Mindful As A Mother

Welcome to another Neurodivergent Nugget! Neurodivergent nuggets are easily digestible pieces of information to support you on your parenting journey. At 15 minutes or less, these actionable items are the perfect parenting snack. Today’s topic is: sharing your child’s diagnosis with your child.

This week we’re deep-diving into self-care. What comes to your mind when we mention self-care? If it’s expensive and bougie, then we highly recommend you take a listen. Together, we talk through several different ideas that you can utilize for self-care, why it’s important, and how to weave it throughout your day. The first rule of this episode: Take what works and leave what doesn’t, and always remember: self-care is intimately defined by you, and you are the only one who can ensure what you’re doing is self-care.

For reference:

Growing Up Mindful, Dr. Christopher Willard

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, Emily Nagoski, Amelia Nagoksi (Pt. 1)

Apps for Tech Boundaries: Off-Screen, Using Focus Mode on Your Phone

What comes to mind when you hear Radical Acceptance? As humans, we spend a lot of time being upset about things that aren’t in our control. Radical acceptance is taking the concept that we can’t change what’s happening, so how do we navigate the challenge? We talk through why this is important in parenting neurodivergent children and how to implement this concept to create a smoother experience in your parenting journey.

For Reference:

Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse Youth, by The Yellowbugs (pg 82, 93, 273)

Low Demand Parenting, by Amanda Diekman

The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves and Empowering Our Children, Dr. Shefali Tsabary

We’re back this week we’re talking about unconscious and conscious patterns of behaviors we fall into with our habits and energy levels. When we’re better able to recognize our patterns of behavior, we can come up with brain hacks and tools to better support and sustain emotional health. In this episode, we examine “Red, Blue and Back Again”, and “Nothin’ But Blue” patterns. We share our experiences, take the quizzes in real-time and talk through which strategies have worked for us and our loved ones. You can now listen/watch every episode of Mindful As A Mother on Youtube: youtube.com/@mindfulasamotherpodcast2606

This week on the podcast we extend our arms to Shari Ann Almeida, mother to a survivor. We recorded this interview in March 2023 but found it best suited to reserve it for the beginning of September, Pediatric Cancer Awareness month. Shari is also the author of "I See You". Shari describes herself as "just a mom" before her entire life changed with her daughter's, Dakota, cancer diagnosis. Follow along with us in this journey of grief and understanding in a world that no mother wants to walk and the comfort found in the grief community.

While she is no longer associated with Warrior Moms Foundation, you can find Shari Ann and her journey with Dakota here: https://medium.com/@shariannalmeida

Please donate to Children's Cancer Research here: https://childrenscancer.org/

Please join us in a warm welcome to the mother, writer, and author of the upcoming new release There's A Yeti in My Tummy, Meredith Rusu! In There’s a Yeti in My Tummy Rusu encourages kids and parents alike to unleash their inner yetis and embrace the chaotic joy of BIG feelings! There’s a Yeti in My Tummy is a rhyming book that follows Matthew, a young boy who can’t help feeling silly in a yeti-sized way! But when Matthew’s yeti comes out to play, he stays all day… What will Matthew’s parents and teachers say? Filled with delightful rhyme and vibrant, fun illustrations, There’s a Yeti in My Tummy is perfect for reading aloud and inspires children to channel their BIG emotions in positive and loving ways. We cover topics including what it means to find joy in the chaos of parenting, especially in the preschool years, how the bonds parents make with teachers and caretakers can make a difference in their child’s life (and their own!), and how connecting with her son’s teachers changed everything and why it inspired her to write There’s a Yeti in My Tummy.

Find your very own copy of There's a Yeti in My Tummy on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Theres-Yeti-Tummy-Meredith-Rusu/dp/0829457054/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36C9S2ZKA1W5N&keywords=there%27s+a+yeti+in+my+tummy&qid=1693367547&sprefix=there%27s+a+yeti+in+my%2Caps%2C354&sr=8-1

Follow Meredith on her Instagram @meredithrusuwrites and let her know what you think of her book at www.meredithrusu.com

The beginning of the school year can be met with excitement and anticipation. For some, it’s met with dread, anxiety, and concern. With back-to-school season upon us, I want to help you and your kids move from anxious to excited about the upcoming school year. Main 3 Takeaways: Building self-esteem bridge and confidence, creating individual and family goals, and identifying and creating rituals that excite you. 

In this episode, Lindsay gives tips for handling the upcoming Back to School transition. Do you want to the upcoming back to school transition to be smooth sailing? Listen to this podcast. Main takeaways from the episode include setting yourself up for success, planning for transition times, and helping your child with their routines. You might still have a few bedtime battles, but you will at least feel confident in your approach. 

Paige and Lindsay are back with the “solve it grid” for another week. This week, we’re giving tips on how to categorize your daily tasks into each colored quadrant and tips for overcoming malicious motivators and motivation murders while charging your metaphorical battery. Tune in for real-time tips on how to categorize and hacks you can try to overcome your own draining habits and better understand the physical sensations associated with each color. Next week, we’ll cover how to determine what quadrant your children are in, telling behaviors, and tips to support them in learning how to lead a more balanced life. You can now listen/watch every episode of Mindful As A Mother on Youtube: youtube.com/@mindfulasamotherpodcast2606

Be the first to know when Coping for Kids: A Parent's Guide to Helping Your Children Go From 60-0 is released: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/64a7397e349daf2cf867be7a

Welcome back! It's another month and another Q&A. Each month, Lindsay and Paige compile questions from the community Facebook group, Instagram and TikTok to answer in real-time. This episode their covering topics including tips on supporting increasing the attention span of our children with independent play, how to support our children through early life trauma, developmentally appropriate expectations for toddlers, and how to set boundaries during tricky toddlerhood, label theory, and co-parenting through situations when we don't agree with our co-parent's behaviors.

If you're looking for more on responsive parenting tips and techniques, check out our new video series Responsive Parenting Your NeuroDivergent Child here: https://responsive-parenting-your-neurodivergent-child.teachery.co/responsive-parenting-your-neurodivergent-child

You can find all our season three podcast episodes now on YouTube! Watch/listen here: https://www.youtube.com/@mindfulasamotherpodcast2606/playlists

We're back! This week Lindsay and Paige are continuing the conversation on motivation murderers; avoidance, anxiety, procrastination, anger, and perfectionism. Except, this week we're talking about how they can show up for your kids. Our brains allow us to "hack" them, but you need the right tools. Just as adults struggle with these motivation murderers, so do kids. We're talking all age groups with a special focus on our teens and teen parents. Listen to this week's episode to continue to grow your parenting toolbox to support your kids in learning the skills that will help them hack their motivation.

BIG NEWS! You can now find us and every episode of season three on youtube at www.youtube.com/mindfulasamother

We've recently created a special video series on responsive parenting techniques adapted to your neurodivergent child. Check out our new video series at https://stan.store/Mindfulasamother

This week, Paige and Lindsay dive deep into motivation when you have ADHD. They each provide real examples of how they've created not the best habits lining emotionality and motivation to get all the things done. Whether we're murdering out motivation through anger, procrastination, anxiety, or avoidance we're sharing all our favorite tips and tricks to support ourselves in mustering motivation in even the most difficult times. Be sure to tune in next week to hear how we can use similar tips and tricks, but tweaked, for our kids and teens.

Now you can find all of our episodes on youtube: www.youtube.com/mindfulasamother

For all of our other offers, check out our store here: https://stan.store/Mindfulasamother

DAY 5! WE DID IT! You have now learned how to map your nervous system, evaluated basic needs, learned and practiced new skills, and practiced them with your children. Next, we learn how to use all of this information to create a supportive routine. We have a toolbox that we're filling and we need a wide variety of tools. Just like you can't build an entire house with just a hammer, not every skill is appropriate for every situation. We want you to list your tools and the things you've been practicing. Then, go through and look at your map from day one (yours and your child) identifying your main triggers. Now, weave your skills and meeting basic needs into the days/times of your routine for nervous system support. Listen to the entire podcast sprint day 5 to get a clearer picture of how to create a supportive routine for yourself and your children.

