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Hi, Friend!
Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, it’s easy to tell our kids what they are doing wrong and point out their flaws. Are you thinking, “What? I never do that!”
Have you ever said, “You never listen,” or “You always take forever to do anything”? Or maybe you tell them, “Why can’t you just clean up like your brother?”.
Have you ever noticed that those one-liners don’t actually work when it comes to motivating your kids? If you’re putting a globally generalized label on their actions, then that’s soon what they start to believe about themselves.
In today’s episode, we are talking about how to rephrase what we say in the heat of the moment when our kids are choosing not to listen or when our kids give up so easily. We need to rethink whether or not our words are lifting our kids up or putting them down, and we are exploring it all in episode 43!
I hope you find these tips to be successful for you and your littles!
Thanks for listening!
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Hi, Friend!
If you ever wish you didn’t have to take your kids to the park because you dread leaving or you loathe bath time because you know it’s literally the worst time getting your kids out of the tub, then you will love this episode!
Yes, it’s normal for our kids to melt down, but how do we get through meltdowns with our toddlers? Is there a way to prevent meltdowns from happening?
Yes, it is possible! In today’s episode, we are talking about 4 successful strategies to use during meltdowns so that you can move on to the next task with your child more easily. These strategies will help your child feel encouraged, be successful during undesirable tasks and transitions, and learn how to self-regulate his emotions.
I hope you find these tips to be successful for you and your littles!
Thanks for listening!
Michelle
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Manglende episoder?
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Hi, Mama-Friend,
Today, I’m sharing my personal experience with anxiety. I’ve battled anxiety since I was a child, and it actually didn’t hit me until I was an adult. Knowing what I know about how it impacted me as a child prompted me to share my experience.
We just don’t always understand what our kids are going through. It’s easy to tell them to brush it off. It’s easy to tell them that everything will be okay “It’s just a boo-boo,” but when you’re battling anxiety and struggling with mental health issues, hearing that can make it even worse.
We may not even know the why behind our kids’ anxieties, but it’s our job to create an environment of empathy for them, helping them understand that they aren’t alone, and although someone may not be able to take away the pains or worries, someone will be there while they go through it.
If you take away anything from this episode, I pray that you understand that our kids sometimes have big feelings and emotions that we don’t always understand; please be mindful of telling them that they are fine because they may not be.
Anxiety may be silent and hard to understand, and may even be scary for your kids. Be vigilant to signs that your little one might have anxiety about things, and be respectful of that; create a safe place for them to express their concerns, and find a way to support them and help them overcome those anxieties so they learn to become resilient.
Thanks for listening,
Michelle
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Hi, Mama-Friend
Have you ever wondered, is there a secret formula to helping your child learn naturally through everyday life, without forcing it? Can my child really play and learn at the same time?
I have great news! I have broken down a formula for success when it comes to helping your child make deep connections, boost language, and learn new skills naturally—and it all starts with play-based learning!
This episode is filled with five easy ways to help your child learn naturally through everyday life, where they are leading the learning.
All you have to do is provide the resources to ignite their curiosity (which is a lot easier than you think)!
I hope you enjoy this episode and learn something new!
Michelle
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Hey there!
“I’m so frustrated!” – Does that line ever come out of your mouth?... While you’re yelling at your kids??
Odds are, there are many times that warrant a short fuse throughout your day, but is there a way to find patience when your kids are being frustrating, needing reminder after reminder!
Yes, our kids may frustrate us, and yes, we lose our patience, but is there anything WE can do to fix that, or are we expecting our kids to make those changes…and then getting let down when they are unsuccessful reaching those expectations?
What is truly the cause of our impatience? Is it our kids, or is it the expectation of the situation?
Sit back and relax as we unravel an answer to “How do I become a more patient parent?!”
Thanks for listening!! I hope this episode shines a new light on your parenting!
If you love it, I’d be so grateful if you would leave a review!
Be blessed, my friend!
Michelle
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Hi, Mama-Friend!
Have you ever wondered, “How do I raise Godly children?” The answer is quite simple, but yet rather challenging at the same time.
We have to constantly ask ourselves, “Are my kids living more like God, or living more like me?! And how am I contributing to that?”
Am I teaching them to live like me, or am I teaching them to live like God? Oh, complex, right?! I want to say I’m teaching them to live like God, but am I showing them how to live like God? And if I’m not showing them how to live like God, where and how do I start?
We have to remember how important it is to teach our kids Godly expectations, but also model those Godly expectations, which is obviously so easy, right? Ha. Kidding.
But, seriously, sometimes it takes help, and that’s a-okay.
