Joyful Courage - A Conscious Parenting Podcast

Join me this week and explore shifting our focus from our teens behavior to what the actual pain points are for us (parents) as we witness them moving through hard things. Find the full show notes at: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-430-reframing-the-pain-points-of-raising-teens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest today is Holly Swenson. Holly shares with us the framework from her book Stop, Drop, Grow, and Glow, helping parents assess their current state, drop any negative influences, and grow into their best selves. She encourages parents to take a deeper dive into their personal wellness journey by assessing their priorities, reflecting on their experiences, and dropping any trauma or drama that may be holding them back. Finally, she offers tips for parents struggling with losing themselves in their children's challenges and emphasizes the importance of finding joy and courage in parenting. Takeaways from the show Conscious parenting, wellness, and self-care Prioritizing self-care for busy parents Personal growth as a parent Parenting strategies for maintaining self-care during challenging times Finding joy in parenting For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Excited to be sharing this week's solo show all about the POWER OF PERCEPTION. This is HUGE when we are trying to make sense of what is happening with our teens. I take the listeners into some thoughts around our kids beliefs and decision making in the context of school and academics. I am so excited to hear about what you think! Find the full show notes at: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-428-Considering-the-power-of-perception Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest today is Natasha Nelsen and I am so honored to be in conversation with her today.  Natasha breaks down sensory processing disorder, ADHD and other neurodiversity in adolescents and adults. She talks about how parents can support teens during this time of sensory overload, sensory seeking behavior, and executive function challenges. Natasha’s support & educational opportunities for black neurodiverse families and her deep understanding of sensory needs offers insights and understanding for all parents, caregivers and teachers who love and work with neurodiverse youth.  If you aren’t already following SuperNova Momma, you should do so now. Natasha Nelsen is a gem and I am so honored to have her on my podcast this week.  Takeaways from the show Parenting and education for black and neurodiverse families Sensory processing disorder in teenagers Sensory processing disorder and it’s impact on behavior and teen perception Sensory processing disorder and its relationship with other diagnoses. Teenage

The art of parenting is a constantly evolving journey filled with challenges, and one of the most important aspects is maintaining open and honest communication with your children. Recently, I stumbled upon a thought-provoking discussion on a podcast that delved into this very subject. Dax Shepard was interviewing Kerry Washington, and their conversation veered into the realm of parenting, children, and a profound question: "What if your teen came to you and confessed to trying a substance last night?" This question made me pause and reflect on the significance of fostering an environment where our children feel comfortable sharing their experiences and struggles. In thispodcast, we'll explore the concept of cultivating your observer and the art of responding thoughtfully to challenging situations with your teenagers. Find more show notes and info about our sponsors at www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-426-cultivating-your-observer-navigating-tough-conversations-with-teens Learn more about your ad choices. Vi

Brenda Zane is back this week!   She was on this spring talking about how to be with teen substance abuse. We had SUCH an amazing response to that conversation that Brenda and I thought it would be helpful to have her back to talk about “what do you do” for specific scenarios around our teens and substances that leave us feeling in the dark. Today we discuss how to set healthy boundaries around teen substance abuse while still maintaining a connected relationship with our teens.  Takeaways from the show Creating conditions for positive change in children, and the plant analogy. Why young people turn to substance use, including a desire to cope with emotional pain and shame. Setting boundaries around drug use The challenge of enforcing consequences The importance of addition over subtraction in facilitating change Have open and curious conversations with their teenagers about substance use, rather than resorting to shame or judgment The importance of building a positive relationship with children, foc

You have a great relationship with your teen and they are STILL getting into ALL the mischeif? You aren't alone. This episode I am going to tease this apart and remind you what the most important thing to consider is. Find full show notes at: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-424-when-it-feels-like-your-teen-is-holding-you-hostage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alyssa Campbell is back this week!   I am thrilled to have Alyssa here to chat about her new book, “Little People, Big Emotions” and her Collaborative Emotion Processing method. Alyssa explains what “safe to feel” means, how we can figure out which emotions in our kids make us uncomfortable & why, and explains that our adolescents have completely different tools & experiences than we did. I ask Alyssa how considering long-term goals for our teens can help our relationship, and we dig into why having a toolbox to get through the tough times is more important than just “being happy.” We discuss how important failure is for growth, enabling vs. empowering, and when we can reduce task demand when our teens are overwhelmed. Alyssa and I get into enabling versus collaborating, interdependence, and the importance of daily self-care. As we wrap up, I ask for tips for parents who are practicing their own emotional safety, keeping ownership over our own emotions, and normalizing the self-regulation journey. Takeaways

Join me for this solo episode where I reflect on how our teens behavior is the response to how they are experiencing belonging and significance, as well as the ways OUR reaction to their brain development matters. You can find full show notes at: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-422-making-sense-teens-behavior/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest this week is Janae Young, and I’m so excited that she’s here to share her wisdom as a college admissions coach with us.   Janae shares why she’s so passionate about college admissions, and we talk about what the admissions process looks like now, including what the common application system is. Janae shares what’s challenging about college application essays for adolescents, tips to help, and her two archetype essay writers. I ask Janae what best practices are for parents who are helping their kids through the college application process, and she shares where we can support and when we need to back off. We hit on missed deadlines & natural consequences and how to best list awards & activities. I ask Janae what kids can be doing in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade to help prepare for college applications, and we briefly touch on ACTs and SATs.  Takeaways from the show What’s the college application process look like now?  Common application system  College application essays  “Perfectionist Polly” and

