Raising Resilience
By Sara Olsher
Raising ResilienceJun 30, 2023
(212) Mindfulness for Kids That's Actually *Do-Able* (and Why It's Important)
Join Sara Olsher and Danielle Bettmann as they dive into the world of mindfulness for kids. We all know that teaching kids to be mindful can be a challenge, especially when their brains (and bodies) are constantly on the move. But fear not! In this episode, Sara and Danielle share practical tips and strategies to make mindfulness fun and accessible for kids. From actually easy-to-do journaling to gratitude practices, they've got you covered. Discover how to help your kids pause, reflect, and navigate their emotions like pros. Get ready to bring some joy and balance into your family's life. Show Notes
Balance Journal: Balance Journal to teach mindfulness to kids.
(211) Balance, Well-Being, and Self-Care for Kids
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the concept of self-care? How do you think teaching children about wellbeing and self-care can positively impact their future decision-making and prevent burnout?
Self-care is more than just indulging in activities like bubble baths and manicures; it's about creating a lifestyle that promotes balance and prevents the need to constantly escape from stress. Tune in to this episode as Sara and Danielle provide insights and practical tips for teaching children how to create a balanced lifestyle that promotes their overall well-being and resilience.
Show Notes and Transcript: https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/211-well-being-and-self-care
(210) Maintaining Your Environment: Teaching Kids to Take Care of Their Spaces
In this episode of the Raising Resilience Podcast, host Sara and parenting coach Danielle Bettmann discuss the importance of maintaining a clean and organized environment for children's mental health.
They introduce KC Davis, a therapist and author, known for her insights into coping with mental health issues and self-care. KC emphasizes the impact of clutter and messiness on mental well-being and shares helpful strategies for teaching children to maintain their environment effectively.
They discuss the Mighty + Bright Room Reset board as a tool to guide children in resetting their spaces and establish routines that reduce overwhelm. By breaking down cleaning tasks into manageable steps and providing visual cues, children can learn to take care of their surroundings and experience a sense of accomplishment. Sara and Danielle stress the significance of teaching this skill early on, as it positively influences children's mental health and fosters a peaceful and safe environment.
https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/210-maintaining-your-environment
Mighty + Bright: http://mightyandbright.com
The Room Reset Board: https://mightyandbright.com/products/magnetic-task-chart-for-chores-and-room-resetting
(209) What the Heck is a "Family Culture" and Why is it Important?
In this podcast episode, Sara Olsher talks to Danielle Bettmann about family culture and values.
The conversation covers:
- Family culture and values as a protective factor for kids' mental health;
- The Family Business Plan, developed by Danielle Bettmann, which is modeled after writing a business plan for a company;
- The value in establishing clear communication, structure, and a shared vision and goals in a family;
- Creating a sense of belonging, and how this is key to helping kids feel valued and important in the family, contributing to their overall well-being.
Show Notes: https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/209-family-culture-values
The Raising Resilience™ Program: https://mightyandbright.com/mentalhealth
Mighty and Bright: https://mightyandbright.com/
Danielle Bettmann: https://www.parentingwholeheartedly.com/
(208) We Aren't Teaching Kids Actual Problem-Solving Skills (and what to do about it)
In this episode, Sara Olsher and Danielle Bettmann discuss teaching kids problem-solving skills and helping kids manage overwhelm as protective factors that help children avoid mental health crises. A few points:
- Teachers and school counselors also struggle with differentiating between a big deal and a little deal when addressing children's problems.
- Imagining the problem as a piece of paper and throwing it in the trash can is not an effective problem-solving technique for children.
- Executive function skills are necessary for effective problem solving, and assumptions that children already know how to do it can create confusion and frustration.
- Children come to adults for help because they do not know what to do, so dismissing them is not helpful.
- Teaching children alternatives, options, and how to handle problems themselves is essential for their long-term problem-solving skills.
