The Apparently Parent Podcast

2020 was, perhaps, a pivotal year for work-life balance. So many people had to work from home while taking care of their children 24/7, and even now, as things are re-opening, many businesses are still letting their employees work from home.

In this episode of The Apparently Parent Podcast, I'm talking to Shari Medini, who co-authored the book Parenting While Working From Home, a beautiful, simple guide that will help you find the balance between work, parenting, and yourself (never forget yourself).

If you're a parent, you probably experience conflicts between you and your children throughout your day. When to get up, how to dress for school, what to eat, when to do homework, and don't get me started on screen time!

Many parents ask me to help them get rid of all the fights and conflicts they have with their children. But I want to offer a different perspective: conflicts are not the bad guy.

In this episode you're gonna learn why conflicts can help you raise a more confident child who is more caring and ready for the world, and how you can approach those moments from a better place.

When asked, many parents say they want their children to be confident. But what does confidence even mean? And how can you nurture this trait in them?

This is part 1 of this special episode where I share 9 principles for raising confident children. Don't forget to subscribe and get the next part as soon as it comes out.

Again with the mindfulness?? Well, yes. But hear me out. This is not another podcast that will tell you to sit down on the cushion and watch your breath for 30 minutes. Why? Because you don't have time for that, am I right? You're a busy mom, or hustling dad, or whatever you wanna call it. You have kids tugging at your pants, knocking on your bathroom door, and waking you up at hours you never wanted to meet up close.

But all of that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the beautiful gifts that mindfulness practice can bring you. In this episode, I'm sharing with you some ways in which you can practice being more mindful and aware while still doing your daily routine with and without your children. As simple as that.

Would you become an enlightened Buddha out of those practices? Probably not. But that's not the point anyway. But you very well might become a more attuned parent, more sensitive and open with yourself and your children. And doesn't that mean the world?

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Don't forget to download my free mindfulness guide - just click here

Apparently, we have to start another school year with COVID still present in our lives. When this episode was first published, things looked different. Today we have vaccinations for 12 years old and above, but many children still have to go to school in the shadow of a global pandemic.

If you're still worried about sending your children to school (and who can blame you), or you're looking for ways to help your children cope with the anxiety of being back to school these days, this episode is for you.

I have gathered the voices of my fellow parenting experts, and each shared a wonderful tip to think about when it comes to this situation. So grab a cup of coffee, kick back, and help yourself help your child.

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All The Experts Mentioned in The Episode

Tina Payne Bryson

• Tina Payne Bryson's Website
• Tina's new book: Bottom Line Baby

Katherine Endy

• The Family Life Coach

Christopher Hanlon

• A Dad's Presence

Lynn Jimenez

• Connect. Grow. Flow.

Lisa Honold

• Center For Online Safety

Mary Wilde

• Dr. Mary Wilde's Website

Sarah Rosensweet

• Peaceful Parenting

Amy Webb

• The Thoughtful Parent

Sandi Schwartz

• Happy Science Mom

Bree Lee

• Positive Parenting Group

Rachel Duffy

• Sagacity Lab

How do you motivate your children? What are the ways by which you can communicate your message to your children, no matter their age, and make them interested in what you have to say?

This is not about getting them to listen in a disciplinary kind of way. This is about making a true connection with them, sharing your world with them, and finding ways to convey your message in a motivating way, helping them become who they wish to be.

These are the topics I discuss in today's episode with my guest, Dr. Jim Van Allan. Jim is a speaker, trainer, and podcaster with clients across the nation. He runs the successful podcast 'Communicate to Motivate' which discusses developing strong communication skills in all areas of life. Jim is the Vice President of Schools for the Jon Gordon Companies and runs the Positive Schools program. He and his team provide training for all K-12 schools on leadership, communication, and culture. Jim is also a professor of communication studies with Keiser University teaching public speaking, interpersonal communication, and business and professional communication in a fully online setting.

Be honest: how many times during the day do you find yourself yelling, shouting, or just raising your voice at your kids? And when it happens, what do you feel like during, or afterward?

