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NPC Cyber Monday special: 30% off of annual Ninja Parenting Community membership… Get on the waiting list (and get 7 of my best parenting resources – for free) by clicking weturnedoutokay.com/cybermonday! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Fortunately the children have no words to define the panic and anger they feel at constant violations of natural order and sequence fobbed off on them as quality in education." – Jon Taylor Gatto, Dumbing Us Down Everyone likes to know what is going on, we like to have some context in our lives. So do our kids! In this installment of our "How to stop school from screwing up your child" series, we discuss what aspects of school can sew confusion in children, how detrimental that truly is, and what we can do about it. Cheat sheet on helping kids feel secure, sure of themselves – as well as the key links that come up in today's episode – are available at weturnedoutokay.com/304 Plus in Parenting News: This fantastic documentary about the life of Fred Rogers. As I share here, I couldn't understand why it would be rated PG-13. And then I started watching it. (Here is the newsletter I wrote about this documentary: How I frightened my three-year-old.) Ninja parents: I mention in today's Parenting News segment that I just created a forum post in NPC inviting you to share a piece of news that you would like to see featured in this space. Click here to read the post, and to share your Parenting News! Join us! Today's episode is sponsored by the amazing Janine Halloran, expert in teaching kids coping skills, who has created a great resource to help your child handle it when the going gets tough! Listen to today's show to find out how to get 15% off your order, and then Click copingskillsforkids.com/okay to check out Janine's Coping Skills for Kids Cue Card Decks. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

We talk with the Mindful Mama Mentor, Hunter Clarke-Fields, in this episode of We Turned Out Okay! Hunter is a parent coach who found real solutions to her own anger and frustration with meditation and mindfulness. She is a force for good, and I am so excited to bring her on the show! The title of this episode was very nearly "Mindfulness: A Cool Parental Brain Hack," which is how today's guest characterizes this state of mind in the latter part of our conversation. I love this idea, that mindfulness can help us wrap our brain better around child-rearing and everything that comes with it. I hope you get tons out of this conversation with Hunter Clarke-Fields, of the Mindful Mama Podcast. I know I did! Plus in Parenting News: I plan to be at an event that might interest you, if you can be at the Newton Community Farm in Newton Massachusetts on Saturday, November 9: A movie screening, and author signing! Ken Danford, author of Learning is Natural, School is Optional, a book I am currently reading and loving, will be on hand to sign copies! And us attendees also get to see a movie about self-directed learning and how cool it is. Hope to see you there! (Click here to sign up for the event : ) And we talk about social-emotional learning in schools, and how it's positively impacting not just the kids, but their families, teachers, administrators, and guidance counselors. Join us! Sign up for my Weekly Parenting Newsletter Each Wednesday I send out a Parenting Newsletter, to help you stay sane while raising your kiddos. Past editions have included remaining calm even if your kids are throwing dirt at each other, and helping when your child is frightened. Useful stuff. Click weturnedoutokay.com/weekly so it zooms right into your inbox each week! Here is the link to this episode: weturnedoutokay.com/303 Today's episode is sponsored by the amazing Janine Halloran, expert in teaching kids coping skills, who has created a great resource to help your child handle it when the going gets tough! Listen to today's show to find out how to get 15% off your order, and then Click copingskillsforkids.com/okay to check out Janine's Coping Skills for Kids Cue Card Decks. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

"This morning we were reading a space book and [my three-year-old] was talking about how he was going to kill the astronauts. Aggressive talk really freaks me out." When one of the parents I mentor in the Ninja Parenting Community posted this recently, I knew that you might be hearing "aggressive talk" with your child as well. Why DO kids seem to talk and think so much about death, and killing? We get into that today, and I share 3 ways you can address what might seem an unhealthy obsession with the macabre. Plus in Parenting News: We discuss this recent Boston Globe article, about young schoolchildren not being given enough time to eat their lunch, the problems parents are seeing as a result, and what they are doing to try to make it better. Also! I plan to be at an event that might interest you, if you can be at the Newton Community Farm in Newton Massachusetts on Saturday, November 9: A movie screening, and author signing! Ken Danford, author of Learning is Natural, School is Optional, a book I am currently reading and loving, will be on hand to sign copies! And us attendees also get to see a movie about self-directed learning and how cool it is. Hope to see you there! (Click here to sign up for the event : ) Join us! Sign up for my Weekly Parenting Newsletter Each Wednesday I send out a Parenting Newsletter, to help you stay sane while raising your kiddos. Past editions have included remaining calm even if your kids are throwing dirt at each other, and helping when your child is frightened. Useful stuff. Click weturnedoutokay.com/weekly so it zooms right into your inbox each week! Access the cheat sheet on the three ways to help when your child seems overly excited by death and killing; plus links to everything we talk about today, by clicking weturnedoutokay.com/302 Today's episode is sponsored by the amazing Janine Halloran, expert in teaching kids coping skills, who has created a great resource to help your child handle it when the going gets tough! Listen to today's show to find out how to get 15% off your order, and then Click copingskillsforkids.com/okay to check out Janine's Coping Skills for Kids Cue Card Decks. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

There are lots of reasons why we want our kids to become independent, in their actions and their thinking. (If for no other reason than, when our kids are independent, we do less for them. This means we are happier, and also it helps help our children understand the joys of being part of a system in which we all work together.) Today's episode is about how, if we're not careful, we might be teaching in the opposite. Today we discuss the possibility that simply attending school could make our children dependent on others for their intellectual and emotional well-being – and how truly dangerous that is. Plus in Parenting News: My latest book, Educating Happy Kids: 9 Ways to Help Your Children Learn What They Need to Know, is available for you to buy! And it has the CUTEST cover! If you want to learn about educating your child in the way that will help them be happiest, click here and read this book. Join us! Sign up for my Weekly Parenting Newsletter Each Wednesday I send out a Parenting Newsletter, to help you stay sane while raising your kiddos. Past editions have included remaining calm even if your kids are throwing dirt at each other, and helping when your child is frightened. Useful stuff. Click weturnedoutokay.com/weekly so it zooms right into your inbox each week! Access the cheat sheet on fostering your child's inner intellectual and emotional development, plus links to stuff discussed in this episode, by clicking weturnedoutokay.com/301 Today's episode is sponsored by the amazing Janine Halloran, expert in teaching kids coping skills, who has created a great resource to help your child handle it when the going gets tough! Listen to today's show to find out how to get 15% off your order, and then Click copingskillsforkids.com/okay to check out Janine's Coping Skills for Kids Cue Card Decks. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

We're celebrating today, 300 episodes of We Turned Out Okay! I am super excited to welcome back beloved guests Tricia Tomaso, preschool teacher extraordinaire, and Janine Halloran, coping skills expert, for a roundtable discussion talking about social and emotional learning, and if schools actually do screw up kids… And we're also answering your questions in this tri-centennial episode! Join us! Go to weturnedoutokay.com/300 for the bazillion links we discuss today… And FYI Parenting News, and Magic Words for Parents, will be back next week. Sign up for my Weekly Parenting Newsletter Each Wednesday I send out a Parenting Newsletter, to help you remain sane while raising your kiddos! Past editions have included: – How to get your child to take more responsibility – How to teach your child social skills – Under what circumstances, if any, you should let your child watch YouTube. Useful stuff. Click weturnedoutokay.com/weekly so it zooms right into your inbox each week! Today's episode is sponsored by the amazing Janine Halloran, expert in teaching kids coping skills, who has created a great resource to help your child handle it when the going gets tough! Listen to today's show to find out how to get 15% off your order, and then Click copingskillsforkids.com/okay to check out Janine's Coping Skills for Kids Cue Card Decks. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

"I am still just so scared these challenges are going to last forever, and school and daily life will always be a struggle. It's so hard to see the stuff other kids can do that [my three-year-old] just can't." If this lament – if these fears – sound familiar, I hope today's episode will help. Raising children is a hard job, especially when you're worried about a child's behavior, and if it's normal or not. In this episode we've got 5 ways for you to feel better about the bad behavior, and how you're doing as a parent! Plus in Parenting News: A wonderful, funny, sweet TED talk by comedian Julia Sweeney on her chat with her eight-year-old about the birds and the bees. Watch it – without the kids around, at least at first – to determine if it might be useful to you, when it's time for you to have that same talk. And also to smile. Join us! Sign up for my Weekly Parenting Newsletter Each Wednesday I send out a Parenting Newsletter, to help you stay sane while raising your kiddos. Past editions have included: – How to remain calm even if your kids are throwing dirt at each other – A tool to help you consistently get good behavior from your children – How to teach your child social skills Useful stuff. Click weturnedoutokay.com/weekly so it zooms right into your inbox each week! Read more about the 5 ways to feel better (mentioned above), and check out the links for this episode, by clicking weturnedoutokay.com/299 Today's episode is sponsored by the amazing Janine Halloran, expert in teaching kids coping skills, who has created a great resource to help your child handle it when the going gets tough! Listen to today's show to find out how to get 15% off your order, and then Click copingskillsforkids.com/okay to check out Janine's Coping Skills for Kids Cue Card Decks. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

This episode almost didn't make it. Not because I don't think it is wicked important. I do think that. But because I worried about hurting your feelings. Ultimately (as you'll hear in the first five minutes or so) I decided to bring it to you, because from everything I'm seeing, school is broken. Systemically. In the long-term, I hope we can work together to fix it. But in the short-term, we need to make sure that it's not screwing up our kids. Plus in Parenting News: This TED talk by Allison Legerwood, "A Simple Trick to Improve Positive Thinking." Much-needed and much appreciated! Join us! Sign up for my Weekly Parenting Newsletter Each Wednesday I send out a Parenting Newsletter, to help you remain sane while raising your kiddos. Past editions have included: – How to remain calm even if your kids are throwing dirt at each other – A free tool you can use to create order from the chaos of your busy week – How to teach your child social skills Useful stuff. Click weturnedoutokay.com/weekly so it zooms right into your inbox each week! Today's episode is sponsored by the amazing Janine Halloran, expert in teaching kids coping skills, and an incredible resource she has created to help your child handle it when the going gets tough! Listen to today's show to find out how to get 15% off your order, and then Click copingskillsforkids.com/okay to check out Janine's Coping Skills for Kids Cue Card Decks. (Here is the link to the show notes for this post: weturnedoutokay.com/298) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

