lisa smith

Our kids are going to be using technology much earlier and more frequently than we ever did. This isn't all bad, but navigating the world of technology is uncharted territory for many parents. I’ve got the perfect expert on the show this week to share his wisdom with us.

Forest Bronzan is the founder and CEO of Camplight, a membership for parents raising kids in a world shaped by technology. In this episode, Forest and I explore what parents often get wrong when it comes to our children using technology, how to set limits, and the importance of reflecting on the behaviors you’re currently modeling for your kids.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/166

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/165

Valeria has two boys, ages two and five, and when she reached out for help navigating some storms, fears and anger at home, we decided this would be the perfect opportunity to share some live, Real World Peaceful Parenting coaching with you.

Tune in this week for a front-row seat to our coaching conversation as we explore what it means to set limits around what our children are developmentally capable of, why we must let go of guilt, and how to bear witness to your child’s storm without falling into fear or anger. 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/164

So many of the lessons I've learned in parenting boil down to a simple idea: the better we know ourselves, the better we can show up as parents. Emily Wardrop is an Advanced Certified Life Coach who is joining me on this episode to share the power that identity work has had on her parenting journey, and how her devotion to it has transformed her family.

Join us as Emily and I discuss why our identity is something we must explore, the importance of being mindful of how we assign our children’s identities as parents, and how identity work and self-regulation coincide.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/163

Even if you’ve never formalized your family values or put them to paper, you parent around them just the same. If you want to empower your children, create harmony at home, and ultimately build a stronger family, clearly defining your values will help you make this dream a reality.

In this episode, I explore the power of defining your family values and using them as your compass for navigating the world. I’ll share some tools for coming up with your own family values, and show you how to use them to guide your family toward the best possible decisions.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/162

Awareness is the compass that guides you toward self-regulation as a parent. It is the first step on the path to understanding and managing your responses to your child's behavior, and by acknowledging and understanding your own triggers, you can stop reacting and start responding to your child.

This week, I'm sharing some common thoughts that trigger reactive parenting so you can learn how to cultivate awareness in those moments of overwhelm, and make self-regulation a priority in your parenting journey.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/161

As much as we want to be able to influence our children through our words, the truth is kids don’t do what we say. They do what we do. Modeling is a powerful parenting tool that allows children to learn by example, and it's at the root of your children feeling seen, heard, and valued.

Join me this week to hear how to model the behaviors, attitudes, and values you want to instill in your children, and the questions to ask yourself that will help you take inventory of what you’re modeling.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/160

If you’re an adult who has spent a lot of time and energy trying to recover from a stressful or dysfunctional childhood, you might find yourself wondering how best to nurture a secure childhood for your kids.

Join me this week to learn the foundation of a secure childhood, and how doing this work helps you raise kids who don’t have to recover as adults. I’m showing you what a secure childhood might look like, and how a secure childhood sets the stage for healthy relationships, emotional intelligence, and resilience.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/159

Have you ever wondered why you react the way you do when your kids make a mistake, or how to show up as a regulated parent who holds their child in high regard, even when they fail? This week, I’m diving into a fundamental trigger of parental dysregulation—our kids' mistakes—and exploring how to use self-regulation to address them in a healthy way.

Tune in to discover how embracing the concept of self-worth is the backbone of self-regulation, how integrating it into your family culture will lead you on the path to peaceful parenting, and my two-step process for minimizing the impact of your children's flaws on themselves and others.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/158

Fear is a huge part of the parenting experience and it can show up in a variety of ways for us. Parenting fear affects our decision-making process, shapes our thoughts, and even how we get along with our kids. So, how can we use it for connection instead of control?

Listen in this week as I’m joined by Hive members Dina, Kris, and Viv to discuss how we can better manage our fears as we raise our kids. They’re sharing their experiences of parenting fear, how they’ve learned to self-reflect, self-regulate, and resist the urge to deflect their fears onto their children, and the power of using their fear to cultivate connection and co-regulation.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/157

At the beginning of each year, I like to declare a theme that guides the parenting work we do. My ultimate goal for 2024 is for all of us to become emotionally mature, and the skill of emotional maturity begins with one important practice: self-regulation.

