30 episodes

Raising school age kids.



We are celebrating the energy of Middle Childhood ( or Midhood) development and discussing parenting challenges of school age children ( Ages 5-14)

Growing Nimble Families Melitsa Avila

    • Kids & Family
    • 4.7 • 22 Ratings

Raising school age kids.



We are celebrating the energy of Middle Childhood ( or Midhood) development and discussing parenting challenges of school age children ( Ages 5-14)

    7 ways to support your child at school move towards independence

    7 ways to support your child at school move towards independence

     





    Tools and ideas about moving from guided homework to independent homework with school-age kids. Homework demands change. As kids get older, there are new skills to master with homework. Examples like time management on a project, using software and overcoming problems during the process of work.

    If our kids dine out on their natural talent only, eventually they will hit some hard walls as work becomes more difficult and be stuck. They need to get used to effort, hard work and learning how to get up when they hit hard obstacles.

    Right around the time that many of our kids are making mistakes, learning and growing coincide with when they don’t want parental help. They are uncomfortable with the skill of asking for help. The pressure is there.

    Coasting and homework

    Lots of kids are coasting without experiencing the stretch of learning through challenge and moving from adequate to good and good to excellent.

    Like all family related activities, this is deeply personal to each of our families. Each child is different. But we want the same thing- to know our kids have the skills so we can relax, nag less and they can fly.

    The skills mentioned in today’s episode help support us now where we are. Whatever our kid’s ability we want them to succeed, be confident, have tools to support them when they encounter problems. We go deep today. It’s not a blueprint. I’m looking forward to your thoughts as you tackle empowering our kids’ homework muscle from guided homework to independent homework.

     

    Growing Nimble Families podcast encourages the celebration of school age kids traveling through middle childhood

    Show Notes

    Seven ways to support your child at school move towards independence



    * When silence isn’t golden, productive or helpful. Finding the right place for homework isn’t fixed and may not be what you are expecting.

    * Sharing the thought process that takes you seconds because you have wisdom and experience. Why it will be a big win to share what to do during this problem-solving exercise.

    * Getting down into the different types of homework. It’s all about the model. Give it time. Just because you have four pieces of homework doesn’t mean you start from 1 and then 2. The way to make homework easier.



    resource: project working 



    4. Helping School-Age Kids Correct Their Work  Grab our printable

    5. How we respond when they don’t complete 

    6.  6 Questions To Ask Your School-Age Child After Homework  Grab our printable

    7. After the feedback

    resource: Self-reflection resource:   

     



    * WHAT TO DO NEXT:



    So you’ve listened to this episode – if you liked it and want to hear other ones – and I really think you will….you should do this right now:

        

       How to listen and subscribe to this show

    I’d love to hear from you about the show.

    Any comments about the podcast use the Voicemail and connect on Facebook

    Use the hashtag #gnfsak on  Twitter  and  Instagram

    These show notes: a href="https://growingnimblefamilies.

    • 43 min
    Dr Michele Borba on Empathy and how to succeed in an all about me world

    Dr Michele Borba on Empathy and how to succeed in an all about me world

     





    Our guest today Dr Michele Borba talks about how to help our kids tap into empathy. We talk about social and emotional learning and its value both now in school and as adults, the empathy advantage, how to talk about empathy with school age kids and what’s the most important thing to know about empathy.

     

    Growing Nimble Families podcast encourages the celebration of school age kids traveling through middle childhood

    Show Notes

     

    Follow:  Dr Borba   Website: micheleborba.com

    Resource: Book discussion guide: Unselfie- Dr Michele Borba



    * WHAT TO DO NEXT:



    So you’ve listened to this episode – if you liked it and want to hear other ones – and I really think you will….you should do this right now:

        

       How to listen and subscribe to this show

    I’d love to hear from you about the show.

    Any comments about the podcast use the Voicemail and connect on Facebook

    Use the hashtag #gnfsak on  Twitter  and  Instagram

    If you’ve enjoyed the show please take the time to share it with friends and leave a review for it on iTunes or Stitcher.

     





     

    • 29 min
    3 Ways To Make Sure Your Back To School Season Is Not Crazy

    3 Ways To Make Sure Your Back To School Season Is Not Crazy

     





    How about a different run-up to the start of back to school time?

    With a little planning and a little sharing, there’s a better way to have a successful back to school season. As the school age kids are getting older, there’s a possibility that they can share in the back to school systems and get started on learning to make some school decisions.