Reminder: join my Ninja Parenting Community for $1 for your first 30 days! But only by joining before October 1! “Thank you for all of your help! You have truly changed our lives and helped navigate some massive life changes and I am so grateful!” – Mama Llama, Mom of a three-year-old boy and NPC member "Karen helps me feel like I actually know what I am doing.” – Steve, Dad of 3-and-5-year-old boys, 1-to-1 Parent Coaching Client Click here for details – or check out the fancy-pants button I made by going to this episode's show notes : ) In this bonus We Turned Out Okay episode I offer 3 tools to help you cope with your child's aggressive, bad behavior: The first helps you put your child's behavior in perspective so it does not overwhelm you The second helps you create the best conditions for positive behavior from your child The third helps you feel good about your parenting journey I hope you find it helpful! Click here for the show notes for this episode, which include the video version of today's episode, a full transcript, and the aforementioned fancy-pants button so that you can join the Ninja Parenting Community at the Friends and Family membership rate! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

I am super excited to bring you a conversation with two of the most beloved people in podcasting, Biz Ellis and Theresa Thorn of One Bad Mother! Take note: there WILL be swears, so listen away from your kiddos… Also I totally mess up in describing a genius moment of my own! (I guess that's a fail at a genius moment : ) So in the preshow I try to rectify that. Biz and Theresa are such generous people that, while I'm sure they were looking at each other with extremely confused "why is this a genius moment?" looks on their faces, they pressed on and shared so much amazing support for you. For me. For us. For any parent who feels shamed, unappreciated, like a monumental screwup. Biz and Theresa want you to know: you're doing a great job! And I want you to know: they are right Watch my video on what to do when your young child is super aggressive, and how to keep your cool when the going gets tough, by clicking weturnedoutokay.com/parentingtools Click here for the We Turned Out Okay Facebook group, where I took questions for Biz and Theresa – and where you can ask questions of future guests! (It's also where I do a Facebook live every Monday called Magic Words for Parents, sharing a quick word or phrase for you to take into your parenting week : ) Plus in Parenting News: My new favorite TED talk is called "Where joy hides and how to find it." It's amazing, and illustrates a factor that's crucial to enjoying family life. Join us!   Sign up for my Weekly Parenting Newsletter Each Wednesday I send out a Parenting Newsletter, to help you remain sane while raising your kiddos. Past editions have included: – How to remain calm even if your kids are throwing dirt at each other – A free tool you can use to create order from the chaos of your busy week – How to teach your child social skills Useful stuff. Click weturnedoutokay.com/weekly so it zooms right into your inbox each week! Click weturnedoutokay.com/297 for lots of links from our conversation! Today's episode is sponsored by the amazing Janine Halloran, expert in teaching kids coping skills, and an incredible resource she has created to help your child handle even the biggest feelings! Listen to today's show to find out how to get 15% off your order, and then Click copingskillsforkids.com/okay to check out Janine's Coping Skills for Kids Cue Card Decks. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

So, today's Parenting News segment makes me cry, those mushy, parenty, happy/sad tears. You know the ones. That's coming up in today's break. Also! Join my private coaching community for just $1 for your whole first 30 days! Get the support you need to help your child – or yourself – through the huge challenges that parenting can bring. This is for a limited time, only through September 30, because of a technical screwup. Listen to the break for more on this. And click here to join the Ninja Parenting Community! (That's what it's called, or NPC for short.) If it hasn't happened already, there will likely come a day when your child says or does something super cringe-worthy. How will you handle it? Listen in to today's episode, to learn how to handle it best! Plus in Parenting News: Recently The Wall that Heals, a moving model of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC, came to my area. And while it may seem like a peculiar thing to feature in the Parenting News segment, I believe it's relevant. I share why in today's break. Also, in this episode I share about the free guide on "How to handle every temper tantrum." Click weturnedoutokay.com/handle-tantrums-now to get the guide : ) Join us!  Sign up for my Weekly Parenting Newsletter Each Wednesday I send out a Parenting Newsletter, to help you remain sane while raising your kiddos. Past editions have included: – How to remain calm even if your kids are throwing dirt at each other – How to get your child to take more responsibility – A specific formula for handling temper tantrums Useful stuff. Click weturnedoutokay.com/weekly so it zooms right into your inbox each week! Click weturnedoutokay.com/296 for show notes which include a cheat sheet of how to handle it when your child embarrasses you in public. Today's episode is sponsored by the amazing Janine Halloran, expert in teaching kids coping skills, and an incredible resource she has created to help your child handle even the biggest feelings! Click copingskillsforkids.com/coping-cue-cards to check out Janine's Coping Skills for Kids Cue Card Decks. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe