150. Why You Stress, and How to Feel More in Control

154. How to Protect Your Child's Playtime in a Busy World

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2042151/fan_mail/new] A mom wrote to me, torn between the pressure to start academics early and her daughter who just wants to play, and I have a feeling her question lives in a lot of us. In this episode, I answer it directly: yes, play is enough, and it's actually more sophisticated than most of the programs we're tempted to buy. I walk through what's really happening in your child's brain when she stacks blocks or plays pretend, why schedules and screens are crowding out play, and how to recognize the real learning that's happening right in front of you. Then I give you three simple things you can do this week to protect play in your child's life, and one of them is about protecting it in yours too. If you'd like to get the show notes for this episode, head to:  https://leighgermann.com [https://leighgermann.com/]

153. Simple Ways to Feel Better When You're So Tired- Busting the Self Care Myth

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2042151/fan_mail/new] If you have ever taken time for yourself, the bath, the show, the quiet trip out alone, and still come back to your family feeling completely depleted, you are not doing self-care wrong. In this episode, we look at why so much of what we call self-care never actually refills an overwhelmed, tired mom, and the difference between numbing and soothing that changes everything. I walk you through the gap between the stressor and the stress your body is still holding long after the hard moment has passed, and the small practices that actually complete the stress cycle and calm your nervous system. If you're tired in a way that ordinary rest hasn't fixed, this is the gentle nervous system reset that will finally help you feel better. If you'd like to get the show notes for this episode, head to:  https://leighgermann.com [https://leighgermann.com/]

152. How to See Beneath Your Child's Behavior When They Melt Down

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2042151/fan_mail/new] When your child's behavior feels confusing, the fix usually isn't a tougher consequence. It's a clearer read on what's happening underneath. In this episode we look into why a meltdown, an eye roll, or a kid who suddenly can't get out the door is almost always the tip of something bigger, and I walk you through a simple piece of brain science that makes it click. Then I hand you the two jobs of parenting, love and connection first, teaching second, and show you how to use them in real moments with a toddler at the park, a fourth grader stuck on homework, and a teenager who snaps the second they walk in the door. You'll leave knowing how to lead with connection without giving up your leadership. If you'd like to get the show notes for this episode, head to:  https://leighgermann.com [https://leighgermann.com/]

151. Why You Don't Have to Believe Everything You Think

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2042151/fan_mail/new] In this episode, I walk you through where negative thoughts actually come from, why your body reacts to a scary thought as if it's really happening, and why trying to force them out only makes them louder. We look at the difference between a fact and a thought that distorts that fact toward the negative, and I give you a set of questions you can run any thought through to decide whether it deserves your attention. This is the foundation underneath so much of the work we've done since, and even if you heard it when it first came out, I have a feeling it will meet you somewhere new this time. (This is an encore episode that will help remind you how to work with your thoughts!) If you'd like to get the show notes for this episode, head to:  https://leighgermann.com [https://leighgermann.com/]

150. Why You Stress, and How to Feel More in Control

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2042151/fan_mail/new] In this episode we walk you through what's actually happening in your brain the moment stress takes over, and why your reactions make complete sense once you understand the system underneath them. I'll show you the five ways your nervous system steps in to protect you and why your thinking brain goes quiet right when you need it most. We'll look at one surprising trigger behind so much of our daily stress, and I'll give you a simple shift that turns a moment of being hijacked into a moment of choice. You'll leave understanding your stress response as a protector rather than an enemy, and that understanding is where resilience begins. If you'd like to get the show notes for this episode, head to:  https://leighgermann.com [https://leighgermann.com/]