Mindful Mama | Inspiration To Thrive Not Just Survive

What do children need most? Unconditional love. Most of us can agree on that, yet we often don’t even realize the ways in which we are conditional with our parenting, which is not only bad for kids, it’s deeply counterproductive! Author and peaceful parenting leader, Alfie Kohn gives insights into our own assumptions and intentions for our kids. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways: We are trained by society to be conditional in our parenting. Punishments & rewards lead to more manipulative, self-interested kids. Time out is the ultimate in conditional parenting. Kohn is the author of 14 books on education, parenting, and human behavior, including Unc

Everyone experiences fears, and sometimes they can hold us back from living authentically and achieving our full potential. So what do we do with our fears? Author and wellness coach Koya Webb tells us that our fears can be our teachers and make us fierce. We can turn our obstacles into seeds for growth instead! If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways:  We don’t have to be afraid of fear—fear is feedback. To be mentally fit is to let go of limiting beliefs. Affirmations help break through the “not good enough” fear. Koya Webb is an internationally recognized yoga teacher and celebrity holistic health coach on a mission to promote self-love and make heal

Top 5 Mindful Mama episodes of 2020. Learn about: - The best way to respond when your child won't listen - How to handle academics during remote learning - How to break free of perfectionism - How to keep ourselves replenished to handle whatever life throws at us - The biggest error parents make in discipline If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts or Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Get Hunter's book, Raising Good Humans now! Click here to order and get book bonuses! ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindful mama mentor. She coaches smart, thoughtful parents on how to create calm and cooperation in their daily lives. Hunter has over 20 years of experience in mindfulness practices. Sh

What do you say to yourself when you mess up with your kids? If you are like many of us, you berate yourself. My guest, Kristin Neff, has done research that shows that our harsh self-criticism does NOT work. It doesn’t help us grow and become better parents. In fact, it does the opposite. So what does work? Self-compassion. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts or Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Kristin Neff is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, conducting the first empirical studies on self-compassion over a decade ago. In conjunction with her colleague Dr. Chris Germer, she has developed an empirically supported eight-week training program called Mindful Self-Compassion and offers w

Clutter causes stress, costs you money, and eats away your time. Will this new year be the year that you clear away the clutter and create a simpler, more joyful environment? I talk to Katy Wells of The Maximized Minimalist podcast about how we can declutter for the new year. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways: Kids' attitudes, behavior, and sleep habits can improve with a decluttered environment. Our brain registers clutter as “unfinished work,” elevating stress levels. The surprising items that can make a home feel more cluttered. Katy Wells is a declutter expert and host of The Maximized Minimalist podcast. She helps women turn their home from st

2020 has been an incredibly difficult year with the global pandemic, multiple crises, the election, remote learning, and more. We’ve all had to deal with multiple disappointments and anxieties. Today I talk to Anna Seewald about 10 ways to cope with this difficult time. We end this episode with a guided Ideal Future meditation to help bring hope and positivity into your vision. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways:  It’s time to slow down and prioritize our mental & emotional health. Ask yourself, “What is alright right now?” Stay in the present moment AND consciously envision your positive future. Anna Seewald, M.Ed is a Parent Educator, Keynote Spea

We have a lot of stress in our lives and we want to do well for our children. But sometimes, the more we push to get it right, the more off-course we get. My podcast guest this week reminds us that it’s okay to drop some balls sometimes. We don’t have to be perfect. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways: We have to be able to step back and let our kids fail. How to handle homework at different ages. Positivity is a conscious choice. Lisa Sugarman is a parenting author, a nationally syndicated humor columnist, a radio show host, and the mom of two grown daughters. Get Hunter's book, Raising Good Humans now! Click here to order and get book bonuses! ABOU

Simpler, more natural living is really appealing to thoughtful parents in our world of more tech and more stuff. It can give us a sense of rest and ease. But how do we get there from our busy lives? My guest, Rachel Rainbolt helps us move from overwhelmed to calm, from fearful to trusting. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways: Kids absorb their environment and reflect it back in their behavior. When we have the intention to join with our child, we get out of the house more easily. We need to pull together our intuition with science and research. Rachel Rainbolt is the Sage Family coach, writer, podcaster, and advocate for gentle parenting, natural hom

What is it like when your child tells you they are trans? This happened to Paria Hassouri when her then son, came out as a girl at 13 years old. Find out what it’s like parenting a transgender teen. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways: Our children need us to trust and support them when they come out as trans. As a mom, she went through denial, anger, and grief at this huge change. Girls are often celebrated for being strong, but we also need to celebrate boys for being soft. Paria Hassouri is a mother of three, pediatrician, writer, and trans rights activist in Los Angeles. Found in Transition: A Mother's Evolution During Her Child's Gender Change i

What messages does our kids' education send? What are the lived results—does it keep their spark of curiosity alive? Like many of us, especially this year, you may be totally frustrated with your kid’s education system. In this episode, I talk to Akilah Richards about her story of disenchantment and the perhaps-not-so-radical step of moving to self-directed learning. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways: Examining the beliefs we take for granted liberates us from harmful patterns. Conventional education can be about being told what to do and enforcing that. There is no arrival point. Unlearning is the process. Akilah S. Richards hosts Fare of the Free

Talking about racial and lifestyle differences can be hard and uncomfortable. Yet it’s our job to raise the next generation to respect and learn from people who look or believe differently than we do. Carolyn Helsel and Y. Joy Harris-Smith offer practical ways to build compassion and empathy in our children. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways: We have to practice restraint when answering questions from kids. Our kids watch everything we say and do. Food can be a great entry point to experiencing different cultures. Carolyn and Joy are authors, mothers, teachers, and preachers. Carolyn is white and Joy is black, and they each bring different experien

Sometimes truths about parenting go against the grain—against what we assume is natural or normal. Ashley Merryman loves to find research that debunks conventionally held truths. Learn about the problem with praise, and what are some of the best ways to respond to kids. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways: Kids who are overpraised underperform. Little kids lie because they don’t want to disappoint. You can catch bad behavior from others. With Po Bronson, Ashley Merryman is the New York Times bestselling author of NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children and Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing. Get Hunter's book, Raising Good Humans now! Clic

Parenting can be mentally and physically depleting—especially for moms. The greater the challenges and vulnerabilities we’re experiencing, the greater the resources we need to meet these challenges. Today, I talk to Dr. Rick Hanson about this and how mindfulness can be a primary resource that helps us develop other resources in ourselves. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways: The greatest unacknowledged public health problem in the developed world is mothers' long-term stress and depletion. Body awareness can disrupt neurotic preoccupations. We can move from having experiences to cultivating traits. Rick Hanson, Ph.D. is a psychologist, Senior Fellow

How can we connect to ourselves authentically—while parenting? Ora Nadrich talks to us about how to follow a journey of self-awareness while developing more presence for our children. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t have to be difficult. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways: Parenting and the journey of self-awakening can be done at the same time. Behind every feeling is a connected thought. “I don’t have time for that” is an excuse. Ora Nadrich is the founder and president of the Institute for Transformational Thinking. She is the author of Live True: A Mindfulness Guide to Authenticity and Says Who? How One Simple Question Can Change the Way You Think For

Sometimes it seems like the world is going to hell in a handbasket. Modern life is overwhelming. In this episode, I talk to Devon, meditation teacher, and Craig, meditation coach and therapist, about six guiding life principles, inspired by the wisdom of mindfulness—that will help you guide your way. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to  Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways: Don’t be a jerk - it’s all about communication. Body awareness is a big part of communication. Mindfulness is a whole package with guidelines and values. Devon and Craig Hase mentor dharma practitioners and lead meditation retreats online. They wrote a book called: A Survival Guide for Modern Life. Get Hunter's

Have you ever missed out because of procrastination or that thought, “I can never do _____.” Self-sabotage is a universal behavior, even for those of us who are high achievers in some areas. In this episode, I talk to neuropsychologist Dr. Judy Ho about why we do this, and how to stop. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to  Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways: Self-sabotage happens when our natural avoidance of threat drive is out of balance. If we never learned healthy coping skills from our parents, stress can hamstring us. The path away from self-sabotaging behaviors starts with our awareness of our thoughts. Dr. Judy is a triple-board certified clinical and forensic neuropsychol

When I was a young mom, I was scared, overwhelmed, and I felt alone. Now, over 13 years after the birth of my first child, I have some messages for that younger self. These are messages that we all need to hear as parents. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to  Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways: There is nothing wrong with you. There is a path to freedom. It IS the most important work you can do. Get Hunter's book, Raising Good Humans now! Click here to order and get book bonuses! ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindful mama mentor. She coaches smart, thoughtful parents on how to create calm and cooperation in their daily lives. Hunter has over 20 years of e

The global pandemic is creating inordinate amounts of stress for both parents and kids. Kids, unfortunately, show that stress with behavior problems because their fight-flight-or-freeze system is on overdrive and they don’t know how to handle it. Today I talk to Tammy, a Mindful Parenting Member whose 6-year old daughter has been yelling at her. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to  Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways: Kids' “behavior problems” are often a sign of stress. We can look underneath the behavior to think about what kids need. Strategies to help yourself and your child regulate emotions. Get Hunter's book, Raising Good Humans now! Click here to order and get book bonuses

We are moving into a school year that looks very different from every year before, with many kids learning completely virtually or even homeschooling. So what’s the best way to learn at home? What do we need to pay attention to and what can we let go? In this episode, I bring together two education experts, Lauren Spigelmeyer & Kimberlynn Lavelle, who will walk us through this new learning-at-home land.  Takeaways:  Mental and emotional health is the number one priority Moving their bodies and getting outside are essential to learning and brain development We can design the space—from seating, to decor, to aroma—to optimize learning Kimberlynn Lavelle is an Education Specialist and has worked with struggling learners with a variety of profiles for over 15 years. She now teaches the best strategies to parents so that they can teach their own children successfully! Visit her website to learn more! Lauren Spigelmyer is the Founder of The Behavior Hub and Professor at University of Pennsyl

We are living in stressful times with this global pandemic (to say the least!) and kids are feeling it too. How do we help kids cope with stress, anxiety - even anger? In this episode, I talk to Janine Halloran, author of the bestselling Coping Skills for Kids Workbook, about strategies for kids to deal with all that life throws at them. If you enjoyed this episode, and it inspired you in some way, I’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Take a screenshot of you listening on your device, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me @mindfulmamamentor. Have you left a review yet? All you have to do is go to  Apple Podcasts or  Stitcher (or wherever you listen), and thanks for your support of the show! Takeaways: We underestimate the power of play as a stress-reliever for kids. Three easy grounding techniques for anxious kids. Kids can only learn coping skills when they are calm. Janine Halloran, LMHC, has been working with children & families for 20 years. She's the author of the be