Episode 203: How to Create an Academic Plan with Meagan Sousa

Episode 203: How to Create an Academic Plan with Meagan Sousa

by | Aug 30, 2019 | Blog, Parenting

What’s your academic plan with your kiddos?  With it being back to school time, let’s focus in on how you can partner with your kids to set them up for their school year and for life.  We are joined by guest expert and Principal Tutor at Park River Tutoring as she guides us through how to set up an academic coaching plan to teach your kids key life skills and excel with their school year.

About Our Guest

In January of 2010, with 15 years of one-on-one tutoring experience and 10 years working with middle and high school students in out-of-school education, Meagan Sousa launched Parker River Tutoring. She has worked with students from all over the North Shore of Massachusetts to help those students succeed. Areas of expertise include Academic Coaching, Mathematics, Study Skills, SAT/ACT, SAT Subject Tests, High School Entrance Exams, MCAS, and MTEL.

Action Items and Tips From the Show

Academic Coaching:

This involves setting up for the school year ahead by finding the right tools for a student, gathering resources and setting up routines. That initial momentum of back to school tends to get kids in the right mode for wanting to achieve; the tools I give them helps keep them in that mode when the newness of the year wears off.

Coaching is also an approach that requires students to check in and reassess on a regular basis where they are at with their understanding, grades, balance and school supplies.

Join Life Balance Membership

Ready to create balance in your life?  Life Balance membership contains the courses to help you build the systems of balance for working Christian moms.  Plus, you’ll have access to our Bible study, Setting Goals in God’s Will, planning tools to help you apply everything that you are learning, podcast bonus material, monthly group coaching, community support and more!  Start your free 7-day trial and get access to everything through the Your Life Rocks app or from your computer.

Have you subscribed to the show yet?  Don't miss a single upcoming episode because when you subscribe, you will automatically get it the show in your app.  If you don't have a podcast app, not to worry.  You can download the Your Life Rocks app and get the shows right in the palm of your hand.  Otherwise, click here to subscribe on iTunes or here for Android.

Love the show?  It would mean the world if you would leave a rating and review.  It helps other working Christian moms find the show because if you like the show enough to leave a review, iTunes will suggest it to others.  Click here to leave a review in iTunes.  Just click on "Ratings and Reviews", then "Write a Review".

 

Learn More About Our Guest

Episode 202: How to Become a Scream Free Mom

Episode 202: How to Become a Scream Free Mom

by | Aug 22, 2019 | Blog, Parenting

Back to school means back to routines with our kids.  I don’t know about you, but getting ready for school, or during homework time, my voice gets louder.  It can bring out the worst in me as a mom! But there is hope for us through these tips from our guest today.

About Our Guest

Michele is the founder of  You Were Made to BLOOM, a ministry created to help moms feel encouraged, find a community that cares, and offer hope for a deeper connection to their family.  She spent 21 years ministering to preschool families and 8 years speaking to groups on the power of pause through the principles found in the book ScreamFree Parenting, She’s been married to her husband for 26 years and has three children ages 23, 20, and 15 and resides right out side of Atlanta, GA. After graduating from Eastern Kentucky University, she moved to Atlanta and met Dave. It was during those years as a fire wife and Preschool Ministry Director that she developed a passion to encourage moms in all seasons of life. She also currently works as a Social Media Marketing Strategist for The Magnolia Marketing Group. 

Action Items and Tips From the Show

How to Become a Scream Free Mom

  1. Put your own oxygen mask first.  Remember, not taking care of yourself causes overwhelm.  Take a look at your morning routine-See the face of God before you see anyone else.
  2. Pause more-React less.  When we pause, we can find God.  This will look different for everyone.
  3. Parenting side by side not toe to toe.  Think about walking through life with them.  Remember, we are responsible to our kids but not for our kids.
  4. Screen Free Parenting.  Be the example for your kids to be fully present. Get intentional about your rules and do your research.

Join Life Balance Membership

Ready to create balance in your life?  Life Balance membership contains the courses to help you build the systems of balance for working Christian moms.  Plus, you’ll have access to our Bible study, Setting Goals in God’s Will, planning tools to help you apply everything that you are learning, podcast bonus material, monthly group coaching, community support and more!  Start your free 7-day trial and get access to everything through the Your Life Rocks app or from your computer.

