Oh Crap I Love My Toddler... But Holy F*ck

Tiffany Higgins is a CPA, mother of five, and owner of the “Stay-at-Home Bookkeeper Academy,” a program that walks you through the process of setting up and running your own bookkeeping business from home, even if you do not have any previous bookkeeping experience. If you’re a stay-at-home parent who’s ever contemplated starting your own business from home or having a flexible, lucrative career that also allows for plenty of valuable family time, today’s interview is a must-listen!  Tiffany breaks down how you can “have your cake and eat it too,” and shares her own story of leaving the corporate world to start her business. She speaks about balancing family life and work life, and offers her advice to separate the two so that you can be fully present no matter what you’re doing. She also discusses the importance of hiring the right help at home so that you can maximize your work productivity and actually enjoy quality time with your kids once you’ve packed up for the day, rather than feeling bogged down in c

Last week’s episode was all about the hierarchy of misbehavior, and the two main components at play when you’re dealing with these issues - there’s the Band Aid solution that will stop the misbehavior in the moment, and then there’s the underlying cause. Today I revisit the idea of what’s underneath the behavior, and break down the many reasons why your child may be acting out in the first place. Of course, the first thing to look for is whether they’re hungry or tired. You also want to keep an eye on their blood sugar and make sure you always have plenty of snacks on hand. Next, we want to check to see if their buckets are full - emotional, attention, and power. I explain in great detail the signs that these buckets might be empty, and what you can do to keep them full. My mother used to say that sometimes parents just don't give their kids the chance to be their best selves, and today’s episode is all about giving your little ones the tools and support they need to do exactly that. Next I review the importa

With so many new listeners joining the Patreon recently, today I'll be clarifying the hierarchy of misbehavior, and outlining in very clear steps, the timeline of exactly what to do when your child is misbehaving, using the example of hitting. It may seem cute and harmless when your kid is 16 months old, but if you don't nip it in the bud, hitting can become very problematic and painful if you allow it to continue, particularly when it's directed at another kid. First, you want to try the gentle method of simply grabbing their hand and saying, "No, we don't hit." If the behavior doesn't stop or even escalates from there, this is when the “Go To Your Room” strategy comes into play. The most important thing you can do is keep yourself regulated, and while co-regulation is ideal, this can be hard to do when someone is slapping you in the face or throwing Tonka Trucks at your head. If you need to take space separately to stabilize your own mental state, that’s absolutely okay. This way you can come back and lend

On today’s episode, I’m excited to welcome my good friend and colleague, Stephanie Sotelo, who also happens to be my backup parenting coach. Stephanie blows my mind over and over again as we talk about accessing our “Whys” as parents, and tapping into our values, which act as our compass on this journey and give us the courage to hold firm in our parenting choices when others may question them. We explain how knowing your “Why” can help you understand yourself better as a parent, as well as your partner and even other parents who may have the same “What,” but a different “Why.” We also discuss the ways your “Why” can change over time, and the importance of finding your own authentic voice in a world where so many other opinions are thrown at you. We talk about choosing connection with your child above all else, encouraging your child to advocate for themselves and find their own strong voice, and why authenticity, confidence, and consistency are your most important tools as a parent. Thank you for your listen

On this episode of the podcast, I’m so excited to be joined by Dr. Stephanie Rimka to talk about the science behind sauna, red light, and cold therapy. Dr. Rimka is a holistic brain optimization specialist; she’s been in private practice for twenty years, focusing on using a variety of natural therapies, including bio-hacks, to treat mental health issues including autism, depression, strokes, and Alzheimer’s. Her practice uses technology-based devices focusing on electromagnetic and light frequencies to alter brain structure and function and return normal function to it.   The Finer Details of This Episode:  Dr. Rimka usually starts her patients with red light therapy before moving on to sauna therapy.  Red light is highly stimulating to the vagus nerve, a cranial nerve that comes out of your brain and is the most soothing, calming part of the nervous system.  The fight or flight response is designed to last twenty to thirty seconds optimally and two minutes maximum. Yet many families are in fight or fligh

On today’s episode, I speak with yet another person I find truly fascinating, Jessica Sueiro. Jessica and her husband, Will, along with their two children, Avalon and Largo, are world traveling, homeschooling, bohemian vagabonds in the best possible way. They have an amazing YouTube channel called World Towning, where they document their full-time travel family adventures and share their passion for dreaming big. Jessica joins me from a boat in Majorca to discuss her family’s decision to leave their Boston 2013 in favor of trekking around the world together, how they have thrived throughout their traveling adventures, and the experience of managing homeschool in the process. For more information about the Sueiro family and their traveling lifestyle, visit WorldTowningVoyages.com or check out their YouTube Channel, which features new videos every Friday. Thank you for your listening! I appreciate your patronage more than I can say. For more information on my potty training and parenting resources, please visi

