Welcome to the Parenting Well Podcast with the Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. This podcast provides perspectives on parenting, so that you can fill your well with information, strategies, and resources that help you raise healthy, happy humans. Filling your well leaves you engaged, educated and empowered to support your children in being strong, resourceful, confident and resilient in the face of life’s challenges and adventures. Let’s fill that well!
Episodes
Monday Oct 09, 2023
Monday Oct 09, 2023
Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. And today, you are listening to Parenting Well, where we know that parenting well is challenging and that all parents are the best parents they know how to be.
Today's Well Source is Jenny Hecht. Jenny is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Yoga Teacher with over 20 years of experience working with middle and high school-aged youth and adults in a variety of settings. Her practice is grounded in strengthening distress tolerance skills through mindfulness practices and a supportive examination of the thought patterns that limit an individual's potential. Her approach is relational and client-centered, with a focus on the specific goals of each individual and working in partnership towards them. She has a passion for supporting the social-emotional needs of neurodivergent individuals and consulting with professionals who work with this population. Jenny participates in expert panels, provides workshops and parent presentations, professional development within school districts, and is a trainer for a curriculum called Sources of Strength. She also sits on the Board of Directors for Colie's Closet, a non-profit peer education organization that educate students about depression and suicide.
In this podcast, we talked about:
- What it means to feel safe and secure and how that has changed over the years
- Parenting in a world with endless access to information
- Being vulnerable and transparent to create trust and connection with children
- Enjoying the parts of life you can control
- Strategies for articulating emotions and self-regulation
- Finding meaning in the day-to-day and not just the long game.
Resources:
- Jenny Hecht - jennyhecht.com
- Book: Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of the Human Experience by Brene Brown
- Free App: How We Feel
Thursday May 04, 2023
Thursday May 04, 2023
Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. And today, you are listening to Parenting Well, where we know that parenting well is challenging and that all parents are the best parents they know how to be.
Today’s well source is Meredith Ethington. Meredith is an award winning writer, and published author of The Mother Load just this last April 18, after her debut parenting book, Mom Life: Perfection Pending in 2018. She’s also a mom of three kids residing in Salt Lake City, UT. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is pursuing her Master’s in clinical mental health counseling. She began writing in 2007 as a way to document life as a new mom, but quickly realized that she had a passion for writing, and has turned it into her career. She believes it is important for moms to share the real, honest truth about motherhood so that moms can feel like it’s ok if they have a bad day.
In this podcast, we talked about:
- Listening to your gut and intuition.
- Breaking free from expectations and judgements.
- Creating a circle of support with authentic people.
- Self-care for moms and why it can be challenging.
- Strategies to strengthen mental health and when to seek additional services.
- Building authentic connections.
Resources
- Website: Perfection Pending
- Book: The Mother Load
- Book: Mom Life: Perfection Pending
- Instagram: @perfectpending
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PerfectionPending/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredith-ethington-324013b4
Sunday Mar 05, 2023
Sunday Mar 05, 2023
"Look for the gold in every child." Ryan Dawson
Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host.
Today’s well source is Ryan Dawson. Ryan is a counselor, therapeutic mentor, life coach, and educator in Boulder, Colorado. He is passionate about helping people discover their true selves and create deeper relationships.
For the last 20+ years, Ryan has worked extensively with adolescents and families as a youth advocate, school counselor, and family therapist, with a focus on empowering his clients through clear reflection and powerful tools to facilitate change. He’s also worked as a camp counselor, fitness trainer, swim instructor, and basketball coach. In addition to being a sought-after therapist, Ryan is a teacher: He has taught psychology at the undergraduate and graduate levels at Naropa University, and speaks at high schools, treatment programs, and community organizations about psycho-social development, parenting strategies and the impact of technology on the developing brain. Ryan is currently inspired to “walk the talk” at home, where he lives with his supportive wife, Jill, and two young children, Ben and Avery.
In this podcast, we talk about:
- Changes in peer relationships due to technology.
- How to help your child find their "pod".
- The importance of staying in relationship with your children.
- The balance between monitoring and building independence and trust.
- Control versus teaching kids how to think through situations and potential risks.
- Approaching young people with curiosity instead of judgement
- The bi-directional nature of peer pressure.
Resources:
- Website: https://www.elevatedstatecounseling.com/
- Dunbar's number: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number
- Book: Yes, Your Teen is Crazy! Loving Your Kid Without Losing Your Mind by Michael J. Bradly: https://www.amazon.com/Yes-Your-Teen-Crazy-Without/dp/0936197447
- Podcast: Tristan Harris-Your Undivided Attention
- Book: Indistractible: How To Control Attention and Choose Your Life, by Nir Eyal
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
“Comparison is the thief of joy. When I let go of all of that, and focused on what I needed to do for myself and my family, parenting became a joy.” Erin Soto
Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. Today’s well source is Erin Soto.
Erin is the best-selling author of The Mother of all Fights, stage III cancer survivor, wellness coach and mother of four based in Orange County, California. She teaches life changing habits to reclaim control over your health for cancer thrivers and anyone wanting to know the most effective evidence-based preventive measures to protect against development and support recovery. Sign up for one of her popular online courses, receive free weekly tips on her website and check out her Living Well App for healthy habits, goal tracking and motivation.
This podcast covers:
- How living through stage 3 cancer impacts the entire family
- Sharing your diagnosis with your children in a sensitive and honest way
- Ways it impacts your children
- The importance of getting access to help
- Building resilience and gaining wisdom together
- The 5 core integrative health practices that help treat and prevent cancer
- Changing your life to support healthy practices
- Living from a place of awareness instead of fear
- Showing up for your children as the unique parent that you are
- Why your wellness is too important to wait
Resources:
- Website: https://www.erinsoto.com. This includes family friendly, kid tested recipes.
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Book: Mother of All Fights - FREE COPY available on the website
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Program: Anti-Cancer, Five Week Wellness Program (Also available on the website)
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App: Think Dirty - Shop Clean
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Holmes Rahe Stress Inventory: https://www.stress.org/holmes-rahe-stress-inventory
Monday Nov 28, 2022
Monday Nov 28, 2022
Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. Today’s well source is Rachel Bailey. Rachel is a Parenting Specialist who has been serving families for over a decade. Besides being a mother of two, she also has a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology, a certification in Positive Discipline, and has provided services as an ADHD Coach, in-home mentor, and therapist. Through her podcast, Your Parenting Long Game, programs, and services, Rachel teaches parents how to reduce negative interactions and drama for a more calm, peaceful home.
In this episode, we talk about:
- How big emotions are present for strong-willed, sensitive, and anxious children
- What kids need from their parents when they have big emotions
- Strategies to help kids deal with their feelings
- The role of drama in managing feelings
- Handling ourselves when we have a day full of “yuck”
- The difference between being emotionally intelligent and emotionally perceptive
- Allowing your child to travel the yuck curve when in conflict
- Making deposits that children WANT and NEED
- The difference between self-care and self-treatment
- The two components of self-esteem
Resources
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
"I work with kids that I know have something special inside them but can't demonstrate it in the classroom". Brandon Slade
Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. Today’s well source is Brandon Slade. Brandon is the Founder of Untapped Learning. Brandon’s struggle with academics growing up caused him to have an overwhelming experience in college. After getting diagnosed with ADHD, he began to figure out ways to implement habits, routines, and learning strategies that enabled him to succeed as a student. Even after his academic setbacks, Brandon has made it his mission to figure out how the ADHD brain works, now helping other students with executive functioning challenges discipline their gifts at Untapped Learning.
In this episode, we:
- Define executive functioning and the challenges for a child that is neurodiverse.
- Share ways young people can organize life and create a sense of freedom.
- Explain the brain of a child with ADD/ADHD.
- Discuss developmental approaches to understanding and supporting young people.
- Address considerations around the choice to medicate or not medicate.
- Identify barriers and strategies that set young people with ADD/ADHD up for success.
- Share the promising things the future holds for young people who are neurodiverse.
Resources
- Website: Untapped Learning
- Get connected to a coach
- Email: Brandon Slade
Wednesday Jul 20, 2022
Wednesday Jul 20, 2022
Welcome to the Parenting Well podcast with Parent Engagement Network! I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. Today’s well source is Dr. Missy Gryder and we are going to talk about Three Steps to Help Children Develop a Positive Body Image.
Dr. Gryder serves as the Founder of Meeting Kids’ Needs, an online course for parents of kindergarten through fifth grade children that teaches parents how to help their children handle their feelings, especially the tough ones. Meeting Kids’ Needs gives parents the latest in research-based social and emotional learning so they can purposefully help build their children’s emotional intelligence. Her professional interests include social and emotional learning in schools and in homes, positive classroom and school climates, brain-based best classroom practices, and holistic health and wellness. Dr. Gryder is also the developer of The Body Safety Box, an evidence-based child abuse prevention educational kit offering children along with their parents, schools, and community groups a series of active, engaging, and age-appropriate learning opportunities to help prevent abuse and its often lifelong consequences. The Body Safety Box has served children in 31 states, Canada, Africa, India, and Papua New Guinea to date.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Social and emotional learning (SEL) perspectives around body image.
- Themes in the research
- Differences between males and females.
- Three specific strategies for helping your child create a positive body image, including (1) Being aware and intentional about your own body image story and eliminating fat talk, (2) Developing critical thinking about the media's role in body image, and (3) Developing a positive body image that is grounded in secure attachment.
- The importance of attachment and belonging.
- Treasuring your child for who they are as a unique human being.
Resources
- Website: Meeting Kids Needs
- Meeting Kids Needs: Course Enrollment
- Instagram for Meeting Kids Needs: @meetingkidsneeds
- Instagram for the Body Safety Box: @bodysafetybox
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Monday May 30, 2022
Monday May 30, 2022
I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. And today, you are listening to The Parenting Well Podcast. Today’s well source is Nina Cruz. Nina is a certified Conscious Parent Coach, Social Worker (BSW), and Meditation Teacher who’s made it her mission to support parents through shifting archaic parental paradigms, many of which contribute to increased stress, anxiety, overwhelm, and feelings of disconnection for themselves, their partners, and their children. Her approach to coaching revolves around trauma-informed care that puts others at-ease, providing a safe space for everyone to facilitate their individual healing and growth.
In this episode, we talk about:
- The difference between conscious parenting and parenting from a place of control
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Holding onto a child's essence
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The danger of labels
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Learning to identify your own triggers
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Parenting from consequences vs. punishments
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Working with your child to set boundaries
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Helping your child process emotions
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Strategies for managing stress and anxiety
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Showing up for your child
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Recognizing negative patterns of behavior and creating positive ones
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Self care and self acceptance
Resources
- Nina's Website
- Email: nina@ninacruzconsciouscoaching.com
- Skype: live:b293f210b2ad1e38
- LinkedIn: /in/nina-cruz-351a6097
- Nina's Instagram: @ninacruzcoach
- Free Discovery Session
- 12 Days of Presence Program
- Book - Dear Mamma: Self Care Letters from One Mamma to Another
- Channel on "The Wild Network"
- Wild Network Masterclass on "How to Parent with Purpose
- Transformational 6 month Coaching Program: Creating the Parent You Want to Be
- Private Facebook Group: /ninacruzconsciouscoaching, with the following trainings:
- 5 day Conscious Parent Bootcamp- 5 day Unlimited Unstoppable You Workshop- 3 day Mindset Matters Masterclass- Parenting with the Law- how to align with universal laws to turn parenting mayhem into magic.- Pop Up training sessions on varied tops- Guided Meditations
Monday Mar 21, 2022
Monday Mar 21, 2022
“You have to treat people with dignity when it is hard. I didn’t say respect because I don’t respect someone’s actions when they are taking away the dignity of someone else. Being in a culture of dignity is being prepared to be forever changed by what you hear.” Rosalind Wiseman
I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. And today, you are listening to The Parenting Well Podcast. Today’s Well Source is Rosalind Wiseman. Rosalind is a parenting educator who fosters civil dialogues and inspires communities to build strength, courage, and purpose. As the founder of Cultures of Dignity, she works to shift the way that communities think about our physical and emotional wellbeing by working in close partnership with the experts of those communities, including young people, educators, policy makers and business / political leaders. Her Owning Up Curriculum teaches students and educators to take responsibility as bystanders, perpetrators, and victims of unethical behavior. She is the author of several books, including Queen Bees and Wannabes, which was the basis for the 2004 film Mean Girls. In May 2022, Rosalind and Shanterra McBride will publish Courageous Discomfort: How to Have Brave, Life Changing Conversations about Race and Racism.
In this podcast, we talk about:
- Recognizing the challenges of young people
- Managing tough emotions
- Understanding how parents/caregivers play a role in the well-being of young people
- Increasing your awareness of the issues that parents and schools encounter together
- Treating people with dignity when its hard
- Recognizing social emotional learning in the teachable moments
RESOURCES
- Website: Cultures of Dignity
- Article: Teen Publication - My Great Expectations
- Amazon: Books by Rosalind Wiseman
Monday Mar 07, 2022
Monday Mar 07, 2022
"You didn't have a choice in the loss of your child, but you do get to choose what you do from there. You have a choice in what you do with the rest of your life."
I am Dr. Shelly Mahon, your host. And today, you are listening to The Parenting Well Podcast. Today's Well Source is Michele Benyo. Michele is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, a parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement focused Michele’s career as an early childhood parenting specialist on the impact of grief on young children, particularly after child loss. Michele equips parents and other caring adults to recognize young children’s grief and to provide the support children need to cope well with any loss. The desire of Michele’s heart is to see families live forward after loss toward a future bright with possibilities and even joy.
In this podcast, we discuss:
- Tips for recognizing when your child is grieving.
- Being equipped to support your child through grief and loss.
- Handling difficult feelings.
- How to manage your own grief so you can be there for your child.
- Creating space and simple ways to have important conversations.
- Trusting your instincts.
- Living FORWARD after the loss of a child.
RESOURCES:
- Michele's website: Good Grief Parenting
- Resource: The Good Grief Guide
- Michele's LinkedIn Profile
- Michele's Instagram Account