We are talking about it all in episode 38! I’d love for you to comment, what do you find easy or challenging about living up to Godly expectations? Do you find that some things are easier than others? I’d love to know—be sure to share with us www.facebook.com/groups/generationonamission and comment on this post!
Thanks for listening!
Michelle
*Don’t forget to join us starting Feb 21 in the Facebook group for a crossing the midline challenge! Every day (M-F), I will be sharing out an activity that you can do with your kids that also ties in some learning and brain boosting exercises, as well! I hope to see you there!
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Hi, Mama!
Did you know that helping your child build coordination and motor skills at an early age is actually EASIER (and more important) than you think?!
In today’s episode, you’ll learn a super quick, easy way to help your kids boost their coordination and motor skills every single day. Bonus, there’s actually little to no prep involved for you, which is always a win!
Doing this one simple thing every day will help your child become a stronger reader and writer, as well, because it helps them learn how to more easily use BOTH sides of their brain at the same time—which sounds all fancy-like!
I hope you learn a little somethin’-somethin’!
Be sure to join our Facebook group, where I’ll be sharing out learning activities to go along with this week’s episode every day during the week of Feb. 21. You’ll see easy, no or little prep activities that you can do with your kids to help grow those brain muscles by using both sides of their brains! See you there!
Michelle
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Hi, Sweet Mama!
In today’s episode, we are answering the question, “How do I prepare my child for new life experiences,” like having a new sibling, starting school or moving homes, for example?
It’s up to us, as their parents, to help them understand what new life changes will bring, and to help them learn to identify any emotions that might come along with these changes. Life changes may not always be easy for our little ones to handle, so we have to make sure we prepare them as adequately as we can!
This comes through helping them identify emotions, showing them visuals and talking through what might happen as these new life changes occur.
When we do this, our little ones know what to expect, and they are able to navigate through the life change with a better understanding, which will hopefully better prepare them for any uncertain emotions that they may experience.
Thanks for listening!
Michelle
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Hey Mama-Friend!
Quick Question: Is how we respond to our kids when they ask us something important?
Yes. Absolutely.
Sometimes, I think we forget that our kids’ behaviors are actually happening because of how we handle situations, as adults, or even how we respond to our kids. We have a bigger impact on their behavior than we might think.
In this particular episode, we are diving into the response of saying, “I don’t care” to our kids when they ask us if they can do something. Now, we may not care, but is it really beneficial to respond with, “I don’t care”?
Here’s something to think about. How many times have you responded with, “I don’t care,” but then moments later, realize that you actually do care, and you are taking back what you said in the first place? Or maybe you’re yelling at your kids to stop what they are doing because they “took advantage of you”?
We have to get into the habit of putting effort into our responses, so that our kids are clear on our expectations. When they are clear on expectations, with little gray area, they are more likely to listen. Our kids need to know that we are invested in them, in their health and well-being, which is why we are diving into alternative ways to respond to your kids, rather than saying, “I don’t care.”
How do you let your kids know that you don’t mind them doing things, while still letting them know that there are boundaries in place? I’d love to know!
Thanks for listening!
Michelle
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Hey, Mama-Friend!
I know how it is! My kids just got all the toys in the world for Christmas and they are still left wanting MORE! They are unsatisfied, yet again, but have you ever stopped to wonder why that is?
Our kids get so wrapped up in the things that they WANT and think will make them happy, that they lose focus on the things that they have right in front of them.
I’d like to call it the sweater phenomenon…I’ll explain. This is where we look in our closets that are FULL of clothes, yet we think we have NOTHING to wear. It’s the same for our kids. They look in their toy boxes and think they have NOTHING to play with! Well, we can’t very well be mad at them for saying that, when we say the same thing ourselves when it comes to never having enough clothes in the closet or food in the pantry!
How do I help my kids learn to appreciate the things they have? I think it all starts with creating an attitude of appreciation and gratitude OURSELVES before we can expect our kids to show any sort of appreciation for the things that they have, and it’s all about finding balance, mama-friend!
We have to constantly reflect: How am I modeling the fact that I appreciate the little things? Am I complaining about never having enough or even being unsatisfied when I’m serving my family? What are my kids hearing ME say on a daily basis?
That all plays a role in creating an attitude of gratitude and an environment of appreciation, which is what we are diving into today!
Thanks for listening, and as always, if you love the episode, I’d love for you to leave a review!
Michelle
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Happy Holidays, Mama-Friend!
Ah, that crazy time of year when we pull out Elf on the Shelf, thinking that we are going to use it to gently persuade our kids into being good because their every move is being watched; so, that leads me to the question, do I really need Elf on the Shelf to help my kids be “good”? Does it REALLY work, or is it something I can stop doing with my kids?
