Tag Archives: parenting

Podcasts Are Rocking My World!

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Podcasts App

Podcasts App

Podcasts are rocking my world! I know they have been around for years, but recently I finally figured them out. I love them for these five reasons that may appeal to other parents:

  • Learn something new. Honestly, if I want to learn about history – cue up the podcast. If I want to get some parenting wisdom – cue up the podcast. If I want to relax – cue up the podcast. They are sort of miraculous!
  • Put me to [back to] sleep. I have a few podcasts I use to help me go to sleep – or go back to sleep if I wake up in the middle of the night. I leave my phone by the bedside with my earbuds attached. If I wake up, I pop on one of my cued up podcasts, and I’m back off to sleep. I don’t remember a word of the podcast, but they work without fail to get me off to sleep.
  • Get exercise. I often cue up a podcast and go out on a run. I’m learning so much!
  • Get things done. I get into listening to my podcasts and find myself folding the laundry. It’s one of my least favorite tasks and yet I find [more] time for it when I’m listening to a podcast.
  • Family Time. Driving up to the mountains each weekend skiing we try to listen to a podcast together. Yup, the kids are interested and learning some really interesting things!

How to get your hands on some cool podcasts? Here you go…

  1. Download the podcast app for your smart phone. Just search “podcast” and it will come up in the iTunes or Android stores. It’s a free download.
  2. Do some research on podcasts you may like – try Google searching “podcast” and anything else [parenting, exercise, mindfulness, love, etc…]
  3. Some fun podcast ideas:
    1. Modern Love
    2. Mom and Dad Are Fighting – by Slate 
    3. Smart People
    4. NPR: Parenting
    5. TED Talks – Ideas worth sharing
    6. This American Life

What podcasts do you enjoy? 

Parent Engagement Network [PEN] Offering Truly Excellent Parenting Workshops

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PEN is a great Boulder area resource! They offer free [or reasonably priced] workshops and lecture series. They often seem focused on tweens & teens, but for those of you with younger kids these topics will still apply and honestly it is never too early to start thinking about some of the issues on the horizon.

Here is the PEN calendar [some of these dates are long past]:

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But PEN has some more great topics coming up:

1/16: Child safety in the digital age

1/22: High expectations [yes, it’s the high you are thinking]

I love how PEN works to support families and children in Boulder! Thanks, PEN!!!!

Parenting Pathways To Success–An Amazing, Free Lecture Series For Parents!

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The Boulder Psychological Services offers a FREE lecture series on topics parents need to know! Here are some examples of topics:

  • Parenting Essentials: 7 Steps to Becoming a Sane and Happy Parent
  • The Power of Parenting-Child Attachment
  • Parent Alert: Don’t Make These Temper Tantrum Mistakes
  • Loss: Tips for Coping
  • Oh No! Teenage Brain Has Taken Over My Child

This lecture series take place in Boulder at the Meadows Library [open after the floods], in Broomfield at the Mamie Doud Eisenhower Library, in Lyons at Walt Self-Center [not sure the status after the floods]. For more details on the dates, times and focus of this awesome lecture series click here.

An Inspirational TED Talk on How a Change in Perspective Gave a Family the Opportunity to Make Big Changes in the Life of Their Infant Son

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This TED talk really made me think about how we as parents can get so focused on the tough times, the things that go wrong, the worry about if things will go right and/or if our children will turn out okay. Our thoughts impact our beings. We have a choice of what we focus on–the good, the bad. The couple in this TED talk show us how shifting perspective helped them to focus on the opportunities in life rather than the missed opportunities. In this video is a clear life lesson.

Their journey begins when they find out 10 days after birth that their young son that he had suffered a stroke before his birth. It leaves this little guy with some serious physical issues to overcome. This video shows us how a shift in perspective changed everything.

Do You Know What Drowning Looks/Sounds Like?

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None of us think its going to happen. We teach our kids to swim. We watch them near the water. But drowning is not always what we think. I just want to raise awareness.

It was almost exactly a year ago when my family was in Mexico. It was there that a friend told me the scariest story about a near drowning of their friend’s 3 year old when there were 6 adults around. Here is what I learned:

  • Drowning is often silent [the victim doesn’t yell for attention or gasp for air so loudly you can hear]

Their story goes that 3 couples showed up at their beautiful house for a relaxing vacation in Mexico. The house had a pool in the back. They were standing around talking when they first arrived since they came from different parts of the country. Kids wandered around. 15 minutes went by and they realized they were missing one child. They calmly looked around. It was then that they found their son floating face down in the water with all his clothing on. They still don’t know how it happened, but it did. It was silent. None of the 6 adults heard anything.

Do you know the signs of drowning? Since it is often silent you need to know what do watch for.

Here is a great article on how to know if someone is in trouble in the water. 

The Intersection of Yoga and Parenting

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DownwardDog-300I love yoga. I don’t do it enough, but I still love it! Yesterday I was at a delicious yoga class at The Little Yoga Studio deeply immersed in sweat and downward dogs, when my mind started to wander. I cherish the time when I give myself the space for my mind to wander -it doesn’t happen a lot these days. All at once the words that yoga instructors have said over the years started to accumulate in my head. They came flooding in. It started with the yoga instructor telling us about her decision to bring Joy back into her life. Joy. Joy? Joy’s honorable. We all want to feel joy, right?

I was joyful, in between praying with all my being that this was not a class that was over 1 hour and wondering how I was going to ask my friend Wendy this question since she seemed to in the moment and engaged any time I glanced over to see if there was an iota of an opening to ask my very important question. It was hot in there, I was seriously sweating, I hadn’t been to yoga in a few weeks, and I know my body sort of turns off after an hour of yoga. I guess I was panicking a bit. I forgot at first how much more than exercise I get every time I am on my mat. But here were all these thoughts about ways of being that were floating around my head.

Back to the intersection of yoga and parenting. The words of past yoga teachers flooded in and it occurred to me how yoga informs parenting. And vice versa. But at this point with a pre-teen boy and a pre-pre-teen boy in my house I was really appreciating how yoga could support me.  I need some support. Some of the words of wisdom that were ringing though my head about how the essence of yoga cold support parenting include:

  • Be kind to yourself. If you need to take a break just take child’s pose or let your family know you need a break [even for a moment just go outside] and accept that it is okay to not be perfect.
  • If you wobble, it’s okay. Think tree pose and life. We will all wobble. It’s okay. Be accepting.
  • Look for joy. We are given many opportunities to find joy in our lives we just need to let them in. Don’t take life too seriously. 
  • Find ease [smile] even when it is tough. It’s not where we stand in times of comfort and convenience, but rather in times of difficulty and hardship that matter! [paraphrase of the MLK quote] Think of how this could transform the act of getting out the door in the morning.
  • Be thankful. Appreciate that you are here on your yoga mat. It’s okay to do something good for yourself. 

There are so many more wise words I have heard and wish to live by, but these are a few of the ways that yoga and parenting intersect.

Add to the conversation. What are the ways you see yoga and parenting intersecting and informing each other? I would love to hear from this amazing, yoga loving community!

Parenting Resources: The Huffington Post Rocks!

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I visit lots of parenting sites looking for good content for Boulder Families and my life. There are lots of them out there. I set them all up to feed to my Google Page so I can check in on them daily and see what is happening in the parenting world. Blogs, newspapers, websites, etc… They are all important to me. I want to give a shout out to the Huffington Post. They curate the best information and offer amazing resources!

The latest resource offered by the Huffington Post is their Stress-less Parenting Site and Online Workshop. They offer information on some of the most important issues in parenting:

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I love these articles. I head here when I need inspiration or words of wisdom. Give them a try and see what you think. You can request to receive information to your email about topic areas that interest you. Simply go to the Stress-Less Parenting site. In the upper right hand corner you can enter your email address and click “get alerts”. You will then be directed to a page where you can decide which areas of the Huffington Post interest you.

