Episode 115: Beyond the Backpack! Part 4 - The Reset Button

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Chalkboard to Kitchen Table with Trish and Eileen!As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, we’re rewinding an important conversation about something every child needs: sleep! From managing big emotions and improving focus to learning and handling everyday challenges, sleep plays a bigger role in our kids’ lives than we sometimes realize. Join us as we talk about why making sleep a priority can help our kids feel better, learn better, and be better prepared for whatever tomorrow brings. Because sometimes, the best thing we can do for our kids today is help them get a good night’s sleep tonight.See you at the table!

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Chalkboard to Kitchen Table with Trish and Eileen!Sometimes it's not about having the perfect parenting advice.  It's about asking a better question.  The questions we ask our kids can open the door to conversations they might not start on their own.  Instead of asking, "How was your day?" we can ask questions that make them think, reflect, share and feel heard.We are sharing ten questions that can change the way you connect with your child from little kids to teenagers. Questions that help you understand what they are thinking, worried about, makes them proud, and what they might need from you.Sometimes one good question can change the whole conversation! See you at the table! 

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Chalkboard to Kitchen Table with Trish and Eileen! In Part 5 of Beyond the Backpack, we pause and ask a bigger question: What do we really want our kids to carry with them as they grow?Our children will carry many things through life. Some will be temporary, like homework, busy schedules, disappointments, and even difficult days. But there are other things we hope stay with them long after they’ve outgrown their backpacks.We want them to carry kindness. Confidence. Courage. Resilience. The ability to ask for help. The understanding that mistakes are part of learning and that they are loved even when they get things wrong.As parents, it can be easy to focus on what our kids accomplish, what grades they receive, or how well they perform. But years from now, those things may not be what they remember most. They may remember the conversations we had at the kitchen table, the hugs after a hard day, the way we listened when they needed us, and the moments we reminded them that they were enough.This episode is about letting go of the things that don’t need to stay in their backpacks and making room for the things that will last a lifetime.Because someday, our kids will carry their own backpacks, make their own choices, and walk their own paths. The question is: What will we have helped them carry with them?More than achievements, we hope they carry a strong sense of who they are, how deeply they are loved, and the confidence to keep moving forward, no matter what life puts in their path.See you at the table! 

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Chalkboard to Kitchen Table with Trish and Eileen! What’s worse: stepping on a LEGO at 3 a.m. or hearing “Mom!” or “Dad!” 47 times before breakfast?In this episode, we’re putting parents to the ultimate test with a hilarious round of “Would You Rather: Parents Edition.” From toddler tantrums and teenage attitudes, to messy bedrooms, never-ending laundry, and those parenting moments nobody warned you about, we’re tackling the impossible choices that every parent can relate to.Get ready for plenty of laughs, some brutally honest answers, and a few questions that might make you rethink your entire parenting strategy. There are no right answers here ... just two equally chaotic options and the realization that parenting is basically one giant game of “Would You Rather?”See you at the table! 

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Chalkboard to Kitchen Table with Trish and Eileen!It's that time of year again...parent-teacher conferences! And while it can be easy to think of conferences as a quick conversation about grades, behavior, or how your child is doing in school, they can be so much more.In the episode, we are talking about how parent-teacher conferences can be an opportunity to build a real connection with your child's teacher and create a partnership centered around the same goal ... helping your child thrive. We talk about the questions you can ask, why listening matters as much as sharing, and how to approach the conversation as a team.  Because when parents and teachers communicate, listen and work together, kids benefit. See you at the table!

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Chalkboard to Kitchen Table with Trish and Eileen! In Part 4 of Beyond the Backpack, we’re talking about the reset button and why it can be so important for our kids.Every child has moments when things just don’t go right. Maybe they lose their temper, get upset with a sibling, have a tough day at school, or make a choice they wish they could take back. As parents, our first instinct may be to correct the behavior or explain what went wrong. But sometimes, before a child can learn from a moment, they need a chance to pause and reset.A reset button can be as simple as taking a deep breath, getting a hug, having some quiet time, or saying, “Let’s start over.” It teaches children that one bad moment doesn’t define who they are.We also explore how parents can model this for their kids. When we make a mistake, we can say, “I didn’t handle that the way I wanted to. Let me try again.” Those little moments show our children that starting over is something everyone gets to do.Because growing up isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about learning, trying again, and knowing that even after a difficult moment, there is always room for a fresh start.Sometimes our kids don’t need a perfect solution. They just need someone to remind them, “You can reset. I’m right here with you.”See you at the table! 

