Connect Method Parenting I Conscious Parenting, Positive Parenting, Gentle Parenting, Connective Parenting, Peaceful Parenting, Slow Parenting, Parenting Teens, Single Parenting, Joyful Parenting, Positive Discipline, ADHD Parenting

“Weakness simply means your capacity is lower than what the moment requires.”I recorded this episode in the middle of a full, emotional, end-of-year season. The kind where you want to soak up every moment with your kids, make the holidays meaningful, and still somehow hold it all together… while feeling stretched, tired, and not quite like yourself.And that’s exactly why I wanted to talk about weakness.Because what we usually call weakness isn’t failure. It isn’t a character flaw. And it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you as a parent or a human. Most of the time, it simply means the demand of the moment exceeds your current capacity.In this episode, I walk you through how I’ve learned to understand weakness differently and what actually helps when it shows up, especially during high-demand seasons like the holidays.In this episode, I share:Why weakness tends to surface when life gets full, loud, and emotionalThe reframe that changed everything for me: weakness is about capacity, not characterHow shame turns moments of weakness into yelling, spiraling, shutting down, or controlThe four ways I see parents (and myself) respond to weakness:Projecting it onto our kidsAttacking ourselves with “I should be better”Trying to overpower it with willpowerHiding it and calling it “fine”Why self-attack does not create strength and what it actually does to your nervous systemHow truth and honesty stabilize your body and open the door to growthWhat I do now when I realize my capacity is lower than the moment requiresWhy repair matters more than perfection and what really builds resilience in kidsThe shift I’m inviting you into:Instead of asking yourself, What’s wrong with me? Try asking, What support do I need right now?Because capacity can be rebuilt. Regulation can return. And when weakness is met with compassion instead of shame, it often becomes the place where connection deepens and growth begins.What I encourage you to practice this week:Stop running from weakness and get honest about what’s happeningReplace criticism with curiosityLead with compassion first because safety is what allows changeDecide what actually needs support, not what needs to be fixedLet go of performance and focus on repair and honesty insteadA question to sit with:Where do you notice weakness showing up for you right now? And what might you need to adjust or ask for so you can show up with more kindness instead of more pressure?You don’t need to be strong all the time to be a great parent. You just need to stay honest, keep noticing, and be willing to repair.xoxoAndee :) Learn more here --> https://connectmethodparenting.comNext Steps: Leave a review if you've been enjoying the CMP Podcast My Book: https://cmp.works/1xs My IG: https://cmp.works/ista

When emotions hurt, most of us go straight into fix-it mode. We try to shut it down, numb it out, control our kids, or control the moment. But in this episode, Andee shares why the goal isn’t to eliminate “negative” emotions. The goal is to move through them so they can actually complete and release.You’ll hear a real-life holiday-season story (cruise chaos, kids growing up, and all the tenderness that comes with it), plus practical tools for what to do when your nervous system is activated and you feel the urge to rush, react, or lecture.Because here’s the truth: when emotions become emergencies, you parent like an emergency responder. And connection disappears.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why emotions are meant to hurt sometimes, and why that’s not a problemThe difference between emotions, feelings, and sensations (in a way that actually makes sense)How “pain about the pain” is what multiplies sufferingThe two most common ways we avoid emotions (and how it shows up in parenting)Why “Let it hurt” is often the most powerful first stepHow to stop outsourcing your regulation to your kidsWhat emotional maturity really is, and how it grows over timeHow to stay connected when your nervous system is in fight-or-flightWhy your child benefits more from your emotional ownership than anything you could sayReal-life examples included:The “clean your room” moment where the real trigger wasn’t the mess, it was the fear of not being heardA travel story from Berlin where a nervous system takeover turned into an opportunity for repair, regulation, and connectionKey takeaways to remember:Emotions that are allowed get processed. Emotions that are resisted get complicated.Your child’s hard feelings aren’t proof something is wrong. They’re proof they’re human.The goal isn’t happiness. The goal is being able to stay present for the full 50/50 of life.Unfelt emotions fester. Felt emotions move through.Emotional strength isn’t never getting activated. It’s knowing what to do when you are.A question to sit with this week:Where are you treating emotions like emergencies in your home? And what might change if you practiced letting them move through instead of trying to make them stop?If this episode helped you, share it with a friend who’s trying to stay calm, connected, and choose humanness this holiday season.Correction is out. Connection is in. And you’re not alone.Learn more here --> https://connectmethodparenting.comNext Steps: Leave a review if you've been enjoying the CMP Podcast My Book: https://cmp.works/1xs My IG: https://cmp.works/ista

