Your Parenting Long Game Rachel Bailey

It can be frustrating when we ask our children to go play on their own for a bit (so we can get things done!!) and they just keep coming back to us. How can we encourage our kids to play independently…without losing our tempers or resorting to unlimited screen time? In this episode, you’ll learn two reasons why many kids resist playing alone. You'll also hear a simple shift in perspective that helps us lose our cool less so we can motivate our kids more, plus practical steps that we can take to help our kids be successful at entertaining themselves…so we can do what WE have to do. 

Welcome to a bonus "Ask Me 3" episode with Danielle Shea Tan, Licensed Nutritionist, Integrative Health Practitioner and Author of "52 Small Changes for the Family"

Listen as I ask Danielle the 3 questions:
1. I have heard that some foods can impact a child's emotions and attention, can you tell me more about which foods or ingredients and why? 
2. If a parent wants to try to change a child's diet to see if behavior improves, how could they go about doing this with a picky eater? 
3. Does digestive health have any impact on a child's emotional health? How?

Listen as Danielle asks me the 3 questions:
1. I am working to heal my toddler's digestion but she has anxiety and stress about going poop because it has hurt in the past. How can I support her anxiety? 
2. At the dinner table, all my children do is complain about what's being served but then they eat it after we've had a blow out. How can I avoid getting triggered by these complaints and diffusing an argument before it starts? 
3. My child has to avoid some foods as part of his healing protocol, but my husband and my in-laws still give them these foods and it's setting him back. How can I get them on board?

Sometimes when we see our kids’ negative behavior – when they’re being mean to a sibling, or acting disrespectful – we can tell that it’s because they’re in Yuck. But sometimes our kids act negatively and they don’t seem to be in Yuck at all. But even in those situations when it isn’t obvious, it’s likely that Yuck is still motivating their negative behavior. In this episode, you’ll learn a simple way to know that a child is in Yuck, even if they don’t seem upset. You'll also learn why it’s so important to recognize this “quiet” Yuck and how we should respond when even our kids don’t know why they’re upset.

There are a lot of demands on our time these days. Even though we know we should spend 1:1 time with each of our children, it can feel like a daunting task to find space in our calendar and plan activities for multiple children. In this episode, you’ll learn how to make 1:1 time with children more realistic, even when we’re busy. You'll also learn how to make sure our 1:1 time actually gives kids what they need... and a tip for what to do when kids want more time with us than we can give them! 
 

Welcome to a bonus "Ask Me 3" episode with Abbey Williams, therapist and founder of of You, the Mother.

Listen as I ask Emily the 3 questions:
1. How do I  decide if I should go no contact with my mother? 
2. How do you deal with the guilt and shame of being estranged from your mother?
3. How can we support those who are navigating estrangement?

Listen as Emily asks me the 3 questions:
1. How do I  manage my child's stress when I am feeling overwhelmed? 
2. I find my child's big emotions triggering, how do I deal? 
3. How do I  ensure my child has a healthy self-esteem when I struggle with this?

Children with big emotions like things to go the way they imagine they will go. Sometimes this makes them seem like they’re acting entitled -- like the world revolves around them and what they want. How do we help our kids deal with their big feelings when things DON’T go their way so they can become more resilient people…now and in the future? In this episode, you’ll learn two reasons why children with big emotions may seem entitled or self-centered and practical actions we can take to address their long-term needs (instead of their short-term behavior). You'll also learn how using this Long Game strategy helps our children learn to handle a world that isn’t always kind.