Continuing on from my episode about Co-Regulation, today I’ll be sharing all of my insights, tips, and tricks on how to help your child effectively recognize when their emotions are building up, and cope with them before they escalate out of control. Our kids are very present in their bodies, which is why their feelings tend to come out in very physical ways. Having your child describe the physical sensation of their emotions, asking where they feel them (in the cheeks, fingers, chest, behind their eyes, etc.), using the “Hot and Cold” Method, and giving their feelings a specific name can help slow the process down and give your child time to identify what’s going on. Having a “Throwing Corner” in your home, checking in with your child throughout the day, engaging in Big Play, and getting outside can also help as an outlet for emotional tension. Thank you for your listening, and I appreciate your patronage more than I can say. For more information on my potty training and parenting resources, please visit the

Anna Glasgow is an empowerment coach with a passion for personal growth. She has a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, and runs the amazing program, “Badass With Boundaries.” We connected over her toddler’s potty training journey on Instagram, and today she joins me as part of my ongoing series in which I simply talk to very cool people! Anna and I break down why boundaries are so important in helping yourself and your family feel safe and secure, the most common areas in which they tend to be crossed, why women tend to have weaker boundaries than men (and how this is exacerbated in parenthood), and how to create your own boundaries using your Love Language and Anna’s Hell Yes/Hell No Method. Anna shares how leaving an abusive relationship sparked her passion for this topic, and details her own experience hammering out boundaries after becoming a mother. Teaching consent, healing childhood wounds, and reparenting are also discussed. We chat about not having to justify our boundaries to anyone, trusting

Today’s episode is the mother of all follow-ups. I’ll be revisiting my episodes on the ‘Go To Your Room’ strategy, tantrums, and negative associations, to clarify some confusion and answer all of your questions on these topics. One of the key ideas here is co-regulation, and whether you can lend your child your calm in moments of dysregulation. If you can be present with inaction, and simply be with your child without trying to fix the feeling or becoming dysregulated yourself, then you can hold space for them. But this is not always possible, as we could be dealing with stressors, trauma, or childhood wounds that sometimes make us lose our shit. And if that's the case, this is when you want to implement the harm reduction model and use the Go To Your Room strategy. It can be done in a way that doesn’t feel “abandoning”, and it prevents you from saying something psychologically damaging, and also allows your child to experience the full cycle of their feelings, and settle their bodies on their own.   The Fine

Lauren Rodych-Eberle is one of the hosts of the Kids Who Explore podcast, which encourages families to connect with nature and explore the outdoors together. She is the owner of Miss Lauren’s Music Studio, where she teaches voice, piano, ukulele, and preschool music classes, and she is the author of several cookbooks. Lauren has a deep passion for food, hiking, adventure, and travel, and she is just an all-around cool person. We connected on Instagram over tips to handle ticks, and I am so excited to talk to her on the podcast today.  We begin with Lauren’s hiking essentials, including a lint roller, TickWise organic tick spray, and a First Aid Kit. We address the pressure parents put on themselves to tackle huge summits, stay on track, and not let their kids stop and explore trails. Lauren offers her advice to keep hikes short, sweet, and fun so that your kids will want to go again, and we look at how hiking builds grit from a young age. Lauren shares her idea to make summer and winter bucket lists, and we t

After my recent Instagram post on the arc of a tantrum received such an overwhelming response, I decided to devote an entire podcast to dissecting all things tantrums, meltdowns, and big feelings. Tantrums are the most intense and send your child into an altered state where you’ll actually wonder if you’ve encountered the devil, whereas meltdowns will make you feel more sad for your poor little one who’s just tired and overwhelmed. Big feelings are a momentary freakout that end just as quickly as they came on. All three can meld and morph into each other, and today I’ll look at what’s normal, what’s not, why tantrums happen, and what we can do about them. Tantrums typically begin developmentally around the 16-month to 3-year mark, and coincide with explosive brain growth that happens during that time. At this age, kids do not yet have the language skills needed to express their thoughts, and tantrums could be caused by something as simple as needing to poop. In today’s episode, I clarify that a few tantrums a

Welcome to July’s Q&A episode! Today I dive right in with some excellent questions about whether to allow “sexy” dolls like L.O.L Surprise Dolls in imaginary play, being aware of which franchises and marketing campaigns your children are exposed to, and how to encourage your child to play independently. I break down the relatively recent phenomenon of children expecting their parents to play with them and keep them entertained all day, and what you can do about it, even if you have an only child. Boredom is the basis for creativity, and it’s okay to establish boundaries for time together versus adult time for you. I share the two simple, but powerful words you can use to stop a rude or sassy attitude in its tracks, and what to do if your child is “acting out” in physical ways but not necessarily melting down.  Finally, as we slowly return to our busy lives after the pandemic, remember that work, relationships, and parenting demands can drain our energy resources quickly. I offer my perspective on why it’s

This month’s Q&A episode begins with a question about Redshirting (postponing entrance into kindergarten to allow extra time for social, emotional, intellectual, and physical growth). This is a controversial topic because parents can be accused of using it to give their kids an advantage, but I explain why it might actually be best to hold a child back, particularly if their birthday is close to the cutoff date. Sending kids too early can set them on a path of feeling like they’re always behind throughout their school career, not only academically, but emotionally and physically as well. I also tackle a question about healthy eating habits and the murky waters of using food as a reward. I break down why I am 100% against this practice as it creates unhealthy relationships with food, and I discuss why food should not be tied to emotions or power struggles with your kid. Finally, I look at using distractions during a tantrum - when it’s good, when it’s bad. There’s a window of opportunity when you can succe

