Happy parent

3 Ways for you to be less stressed | Podcast episode 253

Posted by Karen Lock Kolp on in Happy parent, Successful Fulfilled Kids
If only every day could be about pajamas and Lego dinosaurs.

Today I share how the stress I was under 7 1/2 years ago resulted in a lifelong tendon disorder.

I was so busy running our household and putting everyone else first, I did not pay attention to my health.

I really want you to learn from my mistake.

Today’s show focuses on how our stress isn’t just bad for us. It’s bad for our kids, too.

We also dig into the stresses of “intensive” parenting (a.k.a. helicopter or lawnmower parenting). And as you’ll see, that form of parenting stresses everybody out.

(Know what else stresses everybody out? Potty training, and temper tantrums… During today’s break I share about a free guide I offer for each of these stressors:

  • Click here for the FREE video and checklist to handle every temper tantrum
  • Click here for the FREE video and checklist to successfully potty train your child)

In this episode I offer three ways for you to be less stressed, not just now as we get into the holiday season (and everyone is pretty well at the end of their rope) but about how you can be less stressed over the long haul.

It’s Part 3 of the “how to raise successful, fulfilled, happy people” series, and I hope it helps you enjoy the time you spend with your littles!

Go to weturnedoutokay.com/253 for:

  • A cheat sheet on the 3 ways you can alleviate stress
  • Links to the articles I quote from today
  • What’s up in the We Turned Out Okay universe, including tons of free resources : )
  • The video of the week: “Good behavior at meals, good behavior at the park”

And thank you so much for listening! Continue reading “3 Ways for you to be less stressed | Podcast episode 253” →

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Combating Fear: A Conversation with Mom, Quilter, and Fighter for Justice Cathleen Dinsmore | Podcast Episode 249

Posted by Karen Lock Kolp on in Guest Interview, Happy parent
Here is Cathleen’s beautiful quilt.

Do you sometimes feel like you are raising your family in mighty frightening times?
So do I.

That’s why, when I learned about the thing of beauty this week’s guest created to combat fear, I knew I had to bring her on the show!

Mom, quilter, poet, and personal friend Cathleen Dinsmore recently created an amazing quilt-and-poem combination. The quilt is breathtaking – and, combined with the poem, fosters conversation around fear, and hope, and justice.

At weturnedoutokay.com you can view Cathleen’s amazing quilt, read the beautiful poem,

And here is the poem Cathleen wrote; it accompanies the quilt and brings this whole idea into sharper focus (at least for me).

and prepare to be inspired by the incredible impact one person can have on alleviating fear and inspiring hope.

Go to weturnedoutokay.com/249 for:

  • A look at Cathleen’s racial justice quilt, her accompanying poem, and TONS of links that come up in today’s conversation
  • What’s up in the We Turned Out Okay universe, including tons of free resources : )
  • The video of the week: “Helping when Halloween scares your young child”

And thank you so much for listening! Continue reading “Combating Fear: A Conversation with Mom, Quilter, and Fighter for Justice Cathleen Dinsmore | Podcast Episode 249” →

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What Gets Us Through Tough Times: Talking with Diane Hessan, Mom, Entrepreneur, and Columnist | Podcast Episode 246

Posted by Karen Lock Kolp on in Guest Interview, Happy parent

Diane Hessan always knew she wanted to work full-time, while raising her daughters. Today she shares what that was really like, and how her life’s work prepared her to fulfill a super important role in today’s frightening and demoralizing political climate.

Nowadays, Diane speaks daily with 500 American voters. These are people from every area of the country, every walk of life, every creed, every color. And as she connects with them Diane is learning important lessons that she takes into her own life.

Listen to our conversation today to discover what these lessons are, so you can enjoy your life, and be helpful to those around you at the same time!

Go to weturnedoutokay.com/246 for:

  • Links that come up in our conversation today
  • What’s up in the We Turned Out Okay universe, including tons of free resources : )
  • The 3 most important things to remember from today’s conversation

And thank you so much for listening! Continue reading “What Gets Us Through Tough Times: Talking with Diane Hessan, Mom, Entrepreneur, and Columnist | Podcast Episode 246” →

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How do we handle big parental pressures? Talking with KJ Dell’Antonia, author of the forthcoming book How to be a Happier Parent (podcast episode 237)

Posted by Karen Lock Kolp on in Happy parent, Parenting Books

Talking with returning champion KJ Dell’Antonia

is always a pleasure, and this episode is maybe my favorite conversation with her yet!

