the Mudroom

In this episode of The MudRoom, and it's all about merging structured routines with spontaneous adventures!

Now, I know what you might be thinking - routines and spontaneity don't exactly go hand in hand, right? But trust me, there's a delightful balance to be found, and I'm here to show you how.

I share my top 4 tips to help you craft a day that nurtures your child's blossoming personality while keeping you sane. It's all about creating a beautiful harmony where discipline meets joy, and structure dances gracefully with spontaneity.

If you've ever...

Put down that cup of cold coffee momma and come listen to this interview. 

(Actually…bring it with you. You probably need it.)

Parent’s everywhere are walking around like zombies, absolutely exhausted and tired because their child is not sleeping. 

Whether you’re awake because your newborn just can’t seem to sleep for more than 2 hours or if you’ve been up till 11 PM every night trying to convince your preschooler to stay in bed–

You’re tired.

And that’s why I’m thrilled for this interview with Eva K...

“Sometimes what happens is the more help that we get, we start to lose a little part of that power about being a major part in our children's success; their happiness.” - Alex Leech

Grab a (virtual) seat and a drink. We’re talking about burnout and the impact it has on our parenting.

I’m thrilled to be interviewing friend and neurodivergent teen parenting coach Alex Leech about what parents and caregivers can do when they begin to feel overwhelmed and consumed by everything that parenting requires. 

Because if we’re being honest, it...

Remember when we chatted with Eva about helping your kids get to sleep so you can rest better? 

What if you finally get your kids to go to bed at a reasonable hour without the tantrums, screaming, and requests for another cup of water but now…

You’re laying in bed wide awake. 😳

It’s now 11 PM

12:30 AM

2 AM

And before you know it, the alarm is blaring and you’ve got to pull yourself out of bed to get your kids and yourself ready for the day.

...

Do you remember playing outside and then having to rush back to the house before the street lights turn on?

There are great memories made outdoors and it’s unfortunate that our children aren’t getting to build those same kind of memories. 

And those magical, happy feelings and memories you have playing outside isn’t just nostalgia.

There are some real health benefits for children to be outdoors! 

I’m not talking about doing strenuous hiking trails and traversing through woods either (although if that’s your thing, go for it!), even s...

Summer is around the corner and for many parents, that also means school is closed and the children are home. ☀️

It’s time to prepare. 

You don’t want to wait until you’re 3 weeks into summer break and on the brink of losing your marbles before deciding to create a plan for what summer is going to look like for you and you’re family. 

I’m not just talking about prepping for summer vacations either. 

Since a lot of households involve both parents working (whether that’s at home or in the office...

Grab a scoop of ice cream, this is a special dedicated episode all about a parent’s journey transforming their child’s behaviour and becoming a more confident parent. 

I’m excited to be chatting with Heather, mom of two children with ASD who I’ve had a privilege of working with inside of my curated parenting membership ParentAbility. 

Heather joined ParentAbility after a year of challenges and road bumps while having both children home during the “unprecedented times” and now she’s sharing her experience. 

If you’ve had questions like:

Would ParentAbili...

Grab a scoop of ice cream, this is a special dedicated episode all about a parent’s journey transforming their child’s behaviour and becoming a more confident parent. 

I’m excited to be chatting with Heather, mom of two children with ASD who I’ve had a privilege of working with inside of my curated parenting membership ParentAbility. 

Heather joined ParentAbility after a year of challenges and road bumps while having both children home during the “unprecedented times” and now she’s sharing her experience. 

If you’ve had questions like:

Would ParentAbili...

I’m gonna keep this one short and sweet!

We’re living in a technological age, and if you can’t beat em’, why not join them.

The wonders of modern technology really can make life easier, and the little handy device that you’re likely reading this email from, aka your phone, can even help you out with discipline believe it or not.

While throwing on a Youtube video and handing over the tablet to get five seconds of peace can come in clutch, these apps are actually helpful for behaviour and supporting...

I’ve been getting this question a lot lately and I think it’s a fantastic point of conversation.

Let’s chat about neurodiversity.

First, a definition:

Neurodiversity essentially refers to the variety of ways a person's brain can function and the impact that has on their behavioral traits.