Show Notes: https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/208-problem-solving-and-overwhelm
The Raising Resilience Program: http://mightyandbright.com/mentalhealth
(207) How a simple analogy can help you teach your kids to manage their emotions
- In this episode of the Raising Resilience Podcast, Sara Olsher and Danielle Bettmann discuss the concept of managing emotions.
- They cover what happens when emotions hijack the brain and how thinking can become distorted due to past experiences and the stories we tell ourselves.
- They also discuss how to untangle these experiences and how to approach managing emotions with kids and helping them regulate their emotions.
- The conversation also touches on how adults can manage their own big emotions and the importance of understanding and verbalizing the process of sorting through and dealing with these emotions.
Show Notes: https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/207-managing-emotions
Raising Resilience™ Program: https://mightyandbright.com/mentalhealth
(206) The Surprising Reasons Affirmations will Empower Your Kids
In this episode, Sara and Danielle discuss the protective factors for children's mental health and ways to support kids in dealing with tough situations. They mention the use of affirmations and power thoughts as tools for empowering kids and helping them develop a positive self-image. Danielle notes that the parent-child relationship is unique and that parents have the ability to set the standard for their interactions and the messages they send to their kids. She also emphasizes the importance of repetition in helping kids internalize positive messages and build strong neural pathways in their brains. The conversation touches on the idea that our thoughts can have a significant impact on our coping skills and ability to handle stress, and that helping kids understand the power of their thoughts can help them develop resilience and navigate the challenges of the world.
Show Notes: https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/206-kids-empowerment
The Raising Resilience™ Program: http://www.mightyandbright.com/mentalhealth
(205) Why Understanding the Nervous System is Key for Emotional Intelligence
A few years ago, I talked with my daughter's third grade teacher about the schools social emotional learning program. She shared that kids were really opposed to use the deep breathing exercises — until the school counselor visited the classroom to explain how deep breathing literally changes what's going on in your brain. After that, not only were the students open to deep breathing exercises, but so was she!
Understanding the WHY behind different coping skills is absolutely necessary - because otherwise, we aren't super likely to use them.
This week we're talking about how the nervous system works, how to explain that to your kids, and more about why that's so helpful.
Show notes and transcript: https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/205-why-understanding-the-nervous-system-is-key-for-emotional-intelligence
(204) Making it Easier to Play and Build Connection with Our Kids
Playing with our kids has all sorts of mental health benefits for your family — but let's be real, it can be hard to do.
As adults, it can be really hard to access that "inner child" that can relax, get imaginative and silly, and just...play. On top of that, playing games with young kids can be frustrating: you're told you're doing it "wrong" so often you don't know how to do it right, or you're just flat-out bored because you cannot make yourself love Floor is Lava, or playing Minecraft makes you nauseous. It's hard to make yourself do something you don't like to do, especially because we get hardly any time to ourselves. And then, of course, many of us feel guilt for not playing (or not enjoying it).
Not to mention the fact that whatever you do doesn't feel like enough to them — they always want more time, and the whining and sadness that results sometimes makes it feel like you never want to do it ever again.
If you struggle to play with your kids, you're not alone.
The truth is, if playtime were fun, it would be of benefit to both your child and you. But that "if" is a really big IF. Today, Danielle and Sara talk about the mental health benefits of connecting with your kids, and the method they came up with to make it more structured and fun.
Show Notes and Transcript: https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/204-making-it-easier-to-play-and-build-connection-with-our-kids
Raising Resilience Program: http://www.mightyandbright.com/mentalhealth
Danielle's website and podcast: Parenting Wholeheartedly
(203) What's Emotional Literacy, and What Makes it So Powerful?
Research shows the #1 predictor of a child's future happiness and success is their emotional intelligence. But what exactly is emotional literacy, and why does it cultivate empathy, self-awareness, collaboration and problem-solving?
Today we're talking about the ability to identify our own emotions, and why you should get started with your kids.
Show notes and transcript: https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/203-identifying-emotions
(202) How (and Why) to Get Our Kids to Talk to Us About Anything
"I want them to come to me with ANYTHING."