It’s simple. Enjoy!

Baby Wearing: Get Into It! [Free Class and Boba G3 Carrier Give Away]

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I know we are in Boulder so for many of us baby wearing is an integral part of our lives. It has not always been like that and it certainly is not like that in other parts of the country. Of course as soon as you cross the border [especially South of the border] you find baby wearing is simply a part of life. Baby wearing is not simply a fad. There are amazing benefits to baby wearing for both parent and child. Don’t worry, Boba G3 give away details are below.

  • Baby wearing benefits for the baby: babies cry less, get better sleep, learn more, are happier.
  • Baby wearing benefits for the parents: enhanced communication between parent and baby, is convenient, encourages weight bearing exercise, allows you to move around on all different terrain

I want to introduce Boba. They are a local Boulder, mom-owned, company that has been helping parents connect to their babies and young children. I knew they were a great company when I met their well traveled founder in a mutual friend’s studio, where she was creating pottery on a wheel when she was approximately 10 months pregnant. She told us stories of traveling with her young children and clearly baby wearing was a passion! The Boba Family lives the life and promote baby wearing for all the great benefits it bring to families. You can find more detail on the benefits of baby wearing from Boba’s founder here.

In April, Boba is offering a FREE Healthy Baby Wearing Class through the YMCA. If you are interested you can learn more and sign up here.

Boba.BabywearingClass.OnlineImageBoba G3 Give Away: Want to win a Boba G3 Baby Carrier like the one on the top photo? You get to pick the color. Learn more about the Boba G3 here. To win here is what you need to do:

1. Leave a comment here about your experience with baby wearing or your question about baby wearing AND…

2. Go to our Facebook page and “like” the page. Click here to find BoulderFamilies on Facebook.

3. Voila! You are entered to win a Boba G3, a $120 value.

4. All “entries” must complete steps 1 & 2 to be entered. Entries must be complete by March 31, 2013. Check back April 1 to see if you won! Enter now!

Parenting Support Via Parenting Tips

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IMG_0217Parenting is truly a journey! Sometimes it can be rough, other times you feel in sync and sail through. Either way we can all reach a higher level of self-understanding and be the best parents possible by getting support. We get that support in many ways: teachers, friends, family, church, classes, etc. Think about who it is that has pushed you to think deeply about the way you are with your child, spouse, friends. Who supports you to think, reflect, act?

I have found a few parent educators who offer support via emails that I think they are worth sharing. You can add their insights to your “bag of tricks” if you choose:

1. Michael Vladek: He focuses on families, teens, parenting and offers a weekly email that offers parenting insights. To sign up for his weekly insights click here.

2. Scott Noelle: His website is Enjoy Parenting. He offers daily parenting insights that come to your email. He is insightful and I have enjoyed his vision for a few years. To sign up for his daily parenting tips click here.

Do you have suggestions for other resources for Boulder Families? 

Pathways to Parenting Success Offers Free Talks About Important Topics to Boulder Families!

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IMG_0171Take advantage of these! The Boulder Psychological Services offers some really incredible, free, lectures on essential parenting topics. Examples include:

  • Technology’s Impact on Child Socialization
  • Understanding and Dealing with Teen Depression
  • Stress Reduction
  • Understanding and Managing Sibling Rivalry
  • Family Communication
  • And lots, lots more!

There are relevant topics for every family and situation! Even if your child isn’t a teen yet, it’s never to soon to start thinking about what is coming up. If you have an infant you still might be interested in topics of stress reduction or understanding family communications.

I highly recommend taking advantage of these free discussions/lectures. They are led by experts in their fields and every one I have attended was worthwhile! You can get more information about upcoming events at www.boulderpsychologicalservices.com. Click on calendar on the left side to find the most complete list of upcoming events.