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    Parenting Decoded

    This podcast will help all parents with kids of all ages to learn how to decode the mysteries and challenges of being a parent in today's challenging times. We will concentrate on practical parenting approaches that you as a parent can use right away! There are tips and tricks as well as plenty of real life stories to help you see that you can make a difference in your family's life in simple yet noticeable ways. In order for your kids to change, you need to change first! The ripple effect is real and lasting. Enjoy the ride!
    en-us64 Episodes

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    Episodes (64)

    24 - Educational Testing Ideas and Issues

    24 - Educational Testing Ideas and Issues

    It’s very difficult as a parent to see our kids struggle either academically or socially.  For some of us we feel that our kid is the only one struggling and we have no idea where to turn to.  In this podcast I interview Lexie Burnes of NeuroPlay Academics for information about how and when you might look to get your child tested if you suspect something is not quite right. 

    I don't have a transcript yet but here's a link to Lexie's website:
    http://www.neuroplaybraintraining.com/


    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    23 - Gift Giving With a Glad Heart

    23 - Gift Giving With a Glad Heart

    Holidays and gift giving can bring about so much stress to families who are sucked into the commercialism of our current situation.  In this podcast I want to give you all some hints about making gift giving a more heartfelt experience not only from you as the giver but also how to create an attitude of gratitude in our kids who are receiving those gifts.  I’ll also go over some ideas about how to handle sibling-to-sibling giving as well as extended family situations which can easily get messy.  I’m recording this in the holiday season, but it really applies to gifting at birthdays, graduations or any other type of event. 

    The article from Happy You, Happy Family that I talk about in this podcast can be found here:
    GIFT IDEAS from Happy You, Happy Family

    TRANSCRIPT OF ENTIRE EPISODE

    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    22 - Gratitude vs. Entitlement

    22 - Gratitude vs. Entitlement

    Kids are self-centered from the get-go, no doubt about it. We have to teach them to be grateful for all that they have, all that we give them.  But, how on earth do we do that when there's so much taking and so little giving going on around us? 
     
    First, I want to talk about entitlement – what it is and how it can grow out of control.  Then I’ll go over ideas on how to nurture an attitude of gratitude in your home.

    Beware of these entitlement issues in your home:
    1.    Giving instant gratification

    2.    Rewards are expected­

    3.    Boundaries are not respected

    4.    Life is supposed to be “Fair”

    5.    Providing constant entertainment

    Try some of these ideas on how to grow an attitude of gratitude instead: 

    1. Stop complaining
    2. Reframe things in the positive 
    3. Teach delayed gratification
    4. Teach the value of hard work
    5. Set healthy boundaries and say NO
    6. Teach kids about money
    7. Do a charity project
    8. Expand your family's cultural experiences
    9. Practice acts of kindness
    10. Use gratitude in your daily conversations
    11. Don't give rewards all the time
    12. Limit gifts
    13. Donate
    14. Write Thank You Notes

    VIEW FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE

    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    21 - To Quit or Not to Quit

    21 - To Quit or Not to Quit

    Are you having trouble deciding whether to give in to your child's request to quit an activity?  Feeling like you might be raising a kid to be a quitter if you do ?  Take a listen to help you navigate this touchy subject!

    It seems that many parents have to cross the threshold of their child wanting to quit an activity.  It could be piano, basketball, soccer, violin, clarinet, tutoring, gymnastics, karate, whatever.  Sometimes it's just private lessons that only impact your child.  Other times, quitting impacts a whole a team which adds a dimension of guilt either by your child or maybe you especially if you’re the coach and your child no longer wants to play. In this podcast we’re going to talk about things to consider when running up against this issue in your own home then we will go over some real-life situations to make all a little more real. 

    I just want to start out saying that the reason this is so tough is because there IS NO RIGHT ANSWER.  Yep, you really have to take lots of things into consideration, it's not a one-stop-shop. 

    TRANSCRIPT OF EPISODE

    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    20 - Creating Calm with Boundaries and Limits

    20 - Creating Calm with Boundaries and Limits

    Our kids are smart.  They really know how to manipulate us into getting what they want – crying, whining, having tantrums, giving us the silent treatment.  It can be overwhelming.  In my last podcast we were learning how to use choices early to avoid power struggles from the get-go.  In this podcast we’re going to follow along that positive path by using another technique that is a companion to choices – setting boundaries and limits.  

    Kids to better knowing the rules.  Here are the guidelines to follow that I cover in this podcast: 
    1 - Define the boundaries
    2 -  Keep them positive
    3 - Have consequences
    4 - Be consistent 
    5 - Be reasonable 
    6 - Be calm and loving

    FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE

    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    19 - Creating Calm with Choices

    19 - Creating Calm with Choices

    Do you feel like you’re always battling your child?   You tell them to do something and you immediately get a “no” followed by whining and complaining or outright defiance?  A simple request that turns into a war is enough to send us over the edge sometimes.  

