I recently posted this quote on Instagram about discipline and many of you responded with questions on how to effectively discipline so children develop cooperation, problem solving, compassion, respect and other important life skills.

There is not one right way to discipline that works for every child in every situation, but on this episode I share with you tips that will help you pick a response that fits each unique situation.

• How to listen to parenting advice with an open mind, filter it and implement what works for your family. 
• Why you want to be your child's coach, and not just a dictator.
• How to raise children who cooperate with you because they understand "the why" and not because they are complying out of fear of you, your reaction or something they want being taken away from them. The goal is for children to do the right thing, because they understand it is the right thing to do.
• The importance of your children understanding why we're disciplining them.
• What effect positive discipline has on our children's emotional intelligence. 
• Tips and creative solutions for setting boundaries and disciplining from a place of love.

After listening to this episode you will have tools to discipline your children effectively and from a place of love so that you can raise emotionally intelligent children.

For full show notes, click here.

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For more parenting inspiration:

• let's connect on Instagram
• visit Mama Instincts

What an intense year this has been!

For most of us, this pandemic has been very scary and rough, and for all of us, life as we know it has changed. So here we are, finding ourselves in a holiday season like no other - without being able to spend it with our friends and extended family and worrying about our children and how this will impact them.

But just because we are going through a pandemic, and just because things are not as they usually are, doesn't mean the holidays are ruined. This holiday is an opportunity, an opportunity to create new family traditions, an opportunity to disconnect, recharge and build strong family connections. It is an opportunity to show our children that even in the midst of chaos, we can find peace, joy and love.

This is the time to have a more intentional holiday season, and how do we do that? That's exactly what this episode is about.

For full show notes, click here.

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For more parenting inspiration:

• let's connect on Instagram
• visit Mama Instincts

Like most of you, I've had a life of very good moments but also some very hard moments. And over time, through life experiences and lots and lots of reading and studying I've come to integrate 3 core beliefs that have shifted the way I live my life.

These beliefs have helped me become a more patient parent, let go of what I cannot control, and live a more fulfilling life.

These beliefs have impacted my life in such a positive way that today I want to share these beliefs with you because they could impact your life in a positive way too. They could shift the way you see and live your life too and give you space to create a life that makes you feel happier, and that is more fulfilling.

After listening to this episode I hope you look within at your own core beliefs and replace the beliefs that aren't serving you for beliefs that will serve you better. You can change your beliefs to improve your life, to become a more patient parent and to be happier, not some day in the future but now. I hope this episode inspires you to shift your perspective and starting seeing and living your own life in a different kind of way.

For full show notes, click here.

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For more parenting inspiration:

• let's connect on Instagram
• visit Mama Instincts
• join our free private Facebook group

Breastfeeding is great for our babies, but it can be tricky sometimes when mom is retuning to work. Jada Glover, a Certified Lactation Counselor shares with us very useful and practical tips on how breastfeeding moms can make a smooth and successful transition from home back to work. 

• How to trouble shoot breastfeeding issues - most issues can be worked through so don’t give up hope!
• Tips for a smooth transition from home to work
• Recommendations on everything from bottles and pumps to bras and nursing pads
• What kind of milk stashes moms really need before heading back to work
• General schedules for breastfeeding, pumping and bottle feeding baby when you return to work
• Tips for maximizing milk supply and how to deal with decreased milk production
• Self care tips including ideas for how your partner can support you and baby
• Breastfeeding and pumping rights provided as part of the Affordable Care Act of 2010

After listening to this episode you will be empowered to prepare yourself and your baby for a smooth transition from breastfeeding at home to returning to work. You will feel confident to trust your instincts and your bond with your baby as you create a new healthy lifestyle for you and your baby as a working mom.

For full show notes, click here.

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For more parenting inspiration:

• let's connect on Instagram
• visit Mama Instincts
• join our free private Facebook group

You have the power to break some unhealthy patterns and establish more realistic expectations for your children. Helping our children feel heard, loved and understood makes discipline easier, creates a base for managing emotions, builds a strong connection, establishes trust so our children come to us for help.

• The importance of raising emotionally intelligent children
• Why is emotional intelligence the root of successful parenting
• Tips for acknowledging your child's feelings so you can discipline them more effectively
• How our own emotional baggage and triggers impact how we respond to our children's emotions and why it's important to keep this in check
• How teaching your children to acknowledging their feelings is that base needed for managing their emotions and building strong connections with you

After listening to this episode you will be equipped to acknowledge your children's feelings, help them identify and understand their emotions, acknowledge your triggers, build strong connections with your children, become a safe place for your children to come with questions and for help.  

For full show notes and mindfulness resources for kids, click here.

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For more parenting inspiration:

• let's connect on Instagram
• visit Mama Instincts
• join our free private Facebook group

On this episode I share with you 3 daily practices to shift your mindset, lower your stress and anxiety and help you find happiness and peace in your current life situation.

• How happiness is not some big thing that happens to us, but it is found in the every day little things.
• How we can control our attitude and our happiness.
• 3 daily mindfulness practices that help us:
  • start our day with a better mindset
  • recognize and chose happiness
  • feel more grateful about the good things in our lives
  • lower our stress and anxiety levels by focusing on the now and those things we can control over

After listening to this episode you will understand how these 3 daily practices can help you stay in the present, shift your mindset and bring more joy into your life. I invite you to try these 3 daily practices for 30 days and notice the difference yourself, and of course, share your progress with me! After all, we're in this together.

For full show notes, click here.

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For more parenting inspiration:

• let's connect on Instagram
• visit Mama Instincts
• join our free private Facebook group

On this special episode I'm interviewing child psychologist and head of school at the Seneca Academy, Dr. Michelle Parker, on how to support our children mentally, emotionally, academically and socially during the pandemic.

• How to share information about the pandemic with your children without overwhelming them
  • Age appropriate tips
  • How to follow your children's lead
  • Modeling social-emotional skills
• How to identify and reduce our children's stress
  • How children process the stress and fear present in our homes
  • How to leverage a schedule and routine to alleviate anxiety
  • How changes in children's normal behavior are a form of communication
  • What behavioral changes can be expected 
  • Tips for strategic use of technology
• How to balance self-care for parents
• How to manage sibling dynamics
• Why prioritizing social-emotional development is more important than academic development

After listening to this episode you will feel confident in understanding, anticipating and supporting your children's social emotional development throughout the chaos of our new lives during the Pandemic. You will be inspired to find a routine that balances your children's needs with your own to create a healthy home environment.

For full show notes, click here.

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For more parenting inspiration:

• let's connect on Instagram
• visit Mama Instincts
• join our free private Facebook group

On this podcast episode I talk about how to approach this pandemic, how we can deal with the changes and uncertainty. But most importantly, I ask you what are you going to make this mean? And share with you some ideas of how we can turn this experience into something positive in the end. 

• Coping with the uncertainty of the future
• How to stay present and live in the moment
• How to respond to feelings of fear
• What does this pandemic mean for our communities and society?
  • How have our priorities and choices changed?
  • How can we reshape our world?
  • Can we build new communities, based on cooperation and kindness, once this is over?

After listening to this episode you will feel empowered to stay calm, stay present, and stay connected while you create a new normal during the pandemic. You will be inspired in intentionally creating a new, better, life after the pandemic and will answer to yourself: What will you make it all mean?

For full show notes, click here.

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For more parenting inspiration:

• let's connect on Instagram
• visit Mama Instincts
• join our free private Facebook group