"I don't want my kids to hide things that they need help with."
As our kids grow up, we want them to be able to come to us to talk about anything that's worrying them, so we can support them and guide them.
And as it turns out, supportive parental relationships like these are a protective factor for kids' mental health issues.
So what do we need to do so that our kids will come to us when they need help? That's what we're talking about today.
Show notes and transcript: https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/202-open-communication
Kids' Mental Health Skills Subscription
Danielle's podcast, Failing Motherhood
(201) What is Structure, and Why is it a Protective Factor for Kids' Mental Health?
Research links "structure" to kids' overall mental health and finds it to be a protective factor, helping to prevent mental health crises. What does this mean, and how can you implement it day-to-day? Join host Sara Olsher and guest Danielle Bettmann as they discuss structure, why it's the foundation for mental health, and how you can implement it in your day-to-day.
Show Notes: https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/201-structure
Kids' Mental Health Skills Subscription
Danielle's podcast, Failing Motherhood
Raising Resilience, Season 2 Trailer
The Raising Resilience Podcast is back with Season 2.
Hello again, friends. It's been a while. You know, over the last couple of years, it has become more and more apparent to me that almost every parent I know is struggling with their mental health. We're living in kind of a messed up world, to say the least. And most of us are putting a ton of pressure on ourselves to make sure that our kids can cope with it. But we are barely keeping our heads above water ourselves.
And when it came to launching season two of the Raising Resilience podcast, I wanted to make a change in the type of information that I'm sharing here. There is so much noise online. I am trying my hardest to cut out the things that are making me feel icky, and I personally don't see the need to add to that noise unless it's actually helpful to you (or to me). So in season two, I've decided to bring on some experts to talk about how we can raise resilience in our kids, but also in ourselves. Because let's be real. We were not raised for this world. We were raised in a world that doesn't exist anymore. We were raised when free range parenting was just parenting, and online bullying was not a thing. Filters were not a thing. And kids were not shooting other kids.
So this is a podcast for parents who don't want to rely on hopes and prayers that our kids won't become a statistic. It's for parents who don't want to cross their fingers and hope for the best.
But it is also for parents who might be feeling just a tad bit overwhelmed and might be struggling with their own mental health issues, and who really want to do the very best for their kids — and themselves — with what is left of our limited mental and emotional capacity. So here is what I'm going to promise you for season two, friend.
The first is that if I interview someone and the interview makes me feel stressed out, I am not going to share it with you. We know enough statistics to keep us up at 3 a.m. and we have enough to worry about. And I'm not going to give you another thing to add to the list. You don't need any more of that, right? However, I want you to leave an episode feeling overwhelmed or stressed. So that's promise number one. And the second promise is that I want you to leave every episode feeling empowered to do something for yourself or for your kids. And that doesn't feel like it's making your life harder. So welcome back to the Raising Resilience podcast. I am so excited for Season Two.
(120) How to Get Time for Yourself
As parents — especially those of us who are going through a really difficult season in life — getting time to ourselves is not only important, it's downright necessary. It not only makes you feel better, it makes you a better parent. Here are some real-world tips for getting time to yourself, even if it's just five minutes.
Show Notes:
https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/episode-47-how-to-get-time-for-yourself
(119) The Difference Between Taking + Receiving
What does it mean to "receive" help versus "take" it? To me, the difference is all in the way you approach people. In this short episode, I share a simple mind shift that might just make it easier for you to accept help.
Show Notes:
https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/episode-46-the-difference-between-taking-receiving
(118) We Have to Prepare Our Kids
We all want to know what we can expect when we're entering a new situation — who will be there? What's expected of us? Our kids are no different.
Show Notes:
https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/episode-43-no-one-likes-to-be-surprised
(117) Kids of Divorce: You Have All the Best Parts
Kids know that they're made from both of their parents — even if that connection isn't biological. What happens when parents divorce, and the kids feel like you hate their other parent? Here's how I have handled talking about my daughter's dad.