    In this podcast I talk about how to avoid power struggles by using a secret weapon -- Choices!  When used BEFORE battles start choices can be super effective. 

    If you kids are young, using playful choices when you know things might be difficult for them like transitioning from one location or activity to another.  When your kids get older using choices can help increase independence and give them control that they really crave.

    To join the Parenting Decode Facebook group use this web invitation:
    www.facebook.com/groups/parentingdecoded/

    Read the whole TRANSCRIPT on my website. 


    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    18 - Distanced Learning During COVID

    18 - Distanced Learning During COVID

    I'm in California where parents are going through setting up and managing distanced learning in their homes since almost no schools are doing in-person learning. 

    This podcast will cover these areas:
    1 - Physical LEARNING AREA - how to organize it, get rid of distractions, provide a quiet area to focus, how and when to charge and test devices, and how to keep online safety in your home in mind

    2 - Establish clear routines - have daily and weekly schedules, post them, have morning and afternoon "check-in" sessions, figure out how to deal with time using timers and alarms
    Pinterest Schedules Link


    3 - Encourage independence - let your kids know their work is their work! Let the teacher teach while letting your child own their own work and learn how to ask the teacher for help with they get stuck or bored

    4 - Support family learning - have fun using learning for tasks like cooking, gardening, laundry and vacuuming!  Be creative to see that learning can be fun and go on when kids aren't online.  Most importantly,  have some ideas for activities if there are problems getting online or doing school work.  Here are some links to my Pinterest pages with ideas:
    https://www.pinterest.com/maryeschenparentingdecoded/boredom-busters/

    https://www.pinterest.com/maryeschenparentingdecoded/kids-fun-indoor-activities/

    https://www.pinterest.com/maryeschenparentingdecoded/activities-for-teens/

    5 - Lead your team with Family Meetings to talk about issues like - when quiet times are, how to interrupt mom or dad while they're working, how do have time with friends and special time with parents. 

    The point with all of this is to provide some structure and be flexible to solve problems as they come up. 

    Email me if you'd like to brainstorm ideas for your situation:  mary@parentingdecoded.com

    TRANSCRIPT HERE

    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    17 - Calming the Chaos with Family Meetings

    17 - Calming the Chaos with Family Meetings

    Many of us struggle with kids who whine, disobey and maybe even lie just to get their way.  We get so exasperated we want to explode and some of us certainly do explode. 

    In this podcast we’ll explore what happens in our families if we’re always operating in “crisis mode” then talk about ways to avoid ever getting into that mode by using Family Meetings to set boundaries and limits while communicating as a family what behaviors are acceptable and expected. 

    Using this step-by-step method you can set a clear path to success for your family as a team and learn to solve problems together and celebrate living and learning in an ever changing world. 

    Here's a transcript of the podcast:  TRANSCRIPT




    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    16 - Money Matters: Teen and Tween Edition

    16 - Money Matters: Teen and Tween Edition

    In this podcast I’m going to cover issues relating to money with middle and high schoolers.  I will go over how to give money and how much, when to give money, and how to set up responsible money habits including how to use an ATM card, checking account, credit cards.  

    Money is a huge challenge for us all and at this stage your high schooler or middle schooler is at a huge crossroads with learning life skills.  Dealing with money is a much-neglected skill during these years yet they are the most crucial years to allow as many affordable mistakes as possible. This makes money a prime target for small mistakes now to avoid big mistakes later. If you know someone who can’t manage money as an adult, I’m going to guess their parents didn’t teach them much about it, might have given in to every whim just to keep them happy when they were young.  Hey, that adult might even be you!  

    If you listened to my podcast about money for younger kids, you’ll have already heard how to start a small budget for vacations and special events that I call a trinket budget.  We’re going to expand on that concept greatly by including more of the day-to-day expenses our kids encounter, not just vacations and special events.  

    With older kids I want to help you introduce money concepts so that by the time they graduate from high school they know about budgeting, credit cards and debt.  I’m even going to show you a way to tie in getting chores done which is such a bonus.  You want to launch a financially responsible child into the world so that you won’t be paying their bills for the rest of your life. 

    Here's a transcript of the podcast:  TRANSCRIPT

    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    15 - Money and Allowance: Early Childhood Edition (3-10)

    15 - Money and Allowance: Early Childhood Edition (3-10)

    There are things to do at different ages and stages to help introduce money concepts to your kids so that by the time they graduate from high school they know about budgeting, credit cards and debt.   In this podcast, I’ll concentrate on what to do with younger kids, from toddler years up through elementary school using a simple spend-save-share method.