Listen in to discover why I’m committed to a year of self-regulation in 2024, and how to model it for your children. I’m offering three reasons why you too should be committed to improving your self-regulation skills, and showing you how self-regulation grants you access to your higher brain, fosters calmness, and enhances your overall well-being.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/156

Most parents, if we're honest with ourselves, have had thoughts like, “My child doesn’t respect me,” or, “My child is so disrespectful.” Respect needs to be earned, not demanded, and it takes time to unfold. So what do we really mean when we expect respect from our kids, and are we using that expectation as a weapon against them? 

Listen in this week to discover how demanding respect could be damaging your parent-child relationship, how your unconscious rules of engagement are fostering a divide with your kids, and my tips for cultivating healthy, two-way respect within your family.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/155

The holiday season is an intense, stressful time for many of us. That’s why I’ve got the perfect holiday gift for you this week.

Join me this week to hear the best gift you can give yourself and your children this holiday season. You’ll learn what happens when you hold yourself to impossible parenting standards, the power of offering yourself a new start every single day, and why you don’t ever need to be the most perfect, enlightened parent.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/154

Preventing undesired circumstances from happening to our children is impossible, but sometimes, as parents, we feel compelled to try. We might even end up doing what I call "snowplowing" – overmanaging and stifling our kids' development. This week, I’m making an argument for why you must stop doing this if you want your children to build a vital life skill: resiliency.

Listen in as I challenge you to recognize ways you may be "snowplowing" your children’s lives, and how to stop. You’ll hear how doing this robs them of the opportunity to grow and learn, why adversity is required for resiliency, and what’s required on your part as a parent to help them cultivate a sense of resiliency.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/151

If you’re on the pendulum between dominant and permissive parenting and finding it difficult to connect deeply with your children, today’s episode is for you. Recurring guest Hannah is here to demonstrate what prioritizing connection looks like in practice, and how coaching has helped her reach a space of healthy balance in parenting her four children.

Hannah and I discuss why you should never shame yourself if you’re struggling to connect with your children, three important steps to building the connection you want, and our best advice for creating an environment where your children run toward you for connection, instead of trying it find it elsewhere.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/150

If you’ve been considering parent coaching but are unsure about whether you really need it, my guest today has some insight for you. Neil is a stay-at-home dad of two boys who joined The Hive to learn how to become a better parent, but in the end, Neil says the coaching has helped him become a better person.

In this episode, Neil is sharing his lessons learned. He and I discuss the key coaching concepts that changed the way Neil relates to his children, as well as his journey of healing old wounds, breaking the people-pleasing cycle, and learning to trust himself.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/149

Sometimes as parents, it's easy to assume that because we love our children so much, our level of connection with them is equally strong. In reality, these are two very different things. Deep parental love is being willing to lay down your life for your kids. Connection, on the other hand, is where we feel seen, heard, and valued by another person, and requires a different level of openness.

Tune in this week to discover why kids need deep connection, what real connection actually looks like, how connecting with your kids in childhood creates a better relationship as they get older, and why working on your own mindset is key.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/148

Kyla is a mom to an adorable, strong-willed six-year-old boy. We met three years ago when Kyla came to me for one-on-one coaching, and the transformation she’s experienced through parent coaching has been truly incredible. She’s kindly agreed to come on the podcast to share her unique story and share how this work has impacted her, her son, and her extended family.

Discover the transformational power of parent coaching. Hear from a parent just like you about her progress since she decided to get coached, how she’s learned to create connection with her son even during challenging moments, and she’s sharing her tips for becoming the parent you truly want to be.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/147

This week, I’m diving into the complexities of co-parenting dynamics by following the journey of a couple struggling to find mutual understanding in their parenting styles. I’m dissecting the recent coaching call we had together from both points of view to uncover what’s really going on and how childhood wounds can sometimes shape our approaches.

Hear the co-parenting journey of a couple I’m calling Sophie and Dan. I’m sharing the challenges they’re facing in their co-parenting dynamic, the underlying beliefs that are causing them to collide, and what you can do to get to a place of peaceful co-parenting if you resonate with their story.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/146

We all want to feel comfortable with a peaceful approach to parenting. However, sometimes our brain knows we’re on the right path, but it doesn’t feel like it’s working. We want to be the parents we wish we’d had, and that can open up some childhood wounds and trauma. One way this happens is through the realization that we didn’t feel heard as children, and now that we’re parents, it feels like our kids don't listen to us.

Discover how your parenting journey could be opening up old wounds from your own childhood. I’m discussing why parenting presents us with these dilemmas, and I’m showing you how to be there for your children when they’re stuck, so they don’t carry the same wounds into adulthood that you did.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://thepeacefulparent.com/145