How can you make the holiday time less stressful and more delightful? In this episode, we are chatting about the challenges of the holiday season. We will cover some easy to implement strategies that will give you AND your children opportunities to be Perfectlywhelmed & Freakishly Well Behaved even during this time of year. Join our honest informed conversation and leave the constant hustle behind and pause with us for 30minutes.

I am joined by Faye Swett again (HOORAY) to get more in depth with becoming PERFECTLY-WHELMED. Faye is a full-time marketing professional with more side hustles than she can count, including her lifestyle & beauty blog, RipCurrent (@ripcurrentblog). Her perspective as a 20-something year old in a fast-paced society will serve to reinforce our conversation around what we COULD do versus what we SHOULD do.

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too, for more practical and thought-provoking ideas check out  Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 principles for being the parent your child needs  (for the ebook click here) Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

 

Being perfectly-whlemed and NOT overwhelmed during the holiday season.

Today I am asking questions about and talking about raising gifted kids with my former student, current friend and colleague Rebecca Marazon. After 12 years as a school psychologist and play therapist working with students 3-21, in 2019 Rebecca became the coordinator of psychological services for Charlotte County Public Schools.  As an administrator, Rebecca encourages her staff to utilize all aspects of their training to support the students in their schools with a heavy emphasis on direct mental health services.  Rebecca will share tips for honoring children, by respecting the unique challenges that being gifted present at home and in the school.

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too, for more practical and thought-provoking ideas check out  Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 principles for being the parent your child needs  (for the ebook click here) Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

Applying Freakishly Well-Behaved Parenting Principles when your child is gifted.

Today I am talking about the parenting principle of saying no. It is one of the 20 I address in the book Raising Freakishly Well-Behaved Kids. I will discuss the benfits for children and YOU when you directly apply this principle to the challenges of the holiday season.

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too, for more practical and thought-provoking ideas check out  Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 principles for being the parent your child needs  (for the ebook click here) Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

Parenting Principles Saying No: Holiday Edition

Today I am answering the questions you asked! We compiled the questions you had about children and anger and aggression and today you get the answers! Children need connection when they are angry or acting aggressively, I will share tips for being the best version of your parent-self even when your child’s anger and aggression is pushing you to your breaking point.

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too, for more practical and thought-provoking ideas check out  Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 principles for being the parent your child needs  (for the ebook click here) Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

You've got questions, I have answers: Children’s anger and aggression

Our honest informed conversation focuses on becoming perfectly-whelmed through un- overwhelming. Take a break & pause with us for 30minutes.

I am joined by Faye Swett again to get more in depth with becoming PERFECTLY-WHELMED. Faye is a full-time marketing professional with more side hustles than she can count, including her lifestyle & beauty blog, RipCurrent (@ripcurrentblog). Her perspective as a 20-something year old in a fast-paced society will serve to reinforce our conversation around what we COULD do versus what we SHOULD do.

Today we're talking about: setting personal and interpersonal non-negotiable policies; how to decide what your policies are, how to stick to them, and how to clear out the overwhelm you experience. We will pay special attention to setting non-negotiable policies to improve your parenting practices & overall health.

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with  the insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

Fo more practical and thought-provoking ideas check out  Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 principles for being the parent your child needs  (for the ebook click here) &  NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

More on becoming Perfectly-whelmed:Non-negotiable Policies

Our honest informed conversation will focus on becoming perfectly-whelmed through un- overwhelming ourselves. We may even discuss how to apply some Freakishly Well-Behaved Kids principles to self. Leave the constant hustle behind and pause with us for 30minutes.

I am joined by Faye Swett again to get more indepth with becoming PERFECTLY-WHELMED. Faye is a full-time marketing professional with more side hustles than she can count, including her lifestyle & beauty blog, RipCurrent (@ripcurrentblog). Her perspective as a 20-something year old in a fast-paced society will serve to reinforce our conversation around normalizing rather than pathologizing.

We're talking about: to-do’s that can wait, removing the pressure to get everything done, prioritizing your mental health, under-committing, and Parents- that includes to your children. 

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too, for more practical and thought-provoking ideas check out  Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 principles for being the parent your child needs  (for the ebook click here) Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

More on becoming Perfectly-whelmed: Downsize your to-do list

Becoming Perfectly-whelmed

We are OVERwhelmed. The challenges of finding balance alludes so many of us and impact all the areas of our lives; including parenting! In this podcast, I’ll be joined by Faye Swett. Faye is a full-time marketing professional with more side hustles than she can count, including her lifestyle & beauty blog, RipCurrent (@ripcurrentblog). Her perspective as a 20-something year old in a fast paced society will serve to reinforce our conversation around normalizing rather than pathologizing

Our honest and informed conversation will focus on becoming perfectly-whelmed through un- overwhelming ourselves. We may even discuss how to apply some Freakishly Well-Behaved Kids principles to self. Leave the constant hustle behind and pause with us for 30minutes.