KJ has got a book coming out later this month, and if you’re feeling the pressures of parenting, you are going to LOVE her book, How to be a Happier Parent.

Like so many of my favorite conversations, this one zooms around and goes in directions that I didn’t envision when we sat down to talk.

And every direction offers something valuable for you to take into your parenting life.

We talk about:

  • Why parents need something of their own – something separate from your kids – to enjoy
  • How (and why) after-school activities and sports got so crazy
  • KJ’s two key steps to handling the big, bad pressures on us parents.

Go to weturnedoutokay.com/237 for the TONS of links that come up in our conversation, and also to read more about KJ’s 2-step process to deal with those pressures…

And thank you so much for listening!

[Please note: Magic Words for Parents, our series of quick phrases to help you say the right thing even in the toughest parenting moments, is on vacation until September 10… Click here for the playlist of past Magic Words in YouTube, and click here for the EXTRA Magic Words videos … get exclusive access by becoming a We Turned Out Okay Patreon patron.] Continue reading “How do we handle big parental pressures? Talking with KJ Dell’Antonia, author of the forthcoming book How to be a Happier Parent (podcast episode 237)” →

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“There’s just not enough time to do everything” – Part 2 of the Taming Weeknight Chaos Series! (Podcast Episode 233)

Posted by Karen Lock Kolp on in Happy parent, Weeknight chaos

Welcome to Part 2 of our Taming the Weeknight Chaos series!

Click here for the FREE Tame the Weeknight Chaos Guide, including Video & Checklist

Today we address a huge challenge in every parent’s efforts to create enjoyable, smooth family weeknights: there’s just not enough time to get everything done.

In fact today is a troubleshooting episode, because we tackle that problem – and also the “I’m always the bad cop” problem that comes up for tons of parents!

You’ll find this episode really helpful if weeknight chaos is a problem for you.

Go to weturnedoutokay.com/233 for:

A video covering these two common problems with weeknights;

And: A free 6-Point Checklist and Video Guide to help you truly enjoy weeknights with your kids

Happy listening : ) Continue reading ““There’s just not enough time to do everything” – Part 2 of the Taming Weeknight Chaos Series! (Podcast Episode 233)” →

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How we parents can stop feeling anxious, with author and dad Charlie Hoehn (Podcast Episode 230)

Posted by Karen Lock Kolp on in Happy parent, parenting

I’m so happy to share

this wonderful conversation with Charlie Hoehn, dad, podcaster, person who helps people publish books, and (most important for our conversation today) author.

Charlie’s book, Play It Away, shares his experience with soul-sucking anxiety, and the simple cure he found.

The thing about this cure is, it’s something humans all do naturally, and it’s as important to us as sleep.

But yet we often grow up and forget how important it is; the lack of this crucial element in Charlie’s life is what caused his terrible anxiety.

If you’re feeling anxious, you are going to love our conversation.

And if you’re not feeling anxious, you’ll still love it because it will help you see the importance of this element in your child’s life.

Shout out this week to new patrons of We Turned Out Okay: Steve, and Sue, who are supporting WTOO in Patreon and getting access to exclusive content, like EXTRA Magic Words for Parents, and Behind-the-Scenes videos!

You can get these great extras too, just by going to Patreon.com/weturnedoutokay!

This week’s Magic Words for Parents video shares a quick phrase you can use to help when your child is feeling overwhelmed by too many choices. Watch by clicking here to join the We Turned Out Okay Facebook group, or by clicking here to watch in YouTube, where there’s a whole playlist of Magic Words!

Thank you for listening to today’s episode!
Key links and show notes – and THE CUTEST picture of Charlie with his little girl! – at weturnedoutokay.com/230.