Have you subscribed to the show yet?  Don't miss a single upcoming episode because when you subscribe, you will automatically get it the show in your app.  If you don't have a podcast app, not to worry.  You can download the Your Life Rocks app and get the shows right in the palm of your hand.  Otherwise, click here to subscribe on iTunes or here for Android.

Love the show?  It would mean the world if you would leave a rating and review.  It helps other working Christian moms find the show because if you like the show enough to leave a review, iTunes will suggest it to others.  Click here to leave a review in iTunes.  Just click on "Ratings and Reviews", then "Write a Review".

 

Resources Mentioned in the Show:

Check out our past episode about screentime and your kids

 

 

Learn More About Our Guest

Episode 190: Creating An Awesome Summer

Episode 190: Creating An Awesome Summer

by | May 28, 2019 | Friendship/Fun, Parenting

Summer is here!  Are you ready to make it the most awesome summer ever?  Talk about pressure, right?  How do you feel when you hear you only have 18 summers with your kids?  If you are like me, it causes anxiety (especially when you do the math to figure out how many more summers you have with them).

Not to worry!  In this episode, we are talking about the simple ways that you can plan an awesome summer full of memory making moments.  We are keeping it simple and doable….just as summer should be.

Action Items and Tips From the Show

  1. Identify what you and your family value from summertime.  Let those things drive your planning process.
  2. Create a summer bucket list.  What do you and your family members really want to do this summer?  What are those must do events?  It can be really simple stuff like go fishing or make smores.  Get everyone to share their ideas and put them down on paper.  I love using the large presentation paper with a sticky back so we can write big, write a lot, get creative, and then post it up in the house where we can see it all season long.  Here is the link to the one that we use.
  3. Think about your summer planning in terms of balance.  We talk about balance within our three pillars.  Faith, community and systems.
  • Faith:  How are you helping your kids grow spiritually this summer?  Summer is a great time for development and discovery so let’s have God be a big part of that.  Connect with your church on summer camps, day programs, or other activities.  Give them a summer reading plan or buy them a bible study.
  • Community:  How are you building a community for your kids?  I want my kids to have an awesome summer but that doesn’t mean that it’s by my side or that I have to do everything.  Are there family members or close friends that your kids can spend time with this summer?  
  • Systems:  Everyone’s kids are at different ages and have different schedules for summer, so I’m not going to deep dive into it here.  But if you want some ideas, be sure to follow me on Instagram and I’ll share some in my stories over there.

Overall, what are the goals that you have for your kids this summer?  

Get the full planning guide at www.yourliferocks.com/summer

 

Ready to plan the most awesome summer?

Get the Summer of Awesome planning sheet, shopping recommendations to stock up on all the must-haves, simple ideas to create some summer magic before or after work, and more!

Have you subscribed to the show yet?  Don't miss a single upcoming episode because when you subscribe, you will automatically get it the show in your app.  If you don't have a podcast app, not to worry.  You can download the Your Life Rocks app and get the shows right in the palm of your hand.  Otherwise, click here to subscribe on iTunes or here for Android.

Love the show?  It would mean the world if you would leave a rating and review.  It helps other working Christian moms find the show because if you like the show enough to leave a review, iTunes will suggest it to others.  Click here to leave a review in iTunes.  Just click on "Ratings and Reviews", then "Write a Review".

 

Episode 189: Screen Time With Your Kids with Dr. Maylin Griffiths

Episode 189: Screen Time With Your Kids with Dr. Maylin Griffiths

by | May 21, 2019 | Blog, Parenting

How much is too much screen time for your kids?  As a working mom, nothing brings on mom guilt like trying to navigate these waters.  Join us in this discussion with Child Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Maylin Griffiths.  Get answers to your questions and create a plan for your kids and their electronics this summer.

About Our Guest

Dr. Maylin is a wife, mother, and clinical child psychologist.  She spent the past 12 years working with children and families in inpatient units, residential settings, and outpatient care.  Through her clinical work, she discovered everyone is really just doing the best they can for the children they care the most about.  Through her personal experiences as a mom, she discovered that parenting is HARD.  Really Hard.  What she also discovered is that being PROACTIVE rather than REACTIVE has made a huge difference in her confidence as a parent and in her relationship with her children.  Dr. Maylin developed Raising Character as a way of integrating clinical knowledge and proactive parenting with the belief that raising children should be fun, enjoyable, and memorable. She’s on a mission to raise children we’ll admire as adults.

Action Items and Tips From the Show

  • Let’s talk about WHY we’re using screen time with our children?
    • Educational purposes?
    • Boredom?
    • Quick break?
    • Reward for positive behavior?
  • Let’s remove judgment around this topic because we don’t always know the WHY behind why a parent is using screen time for their child.
  • No current studies that show the perfect amount of screen time and this is likely because it will vary for each child.
  • Some children are wired more hyperactive and are easily overstimulated. These kids will respond differently to screen time as it will likely reeve them up or increase their stimulation.
    • eye tics
    • jittery movements
    • increases in aggressive behaviors
    • Difficulties with sleep regulation
  • If you’re seeing any of the above negatives from screen time, here are some ideas:
    • Let your kids be bored. This sparks creativity.
    • Use real-life examples of education. Baking for math, scavenger hunts for science, etc.
    • Quiet time boxes for breaks
    • Experiences for rewards (get to go on an adventure, or read a book together, or pick the dessert for after dinner)

Join Life Balance Membership

Ready to create balance in your life?  Life Balance membership contains the courses to help you build the systems of balance for working Christian moms.  Plus, you’ll have access to our Bible study, Setting Goals in God’s Will, planning tools to help you apply everything that you are learning, podcast bonus material, monthly group coaching, community support and more!  Start your free 7-day trial and get access to everything through the Your Life Rocks app or from your computer.

Have you subscribed to the show yet?  Don't miss a single upcoming episode because when you subscribe, you will automatically get it the show in your app.  If you don't have a podcast app, not to worry.  You can download the Your Life Rocks app and get the shows right in the palm of your hand.  Otherwise, click here to subscribe on iTunes or here for Android.

Love the show?  It would mean the world if you would leave a rating and review.  It helps other working Christian moms find the show because if you like the show enough to leave a review, iTunes will suggest it to others.  Click here to leave a review in iTunes.  Just click on "Ratings and Reviews", then "Write a Review".

 

Learn More About Our Guest

Website:  www.RaisingCharacter.com

Social Media Links:  https://www.instagram.com/raisingcharacter/

 

Episode 185: Teaching Kids Healthy Friendships with Dr. Maylin Griffiths

Episode 185: Teaching Kids Healthy Friendships with Dr. Maylin Griffiths

by | Apr 23, 2019 | Friendship/Fun, Parenting

Parenting can be hard to navigate especially when we think of all the things that we need to teach our kids in order to raise healthy adults.  Combine that with the big job of balancing everything else and things just get complicated.  To help simplify this (and inspire us), we are joined by Dr. Maylin Griffiths who is a wife, mother, and clinical child psychologist.  In this episode, we are talking about how to teach our kids how to make healthy relationships/friendships.  

About Our Guest

Dr. Maylin is a wife, mother, and clinical child psychologist.  She spent the past 12 years working with children and families in inpatient units, residential settings, and outpatient care.  Through her clinical work, she discovered everyone is really just doing the best they can for the children they care the most about.  Through her personal experiences as a mom, she discovered that parenting is HARD.  Really Hard.  What she also discovered is that being PROACTIVE rather than REACTIVE has made a huge difference in her confidence as a parent and in her relationship with her children.  Dr. Maylin developed Raising Character as a way of integrating clinical knowledge and proactive parenting with the belief that raising children should be fun, enjoyable, and memorable. She’s on a mission to raise children we’ll admire as adults.

Action Items and Tips From the Show

  • Let’s talk values for this:
    • What are your family’s values?
    • What are your child’s values?
    • Why are these values important to you and your child?
  • Next, let’s talk about behaviors:
    • What behaviors show these values?
    • Example if kindness is a value – what behaviors show kindness?
    • Example: if integrity is a value, then telling the truth is a behavior.
  • Finally, let’s link these two together:
    • We seek relationships with those who have similar values to us
    • We show our values in our behaviors
    • Let’s look for friends that show these behaviors we value
  • When our child’s friend’s do not seem healthy we can ask:
    • “Are your friend’s behaviors consistent with values that are important to you”
  • I find it’s best not to use force and to encourage choice to get the desired behavior
    • So encourage your child to make the best choices
    • Versus forcing them to not be friends with someone
    • Encouraging statements versus control and force

Join Life Balance Membership

Ready to create balance in your life?  Life Balance membership contains the courses to help you build the systems of balance for working Christian moms.  Plus, you’ll have access to our Bible study, Setting Goals in God’s Will, planning tools to help you apply everything that you are learning, podcast bonus material, monthly group coaching, community support and more!  Start your free 7-day trial and get access to everything through the Your Life Rocks app or from your computer.