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too, for more practical and thought-provoking ideas check out parenting book Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 principles for being the parent your child needs  (for the ebook click here) Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

Becoming Perfectly-whelmed

The challenges of parenting during a pandemic are for real! We have already talked about how much we love our sons even if sometimes they are really smelly, and often seem kind of weird. We are faced with new challenges during the pandemic because these boys are so- what adults would call- unmotivated. In this podcast, I’ll be joined by Penny Lupo. Penny is a Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, Adjunct Instructor and Mom of a teenage boy. Our honest and informed conversation will stress using Freakishly Well-Behaved Kids principles with special considerations that focus on the challenges of parenting teenage boys during the pandemic. We don’t hold back the authenticity. 

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too, for more practical and thought-provoking ideas check out parenting book Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 principles for being the parent your child needs  (for the ebook click here) Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

Parenting Insights during Covid: Why our Teenage Boys are not Doing ANYTHING

In this episode, we continue talking about the challenges of dealing with fertility issues. Penny Lupo will join Dr. Mullen, again for this episode. We will be sharing an authentic conversation about what happens when there are fertility problems and how that impacts the day to day lives. We also will discuss grief and loss and offer some ideas about support and coping. We are confident that raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids is possible even during stressful times in families.  Penny Lupo is a licensed Mental Health Counselor & Play Therapist. Penny specializes in counseling people going through the fertility process, miscarriage, pregnancy loss or infant loss. She has an informed perspective as she and her husband went through years of fertility treatments, multiple miscarriages and the adoption process. Check out her blog embracinghealing.comAuthor, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too, for more practical and thought-provoking ideas check out parenting book Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 principles for being the parent your child needs  (for the ebook click here) Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

Navigating fertility challenges in the everyday world

In this episode we are talking about the challenges of parents & parenting when dealing with fertility issues. Penny Lupo will join Dr. Mullen, again for this episode. We will be sharing an authentic conversation about what happens when couples learn that there may be a fertilitiy problem and how that impacts their lives. We also will discuss grief and loss and offer some ideas about support and coping. We are confident that raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids is possible even during stressful times in families.  

Penny Lupo is a licensed Mental Health Counselor & Play Therapist. Penny spreicializes in counseling people  going through the fertility process, miscarriage, pregnancy loss or infant loss. She has an informed perspective as she and her husband went through years of fertility treatments, multiple miscarriages and the adoption process.

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Jodi Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too, for more practical and thought-provoking ideas check out parenting book Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 principles for being the parent your child needs  (for the ebook click here) Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

When becoming a parent doesn’t work out the way you dreamed…..

We love our sons. Now that they are taller than us, sometimes really smelly, and often seem kind of weird we are faced with new challenges. In this podcast, I’ll be joined by Penny Lupo. Penny is a Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, and Mom of a teenage boy. Our honest and informed conversation will stress using Freakishly Well-Behaved Kids principles with special considerations that focus on the challenges of parenting teenage boys. This will be fun!

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too, for more practical and thought-provoking ideas check out parenting book Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 principles for being the parent your child needs  (for the ebook click here) Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

Parenting Insights: Connecting to our Teenage Boys: they're Gross &Weird ;)

What's is parenting like when your a stay-at-home Dad? Today we will find out from our special guest Rory. Here's what his partner says about him and their family  "...I pursue my career full-time and Rory is a stay-at-home Dad. This arrangement works well for us as we both prioritize our children and family and feel grateful that we have the resources. Rory works hard to take care of the kids and our home, acting as a wealth of support to all of us. As a working mother it is a huge relief to not have to worry about childcare. Rory facilitates much of the domestic tasks so that I can focus on my demanding career . I couldn’t do this without his generous contribution to our family. His time at home has strengthened his relationships with both of our children, a privilege that we don’t take for granted." In this episode we get Rory's inside perspective- what are the benefits, the challenges and how to handle them!

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too, for more practical and thought-provoking ideas check out parenting book Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 principles for being the parent your child needs  (for the ebook click here) Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

Talking Parenting with a Stay at Home Dad

We're talking about the rollercoaster ride of new parenting and reving up the challenge by adding the in the experience of being a new parent who works outside of the home. We have talked to you about our experiences and knowledge about children that have come from being mental health counselors trained in play therapy and as credentialed play therapists. In this episode, we will talk about how to manage the stresses of being a new parent, work, and other interesting experiences that life throws at us from an insider’s perspective. 

My special guest will be Kristen M. Melcher, LMHC, CCPT who works as a Clinical Director providing direct counseling to clients and families. With over 35 years combined clinical experience with children (not to mention 19 as working-moms) we can help you be the parent your child needs We will cover several strategies that can help you help your children to become Freakishly Well Behaved kids.

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too, for more practical and thought-provoking ideas check out parenting book Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 principles for being the parent your child needs  (for the ebook click here) Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

Parenting Challenge Accepted: New Mom Working Mom

In this episode, we will talk about how bullies and bullying impacts all kids.  My special guest will be Lisa Cavallaro, Marriage & Family Therapist, Life Coach, author, Mom and creator of BullySpin, an online confidence-building program for kids. In this show, we'll cover several strategies that can help you help your children deal with bullies & bullying.

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

If you are willing to learn, listen, grow, and work hard at this, your results will be nothing short of miraculous! You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too. If you want more specific and personalized help check out the parenting book Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 principles for being the parent your child needs. Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

What do Parents need to know about Bullies & Bullying

Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids the Parenting book inspired by this podcast

Thank you Thank you for helping me develop my ideas and write a very unique parenting book! In this episode, I am the subject of the interview. My friend and colleaugue, Kyle Dzitars, mental health counselor and credentiialed play therapist will ask me all about my newest book (you can win a free copy through this link), Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 Principles for becoming the parent your child needs. I am so excited to talk to you about this book, parenting and children.

As an author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- I have learned from the thousands of children that I worked with and have gained insights about parenting that I love to share. These insights developed into 20 simple parenting principles that will lead to the relationships you crave with you kids as well as behavior and attitude changes that seemed unachievable.

If you are willing to learn, listen, grow, and work hard at this, your results will be nothing short of miraculous! You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too! Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids the Parenting book inspired by this podcast

We frequently discuss listening and communication. We have talked to you about our experiences and knowledge about children that have come from being mental health counselors trained in play therapy and as credentialed play therapists. In this episode, we will talk about how to listen when your kids talk back. We will also give you an insider’s perspective.  My special guest will be Bailey Smith, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and former kid who talked back! We know how difficult it can be when your kids are fresh or sassy; we believe we can help. With over 30 years combined clinical experience with children we can help you, help your child. In this show, will cover several strategies that can help you help your children to become Freakishly Well Behaved kids.

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

If you are willing to learn, listen, grow, and work hard at this, your results will be nothing short of miraculous! You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too & look for the parenting book Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 principles for being the parent your child needs later in 2018! Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

What to do when kids talk back - do over (audio quality was not good 1st time)

We are talking about communication between parents and children again today with a focus on early communication and attachment. We want to help you be the parent your child needs. My guest today, Jahleh Mohammadi, is a Mental Health Counselor, Credentialed Play Therapist and Circle of Security facilitator. In this episode, we will talk about how to respond to children when your buttons are getting pushed and your emotions are running so high they get in the way of you making the parenting choices you would be proud of. With over 30 years combined clinical experience with children we can help you, help your child. In this show, will cover several strategies that can help you help your children to become Freakishly Well Behaved kids.

Un-pushable buttons- Parenting Strategies for when you're Angry & Upset

 

We frequently discuss listening and communication. We have talked to you about our experiences and knowledge about children that have come from being mental health counselors trained in play therapy and as credentialed play therapists. In this episode, we will talk about how to listen when your kids talk back. We will also give you an insider’s perspective.  My special guest will be Bailey Smith, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and former kid who talked back! We know how difficult it can be when your kids are fresh or sassy; we believe we can help. With over 30 years combined clinical experience with children we can help you, help your child. In this show, will cover several strategies that can help you help your children to become Freakishly Well Behaved kids.

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

If you are willing to learn, listen, grow, and work hard at this, your results will be nothing short of miraculous! You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too & look for the parenting book Raising Freakishly Well Behaved Kids: 20 principles for being the parent your child needs later in 2018! Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

What to do when kids talk back.

You certainly cannot parent an 18 year old the same way you parent an 8 year old. You already KNOW that. What throws us for a loop as parents is just how to parent an 18 year old especially as they transition to college. In this episode, I interview one of my favorite teenage people (Hooray for Doug!) to get his perspective on what has worked and what has not from the perspective of an older teenager in his freshman year of college away from home. I am going to check in with him about some of the insights on parent-teenager relationships that he has observed and experienced. I have always believed that children (even teenager ones) are the best teachers when it comes to parenting. It’s my hunch that Doug, the special guest on this episode, will help us understand and maybe even remember what teenagers transitioning to college need from us as parents.

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

If you are willing to learn, listen, grow, and work hard at this, your results will be nothing short of miraculous! You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too! Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

I Need Help Parenting my Adult-ish Child who is Going off to College.

I am going to brag… I have a teenage daughter who likes and respects me. Crazy, right! In this episode, I interview my very own teenage daughter to get her perspective on what has worked and what has flopped in terms of how she has been parented especially during these teenage years (she’s 17). I am going to check in with her about some of the insights on parent-teenager relationships that she has talked about with me in the past. For instance, she said I was strict, but she likes it that way and she shared that most of her friends don’t like being with their parents, but she does. I have always believed that children (even teenager ones) are the best teachers when it comes to parenting. My daughter has taught me many incredible lessons, perhaps you can benefit from her wisdom as well.

Author, Professor, Mental Health Counselor, Play Therapist, International Speaker, & Mom-- Dr. Mullen has learned from the thousands of children she has worked with insights and actions necessary for parenting that will lead to the behavior and attitude changes you are looking for with your children. 

If you are willing to learn, listen, grow, and work hard at this, your results will be nothing short of miraculous! You can have Freakishly Well Behaved Kids too! Remember to check out NAUGHTY NO MORE an activity book to help kids make better decisions. When kids feel good, they behave that way!

Freakishly Well-Behaved Kids

Freakishly Well-Behaved Kids

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