This week we are diving into a concept that has completely changed the way I move through my life. It is the difference between low quality problems and high quality problems. Once you learn this, you cannot unsee it.Over the last eighteen months I have been in a season packed with transitions. Business shifts, kids returning and launching, midlife changes, perimenopause, parenting big kids and teens, family health, the holidays, snow, all of it. My brain has been shouting problem at every turn. And for a while, I believed it.Then something clicked. I realized the issue was not that I had too many problems. The issue was the type of problems I was choosing. Some problems drained me and made me feel powerless. Other problems actually grew me and helped me become the next version of myself.In this episode I walk you through how to tell the difference and how to shift into high quality problems on purpose.We cover:• Why your brain is designed to look for problems • How low quality problems keep you stuck and small • How high quality problems expand you and put you back in the driver seat • What this looks like in real life with parenting, marriage, work, health, and identity • Why your child is never the problem • How to choose the problems you want your life to be about • How to stop carrying problems that were never yours to begin withI also guide you through five reflection questions that will help you redefine whatever is on your plate right now in a way that brings clarity, calm, and momentum.If life feels full or heavy or chaotic, this conversation will help you breathe again. You will walk away seeing your problems in a completely new light. You will remember that you are the woman for this life and that the quality of the problems you choose changes everything.If this episode helps you, send it to a friend, share it on Instagram, or just hold it close the next time your brain shouts this is too much. You get to decide the kind of problem solver you are becoming.I love you all. Go connect with your kids and have a beautiful rest of your day.Learn more here --> https://connectmethodparenting.comNext Steps: Leave a review if you've been enjoying the CMP Podcast My Book: https://cmp.works/1xs My IG: https://cmp.works/ista

This week, we are exploring what it really means to practice gratituding in the moment you are in. I’ll show you how shifting out of “life will feel better when…” into “this moment matters right now” can change your entire emotional experience.Together, we will look at why it doesn’t get better than this, not because everything is perfect, but because the present is the only place your brain can regulate, create, and feel steady. This episode is full of practical, science-backed ways to use gratitude to calm your system, expand your capacity, and stop waiting for the future to finally feel okay.Don’t miss this foundational conversation. It just might change the way you show up in every moment moving forward.Learn more here --> https://connectmethodparenting.comNext Steps: Leave a review if you've been enjoying the CMP Podcast My Book: https://cmp.works/1xs My IG: https://cmp.works/ista

This week, I'm talking about one of the most important emotional skills we can build as parents. I call it Uncertainty Tolerance.After a long Thanksgiving trip, a shut-down freeway, a surprise snowstorm, and a mountain of homemade pies, I found myself thinking about how much of parenting happens in the middle. The middle is the space where we have planted seeds and are waiting for results. The space where we want to feel calm and capable, but instead find ourselves worrying, predicting disaster, or questioning everything.In this episode, I explore why our brains resist uncertainty and why we often reach for familiar failure instead of sitting with the possibility that things might turn out well. I share how this shows up with toddlers, tweens, and teens. I walk you through real examples from Target tantrums to bedtime battles to teenage eye rolls and explain how to anchor yourself so that you can stay present and connected instead of reactive.Here is what I cover in this episode:What Uncertainty Tolerance IsThe ability to remain steady in the in-between space between what you want and when the results actually show up, without collapsing or quitting or rushing into negative predictions.Why Our Brains Crave CertaintyA look at how the human brain tries to avoid the unknown by assuming the worst, and how this habit affects the way we interpret our child’s behavior.Why You Cannot Rely on Your Child for CertaintyChildren cannot regulate themselves for us. Their moods, reactions, and choices cannot be our source of stability. We learn to create certainty in ourselves.What You Can Be Certain OfYour heart is good. Your love is real. Your intention is strong. Your presence matters. Your influence is greater than you think. And you can learn anything you need to learn.How to Stay Grounded Through Meltdowns and PushbackI share specific examples from everyday parenting moments and show you how to remain steady even when you do not know what comes next.The Identity Shift That Changes EverythingThe grounding thought that can help you stay centered in any hard moment is this: "I am okay even if this does not work right away. My child is okay even if this does not work right away."This is not resignation. It is leadership. It is connection in action. It is the practice of trusting development more than daily behavior.Uncertainty is not a sign that you are doing anything wrong. It is an invitation to grow. You are becoming more emotionally grounded, more connected, and more confident with every messy moment you stay present for. You are doing beautiful work, even when you cannot see the results yet.Thank you for listening and for showing up for your children in ways that no one sees. You matter. Your work matters. And I believe in the direction you are heading.Now go connect your face-off with your kiddos, and I will see you next time.Learn more here --> https://connectmethodparenting.comNext Steps: Leave a review if you've been enjoying the CMP Podcast My Book: https://cmp.works/1xs My IG: https://cmp.works/ista