Parenting Stories, Struggles and Strategies for Moms and Dads of School-aged Children, Teenagers, and Impactful Parents

031: Working Mom Burnout

Working Mom Burnout With special guest Jill Salzman gives tips for how to avoid the overwhelm of running a home and a business!

Parents Need Other Parents!   It’s time to bring the girls together!  The Impactful Parent will bring the discussion and the structure to your meetings, you just bring the drinks and snacks!   Everything you need to start your own mommy group and grow as more impactful parents along the way!  Check it out and find out more at https://theimpactfulparent.com/connectionandconversation

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082: Math and Coding Apps Your Child Will Love

Here are the links from today’s episode Coding and Math Apps Your Child Will Love:

• Prodigy= www.prodigygame.com/main-en/
• TT Rockstars = https://ttrockstars.com
• Arduino = www.arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoStarterKid/?setlang=en
• Fuze = www.fuze.co.uk/nintendo-switch.html
• Kids Review Edtech on all major podcast networks

Don't forget to check out all the FREE resources and tips that The Impactful Parent has to offer!  https://theimpactfulparent.com  Links to the YouTube channel and social media post are there too!  Join The impactful Parent community by signing up for the weekly newsletter. Don't miss an impactful tip!

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Rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

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Transcript for Coding and Math Apps Your Child Will Love:

Kristina: Today, we're going to talk about apps that your kids will actually love, and specifically, I'm looking for some good apps that are math and coding related for your children. Welcome special guest, Catalina Throssell. Karolina is the podcast host of a Kids Review Edtech, where kids review apps and do the reviews. Thanks for being here, Karolina.

Karolina: No problem. Thanks for having me.

Kristina: Tell me a little bit about this podcast.

Karolina:  Kids Review Edtech was born as a result of the pandemic. I was flung into homeschooling, and I was trying to run a business. I was already searching and researching apps that would help enforce the homeschooling concepts I was trying to teach.  Then I thought, this could be a good podcast idea! Let's share our reviews with the world.  Most of the reviews are from my children, although I do get other parents and other kids to review apps. The result is honest reviews from kids that have tried the products.

Kristina: How old are your children?

Karolina:  They are five and nine.

Kristina: What apps do you recommend? Do you have anything specifically for math?

Karolina: Math has a lot of apps, but many of them just aren't very good.  The one that I recommend is called Prodigy, and it's actually free! Prodigy has the visual look of Animal Crossing. Kids do battles against the characters, and they must answer questions correctly to get points.  My two boys were obsessed with it.  They will play it constantly. The best part is, it didn't feel like learning for them, and the app is free.

Kristina: Awesome. What else do you recommend for us today?

Karolina: The other app I've got, which I would recommend, is called TT Rockstars, and that's to help kids with their timetables. This app is for kids ages 7 and up.  It is a little more difficult than the other app mentioned. My kids like that as they level up in the game, they achieve rock hero status. I mean, how better to get your kids to learn tables? It's a really great app!

Kristina: Anytime you can get your child learning through play, it will be enjoyable for them but really effective in their learning. I love the idea of learning through these apps. Sometimes you just have to speak your child's language. That's how kids are learning today. They like electronics! I know we were trying to limit kids from the screen, but sometimes it is better not to "fight the beast." I feel like these apps are going to be amazing. Do you have anything else that you recommend for learning coding?

Karolina: There are two apps that I recommend.  It's maybe stretching things to call the first recommendation just an app. It's more of a product, but I think it's great.  It is called the Arduino Starter Kit. This app is actually electronics and coding in a kit. Children create simple items like a light switch turning on and off, or they can upgrade it with other kits that they add to this kit and create more complex things like robots.

The other app I recommend it for the Nintendo Switch. This game is aimed at coding. It's called Fuse. It has various kinds of minigames. The look of the game is pixelated like an old-school Atari game.  Kids learn to create through code. It is quite complex, but the game breaks down coding into simple steps.

Kristina: These four apps that we've mentioned today are a great start for my audience. Where can they find you and your podcast?

Karolina:  We are on all the major searchable podcast hosts, so all you need to do is search Kids Review Edtech. Also, we're open to people that want to review apps and come on the show. We're really keen to get more parents and more kids on the show. So if anyone is interested in sharing their reviews, we are more than happy to hear from them!

Kristina: I think it's a great resource for everybody.

083: How To Tell Bad News To Your Child

It is Question and Answer LIVE and today's question was: How To Tell Your Child Bad News?

**This episode was broadcasted live on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.  Submissions for Q&A Thursday can be either emailed to The Impactful Parent directly or direct messaged through any of these social media platforms.  Submissions can be anonymous and are never mentioned in the Live Recording to respect the privacy of The Impactful Parent audience.  Email:  theimpactfulparent@gmail.com

Don't forget to check out all the FREE resources and tips that The Impactful Parent has to offer!  https://theimpactfulparent.com  Links to the YouTube channel and social media post are there too!  Join The impactful Parent community by signing up for the weekly newsletter. Don't miss an impactful tip!

