If you’re anything like me, you sometimes realize with surprise that you’ve entered a different (and easier) phase of motherhood.  You didn’t even notice it slowly shifting. But you suddenly realize that your babies have started sleeping longer stretches at night. Or, they have really learned to put their shoes on by themselves. Or they are beside you helping prepare their lunch for school the next day. (What the heck??) Transitions like these are often very subtle. But when we take a moment to reflect on it, sometimes it feels like a miracle that we made it to where we are, doesn’t it? I am in a new season of motherhood and have been reminiscing on what life was like when I had two very young, spirited children, and I wanted to share three articles I wrote for the website Power of Moms during this rewarding but equally trying season of my life. I hope that these reflections are helpful for the moms of littles.  Or for whatever season you’re in that sometimes feels a little (or a lot) blurry: My Articles on Power of Moms -The first article is called, “The Best Year of My Life?” -The second article is called “It Is What It Is.” -The third article is called “How My Son’s Routine Chart Makes Me a Better Mom.”  Check out all of my articles from Power of Moms, many of which were written during naptimes while I was in the midst of parenting littles, here: https://powerofmoms.com/author/rachel-nielson/ And don’t forget, I want to hear YOUR three takeaways this week as we finish up celebrating the second birthday of 3 in 30! Visit 3in30podcast.com/birthday for more details, or scroll through the hashtag on Instagram for a good dose of inspiration and a reminder that we all have unique wisdom to share. Have you read anything on Power of Moms before? If so, what did you read? Share in a comment below! Last call for Podcast University! If you have been thinking about starting or growing a podacst, join us this week for a free class. Or enroll in one of our comprehensive courses! Enrollment for this session ends November 1st and won’t open again until the spring. 3in30podcast.com/podcastu

“The quickest way for anyone to reach the sun and the light of day is not to run west chasing after the sun, but to head east, plunging into the darkness until one comes to the sunrise.” -Jerry L. Sittser National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day was October 15th, and I wanted to honor this sacred day by dedicating an episode to mothers who walk through life with a piece of their heart and soul missing. If this is you, I hope that today’s episode on how to move through grief might offer some comfort. Today’s guest is Anna Packard, a mother of four who lost her infant son Charlie when he was four months old. She also has a PhD in clinical psychology and is a therapist at Balance Health and Healing, so she has both personal and professional experience in how to move through grief toward joy after immense loss. How to Move Through Grief * Remember, the only way out is through: practice willingness, prioritize self-care (which includes finding a support group of other mothers who have lost children), and allow all emotions. What we resist, persists. * Look for beauty, gifts, and meaning along the way. Assigning your own meaning to your experience can be a powerful step toward healing. * Remember that you are stronger than you realize. (This is very hard to hear in the early stages of grief, but you will find that it is true with time.) Show Notes Anna’s website: balancehealthandhealing.com Anna’s Instagram: @balancehealthhealing A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows through Loss by Jerry L. Sittser Grief support for parents who have experience loss through miscarriage, stillborn, or infant loss. http://www.shareparentsofutah.org/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/326053507470465/ Utah SIDS parents group on FB https://www.facebook.com/groups/569722193074649/ Episodes from 3 in 30: “Three Messages of Hope for the Darkest Times“ “How to Support a Loved One who is Grieving“ -Have you ever thought about starting a podcast? Or do you already have a podcast but are frustrated because it isn’t growing as much as you’d like it to? Podcast University is open for enrollment again now through November 1st! Podcast U is an online school for all things podcasting that I run with my dear friend, the host from About Progress, Monica Packer. -Join us for one of our FREE courses this month both about starting a podcast AND growing a podcast.

This week marks the SECOND BIRTHDAY of 3 in 30!

As moms, we often wrestle with the desire to find a better balance for work and motherhood. Crystalee Beck, co-founder of The Mama Ladder, is here to shift our perspectives by teaching us that both work and motherhood are valuable parts of living our purpose.

Three takeaways from an anti-racism educator and mother of three

Today is the second in our series of episodes titled “You Are Your Child’s Most Important Teacher.” Dina Alexander is a mother of three teenagers and the founder of Educate and Empower Kids.

Today is the first in a series of episodes that I’m calling “You Are Your Child’s Most Important Teacher.” And to start us off, here are Kristin’s three takeaways for becoming the sex expert of your home.

Separate from your work status and the things that keep you busy as a parent, here are three things to help you hold space for your creativity as a parent.