If you're looking for more information on nervous system support and skills for you and your children, check out our Calm Mom, Happy Kids class here: https://candid-truth-726.myflodesk.com/

You've got the foundation, your basic needs are met, you've selected and practiced new skills, and NOW is learning to do it together. "How do I teach my kids to manage their emotions?" Well, we have to take it back to co-regulating. Co-regulating is when we use our nervous system to help support our child's nervous system and enter a calm state. Basically, your ability to manage your emotions will make a HUGE impact on your child's ability to manage their emotions. We have good news for you, it's never too late to start teaching your kids how to co-regulate. Here are some examples of what we discuss in this podcast sprint: our experience learning how to manage our emotions later in life (30's), narrating our child's experience using feelings words, modeling the use of skills to manage our emotions, modeling of the labeling our emotional experience and physical sensations with each emotion, modeling and practicing new skills by ourselves and with our children.

Find out more about co-regulating and co-regulation skills with our Calm Mom, Happy Kids class here: https://candid-truth-726.myflodesk.com/

Step Three! This is where most parents and people get off track. Did you know that if you attempt too much change too quickly you're actually making it harder on yourself? Often, we want to start here, jumping in to use all the skills. "What do I do at the moment?!" "What are the skills?!" If you haven't, go back to day one to make sure you have a solid foundation of understanding of how to support your nervous system before attempting new skills. Start with finding things you're already interested in and find ways to incorporate them into your daily routine. We talk through habit stacking and some of our favorite skills. Specifically, we emphasize practicing skills while already calm so your brain will have access to them at the moment you need them to support your nervous system. Here are a handful of names of skills we discuss: patterned breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, taking a pause (utilizing STOP), progressive muscle relaxation, sensory cocooning, cold exposure, and ways to tailor skills specific to your child.

Find out more about these skills from our Calm Mom, Happy Kids class here: https://candid-truth-726.myflodesk.com/

Welcome back to the podcast sprint! We've mapped our nervous system, or maybe your child's nervous system. Now, we need to ensure that our basic needs are being met. "Am I optimizing myself at the level I am capable of?" For the purpose of this podcast sprint and nervous system regulation, our basic needs include rest, sunlight, movement, play, nourishment, connection, shelter, and safety. Once we are able to find our patterns of dysregulation within our nervous system, we are able to evaluate if we're meeting our body's basic needs. What do you notice when you're dysregulated? Are you often tired or hungry? Does your body need movement? You will also learn how to apply this to your child. We're basically just complicated houseplants.

Find more skills, tips and resources here: https://stan.store/Mindfulasamother/p/get-the-bundle-now-

Get the down and dirty on the what, why, and how of mapping your nervous system and the nervous system of your child. Nervous system regulation is the core of understanding our responses as adults and tantrums and meltdowns for our kids. Often, we try and jump in immediately with skills to help, but if we don't understand how and why the meltdowns happen, it's harder to problem solve. This is truly step one. Enjoy!

You can find more information on mapping your and your child's nervous system here: https://stan.store/Mindfulasamother/p/get-the-bundle-now-

Yes, monsters. Monsters under the bed AND in our head. Tune into this week of the podcast where Paige and Lindsay talk about the things that keep us from achieving our best lives as an ADHD individual, how you can identify your own monsters, and tips for what skills, or monster spray, you can use to keep them at bay.

You can find us on youtube at: https://youtu.be/_BNcBJ_uS2s

Don't forget to grab your own cheat sheet or Calm Mom, Happy Kids Masterclass at this link: https://stan.store/Mindfulasamother

Please join us in welcoming Grace Koelma, CEO of Future. ADHD! Grace is an educator, mindfulness and breathwork educator, and an ADHD Mom raising an ADHD kid. This week, we're deep diving into why traditional planners and thought patterns can actually make it harder for those of us with ADHD to get out lives together. Lindsay shares about her planner graveyard while Grace shares how her planners are science-backed, reward-based, and tailored specifically to the underserved ADHD population. Tune in to learn more about why this is a Paige&Lindsay-approved product and how Grace is busting the ceiling for ADHD entrepreneurs.

Nervous System/Regulation 101: https://stan.store/Mindfulasamother/p/mindful-parenting-and-nervous-system-101

This week, we're throwing back to spooky season and some of our favorite, most asked, and most answered questions. No, you didn't time travel, it's barely spring, but we couldn't resist bringing back this old favorite, most requested Q&A. Audience questions are answered with a dash of personal stories and applicable examples. Get answers to some of your burning questions including tackling complicated teen behaviors, managing mom guilt, and how to make rules and boundaries functional for YOU as an ADHD parent.  To find out more about us and all that we have to offer, check out our Stan Store: https://stan.store/Mindfulasamother