Those who are neurodiverse operate differently from those who are neurotypical. People refer to neurodiversity a lot in the context of children on the autism spectrum but it also includes ADHD, OCD, and sensory processing disorder, and others.

Now, a lot of...

Someone recently told me that I don’t have a podcast or blog post on something I talk about all the time and my jaw just about hit the floor when I realized

Oh crap! They’re right!

Though I know you’ve likely heard me talk about executive functioning skills before, I haven’t “formally” discussed them outside of ParentAbility and I think it’s a great time to remedy that!

Because these skills quite literally dictate our ability to do just about everything.

You know that morning routine you have; stumblin...

Chicken nuggets or quesadillas?

Blue shoes or red slippers?

Apple juice or orange juice?

These seem like fairly easy decisions for kids to make, right?

After all, you’re supposed to give them options, right?

You’re trying to give them some agency over their life and help them feel included.

Except lately whenever you give your child a choice, it’s a catastrophe.

They melt down, or they procrastinate about what they want until the options aren’t even available anymore; maybe they’ve just been...

Chicken nuggets or quesadillas?

Blue shoes or red slippers?

Apple juice or orange juice?

These seem like fairly easy decisions for kids to make, right?

After all, you’re supposed to give them options, right?

You’re trying to give them some agency over their life and help them feel included.

Except lately whenever you give your child a choice, it’s a catastrophe.

They melt down, or they procrastinate about what they want until the options aren’t even available anymore; maybe they’ve just been...

Optimism can be difficult when you’re a parent in the middle of a challenging time period with your kid.

When your kid has been smacking everybody who comes within a 2 foot radius or stripping off their clothes in public whenever you tell them no, hearing “but look at how far they’ve come” makes you want to roll your eyes.

But even though they haven’t stopped the behaviour completely, there’s still plenty of reason to recognize progress.

Even small, incremental steps.

And it’s not just to make you as the par...

There’s nothing quite as lovely as the beautiful, musical sound of a child whining at you from across the room.

I mean, what parent doesn’t love that heart-warming screech of “he took my toooooyyyyy”?

It’s one of the best parts of being a parent. 🥰

Jk

Sarcasm.

I hope you know that was sarcasm.

For many parents, there’s a very visceral reaction to whining. Like nails on a chalkboard.

And young children don’t always read our expressions and think “geez, maybe I should stop. My w...

Homework.

Let’s talk about why it sucks.

It’s not everyday that I insist on certain things when it comes to parenting. I may give a firm suggestion and repeat it over and over with the hopes parent’s can see why I’m making that suggestion, but I say it all the time, parents are the experts on their own children.

But when it comes to homework?

For younger kids it’s a firm ditch it. Be like Elsa and let it go.

And that’s not a matter of...

Our brain’s are a marvelous thing!

Maybe you’ve heard it compared to a super computer before, and it’s because it pretty much is.

From how it processes and stores information to its uncanny ability to learn new things and adapt.

But even more amazing?

We’re constantly sharing information with one another.

Our brain’s might be like super computer’s but it still needs a very human component to function, connection.

The emotion that comes from interacting and strengthening our relationships with other human being’...

Children can feel like a never ending mystery.

Because you know that you’ve seen your child put their shoes on.

Day after day, they’ve managed to put their feet in, pull the back up over their heel, tighten the velcro…

Yet here they are pouting in front of the door and insisting that it’s the most impossible task they’ve ever been asked to do.

Like they haven’t been putting their shoes on by themselves.

Every morning,

Without your help

And doing this f...

When parents are considering joining my membership program ParentAbility or when they join the Facebook community and start learning more about the discipline methods I teach, there’s always this lingering concern:

Am I being strict enough?

I know this concern generally comes from genuine care for their child/ren.

We don’t want our kids growing up into little gremlins with no discipline and wrecking havoc across Targets, restaurants, and schools.

We’re trying to raise them to be respectful, kind, and caring problem-solvers who are able to hear the word “...

When it comes to our children, parents are assigned the role of protector, a pillar of strength, always knowing the answer and in complete control of the situation.

So, when something becomes overwhelming, or we get frustrated, sad, even angry, there’s almost this panic to hide those emotions from our children.

It's a borderline taboo and for a lot of parents it feels wrong.

I don’t think parents outright hear someone tell them “don’t let your kids see you cry” but the idea that showing “negative” emotion in front of our kids is a...

There is nothing quite as triggering to parents as their child biting.

I mean…who the heck opens their mouth and decides to latch onto another human's skin?!

It’s wild when you think about it like that.

But the answer is young children. Young children do that.

Whether it’s at home and your kid is just randomly chomping into your arm while you play.

Your toddler sinking their teeth into their baby brother when upset.

Or maybe you get that dreaded “ouchie note” home and a little f...

“Redshirting” or delaying enrolling your child into Kinder (or 1st grade if you chose to skip Kinder) and keeping your child back a year is a question I get asked about frequently.

There’s a lot of anxiety and stress about the decision to redshirt or not red shirt, and to be honest there’s a whole bunch of controversy and drama about it too.

So I figured I’d go ahead and chat about it in this week’s Mudroom.

I get asked a lot about it because I made the decision to red-shirt...

“Validate their emotions” is a phrase that has taken on almost a comedic meaning.

Along with the general misunderstanding that gentle parenting means let-your-kids-run-wild and baby talk your 5 year old,

Validating emotions has also been misunderstood as absurdly pointing out your kid is crying (in a baby voice of course) and then awkwardly standing there staring at one another for a while.

And I’ll admit, I’ve had my fair share of laughs watching the Instagram reels where parents share their frustration about it.

It feels silly to have your toddler...

I don’t know about you but for myself and alot of people I know, we were raised being told that interrupting was rude.

So it’s understandable that we as parents get frustrated every time their child bursts into the middle of their conversation to ask why puppies and cats don’t get along while waving a coloring sheet of a puppy and cat snuggling in your face.

It’s a bit rude (and a bit annoying).

And kids do it alot.

You might have attempted to correct this by telling...

Buckle up because we’re going to talk about a serious topic for this week’s Mudroom.

Recently there’s been a big surge in discussion around things like spanking and physical punishment out of love for their children.

“Spare the rod- spoil the child” kind of energy.

I do want to make this perfectly clear: we don’t spank children around here.

You won’t ever hear me say: spank your child, a small pop is okay, a little tap is fine.

There is no justification for physically harming your c...

This is a topic I want to get into because it’s something that happens a lot, and it’s also something that often makes parents uncomfortable.   

I’m talking about when you’re out and about and your kid (often loudly… or at least it seems loud) points out someone who is different in someway.   

“Why is my new classmate darker then me?”  

“What happened to that man’s arm?”   

“How come that kid gets to use that tablet in the classroom?”   

Sometimes they notice these things and come home and ask but I want to f...

Tick

Click

Tick

Click

That was the sound a child was making over and over while sitting his his mothers lap and waiting to be called into the office.

And with every tick and click you could see her patience slipping away.

Eventually she put her hand over his and asked him to please stop making that noise. It seemed like he handn’t even realized he was making the noise, because he looked up surprised and stopped.

You might also notice your child seems to...

Let me just ask- have you started yet?

You know, searching Pinterest for cute “I’m starting Kinder” picture ideas, buying all school supplies, and all the generally cute and fun stuff we parents get sucked into doing when Kindergarten is just around the corner.

Chances are, if you have a 4/5 year old, you’re prepping for that transition either this upcoming August or in the upcoming year (feels far away but it’s not really).

And while there’s usually a bunch of excitement for this huge milestone, you might have noticed something th...

Summer is here! ☀️ Or at least nearly here for most of us.

And while the kids may be free for shenanigans for a few weeks, parents often are not.

Whether that’s because you’re working, have younger children who need attention, or you simply don’t want a kid at your heel all summer complaining about having nothing to do, it’s time to make a game plan.

And I’ve got an easy one to share with you that’ll make summer break manageable (and dare I say fun?) for everyone.

This is go...

Summer is in full swing which often brings about a whole lot of buzz about extra-curricular and enrichment classes.

I’m talking swim, dance, acting, art, violin, soccer, all the things.

I mean, let’s be honest. It’s freaking ADORABLE to see your kid in their little mini uniform wandering around the field while the coach/instructor tries to corral them all back in.

Or celebrating their first score/performance/award? The pride parents feel is basically at the same level it would be if they had won the Olympics or something.

...

So there are these cute videos on Reels and Tiktok where both parents stand on either side of the child and count to three- then they run in opposite directions and wait to see who the child follows.

And it’s this cute little trend that everyone gets a little laugh from when the child hurries after the same parent every time.

But…

It stops being so funny when it keeps happening over and over again.

It can sting a bit to see your child light up every evening when their othe...

This is important, okay?

Not too long ago we discussed how to pick out a daycare program for your child and I love being able to support parents with such a huge milestone.

Whether it’s their first time being cared for outside the home or if they're simply changing programs - it’s important to make sure that the program is a good fit for your child.

But there’s a topic that really needs its own separate conversation.

And that’s inclusion vs integration.

Some schools will use the...

If you’re reading this there’s a pretty good chance that you’re either looking for a preschool/daycare or that decision is looming in the near future.

(And boy does the time fly by! You’ll blink and it’ll be time to choose.)

There’s a lot to consider and it can be overwhelming.

A lot of parents focus on the logistical things- which is completely reasonable! It’s important to consider if it’s on your way to work or if you want a center vs a more homelike environment.

You might have heard the quote from the movie/book Juno: “A woman becomes a mother when she gets pregnant, a man becomes a father when he sees his baby.”

And that sentiment seems to be reflected in a lot of the parents I work with.

So, let’s just be completely honest here.

When a woman becomes a mother- typically it’s an immediate shift into motherhood and we adopt that identity pretty early on. (Although I understand that not everyone experiences motherhood the same way- this is generally.)

We understa...

There are a lot of parents who watch their child bounce from one activity to another and wonder why their child can’t seem to

Just

Sit

Still.

Your kids seem easily distracted when they were supposed to be putting their jackets in the closet.

Or they’re suddenly as your leg poking their nose into your conversation when you swore you sent them off to wash their hands for dinner.

You thought they were picking up the blocks from the living room but when you come back...

Everyone loves a little magic in their lives and for a lot of parents, there’s a lot of joy and fun in creating magic for their children.   

Have you ever scrolled through Pinterest and seen how creative some of these ideas are?  Like “tooth fairy glitter” inside a special envelope.  Reindeer treats trailed around the backyard so Santa’s reindeer know where to park on Christmas Eve.  

Or pieces of colorful eggshells around the Easter basket that the bunny left behind.  Among the endless work of filling juice cups and potty training, these magical moments when k...

Most of us are aware of what bribing is.

Afterall, it’s not a secret that children can sometimes be really difficult.

It reminds me of the iconic scene in the movie Lord Of The Rings where Gandalf the Wizard shouts “YOU SHALL NOT PASS!”-

That’s what it feels like when you’re running late and you need to them to just accept that the red cup is missing and you don’t have anymore time to run around the house searching for it.

They have their little feet firmly plant...

Picture this: you’re having a playdate at your friend's house.   

The kids request a popsicle so your mom's friend hands each one a nice, fun summer treat.  Everyone is happy and smiling and it’s just a wonderful, wholesome moment.  

Then your child accidentally spills a drop of purple popsicle on their shirt- they look down and…  Bombs away!  

They drop the F-bomb.  😮  

Now everyone is staring in disbelief and you can’t decide if this is one of those moments where you laugh (afterall, it was timed perfectly) OR if you sternly corr...

Recently in the free community for parents Parenting Posse a parent asked a question about their child being unintentionally aggressive, but no matter what the parents did (taking away screen time, discussing the incident, etc) the behaviour continued.   

And this isn’t the only time a parent has asked a question with a similar scenario:

- The child keeps doing a certain perceived misbehaviour. 

- Parents gives a punishment 

- Child stops for a day or two, maybe, but then does it again.   

Rinse and repeat.   

It’s enough to...

When we think about emotional, angsty, moody children we often think about teenagers, right? 

We’re picturing a 16 year old with their hoodie pulled over their head, earphones blaring Paramore to block out the world, and a permanent scowl.   So WHY the heck is your 3 year old already bursting out in tears and yelling you’re a mean momma?   

Isn’t it a bit too early for your kid to be huffing and rolling their eyes?   Why are kids so emotional?!   

A lot of parents seem to already know this is common behavior (plenty of three...