Make an authentic connection with your child. Try a FREE 30 Day Challenge. You'll receive a new question to ask your child every day- for 30 days. Get away from the boring questions and start connecting with your child one question at a time! https://theimpactfulparent.com/connection

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Rate, Review, & Subscribe!

"I love Kristina and all the FREE tips that she has to offer!  Thank you for making my parenting journey better!"  <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you!!!

Rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven't done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I'm adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you're not subscribed, there's a good chance you'll miss out. Subscribe now!

Transcript for How To Tell Your Child Bad News :

A step-by-step guide for breaking bad news to your child.

Step 1: Try and find a good environment.  

• If possible, find a time that your child is not distracted.
• Find a private place.
• You’ll need to prepare yourself for spending some time with your child so try not to tell your child bad news when you don’t have the time to sit and process the information with them.

Step 2:  Get your own feelings under control. You want to be your child’s anchor and support for the bad news.  If your own emotions are radical, then you won’t be much help to your child. This is not to say that you don’t show emotions.  It is good for your child to see your feelings, but you want to role model self-control even if you’re very sad yourself.

Step 3: Tell them the news directly.   Don’t walk your way around the words or try and sugarcoat the situation.  You want to break the news in the simplest and most direct form you can.  For example, I have some sad news to tell you.  Archie died this morning.

Step 4: Pause and let your child process the news.  Validate their feelings if they are sad, mad, confused, or whatever emotion they might be feeling. Tell them that their feelings are normal.  Give your child a hug and simply listen to what your child might want to say.  Empathize with your child as much as you can!  It’s ok to say things like, I feel sad too.  Being transparent with your own feelings is good; you just want to control those feelings.

Step 5: Prepare yourself for questions.  I suggest waiting until your child has questions before telling them the details.  I might tell them, “I am here to answer any questions you might have when you are ready.”  Then be prepared to share the details at an age-appropriate level.  Make your language as simple as possible because their emotions will likely be running high. The brain doesn’t process information as well in that state of being.  Lastly, be prepared to repeat yourself again later. Sometimes hearing the news once just isn’t enough when a child is trying to understand the situation. Their brains aren’t working at full capacity because of all the emotions.  Be patient with your child, and expect to repeat yourself now and later.

Step 6: Pause again and let your child process the information.   The bad news is often complicated.  I recommend you tell your child the details in segments.  This allows your child to absorb the information in chunks and gives them opportunities to process feelings and ask questions.   Although giving your child all the information at once might be your first instinct, try to reframe from this.  Your mind and emotions will likely want to just get the information out and over with. Still, I don’t recommend you dump a load of information on your child. Instead, break it out into chunks and take your time.

Step 7: Once all the information is out, your child might feel overwhelmed.  I suggest giving your child a small mindless task to do.  This helps your child move forward and constructively process their feelings.  You might ask your child to draw you a picture, make sandwiches, do a simple craft, or help you with laundry.  Whatever it is, make sure that the task is mindless, simple, no-pressure, and has your child using their hands or body.   While your child is doing their simple task, stay close by if they have more questions or just need company.

Step 8: Give your child a plan. Now that the bad news is out in the open and your child has had a little bit of time to process what is happening, it is now time to help your child understand what comes next.  Have a discussion about the next steps. For example, suppose there was a death in the family. In that case, you want to talk about how in the next few days there will be a lot of family around, how they will likely miss school because of the funeral, and discuss how your child can help others that are grieving.

You can also give your child a plan for helping them process their emotions.  Maybe you talk about writing in a journal or creating art that expresses their feelings.

Giving your child a plan for the immediate future can feel comforting in a time of chaos.

Step 9: Lead by example.  In my opinion, this is the most important step of all the steps because your child will watch how you handle stress, sadness, anger, frustration, and disappointment, and their instinct will be to emulate your behaviors.  Model healthy coping behaviors. Model self-care.

Step 10: Tell others your child might need support.  Remember that the first few days of bad news will be the most challenging; however, this is not the case for every child.  Some kids will refuse to process their emotions right away and wait until the next day or even the next week to start asking questions.   That’s ok.  Be patient.  However, either way, it is important to tell other adults around your child that your child may need extra support.  For example, I would tell teachers, babysitters, and others in the household.   Your child may process their feelings by acting out, getting aggressive, hiding, lying, eating more, eating less, … the list goes on. Still, any behavior out of the normal should be noted.  Teachers and babysitters will have much more grace and patience with your child if they know that your child is processing feelings.  Otherwise, your child might get in trouble at school, and teachers won’t have the empathy to help your child if they don’t know the situation.

030: Suicide Prevention

Suicide Prevention

This blog addresses warning signs and action steps.

Make an authentic connection with your child. Try a FREE 30 Day Challenge. You’ll receive a new question to ask your child every day- for 30 days. Get away from the boring questions and start connecting with your child one question at a time! https://theimpactfulparent.com/connection

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Amazing video message FROM TEENS: https://youtu.be/Fou0IEjual0

and this video too!  Please watch! https://youtu.be/0Fb1ArQoyQc

Transcript:

This week I am going to address your worst nightmare.  Teen suicide.  I know you want to brush this topic under the rug and pretend that it isn’t going to happen to your child, but suicide is the third leading cause of death for our young people.  LGBTQ teens are the most at risk, but any person that feels bullied, had trauma, feels social isolation, or has depression is at risk.  

