Simple Families | Parenting + Minimalism

In today’s society we often feel like we need to be out and about, entertaining our children and staying busy. In this episode I am joined by author Rahima Dancy. We are discussing the educational value of just staying home with our children–because their most important learning experiences start right at home with us. Show Notes/Links: * You are Your Child’s First Teacher [Rahima’s book] * LifeWays North America * Inspired Homemaking Course * Celebrate the Rhythm of Life

[Heads up–there’s a wee bit of audio issues in the first part of the interview, but hang it there–it gets better!] This month we are going to be rethinking education. For anyone that has followed the podcast for sometime, you will know that I am an advocate for progressive forms of education. Namely child-led learning styles. In today’s episode, I am chatting with author and educator Aubrey Hargis of Child of the Redwoods. Aubrey is sharing her insight into the earliest of years of education–infancy and toddlerhood. What do babies really need as far as education in those first years of life? Show Notes/Links About Aubrey: * New Book: Baby’s First Year Milestones * Website * Courses * Instagram * Facebook * Facebook Group

Back by popular demand, today’s episode is a Q&A format. I am answering a variety of your questions about positive parenting, minimalism, moving, homeschooling, and childcare [all rather unapologetically–because remember this is opinion and what works for my family]. Show Notes/Links * Follow Simple Families on Instagram * Simplify Child Behavior Program * Preview App * Oak Meadow * Cultural Care Au Pair Program * Coffee + Chat Meet up in Columbus, Ohio.

Today is the first ever male guest on the podcast. While it’s long overdue, I am happy to welcome my friend Clark Davis. Clark is the final interview in the series ‘Journey to Simplicity’ this month. In today’s episode, Clark shares his insight on living small, intentional fatherhood, and minimalism. Not only is Clark on a journey to simplicity in his family life, but he’s also the founder of Sprout-Kids, a furniture company with a likeminded mission: To create sustainable and functional furniture for kids. Show Notes: * Sprout-Kids * Instagram * Facebook * The Board * The Floor Bed * Kitchen Helper [coming this Fall]

This is my favorite podcast episode yet. This month we are exploring the journey to simplicity in four real-life families. Because minimalism just makes good sense for families. Today I am chatting with Kristen Puzzo. Kristen is an active member of the Simple Families Community. I have been following her journey as she has been lightening the heavy load of motherhood for over a year. In this episode she shares an incredible amount of wisdom and insight for aspiring minimalists everywhere. Show Links: How to Pack a Minimalist Beach Bag  

Some people make big life changes in search of simplicity–Lilly Neubauer is one of them. When the busyness in her life spiraled out of control, Lilly quit her job to get her family back on track. I look forward to sharing her story with you today. Show Links: * Trading my Job for Minimalism (Lilly’s Guest Post on SF) * Keep in touch with Lilly * Find Lilly on Instagram

We are launching off a new 4-part series:  Journey to Simplicity. I am interviewing four real families about moving towards minimalism and how it has impacted their lives.  Today I am chatting with Rachelle Crawford. Rachelle and her family of 5 live in Michigan. She felt a sudden call to minimalism 18 months ago and hasn’t looked back. In this episode we chat about her journey and the positive impact it has had on her own well-being along with the well-being of her family. Show Notes/Links: Stay in touch with Rachelle via: * Blog: Abundant Life with Less * Instagram * Facebook * Download: The Declutter Like a Minimalist Guidebook

We know the environment in which we live and the food we eat have an impact on the development of our children. In today’s episode I am speaking with author + science writer Jena Pincott about all-natural biohacks for parents. Biohacks involve making changes to diet and lifestyle that transform biological tendencies that exist in our bodies. I learned so much from Jena’s book, and I hope you enjoy our chat today! Jena’s Book: Wits Guts Grit: All-Natural Biohacks for Raising Smart, Resilient Kids  

The value of play in childhood is often underestimated. Our children need to play and when pushed into academics at a young age they miss vital opportunities to develop and grow. In today’s episode we are discussing the balance between work and play. I am chatting with Jeanne-Marie Paynel of Voila Montessori about understanding the connection between these concepts. Show Notes/Links * Jeanne-Marie’s website * About Jeanne-Marie * The “Be the Best Parent You Can Be” Summit

Children benefit from the opportunity to play in open-ended, unstructured environments. Today I am talking with Nicole Roccaro from Naturally Curious Children. We talk about finding a balance in play, leaning towards unstructured activities, and following our children’s lead. Nicole’s home and approach are inspired by something called Reggio-Emilia. In this episode, we are discussing more about what this means and how parents can nurture this type of play in our families. Show Notes/Links * Nicole on Instagram: Naturally Curious Children * Nicole on Facebook: Naturally Curious Children * Grimms (toy referenced)

Horseplay is developmentally beneficial for our growing children. If you have a kid who plays rowdy, then you need to hear this. We need to find a way to encourage this behavior rather than discourage it. In today’s episode, I am chatting with Frances Carlson, the author of the book Big Body Play. I found Frances’ work to be eye opening and I think you will too. For some children, the need to move is just too much. They just have to let that energy out. And unfortunately they get labeled as misbehaving children, when what they are doing is what they need to develop. It’s like saying “if you get up and eat, you are misbehaving” – Frances Carlson Show Links/Notes: * Big Body Play [the book] * Big Body Play [the website]

Never underestimate what your children are learning through play. In the early years, play is the main vehicle for learning and education. In today’s episode, I will be introducing you to the importance of play. We chat about stages of play, types of play, and what role that adults may have in play. Show Notes/Links * The Play’s the Thing

Child behavior is anything but straightforward. My children are well-behaved, but as humans–they have their “moments”. As parents, we can feel powerless when our kids aren’t cooperating or being respectful. Today on the podcast I am explaining how we blend positive parenting methods with some strategies and techniques. One technique in particular that we are discussing is “time-out”. Time-out is often overused and misused. I give you 5 tips for using it successfully, as well as 4 shame-free ways to execute it (you might be surprised, none of these involve sticking your kids nose in the corner). Do you ever use time-out? Have you found it to be successful? Want to join us for a month of Simplifying Behavior? It starts July 1st!

In today’s episode I am chatting with Hunter Clarke-Fields of Mindful Mama Mentor. Hunter specializes in mindful parenting and in this episode we are talking about control in parenting. As parents, we feel like we should have control over our children. But children have their own agendas and ideas about this. How much control do we really have—or is it all an illusion? Show Notes/Links: * Mindful Mama Mentor * Free Course/Resources

The words that we speak to our children become their inner voice. And the average woman speaks 20,000 words per day. While we can’t always be intentional in the way we speak to our children, we can do better. In today’s episode, author Tracy Cutchlow and I are discussing how to speak to our children. We talk about the impact that our words have and strategies for improving our language to encourage a “growth mindset” (+all about what that means). Show Links: * Zero to Five: 70 Essential Parenting Tips Based on Science (the book) * Zero to Five (Tracy’s website) * Word-for-Word Examples Using Language of Listening * Growth Mindset Workshop