Have you subscribed to the show yet?  Don't miss a single upcoming episode because when you subscribe, you will automatically get it the show in your app.  If you don't have a podcast app, not to worry.  You can download the Your Life Rocks app and get the shows right in the palm of your hand.  Otherwise, click here to subscribe on iTunes or here for Android.

Love the show?  It would mean the world if you would leave a rating and review.  It helps other working Christian moms find the show because if you like the show enough to leave a review, iTunes will suggest it to others.  Click here to leave a review in iTunes.  Just click on "Ratings and Reviews", then "Write a Review".

 

Resources Mentioned in the Show:

Bucket Filler Series

 

Learn More About Our Guest

Episode 184: Weekly Prep For Your Kids

Episode 184: Weekly Prep For Your Kids

by | Apr 16, 2019 | Parenting, Time Management

We talk a lot about weekly prep here on the show because it is one of the main systems we teach to help you create balance in your life as a working mom.  In fact, if you have not yet grabbed our free course, Weekly Success Planning, I highly recommend that you do.  You can get it inside the Your Life Rocks app on Android or iTunes or go to WeeklySuccessPlanning.com

But let’s face it, a large part of what we do outside of work is for our kids.  So this episode was a long time coming.  In fact, the idea for this show came from our awesome community of other working Christian moms.  Are you a member?  Click here to join us on Facebook.

Want to learn more about Life Balance Membership?  Click here.

Get the full show notes on our website.  Click here.

Action Items and Tips From the Show

Areas to help your kids create balance for:

  • Faith
  • Friends
  • Health
  • Family
  • Education
  • Money
  • Personal responsibility for their things
  • Fun

When doing your planning, here are age recommendations for how much to involve your kids:

  • 0-5 Do for them
  • 6-12-include them
  • 13-17 lead them

Practical tips:

  1. Decide what areas of life are applicable to your kids
  2. Set intentions for each of those areas (involve your kids in the process)
  3. Look at the week ahead and try to spot any potential obstacle that could derail the intentions
  4. Remove any obstacles you can
  5. Prep schedule, people, needs, and things. 

Now that we are getting into the thick of this, it’s important to note that there are two purposes here.  1. Teach your kids this life skill. 2. Actually prep for the upcoming week.

If you feel like you are not ready for number one, head straight to number two with no shame.  If you don’t want to involve your kids, you are not ready for that, they are not ready for that or any other reason that you do not need to justify….that is totally fine.

I know that this list sounds long and exhausting.  As moms, we do a lot. And that is why it’s good to involve your kids.  Even if they don’t set the intentions, have them help you do the things.  My older son and I go through his schedule for the week together. He can pull it up on his computer and we go through what he has going on, what he needs, and who is doing what.  It’s a great time of connection. You can also delegate some this to your husband or other caregivers. But you get to direct the show.

So now you get to put this into practice.  You can do this!

Weekly Success Planning Course

Get the course inside the free Your Life Rocks app available in your app store.  Learn all about this critical system to help you create balance, plus begin planning for your success with our weekly planning tool inside the app!

 Click here to download in iTunes       Click here to download on Android

Have you subscribed to the show yet?  Don't miss a single upcoming episode because when you subscribe, you will automatically get it the show in your app.  If you don't have a podcast app, not to worry.  You can download the Your Life Rocks app and get the shows right in the palm of your hand.  Otherwise, click here to subscribe on iTunes or here for Android.

Love the show?  It would mean the world if you would leave a rating and review.  It helps other working Christian moms find the show because if you like the show enough to leave a review, iTunes will suggest it to others.  Click here to leave a review in iTunes.  Just click on "Ratings and Reviews", then "Write a Review".