Consider, suicide prevention is a community effort!  Even if your child isn’t experiencing signs of suicide, they likely know someone who is.  Mark Lanning, from Safe 2 Tell, says that most school shootings and teenage tragedies can be prevented if the people around them reported the warning signs! 

Reporting the warning signs is your job.  As parents, we also need to empower our children with the confidence to report warning signs they see in their friends. Let’s get real.  Your child is more likely to witness the warning signs in their friends before their parents will.  Click here and watch this 30-second video.  A message to teens from teens.

Action steps:

1. Talk to your child about the importance of speaking up if they are concerned about a friend.
2. Give your child the phone numbers to specific hotlines where they can receive help. Organizations like: Safe 2 Tell and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. I suggest you even program these phone numbers on their phone!
3. Know the signs. 4 out of 5 suicide deaths are preceded by warning signs!

Warning signs:

• Suicidal threats or talk of not wanting to be alive anymore
• Preoccupation or obsession with death
• Depression
• Use of drugs or alcohol
• Withdrawing from activities they once were interested in
• Sleeping too much
• Sleeping too little
• Giving away possessions
• Aggression
• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Bad or worsening grades
• Difficulty concentrating

What if MY Child has these signs?

Suicide typically does not come out of no-where.  If your child is thinking of suicide, they may be feeling helpless, trapped, unbearable pain, and/or believe that no one cares.  You need to ask your child directly, “Are you thinking of suicide?”  This is extremely important.  Don’t walk around the subject or be afraid to speak to your child.  Talking about suicide does NOT implant the idea in their mind!  Get to the root cause of their hopeless feelings.

What Can Parents Do?  Aside from anti-depressant drugs and mental health professionals, parents can do the following:

• Talk to your teen. Ask them point-blank if they are suicidal
• Make it more difficult for them to carry any action out. Buy a lockbox on Amazon to put knives, sharp objects, medicines, firearms, or any other dangerous materials inside.
• Make sure your child has emergency hotline numbers available to them. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1800-273-8255
• Talk to their friends. Encourage their friends to help your child and look for warning signs too. This should include a call to the friend’s parents also. (I don’t suggest talking to minors without the  parent’s permission.)
• Take them to a hospital emergency room if the threat is imminent. The emergency room professionals will do an evaluation of your child and access the risk.  After the assessment, they can refer you to clinics where your child can get admitted and receive 24/7 watch care and counseling. 
• Talk to the school. The school can give you feedback on the behaviors they are seeing.  School counselors can talk to your child about getting help.  Although the school’s support is limited, they are still a resource for you to have feedback on your child’s behaviors and more watchful eyes.

 

081: Lessons From Being Bullied.

Lessons From Being Bullied. An interview with Chris Burcher talks about the lasting effects of bullying and how to overcome it.

IF YOU HAVE A STORY OF INSPIRATION AND LEARNING and want to share your story with The Impactful Parent community, let’s talk!  Go to https://theimpactfulparent.com/work-with-me and sign up for a quick phone call to tell me what your story is all about!  We want to learn from you too!

Don't forget to check out all the FREE resources and tips that The Impactful Parent has to offer!  https://theimpactfulparent.com  Links to the YouTube channel and social media post are there too!  Join The impactful Parent community by signing up for the weekly newsletter. Don't miss an impactful tip!

Follow The Impactful Parent on social Media! Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Rate, Review, & Subscribe!

"I love Kristina and all the FREE tips that she has to offer!  Thank you for making my parenting journey better!"  <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you!!!

Rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven't done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I'm adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you're not subscribed, there's a good chance you'll miss out. Subscribe now!

Transcript for Lessons From Being Bullied:

Kristina: Welcome parents to The Impactful Parent's, Inspire and Learn series where real parents come on and tell their real stories of inspiration and learning because a wise man learns from his mistakes, but a wiser man learns from other people's mistakes. So today we're going to learn from our guest speaker, his name is Chris Bircher. Chris will tell us his personal story of being bullied and what he learned from the experience, plus he will give parents tips for supporting their own bullied children.

Chris: Thank you for having me. It's my pleasure.

Kristina: I want to hear your story. What's your experience with bullying?

Chris:  I was bullied a lot as a kid. I was a small kid. I was a scrawny kid. Do you remember the feed the world programs with Suzanne Somers? Apparently, I looked like those little Ethiopian kids, and my friends actually called me Ethio. That made me an easy target. And I was a sensitive kid and a shy kid. On the playground, I'm the kid the bullies would go after.  I had weird nicknames. I dressed funny.  I used to like California fashion, and I was in Georgia. That didn't go well. I was always a little different. I was naive. I was constantly ridiculed and called names. The bullying ended eventually when I went through a growth spurt and got taller as a teen, but the scars were already there. I felt like something was wrong with me. I thought something about me attracted this because I was a bad person or something. I carried that with me through adulthood, so it's important for me to share about it today and hopefully help others.

Kristina: Speak to me a little more about the long-term effects of the bullying you've experienced. What were the lessons from being bullied?

Chris:  Well, the big one is shame. It was shameful to be bullied.  When I was growing up, being a bully was even rewarded.  It was masculine to bully.  Now, we understand the damage that can be done by being mean to others.  Too late for me, though.  I carry my damage around with me.  For a long time, I felt like I wasn't good enough. I didn't deserve things that other people had, for some reason. I was less and an outcast.  Those thoughts from being bullied became part of me.  Now, I've learned how to leverage those feelings into uniqueness.  I am curious and creative. Being a shy person makes me a sensitive person and makes me very empathetic.  If you called somebody empathetic in 1975, it was probably an insult, but today it's an attractive quality.  My wife is attracted to me, in part because I'm an empathetic person. Today, I love myself because of the qualities that made me a target. I've been in therapy for 10 years to undo the damage.

Kristina: Did you ever try to stand up for yourself?

Chris:  No, that's a great question because I think about this all the time. If I had a son, I would tell him to stand up for himself because I wonder what if I had just fought back? I thought of fighting back when I was young, but I never did.  Instead, I decided I was going to be a pacifist. Gandhi was in the news, and so I knew what a pacifist was.  I found a model, but I always wondered, What if I would have fought back? How might that have changed my life? Another part of the baggage I carry is weak boundaries. I'm codependent. But I wonder if standing up for myself would have made me a different man today.

Kristina: It's interesting that you, as an adult self, can go back and look at that young self and see where some of these adult traits came from. You can identify that you have weak boundaries. You have had a lot of personal growth and insightfulness due to your experiences. I'm glad you're learning from them and grow from them.

Chris:  Yes, I would encourage every child to get help from an adult they trust as soon as possible.  Reach out to someone and tell them what is happening.  Although I have turned my experiences into good, I would encourage kids to get help ASAP and not wait until adulthood to deal with the problem.

Kristina: What would you say to the child who is getting bullied today and asking YOU for help?

Chris:  That's an excellent question, and I've thought about it a lot. Well, the first thing I would tell a child is that this is NOT about you. This is about the bully. This bully is someone who does this because they're hurt. They're hurting inside, and they're not able to connect with their emotions. They're not emotionally healthy. They're taking this out on you.  

Now let's talk about you. You're getting picked on because you have all of those characteristics, personality traits, and mental health that the bully doesn't have.  The bully sees something in you that they want, and they can't have it, or they don't understand it. The bully is jealous of you, and so they're taking this out on you. Now, what you have is the ability to navigate this. You will heal from this experience.  You will grow up to be a better person because of it.  You might not know it, but you have the skills to incorporate this into your life as something positive. It feels really bad right now, but you can turn this into something that will benefit you throughout the rest of your life. Also, consider that the bully probably comes from a bad home life. Think about what it's like for this person at home and develop empathy for them.  Think about what it must be like to come home to your parents fighting every day or to no food in the house or not have a ride to school or people who beat you or parents who don't love you. Now compare that life to how you feel. I know it feels bad, but your bully is likely going through something worse.

Kristina: I love the empathy that you're trying to instill into the child. You're absolutely right. A majority of bullies are actually in a lot of pain themselves. They try to gain control in an area because they don't feel like they have control elsewhere. Bullies typically feel chaotic and out of control somewhere in their life that is important to them. To compensate for these feelings, the bully will find a way to control a different aspect of their life.  Unfortunately, it comes out in being a bully.

Kristina: If somebody resonates with your story and wants to contact you, how would they get ahold of you?

Chris: I have a podcast where I talk about a lot of different issues.  Check that out, and you can find information on the podcast and how to reach me at www.chrisburcher.com

Kristina: Thank you so much for being here. You have a lot that you can contribute!  I hope everyone enjoyed this episode of Lessons From Being Bullied.

080: How To Get Your Child To Listen So You Can Stop Nagging

It is Question and Answer LIVE and today's question was: How to get your teenager to LISTEN so you can stop nagging!

**This episode was broadcasted live on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.  Submissions for Q&A Thursday can be either emailed to The Impactful Parent directly or direct messaged through any of these social media platforms.  Submissions can be anonymous and are never mentioned in the Live Recording to respect the privacy of The Impactful Parent audience.  Email:  theimpactfulparent@gmail.com

Don't forget to check out all the FREE resources and tips that The Impactful Parent has to offer!  https://theimpactfulparent.com  Links to the YouTube channel and social media post are there too!  Join The impactful Parent community by signing up for the weekly newsletter. Don't miss an impactful tip!

Make an authentic connection with your child. Try a FREE 30 Day Challenge. You'll receive a new question to ask your child every day- for 30 days. Get away from the boring questions and start connecting with your child one question at a time! https://theimpactfulparent.com/connection

Follow The Impactful Parent on social Media! Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Rate, Review, & Subscribe!

"I love Kristina and all the FREE tips that she has to offer!  Thank you for making my parenting journey better!"  <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you!!!

Rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven't done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I'm adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you're not subscribed, there's a good chance you'll miss out. Subscribe now!

Transcript for How to get your teenager to LISTEN so you can stop nagging! :

How to get your teen to LISTEN so you can stop nagging!

This week's question is:  How do I get my teenager to do the small stuff when doing all the big stuff right?  For example, my son gets good grades in school and is generally a good kid. Still, I am constantly nagging him to pick up his clothes (and picking up his dirty socks from all over the house is just the beginning.)  Please help.

Isn't this a great question this week!  I know I have been there too.  I hate nagging my kids and feeling like I am on their butt all the time. I especially like this question because the parent acknowledges that her son is smart, capable, and generally a good kid; therefore, I sense some guilt in her nagging. She knows that her son makes good choices outside of the home and is mainly getting frustrated that she doesn't see that behavior inside the home with simple tasks.

Today, I will give you 3 tips for stopping the nagging and getting your child to do the small stuff.

Tip number 1: Figure out what your teen loves and use that to your advantage.

Your teenager is inherently selfish.  Not because they are trying to be, necessarily, but because teenagers are actually wired that way.  They don't have all of their brain parts working on full cylinders yet, and mother nature compensates that by making their first instinct to do what is best for them.  What I mean is, your teen is constantly asking themselves, "What is in it for me?" If picking up socks doesn't enhance their own life, they will have little motivation to do it, and this goes for everything else you're probably asking them to do at home.   Your teenager does not regard making your life easier as being something of value to them.

The solution to this problem is making your requests have value and weight.  Unfortunately, this usually comes in the form of withholding what they want to do until you get what you need them to do done.  In other words, start implementing this phrase, "You have to do what you have to do so that you can do what you want to do." By repeating this statement repeatedly to your teen and ingraining that phrase into their brain- you will also be teaching them a valuable life lesson. Adulthood is full of "You have to do what you have to do so that you can do what you want to do." In fact, if you have a child doing most of life right outside of the home, it is because they already know and have internalized this lesson in the school setting but refuses to accept it at home because you, the parent, probably haven't reinforced it enough.

To reinforce this lesson, you need to:

1. Find out what your child cares about and get motivated to do? Is it going out with friends? Spending time on YouTube or gaming? Going to soccer?
2. You need to sit down with your child and tell them that from this day on, the rules are changing. Tell your child that you are tired of nagging at them.  Tell them that you don't want to be that parent that nags all the time.  Tell them that there are certain responsibilities they need to do around the house as being a part of the family household.  These chores and expectations should be laid out verbally or even in writing.  Tell them exactly what you need from them.  For example, I need you to NEVER leave your socks around the house.  I don't ever want to see one of your dirty socks lying around the living room.   Be very explicit with your directions.  They can't read your mind or your passive-aggressive hints.
3. Once all the expectations are laid out on the table, tell them the consequences of not doing what you asked. For example, every time I find a sock lying around the house, I am going to take 10 minutes off of your electronics time, OR I am going to start making you do your own laundry, OR you will be required to vacuum the living room before I allow you to go to basketball practice.
4. And step for is truly falling through with your consequences.  If you tell your child that he has to vacuum before basketball practice, then take his keys to the car, call the basketball coach, and tell him that your son will be late.  You don't need to excuse him from basketball, but follow through with the consequence.

By ingraining the phrase, "You have to do what you have to do so that you can do what you want to do," you are teaching your child that completing chores equals getting privileges.  You need to be consistent with it and follow through. Lastly, consider that you don't always have to take away stuff to motivate a child.  You can also provide incentives for doing what you want or even use a combination of the two.  Take away privileges if they don't listen and reward them if they do- can be a powerful strategy to make results happen for you quicker.

Tip #2-  Give them a window of time to get your requests done.

Many parents make the mistake of demanding their older children do what they ask right here and right now.  But, if your teen feels like they are being strong-armed into doing your requests' only your way,' or 'on your timetable,' then they won't be motivated to do what you want. Your growing young adult needs some space to do things their way too.  Your child is searching to gain their independence, and your demands can feel belittling to them.  And just as you might feel if your boss didn't give you any leeway to do your job, your teen will begin to resent you if you always demand things on your timetable.  The good news is, this is an easy fix!  Just give your child a time frame for completing the task you want.  For example, please pick up your socks before dinner or please pick up your stuff from the living room within the next 2 hours.

And lastly, Tip #3-  Change your expectations. 

Pick and choose your battles.  You may want to start with just the socks and be consistent with your consequences for the socks first before you try implementing all the little things your child might be annoying you with.  Sometimes it's better to tackle things little by little to see more long-lasting results.  If you try and get your child to shift their way of thinking by implanting 5 new rules, you can get some significant push back.   But the same child might find your one smaller request more manageable to deal with and start complying with less resistance. Then once that new request becomes the new norm, you can start implementing more requests.

029: Meal Prep Tips

Meal Prep Tips with special guest Ahuva M. is more than just your average meal preparation podcast!  Ahuva gives us great tips for getting our kids to eat green foods and making mealtime less stressful!   Listen as meal prep tips are taken to a new level of awesome! 

Make an authentic connection with your child. Try a FREE 30 Day Challenge. You’ll receive a new question to ask your child every day- for 30 days. Get away from the boring questions and start connecting with your child one question at a time! https://theimpactfulparent.com/connection

Don’t forget to check out all the FREE resources and tips that The Impactful Parent has to offer!  https://theimpactfulparent.com  Links to the YouTube channel and social media post are there too!  Join The impactful Parent community by signing up for the weekly newsletter. Don’t miss an impactful tip!

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078: Help! My Child is Transgender

Help! My Child Is Transgender with Jack Ori gives lots of tips for how to support your transgender child and what parents can do for themselves also.  This video provides resources, advice, and parent education for any family going through transition and awareness.

This powerful video educates about the struggles of families with a transgender child.  Support is important for everyone in the family.  This video provides links for support, coaching, and parent education.  Topics include parent's most common fears, keys to supporting your child, common challenges for the parents of transgender children, common challenges for trans children, common triggers for trans kids, and MUCH MORE!  This is a must-watch for any family going through the transition of gender dysphoria.

[caption id="attachment_2781" align="alignright" width="300"]Help! My Child Is Transgender[/caption]

For additional support with your trans child, you can reach The Impactful Parent at https://theimpactfulparent.com/work-with-me. 

In addition, Jack Ori can be reached at www.facebook.com/groups/supportnetworkforparentsoftransgenderkids

and

http://www.jackori.com

Video Markers and Topics:

• 0:00​ intro
• 0:58​ Definition of transgender
• 3:39​ Parents first reaction
• 5:29​ Is my child sure? Parent fears.
• 6:44​ Common parent challenges
• 8:00​ Communication skills
• 9:10​ Most common fears
• 11:24​ Parents feeling helpless
• 12:48​ What happens if I don't support it?
• 14:02​ Keys to supporting your child
• 15:48​ Triggers
• 21:35​ What if I can't accept it?
• 23:36​ Parent support
• 26:33​ Contact information and resources
• 29:35​ Final thoughts

IF YOU HAVE A STORY OF INSPIRATION AND LEARNING and want to share your story with The Impactful Parent community, let’s talk!  Go to https://theimpactfulparent.com/work-with-me and sign up for a quick phone call to tell me what your story is all about!  We want to learn from you too!

To make an authentic connection with your child, try one of my FREE 30 Day challenges.   Sign up today and you'll receive a new question to ask your child every day- for 30 days.  These questions provoke a new conversation with your child and get you away from the boring questions like, "How was your day, and do you have any homework?"  Start connecting with your child one question at a time!  Completely FREE, so NO excuses! Sign up NOW and watch your connection grow with your child in 30 days! https://theimpactfulparent.com/connection

Don't forget to check out all the FREE resources and tips that The Impactful Parent has to offer!  https://theimpactfulparent.com  Links to the YouTube channel and social media post are there too!  Join The impactful Parent community by signing up for the weekly newsletter. Don't miss an impactful tip!

Follow The Impactful Parent on social Media! Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Rate, Review, & Subscribe!

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Rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

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079: How Do I Stop The Eye Rolls From My Child?

4 tips parents can use to stop the eye rolls and start connecting better with their child.  These 4 tips will have you talking to your child and connecting better during the rough pre-teen and teenage years.

It is Question and Answer LIVE and today's question was:  My pre-teen and I are starting to butt heads.  It feels like they aren’t listening to me anymore, and my sweet daughter is becoming a diva.  What irritates me the most is how much she seems to ignore my requests.  How can I stop this now before it gets worse?

FREE PDF Questions To Ask Your Child So They Will Learn From Their Mistakes:  https://theimpactfulparent.com/learningquestions

Submissions for Q&A LIVE can be either emailed to The Impactful Parent directly or direct messaged through any of these social media platforms.  Submissions are anonymous and are never mentioned in the Live Recording to respect the privacy of The Impactful Parent audience.  Email:  theimpactfulparent@gmail.com

**This episode was broadcasted live on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.  Submissions for Q&A Thursday can be either emailed to The Impactful Parent directly or direct messaged through any of these social media platforms.  Submissions can be anonymous and are never mentioned in the Live Recording to respect the privacy of The Impactful Parent audience.  Email:  theimpactfulparent@gmail.com

Don't forget to check out all the FREE resources and tips that The Impactful Parent has to offer!  https://theimpactfulparent.com  Links to the YouTube channel and social media post are there too!  Join The impactful Parent community by signing up for the weekly newsletter. Don't miss an impactful tip!

Make an authentic connection with your child. Try a FREE 30 Day Challenge. You'll receive a new question to ask your child every day- for 30 days. Get away from the boring questions and start connecting with your child one question at a time! https://theimpactfulparent.com/connection

Follow The Impactful Parent on social Media! Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Rate, Review, & Subscribe!

"I love Kristina and all the FREE tips that she has to offer!  Thank you for making my parenting journey better!"  <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you!!!

Rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Also, if you haven't done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I'm adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you're not subscribed, there's a good chance you'll miss out. Subscribe now!

