Parents of the Year – Details, episodes & analysis

Today on Parents of the Year, Andrew and Caroline explore how an overemphasis on children’s feelings might be doing more harm than good. 

While it’s crucial to acknowledge and respect our kids' feelings, constantly focusing on their emotional states can inadvertently lead to dependency and a lack of resilience. Join us as we unpack the potential pitfalls of emotion-centric parenting in part one of this series and discuss why stepping back and letting kids navigate their feelings independently might be the key to raising more capable, confident adults.

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Is Parenting Bad for Your Health? The Surgeon General Thinks So—Do You?

Parenting isn’t just tough—it’s exhausting, and the Surgeon General’s latest report confirms it’s taking a serious toll on our health. 

In this episode, we dive into the daily challenges parents face, from stress to sleep deprivation, and explore the simple yet powerful ways we can reclaim our well-being. Learn from our ancient ancestors 

Listen in to see what we can learn from early homo sapiens about finding ourselves and creating meaningful connections—even during the busiest times.

PS Caroline is more of a break-dancing expert than Andrew... from experience.

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Summer's here again, and we decided to replay our Summer Series to help you make the most of summer. Today, we have the perfect episode for you! 

When the kiddos were little, they were practically glued to our sides during those long, lazy days at the lake. But as they grow up, their "let's hang out with mom and dad" enthusiasm tends to... well, drift a bit. 

In this relatable episode, Andrew and Caroline dive into the art of balancing epic family time with much-needed independence. Whether it's designating a day for everyone to do their own thing or finding the sweet spot between togetherness and personal space, we've got you covered.

Tune in as we share our top tips and tricks to keep the whole family happy and make this summer break one for the books! 

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As kids get older, begin to become more independent, and take on more obligations and responsibilities, how can parents best set them up to manage their responsibilities well?

Caroline and Andrew dive into whether it's better to be a helicopter parent that guides their kids through the challenges of managing their increasingly busy lives, or whether it's better to let your kid fail to learn a lesson. 

This episode jumps into how best to help your kids to manage their responsibilities before they take on too many and risk failure. 

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As parents we want our kids to enjoy school as much as possible, but what if our kids aren't getting the full experience? What if they don't love school and aren't doing anything to get involved and make the most of it? 

In this week's episode, Caroline and Andrew dive into whether parents should force their kids to be more involved when it just isn't their thing. 

Growing up Caroline was heavily involved and loved her school experience. Andrew? Not so much. So, surprising absolutely nobody, the answer comes from opposite directions.  

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All parents worry about their kids. It’s inevitable. 

In today’s episode, Andrew and Caroline talk about what they worry about their kids going back to school. Although Caroline initially stated she wasn’t worried about anything, upon further reflection she admitted that she did, in fact, have one worry. 

What do you worry most about your kids going back to school? It’s important to acknowledge these worries so you don’t get too involved and create a self-fulfilling prophecy or create unnecessary stress for your kiddos. 

To help you get thinking, here are some common worries parents have about school:

·        Are my kids happy at school?

·        Are they learning? And doing well in school?

·        Are they fitting in?

·        Are they being bullied?

·        Are they eating lunch?

None of these were Caroline’s worries – tune in to see what she has to say! 

And, bonus, at the end of the episode there is an epilogue in which Caroline and Andrew ask their girls how they rate as parents on the awesome scale...

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With back to school just around the corner, the Doctor and her sidekick start things off by clearing up that it's the kids and not Andrew that are going back to school. 

From there they dig into more important topics like who sleeps in until when, why Andrew stayed up too late, and what Caroline thought of the movie The Nice Guys. 

For those that have stuck around to this point, they finally get around to this week's topic...how do parents balance being supportive of our kids without taking away their chance to fail (as a way for them to learn). 

Part of a sound strategy is about balancing preparation with accountability, and being PROACTIVE! If we spend the time helping them get things ready before they actually need them, things should run smoothly. 

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Teaching our kids new skills can be fun for all, but what happens when your kid doesn't want to learn that new thing, even though you think they should? 

In this week's episode, Caroline and Andrew use a recent situation with one of their own children in this very situation. We talk about how we make it more about learning something new that might be fun, as opposed to getting locked into a stalemate where nobody wins, or ultimately enjoys what they're doing. 

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In this episode, we dive into the Pursuit of Happiness as parents and how we address this in our lives and our kids' lives. 

The continual pursuit of being happy based on the wrong drivers is an endless pursuit and one that leaves us more unsatisfied in the end. Looking at those same drivers or motivators in regards to our kids' happiness and recognizing opportunities to be happy, we get into how we can set the right example for kids that gives them the tools they can rely on throughout their lives to just live in the present moment and appreciate it for what it is. 

Caroline talks about how it's not helpful (and can actually be harmful) to tell kids to look for the bright side. 

More than pursuing happiness, we discuss how it's more important to look for contentment. 

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How do we give corrective feedback so our kids will listen?

As a parent, we are given the responsibility to protect our children and ensure we meet their needs. But, an equally important responsibility is to guide our children’s behaviour and help them learn from their behaviours.

To do so, we need to offer corrective feedback. 

Unfortunately, some children either anxiously and shamefully nod and walk away, beating themselves up for being so bad, dumb, or useless. Or, others will lash out angrily, telling us how we are the ones being mean.

In today’s episode, Andrew and Caroline talk about how to give corrective feedback so kids will listen. Yes, there is a way to provide feedback in helpful ways that kiddos will not only listen to but will also take up and learn from.

And, there is a shocking revelation that makes Caroline cry.

Don’t miss out on today’s episode!

AND, for expert tips, check out Caroline's article on How to give feedback your kids will accept

Enjoying the show? Help us out by rating us on Apple! https://apple.co/3du8mPK

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