Today’s Q&A begins with a topic so many of you have asked about - positive reinforcement. Somehow along the way, parents confused positive reinforcement with offering bribes and rewards for everyday behaviors. But before you find yourself promising a trip to Disneyland for a single poop in the potty, I break down how you can recognize good behaviour without setting your kids up to feel entitled. In response to your questions about connection before correction, I’ll clarify how you can connect with your kid using short spurts of one-on-one time, and I’ll share some ideas on how to help a child who throws tantrums when they lose a game. Today’s episode also looks at screentime, and how to ease your child back to reality when it’s time to turn off Peppa Pig. Finally, I’ll discuss consequences versus punishment, the role of shame and guilt in shifting behavior, and how Gentle Parenting can actually lead to more aggression in some cases.    As always, thank you for your patronage and your participation in this

It’s that time again to open up the digital mailbag, and respond to some of your questions, which I absolutely love, love, love. While some of today’s questions offer new twists on previous topics, all of them are, of course, excellent ones which I know so many are wondering about as well, so let’s dig in, shall we?   Today, we’ll look at ways to handle the constant ‘I want’ requests from your kid, revisit the concept of changing the family dinner if it’s not working well currently, look at sleep and dealing with early risers, and handling the stage of combining ‘No’ with emotions. We’ll also delve into the dynamics of having an older and younger child, as well as the world of playdates especially at a friend’s house, and the importance of being an asker as opposed to a guesser. Again, I love receiving these questions so much because they reflect real life, and give me the opportunity to share real, practical advice rather than theoretical. Please keep them coming – I can’t wait for our next Q&A session!

This week, we’re going to move on from our trauma series, but before we do, I want to thank you all for your fantastic feedback during it. I always love our dialogue, and especially during such an important topic, so once again, thank you. As we move on today, it’s time for another Q & A to look at all the questions that have been piling up over the past month, so let’s get started. The questions this time around range from children displaying shyness, to bringing co-sleeping with your child to an end, to sibling play, and then to driving children around to help them get to sleep. We’ll also look at the age-old concern about getting children to give up their pacifier, as well as what to do when your child is in that “refusing to take ‘no’ for an answer” stage. Once more, we have a full slate of excellent questions that I know so many are wondering about, and I want to encourage you to keep them coming so that, as always, we can work together to address them.   The Finer Details of This Episode:  There ar

I’m very excited to bring this episode to you today since it’s about one of my favorite topics – Seasonal Affective Disorder, the winter blues, and how to beat them. Winter was not always my favorite season, and if that’s true for you as well, today I’m going to share with you how I flipped it so it is now number one on my list. With everything that is still going on these days, this winter is bound to be a really hard one for many people, so let’s look at some of the strategies I employ that can help turn that around.   We’ll begin by reviewing the fact that your attitude toward the season will show up in your kids, and then I offer some of my food and sleep suggestions that have really helped me in the past and continue to do so. Keeping expectations low or level for the holidays, and using lighting to help generate a positive mood are a couple other suggestions that we’ll explore, as well as the greatest strategy of all which is to embrace the outdoors and stay out with your kids as much as humanly possibl

It’s that time of year again when we start thinking about gifts for the upcoming holiday season (if you haven’t already), so welcome to this year’s Gift Guide as curated by Jenn and myself. You know that I’m all about gifts that inspire learning and using the whole brain and the whole body, and that’s precisely the type of gifts you’ll find on our list here today. In addition to the list, I’ll also share some information about the perennial issue about gifts from relatives who want the credit that comes from your kid’s big reactions on the day, as well as some ideas about how to bring the intensity of the holiday down while increasing its overall enjoyment. Naturally, we’ll go through the Gift Guide, which you can find in the links section below, and I’ll offer my own commentary on the selections as we go along. Most important of all, I need you to remember that, particularly in this unprecedented year, you need to do ‘whatever the fuck you want to do this Christmas’, and to please never forget to reach out i

Today, I am so excited to have Quiara Smith, MOT OTR/L, join me on the podcast . As a pediatric pelvic health occupational therapist, Quiara specializes in treating pelvic floor dysfunction, toileting/elimination disorders, and bowel and bladder dysfunction in children between the ages of 4-18 years old both through her Aloha Integrative Therapy Clinic and telehealth services. She has a lot to share and clears up a few mysteries along the way, so prepare to have your mind blown! Quiara begins by sharing just what exactly the pelvic floor is, the many potential causes for dysfunction in this area, and what the symptoms of these dysfunctions show up as. She also describes the reasons why she would become involved in working with a child, the impact of the sensory system in children, and the holistic and non-invasive approach she employs in her work. We then discuss the role that core muscles, and the need to develop them in children, play in potty training, and explore some recommendations for building these mu

Jamie discusses options available to parents who are gearing up to send their children back to school Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices