Lauren B is mother to 11 and 14 year old sons. Recently, the summer camp that the kids are in, faced a flu outbreak. Her older son shared with Lauren how he feels haunted by the pandemic and all of the stresses and fears they went through. 

This hit Lauren as she began to question how to give her boys an optimistic outlook on life when there is so much going on in the world that’s not positive. The topic started weighing on her. She doesn't want to be a Pollyanna but doesn’t want to hide life’s realities from her sons either. 

On today’s episode we talk about how to tactfully engage in real life conversations with your kids. We talk about how important it is for kids to develop coping mechanisms and resilience while we validate their feelings with intentional language. We discuss raising children who want to be engaged in the issues and not just feel fear. How do we activate our children and give them a  sense of control towards making a change?

This week on The Parenting Mentor:

• Tips for language and strategies for validation, honesty and empowerment. 
• Tips for understanding where your child is emotionally and how much you want to share. 
• Language for helping your kid feel empowered in the world and not helpless.

“I think the message is yes, this is hard. Validating that feeling 100%. Because it is. And yeah it stinks when your friends are coming and going and you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop. And yet you get through it.”- Sue Groner

Meet the Parenting Mentor

If you want to reduce the everyday stress and anxiety that inevitably come with parenting and learn to be a happier and more relaxed parent, then this is the place for you.

Here, you can listen in on real sessions with parents who open up about the specific challenges they face with children from 2 to 22. Listen along and gain perspectives and strategies to help you parent with sanity and joy.

Visit theparentingmentor.com for notes on this show, more episodes, and all the ways to subscribe, and don’t forget to pick up my book, Parenting with Sanity and Joy: 101 Simple Strategies, which includes my Nine Golden Rules of Parenting.