Mindful Mama | Inspiration To Thrive Not Just Survive

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

Do you find that all too often you’re having to bark orders to get things done? What if there was a better, more playful way to get your kids to cooperate? Today, I talk with Dr. Lawrence J. Cohen, psychologist and author of Playful Parenting and The Opposite of Worry, about the importance of play in childhood and how we can tap into our child’s innate desire to play to build connection. *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: Be honest about your emotions with the volume turned down. After feeling big emotions, share with your child what you did to work through them.  Chil

To celebrate, we made a special "Best Of" episode with the top 5 Mindful Mama convos of 2021.   Listen to learn about: How To Be Less Reactive How to Communicate More Skillfully With Your Kids Unconditional Parenting  The Science of Self Care How to Help Kids With Self-Regulation *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! 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 ha

Can we have success without others? Today, I talk to Parker Palmer, Founder and Senior Partner Emeritus of the Center for Courage & Renewal, is a writer, teacher, and activist who focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality, and social change. We discuss filling human need and the importance of 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: We are interdependent and have a responsibility to one another. We have to trust our own inner light and our own sense of inner guidance. We need to be able to be vulnerable in safe spaces. Parker J. Palmer,

Today, I talk to Ex-NFL kicker Sean Conley. Sean shares his story of how he was able to re-center his life after suffering career-ending injuries from overtraining. He began practicing yoga as part of his rehabilitation, and soon embraced yoga’s mindfulness, meditation, and philosophy. *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: Being truly present allows us to see things more clearly. Yoga and mindfulness benefit both body and mind. Yoga is a tool that can be used to manage our mental energy. Ex-NFL kicker Sean Conley (Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets) suffer

In the U.S. we firmly believe in freedom and independence, but is our current parenting culture one that teaches our children how to be free, independent people? I had a fascinating conversation with Sara Zaske, author of Achtung Baby: An American Mom on the German Art of Raising Self-Reliant Children, about her experience living in Germany for more than six years with her family. We talk about the importance of self-reliance for kids including physical freedom and intellectual freedom, and how we can best prepare our kids to handle the responsibilities that come along with these freedoms. *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),

What is a great way to build confidence in your kids? Affirmations! Today, I talk to Sandy Zanella, a mom of 2, a physician by training, and a kids yoga teacher. She is also the author and creator of “Happy Yogis,” a colorful pose by pose book inspired by her kids. In our conversation, we discuss the benefits of affirmations (for both you AND your kids) and easy ways to start practicing them with your family. *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: Affirmations benefit both kids and adults. We can turn neutral things into positive things, or even negative things into positiv

A lot of us have heard things like, “first born children are leaders” or “Youngest children are more relaxed” but is there any truth to character traits being associated with birth order. Today, I talk to Yvonne Nass, Certified Parent Educator and family counselor, about the truth behind these claims and why it matters. 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: A child’s perceptions of the world are based on family values, the family atmosphere, the sex of the child, and birth order. Birth order has a great influence on child development. Understanding birth order tendencies allows us to accept the differences and honor them.   Yvonne Nass is a Delaware

What is the goal of parenting? If you could magically snap your fingers and have a happy, healthy, emotionally well-adjusted 30-year-old, would you? Would you fast forward life, just to get the outcome you are hoping for? This is the question posed by today’s guest Jill Stoddard. Jill is director of The Center for Stress and Anxiety Management, an award-winning teacher, TEDx speaker, author, and co-host of the Psychologists Off the Clock podcast. In our conversation, we dive into the problem with the outcome-driven definition of success and how we can find successful moments in each day. *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), a

Children (heck, all of us) need free time to balance out their activities, get to know themselves, and feel peaceful. Today, I talk about the hidden opportunity cost of having an action packed schedule versus adding in some time to just BE. Are you ready to transform your family life? Get on the waitlist for Mindful Parenting! >> https://mindfulparentingcourse.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you practice Mindful Parenting with little kids? Joanna Faber & Julie King have written the book on it. Their communication lessons have the power to completely transform your relationship with your toddler. *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:  Accepting kids’ negative feelings is vital to happy, healthy relationships. Threatening kids is less effective for cultivating cooperation and creates a backwash of resentment. It’s not easy to change how you speak to your kids! We naturally want to fix their problems. Joanna Faber and Julie King are co-authors of How To

  Are you ready to transform your family life? Get on the waitlist for Mindful Parenting! >> https://mindfulparentingcourse.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do our needs, much less wants and dreams, seem to be secondary to the needs, wants, and dreams of those around us? Today, I talk to Dr. Gertrude Lyons, a professional life coach, host of the mot(HER) podcast, and founder of the Rewriting The Mother Code initiative. Dr. Lyons asserts that all women have a “mother code” instilled in them—the current model for mothering in our culture is broken, but it doesn’t have to be this way. We can use motherhood as a transformational journey, to grow ourselves, as we grow our children. *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: There is

In today’s episode, I share my journey into mindfulness. It can be challenging to begin practicing mindfulness regularly, so I share what I have found works well for me and the benefits I have experienced by making mindfulness a priority. Are you ready to transform your family life? Get on the waitlist for Mindful Parenting! >> https://mindfulparentingcourse.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you ever look at other parents and wonder how you measure up? Today, I talk to the hosts of the podcast, Family Looking Up, Andrea Nielson, Beth Millward, and Camille Ward. Three very funny women, with very different upbringings, and very different parenting styles. We talk about the struggle of comparison, appreciation for others, and accepting ourselves for who we are. *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: It’s ok that we all play to our strengths and we all do it differently. All parents need a community of support. Self-care can look very different for different p