Mindful Mama | Inspiration To Thrive Not Just Survive

Do you and your parenting partner struggle post-kids? In this episode I talk to Kara Hoppe, MFT and Stan Tatkin, PsyD about what happens to couples after having children. We discuss the idea of secure functioning and how important it is for partners to make their relationship a priority. We touch on the importance of listening open-heartedly to each other, even when you don’t hold the same views and encourage you to get curious about where your partner is coming from. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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 couple needs to come first Your relationship is more important tha

Am I being too tough? Am I being too soft? Am I doing any of this right? We all ask these questions of ourselves, wondering if we could be doing better. Dr. Vanessa Lapointe, registered psychologist, parenting educator, founder and director of The Wishing Star Lapointe Developmental Clinic, and author of Discipline Without Damage, is here to help us find balance, with some guidance on how to be a firm and kind parent. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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: Respectful parenting is finding a balance between being both firm and kind In safe parent-child relationships, a child in

Today I talk to Jenny Woo about selfish self-less syndrome. We talk about the importance of community and relationships, as well as how powerful it can be to acknowledge how hard parenting can be rather than always being the Pinterest-perfect parent. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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:  You are not alone Children and parents are looking for the same thing Being kinder to yourself will allow you to be kinder in other relationships Jenny Woo is a Harvard educator and creator of the award-winning 52 Essential Conversations. Her social-emotional learning games are used by pa

Have you ever wondered why we have an inner voice? Today, I talk to Ethan Kross, an award-winning psychologist and author of the national bestseller, Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It. In our conversation, we discuss the benefits and pitfalls of having an inner voice. He also shares some tools on how to harness your inner voice to combat anxiety, improve physical and mental health, and deepen your relationships with others. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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! 3 Takeaways: Why we talk to ourselves Using our inner voice to ease anxiety, improve healt

What do you do when you’re an overwhelmed, frustrated mom, pregnant with your third child? When the yelling and threats are not creating lasting behavior changes? Carrie is a pediatric occupational therapist and mom of three. She knew there had to be a better way of raising her children than the “top-down,” authoritarian approach, which is the predominant parenting style in her Texas community. In our conversation, she shares her journey to transform her own parenting, as well as her vision to bring Mindful Parenting to her community. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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! 3 Takeaways: O

Today, we're going to be sitting down with Darcia Narvaez, professor of psychology at the University of Notre Dame and host of EvolvedNest.org. She's also the author of the award-winning book, Neurobiology and the Development of Human Morality: Evolution, Culture and Wisdom. Listen in as we talk about indigenous wisdom, the “Evolved Nest,” and their influence on health, wellbeing, our society, and our kids. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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! 3 Takeaways: The importance of community in raising children  Be sensitive to the signals of a child’s developmental compass Allow and encoura

Hunter makes a guest appearance on Happily Together Podcast, with Kara (a former celebrity chef) and Caleb (an ex-NFL Linebacker). In this conversation, we talk about what it means to parent mindfully. This is a must-listen for any parent, but also for anyone who is looking to increase their mindfulness and learn how to consciously move from reacting to responding in life. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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: Change begins with a willingness to accept that you’re not where you want to be How to raise confident children How to allow our children to become our greatest teach

In this episode, I talk to the brilliant Johann Hari. Johann is the author of three New York Times best-selling books, including the newly released Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention. In our fascinating conversation, we discuss some of the biggest shifts in modern society that have had detrimental effects on our attention and the attention of our children. The good news is that each of these shifts can be corrected. However, to do this we have to decide that we value attention and we have to fight for it. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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: Why sleep and the food we

Courtney has been struggling with her son ignoring her questions. Having recently been diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes, her four-year-old is feeling a loss of autonomy. How can she help to restore some of this lost autonomy and get her own needs met too? In this special on-air coaching episode, learn Mindful Parenting tools for cooperation. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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: Find creative ways to be less isolated and have more support Try using playfulness when cooperation is needed Meditation can be a useful tool in helping your child transition to bedtime Get Hunter's

Why self-care isn't enough and what moms can do to get the support they need (plus 3 things to do before hiring any care-provider/sitter) - The power of releasing expectations, especially in certain seasons of life. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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! 3 Takeaways: Self-care alone isn’t enough. Parents shouldn’t be expected to raise kids without support. Setting up a process for finding childcare can alleviate stress and worry. Royah Loie is a doula, web designer, and the creator of Insider Mom, a resource for uplifting tips and information for modern moms. Get Hunter's book, Raisin