We are answering those juicy questions, and, hold up! What?! I should stop asking my kids if they’ve been good this year. Is it okay to tell them that Santa’s watching and that he only delivers gifts to GOOD girls and boys? But my kids NEED to be good, otherwise Santa won’t come…or, will he? Let’s talk about the message that sends to our kids.
Is there a different way to approach Santa? How can we talk about Santa without using him as something to take away if our kids aren’t magically well behaved in the weeks leading up to Christmas?
We are talking about a mindset shift we can make as parents to help our kids understand that Santa (and Christmas) is more than just getting gifts when our kids are “good.” He’s about spreading kindness, and that’s the message we should send to our kids.
Let’s suit up for this well-needed, and very timely episode, as the holidays are upon us, mama-friend!
**Disclaimer and very important message: Grab some headphones or disappear from your kids for this one, because little ears don’t need to hear the secrets I disclose in this episode! 😊
Thanks for listening!
Michelle
Be sure to join in the discussion at www.facebook.com/groups/generationonamission or send me an email at [email protected] ! I’d love to hear your responses for the questions in this episode!
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Hey There, Mama-Friend!
Did you know that we all have an emotional bank account?! You might be like, Say What?! Yes, it’s true!
We all have emotional bank accounts, where we experience withdrawals and deposits, leaving our bank accounts full or empty. When we invest in our kids’ emotional bank accounts, and take the time to deposit into them, our relationships strengthen. That’s why depositing into them is so important.
Think about how we feel when we know how much someone loves us, or how an act of kindness can make us feel…or even when someone takes the time to understand our point of view. We feel respected, we feel valued, we feel invested in.
That’s how our kids want to feel, as well, but, sometimes, when we slip into the habit of telling them, “Don’t be afraid of…,” or, “Just try it, it won’t be that bad!” we aren’t taking the time to invest in their emotional bank accounts. When we take the time to understand their perspective, and think about things from their points of view, that’s when their opinions are heard and that’s when deposits are being made into their emotional piggy banks.
The more we deposit into our kids’ emotional bank accounts, the more our kids will still feel valued when a withdrawal, AKA a negative moment, happens.
So, let’s dive in and learn one way we can invest in our kids’ emotional bank accounts, so they are left feeling valued and our relationships with them remain strong!
Be blessed, my friend!
Michelle
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Welcome to Part 2 of the “How” series, where we are talking about how to teach your kids to become little world changers by asking all the right questions to them…and to yourselves!
Parenting is not just about learning how to “get your kids to do what you tell them to do.” AH, yes, good little listeners are great and make life easy, you’re absolutely right, but it’s so important that we help foster our kids’ independence by helping them think about how to do things for themselves.
We want to teach them how to problem solve, communicate kindly, use empathy, learn from their mistakes, be aware of their own emotions and learn solutions to work through those emotions so they can self-regulate effectively.
The most important thing to remember about teaching them these “How-tos” is that we (bold means it’s important!!) need to be reflecting on these questions ourselves, as parents. It’s not enough to expect our kids to communicate effectively, have a handle on their emotions, or even show empathy if WE are not doing the same. Parenting is a constant reflection on how you can better yourself every day for your kids, and that is so important to remember.
It’s not always easy, but it’s so worth it!
Here’s to raising little independent world changers!
Thanks for listening!
Michelle
Real Quick: For some great hands-on Fall and Thanksgiving activities, check out www.generationonamission.com; your preschooler will have a hoot and a half with them!
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Hey There, Mama-Friend!
Have you ever thought about how much we jump in to save the day for our little ones? We want to be there for them! It’s our motherly instinct!
Did you know that when we are so quick to jump in, it actually impedes their development when it comes to learning how to problem-solve and figure out how to work through their frustrations?
We need to be the generation of parents who teach our kids how to problem solve, identify their emotions and help them find solutions to cope with and work through their emotions. If we are constantly telling our kids what to say, how to think, and how to solve problems, then we aren’t fostering their critical thinking skills or their ability to become independent thinkers.
If we want our kids to grow into the leaders they are designed to be, then we need to start giving them ownership in the way they think and solve problems, and this all starts by using one simple word, “how.”
This episode is part one of two that will help answer the question of “How do I guide my kids in becoming self-aware, empathetic, communicative, independent problem-solvers?!”… That’s really specific, ha! These next two episodes will help answer it all!
Thanks for listening!
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Hey, Hey, Mama!!
I hope you’re just as excited to dive into this episode as I am!
We all want what’s best for our kids. We all desire and just yearn for our kids to stay on the right path and be the salt and light that this dark world needs. If you’re anything like me, than you want to teach your kids how to make an impact on this world. How do we accomplish such a BIG, audacious task?!
It was in the Target parking lot (naturally), where I decided that it was time for me to make a change in my parenting. It’s not only what I want and hope for them to accomplish. It’s about what I need to accomplish MYSELF as a world changer. It was the ultimate mindset change that I needed when I realized there’s more to just wanting my kids to be their best selves. I can’t just expect that from them without making some sort of change myself.
My kids can’t be the change in the world that I want them to be if I’M not being the change that I want them to see. I can’t help them reach their best potential if I’m not reaching my full potential myself when it comes to serving others and being a world changer.
And that is the pivotal moment that I will be diving into in today’s episode! It’s going to be so good!
I hope it just leaves you blessed and inspired to go out there and be a change agent, and teach your kids to do the same!!
I’d love to be inspired by you, as well! How do you all help your kids see their potential and lead them down a path of becoming world changers?! Please comment on this episode or give me a shout out on Instagram!
Also—be sure to listen to the end for some uplifting words from my little one 😊! Hopefully, it will make you chuckle and make your day!
Have a blessed week!
Michelle
Connect--> www.generationonamission.com
Community-->www.facebook.com/groups/generationonamission
Learning Ideas--> @michelleschauf on Instagram
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Hey There, Mama!
Today we are uncovering one thing you should do everyday to help strengthen your relationship with your kids!
When our relationships with our kids grows, we are able to reach our kids so much more proactively and positively when those negative moments pop up. Why is that? It's because they begin to trust you and know that you aren't out to just make them make them miserable by all the limits you set and expectations you enforce.
When you build trust, they know that you care about them! They know you want to get to know them and that you love them, which is so important in our relationships with our kids!
Have a Blessed Week!
Michelle
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Gosh, Mama, times can be tough can't they?
Let's be honest. Sometimes it's HARD to find joy in parenting, especially when our circumstances are changing and our kids aren't behaving the way we want them to.
I'll be the first to admit that even I have trouble finding joy in my parenting at times... especially during tough seasons. It's so easy to focus on the negative, that we miss the positive moments coming from our parenting.
I just want to leave you with a word of encouragement. I see you. I'm with you. I AM you, and I need encouragement just like you, Mama.
If you're in a tough spot right now, reach out to me. Let's work through it together; I'm happy to be there for you if you need it.
Many blessings to you!
Michelle
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Happy Day, Mama-Friend!
Have you ever had those moments where you feel like you just keep repeating the same thing over and over again? Is your toddler ever constantly pushing the boundaries? I’m right there with you, and I know it can be tough when they are toting the line!
You have expectations. You’ve taught them. You’ve modeled them, and your toddler is STILL not following them, so what are you missing?! First of all, it’s not you! Toddlers are expert explorers of limits and boundaries!
You just have to know how to effectively enforce those expectations! In today’s episode, I’m laying out the groundwork and the steps you need to take to effectively implement expectations, so that your toddler knows where the line is and knows you’re serious about where that line is drawn.
Let’s get our learn on!
Michelle
*I have a few freebies ready to rock and roll for you on my website www.generationonamission.com! You’ll get some of my best tips right at your fingertips!
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What's Up, Mama-Friend!
In today's episode, we are tackling something I know all of us moms are facing in the midst of toddlerhood and the preschool years (and beyond), and that is What do I do about those power struggles?! How on earth can I avoid them and STILL help my kid be successful?!
Well, sweet mama-friend, I have a solution for you! This is such a crucial element in parenting that I think a lot of us parents skip over because we are always in such a hurry to move on to the next thing that we simply forget to do it--but we shouldn't because it's so important.
We are talking about expectations...what they are, why they're important, and most importantly, how to implement them. I walk you through the three steps you need to take when it comes to implementing expectations so you and your little one avoid power struggles and arguments, but most importantly, set your little one up for success right from the get-go.
Let's get our learn on, Mama-Friend!
Michelle
**Be sure to peruse my new landing page www.generationonamission.com, where you'll find my podcast, blogs, learning activities, quick tips, and even some FREEBIES for you (oh, yeah!); be sure to subscribe so you can get all the juicy parenting tidbits right at your fingertips!
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Hey Mama-Friend!
Are you still wondering why your toddler won't listen when you tell him to stop doing something or when you tell him to complete a task?
If that's you, this episode is perfect for you! We are going over to tactile, effective solutions to help get your toddler to listen the first time!
It will take some time and practice, but, if you make these two simple changes in your parenting, I know that your toddler will begin to listen the first time you ask him to do something (or stop doing something!)
Grab your headphones and let's get our learn on!
Michelle
Be sure to check out my new website www.generationonamission.com where you can get the latest parenting insights, freebies, video tips, activity ideas and more! I'd love to have you as a part of our mom-squad!
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