Every mother I know is amazingly strong. This week's episode is a conversation Jessica Pavelko. Jess's experience through addiction, recovery, divorce and single parenting is an incredible journey of struggle, faith, courage and strength. I

Mom Psych-Mom Strong Stories with Kristy Westrom

Sep 9th, 2020 1h 4m

I’M CALLING THIS THE “MOM STRONG” SERIES AND I CAN’T WAIT TO SHARE THE EXCEPTIONAL PARENTING STORIES OF MOM’S JUST LIKE YOU. EVERY MOTHER I KNOW IS STRONG AND FIERCELY PROTECTIVE OF HER KIDS AND HAS A STORY TO TELL. TODAY’S CONVERSATION IS WI

Is A Worry Worrying Your Child? Worry, Anxiety & Perfectionism in Children

Oct 27th, 2019 45m 4s

In this episode I provide parents with information and support on helping their kids with persistent worry, anxiety and perfectionism. An increasing number of children are experiencing persistent fears, worries and perfectionism that interfere

Discipline, Limit Setting and Boundaries, Oh My!

Oct 9th, 2019 53m 16s

The long-term goal of discipline is to help our children develop self-control and self-discipline, but in the short-term, we just want our kids to comply, to be obedient, to do what we ask, follow the rules and maintain our routines with as lit

No one likes explosive emotions! Why learning to handle big feelings leads to life success.

Sep 27th, 2019 31m 54s

Children aren't born into the world intuitively understanding how to handle their big uncomfortable feelings. In this episode we discover how emotional intelligence (EQ), the ability to be aware of our feelings and cope with them in healthy wa

Taming Tecnology

Sep 19th, 2019 46m 42s

Technology has added a whole new dimension to parenting. We all want our kids to be safe, responsible users and consumers of media but it can be tough to navigate. In this episode I give parents lots of suggestions from the experts on how to

Why Can't They Just Get Along? Pt. 1

Sep 8th, 2019 15m 58s

In this episode I give you lots of suggestions and ideas to decrease sibling rivalry, decrease the intensity of it when it occurs and to help your kids develop the skills necessary to handle conflict. We all just want a happy conflict free hom

Why Can't They Just Get Along? Pt. 2

Sep 8th, 2019 40m 31s

Mindset Matters! 5 Ways To Cultivate a Growth Mindset in Kids

Aug 27th, 2019 31m 29s

Stanford Researcher, Carol Dweck and author of the book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success says, "In a growth mindset people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Brains and talent are

Shhhhh......Sleeping Baby... Sleep in the first year of life.

Aug 21st, 2019 50m

Bringing home a new baby is so exciting! It can be exhausting too! And everyone needs sleep. In this episode I describe sleep cycles and needs in the first year and what parents can do to help baby and themselves get a good night sleep.

Healthy Family Sleep Habits: Part 1

Aug 19th, 2019 21m 53s

Today we're talking about sleep. All humans require to be functional, operational people. Inadequate sleep can cause all kinds of problems but adequate sleep gives kids all kinds of big benefits, behaviorally, emotionally, cognitively, and ph

Healthy Family Sleep Habits: Part 2

Aug 19th, 2019 17m 59s

Continuations of Healthy Family Sleep Habits: Pt. 1. Today we're talking about sleep. All humans require to be functional, operational people. Inadequate sleep can cause all kinds of problems but adequate sleep gives kids all kinds of big be

How To Talk to Kids About Bad Things in the News

Aug 12th, 2019 40m 52s

In this episode we discuss how to talk to our kids about the sometimes scary, senseless and tragic things that happen in our world in a responsive, supportive and comforting way without creating more fear and insecurity for them. Breaking news

Parents Back To School Top 10 List

Aug 6th, 2019 30m 54s

School's just around the corner. Kids and parents are getting both excited and anxious. In this episode I share my Back to School, Top 10 List for parents to help them and their families navigate the waters of transitioning their kids to scho

Temperament- Yours, your child's and why it matters

Jul 26th, 2019 32m 1s

Why does my child act that way? Could be his/her temperament. Temperament is your child's first and most natural reaction to the world. Their "personal style." We are all born with our own individual temperaments and its stable through-out o

The Power of Play: Why make time for play? Play = Learning!

Jul 23rd, 2019 37m 48s

The power of play and its' developmental impact and influence on your kids' physical and emotional health, educational outcomes and overall trajectory can't be overstated. Did you know that Mr Rogers and Jean Piaget both said that, "play is th

Raising an "I can" kid. How to foster an "I can" self-image rather than "I can't".

Jul 15th, 2019 41m 12s

It drives parents crazy when our kids tell us they can't do something we've asked them to do or something new and unfamiliar. Sometimes the "I can't" is really "I won't", "I don't want to." Other times it's, "I don't know how to." "I'm too

Episode 3 - July 8, 2019 - PICKING EATING, FOOD POWER STRUGGLES AND MORE

Jul 8th, 2019 26m 1s

One of the biggest challenges parents face is getting their children to eat "healthy." It is not uncommon in the early years for mealtime to become a battle ground. So fun, right? Ugh.... This leaves parents and their children, with a lot of

Episode 2- June 26, 2019 "Is it normal?"

Jun 27th, 2019 29m 36s

The parenting question I receive most often typically starts like this... "Is it normal that my child is (fill in the blank)? " In this episode I try to respond to this seemingly straight forward, frequent asked parenting question from a few di