In this conversation, Nina and Alyssa discuss the topic of money and its impact on relationships. They explore the concept of money guilt and scarcity, and how it can stem from one's background and upbringing. They also delve into the challenges couples face when it comes to money, including conflicts and financial infidelity. Alyssa provides tips on how to have productive conversations about money with your partner, as well as the importance of budgeting and building an emergency fund. She emphasizes the need for mindset shifts and reframing negative money narratives to improve financial wellness.

00:00: Introduction and Money Guilt

11:59: Money in Relationships

19:07: The Importance of Budgeting

21:45: Building an Emergency Fund

26:57: Mindset Shifts for Financial Wellness

About Alyssa:

Alyssa Davies is a Trauma of Money certified facilitator and a published author living in Calgary, Alberta. She founded the two-time award-winning Canadian Personal Finance Blog of the Year, Mixed Up Money, and is the cohost of Money Feels, a podcast dedicated to healing your relationship with finances. Alyssa is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, and her books, The 100 Day Financial Goal Journal and Financial First Aid are currently available for purchase.

Episode Sponsor:

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In this conversation, Nina discusses her concerns about her son's reading development with Jessica Farmer, an expert in early literacy. They cover key milestones in early reading development, tips for parents to introduce reading skills, common mistakes to avoid, and red flags that indicate a child may be struggling with reading. Jessica emphasizes the importance of early intervention and provides resources for parents to support their child's reading journey.

Chapters

00:00: Introduction and Concerns

05:10: Key Milestones in Early Reading Development

08:43: Tips for Introducing Reading Skills

18:42: Common Mistakes in Teaching Children to Read

25:58: Recognizing Red Flags and Seeking Intervention

31:14: Conclusion and Resources

Meet Jessica Farmer, the force behind Farmer Loves Phonics, a literacy advocate in the world of education on social media. With a bachelor's degree from Florida International University, Jessica also holds a reading endorsement in the state of Florida. Her journey into the science of reading began in 2020, spurred by the onset of the pandemic. In response, she took to TikTok to create informative content, aimed at assisting parents in supporting their children's learning at home. Since then, Jessica has maintained a consistent presence on TikTok and Instagram, offering valuable resources and insights for both parents and educators.

Dedicated to advancing the field of reading instruction, Jessica has expanded her knowledge through specialized training. In 2021 and 2022, she successfully completed LETRS for Early Childhood and Comprehensive IMSE Orton-Gillingham. Her unwavering passion lies in making reading instruction accessible and effective for every learner. With a commitment to reaching and empowering all readers, Jessica continues to be a trusted source of guidance and support in the science of reading community. Jessica is currently the lead professional trainer for Rainbow Phonics and a facilitator for LETRS EC.

Episode Sponsors:

City Beauty

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In this conversation, Nina discusses the topic of shame in children with Alexandra Idens, the founder of Big Life Journal. They explore how children experience shame, how parents can recognize and address it, and how to build resilience in children to handle setbacks and failures constructively.

00:00: Introduction and Personal Experiences with Shame

08:38: Creating Family Agreements to Address Shameful Behavior

17:07: Supporting Children Through Shameful Experiences

25:23: Building Resilience in Children to Handle Setbacks

28:45: The Importance of Connection and Unconditional Love

30:56: Letting Children Feel and Learn from Shameful Moments

Alexandra Eidens is the found and CEO of Big Life Journal. At Big Life Journal, their mission is to give parents, teachers, therapists, and counselors the tools they need to help kids grow up confident, resilient, and ready to take on the world. They work to make it easier for you to nurture kids who believe in themselves and their ability to achieve big things.

Find out more on her socials:

www.biglifejournal.com

On Instagram

This episode's sponsors:

City Beauty

Get fuller, healthier, younger-looking lips in a wide range of colors with City Lips by City Beauty. Go to citybeauty.com and use my code mamaknows for 15% off your purchase. 

Lands End

I love the wrinkle resistant fabric which is key for me when it comes to travel and even kids back to school clothes! So seize the summer with landsend.com and use code mamaknows to get 30% off your summer purchase.

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The conversation explores the importance of talking to kids about disabilities and how to approach the topic. Amanda Owen, who has a brother with a rare chromosomal disability, shares her personal experience and passion for advocating for individuals with disabilities. They discuss the need to normalize disabilities early on, finding common ground with individuals with disabilities, and the importance of open and honest conversations. They also touch on the generational shift in attitudes towards disabilities and the impact of societal norms on children's perceptions. In this conversation, Amanda Owen discusses how to address children's curiosities and teach empathy and inclusivity towards individuals with disabilities. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing similarities and finding common interests, as well as using moments of curiosity as teaching opportunities. Amanda also suggests using the phrase 'excuse us while we're learning' to address inappropriate comments and engage in a respectful conversation. She encourages parents to have scripted conversations with their children about differences and to model empathy and inclusivity in their own behavior. Amanda also shares her books, 'Owen the Wonder' series, which teach children about disabilities and promote understanding and acceptance.

Chapters

00:00: Introduction and Personal Experience

02:50: Normalization and Early Conversations

07:46: Finding Common Ground

13:00: Open and Honest Conversations

17:55: Challenging Societal Norms

22:21: Recognizing Similarities and Finding Common Interests

27:17: Modeling Behavior and Having Scripted Conversations

31:45: Promoting Understanding and Acceptance Through Books

About Amanda

Amanda Owen is a children’s book author, speaker, podcaster, nonprofit founder/director and lifelong advocate for those with disabilities. Her big brother, Nick, was the 11th person in the world diagnosed with his rare chromosomal disability, which meant Amanda grew up as an advocate. She became a special education teacher to help students like her brother, but desired to offer her students and their families more. Taking a leap of faith, Amanda left the classroom 11 years ago to launch Puzzle Pieces, a Kentucky-based nonprofit that serves individuals with disabilities, offering them targeted autism services, residential living, vocational training, supported employment, behavior services and more. Amanda’s work has become a state and national model for disability services, allowing her to speak all over the country on advocacy, provider services and her perspective as a sibling. She inspires everyone she meets to dream big, work hard, own their mistakes and learn from them, be themselves, and most of all -- laugh!

Amanda loves to connect! Find her at:

Website: piecesofme.org

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pieces-of-me/id1547078857

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piecesofmebyamanda

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/piecesofmebyamanda/

Episode Sponsors:

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Disney Jr.’s Ariel is an animated musical series for preschoolers inspired by the beloved story of “The Little Mermaid.” It follows 8-year-old mermaid princess Ariel as she and her friends embark on fun-filled, action-packed underwater adventures throughout their Caribbean-inspired fairytale kingdom of Atlantica and beyond. The series features fan-favorite characters, including King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian, and Flounder, as well as exciting new additions like Ariel’s two best friends, mer-children Lucia and Fernie, and lots of other adorable sea creatures. The series debuts Thursday, June 27 on Disney Jr. and next day, Friday, June 28 on Disney+.

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In this conversation, Nina and Jessica discuss the importance of routines for children, especially during the back-to-school transition. Jessica, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of Rooted in Routine, shares the benefits of routines for children's physical and mental health, cognitive development, and stress management. They also discuss strategies for preparing children for the school year, managing screen time, and helping children decompress after school. Jessica provides advice for parents navigating different routines in two households. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the significance of routines in creating stability and supporting children's well-being.

Jessica Irwin is a childhood routine expert, pediatric occupational therapist, mom of a toddler, and lover of all things child development. She founded her online business, Rooted in Routine, to help parents learn simple, easy-to-implement routines for optimal baby and child development at every age. Her approach is largely rooted in going back to the basics to help you establish solid, age-appropriate routines for things like feeding, play, mealtimes, potty, and sleep. She believes this is the most important foundation you can provide for your child - and she wants to help you do just that! You can find her on socials at @rootedinroutine or www.rootedinroutine.com.

Jessica is having a back-to-school sale this August (8/15-8/19) where her Comprehensive Routine Guides will be 20% off!

We love our Dream Land Baby Pajamas for the kiddos, go the dreamlandbabyco.com and enter code MAMAKNOWS at checkout to receive 30% off sitewide + free shipping!

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Disney Jr.’s Ariel is an animated musical series for preschoolers inspired by the beloved story of “The Little Mermaid.” It follows 8-year-old mermaid princess Ariel as she and her friends embark on fun-filled, action-packed underwater adventures throughout their Caribbean-inspired fairytale kingdom of Atlantica and beyond. The series features fan-favorite characters, including King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian, and Flounder, as well as exciting new additions like Ariel’s two best friends, mer-children Lucia and Fernie, and lots of other adorable sea creatures. The series debuts Thursday, June 27 on Disney Jr. and next day, Friday, June 28 on Disney+.

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In this conversation, Nina and Dr. Menije discuss perfectionism and its impact on women, particularly in the context of motherhood. They explore different types of perfectionism and how it can manifest in various areas of life. Dr. Menije emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and embracing imperfection as antidotes to perfectionism. They also discuss how parents can help their children navigate perfectionism by teaching them to embrace mistakes and regulate their emotions. Overall, the conversation highlights the need to challenge societal expectations and redefine the concept of perfection.

00:00: Introduction and Personal Experiences with Perfectionism

03:11: Understanding the Different Types of Perfectionism

07:20: Perfectionism in Motherhood: Fear of Not Being Good Enough

10:36: The Role of Comparison and Social Media in Perfectionism

13:21: Overcoming Perfectionism: Self-Compassion and Embracing Imperfection

19:28: Helping Children Navigate Perfectionism: Embracing Mistakes and Regulating Emotions

25:25: Addressing Our Own Perfectionism as Parents

More About Dr. Menije

Dr. Menije is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Los Angeles, CA and a leading expert on overcoming perfectionism and building an authentic life. She knows her clients can bust out of their comfort zones, take ownership of their dreams, and create a new sense of self. As the founder of Perfectionism University, an online platform for self-help courses on breaking up with perfectionism, her goal is to create a community where we can all unlearn Perfectionism and start our journey of embracing imperfections and owning our enoughness.

Disney Jr.’s Ariel is an animated musical series for preschoolers inspired by the beloved story of “The Little Mermaid.” It follows 8-year-old mermaid princess Ariel as she and her friends embark on fun-filled, action-packed underwater adventures throughout their Caribbean-inspired fairytale kingdom of Atlantica and beyond. The series features fan-favorite characters, including King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian, and Flounder, as well as exciting new additions like Ariel’s two best friends, mer-children Lucia and Fernie, and lots of other adorable sea creatures. The series debuts Thursday, June 27 on Disney Jr. and next day, Friday, June 28 on Disney+.

Invest in your whole family’s health with Seed. Go to Seed.com/MAMAKNOWS and use code 25MAMAKNOWS to get 25% off your first month of DS-01® Daily Synbiotic or PDS-08® Pediatric Daily Synbiotic.  

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Do you struggle with self confidence? Having confidence is something I struggle with and have been working on across all areas of my life. In this episode we dive into the topic of confidence and how you can work on building yours!

Discussion:

1. Why are some flamingos lighter pink/more washed out than others?

2. Signs you are lacking self confidence.

3. Simple things to implement daily to boost your self confidence.

Click here to buy my Manifestation Guide.



Disney Jr.’s Ariel is an animated musical series for preschoolers inspired by the beloved story of “The Little Mermaid.” It follows 8-year-old mermaid princess Ariel as she and her friends embark on fun-filled, action-packed underwater adventures throughout their Caribbean-inspired fairytale kingdom of Atlantica and beyond. The series features fan-favorite characters, including King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian, and Flounder, as well as exciting new additions like Ariel’s two best friends, mer-children Lucia and Fernie, and lots of other adorable sea creatures. The series debuts Thursday, June 27 on Disney Jr. and next day, Friday, June 28 on Disney+.

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this conversation, Nina and Dr. Kristin Neff discuss the importance of self-compassion and its power to improve our well-being. Dr. Neff, a researcher and expert in self-compassion, shares insights from her own personal experiences and research. They explore the difference between self-compassion and self-esteem, the reasons why people struggle with self-compassion, and practical steps to cultivate self-compassion. They also discuss the role of self-compassion in parenting and how to help children develop self-compassion. Dr. Neff provides resources, including her website and books, to support individuals in practicing self-compassion.

Chapters

00:00: Introduction and Personal Experiences

02:56: The Power of Self-Compassion

09:30: Understanding and Overcoming Obstacles to Self-Compassion

18:21: Practical Steps to Cultivate Self-Compassion

21:34: Helping Children Develop Self-Compassion

26:24: Navigating Shame and Guilt

28:23: Self-Compassion for Coping with Burnout

Dr. Kristin Neff is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of

Texas at Austin. She is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, conducting

the first empirical studies on self-compassion more than twenty years ago. She has

been recognized as one of the most influential researchers in psychology worldwide.

Kristin runs the Self-Compassion Community, an online learning platform where people

can learn the skill of self-compassion with the help of others. She is author of the

bestselling books Self-Compassion and Fierce Self-Compassion. Along with her

colleague Chris Germer, she developed the empirically-supported Mindful Self-

Compassion program and co-founded the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. They

co-wrote the best-selling The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook and have a new book

called Mindful Self-Compassion for Burnout coming out in Fall 2024. For more info go

to self-compassion.org.

Today's episode Sponsors:

BetterHelp.com/MAMAKNOWS - to get 10% off your first month of therapy 

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DREAMLAND BABY: To shop with my code “Go to dreamlandbabyco.com and enter my code MAMAKNOWS at checkout to receive 30% off pajamas + free shipping. That’s dreamlandbabyco.com code MAMAKNOWS. This offer is for new and existing customers!”

Do you ever feel upset over plans changing or things not going the way you had planned it out? In this episode we dive into ambiguous grief (i.e. when things don't go according to plan, grieving unmet expectations, accepting life's curveballs) (ex: infertility, divorce, financial distress, marital problems, parental disputes). Whether big or small understanding and being able to work through ambiguous grief can be so helpful!

1. Most of us have a vision or an expectation of how our life should go and when it doesn't we feel out of control and sometimes devastated. (For example: I dreamed of a certain dynamic for my children's relationship & the relationship I have with my mom/in laws) How can we acknowledge and grieve these unmet expectations?

2. I feel like I processed through the grief of my unmet expectations but am hit with another wave of grief for the same thing months or years later. Am I not moved on? Is something wrong with me?

3. What are some tips to let go of life-plan related and or anticipatory anxiety to better prepare for life's curveballs?

Bio: Emmalee Bierly & Jennifer Chaiken are both Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, co-owners of the private therapy practice called The Therapy Group, and co-hosts of the ShrinkChicks Podcast! They believe in being down to earth, authentic, and transparent, which are values they bring both to their practice as well as their podcast! Their mission is to make therapy more relatable and accessible, working to break down that clinical wall with humor and warmth!

Links/outtro mentions:

• The Therapy Group: www.thetherapygroup.com (their co-owned private practice that serves most US states)
• ShrinkChicks Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shrinkchicks/id1483261668
• Instagram pages: @shrinkchicks and @thetherapygrp

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Invest in your whole family’s health with Seed. Go to Seed.com/MAMAKNOWS and use code 25MAMAKNOWS to get 25% off your first month of DS-01® Daily Synbiotic or PDS-08® Pediatric Daily Synbiotic. That’s 25% off your first month of Seed’s DS-01® or PDS-08® at Seed dot com slash MAMAKNOWS, code 25MAMAKNOWS.

Disney Jr.’s Ariel is an animated musical series for preschoolers inspired by the beloved story of “The Little Mermaid.” It follows 8-year-old mermaid princess Ariel as she and her friends embark on fun-filled, action-packed underwater adventures throughout their Caribbean-inspired fairytale kingdom of Atlantica and beyond. The series features fan-favorite characters, including King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian, and Flounder, as well as exciting new additions like Ariel’s two best friends, mer-children Lucia and Fernie, and lots of other adorable sea creatures. The series debuts Thursday, June 27 on Disney Jr. and next day, Friday, June 28 on Disney+. 

Arguing in relationships happens but we don't often talk about how to reconnect and repair the relationship after an argument happens. Too often we move on without any true resolution. This we are talking to Jocelyn Freeman of Meet the Freemans and she walks us through some strategies and ways we can repair and take accountability without resentment.

1. We just had a big argument and are at a stalemate, how do we repair?

2. Our argument got heated, we took a break to cool down, but when we talk about it and try to repair we end up getting into an even bigger argument. How can we stop this cycle?

3. POV: I always feel like I am initiating the repair and taking accountability, but my partner isn't. I am feeling disconnected and frustrated which is leaving me to feel resentment. What can I do so I am not the only one saying sorry?

4. How can I get past the self-righteous mentality in arguments?

Aaron and Jocelyn Freeman ("The Freemans") are authors of The Argument Hangover, creators of The Couples Workshop (which has sold out over 50 times), and coaches to thousands of couples worldwide. They are best known for their relatable and actionable tools and skills for couples to communicate better, fight smarter, and handle any challenge as a team. The best resources to start with are their 30-Day Couples Challenges and their instant-access guides. 

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Body image and and neutrality is something I didn't really learn about until I was an adult, after struggling for years. Especially after having my own kids I began to wonder, how do we do better for our kids so that they don't have to struggle with the same body image issues like most of us did as kids? On this weeks episode we dive into the topic and address some important questions!

1. How can we talk to our kids about their body early on & in their teens to promote body neutrality?
2. What are things we should avoid doing or saying to nurture body positivity in our daughters?
3. Our kids are growing up surrounded by social media and are consuming damaging content for their views on themselves and their body. How can we help them avoid the comparison cycle of unrealistic body image on the internet?
4. How can we help empower our daughters to stand up for themselves when their body is being negatively talked about by classmates, friends, family, or strangers?
5. What are signs that we should be aware of that may indicate our child is struggling with an eating disorder?

Dr. Morgan Francis is a Doctor of Clinical Psychology and a Licensed Mental

Health Therapist. She is the owner of Scottsdale Premier Counseling, in

Scottsdale, Arizona. At her private practice she treats young adults, individuals,

couples, and families. Her mission is to break through the mental health shame

game. With over 20 years of experience specializing in the treatment of Body

Image and Eating Disorders, Dr. Francis can empower you to make peace with

your body and food. She is a frequent guest on Fox News Phoenix, she has been

featured in local and national publication, she is a public speaker and consultant

on mental health helping churches, schools, and community organizations. You

can work with Dr. Francis by accessing her online courses or attending her

webinars. Dr. Francis lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her three children and

husband.

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