Raised Resilient: Help Your Highly Sensitive Child
Parenting is the hardest job ever – and parenting a highly sensitive child who’s struggling can feel downright impossible. If you’re suffering through endless meltdowns, walking on eggshells to avoid your child’s huge emotions, and losing sleep worrying that you’re failing your child, you’ve landed in the right place. I’m Dr. Hilary Mandzik – clinical psychologist, parenting specialist, and mom of 3. And I’m here to help you feel GOOD about parenting your highly sensitive child. Join me each week on the Raised Resilient podcast as we explore the topics parents worry about most when it comes to raising highly sensitive kids: managing meltdowns, building emotion regulation, understanding highly sensitive kids, making sense of challenging behaviors, building self-esteem, finding parenting strategies that actually work *with* your child’s sensitivity ... and everything in between. I’ll help you understand your child’s behavior (and your reactions to it!) so that even the really hard moments make more sense. I’ll empower you with tools, strategies, and scripts to navigate those really hard moments with connection and confidence. (And I’ll remind you that no tool, strategy, or script is as powerful as your parenting ace – your relationship with your child!) I’m passionate about parenting differently – parenting in a way that sees all kids as good, even when they’re struggling. I’m passionate about breaking unhelpful generational cycles and putting a hard stop to spanking, time outs, shaming, and yelling. I’m passionate about helping highly sensitive kids build the skills they need in order to manage their big emotions successfully ... and parents learning to regulate their own emotions alongside their children. I want to help you stop worrying about whether you’re “raising them right” and feel confident that your kids will grow up trusting themselves and feeling comfortable in their skin … because they were raised resilient. And that’s big. Because raising our kids resilient can literally make this world a better place. Listen, parenting is hard no matter how you do it. You won’t “enjoy every moment”, no matter what that lady at the store says. But I’m here to help you go from just barely surviving to parenting in a way that genuinely feels good, for you and your highly sensitive child. So warm up your coffee and grab your ear buds. It’s time to turn your child’s sensitivity into their SUPERPOWER! Connect with me: https://www.raisedresilient.com/ IG: @raisedresilient Schedule your FREE Breakthrough Session: https://www.raisedresilient.com/breakthrough Do YOU have a highly sensitive child? Take my FREE QUIZ to find out: https://www.raisedresilient.com/quiz Major themes: parenting highly sensitive / deeply feeling kids; cycle breaking; building emotion regulation; generational healing; respectful parenting; gentle parenting; peaceful parenting; attachment theory / building a secure attachment
Listen on:
Episodes
Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
Wednesday Jan 11, 2023
Most of us arrive at gentle / respectful / conscious parenting for a reason: We want to do things differently than they were done when we were kids. And the parts of our own childhoods that we leave behind as we become parents ourselves – the punishments, developmentally inappropriate expectations, criticisms, etc. – have often left us with unmet needs & unhealed wounds.
In this week’s episode, I answer a listener who wonders how to deal with guilt around not having fully healed her childhood trauma before becoming a parent. I talk about how and why we can let go of that guilt, share my own story of recognizing childhood wounds through becoming a parent, and give you concrete ideas of how to heal that trauma – to reparent & heal your inner child! – WHILE also parenting your own kids.
Y’all, this is a powerful episode. We ALL have unhealed wounds coming into parenthood, and it can be freaking painful to parent with what can feel like gaping, vulnerable holes where our inner child peeks through when it’s least convenient. Here’s the thing, though: You will NEVER be fully healed; healing is a PROCESS – it’s ongoing. And when you listen to this episode & hear all the ways (big and small) that you’re healing as you go, you’ll realize that you are already DOING the work. And that’s what truly matters.
FREE Mindset Shifts: https://www.raisedresilient.com/mindset
Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisedresilient/
Book a virtual coaching session with me! www.raisedresilient.com/coaching
Wednesday Jan 04, 2023
Wednesday Jan 04, 2023
"Parenting is the hardest job we’ll ever do." It's literally the first line of my podcast intro, and that’s because it’s the truth. But we often make parenting even harder than it needs to be; we take on responsibilities that were never ours to begin with … and then we feel like failures when we’re unsuccessful.
In this week’s episode, I share three common but unnecessary “jobs” we take on as parents …. and I encourage you to LET THEM GO! You’re probably working harder than you need to, friend.
