Mastermind Parenting Podcast

Judging other parents is so natural, so human, and so not helpful. I can tell you from experience. When you learn a better way to do things, it’s really challenging to not give side-eye to those who haven’t gotten on your level. Which is why I had to have Masterminder Samantha on to tell this story she shared in a recent call.Sam was caught up in a situation where someone else’s kiddo took a tumble and, even though they weren’t hurt, their father reacted with anger and scolding. It would have been very easy to write that dad off as a jerk or a bully, Sam had sympathy for him. She saw the fear that was motivating his response. She didn’t excuse his behavior, but she was able to give him the benefit of the doubt. Please join us as we talk about how to stay in a compassionate state of mind, instead of giving in to our inner judge.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why frustration and anger can so easily grow out of concern for a kiddo’s safety.Where the impulse to judge comes from, and what it has to do with our own sense of self-worth.Why compassion for other parents starts with getting real about our own parenting missteps.And much more! As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-261About Randi RubensteinRandi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.Randi’s Web and Social LinksWebsite: https://mastermindparenting.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparentingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/Resources Discussed/LinksSave your seat for our monthly FREE 60-minute coaching session: https://mastermindparenting.com/monthlyOur 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/

Sibling rivalry is such a big topic, you just know my conversation with Michaeleen Doucleff had to be a two-parter. In this second episode, we’re talking about what motivates siblings to fight in the first place: strong societal expectations of tension between siblings, and parental praise that kids can’t help but take as a comparison. We’ll show you a whole different way to imagine the sibling relationship, that’s built on empathy and cooperation instead of competition. In this episode, you’ll learn:How to shift our thinking and set expectations for sibling cooperation instead of competition.The way well-intentioned praise can inadvertently encourage toxic comparison between siblings.How to cultivate empathy for both toddlers and teenagers when they’re struggling to handle their emotions.And much more! As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-260About Randi RubensteinRandi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.Randi’s Web and Social LinksWebsite: https://mastermindparenting.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparentingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/About Michaleen Doucleff:Michaleen Doucleff is an award-winning global health correspondent and the author of Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans. https://michaeleendoucleff.com/hunt-gather-parent/ Resources Discussed/LinksPart One of this conversation on resolving sibling rivalry: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-259/ Our episode on establishing boundaries around Halloween candy: https://mastermindparenting.com/210-your-post-halloween-candy-plans/ Save your seat for our monthly FREE 60-minute coaching session: https://mastermindparenting.com/monthlyOur 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/

So many folks sign up for coaching or come to my free calls desperate to get their kids to stop fighting with their siblings. When our beloved kiddos are at each others throats, it sends our stress levels through the roof. What if told you that sibling rivalry isn’t inevitable? In fact, the way siblings antagonize each other in our families is almost unheard of in many other cultures.When Michaeleen Doucleff and I get behind the mic, you know you’re in for a meaty conversation. Join us for part one as we get a global perspective on sibling rivalry, and how to start directing that energy into whole family solidarity.In this episode, you’ll learn:How our expectation of sibling rivalry is out of step with how siblings treat each other in so many other cultures.The ways we set up older kids to experience adversarial reactions to a younger sibling.How to build a sense of camaraderie and mutual responsibility among your kiddos and your whole family.And much more! As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-259About Randi RubensteinRandi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.Randi’s Web and Social LinksWebsite: https://mastermindparenting.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparentingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/About Michaleen Doucleff:Michaleen Doucleff is an award-winning global health correspondent and the author of Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans. https://michaeleendoucleff.com/hunt-gather-parent/

Masterminder Shawn recently opened up about a common struggle for parents of highly-sensitive kids. Her son’s birthday weekend with extended family left him overstimulated and dysregulated, and her frustrated by crossed boundaries and judgy relatives. Shawn’s takeaways were important. She’s trying to better understand her triggers, and to be more clear about her boundaries and expectations with other adults.But really, Shawn (and every parent in America) is the subject of a failed experiment in family structure. For most of human history, raising kids was a communal activity. We’ve put all that responsibility on individual parents, and put them in charge of figuring out how to manage the stress. Join us for a candid conversation about the expectations we’re all struggling with, and how we can start to share the load again.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why we all need to stop performative parenting and be real about how hard it can be.How to balance compassion for the mistakes our parents made with the desire to do better for our own kids.How cathartic it can be to have honest conversations with your kids about your parenting missteps.And much more! As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-258About Randi RubensteinRandi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.Randi’s Web and Social LinksWebsite: https://mastermindparenting.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparentingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/Resources Discussed/LinksSave your seat for our monthly FREE 60-minute coaching session: https://mastermindparenting.com/monthlyOur 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/