Show Notes:
https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/episode-42-you-have-all-the-best-parts
(116) Dealing with Trauma
When something happens to us — either an ongoing traumatic experience or a single incident — there are many ways to deal with it. I read something recently that reminded me of what happens to us when we don't cope. Today I wanted to share that with you, in addition to the things that have helped me cope with my PTSD.
Show Notes:
https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/episode-40-dealing-with-trauma
(115) The #1 Thing That Helps Me Stay Patient with my Kid
When kids are having a tough time, they don't come to us and calmly say, "I am struggling and could use some assistance." They melt down, they sass . . . basically, they push every button we have. Today, I'm talking about the #1 way I've been able to maintain patience through some of the hardest times ever.
Show Notes:
https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/episode-39-the-1-thing-that-helps-me-stay-patient-with-my-kid
(114) The Gifts of Anger
Many of us label various emotions as "good" and "bad." Joy is "good" and anger or sadness are "bad." In this short episode, I share how I realized that I judged anger as "bad" and what I learned to value in it.
Show Notes:
https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/episode-38-the-gifts-of-anger
(113) You Should Apologize to Your Kids
Studies show that good parenting and good relationships don't come from being perfect. They come from repairing when we mess up. Today, we're talking about apologizing to our kids and accepting our own imperfection.
Show Notes:
https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/episode-37-accepting-imperfection-and-learning-to-apologize
(112) "I don't want pity."
"I don't want anyone's pity." Ever said that to yourself? This month, I'm talking about accepting help, and what keeps us from accepting us. Today, it's about the difference between pity, empathy, and sympathy — and how they're all about the other person.
Show Notes:
https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/episode-33-pity-empathy-and-sympathy
(111) How Showing Kids What to Expect Clears the Clutter in their Head
Have you ever noticed how your mind gets when you're anxious, running 10 million miles an hour? Kids are the same way. We tend to want to organize ourselves to make things easier, but kids don't have that skill. What if I could tell you that there was one thing you could hang on the wall that would help your kids deal with their worry?
Show Notes:
https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/episode-29-how-showing-kids-what-to-expect-clears-the-clutter-in-their-head
(110) Mani-pedis and Glasses of Wine are not Self Care
Self-care is a buzzword that brings to mind visions of mani-pedis, bubble baths, and a glass of wine. But TRUE self-care is about creating a life you don't need to escape from.
Show notes: https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/episode-26-why-mani-pedis-and-glasses-of-wine-are-not-self-care
(109) Locking Yourself in the Closet
Whether it's an office, a bathroom, or a closet, we all need a place where we can go to calm the eff down.
Show Notes: https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/episode-25-creating-a-sanctuary
(108) When Your Friends + Family Disappoint You
When something awful happens, sometimes our friends and family don't show up for us the way we expected them to — and that can *hurt.* Losing friends during a personal disaster is (unfortunately) common. Here's why it happens and how to handle it.
Show Notes:
https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/episode-17-when-your-friends-family-disappoint-you
(107) Household Systems for Stress Relief
Going through something hard? Creating routines and rhythms in your family can help reduce your stress in a MAJOR way. Here are a few tips for creating a simplified system in your household to reduce everyone's stress and anxiety.
Find the show notes here:
https://mightyandbright.com/blogs/raising-resilience-podcast/episode-16-creating-systems-for-stress-reduction
(106) Growth Mindset + Giving Kids Control
In this episode, Sara talks about how growth mindset and control are related, and how they help kids deal with life's hardest challenges.
(105) It's Okay That Everything SUCKS
Sometimes, life is hard. Sometimes, we feel super sorry for ourselves, and then we feel guilty because other people have it worse than we do. What do we do when we're in a slump?
(104) Why Being a Good Parent Means Taking What You Need
(103) Anxiety Buster for Kids + Adults: Worry Time
(102) My Story: Surviving Divorce, Cancer, and Other Hard Stuff
