The Mom Show

Playing with your kids might feel like something you're supposed to do. Host Lindsay Aerts discusses why it's not realistic for a mom to be to sole source of your child's entertainment with researcher and University of Utah Professor Alisa Van Langeveld. She says ultimately playing is about connection, and she's developed a method called 10 minutes together: one-on-one time with each child 10 minutes a day. The two discuss the method and how to implement it.

Looking back at pre-mom fears now that you are one

Many parents struggle with knowing how to talk to their kids about sex. Shifting away from creating shame around sex to creating healthy integration for our kids is the message of Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife, a sex therapist who teaches parents about this. Host Lindsay Aerts talks with her about the unknowing messages you may be sending your kids around sexuality and gives an age appropriate guide of what you should be addressing.

In today's world it can be scary to think about our kids being sexually abused but there are some things we as parents we need to be doing to protect them. Host Lindsay Aerts talks with Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife, a sex therapist about teaching your kids that their body is their own, how to know the difference between kids being kids and abuse, how to know when some one feels off, and some of the characteristics of predators.

Why I'm sturggling with whether to stay home or work

It seems like almost every parents desire is to have kids who listen. Sometime when kids don't listen we feel like we're doing something wrong, or the kids are misbehaved. Host Lindsay Aerts talks with parent educator Georgia Anderson of www.Knowhowmom.com about why getting kids to listen is more about connection than simply obeying. They discuss showing respect for your child the same way you would to another adult if you were asking them to do something for you.

Kids fight. Sometimes more than we we would like. While it can drive you crazy, it's not necessarily a bad thing. Host Lindsay Aerts talks with parent educator Georgia Anderson who says the fighting is actually healthy for development. She gives tips for what you can do when they fight, and why you should focus on what's happening when they're NOT fighting as the clue to how their relationship is developing.   

Host Lindsay Aerts poses the question of whether or not it's appropriate to ask a new mom if she's experiencing a mental health issue after giving birth. Some moms find it inappropriate to ask so bluntly. Some wish they would have been asked. She's joined by Brook Dorff, Maternal Mental Health Specialist with Utah's Health Department.

The Utah health department is creating a website where you can find the information of every provider who specializes in help for maternal mental health issues in one central location. The resource and referral website will have at least 250 trained postpartum-specific professionals where both the women who are experiencing postpartum mood disorders and their doctors can access it.

If you want to support postpartum women in Utah, come to this event

Intermountain healthcare has announced they will screen all new moms who give birth at one of their hospitals for postpartum mood disorders. Host Lindsay Aerts talks with Jean Millar, Director of the Women and Newborn Clinical program at Intermountain Healthcare about what the hospital group is doing to screen, treat, and educate their providers about postpartum mood disorders.

Host Lindsay Aerts talks with Lynn Ward, Executive Director of Utah's 529 plans. These plans are sponsored by the state and designed to encourage saving for college. Lindsay talks with Lynn about why they're important, how to get started saving in one, what education related expenses you can use the money for, the penalties for taking your money out, and much more. Visit my529.org for more information or start one.

Why it's okay to "outsource" parenting duties

What's the difference between joy and happiness? They are similar feelings but joy takes the long view where as happiness can come from experiencing things outside of ourselves that make it easier to be happy in the moment. That's the definition from my guest, Ganel-Lyn Condie who authored a new book I Can Choose Joy with God. She talks about how to feel joy when you're in the throws of motherhood. She talks about how to teach our kids this concept.

This bonus episode really has little to do with motherhood but the life lessons learned from finding out you have a terminal illness can helps us all. Host Lindsay Aerts talks with her co-worker and producer for the JayMac News Show, Morgan Pratt who was recently diagnosed with Huntington's disease. Morgan talks about how she's coping with her illness, how she continues to find hope, and how you can help support the cause. To learn more visit http://utah.hdsa.org/.