3 concrete tools to overcome challenges from your childhood

Mika sheds light on three areas of organization to create more freedom in your life

Keep your marriage strong with simple, connective rituals supported by the research of Dr. John Gottman, the \"Einstein of love\"

3 strategies to invite your teen to see themselves as the hero in a truly great story

When you think about the small but impactful acts of kindness others have shown you, do you also reflect on the kindness *you* have shown others? It might be humbling to admit, but ways YOU have reached out have made a big difference to others as well. I claim that with confidence because today on the podcast, I\'m sharing a story of a simple handshake and what it did for one person in my life.

Tawni Beardall and Erica Peterson are the co-hosts of a podcast for teens called Becoming. I absolutely love these ladies, and am so grateful for the work they are doing. They are here to teach us how to overcome our inner teen

Family therapist and father of four, Tony Overbay, teaches us how to maintain empathetic, trust-filled communication with our teenagers

3 strategies for elevating your conversation with your teens

Andrea Davis teaches three strategies for deciding when your teen is ready for a smartphone.

It's TEEN MONTH at 3 in 30! All month, we will feature episodes about the highs and lows of parenting teens!

Three amazing mothers, all with unique life experience, who are going to share some of their stories with us today and to help us feel excited and encouraged to have fun with our children this summer!

People are often amazed by just how close my sisters and I are to my dad. Our mom passed away when we were teenagers, so Dad planned our weddings, comes to help us after we have babies, and talks to us frequently about our lives. I truly believe that the small but meaningful ways my dad bonded with us when we were young made all the difference when we lost our mom; we already had a solid relationship with him that has since blossomed into something truly beautiful and unique. If you want a rock solid, life-long bond with your children, here are three easy ways that I learned from my dad: * Play with them. Rely on small but consistent & memorable traditions. * Talk with them. Show them you welcome and can handle their questions, and schedule regular times to check-in. * Feel with them. Sit with them in their disappointments and their fears without trying to fix it.   Show Notes I have teamed up with one of my dear friends, Monica Packer, who is the host of About Progress to launch Podcast University. It is an online school for all things podcasting, and we want to help you start or grow a podcast! Our first course Podcasting 101  is open for enrollment through the end of June. You can also take part in one of our FREE classes this month: 3 Things You Must Know Before You Start a Podcast. There’s still time to fill out my demographic survey! Please take a few minutes and go to: 3in30podcast.com/survey

A speech language pathologist who specializes in teaching children social & emotional skills teaches her three-step process.

**Please fill out the 3 in 30 Demographics Survey! It will take you less than 5 minutes, and it will truly help me so much!! Click >>>> here <<<<<<. Last week, Katherine Reynolds Lewis, the author of The Good News About Bad Behavior: Why Kids Are Less Disciplined Than Ever– And What to Do About It, taught us that children today are fundamentally different than past generations. Not because they’re born different, but because the world they are growing up in is so different. In previous generations, typical kids developed self-regulation skills through their day-to-day life of playing with friends, being outside, and working alongside their families. But modern cultural factors including less unstructured play and time outdoors, more exposure to media and technology, and more pressure from academic and extra curricular expectations are undermining the natural development of impulse control, self confidence and patience within our kids. Katherine Reynolds Lewis spent over five years researching parenting and discipline techniques, and she found that there are many effective discipline methods in practice today that teach children how to take ownership of their choices and their emotions and gain the emotional skills they need to self regulate. These transformative discipline methods all share some common elements (that all happen to start with “C”): * Connection: Relationship is the foundation. If we try to discipline our kids before we have that connection, it’s not going to go well. * Communication: Asking questions, posing “what ifs” and getting more information helps children to process and build their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills * Capability-building: We must focus on helping children build both life skills around the house and social and emotional skills. If you missed last week’s episode, part one of this discussion, you are going to want to go back and listen to that!  Show Notes KatherineRLewis.com Want an opportunity to win one of my workshop gift bags??? They have products from the five mom-run businesses that have been featured on the podcast the last couple of weeks. This is a $100 value, and all you have to do is fill out a 3 in 30 Demographic Survey. Whether or not you are interested in a gift bag, I would really appreciate you taking a few minutes to fill out the survey. 3in30podcast.com/survey

There’s no question that parenting has been difficult for every generation– but has it always been this difficult? Katherine Reynolds Lewis, an award-winning journalist and certified parent educator, had the same questions as she raised her own strong-willed children.

Several months ago, in the midst of kidney stone pain, I reached out to Becky Farley and Candace Little, the founders of Mindful Art Company, and asked for their best tips on using mindfulness to cope with illness.

3 takeaways for moms who are breaking negative generational parenting cycles in their own homes