Happiness Matters Podcast
By Christine Carter and Rona Renner
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Podcast Description
We often hear parents say, “I just want my children to be happy,” but they also admit that it’s confusing to figure out how to raise happy children—and be happy themselves—on a daily basis. How can we create a home environment where happiness is important for everyone in the family—and limit setting, discipline, and respect are all a part of the equation? Join Dr. Christine Carter and Nurse Rona Renner for conversations from the heart about the science and best practices related to raising happy children. Each week a new podcast about 10 minutes long will be released on Tuesday.
| Name | Description | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 |
Is Happiness Selfish? | Do happy people focus on being more selfless than selfish? Rona and I discuss how self-love and self-compassion differ from selfishness, and how kids’ natural self-centeredness can detract from their happiness. | Free | View In iTunes |
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2 |
Gratitude v. Entitlement | Want to know what my #1 strategy for raising happy children is? It is the conscious practice of gratitude. Learn how and why to raise kids who are more grateful than entitled. | Free | View In iTunes |
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3 |
Forgive and Forget? | Is the old adage “forgive and forget” still good advice? Rona and I talk about the relationship between forgiveness and happiness, and we suggest some things we can do with kids that will help teach them the skills they need to forgive and move on. | Free | View In iTunes |
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4 |
Is Divorce Always Bad for Kids? | Rona and I are both divorced; we’ve both considered the issue deeply both personally and professionally. When is divorce better for kids than staying together? | Free | View In iTunes |
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5 |
Parenting in a Media Age | It seems like kids many kids know much more than us adults about the technology around us—a friend of mine just discovered that her 11 year old daughter is very active on Instagram, when my friend didn’t even know what Instagram was. But just because kids love swimming in the sea of apps and techonolgies available to them, doesn’t mean that they don’t need firm limits placed on their usage. | Free | View In iTunes |
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6 |
Are You Addicted to Your Email? | Rona and I talk about the ways that email and social media (like Facebook and Twitter) can make us feel connected as well as disconnected from our children and our family. It can make us laugh, but it can also make us feel drained. Listen to this week’s podcast for tips to reign in your media usage. | Free | View In iTunes |
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7 |
Are You Your Partner’s Equal? | What do you need out of your relationship? What are your priorities? This podcast is about creating harmony in our relationships—without rolling back to a time when women subverted their need’s to their husbands. | Free | View In iTunes |
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8 |
Do You Have Family Meetings? | If you’ve never had a family meeting, listen to this podcast! Rona and I talk about the ins and outs of having successful family meetings: what works, what doesn’t, and what you can hope to accomplish. | Free | View In iTunes |
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9 |
Is Happiness the Right Goal? | I was recently challenged on the Laura Ingraham Show with the question of whether or not it is good for our society, or even for our children themselves, for parents to pursue happiness. Listen to this podcast for my response! | Free | View In iTunes |
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10 |
Can A Single Parent Raise Happy Kids? | Rona and I talk about our experiences being single parents: the difficulty, the guilt, and yes, the silver lining. | Free | View In iTunes |
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11 |
How Clean Is Your House? | Ways to think about housekeeping when you have kids in the house—so that it doesn’t drive you nuts, make you feel guilty, or consume too much time. | Free | View In iTunes |
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12 |
Does Your Teen Like Her Body? | Although there are lots of powerful, and often pernicious, forces at work in influencing our how our kids feel about food and their bodies, parents can be a very positive force in this arena. Rona and I discuss food, vulnerability, and embracing how our bodies change over the life span. | Free | View In iTunes |
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13 |
Is Your Spouse Right for You? | Rona and I discuss the hard work of BEING the right partner, rather than always trying to FIND the right partner. | Free | View In iTunes |
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14 |
Feeling Unhappy in Your Marriage? | Our expectations color our perceptions of everything, as well as how we feel. Is your spouse crumbling under the pressure of your high expectations? | Free | View In iTunes |
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15 |
How to Respond to Kids’ Tantrums | What to do, say, and expect when you have a tantruming child. More info about tantrums can be found here or here. Dr. Tina Payne Bryson has a lot to say about tantrums! | Free | View In iTunes |
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16 |
HOW to Be Involved in Occupy | Parents today are busier than ever—which makes it hard to get involved in national movements like Occupy. Here are three ways to make a difference. | Free | View In iTunes |
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17 |
WHY to Be Involved in the Occupy Wall St. Movement | Why your involvement matters for your children’s happiness—even if you feel the problems are overwhelming. In this podcast, I reference Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s Principles of Nonviolence; those principles can be found here. | Free | View In iTunes |
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18 |
Dieting and Shame | We want the best for our children, and sometimes we want them to lose weight. Helping kids get healthy—without creating feelings of shame and guilt in them. | Free | View In iTunes |
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19 |
Why Not to Diet | Rona and I discuss the reasons diets often don’t work—and how they can make us unhappy. | Free | View In iTunes |
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20 |
Tips for Keeping New Year’s Resolutions | The science of change can help us be more successful in keeping our resolutions. Rona and I give tips for starting new habits over the long-run. Here is the habit tracker we reference in this podcast: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/images/tools/try-this/try-this-Habits7-days-b.pdf | Free | View In iTunes |
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21 |
One Tip for Kids’ School Success | Are economists right: Is genetics the most powerful influence on kids’ academic success? Rona and I talk about a frequently overlooked alternative. | Free | View In iTunes |
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22 |
Making New Year’s Resolutions? | What would you like to change in the New Year? What would your kids like to change? Making New Year’s resolutions can be a fun—and productive—family activity. Here is the habit tracker we reference in this podcast: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/images/tools/try-this/try-this-Habits7-days-b.pdf | Free | View In iTunes |
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23 |
5 Tips for Dealing with Difficult Relatives Over the Holidays | Think you have to put up with your mean mother or drunk uncle again at your big holiday meal this year? Think again. Rona and I discuss five ways to make challenging relationships less difficult over the holidays. | Free | View In iTunes |
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24 |
Wishing it Was Over Already? | Rona and I talk about ways to manage the stress that sometimes comes during the holiday season—and that affects both our parenting and our happiness. | Free | View In iTunes |
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25 |
Holiday Traditions that Foster Happiness | Rona and I discuss why some holiday traditions can fuel our children’s happiness, and give several suggestions for fun, joy-inducing holiday rituals. | Free | View In iTunes |
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26 |
Kids Got the Gimmies? | As the holiday marketing machine ramps up and the lists for Santa start to lengthen, Rona and I pause to reflect on what research shows contributes to materialism kids. | Free | View In iTunes |
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27 |
Raising Lucky Kids | Turns out that certain skills make us—and our kids—luckier. | Free | View In iTunes |
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28 |
How to Yell Less During the Holidays | The holiday season can be stressful—and that means many of us yell at our kids more often. Tips for yelling less. | Free | View In iTunes |
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29 |
Helping Kids Understand International Crisis | How to help your kids feel compassion rather than panic | Free | View In iTunes |
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30 |
Keeping Those New Year’s Resolutions | It is one thing to know what you want to change in the New Year, but quite another to know HOW to do it | Free | View In iTunes |
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31 |
Fostering Optimism and Confidence | Optimists are happier, healthier, and more successful. | Free | View In iTunes |
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32 |
The Art of Setting Limits | How to be a warm and loving parent while still raising disciplined children | Free | View In iTunes |
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33 |
Strategies for Feeling Good After You’ve Felt Bad | Rona and I continue the conversation from last week about difficult emotions, but this week is focused on recovery. Part 2 of a 2 part series. | Free | View In iTunes |
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34 |
Physical Activity Makes Kids Smart—and Happy | Why exercise makes kids good at math. | Free | View In iTunes |
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35 |
Nervous? How We Can Help Kids Transition Back to School | Kids aren’t always as excited about going back to school as we parents can be. Rona and Christine discuss ways to help ease kids’ nerves. Part 3 of a 3 part back-to-school series. | Free | View In iTunes |
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36 |
Kids Under Pressure | Mindfulness and stress management tips for helping stressed out kids from Rona and my own experience and also from Michelle Baily’s book Parenting Your Stressed Child. These are coping mechanisms to help kids deal with their worries that aren’t just about solving problems, but rather are about preventing anxiety. | Free | View In iTunes |
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37 |
Why We Overschedule our Children | Rona and I discuss the reasons that we parents are often tempted to let our kids do more after-school activities than we ever dreamed possible when we were children ourselves. What activities will help our kids succeed? Which ones can be skipped? | Free | View In iTunes |
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38 |
Grandparents: How and Why They Can Help | Grandparents can be a mixed-blessing: are your children’s doting but far away? Loving but judgemental? Rona and I discuss ways for grandparents to help raise happy children. | Free | View In iTunes |
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39 |
The Art of the Fight | All couples disagree—here’s how to do it well. | Free | View In iTunes |
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40 |
