Family 360 Podcast

Suddenly and sadly, this is our last family360 episode. In this goodbye, we share ‘why we needed to end’, ‘insights from a wonderful guest whose recorded interview we can’t release', and ‘wisdom from guests whose words will linger on with us for years to come’. Join us for our heartfelt goodbye. We are so grateful for all who have listened to family360!

Today’s question is probably one of the core causes of stress in young families; ‘How to manage the household mess!’ In the episode, Dr. Koh explores… how to make cleaning into a game. How to compromise some of our standards so we can cohabit more peacefully. Finding our own special space where we can have ‘cleanliness control’. And supporting each other through the relentless task of tidying a home.

It’s a known fact - hobbies make life happier! So, whether it's music, sports, arts, or otherwise, of course, we want our kids to find passions that fuel their creativity and enjoyment. However, when what should be ‘fun’ starts to feel like ‘work’, and our kids no longer want to practice or pursue a hobby, when do we push them to stick with it and when do we allow them to throw in the towel? Join our guest Dr. Christine Koh for her insights on When It Is Kind To Let Kids Quit - and when is it NOT!

In this episode, we’re talking about chores. Why do kids need them? What are fair expectations? Do we pay our kids for help around the house? We’re back with our keynote guest, Dr. Christine Koh. She’s describing how chores build our child’s life skills, and how to work together as partners and parents without making chores a chore! Join us for this practical episode!

Are the efforts and actions of your days bringing you joy and contentment? Or do you feel like you’re going through meaningless motions? In this episode, we’re talking about large and small life hacks. Our guest is the author of Minimalist Parenting, and Harvard-trained brain scientist, Dr. Christine Koh and she is helping us look at what we do, and why we do it, and encouraging us to edit and change. Join us!

When we feel we’re being left out, it’s tough. When we feel our kids are being left out, it’s terrible! This week, parenting specialist and author of Peaceful Discipline, Sarah Moore addresses a question about how to help our children when they don’t seem to be settled into the social realities of school - especially if they're not being invited to playdates and birthday parties. Join us!

Is there a correlation between a highly sensitive temperament and mental health concerns? Today, our guest Sarah Moore answers a question from a parent who is wondering about the intensity of her son’s emotions. She sees his emotional highs, but notices, even more, his lows and wants to know if she should be concerned. Sarah is the director of Dandelion Seeds Positive Parenting and the author of her wonderful and newly released book, Peaceful Discipline

Highly sensitive kids feel the intensity of their emotions. Their highs tend to be higher and their lows tend to be lower. This week, our guest Sarah Moore answers a question from a listener who asks, “How do you support a highly sensitive child when you feel like you have to walk on eggshells?” Join us for her compassionate and insightful response.

‘High Sensitivity’ is a temperament trait, meaning it’s biologically based rather than learned or taught. A highly sensitive child is a child who is very affected and often reactive to environmental influences - sounds, smells, temperatures, and even the attitudes and moods of those around them. In this episode of family360, author and parenting specialist Sarah Moore shares the unique emotional language of a highly sensitive child and what they need from their parents in order to feel seen, loved, and validated.

Child experts agree that commenting on our daughter’s appearance may suggest we value her looks over other qualities and this inadvertently damages her self-esteem and sense of worth. In this 3rd Q-note episode with Maggie Dent, Maggie delves into her own past problems with ‘prettiness’ and shares her well-seasoned perspectives on helping girls find their inner beauty.

'People pleasing sounds like a positive pursuit,’ thought the parent who wrote in today’s question. It’s not! People-pleasing involves dishonoring yourself to honor someone else. Maggie Dent suggests generations of patriarchy have pushed women toward people pleasing. She addresses this and more as she answers this great question about people pleasing and how parents unintentionally encourage their children to ‘make nice'.

A Mom’s wondering if she can bypass hosting a birthday party for her soon to be 7 year old, without alienating her daughter’s friendships at school. Her daughter attends at least one birthday party a month and she loves going, but the parties are expensive and expansive. This Mom doesn’t want to try to keep up and feels a small family party would be preferable. Maggie responds with warmth, wisdom and some entertaining birthday stories of her own. Join us!

Raising girls is complicated. In spite of all our empowerment messages, rates of stress, anxiety, and depression are on the rise for girls. Studies indicate a girl's confidence drops by 30% between the ages of 8 - 14. This week on family360 we’re with the wonderful Maggie Dent, talking about femininity, feelings, and friends. Maggie believes we raise mighty women by raising mighty girls - and that starts right from birth with how we encourage our daughters ‘to be’ - to value others and enjoy who they are - whether they want to purr or roar. Join us!

Is it appropriate to cry in front of your children? To be angry? To show frustration? How we express our emotions in front of our kids is an important component to their emotional development and in tricky parenting moments what to do and how to respond is not always obvious. In this episode, we’re looking at two separate questions asked by listeners on this topic. Join us!

In this episode, a parent asks, “Will our kids be confused by the difference between my partner's and my parenting style?” It’s not uncommon when one parent leans one way in an aspect of parenting for the other parent to lean the other way. Our kids can handle that best when we can handle that best. Join us as we dig into this great question!

A parent expresses concern for her 3-year-old's constant state of aggravation and whininess. Her daughter seems to wake up out of sorts. The parent is trying to be patient but is struggling and feels she and her partner are, “At their wit's end.” Rachel suggests a point of view for understanding and supporting children when they whine. She also looks at the mom’s question and gives possible cues for why this little girl is whining. Join us!

Unlike IQ, EQ (emotional quotient) matures mainly through nurture - how our caregivers respond to us and role model their own emotional growth. This week on family360 we’re digging into the profound work of Dr. John Gottman and 4 common parenting styles he noticed manifesting when children become emotionally dysregulated. He says there is no such thing as unacceptable emotion, but there are unacceptable behaviors. So, how does a parent hold boundaries while still accepting all emotions, and nurture their child’s emotional growth? Join us and find out!

Dr. Kristy Goodwin believes bombarding parents with warnings about pornography, social media, and screen addiction renders us ineffective. Techno-guilting turns us off and shuts us down. And, expecting parents to stay savvy with all the newest online options is unrealistic. In this episode, Kristy introduces an easy-to-understand guide for creating a meaningful tech plan with our kids, and an explanation for why and how we help them buy into the plan. Join us!

This episode explores the healing power of movement with dance director and author of Bare - The Misplaced Art of Grieving and Dance, Sandy Oshiro Rosen. North American society notoriously gears us up to power-through vital messages from our bodies - sensations that should signal the need for our attention, but we ignore. When these messages are left unaddressed for prolonged periods, chronic ailments and mental illness can result. Movement is a powerful method for paying attention, discovering the messages, and finding rest and healing. Join us for this thought and movement-provoking conversation.

In this episode, we’re talking with Dr. Hillary McBride about why 90% of children, who freely run, roll, wiggle and laugh when they are young, become so unhappy with their bodies later on in life, and how they can learn to engage and delight within their bodies once again. Most of us have complicated relationships with our bodies. When we discover how to be in our bodies in a way that protects us from body shame we’re more capable of supporting our children on their own journey. Join us!