Here’s the thing: While I can’t make parenting easy for you (no one can!), I CAN help you parent in a way that feels *lighter*. And after listening to today’s episode, you’ll have 3 things you can stop doing TODAY to lighten your load and feel better about how you’re parenting.
FREE Mindset Shifts: https://www.raisedresilient.com/mindset
Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisedresilient/
Book a virtual coaching session with me! www.raisedresilient.com/coaching
Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
Ah, New Year’s Resolutions. According to the research, most of us make them … and most of us also give up on them before the end of January. I think this is because we often think of our resolutions in all-or-nothing terms (read: I resolve to NEVER yell at my kids again) … which sets us up to fail.
In this week’s episode, I give you another option: Ditch the all-or-nothing thinking connected to New Year’s Resolutions and instead build more (real, actual) gratitude into your life. Research tells us that gratitude is literally life-changing when it’s a regular part of our daily lives, and in this week’s episode, I share ways you can work on inviting more gratitude into your life so that parenting as a whole feels better. You can do these things even if you’re busy, stressed, and struggling to make ends meet. Seriously.
Here’s the thing: We don’t have to make some huge all-or-nothing shift every January. But we can use the energy and momentum of the new year to propel us into bite-sized, sustainable change that actually feels good. And inviting more gratitude into our lives is an excellent way to do this.
FREE Mindset Shifts: https://www.raisedresilient.com/mindset
Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisedresilient/
Book a virtual coaching session with me! www.raisedresilient.com/coaching
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
Wednesday Dec 21, 2022
The holidays are magical for children. There’s a constant stream of fun activities, sugar, and presents. But all of that excitement and schedule changes can also bring tantrums, meltdowns, difficulties with impulse control, and lots of big feelings.
In this week’s episode, I give you actionable strategies to support your child through the holidays by paying attention to their schedule and cues, making a plan ahead of time, and knowing when to cut your losses and head home.
Here’s the thing: It’s not if your child will have a meltdown this holiday season – it’s when. If we expect that our child will struggle at some point during all of the holiday excitement, we’ll be so much better prepared to support them when it actually happens. And after listening to today’s episode, you’ll be ready to do just that.
Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisedresilient/
FREE Holiday Survival Guide for Parents!: https://www.raisedresilient.com/holiday
Book a virtual coaching session with me! www.raisedresilient.com/coaching
Wednesday Dec 14, 2022
Wednesday Dec 14, 2022
What do you do when you’ve made the decision to parent differently … but your family and friends aren’t exactly on board? How do you deal when your own parents criticize your parenting? How do you navigate gatherings with relatives who don’t get gentle / respectful / conscious parenting? These questions come up all the time … but especially during the holidays when we’re gathering with friends and family.
In this week’s episode, I dive into how to handle it when you’re spending time with others who don’t parent like you do. I give you scripts for challenging moments, help you shift your mindset around criticism, and empower you with strategies to set everyone – you, your child, and your relatives – up for success at this year’s holiday gatherings.
Here’s the thing: Most of us were raised in a way that literally wired our brains to care what others think. But the truth is that you don’t have to justify or convince anyone to accept your parenting choices. The more convicted YOU feel about how you’re choosing to parent, the more you can stand in your power knowing that you’re doing what’s best for your child … no matter what anyone else thinks. You’ve got this.
Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisedresilient/
FREE Holiday Survival Guide for Parents!: https://www.raisedresilient.com/holiday
Book a virtual coaching session with me! www.raisedresilient.com/coaching
Wednesday Dec 07, 2022
Wednesday Dec 07, 2022
If you’re a parent who celebrates Christmas, you’ve probably been wondering: Is it really okay to “lie” to my child about Santa Claus in order to keep the holiday magic alive? And what do I do when my child comes to me & asks me directly: “Is Santa Claus real?”
In this week’s episode, I answer these questions & share my thoughts on how to do Santa (& the Elf on the Shelf!) in a way that feels respectful, kind, and aligned with our values as parents trying to raise resilient, confident kids. I also offer ideas on how to handle it when your child asks you directly whether Santa is real (and what to do when a child who knows the truth encounters others who still believe).
Here’s the thing: The magic of Santa Claus can absolutely be part of your holiday celebrations. But there are a few things we want to avoid doing (and some things we want to make sure we do) in order to carry out these fun traditions in a way that’s respectful & honors your child’s needs and development.
Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisedresilient/
FREE Holiday Survival Guide for Parents!: https://www.raisedresilient.com/holiday
Book a virtual coaching session with me! www.raisedresilient.com/coaching
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
There’s so much pressure on us as parents to curate the perfect holiday experience for our kids. Five minutes on social media can have you scrambling to create traditions you didn’t even know existed or feeling like a failure by comparison. You might work so hard chasing joy and creating magic that you don’t even get to really enjoy the holidays.
In this week’s episode, I explore the many reasons why the holidays are so stressful on parents and how our own childhood experiences and society’s influences play into our stress. And then I empower you with six tips to reclaim your joy and stress less this holiday season.
Because here’s the thing: Your child doesn’t need fancy holiday celebrations, expensive gifts, or 35 magical traditions. Even during the holidays, your child only really needs YOU – and the connection, co-regulation, and comfort YOU provide.
Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisedresilient/
FREE Holiday Survival Guide for Parents!: https://www.raisedresilient.com/holiday
Book a virtual coaching session with me! www.raisedresilient.com/coaching
Wednesday Nov 23, 2022
Wednesday Nov 23, 2022
We all want our kids to be polite & kind, and this includes saying “thank you” when appropriate. In fact, many of us were raised to believe that “good kids always say ‘thank you,’” so we might feel triggered when our child can’t, won’t, or doesn’t thank someone. We can start to wonder: Am I raising an ungrateful child??
In today’s episode, I dive into what it looks like to help our kids recognize, connect with, and (eventually!) express feelings of gratitude. I talk about our role as parents in helping our kids tap into their gratitude (spoiler alert: It’s not forcing them to “go say thank you!”) and how we can do this in a way that doesn’t leave us (or our child) looking ungrateful at the holiday gift exchange.
Here’s the thing: Gratitude is a feeling. And we can’t force our kids to feel anything. What we can do is model noticing & verbalizing things we feel grateful for and help our kids learn to recognize when they’re feeling grateful. If we do this, our kids will eventually start to express real, honest gratitude all on their own.
Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisedresilient/
FREE Holiday Survival Guide for Parents!: https://www.raisedresilient.com/holiday
Book a virtual coaching session with me! www.raisedresilient.com/coaching
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
As parents, we give SO much of ourselves. Parenting is HARD. And parenting differently than how we were parented can take a lot out of us; we’re reparenting ourselves while we’re coregulating with our kids, even when we’re not really feeling it. And when you add to all of that the stress of the holidays, it can be really hard to show up the way we want to unless we’re taking good care of ourselves.
In today’s episode, I talk about self-care for parents – and why it’s the necessary foundation upon which we build everything else we do as parents. I explore why we often struggle to care for ourselves the way we do for others, why seeking “balance” can actually make things even harder for us, and how we can fit in self-care around our kids and amidst our busy lives.
Here’s the thing: Self-care as a parent is necessary – it’s never selfish or something that’s “nice to have if we can fit it in.” If we’re not taking care of ourselves, we will struggle to show up as the parents we want to be. Self-care has to be a priority, full stop.
Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisedresilient/
FREE Holiday Survival Guide for Parents!: https://www.raisedresilient.com/holiday
Book a virtual coaching session with me! www.raisedresilient.com/coaching
LMNT Electrolytes (no sponsorship – just a favorite product of mine!): https://drinklmnt.com/
Wednesday Nov 09, 2022
Wednesday Nov 09, 2022
Most of us grew up being punished when our behavior didn’t please our parents: We were spanked, sent to time-out, sent to our rooms, or grounded. This was just how people parented when we were kids. And now that you’re a parent yourself, you might struggle as you decide whether to use punishments with your own child.
In today’s episode, I tackle the topic of punishments. Are punishments actually effective? Are punishments harmful? If we’re not using punishments with our child, what else can we do when challenging behaviors show up? What’s the difference between a punishment, a boundary, and a consequence? I answer all of these questions and more in this week’s episode – and I share three reasons why I don’t recommend using punishments with children.
Here’s the thing: If we’re trying to raise connected, resilient kids with a solid foundation of emotion regulation, then punishments go against everything we’re working toward. And there are better, more effective ways of shaping behavior in the long-term. These other ways of dealing with behavior take more effort on the front end, but they are worth it in the long run!
Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisedresilient/
FREE Mindset Shifts to Ditch the Overwhelm & Parent in a Way That Feels GOOD!: https://www.raisedresilient.com/mindset
Book a virtual coaching session with me! www.raisedresilient.com/coaching