This week I’m diving into a hot-button October topic: Halloween candy, picky eating, and the myth that food is “neutral.” Everywhere I look, I see advice about making candy an everyday side dish so kids won’t care about it come Halloween. And you guys—I can’t even. Candy is supposed to be a big deal! It’s a treat, not dinner. In this episode, I unpack why serving candy at every meal backfires, how processed “snacky snacks” set kids up for picky eating, and why nourishing food matters way more than organic labels or Instagram trends. Plus, I’m giving you permission to bow out of Halloween (or any tradition) if it doesn’t bring you joy. This one’s part rant, part reality check, and hopefully a big exhale for parents who feel stuck in the food wars.Timestamps:(00:01:58) Navigating Halloween Candy Consumption with Picky Eaters(00:03:12) The Dangers of Making Food Neutral(00:07:38) Nutritional Value Beyond Organic Labeling(00:11:34) Empowering Children to Make Informed Food Choices(00:17:33) Whipped Cream Brand Fixation in Children(00:20:58) Parenting Challenges: Navigating Social Media PressuresJamie's InstagramOh Crap! Cafe Parenting CommunityOh Crap! Potty TrainingOh Crap! I Have a ToddlerPaleovalley Protein SticksTherapee
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27:50
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27:50
259: Interrupting Kids (Bite Size Nugget)
In this bite-sized nugget, I’m talking about one of the most sanity-sucking habits kids have: interrupting. You know the drill—you finally sit down for a conversation with another adult, and boom, your kid is right there, cutting in with something that definitely could have waited. I’ll share why letting kids constantly interrupt actually creates clingy behavior, how to set healthy boundaries without guilt, and the simple little trick I taught Pascal when he was three that he still remembers at nineteen. Spoiler: it’ll save your sanity, help you finish a sentence, and make people think you’re raising the politest kid on the block.Timestamps:(00:00:39) Respectfully Managing Child Interruptions in Conversations(00:00:39) Teaching Respectful Interruption Etiquette to Children(00:04:06) Respecting Turn-Taking: Child's Arm Signal MethodJamie's InstagramOh Crap! Cafe Parenting CommunityOh Crap! Potty TrainingOh Crap! I Have a ToddlerPaleovalley Protein SticksTherapee
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7:54
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7:54
258: Temperament is NOT a diagnosis
In this episode, I’m unpacking something I’ve been seeing everywhere lately: the rush to slap a diagnosis on our kids when it might actually just be temperament. Don’t get me wrong—diagnoses can be life-changing and absolutely necessary. But not every shy kid is “on the spectrum,” not every focused moment is “ADHD hyperfocus,” and not every earworm means your brain is broken. I’m breaking down the four classic temperaments, what research says about temperament vs. personality, and how parenting mismatches (your temperament vs. your child’s) can make things look “off” when they’re really not. This one is part rant, part reality check, and 100% a call to give our kids room to be who they are—without rushing to pathologize them.Timestamps:(00:01:02) Temperament-based Understanding of Children's Behaviors(00:13:19) Innate Traits vs. Environmental Influence in Children(00:19:39) Understanding Children's Temperamental Traits for Parenting(00:20:49) Mood Mismatch Impacts on Parent-Child Interactions(00:21:18) Temperament Clash: Parent-Child Relationship Dynamics(00:27:21) Temperament Alignment for Parent-Child Harmony(00:40:29) Temperament Balancing for Social Harmony and ConnectionJamie's InstagramOh Crap! Cafe Parenting CommunityOh Crap! Potty TrainingOh Crap! I Have a ToddlerPaleovalley Protein SticksTherapee
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42:40
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42:40
257: Stop Asking Your Kid Why (Bite Size Nugget)
In this bite-sized nugget, I’m tackling two parenting habits that need to go: asking your toddler why they did something, and thinking co-regulation “isn’t working.” Spoiler—your toddler doesn’t know why they hit their sibling or why they won’t poop on the potty, and expecting them to explain just sets you both up for frustration. And co-regulation? It’s not a trick to stop tantrums—it’s you staying calm in the middle of their chaos. That’s it. No scripts, no magic code, no perfect outcome. Just you modeling regulation while they borrow your vibe (or not). This is your reminder to drop the “why” questions, stop looking for the magic phrase, and keep showing up as the steady leader your kid needs.Timestamps:(00:00:44) Understanding Toddler Behavior Through Interpretation(00:01:28) Toddler Communication: Understanding Cognitive Limitations(00:03:20) Calm Parenting Approach for Co-RegulationJamie's InstagramOh Crap! Cafe Parenting CommunityOh Crap! Potty TrainingOh Crap! I Have a ToddlerPaleovalley Protein SticksTherapee
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8:40
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8:40
256: Toddlers, Tantrums & Boundaries with Devon Kuntzman
This week I sat down with Devon Kuntzman, founder of Transforming Toddlerhood and author of the brand-new book by the same name, to talk all things toddlers—the good, the messy, and the meltdown-y. We dug into why parents tie their worth to behavior, how “gentle parenting” often slips into permissiveness, and why connection isn’t a checklist, it’s a feeling. Devon shared her “recipe for effective discipline” (connection, limits, follow-through, teaching skills), plus we got real about decoding behavior, calling out the elephant in the room, and saying the obvious things our kids actually need to hear. This one’s a must-listen for anyone in the toddler trenches.Timstamps:(00:05:30) Understanding Toddler Communication through Behavior(00:06:05) Decoding Toddler Behavior for Parental Connection(00:06:42) Decoding Children's Actions for Emotional Understanding(00:20:10) Emotional Connection in Effective Parenting Strategies(00:20:50) Emphasizing Effective Discipline through Connection and Limits(00:23:10) Verbal Communication for Children's Emotional Expression(00:35:49) Flexible Potty Training Timelines Based on Child's Development(00:37:56) Decoding Children's Behavior in ParentingDevon's InstagramJamie's InstagramOh Crap! Cafe Parenting CommunityOh Crap! Potty TrainingOh Crap! I Have a ToddlerPaleovalley Protein SticksTherapee
A podcast for conscious parents who drop the f-bomb. A lot. We are the overthinkers, the dreamers, and the doers. We are parenting in a radically different way than those before us. But our divine vision gets blurry cause...OMG...kids can be such a pain in the ass. Let's work from the inside out, in a whole brain, whole body way to mitigate the crappy behavior. Not just with our kids but with ourselves. So you can be the parent you envision.
New Zealand