Our latest Hunt, Gather, Parent conversation was so big and juicy, we couldn’t fit it into just one episode! In part two of this episode, journalist and author Michaeleen Doucleff is back to help us unpack what happens when other adults are judging us for our parenting choices. We respond to a real-life scenario submitted by a Mastermind parent, and Michaeleen shares her own experience of dealing with judgment from her own mom. We also talk about some strategies for dealing with kiddos when they’re lashing out, and ways that common parenting advice sets us up to struggle with hurt feelings, whether they’re caused by kids or other adults.In this episode, you’ll learn:That you can feel plenty of judgment from a disapproving parent, even if they never say a word.The approach you can use to handle both judgy adults and kiddos who are acting out.Why it’s okay to acknowledge when your child hurts your feelings.The transformative power of learning from your kids, and letting them know when they’re teaching you.And much more! As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-257  About Randi RubensteinRandi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.Randi’s Web and Social LinksWebsite: https://mastermindparenting.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparentingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/About Michaleen Doucleff:Michaleen Doucleff is an award-winning global health correspondent and the author of Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans. https://michaeleendoucleff.com/hunt-gather-parent/ Resources Discussed/LinksSave your seat for our monthly FREE 60-minute coaching session: https://mastermindparenting.com/monthlyOur 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/

When I sat down with Michaeleen Doucleff to record the next episode in our Hunt, Gather, Parent series, I knew it was a meaty topic. We’ve all experienced that feeling of being judged for  our parenting, by grandparents, other kids’ parents, and even random strangers. I’ve coached so many parents through coping with judgy adults. Michaeleen has reported on how so many other cultures teach empathy for other parents, rather than shaming.There was so much to dig into we couldn’t fit it into one episode! I’m so excited for you to hear this conversation. Join us this week for Part 1, and look for Part 2 next week!In this episode, you’ll learn:Why so many of us default to judging a parent who’s struggling.How to arm yourself against the embarrassment of judgy adults.How cooperation and a collaborative mindset work to stop judgment before it starts.The one question you can eliminate from your vocabulary to help you opt out of the culture of judging other parents.And much more! As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-256About Randi RubensteinRandi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.Randi’s Web and Social LinksWebsite: https://mastermindparenting.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparentingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/About Michaleen Doucleff:Michaleen Doucleff is an award-winning global health correspondent and the author of Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans. https://michaeleendoucleff.com/hunt-gather-parent/ Resources Discussed/LinksSave your seat for our monthly FREE 60-minute coaching session: https://mastermindparenting.com/monthlyOur 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/

This week, we’re talking about Big Deal, Little Deal, the most important tool I teach for staying grounded when a kid is stressed out. It will help you lead your family through tense situations, and help your kids develop life-long self-reliance and skills to figure out life.Being a kid is tough sometimes. Lost homework, a missed bus, or a wardrobe malfunction can feel like a world-ending disaster. When your kiddo is strong-willed or highly sensitive, those overwhelming feelings often turn into a meltdown freakout that disrupts the whole house.As parents, the stress of those moments pushes us into less-than-helpful habits. We try to correct “bad” behavior in the moment, or we try to calm our kiddo by fixing all their problems. Big Deal, Little Deal will help you keep things in perspective so you can be the leader that your family needs.In this episode, you’ll learn:How to approach parenting from a leadership perspective.How practicing letting go of little deals can change everything. Why instilling self-reliance and agency in kids means letting them make - and clean up - their own messes.What to do when your kid is freaking out (without making things worse).And much more! As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-255About Randi RubensteinRandi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.Randi’s Web and Social LinksWebsite: https://mastermindparenting.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparentingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/Resources Discussed/LinksSave your seat for our monthly FREE 60-minute coaching session: https://mastermindparenting.com/monthlyOur 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/