Join me today as I explore what motivates our teens, parenting that gets in the way, and how to dismantle the armor they create over time. It's a brand new solos show! See full show notes at https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/Eps-420:-Encouragement-Motivation-Teens-Armor/ Find info about our sponsors at https://www.besproutable.com/teens/sponsors/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m so excited that Michelle Icard is back today to chat about her newest book: 8 Setbacks That Can Make a Child a Success.   Michelle shares with me how parents can best support their adolescents through setbacks and why we can’t swoop in to fix everything for them.  She explains her three steps to take when dealing with a problem: contain, resolve, & evolve, and we touch on where consequences show up.  Kids are always going to make more mistakes, and it’s critical that we allow children to learn from those mistakes.  Michelle and I tease apart how much credit we take for our kids’ behavior - good and bad, and we talk about how hard it can be to balance staying “fiercely committed & lovingly detached” to our teens.  Michelle has an awesome analogy about how toughening up our teens & encouraging grit is like a greenhouse keeper hardening their plants.  We agree that we don’t need to create a tough environment for our kids though - that already exists, and we end sharing a few successes & outcomes that can fo

Join me in chapter NINE of Joyful Courage: Calming the drama and taking control of your parenting journey, the book I published back in 2019. I will be discussing what holds up and things I’ve learned during the wild years since it came out. Get the full show notes and find out more about our sponsors at https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-418-joyful-courage-book-chapter-nine/. Get the book and the companion guide at https://www.besproutable.com/joyful-courage-calming-the-drama-and-taking-control-of-your-parenting-journey-book/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest today is Sapna Rad, and we’re getting into back-to-school season with teens.  First, Sapna shares about herself & what kicked off her path to conscious parenting. We talk about the shift from our small kiddos wanting to be attached to us 24/7 to the teen years when they start individuating and lean away. Sapna helps me define what conscious parenting is and we discuss how that complements Positive Discipline.   I ask Sapna what parents need to remember as kids head back to the classroom, then I bring up teens who don’t want to talk & share with their parents and ask what behaviors might manifest when teens are feeling anxious. Sapna shares what “getting hooked” looks like and how we can start noticing our triggers. We get into how routines look different with teens and how getting routines dialed in can help reduce stress all around. We wrap talking about how parents can practice mindfulness.   Takeaways from the show Anxiety in children  Individuation happens in all teens  What is conscious pa

Join me in chapter eight of Joyful Courage: Calming the drama and taking control of your parenting journey, the book I published back in 2019. I will be discussing what holds up and things I’ve learned during the wild years since it came out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest today is Erica Whitfield.   I don’t have many episodes about sibling dynamics, so I’m very excited to have Erica here to dig into scapegoated siblings. Erica explains what exactly a scapegoated sibling is and why some kiddos may feel disconnected from their parents. We get into other roles that siblings may fall into and how we, as parents, can make sure we’re there to hold & support all of our kids. Erica talks about how past trauma can affect our parentings and how we can recognize if we’re starting to scapegoat. I ask Erica what to do if we notice that we’re in that dynamic, and we touch on how neurodivergence, birth order, & your own relationships and history can affect these roles. Erica explains what to do to start repair - asking for feedback, negotiating, and finding balance, & justice, and we explore a few different ways to ask for that feedback.  Takeaways from the show What is a scapegoated sibling?  Nurturing communication between siblings  Resentment between siblings  Other roles

Join me in chapter seven of Joyful Courage: Calming the drama and taking control of your parenting journey, the book I published back in 2019. I will be discussing what holds up and things I’ve learned during the wild years since it came out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest today is Dr. Matthew Lederman, and he’s here today to talk about connection and nonviolent communication.   Dr. Lederman explains what nonviolent communication really means and what being resourced looks like.  We talk about how so much plays into communication, including your intention & tone.  He shares common unmet needs in children: autonomy, wanting to be heard, and knowing that their needs matter.  Dr. Lederman shares his tip for staying connected with his kids when he’s triggered and how to involve kiddos in problem solving.  We get into how to rebuild trust, how to find empathy, welcoming feedback, identifying underlying needs, and meeting our own needs for health & safety.  We wrap up with some baby steps that you can bring into practice today.   Takeaways from the show What is nonviolent communication?  Being resourced  Communicating with adolescents Common unmet needs in children  Staying connected when you’re triggered  Rebuilding trust Welcoming feedback from our kids  Why teen

Join me in chapter six of Joyful Courage: Calming the drama and taking control of your parenting journey, the book I published back in 2019. I will be discussing what holds up and things I’ve learned during the wild years since it came out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m so excited about my guest today, Rowan O’Roarty, my daughter!   Rowan is back and shares updates on what’s been going on since last time she was on, like working as an esthetician and moving out & living on her own. We talk about how often we check-in with each other, how Rowan’s anxiety & depression are showing up recently, and how she manages them. She shares her thoughts on how parents can best support their adolescents and young adults when they’re struggling with depression. Rowan ends by sharing a poem about motherhood that resonated with her recently. Takeaways from the show Job interviews Moving out  How frequently should we check-in with each other?  Managing anxiety & depression  Supporting adolescents & young adults with depression  What emerging adults need/want from their parents For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices