never say the words out loud. Those labels don’t just describe our kids; they shape how we talk to them, how patient we feel, and what we expect to happen before anything even happens. We’re also entering the Nine Days, a tender time for our people, when sadness and reflection sit alongside a real push toward ahavat chinam, loving others more generously. That includes our children. So I share a simple Jewish parenting tool that helps me stop and reset: when I catch a negative label in my mind, I ask, “What is the positive side of this trait?” The child who argues may care deeply about fairness. The child who seems stubborn may be courageous. The child who talks nonstop may be expressive and socially confident. The child who takes forever to get ready may be careful and thorough. This isn’t ignoring problems; it’s responding to the whole child while still teaching, guiding, and setting limits. You’ll also hear a practical one-week challenge to try at home: pick one child, pick one label, identify the possible strength underneath, and spend a week looking for that strength in action. Kids are always growing and changing, and the way we see them can either trap them or help them become who they’re meant to be. If this helped you, subscribe, share the episode with another parent, and leave a review so more families can find it.

  8. Jul 7

    What Happens When You Trade Control For Trust

    Summer can turn parents into nonstop reminder machines. Camp bags, towels, sunscreen, water bottles, library books, and somehow we’re the ones holding the entire plan in our heads. I want to offer a calmer, more effective alternative: trade the next reminder for a problem solving question that helps your child think, plan, and take ownership. We talk through exactly how to do it with simple language you can use right away. Instead of “Don’t forget your towel,” try “What do you need to bring so you’re ready for swimming today?” Instead of “Pack your camp bag,” ask “What is your plan for getting ready for camp tomorrow?” And when the same item keeps getting forgotten, we explore how one question can spark a real system, not just another round of nagging. This approach supports executive function skills like planning and follow through, while also building confidence and independence. We also connect it to Jewish parenting values: raising kids who contribute to family and community, keep learning, and grow through experience. Stepping back just enough isn’t doing less, it’s teaching more, because responsibility develops when kids get opportunities to practice and learn from small mistakes. If this resonates, subscribe to Simply Jewish Parenting, share this with a friend who’s tired of repeating themselves, and leave a review so more families can find it. What’s one reminder you’re ready to replace with a better question?

See All (42)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Practical Jewish parenting tips for raising resilient, grateful, value-driven children in today’s world. Welcome to Simply Jewish Parenting — practical guidance for raising confident, resilient, values-driven Jewish kids. Hosted by Adina Soclof, Parent Educator, Speech Pathologist, and founder of ParentingSimply.com, this channel helps parents build calm homes, strong character, gratitude, emotional intelligence, and Jewish connection. Expect short, research-based episodes on real parenting challenges: tantrums, entitlement, sibling conflict, screen time, teens pulling away, and holiday overwhelm. Learn how Jewish wisdom, rituals, Shabbat, blessings, Modeh Ani, and traditions can make parenting easier, not harder. Adina has taught thousands of parents and professionals and is the author of Parenting Simply: Preparing Kids for Life. Join a community that understands your struggles and equips you with language, tools, and compassion. Subscribe for Jewish parenting tips, behavior insights, family communication skills, and encouragement—because parenting is hard, but you don’t have to do it alone.

Information

  • Creator
    Adina Soclof
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Simply Jewish Parenting
  • Show Website
    Simply Jewish Parenting

You Might Also Like