Good Enough Parenting

In this episode, we’re taking a classic fire safety rule—Stop, Drop, and Roll—and turning it into your new secret weapon for navigating those fiery parenting moments. Remember how often the fire department visited your elementary school to drill this into our heads? Turns out, that advice is just as helpful for when your kid is melting down over the color of their cup as it is for actual flames. I share a recent moment where I found myself at the edge of a parenting meltdown (yes, even therapists have those!) and how Stop, Drop, and Roll helped me regain control—well, at least of myself, if not the chaos. 😉 Learn how to apply this three-step strategy to put out emotional fires and keep your cool when the heat is on at home. In this episode, you’ll learn: * How to apply Stop, Drop, and Roll to your parenting toolbox 🧯 * Why stopping in the middle of chaos can be a game-changer * How dropping the need for control leads to calmer outcomes * What “rolling with it” really means in the wild world of parenting To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here! http://www.paceparent.com/play [http://www.paceparent.com/play] And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG!

Fear Isn’t the Enemy 👾  We often think we need to protect our children from things that scare them, but in reality it's better to help them face it. “Fairy Tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed.”  ~GK Chesteron    Kids know that scary sh*t is out there. But their biggest fear is not the monster under the bed or the bully on the playground. The biggest fear many children have? Feeling powerless. That's why fear can lead to aggressive outbursts—because when a child feels scared, they try to regain control, often through extreme reactions. What Helps? Facing Fear with Control 💪 It’s not about keeping scary things away from them, but about teaching them to face fear while remaining in control. Let them go at their own pace—approaching the edge of their comfort zone but not pushing them into distress. Practical Tips for Managing Fear 👻 Here’s how you can help your child manage their fears: * Take Baby Steps: Start small, letting them explore their fears in a controlled way. * Validate Their Feelings: Acknowledge their fear without rushing to solve it for them. * Playfully Conquer Fear: For imaginative fears (like monsters or vampires), try creative solutions—draw pictures of what they’re scared of and destroy them, or come up with funny tools to "banish" their fears. * Create Safe Opportunities: Games like hide-and-seek can help kids practice separation in a fun, controlled setting. The goal isn’t to shelter kids from fear but to help them practice feeling scared and managing that fear. When we let them take control, they become more empowered, resilient and ultimately cooperative!  On today's "Good Enough Parenting" podcast, I share a personal story of how I was able to move my three year old from paralyzed to playful on Halloween night.  And while we can't make all the dragons disappear, we can give our kids the swords they need to feel less afraid. And that's good enough.  To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here! http://www.paceparent.com/play [http://www.paceparent.com/play] And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG!

Oh dreaded transitions.  Anytime we’re asking our kids to move from one activity to another (“stop playing and come to dinner” or “head upstairs to brush your teeth”) a whole host of things need to happen in their brain and body to turn their boat in a new direction.  Transition struggles are the biggest complaint I hear from families I support. It is incredibly frustrating when you have to yell “Get your shoes on!!” 600 times before your kid hops to it.  But there are some ways to make transitions easier (or at least slightly less painful).  On today’s “Good Enough Parenting” podcast, I share tips and tricks for getting your kid moving BEFORE you start throwing things at them. The key is to honor the transition itself, not just focus on the before/after activities.  I also share how to honor the bigger life transitions – like moving or heading to a new school – to help ease the passage from one phase to the next.   Might be advice we all could use when we're stuck in a youtube rabbit hole even though  we should be heading to bed. Turns out transitions aren't just tricky for kids....  To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here! http://www.paceparent.com/play [http://www.paceparent.com/play] And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG!

Have you ever had to peel your 4 year old off your leg at daycare drop off? Or tried to convince your 7 year old that they’ll have fun at school when they’re begging you to stay home because the idea of leaving you makes them want to puke?  Separation anxiety is tough. And unfortunately many of the strategies that parents try, like being logical (“You love your teacher – you’re going to have a great day!”) or bribing (“If you don’t cry on the way to school you’ll get a cupcake!”) actually make things worse.  On today’s “Good Enough Parenting” podcast, I explain why separation anxiety develops (thanks ancestors!), how to help your child understand what they’re feeling, and what to do when the dreaded moment of separation occurs.  Sneak peak: Be clear. Be calm. Be consistent. Anxiety doesn’t stand a chance when a parent speaks clearly about expectations, maintains their own calm, and holds consistent boundaries.  Tune in to hear my top tools for taming this common childhood struggle so that you can become the steady guide your anxious kid needs rather than getting stuck in their storm of stress.  To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here! http://www.paceparent.com/play [http://www.paceparent.com/play] And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG!

Your kid doesn’t need to sit cross legged, chanting OM while praying for world peace in order to get introduced to the benefits and power of quieting the constant chatter in our brains and connecting to something bigger than ourselves.  On today’s “Good Enough Parenting” podcast, I share the SIMPLE and EASY loving kindness meditation practice I use in my house to calm bodies & minds, reduce stress, and foster empathy and compassion for ourselves and our communities.  No mala beads or sanskirt words required.  You may not reach nirvana with your nine year old, but you’ll feel more peace, connection and compassion with your kids which is definitely good enough.  (If your kids are all in for a meditation practice, I LOVE the apps CALM, COSMIC KIDS YOGA, HEADSPACE and MOSHI KIDS!) To get Carley’s free video teaching you 4 play therapy techniques you can use TODAY to calm your emotional child and bring joy and freedom back to family life click here! http://www.paceparent.com/play [http://www.paceparent.com/play] And follow her @CarleyCounsels on FB & IG!