A Secret to Helping Our Kids Achieve (Advice for the New Year)

Podcast

(Transcript includes an updated response from the parent who requested Janet’s advice.) As parents, we are prone to worry, and a common concern is that our kids don’t seem motivated enough. Perhaps they aren’t mastering certain skills as quickly as we think they should or could—physically, cognitively, creatively, or socially. They might seem disinterested in … Continued

Caring for Our Children and Ourselves in Tragic Times

Podcast

Janet shares words of support. Transcript of “Caring for Our Children and Ourselves in Tragic Times” Hi, this is Janet Lansbury. Welcome to Unruffled. Today I’m going to be talking about caring for ourselves and our children in times of crisis, like this crisis that our whole world seems to be in right now. And … Continued

When Our Kids Are Scared

Podcast

How can we help our kids overcome their fears? Most of us have the instinct to provide comfort with messages like “don’t worry, you’re safe, it will be alright.” In this episode, Janet explains why our children often need more than our reassurance, even when their fears seem unreasonable or overblown. The key: validating and … Continued

How to be Strong Enough to Make the Really Big Changes

Podcast

Our young kids are adaptable, so it’s always possible for us to change routines, rules, and behavior patterns that we decide are no longer beneficial for us or them. Problem is, our kids are bound to object— loudly, vociferously, perhaps relentlessly—when these changes aren’t their idea (which they seldom are). Our new plan may be met … Continued

Getting Real with How We Feel (with Elisabeth Corey)

Podcast

“When we understand the reasons we react to our children in the way we do, we can begin to change the way we parent.” Janet welcomes a return visit from trauma survivor Elisabeth Corey, who suffered throughout childhood and her teens from severe physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. As an adult, that horrific period of … Continued

It Works! Parents Report Powerful Benefits From Allowing Kids’ Feelings

Podcast

Allowing our children to vent their feelings, encouraging and even welcoming them however they are expressed (and not taking it personally!), it is not easy at first. It is a practice that requires taking our head and then our heart into a place where we can calm ourselves enough to genuinely listen, and accept with compassion rather than judgment. In … Continued

Preparing Our Children to Be Emotionally Healthy Teens (With Phinnah Chichi)

Podcast

Janet’s guest this week is Phinnah Chichi, an author, lecturer, and parenting coach whose inspired ideas and worldview help to educate and empower both teens and their parents. Phinnah’s work and philosophy dovetail with Janet’s focus on infants and toddlers. Both prioritize communication, trust, and connection to encourage emotional and social skills, and ultimately to … Continued

What To Do (and Not Do) When Kids Have Meltdowns, Tantrums, Strong Emotions

Podcast

What do children need from us when they’re experiencing intense feelings? What are the best things to say and do to calm their emotional storms? Janet responds to notes from three insightful professionals who express concerns that what they’re doing isn’t working. Janet validates their perspectives and explains why. Then she offers specific recommendations for navigating … Continued

Stuck in a Pattern of Frustration and Anger

Podcast

In this episode: A parent laments the close relationship she used to enjoy with her daughter before having another child. Lately, her daughter has been testing limits, and she has found herself losing both her patience and her temper. “I really don’t want to continue this way with my daughter.” She’s wondering if Janet has … Continued

Becoming Untriggered (with Lavinia Brown and Andrew Lynn)

Podcast

Trauma informed coaches Lavinia Brown and Andrew Lynn join Janet to discuss how they help parents identify triggers and heal wounds that are preventing them from being the parents they wish to be and otherwise negatively impacting their daily lives. Andrew says: “Trauma robs you of the freedom to choose how you react.” Lavinia and Andrew … Continued

Navigating Get-Togethers with Relatives, Friends, and Their Kids

Podcast

We may not always agree with the parenting styles of our relatives and friends, and that’s okay. Get-togethers can still be enjoyable, positive social experiences for us and for our kids. In this episode, Janet offers her perspective on some of the common challenges that arise in gatherings with friends, family, and in public situations with … Continued

It’s Hard to Feel Compassion for Unreasonable Emotions

Podcast

A concerned parent writes that her 3-year-old seems to be in a constant state of frustration or anxiety, and she makes outlandish demands and cries when she doesn’t get her way. While this mom tries to be compassionate, it’s getting more and more difficult, and she worries that her own postpartum anxiety may have modeled … Continued