Ever since I first read Hunt, Gather, Parent by award-winning journalist Michaleen Doucleff, I’ve felt the urge to change the conversation. So much parenting advice feels cursory and performative. What if we could move past the quick tips model, explore the real challenges and triumphs of raising kids, and what’s behind our ideas about what it means to be a good parent?In many parts of the world, parents are raising families using traditional methods they learn from other parents, not from books or gurus. While we’re feeling pressure to optimize our interactions, they trust the wisdom they’ve learned from experience. With Michaeleen’s help, we’re going to start some real talk about what we can learn from these time-honored practices, and how to get back the self-confidence we’ve lost.In this episode, you’ll learn:How parents train their kids to be unhelpful, and the simple ways to start undoing that programming.Why a sense of purpose might be more important for little ones than feeling happy. Why we struggle to find parenting role models in our lives.How to do less without feeling guilty.   And much more! As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-254About Randi RubensteinRandi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.Randi’s Web and Social LinksWebsite: https://mastermindparenting.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparentingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/About Michaleen Doucleff:Michaleen Doucleff is an award-winning global health correspondent and the author of Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans. https://michaeleendoucleff.com/hunt-gather-parent/ Resources Discussed/LinksSave your seat for our monthly FREE 60-minute coaching session: https://mastermindparenting.com/monthlyOur 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/

Moms are in a no-win situation when it comes to how we spend our time. When we’re choosing between activities with kiddos or time focused on our grown-up priorities, we get a guilt trip no matter what we choose. We’re told to make everyone else happy at the expense of our own happiness and health, even though it’s not physically possible.How do we get out of this trap? By refusing to accept the guilt, and turning the tension caused by failing to meet these impossible standards into an opportunity for growth. In this episode, you’ll learn:The competing social pressures that force us into mom guilt (and why they’re all BS)How to embrace the strain of mom guilt and reframe it as a chance to expand your capacity. Why having healthy boundaries around your time is a win for both you and your kids.And much more! As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-253 About Randi RubensteinRandi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.Randi’s Web and Social LinksWebsite: https://mastermindparenting.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparentingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/Resources Discussed/LinksSave your seat for our monthly FREE 60-minute coaching session: https://mastermindparenting.com/monthlyOur 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/

The toddler years are a source of joy and anxiety for a lot of first-time parents. We want to encourage our newly-mobile little ones as they explore their surroundings, but we also want to keep them safe. And, we’re in charge of connecting them to a world that has schedules and time limits, which just aren’t intuitive to a tiny, curious mind. Who wouldn’t be stressed out by all that?Empathy is the key to managing those competing priorities, for our little ones AND ourselves. Trying to see the world from their perspective can help us stay patient when they’re testing boundaries. Giving ourselves kindness when we make mistakes will help the whole thing feel less overwhelming. Here are my most important tips for building that connections, and some resources to help you put it into practice.In this episode, you’ll learn:How you can start cultivating empathy for your toddler’s experience when they’re still an infant.  The big shift in thinking at the heart of every progressive parenting method. Why humility is so much more beneficial for your kiddos than perfection.My most recommended resources for parents at any stage of their journey.And much more! As always, thanks for listening. Head over to Facebook, where you can join my free group Mastermind Parenting Community. We post tips and tools and do pop-up Live conversations where I do extra teaching and coaching to support you in helping your strong-willed children so that they can FEEL better and DO better. If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it!Get all the links, resources, and transcripts here: https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-252About Randi RubensteinRandi Rubenstein helps parents with a strong-willed kiddo become a happier family and enjoy the simple things again like bike rides and beach vacays.She’s the founder of Mastermind Parenting, host of the Mastermind Parenting podcast, and author of The Parent Gap. Randi works with parents across the U.S.At Mastermind Parenting, we believe every human deserves to have a family that gets along.Randi’s Web and Social LinksWebsite: https://mastermindparenting.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mastermindparentingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mastermind_parenting/Resources Discussed/LinksThe best parenting book I’ve ever read is Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans. https://michaeleendoucleff.com/hunt-gather-parent/  My favorite podcast episode to share features the author of Hunt Gather Parent, Michaeleen Doucleff. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mastermind-parenting-podcast/id1362773053?i=1000614983893 The must-watch documentary Becoming You is on Apple TV https://tv.apple.com/us/show/becoming-you/umc.cmc.2eln6544k8wo99s3vrdl5amwf Check out my website and scroll to the bottom to sign up for weekly resources sent by email straight to you! https://mastermindparenting.com/ Milk Connections Lactation Consulting is at https://milkconnections.com/  Save your seat for our monthly FREE 60-minute coaching session: https://mastermindparenting.com/monthlyOur 12-week Basics Bootcamp program is now available as a 100% online self-study course! https://mastermindparenting.com/minimasters/Live assessment: https://mastermindparenting.com/live-assessment/