It seems today that we are constantly consuming media messaging that is meant to make us feel like we are somehow behind or lacking what others have. This phenomenon has not skipped parenting. There are parenting influencers showing us an edited, stylized version of what their families are like. Please know I am not judging what other do or how they make a living. What I am pointing out is that it has never been so easy to peek into other people’s lives and use that information as a mirror in which to judge our own capacity, ability, or success.

In it’s lightest, breeziest form, TikToks, Instagram reels, and Facebook videos allow parents to see the similarities between our experiences. It creates a sense of connection that binds us in our shared lived experience trying to raise children in a certain time in history. That is a good thing. Especially for parents who are otherwise isolated - such as parents of babies or small children or parents of children with special needs.

However, it’s important to give light to the darker side of this trend. Not all parenting content creators are completely transparent or honest. There are some questionable creators that are performative. They act out the role of mother or father but are actually wrapped up in their own experience rather than caring for their child. The child becomes an object or prop in which to show how wonderful the parent is.

Today we’re going to talk about getting little ones to eat, but not too much, and the right things. There are so many theories about how to get our kiddos to eat veggies, fruits, fish, beans, but the answer to how to get kids to eat healthy foods is really naturally built into them. All we have to do as parents is to let the natural process do it’s thing. And what is that natural process? Simply put, it’s hunger.

Today’s topic is a hot-button one and I know I am going to get a lot of feedback from listeners. Yet, the research and scientific evidence is imploring me to cover this topic again because it is really important to your child’s health and well-being. Yep, I’m talking about the importance of free play

Just about every parent I have worked with for the last 10 years has had a love-hate relationship with screens and their children. Almost all the parents I work with know that too much screen time is not a good thing. And almost all of them feel guilty about how much time their kiddos are in front of screens while simultaneously feeling that screens are necessary to calm, soothe, distract, and manage children today. Those are a lot of emotions to have about a tool that is meant to improve our lives.

So let’s take a look at what the research is telling us and try to find that equilibrium that meets the needs of the modern family while simultaneously supporting the proper growth and development of our little ones with free play.

Recently, while reading my pediatric professional journals, I came across an interesting article. The article was about helping parents understand food trends and decipher food labels to make truly healthy choices for their toddlers. While the paper was focused on very young children, the information they shared is really applicable to children and teens of all ages. For this reason, I thought I would use this article as a basis for todays show.

Understanding nutrition is not as easy as it may appear. Everyday on commercials, on television, on Instagram, on Facebook, on the radio, just about everywhere, we hear nutrition information about calories, fat, sugar, carbohydrates, macros, eating for your body type, veganism, vegetarianism, keto, intermittent fasting, etc., etc., etc. Everyone seems to be an expert and has cracked the code on how to eat well and stay lean. Yet, obesity rates continue to climb, especially in our youth population. Diseases related to poor nutrition are claiming more lives every year. And people are feeling less and less confident about how to manage their own diet and nutrition within the constraints of modern life. Then, adding the responsibility of choosing meals and snacks for our little ones can feel overwhelming.

So, let’s start talking about how to navigate food trends and food labels to make sound, scientifically based decisions for your modern family while providing the best nutrition for your kiddos.

Today I want to talk about that sweetest of age, the early school age years. Depending on where you are listening from, school may start for your little one at age 3, as in Western Europe, or age 5-6, as is common in the Americas. Regardless of where and when your kidlet is attending school, you can take advantage of the power of routines to help at home and at school.

These years of early education are a remarkable time of transition for your child. Your little one will move from completely focusing on themselves to engaging with other children and adults. This is a huge opportunity for you, as a parent, to use this natural developmental stage to guide them towards behaviors that will help them understand their place in the larger context of the family, other children, and be in the classroom.

The key to guiding your child successfully during this stage is to set up an environment that supports this growing confidence to maximize their new skills and abilities while keeping them safe and avoiding accidental parenting. The best and easiest way to do this is by having clear, age-appropriate limits to protect their safety and building family routines so everyone can participate and feel good about being independent and successful contributing to family unit.

It’s hard to be a parent these days. There seems to be so much information out there in formats that are easily accessible, but try to remember that all the information you may see or read online is not what it appears to be. As a community, we need to start looking at what is happening and how we can help our kiddos thrive.

Being self-compassionate is a big part of being a parent who raises happy and healthy children. Being kind to ourselves, knowing that other parents are dealing with the same issues, and taking a mindful moment to recognize what is happening let’s us make better decisions.

Everyone knows that social media is highly edited. Only the best photos make the cut and normally only positive status updates are shared. Displaying overly-perfect images alerts people that it’s just too good to be true. This can cause feelings of distrust, envy or aggression if people feel you are creating separation, which is the opposite of what we should be doing with social media. We should want to create connection because connection helps us reduce stress and anxiety.

Allowing real life to be present in social media keeps you and your contacts close. When we share both positive and negative aspects of life online, and everything in between, more realistic relationships can be fostered and maintained. This leads to real closeness and strengthened bonds of friendship and kinship. If we are worried about sharing the negative stuff online, remember that our phones still work and we can give a good friend or family member a call to talk about the touch stuff.

Of course, being honest to ourselves is also really important. We are perfect just as we are. Our family is perfect just as they are. There is no reason to present ourselves or our family differently. You and I, and our families, are exactly where we are supposed to be in this moment. We need to let go of the need for perfection.

This is the final episode of Season 1. Please feel free to go back and listen to any episodes you may have missed. It would be so helpful if you dropped us a note or review so we know if this podcast is meeting your needs. You can email comments or questions to me at deanna@proactiveparenting.com. The feedback we receive will help us structure Season 2 content. Thank you in advance for your help!

Proactive Parenting is based on validated theories and scientific research to provide the information you need to care for your modern family. Not everyone grew up in a completely healthy family of origin and consequently may be unsure of how to be a parent when they start a family. Proactive Parenting was created for parents who need a solid foundation to start raising their children, and for parents who want to do better. It is a way to move past old behaviours, break unhealthy habits, and replace them with parenting actions that will lead to a healthy family life for both children and parents.

If you want to learn more about Proactive Parenting, please visit my webpage and social media sites:

Website: www.proactiveparenting.com

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.deannamariemason/

This episode concentrates on how families can use traditions to strengthen family bonds while communicating values to children. Traditions, both the big ones as well as the day-to-day ones, teach our children about what family looks and behaves like. Both types are useful because they mark different times circuits. Holiday traditions mark the calendar year while day-to-day traditions create a routine and flow in a family. These are important because they are something kids can rely and depend on.

Traditions are sets of activities that are repeated on a regular schedule and can be used to mark the rhythm of the day, week, month, and year. We can define and customise our family traditions in a manner that we find appropriate for our family because, ultimately, these traditions communicate our family's values. They show what is important and why those things are important to us. Yet, the best part about traditions is the ability to carry them with us no matter what is happening because they are activities that are most often done at home. We can all use traditions can make our homes a “safe zone” where we can maintain control of what is happening in our lives. Ultimately, this instills a sense of family, values, and belonging, especially with children.

So, check out this episode to learn more about the power of traditions in supporting a strong family unity.

Proactive Parenting is based on validated theories and scientific research to provide the information you need to care for your modern family. Not everyone grew up in a completely healthy family of origin and consequently may be unsure of how to be a parent when they start a family. Proactive Parenting was created for parents who need a solid foundation to start raising their children, and for parents who want to do better. It is a way to move past old behaviours, break unhealthy habits, and replace them with parenting actions that will lead to a healthy family life for both children and parents.

If you want to learn more about Proactive Parenting, please visit my webpage and social media sites:

Website: www.proactiveparenting.com

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.deannamariemason/