What do you do when your parenting isn’t working? When you’re yelling and that’s the last thing you want to be doing? For Robin Greenwood, the answer was to get some help, ASAP. From there, she went on to not only transform her own parenting but to take her journey further to learn how to teach Mindful Parenting! *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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: If a sitting meditation seems too challenging, try bringing mindfulness into a daily activity. Release the expectation that you should be able to raise your kids without support. Only when we have peace within are we then able

Why is it often so much easier to be compassionate towards others, than it is to be compassionate towards ourselves? In my conversation with Kristin Neff, author of the bestselling books Self-Compassion and Fierce Self-Compassion, we discuss how having compassion for oneself is really no different than having compassion for others. We are all worthy of compassion, it is not something to be earned, but is intrinsic to all humans. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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! 3 Takeaways Ask yourself, “Would I say this, what I'm saying to myself, to someone I really cared about?” We need both t

Today, I am going to be sitting down with Bethany Saltman, researcher, editor, and author of the newly released book, Strange Situation: A Mother’s Journey Into the Science of Attachment. What does it mean to have a secure attachment? What are the key ways to develop a healthy attachment? In our conversation, we really dive into the science of attachment as Bethany breaks it all down for us. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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! 3 Takeaways: What is good for the mom is good for the baby. Secure attachment allows us to trust that someone will be there for us. To create a secure attach

No one needs to tell the mother of a daughter that their relationship comes with its fair share of unique challenges, but why is this? Join me as I talk to Dr. Michelle Deering, author of What Mothers Never Tell Their Daughters, about the complexities of a mother/daughter relationship and how we can best navigate the challenges while appreciating the unique bond that comes with raising a daughter. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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! 3 Takeaways: Mothers and daughters have a special bond that comes with a set of unique challenges. As girls become teens, they begin to explore their ow

We have all experienced judgemental looks and unsolicited advice from others about our parenting. Why does our society shame parents, who are simply trying their best to raise children? Today, I talk with Mercedes Samudio, LCSW, a licensed psychotherapist, speaker, and bestselling author of Shame-Proof Parenting: Find your unique parenting voice, feel empowered, and raise whole, healthy children, about the toxicity of shaming, the effects on our kids, and how we can shield ourselves against others’ critical eye. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel!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! 3 Takeaways: Every person, at every a

Today, we're talking about the secret to being a Zen parent with Cathy Adams. Cathy is the author of Zen Parenting, co-host of the Zen parenting radio podcast, the co-founder of the annual Zen parenting conference, social worker, certified parent coach, former elementary school teacher, yoga teacher, and she teaches at Dominican University. In our conversation, we talk about how to be a more Zen parent by getting into our bodies, having more open-heartedness, and communicating with our kids in an honest way. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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! 3 Takeaways: When your child feels overwh

How much time do you spend picking up the house every day? In Mindful Parenting, we focus on finding balance. One of the biggest challenges to parenting mindfully is the problem of too much. Today, I talk to Krista Lockwood about how to declutter without becoming a full-blown minimalist and finding balance in your home. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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! 3 Takeaways: Take the time to notice how much time you spend cleaning up the clutter. To maintain an uncluttered house, give yourself boundaries. Less toys help to develop the ability to go deep with something and really master it.

We all want to have our growing kids eat nutritious foods and develop good eating habits, but sometimes it feels like a lot of work. Seriously, I dream that my fairy godmother will magically grant me a personal chef that will make kale that my children love to eat. So, I reached out to Dr. Natasha Beck, "Dr. Organic Mommy," to come talk to us about how to get our kids to eat better. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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! 3 Takeaways: Provide opportunities and encouragement to try new foods. Try setting the table for a more inviting experience and get the kids to help. As the parent, y

When my kids were little, I really wanted to get them in the habit of giving back and doing service projects. However, I discovered that it can be challenging to find age-appropriate volunteer opportunities for little kids. Today, I am joined by Sarah Aadland. As a program director for Doing Good Together, Sarah creates and curates tools to help families and organizations raise kids who care and contribute. We talk about how to find projects to do with little kids, how families can volunteer together, how we can focus on service, and create great big hearted, generous kids. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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 y

How often do we find ourselves not really paying attention to what we’re doing? We may be going through the motions, but we’re thinking about something else, not being fully present to what we’re doing. Today, I have a fascinating conversation with Dr. Amishi Jha, professor of psychology at the University of Miami and author of Peak Mind, about the impact a wandering mind has on our ability to live life fully and how we can use mindfulness to refocus our attention. *New!* Watch video clips from this episode on the Mindful Mama Youtube channel! 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! 3 Takeaways: Mind-wandering is attention that is not present, in the here and the now