Cheers! Continue reading “How we parents can stop feeling anxious, with author and dad Charlie Hoehn (Podcast Episode 230)” →

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The 2 Most Dangerous Words in a Parent’s Vocabulary (Podcast Episode 219)

Posted by Karen Lock Kolp on in Bad Behavior, Happy parent
Kids. Sometimes, it’s a good thing they’re cute.

Today’s podcast episode shares one simple change you can make that will affect how your child behaves.

Read on, and listen to today’s episode, to learn this simple change yourself and start using it to truly enjoy the time you spend with your kids!

Working with parents of young children,

one phrase comes up again and again – one really dangerous phrase.

It’s dangerous because it perpetuates bad behavior from our kids, which none of us want… Yet, it is really hard not to use it.

You probably use this phrase yourself; I know I have!

Here’s the thing: we do not want to ASK our kids “would you like to stop hitting your sister now?”

Instead, we want them to simply STOP hitting their sister.

(Or whatever thing they’re doing right now that is potentially harmful/driving us crazy/making us question our life choices : )

Today I share:
– Exactly what the two most dangerous words in a parent’s vocabulary are
– Why these words get used so often
– What you can say instead for good behavior from your child

Today’s episode helps you get past the bad behavior so you can fulfill your ultimate goal of truly enjoying family time!

 

Read more about these two dangerous words and what to say instead…
Find every back episode of the We Turned Out Okay podcast…
Sign up for the 3 Secrets of Happy Parenting Class…
All at weturnedoutokay.com/219.

Happy listening! Continue reading “The 2 Most Dangerous Words in a Parent’s Vocabulary (Podcast Episode 219)” →

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Podcast Episode 213: The 3 Secrets of Happy Parenting

Posted by Karen Lock Kolp on in Happy parent, Just You and Me

Welcome! To listen to today’s episode, scroll all the way down to the bottom of this post and hit the triangular “play” button. Enjoy the show!

 If you are feeling like you’re barely getting through the day without screaming at your toddler or preschooler, this episode is for you!

In it I introduce a live, online class I am teaching, called “The 3 Secrets of Happy Parenting.” The class features three secrets of happy parenting that I have identified.

These 3 secrets help parents just like you:

– End the fear and dread that can accompany family time with young children.

– Learn the tools to transform their kids’ behavior from bad to good.

– Enjoy spending time with their young children.

For details go to weturnedoutokay.com/secrets : )

 

 A special note about this episode

Today’s episode is all about storytelling, and in it I get to share about a live storytelling event that 20-time winner of the Husband of the Year award, Benjamin Kolp, and I did just a few nights ago!

Here are two stories – really, two halves of the same story – for your viewing pleasure:

 

Today, I share the story of my own frightening and persistent question, a real biggie which brought with it a lot of parental guilt – but yet this question simply wouldn’t leave me alone…

I share how I successfully addressed it, and I introduce a minicourse that can help you address it, too.

This minicourse is all ready for you over at weturnedoutokay.com!

It’s called The Three Secrets of Happy Parenting, and today’s episode is also the intro to the course.

Sign up by going to weturnedoutokay.com/213!

And thank you so much for listening : ) Continue reading “Podcast Episode 213: The 3 Secrets of Happy Parenting” →

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Bonus: Join the Streamline Your Whole Life 21-Day Challenge!

Posted by Karen Lock Kolp on in Happy parent, Podcast Episode

Welcome! To listen to today’s episode, scroll all the way down to the bottom of this post and hit the triangular “play” button. Enjoy the show!

If you want to:
– Handle afterschool activities, bedtime routines, and homework like a ninja parent
– Work better with everyone who looks after your child
– Deal with the time crunches and scheduling issues that come with the parenting job
– Feel better within yourself

I’ve got a 21-day challenge to help you!

Streamline your whole life during these 21 days (which begin as soon as you join, no need to wait at all), work closely with me on your toughest parenting conundrums, and feel like a new person at the end!

I’m running a holiday season special, so you get the benefit of the challenge at half off the normal cost… But only for a few more days, the special ends Tuesday, November 28.

Click here for details and to sign up for the Streamline Your Whole Life 21-Day Challenge!

Questions? Get answers on my contact page : )

Continue reading “Bonus: Join the Streamline Your Whole Life 21-Day Challenge!” →

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