Transcript for How Do I Stop The Eye Rolls From My Child?:

Today we are going to talk about getting your child to listen to you better!

Today’s question is:  My pre-teen and I are starting to butt heads.  It feels like they aren’t listening to me anymore, and my sweet daughter is becoming a diva.  What irritates me the most is how much she seems to ignore my requests.  How can I stop this now before it gets worse?

Step 1:  Calm yourself down first.  When our kids get us angry or annoyed, we tend to talk down to them in our anger.  This is a bad habit that many parents get hooked on when kids are small because younger children will take it.  As your children get older, they begin to resent you for how you may be talking “down” to them.  To stop yourself from yelling or speaking from anger or disappointment, it is important that parents pause for a moment, collect themselves, and calm down first.  If I am angry, I tell my kids that I am mad and need 5 minutes to collect myself before addressing the problem.  This role modeling is awesome for your kids to see, and it gives me a few minutes to collect my feelings. Remember: How you respond to your child’s behavior will greatly impact how the whole scene unfolds.  Yelling at your children will either put them in a flight or fight mode.  Flight is a cowering state of being, just as they may have reacted as a young child; OR a fight mode will have your child standing up for themselves and yelling back at you.  Those are primitive responses ingrained in your child.  We don’t want to trigger either of those responses.  We want to start a dialogue instead.

Step 2: Don’t lecture. Older kids already know what they did wrong.  They need help learning from their mistakes and understanding the consequences of their actions.  That is where your focus should be.  Lecturing will only lead to eye rolls and kids tuning out.  Instead, start asking questions to help your child learn from their mistakes.  To help you with this, download my FREE PDF Question To Ask Your Child So They Will Learn From Their Mistakes at https://theimpactfulparent.com/learningquestions Older kids don’t need parents to tell them not to make bad decisions.  They need their parents to redirect them, helping them recognize the consequences of their choices and how to make a better choice next time. This FREE PDF will help you do that, parents, so go to https://theimpactfulparent.com/learningquestions to get this free resource!

Step 3: Let your child talk.  As your child gets older, they want a voice.  They need you to hear them.  Even if you don’t agree with your young human, they need to feel like they are heard; otherwise, they will resent you.  I highly suggest you ask your child when they are in a good mood if they feel like you hear them.  You might be surprised by the response.  Either way, strive to let your child have a voice and then rephrase what you hear them say and what you see them doing.  When you summarize what you hear your child saying, it creates space for them to feel understood or correct you.  Either way, this is a win-win.  So instead of commanding, demanding, or criticizing when you want your child to do something, try to describe what you see.  For example,

• Don’t say, Put your books away. Instead, try saying, I see that you put your books on the table again.  Please move them before dinner.
• Don’t say I can’t believe you failed that test! Instead, try saying, I thought you felt ready for that exam, so I am surprised you got a D. What do you think happened?

Step 4: Try to phase out the outright NO.  How you say no to your child matters.  Again, if you say no in a harsh tone, you’ll automatically invoke a fight response.  Your child will immediately get defensive. To avoid this, I suggest you phrase your ‘NO’ with a ‘Yes’ included too.   For example, your child might ask if they can meet up with some friends after school.  You know that your family already has other commitments, so you have to tell your child No.  I would phrase my ‘no’ like this: Of course, you can see your friends after school, but we can’t do that today.  I will call Jake’s mom and see if he can pick you up after school tomorrow instead.

See how I am coupling my No with a Yes?  Your child might still have trouble accepting the no, but I find this technique helps children not focus on the negative as much, and the push back isn’t as strong. You may want to strive for coupling your ‘no’ with a conditional ‘yes’ for teenagers.  For example, if your child asks to have an extra hour of video gaming with their buddies, but you don’t like the idea of more screen time, maybe you can compromise with your teen by saying, “Sure, you can have an extra hour of screen time tonight as long as all homework is done and you go for a walk with me around the park after school for 30 minutes.”

These are only a few tips to get you started communicating with your pre-teen and teen better, but I hope it helps!  As your child gets older, you’ll need to become more flexible and creative with your responses, which isn’t always easy, but you can do it with practice.  It’s difficult for parents to shift from an authoritarian ‘No because I said so’ response to the more lenient responses I suggested today. Still, in the long run, it can help your relationship with your child.

I hope all this helps.  You got this parents. I am just here to help.

028: Expectations Are The Death of Connection

Expectations Are The Death of Connection

To make an authentic connection with your child, try one of my FREE 30 Day challenges.   Sign up today and you’ll receive a new question to ask your child every day- for 30 days.  These questions provoke a new conversation with your child and get you away from the boring questions like, “How was your day, and do you have any homework?”  Start connecting with your child one question at a time!  Completely FREE, so NO excuses! Sign up NOW and watch your connection grow with your child in 30 days! https://theimpactfulparent.com/connection

Don’t forget to check out all the FREE resources and tips that The Impactful Parent has to offer!  https://theimpactfulparent.com  Links to the YouTube channel and social media post are there too!  Join The impactful Parent community by signing up for the weekly newsletter. Don’t miss an impactful tip!

