ADHD, Anxiety and Full Spectrum Parenting 🌈

This week’s episode is a special one.It’s the final episode of the Good Enough Parenting podcast — and saying that out loud feels both tender and true. Bittersweet, in the way meaningful things often are.Over the past few years, this podcast has been a place of connection. A reminder that you don’t have to get it right all the time. A soft landing on hard parenting days. A voice in your earbuds when things felt lonely, overwhelming, or just plain heavy.In this episode, I share a bit of the story behind why this podcast was created, the podcasts that carried me through my own early parenting years, and what it’s been like to watch this little idea grow into a community that spans far beyond what I ever imagined.I also talk about change — about seasons shifting, about listening closely to where we’re needed, and about why this isn’t really an ending so much as a pause… and an opening.And I end with the parenting mantra I come back to again and again — especially when the world feels loud, uncertain, or heavy:Slow down. Choose love. Have faith. Hold hope.If this podcast has ever kept you company on a walk, in the car, during a late-night worry spiral, or in the quiet moments when you just needed reassurance that you were doing okay — this episode is for you.Thank you for being here. Thank you for listening. Thank you for showing up imperfectly and remembering your kids don’t need you to be perfect – just good enough. To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!http://www.paceparent.com/play And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

Holiday gift shopping stressing you out? I can’t recommend what to get your Aunt Margaret, but I've got you covered in the toy department. Tune in to hear the three categories of toys you want to have represented in your playroom plus favorite board games for fostering self-regulation and sibling cooperation. And don’t worry – Santa is a fan of “Good Enough Parenting” so he’ll make sure to deliver some toy handcuffs if Target runs out…. Happy shopping!To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!http://www.paceparent.com/play And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

This time of year is filled with celebrations, excitement and STRESS. If you're raising young kids, it can feel like a never ending marathon of to dos and temper tantrums. Lack of sleep, too much sugar and disruptions in schedules can lead to big emotional hangovers in kids.Today I share how to do less and be more this holiday season. From delegating to boundary setting to remembering the sacred, tune in to find out how you can have a happier holiday season without burning out.To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!http://www.paceparent.com/play And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

Ever find yourself wishing you could raise kids who think beyond themselves, show emotional resilience, and eat their veggies without a bribe? Well tune in and buckle up. This week on the Good Enough Parenting podcast, I sat down with Sarah Robertson-Barnes, sustainability writer, educator, and host of Sustainable in the Suburbs — and she’s here to remind us that parenting with the planet in mind doesn’t have to mean going full homestead (or giving up take out).We talked about the small, practical ways we can parent more sustainably — and how those choices actually help our kids grow. Turns out, being mindful about waste, food, and nature doesn’t just protect the planet; it builds impulse control, flexibility, and problem-solving skills. Plus, Sarah swears that some sustainable swaps are great for your family budget and your *picky eaters. (Apparently composting can make them feel like magicians??)We also got into the deeper stuff: how connecting kids to the planet helps them move past their natural egocentricity, how to avoid eco-burnout, and why being mindful about our waste and consumption is not about perfection – it’s about progress. So take a deep breath, skip the guilt, and tune in for some down-to-earth wisdom that might just make your next meal — and your next parenting moment — a little greener.You can find Sarah HERE and check out her podcast Sustainable in the Suburbs for more ideas on reducing waste, rethinking consumption, and even throwing a trash-free birthday party (yes, it’s possible).Because hauling your own Tupperware to your favorite restaurant may not solve the climate crisis, but for now it might just be good enough. To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!http://www.paceparent.com/play And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

Hiring a nanny sounds simple—until you realize you’re basically trying to find a magical Mary Poppins who can keep your kids alive and make healthy snacks and not judge the state of your laundry room and somehow feel like part of the family without actually being family. No pressure, right?Enter the magnificent Sarah Davis, founder of Olive You Nanny. On this week’s Good Enough Parenting episode, I sat down with Sarah to talk about the art (and heart) of finding the right caregiver for your family. She’s been in the childcare world for over 25 years and has helped thousands of parents not only find the right person for their family but also figure out what makes a nanny-family relationship actually work.We got into all of it—the interviews, the red flags, the tricky “we adore you but also you work for us” dynamic, and how to set up boundaries that keep everyone feeling respected (and sane).We even explore why having other caregivers for our kids’ lives isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s actually a huge step toward gender equality and sanity for moms.Bonus Gift! Sarah has created The Nanny Playbook, a step-by-step guide that helps families find and build lasting, healthy relationships with their nannies. AND she’s giving Good Enough Parents $50 off this incredible resource! Just use code “playbook” at checkout Get THE NANY PLAYBOOK HEREIf you’ve ever wondered how to find a caregiver you can trust with your kids—or how to keep things smooth once you do—this episode is for you. Because the right nanny doesn’t just support your kids. They support you too. And that’s more than Good Enough. To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!http://www.paceparent.com/play And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