    As gatekeepers, often we know where to buy all the things, what to do first and how to organize the lists around the start of school and how to manage the school year. It makes us really busy( stressed!), and many times the kids are not grateful or understanding of our careful choices or suggestions.

    Back to school systems for school age kids

    This episode we focus on sharing our family values, teaching some of our school systems to our kids, so they have some autonomy and letting them wrestle with some low stakes decision making.

    It might be easier and quicker if we do everything ourselves but in the long run, it’s not okay to keep a tight reign on everything always.

    Come with me on a journey as I share three ways we can give back to the family, so there’s less crazy and more understanding during the back to school season. As we show them how to manage significant transition times- like a boss! ( because they are not going to experience things like this…….soon?) The big bonus is that it spills into the school year and sets us all up for much more collaboration, understanding and less burden of being the keeper of the mental load.

    Growing Nimble Families podcast encourages the celebration of school age kids traveling through middle childhood

    Show Notes

    When we control, every little detail kids will find ways to take back some control somehow. During the school-age years while we need to teach and direct we must find ways to share why we do what we do, give ample opportunity and space to talk through and allow the chips to fall on the simple things when the stakes are low and real learning can happen.

    After years of being solely in control for many times, the school-age years seems trying and tiring as the kids push against the rules and want to know why? It is really hard as parents to let go of doing it- whatever ‘it’ may be- just one way when you know it to be true or better. Risk taking seems all the harder when they are at school, but they need to know we’re there for them to guide, mentor, share and tell, when necessary.

    Kids learn by doing. We can be there while they are doing something, like back to school so that next time they can try and do for themselves. They have the new knowledge they need the practice and to sharpen those skills.

    Not all kids are the same, and you know your family. I hope that while you listen, you’ll keep your family in mind and perhaps find somewhere to start.

    Resources mentioned in the episode:

    Video: The Holderness Family

     

    Healthy school lunch



    Other places for inspiration

    Awesome emotionally healthy kids



    Your guide to mastering whole family systems during the school age years





    * WHAT TO DO NEXT:



    So you’ve listened to this episode – if you liked it and want to hear other ones – and I really think you will….you should do this right now:

    a href="https://www.itunes.com/podcast?

    • 33 min
    Rethinking learning, motivation and grades for kids that are 11+

    Rethinking learning, motivation and grades for kids that are 11+

     





    Middle and secondary school kids have a lot of new things to handle. We’ve talked about managing projects and how to study in previous episodes. Today we’re talking with Jessica Lahey, author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed.

    We’re talking about some of the big questions to do with motivation, learning and grades that appear in middle school including portals and letting them ask for help. Middle and Secondary school is a big step for us as parents as we learn to let go carefully, thoughtfully and in due time.

    This is a good episode for new incoming parents and parents wanting to change their current situation.

    Growing Nimble Families podcast encourages the celebration of school age kids traveling through middle childhood

    Show Notes

    Jessica talks about Middle school and Secondary school students:



    * What led you to write a book like this?

    * If you have a child that’s not motivated in school should you pay them for better results?



    Resource: The opposite of spoiled by Ron Lieber



    * How do you show recognition as a parent if your child does really well? ( Honors, A grades, full marks)





    * What is Process over product?

    * Good questions to ask about good work?

    * What a good student/parent-teacher conference looks like.

    * What’s the deal should I pay for grades or should I not?

    * What parents really need to know that our kids don’t tell us





    * What is Autonomy supportive parenting?

    * What are two things that we can confidently stop doing ( and it will be much better!)



    Jessica on Twitter     Jessica on Instagram

    WHAT TO DO NEXT:

    So you’ve listened to this episode – if you liked it and want to hear other ones – and I really think you will….you should do this right now:

        

       How to listen and subscribe to this show

    I’d love to hear from you about the show.

    Any comments about the podcast use the Voicemail

    Use the hashtag #gnfsak

    If you’ve enjoyed the show please take the time to share it with friends and leave a review for it on iTunes or Stitcher.

     







     

    • 38 min
    How do you help support and gently direct your child in choosing a career path

    How do you help support and gently direct your child in choosing a career path

    Jobs are disappearing and lots of new types of jobs appear all the time. The path towards school age kids future career and job ideas doesn’t have to be random. With the student ratio of students to career counselor in many schools being 491:1 it is really important that parents are involved in supporting the whole process.