An Ancient Practice for Modern Ailments | Do you feel stressed out and overly busy? Learn a simple “loving-kindness” meditation to do with your kids. | Free | View In iTunes |
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41 |
Occupy: Should the Kids be Involved? | This week Rona and I discuss how and why to talk to kids about the Occupy Wall Street movement, and why giving them a broader understanding can boost their happiness (and ours!). | Free | View In iTunes |
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42 |
Does Your Parenting Match Your Child? | How our children’s different temperaments influence our parenting | Free | View In iTunes |
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43 |
How to Raise Siblings Who Get Along, Part 2 | -- | Free | View In iTunes |
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44 |
Getting Back into School Routines | Rona and Christine talk about ways to start easing kids back into their school routines to make for a happier week of school. Part 1 of a 3 part series. | Free | View In iTunes |
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45 |
Finding Happiness in Intimacy | How do you bring up problems in your relationship with your partner? Rona and I give our tips for keeping your romantic relationship healthy and happy. | Free | View In iTunes |
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46 |
Making Sleep a Priority | Did you know how much children sleep affects how smart, creative, attentive, and happy they are—as well as how much they weigh? | Free | View In iTunes |
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47 |
Talking About Kids’ Stress | Many kids are anxious, depressed, and stressed. They are self-medicating with drugs and alcohol, and they are cutting themselves. Let’s TALK about this rather than ignore the trends. | Free | View In iTunes |
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48 |
Dealing with Kids’ Misbehavior | All children do things that make us angry and embarrassed sometimes! This podcast address WHY they might be misbehaving. Rona guides us through her system for dealing with misbehavior—and preventing it in the future. Here is a link to the worksheet we refer to. | Free | View In iTunes |
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49 |
How to be a More Patient Parent | Losing your mind? Stop judging yourself and come back to your breath and your body. | Free | View In iTunes |
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50 |
Teaching Kids to Fight Nice, Part 2 | Do your kids fight? Learn how to help them resolve their conflicts positively. Part 2. | Free | View In iTunes |
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51 |
Why Play is Important for Self-Discipline | Play is an important skill that kids need for both happiness and, surprisingly, self-discipline. | Free | View In iTunes |
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52 |
What I Wish I’d Known About How to be Happy | Christine and Rona talk about Christine’s commencement speech at UC Berkeley, which was about the three things she wished she’d known about how to be happy when she was graduating from college. | Free | View In iTunes |
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53 |
Teaching Kids to Fight Nice, Part 1 | Do your kids fight? Learn how to help them resolve their conflicts positively. Part 1 of a 2 part series. | Free | View In iTunes |
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54 |
Don’t Freak Out! | Why it is so important for us parents to have healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with stress and anxiety, as well as Rona and my tips for bringing down our stress levels while bringing more bliss into our lives. | Free | View In iTunes |
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55 |
Finding “Flow” | Learn 2 key factors for fostering this particular form of happiness | Free | View In iTunes |
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56 |
Was That Me Yelling?!? | | I’ve decided 10,000 times never ever to yell at my children again. Rona gives me tips for getting my kids’ attention without yelling. | Free | View In iTunes |
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57 |
Pushover vs. Dictator—Which is Better? | Did you know that one parenting style is better than the rest? | Free | View In iTunes |
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58 |
Our Favorite Gratitude Practices | Happy Thanksgiving! While you peel potatoes or drive to grandma’s house, listen to this podcast about our favorite gratitude practices—for today and the rest of the year. | Free | View In iTunes |
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59 |
Welcome to the Happiness Matters Podcast! | Why happiness—in ourselves and our children—is a worthy and attainable goal. | Free | View In iTunes |
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60 |
When Parents Care a Little Too Much | Helicopter parents beware: being too involved in your children’s lives can do more harm than good | Free | View In iTunes |
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61 |
Making Changes in the New Year | Are there big things about your kids that you’d like to change? Start by changing your kids’ environment and their behavior will follow. | Free | View In iTunes |
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62 |
Do Your Kids Have “Nature Deficit Disorder?” | This week my children are off at a very outdoorsy sleepaway camp—I’m excited for them to be outside nearly constantly for two weeks! One reason why I’m willing to part with them this summer is that I know that their health and happiness will benefit from their time spent in nature. | Free | View In iTunes |
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63 |
Happy Parent, Happy Child | Why it isn’t selfish to take care of yourself FIRST | Free | View In iTunes |
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64 |
The Importance of Building Social Connections | Although we live in a social world that is increasingly sparse—families tend to feel more isolated than they have in previous generations—real-life social connections are still probably the most important factor for our happiness, and the happiness of our children. | Free | View In iTunes |
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65 |
Choosing Childcare: What to consider | Finding good daycare can be stressful and confusing. Find out what the research says. | Free | View In iTunes |
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66 |
The Joy—and Science!—of Making Music | Helecoptor parents beware: being too involved in your children’s lives can do more harm than good | Free | View In iTunes |
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67 |
7 Ways to Foster Creativity | Creativity is an important lifeskill that we can teach kids. | Free | View In iTunes |
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68 |
To sign up—or not to sign up? | Rona and I discuss the “decision tree” I use for deciding whether or not to sign my kids up for another activity. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to keep stress—and feelings of being too busy—at bay in your household. | Free | View In iTunes |
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69 |
Helping Kids Cope with Uncomfortable Emotions | As the popular post “Comfortable with Discomfort” makes clear, difficult circumstances and emotions are part of living a happy life. Here’s what to do with those difficult emotions, whether they are your own or your children’s. Part 1 of a 2 part series. | Free | View In iTunes |
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70 |
Talking About Summercamp | Rona and Christine chat about the ups and downs of sending kids away to camp over the summer. | Free | View In iTunes |
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71 |
The Power of Romance | Tips for improving your relationship—and your parenting! | Free | View In iTunes |
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72 |
Holiday Traditions that Raise Happiness | Stressors increase during the holidays, but some holiday traditions make us happier than others. | Free | View In iTunes |
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73 |
Happiness is Contagious | Want to contribute to the greater good of society? Rona and I talk about why starting with yourself is a solid strategy for increasing other people’s well-being. (Looking for the pledge that we refer to? It is here.) | Free | View In iTunes |
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74 |
Getting Homework Done | Avoiding powerstruggles and tears during homework time. | Free | View In iTunes |
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75 |
Unrealistic Expectations: Not a Happiness Habit | Do we expect too much from ourselves and our kids? | Free | View In iTunes |
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76 |
Pressured to Succeed (repost) | We can teach our kids to be engaged learners—or we can make them hungry for achievement at all costs. | Free | View In iTunes |
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77 |
Why Parents are Unhappy | What makes us unhappy as parents, and tips for greater happiness. | Free | View In iTunes |
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78 |
Friend or Foe? Helping Siblings Get Along | Tips for introducing a new baby to a sibling and for fostering strong sibling relationships. | Free | View In iTunes |
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79 |
School Success Prep: Growth Mindset Praise | As we make our “Back to School” preparations, sometimes the thing we most need to refresh ourselves on is how to talk to kids about schoolwork. Part 2 of a 3 part back-to-school series. | Free | View In iTunes |
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80 |
Parenting a Spirited Child | Rona Renner, temperament specialist, talks some more about understanding our children’s dispositions. | Free | View In iTunes |
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81 |
Why Fighting Hurts Kids | When parents fight—which we all do—we can damage our children | Free | View In iTunes |
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82 |
Why Gratitude Works | Rona and I talk about the science of gratitude, and why consciously practicing gratitude can boost our happiness so much. | Free | View In iTunes |
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83 |
Talking to Strangers, and Other things that Bring Good Luck | More tips for ways to make your children luckier | Free | View In iTunes |
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84 |
Fostering Gratitude 365 Days a Year | How to make gratitude—rather than entitlement—a HABIT | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 84 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
Love, love, love this!!
I am a mother of almost four (last one due in April!) ages 14-2 years. I am also an early childhood consultant and LOVE this podcast! I work with parents and early childhood educators and this podcast aligns perfectly with what I "teach" and live at home! The way it is presented gives me new ideas and methods of caregiving. I love how research is given to provide evidence of these techniques. I feel I need to listen to each podcast multiple times to get everything out of them! Thanks for work you do!
This podcast is so helpful!
I love listening to this podcast every week. Dr. Carter and Nurse Renner are so insightful. I really trust their views on raising children. I can't wait to read Dr. Carter's book and to take her class!
Love it!
I don't usually write reviews, but I am so moved by how this podcast can change my attitude, that I just felt compelled to say something. I *love* this podcast. It inspires me by helping me feel that I'm not nuts and definitely not alone in some of my parenting and co-parenting struggles and also gives me hope that some of the change that I am seeking in my and my family's lives is not so difficult and that we can get there by taking a bunch of little intuitive steps forward. Listening to this podcast gives me back a little jolt of "I think I can. I think I can." every time I tune in. Thanks so much.
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