Parenting Survival Tips

Ever made what you thought was a great resolution only to be defeated before you start? Yup, you and me both. So what do we do? How can we resolve to build safer screen habits in our homes when we know we’ll face obstacles, challenges, and maybe even failure right at the outset?  It comes down to establishing direction. Keep in mind that this is a journey. And every good journey requires a navigation tool. Something to move you in the right direction—like a compass or a map. Building Safer Screen Habits isn't about passing or failing, winning or losing.…

Participation in youth sports is down across the board. And the steady decline seems to correlate with the rise of smartphones and other technologies. For many coaches, the concern goes beyond the field, pitch, or pool. They are urging parents to pay careful attention to their kids’ confidence, self-esteem, and body image. After all, sport isn't just friendly competition, it has immense physical and mental benefits. In this episode, I am joined by Larissa Mills, founder of iparentgen.com, a parenting website and resource designed to help families balance their use of phones. Our conversation today centers around the often-overlooked value…

Every mom is amazing! There’s no question there. Yet, we are often our own worst critic. When things don’t go according to plan, the negative self-talk comes flooding in. So, how can we start to believe in ourselves again? And how can building mom confidence change the dynamic we have with our kids and their tech? In this episode, I ask Leah Davidson, co-founder of H&L Life Coaching, what to do when we feel like we’re not thriving. We take a fresh look at what confidence means. And how that applies to raising kids in a media-saturated, pandemic stricken, year…

Who has time for self-care when their child is struggling? As moms, we tend to put everyone else first, neglecting our own well-being. We take on guilt and lose our individuality. We assume we’ll have time to take care of ourselves after the crisis has passed. But while we’re frantically patching up the problems on the outside, our insides are deteriorating. In this episode, Barb Winters of hopefulmom.net joins Marilyn to talk about the importance of self-care, especially when our child is in a crisis. A few months after Barb learned of her son’s struggle with porn, she realized she…

Welcome, 2021! And welcome, the third season of the Media Savvy Moms podcast. I’m excited to see where this year will take us. You know I'm an optimist at heart. I can’t help but think, no matter what life throws at us this year, we got this! I know you’ve probably gone through tough times. And you’ve got big worries. I have them too. But I believe that together we can look forward with excitement, joy, and confidence to the year ahead. Imagine us sitting down together with a cup of tea. Or better yet, going on a walk—talking through…

How do you feel about kids and video games? If you’re like many parents, you’re conflicted. You want your children and teens to have fun and enjoy the very best that tech entertainment has to offer. But you're also concerned about hidden risks. Are the chat features in today’s games safe? What about exposure to extreme violence and pornographic content? How likely is it for a child to become addicted to video games?  We’re parents, we get it. We’ve asked all these questions (and more!). That’s why we sat down this week with Nadja Strieter, Programs Director at Game Quitters—an…