    Our guest today is Jamie Beck, M.S, speaker and former CSU Career Counselor. She’s the founder of Career vision by jamie.com  where she is reshaping the way job seekers fundamentally conceptualize, search, and apply for work. She’s bringing information for parents of all the ages of school age children that help us be involved but the kids doing the learning.

    Lots of the ideas Jaime shares apply throughout the school age. You don’t have to be a middle or high school parent for this episode.

    Growing Nimble Families podcast encourages the celebration of school age kids traveling through middle childhood

    Show Notes

    Jamie talks about

    Tips and ideas for elementary, middle and high school parents on supporting their children as we’re the best careers support for them.

    What’s your career bank like?

    What to do if your child gets stuck on ONE idea that’s not practical?

    What’s one thing parents can do to understand future job/career prospects?

    An alternative way of looking at future career ideas that don’t keep us fixed or stuck with one idea.

    Helping kids see the reality of careers

    Practical things to do if the kids have NO idea about career ideas. How to get them going.

    The significance of the number; 32, 850  and our children

    When your child wants to do an irregular income career you’re not happy about….how to navigate this path as a parent and child.

    Resources: Pi day activities



    * Find more than 50 ideas for ways to make Pi Day entertaining, educational, tasty, and fun. 

    * 14 Mathtastic Pi Day Activities for the Classroom

    * π Day March 14, 2018



    Brain Sort Question from the podcast:  What is it that you ( the parent) love that you would do for free 40 hours a week? ( Ends: March 24 9pm Eastern)

    WHAT TO DO NEXT:

    So you’ve listened to this episode – if you liked it and want to hear other ones – and I really think you will….you should do this right now:

        

       How to listen and subscribe to this show

    I’d love to hear from you about the show.

    Any comments about the podcast use the Voicemail

    Use the hashtag #gnfsak

    If you’ve enjoyed the show please take the time to share it with friends and leave a review for it on iTunes or Stitcher.

     





     

    • 45 min
    Getting on with the changing school age kid without losing your mind

    Getting on with the changing school age kid without losing your mind

    Anyone else experiencing a new normal with the kids? Things are different. There’s more of things happening that didn’t use to happen like arguments or talking back. You know it’s part of growing up but this doesn’t seem like the kids you know.

    Where has my child gone?

    This episode is all about how to be comfortable in this transition. Honor who they were, are and going to be and without losing your mind. Encouragement to establish new baselines and figure a way for more autonomy to happen.

     

    Growing Nimble Families podcast encourages the celebration of school age kids traveling through middle childhood

    Show Notes

    00:00 Introduction +Transitioning rites of passage for parents

    Where has my child gone?

    6:25 Prompts to remind us of the passing of time

    9:36 Affirming our children

    12:10 Unconditional love and how they see love vs what we show them

    12:55 Keep talking activities suitable for school age kids

    14:50 We need rites of passage reminders because there are things we want to pass on to them

    18:56 When we’re present we can share how to recover and be resilient

    Resources: After the encouragement comes action. Rituals to help us as parents move from little kid to bigger kid to teen. Here’s what you can do colour edition || Black and White edition

    WHAT TO DO NEXT:

    So you’ve listened to this episode – if you liked it and want to hear other ones – and I really think you will….you should do this right now:

        

       How to listen and subscribe to this show

    I’d love to hear from you about the show.

    Any comments about the podcast use the Voicemail

    Use the hashtag #creatingfamilyhaven

    If you’ve enjoyed the show please take the time to share it with friends and leave a review for it on iTunes or Stitcher.



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    • 25 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
22 Ratings

22 Ratings

2219AmyS ,

Favorite Podcasts

This is one of my favorite podcasts for parenting. It is full of useful and doable ideas. I often listen to it and feel inspired instead of feeling discouraged and overwhelmed!

Akamy! ,

So many useful tips!

I love patenting podcasts and this is a great one. Her podcasts are well thought out and I can always take something away from them. She breaks each podcast down at the end so that you can be reminded of all her thoughtful suggestions and ideas.

Pinksabine ,

Helpful Podcast - Sensitive to All Families

I really enjoy the Raising Playful Tots podcasts and this is another really good one. I appreciate how the host, Melitsa, offers a variety of ideas without imposing any particular view of "family" on the listener. She also has a lovely voice and the podcast is well produced.

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