Stress is a part of life, there's no getting around it. No matter our age, gender, or responsibilities, we all feel the pressures of day to day life, and we all deal with it the best we can.
But as parents, how we react when we're feeling overwhelmed can have a trickle-down effect on the rest of our family. Overreactions due to stress can leave our kids confused, and us feeling like bad parents.
Which is why I'm so excited to be speaking today with Emily Nagoski, researcher, activist, and author of the amazing book, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle.
Emily has some amazing insights into what causes stress, why we hold on to it, and offers a few simple, practical suggestions for dealing with it in your day to day life.
So give it a listen and then pick up a copy of her book. You'll be glad you did, I assure you!
There's a common misconception among mothers, both old and new, that breastfeeding and sleeping well are mutually exclusive. You can sleep well or you can nurse on demand, but you can't do both.
I've worked hard to dispel that myth, but to be perfectly honest, I had a very hard time nursing my babies, and don't consider myself to be the foremost authority on the subject.
That's why I'm so glad to be joined today by Courtney Zentz, LLC and postpartum doula, who also happens to be a Certified Sleep Sense Consultant!
Courtney has some really eye-opening insight into the facts and myths about breastfeeding, why many parents believe babies can't sleep well and nurse well, and how to incorporate proper nutrition and healthy sleep habits into your family's life.
As the mother of two teenage boys, I have to admit that, on occasion, I find it hard to connect with them.
I find myself walking a fine line between wanting to show interest in their lives and respecting their privacy. Between showing them love and smothering them with it. Between letting them be themselves and raising them to be good men.
Which is why I was so thrilled to speak with Dr. Michael Reichert this week, the author of How to Raise a Boy: The Power of Connection to Build Good Men.
Dr. Reichert has some of the most perceptive and profound insights into parenting that I've ever heard, and I mean that sincerely. If you're raising a boy, or even have one in your life, I just can't recommend this episode highly enough.
How many two-parent families out there can relate to this scenario?
Your little one, who both of you spend plenty of time with and love unconditionally, has grown to a point where they can communicate some basic preferences.
They like carrots, but not as much as they like applesauce.
They like the dog, but not as much as they like their stuffed giraffe.
And they like Dad, but not nearly as much as they like Mom.
And they're not afraid to show it, despite the fact that it absolutely breaks the less-favorite parent's heart.
Of course, we're grown-ups so we know that our babies love us, and it doesn't matter if they have a slight preference for one parent over the other, right?
Well, that may be what we tell ourselves, but of course it stings when your baby prefers someone over you.
In today's episode, I'll talk about why kids tend to show more affection to one parent, grandparent, or caregiver over another.
And although I may not be able to change your child's behavior, I do have some reassuring thoughts to help you remember that you, as the parent, as by the far the important person in your little one's eyes, even though they may not always show it.
I'm certainly not a "free-range" parent. I'm just too much of a worrier to let my kids run around unsupervised. But on the other hand, I do think that kids need some amount of authority over their own lives.
Providing your little ones with choices is beneficial on a couple of levels. It allows them to feel like they have some measure of control over things, and it provides some early lessons about the consequences of their decisions. Not to mention the peace and harmony it can help to maintain around the house!
Today, we'll talk a bit about how to provide your kids with choices, and the benefits that come along with providing them those options.