In this episode, I'm tackling an aspect of parenting that everybody knows, but most rarely talks about - should we never raise our voices at our kids?

This is part 2 of my deep-dive into attachment parenting, a popular parenting method developed by William and Marth Sears. Last week we learned what attachment parenting is and discovered the Seven Baby Bs.

In this week I'll show you why I think attachment parenting is not really related to what psychologist say when they talk about attachment. You'll learn what creating a secure attachment relationship with your children really means, how you can foster attachment security without succumbing to the rigidity of the Seven Baby Bs. 

If you want to create a positive, strong bond with your child, this is an episode you don't want to miss!

It's time to talk about attachment parenting. And more specifically, is it any good? Attachment parenting is a method developed by William and Marth Sears, and is a very popular parenting method these days. Attachment parenting followers focus on a close relationship with the baby and developing sensitive communication with it.

Sounds good, no? But the problem is that attachment parenting has its flaws, and it's time to talk about them. This is why I created this podcast episode, which turned out so long I had to split it in two. So this is part 1, where you'll learn what attachment parenting is, what are the Seven Baby Bs (fundamental principles) of the method, and how it came to be. In the next episode, I'll talk about why I think attachment parenting is not really what you need if you want to create a secure attachment with your children.

"Please put your shoes on already!" - is that situation familiar? Do you find yourself asking your children to do things over and over again? Do you resort to threats or bribes? Are you already exhausted from the ongoing struggle?

Yes, the struggle is real. But in fact, it shouldn't be THAT hard. If only you would know some basic ways to ask your children to do something and actually want to cooperate... Well, this is what I teach you in this episode of The Apparently Parent Podcast.

No, this is no magic formula! And you can't make your children 100% compliant (and who would want that anyway?). What you will learn is to differentiate between an instruction and a request, when to use each type and how.

Using what you learn in this episode will help you get the cooperation of your children in a much calmer way, and even empower them every now and then.

Do you know how they say "when life gives you lemons, make a lemonade?" 🍋

Well, I love lemonade. I love lemons even more. But some lemons I would rather live without.

Two months ago, my country entered another round of escalation with the rulers of Gaza strip. For almost two weeks, they fired rockets into Israel, which meant that we could hear a war siren at any hour of the day and run into shelter. One rocket even hit a street not far away from my home, killing one man. Not my kind of a lemon, you see?

But in the process of those two weeks, I could notice some things about myself as a parent, and that's what I want to share with you in this episode.

In this special episode of The Apparently Parent Podcast, I'm sharing with you some of my thoughts as I arrive at the 40th year of my life. And, not by coincidence, it's also the 1st year anniversary of the podcast.

2020 is a year that will be talked about and remembered for a long time. And I think that one of the main things that we are going to see in the coming years are changes to educational systems and long-held beliefs.
When covid hit and lockdowns started to be part of our lives, every parent had to become a kind of a homeschooler. While some of us are happy to bring the kids back to school, some are willing to continue in the homeschooling adventure to some capacity.
But doing homeschooling right requires knowledge, support, and understanding. This is why in today's episode I'm talking with Gabi Haberer. Once a school principal and now a homeschooling mom and a proponent of homeschooling, Gabi devotes her career to help parents transition to homeschool via her online community.
Join me in this discussion with Gabi about homeschooling, music education, and more.

What do you do if your child is having trouble learning? What do you do if they have all the good intentions but something is stuck or holding them back? In this episode, I'm talking with Nicole Santamaria, OTR/L, about helping children cope with learning difficulties. We're talking about what keeps children from learning, and what can you, as a parent, can do to help. This is especially important as schools are literally changing around us as we are coming to a year after covid-19 started, so there's a lot for you to learn.

Learning that your child is gifted may seem like good news for many parents. However, giftedness has its problems and struggles as well, and if you don't really understand what are the inner workings of the gifted brain, you're in trouble.

Luckily, in today's episode, I'm talking with Dr. Jodi Svendsen, who is an expert on the topic of gifted children. You'll learn what makes the brains of gifted children unique (hint: it's not their super-intelligence), and what parents can do to help their children balance the needs and wants of family, schools, and friends.