Before I had kids, I was sure I’d never use screens to entertain my kids at restaurants, I’d never threaten consequences without follow through. And I’d never change the core of who I was just because these little beings entered my life. Oh, the confidence of those pre-parenting days.Fast forward to today, and sometimes my reality looks more like threatening to cut my daughter’s hair when she won’t shower or accidentally letting my son stay up all night on video games because I fell asleep on the couch.It got me thinking: what does modern parenting look like to people who don’t have kids? Are we making it look exhausting? Over-complicated? Maybe even a little unappealing?That’s why, in this week’s episode of Good Enough Parenting, I sat down with my longtime friend Jim—someone who doesn’t have children but has watched plenty of us navigate parenthood. Think of him as a cultural anthropologist, Margaret Mead-style, observing our parenting world from the outside.We talk about: ✨ What surprises him most when he’s around kids ✨ Where parents may be overthinking—or underthinking ✨ How friendships shift once kids enter the picture ✨ What he wishes parents knew about how their choices affect the people      around themAnd maybe most importantly, Jim reminds us of who we thought we’d be as parents before family life swept us up.This one’s equal parts funny, eye-opening, and a little humbling. I think you’ll love it.Sometimes we need our kid-free friends to help us remember that we were never meant to be the perfect parent – just good enough.   To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!http://www.paceparent.com/play And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

It’s officially late July, which means we’re deep in the season of sticky popsicles, sunscreen battles, and the kind of sibling squabbles that make you rethink that “no screens before noon” rule. In this week’s episode, we’re pressing pause on the chaos to do a little mid-summer check-in.Is summer feeling more magical mischief or creepy cult vibes? (Looking at you, Midsommar’s Florence Pugh.) Either way, now’s a great time to ask:What’s actually working for your family right now?What habits need a little tweak (or a full-on overhaul)?What does each person—yes, including you—need for the rest of the season?I’m sharing the small shift that helped calm our chaotic mornings, why “we’ll see” days are going on our calendar, and how one family’s digital detox brought unexpected peace (and fewer remote-control fights). Spoiler: No one’s tossing devices in the ocean… but some might get gently tucked away in a box for a while.Whether your summer has been dreamy, messy, or a bit of both, this episode is your gentle reminder to reflect, recalibrate, and maybe even sneak in a beach read and a bagel run.Take a deep breath. You're doing better than you think. And that’s good enough. To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!http://www.paceparent.com/play And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

How did you pick your kid’s name? It’s my favorite question to ask families as soon as I meet them. It tells me about:Partnership Dynamics “Oh we got in a big fight over that one! But my wife had the final say like she always does…”Family History “My grandmother had died a few weeks before she was born so we named her after her”And MOST importantly it tells me The vision they had for their kid even before they were born“I wanted a strong, masculine son so I went with Alexander… like The Great”So much wrapped up in a few short syllables. Names are like labels – they can give us feelings of comfort and safety but can also be limiting and confining.And labels don’t allow for the full spectrum of our beingness.On this month’s “Good Enough Parenting” episode, I share where my name came from and explore why we are so drawn to labeling our kids with diagnoses that may or may not suit them. In this episode:How diagnoses like ADHD and anxiety are more of a continuum than a binary 💡What Pride Month can teach us about full-spectrum parenting  🏳️‍🌈Why your child’s story is still being written (and yours is too)  📖Identity and development are more fluid than we’d like to believe—and that’s both frustrating and freeing. Whether you’re questioning a diagnosis, navigating your kid’s self-expression, or like me, just trying to make it through another school concert season this one’s for you. From sonograms to rainbows to Ritalin, this episode is a reminder that parenting isn’t about finding the right label, but about staying present as our kids unfold – and that’s good enough. 🎧 Hit play, and let’s make peace with not knowing. ——Like what you hear? Follow, rate, and share with a fellow “good enough” parent in your life.To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!http://www.paceparent.com/play And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

ENCORE EPISODE! The summer season is officially upon us! Which means it’s time to wrestle your toddler to the ground so you can apply some ghost-whitening sunblock while your six year old screams “I hear the ice cream truck! Can we get one?” at 10am. Are you already counting the days until Labor Day? Fear not! There are ways we can find more sweetness and less stress this summer with our families. On today’s “Good Enough Parenting” podcast, I’ll share with you my favorite tips for not just surviving but actually enjoying this season of seemingly endless time together.  And the good news is …. It involves a lot of BENIGN NEGLECT(my #1 parenting motto!) We don’t need to be the end all be all for our kids this summer. Let them make their own snacks. Let them be bored. Let them skip the summer worksheets for more sprinkler time. Everyone benefits when we give our kids some space. So sometimes they’ll have a chipwhich for breakfast this summer. You’ll make them a veggie filled smoothie in September. And that’s good enough.To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!http://www.paceparent.com/play And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG! 

You know that moment when your kid comes home from a full day of school and sports—covered in mystery smudges and smelling like a locker room—and then acts personally offended when you suggest a shower? Yeah, me too. If your kid melts like the Wicked Witch the moment they hear the water running, you’re not alone.This week on Good Enough Parenting, I’m joined by Sabrina Yavil, mom of 3 boys, former beauty executive and founder of Gryme, a personal care brand created just for kids. We talk about why bath time can feel like such a battle, how our kids are actually wired for self-care independence (even when they're filthy), and how simplifying your routine with the right products can save your sanity—and your relationship.The goal? Helping our kids build self-sufficient habits using clean products that actually make bath time easier—for them and for us.✨ Bonus: Sabrina shares what she learned from 20 years in the beauty industry—and why so many kids’ products are secretly full of junk.If you’ve ever bribed your kid to use soap, threatened to cancel dessert over conditioner, or wondered if your kids are actually allergic to water. … this episode is for you.And remember, if bathtime battles get overwhelming this summer, sometimes a dip in a pool or a run through the sprinkler is good enough. To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here!http://www.paceparent.com/play And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG!