Connected Parenting

Get ready for an exhilarating journey today as we launch into our first-ever interview series that will take us through the awe-inspiring lives of phenomenal individuals with powerful stories, wisdom to share, and tips to elevate our lives – and parenting game! It is with immense pleasure that I welcome our first guest and real-life superhero, my good friend, Jimmy May. A retired Navy SEAL Commander with 22 years of unparalleled courage and leadership under his belt, our conversation with Jimmy promises to be nothing short of phenomenal! So buckle up, and let's dive in! Jennifer Takeaways: How To Help An Energetic Child (8:43) Dad's Passing (11:44) Potential & Greatness In A Tiny Body (17:46) The Navy (19:59) Gratitude For Seal Team's Support (26:33) The Difference Between Toxic & Healthy Shame (35:38) Beyond The Brotherhood (39:19) Meet Jimmy Jimmy is an active duty Navy SEAL Commander with 22 years of service. He developed and teaches curriculums on combat leadership to all SEAL Chiefs and OICs and Combat Ethics to the Naval Special Warfare Community and the Navy JAG community. Commander May has seven deployments to the middle east and has an array of awards including 3 Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart. He has experience working across the globe in high-stakes situations to find common ground across a wide array of conflict scenarios. He completed his undergraduate work at Texas and post-graduation studies at Harvard as an alumni of the Program for Leadership Development. Jimmy is CEO of Sushi Assassin, an in-home sushi catering business for private events and recently started Mayday Executive Services to help companies develop camaraderie and unit cohesion through shared intense experiences. He serves as CEO and a board member of Beyond the Brotherhood, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Navy SEALS of character transition from the Teams to the civilian sector and is sought after as a keynote speaker for events across a wide variety of organizations. Jimmy is fluent in Arabic, an avid spear fisherman, surfer, martial artist and amateur bee-keeper. He resides in Ocean Beach, San Diego with his family and prides himself on doing good things for good people. Connect with Jimmy: Website: https://www.beyondthebrotherhood.org/about/

As a parent of teens, you might be familiar with what I like to call the dreaded "screaming hair fit," caused by everything from finding the perfect outfit before an important event, a haircut gone wrong or even just a pimple on their face. Transition times with teens can be especially turbulent; and leave you feeling pulled you into their emotional "vortex" with no way to get yourself out of it. If this sounds familiar join me for today's discussion where I'll look closer at why this phenomenon occurs and explore strategies for navigating these emotionally charged situations with your teenager - plus learn what age range is more likely to experience improvement in such frustrating scenarios. Join me now as I dissect the teenage screaming hair fit.

As parents, we often act as a substitute frontal lobe for our children while their own executive functioning skills are still developing. We help them regulate emotions, remember what they need, organize themselves, solve problems, and make decisions. But sometimes, without realizing it, we can cross the line from guiding our children to doing too much of the thinking and problem-solving for them. In this episode of Connected Parenting, Jennifer explores the important difference between healthy co-regulation and over functioning, and why allowing children to experience manageable frustration is an essential part of helping their brains grow.Whether it's packing part of their backpack, remembering their lunch, setting an alarm, or working through a frustrating task, small opportunities to struggle and problem-solve help children develop independence, frustration tolerance, and confidence. The goal isn't to raise children who never need us, it's to help them increasingly discover that they can think, solve problems, recover from mistakes, and trust themselves.Jennifer's Takeaways:The Substitute Frontal Lobe (00:00)The Dangers of Over-Functioning (02:25)Using the CALM Technique (07:06)Practical Strategies for Independence (08:57)Meet Jennifer KolariJennifer Kolari is the host of the “Connected Parenting” weekly podcast and the co-host of “The Mental Health Comedy” podcast. Kolari is a frequent guest on Nationwide morning shows and podcasts in the US and Canada. Her advice can also be found in many Canadian and US magazines such as; Today’s Parent, Parents Magazine and Canadian Family.Kolari’s powerful parenting model is based on the neurobiology of love, teaching parents how to use compassion and empathy as powerful medicine to transform challenging behavior and build children’s emotional resilience and emotional shock absorbers.Jennifer’s wisdom, quick wit and down to earth style help parents navigate modern-day parenting problems, offering real-life examples as well as practical and effective tools and strategies.Her highly entertaining, inspiring workshops are shared with warmth and humour, making her a crowd-pleasing speaker with schools, medical professionals, corporations and agencies throughout North America, Europe and Asia.One of the nation’s leading parenting experts, Jennifer Kolari, is a highly sought- after international speaker and the founder of Connected Parenting. A child and family therapist with a busy practice based in San Diego and Toronto, Kolari is also the author of Connected Parenting: How to Raise A Great Kid (Penguin Group USA and Penguin Canada, 2009) and You’re Ruining My Life! (But Not Really): Surviving the Teenage Years with Connected Parenting (Penguin Canada, 2011).

When one child in the family requires a lot of attention because of big emotions, tantrums, challenging behaviour, or constant pushback, it can quietly affect everyone else in the home. In this episode of "Connected Parenting", Jennifer turns the focus to the child who is often described as the “good child”. The one who rarely complains, follows the rules, stays out of trouble, and seems to make parenting easy.Jennifer explores how these children may learn to become extra independent, agreeable, or quiet because they sense that their parents simply don't have any more emotional bandwidth. While their behaviour may look like everything is fine, they still need opportunities to be noticed, supported, and given space for their own feelings and needs. This episode is an important reminder to look beyond behaviour and make sure the child who isn't demanding your attention is still receiving the connection, reassurance, and emotional space they need.Jennifer's Takeaways:Coping mechanisms in families with difficult children (00:00)Managing emotions & needs in a family with uneven dynamics (03:42)Parenting strategies for a "super coping" child (08:25)Managing two children with different emotional needs (12:03)Meet Jennifer KolariJennifer Kolari is the host of the “Connected Parenting” weekly podcast and the co-host of “The Mental Health Comedy” podcast. Kolari is a frequent guest on Nationwide morning shows and podcasts in the US and Canada. Her advice can also be found in many Canadian and US magazines such as; Today’s Parent, Parents Magazine and Canadian Family.Kolari’s powerful parenting model is based on the neurobiology of love, teaching parents how to use compassion and empathy as powerful medicine to transform challenging behavior and build children’s emotional resilience and emotional shock absorbers.Jennifer’s wisdom, quick wit and down to earth style help parents navigate modern-day parenting problems, offering real-life examples as well as practical and effective tools and strategies.Her highly entertaining, inspiring workshops are shared with warmth and humour, making her a crowd-pleasing speaker with schools, medical professionals, corporations and agencies throughout North America, Europe and Asia.One of the nation’s leading parenting experts, Jennifer Kolari, is a highly sought- after international speaker and the founder of Connected Parenting. A child and family therapist with a busy practice based in San Diego and Toronto, Kolari is also the author of Connected Parenting: How to Raise A Great Kid (Penguin Group USA and Penguin Canada, 2009) and You’re Ruining My Life! (But Not Really): Surviving the Teenage Years with Connected Parenting (Penguin Canada, 2011).

Moving from the freedom and flexibility of summer into the back-to-school early mornings, structured routines, school expectations, and busy schedules can be a significant adjustment for the whole family.In this episode of "Connected Parenting", Jennifer explores how parents can help make the transition back to school feel smoother and less overwhelming. She shares ways to prepare children for the changes ahead, create more predictability and routine, and support the emotions that can come with starting a new school year. Whether your child is excited, anxious, resistant, or somewhere in between, this episode will help you approach back-to-school with greater connection, patience, and confidence.Jennifer's Takeaways:Back-to-School Transition Challenges (00:00)Managing Time and Schedules (02:50)Celebrating Summer and Preparing for School (04:45)Addressing Kids' Concerns and Fears (06:30)Handling the Back-to-School Transition (9:12)Maintaining Routines and Preventing Behavioral Issues (11:26)MEET JENNIFER KOLARIJennifer Kolari is the host of the “Connected Parenting” weekly podcast and the co-host of “The Mental Health Comedy” podcast. Kolari is a frequent guest on Nationwide morning shows and podcasts in th US and Canada. Her advice can also be found in many Canadian and US magazines such as; Today’s Parent, Parents Magazine and Canadian Family.Kolari’s powerful parenting model is based on the neurobiology of love, teaching parents how to use compassion and empathy as powerful medicine to transform challenging behavior and build children’s emotional resilience and emotional shock absorbers.Jennifer’s wisdom, quick wit and down to earth style help parents navigate modern-day parenting problems, offering real-life examples as well as practical and effective tools and strategies.Her highly entertaining, inspiring workshops are shared with warmth and humour, making her a crowd-pleasing speaker with schools, medical professionals, corporations and agencies throughout North America, Europe and Asia.One of the nation’s leading parenting experts, Jennifer Kolari, is a highly sought- after international speaker and the founder of Connected Parenting. A child and family therapist with a busy practice based in San Diego and Toronto, Kolari is also the author of Connected Parenting: How to Raise A Great Kid(Penguin Group USA and Penguin Canada, 2009) and You’re Ruining My Life! (But Not Really) Surviving the Teenage Years with Connected Parenting (Penguin Canada, 2011).Thanks for Listening!Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others would love to listen, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode, or want to be a guest on the show? Leave a comment in the section below or visit the website to contact me!Follow The PodcastIf you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon, or whatever your favorite podcast app is!Leave Us an Apple Podcasts ReviewRatings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.Don't forget to visit our Connected Parenting Youtube Channel! Check it out! Like us and Subscribe!