This past Tuesday, my conversation with mom and broadcast journalist Cheryl Tan ranged among many important topics, including how to talk to our kids about current events and tough stuff, and how to feel better about this election. (Go to weturnedoutokay.com/113 for my conversation with Cheryl.)
One aspect of our talk resonated with me as a great subject to dive into in a Your Child Explained episode: a family schedule that works for everybody.
Click weturnedoutokay.com/114 for notes from this episode on why creating a great family schedule is so important, and for key links!
I knew I wanted to speak with a journalist regarding next month's presidential election, so I was thrilled when today's guest, veteran TV reporter/anchor Cheryl Tan, agreed to come on the show!
Cheryl has appeared on CNN and Fox News, and currently hosts her own entrepreneurial TV show, Hampton Roads Business Weekly, the Standout podcast, and teaches entrepreneurs how to connect with journalists in her online community, PR Pro.
Speaking with Cheryl helped me realize that "the mainstream media" – feared by some, considered distant by others – is made up of real people. They are sons and daughters, moms and dads, brothers and sisters, and like Cheryl they want to tell people's stories.
In today's episode Cheryl shares about the crazy schedule-juggling that two married journalists go through while raising three boys, how to talk to kids about current events, and Cheryl shares advice that she's not sure you'll love, but nevertheless is her best idea for parents of young children…
Click weturnedoutokay.com/113 for notes in key links on today's episode!
Here are the top 2 reasons to listen to today's episode:
1) With all the fear in the air right now, you might benefit from a story about becoming fearless – so, here it is!
I told this hilarious and inspiring story last week, about becoming fearless while sitting in front of my mom's sewing machine as a young woman, and it took second place in the Massmouth Story Slam competition! I'm semifinals bound, and super excited : )
(My 4 1/2-minute story is, shall we say, not expletive-free… Grab some headphones or listen away from your kids. I hope you enjoy it!)
2) Speaking of fear, according to this article last week at Vox.com, 55% of voters were "disgusted" with the campaign… back in September.
I'm betting that that number has gone up a bit as this election has changed from PG to R-rated.
And if we are that freaked out – how are our kids?
When our fear and upset level goes up, so does theirs.
You can make both you and your kids feel better by coming to my FREE online class tonight:
How to Parent Young Children in this Mixed-up, Crazy World
I'll teach you how to:
– Coach your kids through the election insanity
– Help them feel less anxious
– Lessen your own anxiety
You can make "Everybody Sucks 2016" a little better for yourself and your kids –
Go to weturnedoutokay.com and sign up for tonight's class!
I can help you help your kids through the election craziness, tonight at 7 PM Eastern standard Time.
See you in class!
According to this article last week at Vox.com, 55% of voters were "disgusted" with the campaign… back in September.
I'm betting that that number has gone up a bit as this election has changed from PG to R-rated.
And if we are that freaked out – how are our kids?
When our fear and upset level goes up, so does theirs.
You can make both you and your kids feel better by coming to my FREE online class:
How to Parent Young Children in this Mixed-up, Crazy World
I'll teach you how to:
– Coach your kids through the election insanity
– Help them feel less anxious
– Lessen your own anxiety
You can make "Everybody Sucks 2016" a little better for yourself and your kids –
Go to weturnedoutokay.com and sign up for the October 20 (this coming Thursday) class!
I can help you help your kids through the election craziness, Thursday October 20 at 7 PM Eastern standard Time.
See you in class!
I start out today by speaking a little bit more about homework for young kids and the remarks that American Academy of Pediatrics president Dr. Benard Dreyer made regarding this in episode 107.
After hearing episode 106 (the homework backlash episode), a mom got in touch with me to share about the heaps of homework her first grader receives each night, and the fact that three missed homework assignments earns this six-year-old after school detention.
After school detention! For a six-year-old!
I really hope that listening to Dr. Dreyer's words on homework is helpful for everyone, but especially for those of you whose kids are stuck in a really crummy homework situation.
This past Tuesday in episode 110, my guest, former assistant secretary of Homeland Security and creator of book and podcast Security Mom, Juliette Kayyem, shared many great ideas for helping us feel safer amidst the contentious election and toxic fall vibes.
Today I expand on her comment that if we are calm, our kids will be calm as well – but if we freak out, they'll freak out too.
We look at security through our kids' eyes, discussing why they react that way and figuring out how to alleviate their anxieties.
Click weturnedoutokay.com/111 for notes, a hilarious and wonderful – and, I promise, relevant to today's show – YouTube clip of the Muppets, and to listen!
If you are nervous about the sense of unrest in the air, about the upcoming contentious election, about the threats of violence from all quarters; if you're feeling a little powerless as to how to protect your home and family in the midst of the toxic vibes, you are going to LOVE this show.
Beloved children's television host Fred Rogers famously said: "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping."
For more than fifteen years, my guest today has been one of those helpers –
In her role as assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Juliette Kayyem figured out how every day people could help during the 2010 BP oil spill; she advised then-Governor Deval Patrick in her position as Massachusetts' first Homeland Security advisor.
She's an expert in disaster preparation, she's been keeping people informed since before 9/11 as on-air security analyst for CNN. More recently she's started connecting home and family with homeland security through her podcast and best-selling book, Security Mom.
We commiserate over breast versus bottle, drop a few S-bombs (because as in parenthood, when you are in homeland security, shit happens), and Juliette reminds us "we've had bad presidents before, and we've lived through it."
Click weturnedoutokay.com/110 for links and notes about this wonderful conversation with a true voice of reason, and to enjoy the show!
How bad is the vague sense of fear, of atmospheric worry, in your life? Because if you feel it, you can bet that your child is getting those vibes from you (and now she's worrying, too.)
It's very difficult to escape the news and mudslinging around this contentious election. That's what started me thinking about how to help you feel better during this time of year when it always seems to feel a bit more "serious" than just a few weeks ago – but this year seems amplified by an order of magnitude.
So, here's the first of three parts of The Modern Parent's Guide to Living Through This Election!
Click weturnedoutokay.com/109 to listen to this episode and to read more about the one thing – THE basic building block – around which we can start to knock back worry and anxiety in our lives, and therefore the lives of our kids.