    Here's a transcript of the podcast:  TRANSCRIPT

    If you'd like to look at the Pinterest board on Kids and Money here's a link for that:  PINTEREST

    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    14 - Chores - Why and How

    14 - Chores - Why and How

    I’ve had quite a few people asking me about chores – how to set them up, do you pay for them, how much do you pay, is allowance tied to chores, do I need chore charts with rewards, what do I do if my kid won’t do their chores.  In this podcast I want to address all those issues and more.  Chores let your kids develop life skills that, if taught well, will launch them into a good place in life.  I’ll start with the research behind why chores are important and then I’ll get into the nitty-gritty of how to implement chores with kids of various ages. 

    Go to my website for a full transcript of this podcast:
    TRANSCRIPT

    Pinterest Board on Kids Chores:
    PINTEREST

    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    13 - Anger Management for Parents

    13 - Anger Management for Parents

    In this episode I talk about the anger in our homes that gets directed at our children and some ideas for how we can get it under control.  First, I’ll talk about the impact anger has on our families then three ways to help mitigate anger in your home.  Lastly,  I’ll give you some fun and creative ideas about how to repair relationships with your kids.

    Here's a link to IdealistMom.com's article on the "Five Hair Ties" solution for getting positive interactions into your home.
    https://happyyouhappyfamily.com/angry-mother/

    To read a transcript of this entire podcast go to my parentingwithlogic.com website here:
    https://www.parentingwithlogic.com/success-stories-blog/podcast-13-anger-managment-for-parents

    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    12 - Screen Time Issues: Part 2

    12 - Screen Time Issues: Part 2

    In Part 2, I cover my final 5 rules dealing with older kids when individual cell-phones, laptops and other electronics come in to play by about middle school.  

    Rule 9: Use Contracts
    Rule 10: Use Monitoring Software
    Rule 11: Talk About Online Safety
    Rule 12: Talk About Social Media and Gaming
    Rule 13: Talk about Porn

    Here are links to resources mentioned in the podcast:
     

    Helpful Websites for Keeping Up To Date
    www.CommonSenseMedia.org
    www.Axis.org
    www.StayHipp.com

    Digital Contract Sample
    https://www.parentingwithlogic.com/family-digital-contract.html

    Ideas for Setting Up Healthy Media Use
    https://www.mytutor.co.uk/blog/parents/the-screen-time-diet-helping-your-teen-find-the-balance-with-tech/

    Book for Talking to Younger Kids about Porn
    https://www.amazon.com/Good-Pictures-Bad-Porn-Proofing-Todays-ebook/dp/B07KQFWR6J/ref=sr_1_1?crid=M3J0KWQJUIJ&dchild=1&keywords=good+pictures+bad+pictures&qid=1590185110&sprefix=good+picture%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-1

    Website Resources for Talking to Teens about Porn
    https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/entertainment-technology/pornography-sexting/pornography-talking-with-teens

    https://childmind.org/article/how-to-talk-to-teenagers-about-porn/

    How to tell if Social Media is Harming your Mental Health
    https://www.zocdoc.com/blog/how-to-tell-if-social-media-is-harming-your-mental-health/

     

    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    11 - Screen Time Issues: Part 1

    11 - Screen Time Issues: Part 1

    As most parents have noticed screens are a constant source of friction in our households that just never seems to end. 

    This podcast is the first of two parts; Part 1 targeting younger families and how to deal with what I call “family screens.” I go over ways we can set up screens in our family in such a way that there are limits with obedience, and if there’s not,  how to set up effective consequences. 

     Although the target audience for Part I is parents with toddlers to middle schoolers there are really fundamental things for all families to set up so it’s best to listen to this before moving on to Part 2 even if you have older kids.  On the flip side, even if you have younger kids I recommend you listen to Part 2 when it comes out so you can prepare for what’s ahead. This issue is super, super difficult, constantly changing, hard to understand and it’s so important for us parents to be on top of this and stay current. 

    As I mentioned,  Part 1 is going to deal with what I call “family screens”.  These are the electronics in your house that are family owned – iPads, laptops, tablets, TVs, gaming systems and such that are shared among the family members.  This is usually the stage from toddler until late elementary to middle school when kids start getting their own phones and laptops.  In this podcast I’m going to cover 8 rules for what I think it takes to set up good screen time then in Part 2 I’ll cover my final 5 rules dealing with older kids when individual cell-phones, laptops and other electronics come in to play. 

    Learn the 8 rules to follow:
    Rule 1: Keep Electronics Out of the Bedroom
    Rule 2: Keep Electronics in Public Places
    Rule 3: Set Time Limits and Stick to Them
    Rule 4: Define Consequences
    Rule 5: Use Parental Control Software
    Rule 6: Allocate Family Time
    Rule 7: Encourage Downtime
    Rule 8: Model It!

    Here's a link to Bark-O-Matic mentioned in the podcast:
    BARK-O-MATIC

    For a link to the transcript of this podcast see my blog on my website at:
    PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    10 - Punishment vs. Consequences: What's the Most Effective Discipline?

    10 - Punishment vs. Consequences: What's the Most Effective Discipline?

    Getting our kids to obey and comply is a daily struggle for so many.  Our classic styles of punishment just seem to be falling on deaf ears these days, doesn't it?  You can take stuff away or give time outs until your face turns blue and the next day your kids are right back on their bad behaviors.  Right?  

    In this episode we'll talk about why "punishments" are only temporarily effective.  Instead, using a combination of 

    • Natural Consequences - when something has happened that has enough natural "pain" to it so that the teachable moment for poor behavior can do the teaching for us --  like breaking a toy or losing a backpack or not finishing homework.
    • Energy Replacement - when there's no logical consequence (like hitting a sibling or violating electronics limits)  and so we have our kids come up with ways to replace the energy and peace and harmony from our lives when that happened.  Our kids do chores or acts of service to replace that energy.  

    We need to change the hearts of our kids by letting them own the consequences of their poor decision to misbehave. 

    Here are the links for further material I refer to in this podcast:
    Love and Logic Energy Drain - audio
    Energy Drain Idea List

    Transcript HERE 

    If you have questions please email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com.

    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    9 - Sibling Rivalry: What to do

    9 - Sibling Rivalry: What to do

    In this episode we talk about what good might come from sibling rivalry but then some really practical techniques to use with your kids:

    • not taking sides
    • separating our kids
    • teaching them communication skills
    • setting aside Special Time 

    I also talk about the very useful technique from Love and Logic Institute called Energy Drain and where to get more information on how to get your own energy back after your kids fight and argue.

    Here: TRANSCRIPT OF PODCAST


    Here are the links I refer to in my podcast of other resources:

    Love and Logic audios
         Energy Drain - Love and Logic Magic When Kids Drain Your Energy
         Sibling Rivalry

    Mary's Energy Drain Idea List


    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    8 - Nighttime Battles: Teens and Tweens

    8 - Nighttime Battles: Teens and Tweens

    In this podcast we about how to handle sleep for our tweens and teens and why sleep seems to be so difficult for them biologically and socially.  I want to give you some ideas about how to react and manage both your expectations and theirs regarding this really essential part of their growing years. With the stresses in our environment today the impact of sleep on our mental health and immune system is super important for us to pay attention to so I hope these ideas will smooth out a few issues in your home. 

    Some highlights:

    • Academic stress is robbing our kids of sleep
    • Electonics needs to be managed
    • Bedtimes for middle schoolers are fine
    • No required bedtimes for high schoolers since we need them to learn how to manage their sleep.  
    • Help to have input into their wake-up times instead of when they go to bed
    • If they are grumpy in the morning give them empathy and offer to help 
    • Plan Special Time with your teen to allow for one-on-one brainstorming about issues
    • Most importantly have a relationship with your teen, no yelling or nagging!

    Here: TRANSCRIPT OF PODCAST

    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    7 - Nighttime Battles: Toddler to Elementary

    7 - Nighttime Battles: Toddler to Elementary

    This podcast is for parents of toddlers through elementary school,  I have a separate podcast on dealing with issues of sleep and teens so please head there if you have older kids.  In this podcast we’ll go through some ideas for moving toward bed, getting ready for bed, turning out the lights and finally ideas for those of you who have kids who wake up at night. With that said, let’s get started.

    Here: TRANSCRIPT OF PODCAST

    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    6 - Handling Tantrums

    6 - Handling Tantrums

    Today with CoVID-19 virus keeping families in close quarters I wanted to do a special podcast to help with tantrums that might be happening way too often.  Tantrums can be so draining and disruptive to happy family life so in this hour of great need I’m going to talk about:

    ·      the emotion behind the tantrums 

    ·      how to set up “calm down” time 

    ·      how to brainstorm with our kids after meltdown  

    The target for this podcast is parents of toddlers through elementary school so if you have a teen, I’d recommend that you listen to my second podcast called: Teens: Respect, Emotions and Brains.

    For more information on my website about Love and Logic Institute's Uh Oh Song please look here for more info and links to their website www.loveandlogic.com:
    https://www.parentingwithlogic.com/uh-oh-song.html

    Here:  TRANSCRIPT OF PODCAST

    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

    5 - Fun With Food: Teen Edition

    5 - Fun With Food: Teen Edition

    We often fret about young ones not eating right but things can be just as stressful for parents of teens and tweens.  In this episode I talk about what to do when:

    • Teens skip meals
    • When lack of food gets kids emotional or "hangry" as it's commonly called
    • How to deal with different diets our kids experiment with

    Enjoy!

    Here: TRANSCRIPT OF PODCAST

    Email me at mary@parentingdecoded.com or go to my website at www.parentingdecoded.com.

    Have a blessed rest of your day!

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