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Chalkboard to Kitchen Table with Trish and Eileen! In Part 3 of Beyond the Backpack, we’re talking about something many children carry that you can’t always see: the weight of too much.As parents, we often notice the obvious things our kids are carrying, like backpacks full of books, sports equipment, and school supplies. But what about the things they carry in their hearts? Stress about school, friendship problems, worries about fitting in, pressure to do well, or simply trying to keep up with everything can become heavy.Sometimes a child who seems quiet, tired, frustrated, or even extra emotional may simply have too much on their plate. A missed assignment, a disagreement with a friend, and a difficult day at school might not seem like big things individually. But when they all happen at once, it can feel overwhelming to a child.In this episode, we talk about how parents can help their kids recognize when their backpack has become too heavy. Sometimes the most helpful thing isn’t immediately fixing the problem. It’s sitting beside them, listening, and reminding them, “You don’t have to carry this alone.”Our kids don’t need us to make every difficult thing disappear. They need to know that when life feels heavy, they have someone beside them who will listen, understand, and help them take things one step at a time.Because sometimes, the greatest gift we can give our children is simply helping them put down a few of the rocks they’ve been carrying.See you at the table! 

Send us Fan MailWelcome back to Chalkboard to Kitchen Table with Trish and Eileen.In Part 2 of our five-part series, “Beyond the Backpack,” we turn the conversation toward the parents who may be carrying the invisible load for their children. From managing schedules and homework to constant reminders, checking assignments, organizing activities, and solving problems before our kids have a chance to try ... sometimes it feels like parents are walking around with the remote control to their child’s life in their hands.But when we manage everything, are we giving our children the opportunity to manage anything?This episode explores the fine line between supporting our children and doing the managing for them. We’ll look at how constant reminders and rescuing can unintentionally affect independence, confidence, decision-making, and resilience and what it can look like to gradually hand the remote back to our kids.Because raising confident, capable children means knowing when to step in, when to step back, and when to let them take the lead.It’s not about caring less. It’s about helping them learn to carry more of their own load.See you at the table! 

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Chalkboard to Kitchen Table with Trish and Eileen! What’s Inside Your Child’s Backpack? What is your child carrying to school that you can’t see?In Part 1 of our five-part series, “Beyond the Backpack”, we look beyond the books, homework, and school supplies to explore the emotional weight children may carry with them every day ... anxiety, worries, pressure, fear of failure, friendships, expectations, and the struggle to feel like they measure up.Sometimes the heaviest things in a child’s backpack are invisible.This episode opens an important conversation about how these hidden pressures can affect a child’s confidence, sense of self, and ability to cope with challenges. More importantly, we explore how parents can help children move from worry to confidence, pressure to perspective, and uncertainty to resilience.Because building resilient children isn’t about removing every challenge - it’s about helping them know they don’t have to carry it alone.What are they carrying to school that we can’t see? Let’s unpack it together.See you at the table! 

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Chalkboard to Kitchen Table with Trish and Eileen!In this episode, we’re talking about the everyday habits that can have a much bigger impact on our kids than we realize. Inspired by Jon Gordon’s The Power of Positive Habits, we’re looking at how small, repeated actions can shape the way children think, respond to challenges, treat other people, and see themselves.It’s not always the big parenting moments that stick with kids. Sometimes it’s what they see us do every single day. Do we complain when things go wrong, or look for a solution? Do we put our phones down when our kids are talking to us? Do we make time for gratitude, kindness, movement, and meaningful conversations?We’ll give real-life examples of habits parents can model, like starting the day with a positive mindset, speaking respectfully even when we’re frustrated, making family meals a regular routine, or teaching kids to pause and take a breath before reacting.The conversation is really about consistency, not perfection. Our kids are watching what we repeat, and those small patterns can become part of who they are. We’ll talk about which habits are worth building into family life and how even small changes can create a more positive environment at home.Join us at the table!