All the Reasons Babies Cry

The term “spirited child” was coined by parent educator Mary Sheedy Kurcinka when she was looking for information regarding her own strong-willed son and only found words like “difficult”and “high-strung.” She believed that framing her son’s personality positively would help her focus on his strengths. And there’s no question spirited children bring us tons of joy– while also being emotionally intense, demanding, and extra sensitive.  In this episode we discuss How to know if you have an officially “spirited” child How best to support them (spoiler alert: advanced notice on transitions) How we can learn lessons from our own spirited kids, like determination and curiosity  Here are links to some writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode: Cheryl Maguire for parent.com: 4 Traits I Learned From My Spirited Child California Childcare Health Program, "Caring for the Spirited Child" Mary Sheedy Kurcinka: Raising Your Spirited Child, Third Edition: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Britt Hawthorne is a mother, teacher, author, and anti-bias/antiracist facilitator. Britt partners with caregivers, educators, and families to raise the next generation of antiracist children. Her forthcoming book, Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide, which comes out June 7th, is for families ready to take action that'll bring change at home. In this episode, Molly, Blaire, and Britt discuss: How kids under the age of 6 perceive race How to create racially diverse experiences for toddlers Conversations we can have with our parenting partners Here's where you can find Britt: www.britthawthorne.com @britthawthorne on IG  @britthawthorne_ on Twitter  @tashaxandra (Britt's coauthor) on IG  Buy Britt's book, Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beach days. Pool days. Soccer camp. River days. Creek days. (Pick your preferred body of water, is what we're saying.) Are you exhausted yet? When the lazy days of summer start, we may feel pressure to entertain our toddlers every day. But that's not possible, since we're mere mortals. Molly and Blaire share their ideas for staying active with your kids during the summer months without getting overwhelmed. In this episode, Molly and Blaire discuss: What to pack in your summertime Go Bag Activity ideas for all types of weather How to introduce some healthy boredom into the schedule Here are links to the resources mentioned in the episode: Robin Westen for Parents.com: "24 Cheap Summer Activities for Kids" Crafty Kids at Home busytoddler.com Special thanks to our sponsors: Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, and are available when you need them. Go to Zocdoc.com/TODDLER and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Try Peloton Tread Risk-Free with a 30-day home trial. New members only. Not available in remote locations. See additional terms at onepeloton.com/home-trial.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We asked those in our Facebook group how they maintain friendships with childless friends. The answers ranged from hilarious to heartbreaking. Keeping childless friends in our lives involves self-reflection, perspective taking, FaceTime, texting, and roller skating. Oh, and, unfortunately, "hard pants." In this episode, Molly and Blaire discuss: How maintaining friendships with childless friends is an act of self care How to take on the perspective of childless friends How to let go of and mourn friendships that have run their course Here is the link to the article mentioned in the episode: Rachel Bertsche for The New York Times: "Staying Close to Your Friends Without Kids" Special thanks to our sponsors: Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, and are available when you need them. Go to Zocdoc.com/TODDLER and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Try Peloton Tread Risk-Free with a 30-day home trial. New members only. Not available in remote locations. See additional terms at onepeloton.com/home-trial.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Disney World a childhood mecca or a cruel and unusual punishment? Rite of passage or consumerist hellscape? For some families, Disney is NOT the happiest place on Earth. Blaire and Molly discuss the pros and cons of taking their kids to Disney and why it maybe doesn't define their worth as parents. In this episode, Molly and Blaire discuss: The pros and cons of taking kids of different ages to Disney World How your relationship with Disney content affects your experience at the park The infamous bug show at the Animal Kingdom Links to resources mentioned in today's episode: James Brockbank for The Family Vacation Guide: "What Is The Best Age To Take Kids To Disney World?" Blaire's awesome floral gown Kingdom stroller rental Special thanks to our sponsors: Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, and are available when you need them. Go to Zocdoc.com/TODDLER and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Try Peloton Tread Risk-Free with a 30-day home trial. New members only. Not available in remote locations. See additional terms at onepeloton.com/home-trial.  Ritual’s Essential for Women 18 and up is a multivitamin you can actually trust. Visit ritual.com/toddler for 10% off during your first 3 months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are chores an age-appropriate expectation for little ones? It’s not easy to get buy-in from them, but it’s definitely worth it. One study showed that the single best predictor of young adults’ success in their mid-20s was whether they participated in household tasks when they were three or four. So the best approach is to have our kids start "helping" early and often. In this episode we talk about  ways to right-size the task and the expectation for each age rewards and motivations that work (and why you don’t need to start these too early) how to deal with all the whining that will probably result when you present chore-related expectations Here are links to some writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode:  Sarah Aguirre for The Spruce: Age-Appropriate Chores for Kids Ages 2 to 18 The Center For Parenting Education: The Benefits of Chores Barbara Coloroso: Kids Are Worth It! : Giving Your Child The Gift Of Inner Discipline No-Guilt Mom: Get Kids to do Chores: 5 Ways to Respond When They Don’t Want To Special thanks to our sponsors: Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, and are available when you need them. Go to Zocdoc.com/TODDLER and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Ritual’s Essential for Women 18 and up is a multivitamin you can actually trust. Visit ritual.com/toddler for 10% off during your first 3 months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most kids are somewhat finicky about what they'll eat. Some are full-blown picky eaters, who won't eat chicken nuggets unless they're dinosaur-shaped. And even then only if the ketchup isn't touching them on the plate. People who say "Your kids will eat when they're hungry enough!" mean well. They are also incorrect. So what's a parent to do? Keep feeding the picky eater the three foods she'll eat, or keep offering her other foods she won't? In this episode, we discuss why kids are so often picky in their eating, what parents can do to encourage eating new things without causing huge battles, and how to recruit our picky eaters in that process. Enjoying our podcast? Please give us a rating/review on Apple Podcasts! https://www.podpage.com/toddler-purgatory/rate/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever find yourself saying the same thing over and over to your kids? The answer isn’t to yell louder, as tempting as that can be. It might be more effective to consider the true capabilities of our kids at the stages they are at, and look at whether it might be our expectations that need a slight adjustment. Once you’ve done that? You’re a “gentle parent.” Sarah Ockwell-Smith, parenting expert and author of The Gentle Parenting Book, sums up gentle parenting in three words: empathy, understanding, and respect. But gentle parenting isn’t pushover parenting. Discipline is still possible– it’s just focused on lessons to be learned more than on punishments. It’s about shutting off our autopilot as parents and beginning a practice of remembering that a child is a child. In this episode we discuss How to set boundaries in this new paradigm (yes, still possible) How to model the behavior we want our kids to learn How gentle parenting helps our kids learn emotional maturity sooner. Here are links to some writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode:  Sarah Ockwell-Smith: Five Steps To Effective Discipline Renee Plant for Very Well Family: What Is Gentle Parenting?  Natalia Oliver for Guidepost Montessori: A Beginner’s Guide To Gentle Parenting Vicky McKeever for CNBC: This ‘gentle parenting’ guru gives her tips for raising confident kids Special thanks to our sponsors for this month: Misfits Market is an intuitive online grocery shopping platform. Visit get.misfitsmarket.com/toddlerpurgatory and use code LAUGHING25 to get $25 off your first order by June 30, 2023. Terms and conditions apply.  Try Peloton Tread Risk-Free with a 30-day home trial. New members only. Not available in remote locations. See additional terms at onepeloton.com/home-trial.  Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, and are available when you need them. Go to Zocdoc.com/TODDLER and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Temper tantrums are the way that young children express emotions they are not developmentally able to express in other ways. Does knowing that the kicking and screaming is completely developmentally appropriate make it any easier for parents to deal with? Sometimes.  In this episode, we discuss the differences between tantrums and meltdowns, what the most common tantrum triggers are, and the most helpful ways for us to react when our little ones are going Full Ham Freakout.  Here are links to some writing on the topic that we mention in this episode:  Stanford Children’s Health: Temper Tantrums Sarah and Larry Nannery for Psychology Today: What Is the Difference Between a Meltdown and a Tantrum? Shaun Dreisbach for Parents: How to Deal with Toddler Temper Tantrums Special thanks to our sponsors for this month: Misfits Market is an intuitive online grocery shopping platform. Visit get.misfitsmarket.com/toddlerpurgatory and use code LAUGHING25 to get $25 off your first order by June 30, 2023. Terms and conditions apply.  Try Peloton Tread Risk-Free with a 30-day home trial. New members only. Not available in remote locations. See additional terms at onepeloton.com/home-trial.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Britt Hawthorne is a mother, teacher, author, and anti-bias/antiracist facilitator. Britt partners with caregivers, educators, and families to raise the next generation of antiracist children. Her book Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide is for families ready to take action that'll bring change at home. In this episode, Molly, Blaire, and Britt discuss: How kids under the age of 6 perceive race How to create racially diverse experiences for toddlers Conversations we can have with our parenting partners Here's where you can find Britt: www.britthawthorne.com @britthawthorne on IG  @britthawthorne_ on Twitter  @tashaxandra (Britt's coauthor) on IG  Buy Britt's book, Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide Special thanks to our sponsors for this month: If you’re looking for self-care that’s quick and easy, Athletic Greens is giving you a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase. Go to athleticgreens.com/LAUGHING.  Misfits Market is an intuitive online grocery shopping platform. Visit get.misfitsmarket.com/toddlerpurgatory and use code LAUGHING25 to get $25 off your first order by June 30, 2023. Terms and conditions apply.  Try Peloton Tread Risk-Free with a 30-day home trial. New members only. Not available in remote locations. See additional terms at onepeloton.com/home-trial.  Ready, Set, Food! helps prevent food allergies in children. Go to readysetfood.com/todpurgs & use code TODPURGS for 15% off your first order.  Ritual’s Essential for Women 18 and up is a multivitamin you can actually trust. Visit ritual.com/toddler for 10% off during your first 3 months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices