How do you calm a hypervigilant nervous system? What causes it? How do you support a child when their behavior is challenging? This is what we discuss in this week’s coaching episode with Anita.   Anita lives in Australia and is the mom of two great kids: an 8 year old girl and 5 year old boy  named Louis. Louis has a hypervigilant nervous system and asks for support in navigating it.   We cover: [3:20] Louis’ facial burn and how it exacerbated his hypervigilance and sensitive nature [8:45] How to know if you need an autism diagnosis [11:40] Trauma responses vs. autism [18:15] The fear behind not having enough resources for neurodivergent kids [25:20] Anita’s update after two months   Resources mentioned in this episode  Join my newsletter Episode 33: Why Does My Child Lie and What To Do About It with Sarah Rosensweet Episode 43: Four Big Ideas to Help Stop Sibling Fights with Sarah Rosensweet Connect with Sarah Rosensweet   On Instagram On Facebook https://www.sarahrosensweet.com Book a short consult or coaching session call

We have a solo episode to talk about how to help our kids with transitions this week.   With the end of the school year around the corner, we may not recognize that this is a time of heightened anxiety for our kids. We typically tend to think that going back to school is more stressful for them, when in fact, year end could be just the same.   We cover: [3:05] Recognizing our child’s fear of back to school as a potential anxiety [4:00] Empathizing with our child through their anxieties  [5:45] Listening to our child as they share their worries with you [6:55] The importance of letting your child know they can handle it [10:10] The two best ways to empty your emotional backpack [10:50] What to do if your kids are anxious all year Resources mentioned in this episode: Anxious Kids Anxious Parents by Lynn Lyons Connect with Sarah Rosensweet   On Instagram On Facebook https://www.sarahrosensweet.com  Book a short consult or coaching session call

In this episode, we talk about how to overcome picky eating. This is a challenge a lot of parents face – how to get their kids to eat without being so picky!   Joining me for this conversation is Jennifer House, who has been a Registered Dietitian for 16 years. She has owned First Step Nutrition for the past 13 years, where she helps to make feeding families easier, with a focus on Baby-led Weaning and Picky Eating. Jennifer has published two books and regularly appears in the media.    We go into: [3:40] This episode’s case study [7:10] Why it’s okay for our kids’ appetites to fluctuate  [9:00] The Division of Responsibility by Ellyn Satter [14:35] The kids’ responsibility when it comes to eating [18:25] Intuitive eating for kids [19:00] How to spot the difference between sensory processing challenges and picky eating [33:50] Why kids are picky to begin with [40:00] Advice parents need to know when it comes to picky eating   Jen earned her BSc in Nutrition & Food Science from the University of Alberta, and before starting First Step Nutrition, she completed an MSc in Human Nutrition from the University of British Columbia. She also worked at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in outpatient services, often seeing clients with Failure to Thrive or picky eating struggles.   Having a picky eater of her own, Jennifer can relate to the stress and struggles of raising a kid who just won’t try new foods! She has helped hundreds of families implement Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility of feeding in their homes with personal consults and team feeding consults in partnership with an Occupational Therapist. She now works with clients online in a group coaching program to support them in making mealtimes more peaceful with a picky eater at the table.   Resources mentioned in this episode Sequential Oral Sensory Approach by Dr. Kay Toomy The Division of Responsibility by Ellyn Satter   Connect with Jennifer On Instagram On Twitter On LinkedIn On Facebook https://firststepnutrition.com  Free On-Demand Webinar: "How to teach your kids to finally try new foods....without yelling or making separate meals"   Connect with Sarah Rosensweet   On Instagram On Facebook https://www.sarahrosensweet.com  Book a short consult or coaching session call

In this episode, I sit down with Bob, dad to Cody, 6 and Skyler, 2. This conversation specifically focuses on Bob’s challenges with Cody, who is a kid with really big feelings and a lot of sensitivity.   As you’ll hear in the episode, we talk about the triggers Bob experiences because of Cody’s big feelings. We also discuss his fears and challenges with staying calm and emotionally generous in hard moments.   We cover: [6:30] How Cody’s needs show up in their family life [12:50] How our fear as parents shows up in our parenting [19:00] What co-regulation is and the process to get there [21:20] Tips for incorporating Special Time into your routine [34:25] How to empty your Emotional Backpack [40:05] Check in - the changes Bob experienced after our coaching call Resources mentioned in this episode  Episode 38: Why Do Kids Whine? And What To Do About It with Sarah Rosensweet Special Time Guide Rescue dog YouTube video Empathic Limits blog post   Connect with Sarah Rosensweet   On Instagram On Facebook https://www.sarahrosensweet.com  Book a short consult or coaching session call

Have you ever either felt shame as a parent and then either had a grown up tantrum OR shamed your kids in those tough moments?    As parents, it is impossible to avoid ever feeling shame. Our kids will act out. People will judge us. We will make bad decisions sometimes despite our best intentions.    Shame-proof parenting is about learning how to support yourself when those hard feelings come up so that we can be the parents we want to be instead of getting caught up in our own embarrassment or overwhelm.   Joining me for this conversation is Mercedes Samudio, LCSW, a licensed psychotherapist, parent coach, speaker, and bestselling author who helps parents and children communicate with each other, manage emotional trauma, navigate social media and technology together, and develop healthy parent-child relationships.    We go into: [2:20] What shame-proof parenting is and why it’s so important [7:50] Mercedes’ tips for reducing shame in hard situations [12:25] How to love yourself as a parent, through the shame you’re experiencing  [14:35] The Parental Identity Development Model [28:50] Mercedes’ advice for parents who are just starting out Mercedes is an adjunct professor at Chapman University and Pepperdine University where she teaches psychology, diagnosis of mental illness, and multicultural counseling. She is an accomplished speaker who explores topics such as parenting identity development, multicultural counseling, and developing a clinical identity.    Mercedes started the #EndParentShaming movement as well as coined the term Shame-Proof Parenting – using both to bring awareness to ending parent shame.    Resources mentioned in this episode Episode 30: Find Your Unicorn Space with Eve Rodsky   Connect with Mercedes On Instagram On Twitter On LinkedIn https://shameproofparenting.com/    Connect with Sarah Rosensweet   On Instagram On Facebook https://www.sarahrosensweet.com  Book a short consult or coaching session call

In this episode, we’re exploring why we don’t need to stress out or fix it when our kids are unhappy about something.    Life is a balance of happy and hard times. Our kids will experience these moments too as they grow older. It’s important to welcome and honor their feelings and emotions, even as we don’t want to see them suffering.   Supporting them through unhappy moments helps them become more resilient. We cover: [1:10] Why parenting with the goal of happiness is troublesome  [2:00] Why it’s hard for us to parent when our kids are unhappy [6:00] How kids develop emotional resilience  [7:50] Why unhappy kids don’t make us bad parents [9:50] Being aware of the stories we tell ourselves Connect with Sarah Rosensweet   On Instagram On Facebook https://www.sarahrosensweet.com  Book a short consult or coaching session call

In this episode, I’m sharing a glimpse into my incredible membership community.    It’s a monthly membership program. One of the features is group coaching Office Hours every week and one is a guest expert Q&A with other mentors in the parenting space.    Lynn Lyons joined me in my membership for this Q&A call, where community members had the chance to ask her their questions and get support in real time.    We go into: [6:35] How to help anxious kids who reject coping skills [15:02] Helping kids who are anxious going to school [20:04] Guiding our kids who have just learned about death [25:35] How to help kids who get anxious at bedtime [32:10] Helping kids who are anxious about grades and academic performance [38:51] Dealing with perfectionism [41:31] What to look for in a therapist if you feel your child needs some extra support with their anxiety   Lynn is a psychotherapist, author and speaker in Concord, New Hampshire. She has been in private practice for 28 years, and specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders in adults and children.   She travels globally as a speaker and trainer on the subject of anxiety, its role in families, and the need for a preventative approach at home and in schools. Resources mentioned in this episode Sign up for my membership Anxious Kids Anxious Parents by Lynn Lyons Anxiety and Depression Association of America The International OCD Foundation The Self Driven Child by William Stixrud   Connect with Lynn On Instagram On Twitter On YouTube Facebook https://www.lynnlyons.com    Connect with Sarah Rosensweet   On Instagram On Facebook https://www.sarahrosensweet.com  Book a short consult or coaching session call

How can we help our sensitive kids when they’re experiencing big emotions and get upset?   It’s not that they don’t want to share their emotions with us. They may be so overwhelmed that adding our emotions as parents on top of theirs can be even more triggering for them.   In this episode, I sit down with Julia, mom of two girls – L who is 8 and T who is 10. Julia shares how L is uncomfortable with her big feelings and working through them together.     We talk about: [5:50] How sensitive kids sometimes shut down when experiencing big feelings  [8:40] Defining emotional backpacks and leading with empathy  [12:05] Challenging our own views of what supporting our kids should look like [17:50] Making repairs out of our own need to do it [27:20] How to ease tensions and incorporate Special Time [34:30] Check in - the changes Julia experienced after our coaching call Resources mentioned in this episode Special Time Guide 5 Day Challenge: Parenting Reset   Connect with Sarah Rosensweet   On Instagram On Facebook https://www.sarahrosensweet.com  Book a short consult or coaching session call

This episode is with Julie Lythcott-Haims and we talk about her new book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, which is about how to be a good person and have a good life.   We also talked about how to raise kids so that they don't need a book to learn how to be an adult. Julie also shared some really great tips about truly seeing our children.    Julie Lythcott-Haims believes in humans and is deeply interested in what gets in our way. Her work encompasses writing, speaking, teaching, mentoring, and activism.    We go into: How Julie’s new book is changing the narrative around the heaviness of living in today’s society What fending is and how can you best prepare your kids for when they do get to the fending stage The four step method to teaching any kid any skill How to parent our kids the way they need us to parent them Unpacking privilege in gentle parenting   She is the New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult which gave rise to a popular TED Talk. Her second book is the critically-acclaimed and award-winning prose poetry memoir Real American, which illustrates her experience as a Black and biracial person in white spaces.  Julie holds degrees from Stanford, Harvard Law, and California College of the Arts. She currently serves on the boards of Common Sense Media, Black Women’s Health Imperative, Narrative Magazine, and on the Board of Trustees at California College of the Arts. She serves on the advisory boards of LeanIn.Org, Parents magazine and Baldwin For the Arts. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner of over thirty years, their itinerant young adults, and her mother. Julie’s Books How to Raise an Adult  Real American: A Memoir Your Turn: How to Be An Adult Connect with Julie On Instagram On Twitter On LinkedIn Facebook https://jlythcotthaims.bulletin.com/ https://www.julielythcotthaims.com/    Connect with Sarah Rosensweet   On Instagram On Facebook https://www.sarahrosensweet.com  Book a short consult or coaching session call

In this episode, we’re exploring four big ideas to stop sibling rivalry and fighting.   Sibling fighting is so upsetting for us as parents! Unfortunately, a lot we do to try to make it better actually makes it worse. This episode will help you with the best practices to help siblings get along.    We cover: Four big ideas to help your kids get along  The importance of special time  The benefit of giving ‘long turns’ a try Why and how to  intervene in disagreements if they can’t work it out Resources mentioned in this episode Free Download: Sibling Rivalry Cheat Sheet Siblings without Rivalry by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish Special Time Guide   Connect with Sarah Rosensweet   On Instagram On Facebook https://www.sarahrosensweet.com  Book a short consult or coaching session call