Follow The Impactful Parent on social Media! Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, Pinterest, and YouTube.

 

Transcript:

 “Ms. Campos, I know I am disappointing my parents.  I’ve tried my best, but nothing I do is ever right.  How am I going to tell them that I failed again?”

-Anonymous Teen

Your child has likely felt the same way at some point.  Yep, EVEN YOUR CHILD! It is not our intention to make our kids feel this way, but we do it all the time.   How?  Expectations. We expect more from our children than anyone else.  “What?  No, I don’t Kristina.  Not me,” you might be saying.  Well, I am going to challenge you on that thought. 

We all start parenthood with an ideal dream.  Think back to your pregnancy with your first child. You had high hopes and were full of excitement.  You wanted that happy family.  You probably even daydreamed about your new life as a parent and envisioned your child in your imagination.  You saw yourself parenting better than your parents did and raising a fantastic human being who was going to turn out successful. 

What does “successful” mean to you?  I challenge you to stop here for a moment and brainstorm words that equal success in your mind.  Does that mean to have a good job, make a certain amount of money, or have a certain amount of independence? Then, what does your child have to do to BE successful? Get good grades, not play video games, become a good athlete, be heterosexual, or dress a certain way?  These questions take time to answer and a lot of soul searching, but if you take the analysis seriously- then you will get to the heart of your expectations. 

Expectations hurt our relationship with our children.  Eventually, children will fall short of meeting our expectations, and when they do- they feel hopeless, sad, confused, and worthless. Over time, if our child keeps feeling that they are not living up to our expectations, they can eventually give-up all together, feel unlovable, and disconnect from our parent-child relationship. 

Do you remember having those feelings as a child?  Which of your parent’s expectations did YOU not meet?  Consider reflecting on your own childhood and your own hidden expectations you have for your child, then watch this week’s Bigger Impact Video on Wednesday, where I will discuss this topic further.  Step one is acknowledging these expectations so that we can move into a better and closer relationship with our kids!

Are you frustrated with your child because they simply aren’t turning out the way you expected? Maybe parenting life- just isn’t the peachy-keen reality you were hoping for?  We all feel this way from time to time, and when you get into those ruts- you need to watch this video!  This disappointment I know you are feeling- stems from having expectations.  You see, expectations ruin relationships and kill happiness.   In today’s video, I am going to explain why expectations ruin your connection with your kids and this might be the cause of some of the disconnect you are having with your tween, teenagers, and even young adult children.

Let’s start with where our expectations come from.   Well, most of them come from society but they can come from our aspirations, hopes, dreams, or from our upbringing, or really anywhere where we were taught “This is how things are supposed to be.  This is what things are supposed to look like.”  But the keyword here is Taught.  Expectations are TAUGHT mind-set.  That means, we can change our expectations if we choose.

I think parents expect more from their kids than anyone else.  It is 100% natural to envision a home full of bliss and bonding, but we find out the minute you have a baby that won’t stop crying- that parenthood especially- is not what we expected.   Yet we continue to hope for things for our kids and expect them to act a certain way.  We expect them to do certain things. All these expectations cause a huge burden on your child.  The pressure is enormous and when you keep having expectations- they will eventually fall short and here is where your relationship suffers. 

What happens when our kids don’t live up to our expectations?  They don’t become the athlete, the musical genius, the straight-A student… that we wanted them to be?  Well, this leads to disappointment for you and despair for the child.  Really we are setting up our relationship with our children for doom when we have expectations.  And what if you have a “people-pleasing child?”  What happens when they can’t live up?  If we expect our child to BE something and these “people pleasing children” put all their self-worth into pleasing you because their love language is Words of Affirmation, and they can’t wait to hear your praise and see you proud of them- then when they can’t live up to the expectation, they feel like a failure and go into depression.  Even their journey to get that praise is full of anxiety. Honestly, many children- especially those that have Words of Affirmation as their love language, see your expectations as a “conditional kind of love”.  What!  Conditional love!  I know that’s not what you intended but that is how it is being perceived. 

So how do we combat this?  Step 1:  Identify when you are feeling disappointed in your child and then ask yourself if the reason for that disappointment is due to an expectation.  Step 2: Challenge that expectation.  Why do you have it? Where is it stemmed from?  Is society telling you to expect that?  Let me give you some examples:

Why am I disappointed that my child has Bs and Cs?  Is it because they are not A student?  Is it because I am embarrassed about what others will think? Am I embarrassed because they won’t get into the University that I want them to? 

Or Why am I disappointed that my child wants to have a same-sex partner?  Am I disappointed with what others will say? Is it because my upbringing TAUGHT me to disagree with it?

Really being honest with yourself and finding the answers to WHY is tough!  Be aware that you will likely try to make excuses for yourself and your feelings!   But dig deep and evaluate your feelings.  This won’t be easy, but understanding where your expectations are coming from is important.  My hope is that this self-analysis on “Why things need to be a certain way” will lead you to an ah-ha moment, which then will lead you to surrender those expectations and accepting your CHILD for the person they are.  It can save your relationship.