Your Parenting Mojo - Respectful, research-based parenting ideas to help kids thrive

SYPM 019: Why are you always so angry?

One day Iris took her daughter to the park, with enough snacks with for both of them.  When Iris got hungry, she asked her daughter to share some of the food - but her da

203: How to move toward anti-racism with Kerry Cavers

Last year I hosted a panel event in Vancouver where four people who have been active in helping us to navigate toward an anti-racist, post-patriarchal, post-capitalist fu

RE-RELEASE: What’s Really Behind Your Hardest Parenting Days

You did everything right today, and it still wasn't enough. Your kid melted down over something small, you lost your patience faster than you wanted to, and now you're ly

Episode Summary 11: Breaking the Cycle: One Mom’s Honest Story

You promised yourself you wouldn't become your mother. Then your kid won't put their shoes on for the third time, and the voice that comes out isn't really yours.   In

10 Years, 10 Lessons: Everything I Got Wrong About Parenting

Before my daughter was born, I made a book split into two halves. One cover said 'me.' The other said 'you.' I filled the 'you' side with a list of hopes for who she'd be

Why Your Preschooler Is Hitting, Biting, or Kicking (And What Helps)

Your child's preschool number shows up on your caller ID, and your stomach drops before you even answer. Preschool never calls with good news. Your kid hit someone at the

Re-release: Creative Problem-Solving (Without Giving the Answer)

Sara's four-year-old started asking permission for things he used to just do on his own, like grabbing the markers off his own shelf. It was a small request, but it worri

Re-release: Raising an Entrepreneur (Without Taking Over Their Business)

When my daughter Carys was 10, she started a pet-sitting business. She opened a Roth IRA with the income, built a client base of dog walkers and cat owners in our neighbo

Episode Summary 10: Burnout vs Depression: The Mental Load of Mothers

Many mothers go to the doctor because they feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and they aren’t sleeping - and leave with a depression diagnosis and a prescription. The message i

266: If ADHD Medication Doesn’t Help Kids Learn, What Does?

If you listened to our first episode on ADHD, you already know that the story most parents get about the diagnosis has some significant gaps - in the diagnostic criteria,

265: Einstein Never Used Flash Cards: How Kids Learn Best

Most parents have heard that play is how children learn. But in a world full of educational toys (even for babies, preschoolers, and kindergarteners!), enrichment classes

264: Who Really Decided Your Child Needs ADHD Medication?

If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, stimulant medication is probably the first thing their doctor mentioned. And if you're trying to figure out whether it's the r

263: What’s Really Behind Your Child’s End-of-Day Meltdowns

If your child holds it together all day at preschool or daycare and then completely unravels the moment they get home - melting down over dinner, refusing to use the pott

262: How Limits Show Up in Your Child’s Body

If your morning routine for preschool looks less like a smooth routine and more like 21 rounds of "no", "stop", and "not like that" before 8 am, then things aren’t workin

261: Why Your Kids Fight (It’s Not What You Think)

If your kids are fighting constantly, you're probably exhausted from playing referee. Maybe they're arguing over whose toy is whose, poking and teasing each other until s

260: How the World’s Toxic Systems Live Inside Our Parenting

If you've been watching the news and feeling despair because you can’t do anything about it, this episode is for you.   The Epstein files, revealing how powerful men th

Episode Summary 09: Is Your Child’s Diagnosis Reliable? The DSM Explained

When a doctor hands your child a diagnosis, it can be a relief - finally, an explanation for their behavior! But sociologist Dr. Allan Horwitz has spent decades studying

259: Understanding Why Your Child Hits (And What Actually Helps)

When your three-year-old hits you, their sibling, or another child, it's easy to feel frustrated, embarrassed, or even angry. You might wonder if this challenging behavio

RE-RELEASE: Parental Burnout: Is Your Exhaustion Affecting Your Children?

Are you exhausted in a way that sleep doesn't fix? Do you find yourself more irritable with your children than you ever imagined possible? You might be experiencing paren

Episode Summary 08: What Is Collaborative Parenting? Real Parent Story

When you started parenting, you probably had ideas about the kind of parent you wanted to be. Maybe you imagined patient bedtimes and peaceful mornings. Then reality hit,