Okay, story time. Day TWO in our brand-new Arizona house. 100+ degree heat outside. Moving boxes EVERYWHERE. And my boys? They decided this was the PERFECT moment for an indoor blanket ride across our hardwood floors.

You know exactly where this is going, right? 🤦‍♀️

One overzealous turn later, and BAM—child-sized HOLE straight through our kitchen wall. Before we'd even figured out the Wi-Fi password, y'all!

And in that split second, I felt all the mom-frustration bubbling up. The "I guess we can't have nice things" thoughts. The exasperation rising. The yell forming in my throat.

But something stopped me (hallafreakingluia!), and THAT moment is exactly what this episode is about.

Because summer is coming, friends. And it's not just financially expensive—it's EMOTIONALLY expensive. The unstructured days. The bickering siblings. The 47 snack emergencies before noon. The "I'm boooooored" symphony.

If you've ever found yourself one broken toy or spilled drink away from losing your ever-loving mind... this episode is your lifeline.

I'm breaking down my complete framework for a No-Yell Summer, including:

• Why understanding your yell triggers changes everything
• The 3 types of summer goals you need (hint: one is just for YOU)
• How to choose your Summer Parent Identity (Joy Ringmaster? Zen Zookeeper? You decide!)
• The 3-prong plan that requires zero extra willpower (because honestly, who has any left?)

I'm also sharing details about my upcoming No Yell Summer Workshop happening May 28th at noon ET. It's just $7, and it includes the live workshop, a replay, and a workbook! (And if you're already in The League, you're automatically in! 🎉)

Bonus alert! Register in the next 48 hours and I'll send you a secret resource I've never shared publicly before—my go-to tool for calming chaos in under 60 seconds.

Listen, I want you to be sad when summer ends—not collapsing with relief that it's finally over! Let's make this a summer your kids remember for all the right reasons.

Want in? Head to cmp.works/summer to save your spot.

And pretty please—if this episode speaks to your parenting soul, share it with a friend! We're all in this parenting chaos together, and sometimes knowing you're not alone is half the battle.

According to the latest science (and my six kids who've tested every parenting theory I've ever had), if you want your kids to WANT to listen to you—correction is out, connection is in.

Can't wait to see you on May 28th!

With all the parenting solidarity, Andee

P.S. DM me on Instagram @connectmethodparenting with your biggest summer parenting challenge—I'll be answering some in a future episode!

Next Steps: Leave a review if you've been enjoying the CMP Podcast

My Book: https://cmp.works/1xs

My IG: https://cmp.works/ista

Oh heyyy there, fellow parent-people struggling through the beautiful chaos! In this episode, I spill ALL the tea about how that nasty little voice in your head (you know the one that's all "you're failing at this parenting gig") isn't just making YOU feel like garbage—it's actually rewiring your kid's emotional thermometer too! 🌡️

I share the mortifying moment I heard my own critical voice coming out of my teenager's mouth (talk about a parenting gut-punch!) and dive into the juicy research that proves being your own bestie might be the parenting superpower you never knew you needed.

Plus, I give you a tiny but mighty assignment that could literally change your family's emotional climate. Because science says so! ✨

What You'll Discover in This Episode:

• The moment I realized my 16-year-old drama queen (literally—she was auditioning!) had inherited my inner critic 😱
• Why your brain is basically still watching out for saber-toothed tigers when your kid refuses to wear socks in winter
• The super cool science behind how your self-talk becomes your home's emotional thermostat
• My embarrassing Dr. Pepper binge confession (post-international travel does weird things to a girl, don't judge!)
• The actual research showing self-compassionate parents raise better-regulated kids (it's not just woo-woo, I swear!)
• A stupidly simple but brain-changing "Tiny Assignment" to transform your inner critic into your inner coach

Juicy Quotes From the Episode:

"When you beat yourself up after a hard parenting moment, you're acting as both the disapproving friend AND the discouraged parent. And here's the kicker: your inner voice becomes your child's emotional climate."

"My presence matters more than my performance." (One client's game-changing mantra!)

The Tiny Assignment:

1. Notice your inner critic this week (just observe the little jerk, no arguing yet!)
2. Write down ONE situation where your inner voice turns meaner than a hungry toddler
3. Write the supportive version—what would your BFF say instead?
4. Make it visible: phone lockscreen, bathroom mirror, wherever your eyes land
5. Say it OUT LOUD when you need it (yes, talking to yourself is now officially parenting strategy!)

Research Mentions:

• Baumeister's work on negativity bias (aka why we remember the ONE thing we screwed up instead of the 87 things we nailed)
• Dr. Kristin Neff's research showing self-compassionate parents have lower stress (and who doesn't want THAT?)
• Moreira's 2018 study proving the mind-blowing connection between how we talk to ourselves and how our kids regulate emotions
• Hebb's Law: "Neurons that fire together, wire together" (or, why your brain loves taking the self-criticism highway)

Connect With Me:

Drop a comment about your own inner critic moments! I'm literally sitting in my comfy chair right now, sipping electrolyte water (RIP my Dr. Pepper addiction) and DYING to hear your thoughts. Because we're all just trying not to mess this up together, right? 💕 DM on IG @connectmethodparenting to share your own fav inner critic moment

Next Steps: Leave a review if you've been enjoying the CMP Podcast

My Book: https://cmp.works/1xs

My IG: https://cmp.works/ista

This episode is for all of us who’ve ever thought, “Wait...who am I even being right now as a parent?” 🙋‍♀️

I’m recording this one late at night (hello 10 PM parenting quiet zone) while I wait for my teens to trickle in—and it ended up being such a heart-to-heart moment. I’m talking all about your parenting self-concept—what it is, why it matters, and how shaping your identity is way more powerful than any technique, script, or strategy.

Here’s what I share:

• The 4-part Identity Shift Method I teach (and use myself!)
• A Machu Picchu meltdown moment that tested everything I thought I knew
• Why the story you tell yourself about your kids and yourself matters more than you think
• What to do when your calm confidence takes a hike (and your inner critic takes over)
• Why “the strongest identity in the room wins”—especially when your kids are in meltdown mode

You’ll walk away with simple shifts that help you show up as the parent you want to be—even when things are loud, messy, and emotionally extra.

This Week’s Challenge: Pick an identity statement you actually like and want to believe (even if you’re still growing into it). Write it down. Put it on your mirror. Live it for 7 days. Example: “I am the parent who sees the best in my kids—even when they’re losing it.”

Next Steps: Leave a review if you've been enjoying the CMP Podcast

My Book: https://cmp.works/1xs

My IG: https://cmp.works/ista

💪 Join The Parenting Confidence Project --> https://cmp.works/confidence 💪

Welcome to Part 3 of the Self-Confidence mini-series! If you're here, you're basically an overachiever (in the best way possible) and I'm SO PROUD of you for sticking through all three episodes!

Quick reminder: You already know self-confidence is the secret sauce for calm parenting. Today? We're getting DOWN AND DIRTY with the HOW. Like, actual practical tools you can use TODAY. (Yes, today. Not tomorrow when you're "ready." TODAY.)

KEY TAKEAWAYS (aka: The Good Stuff):

Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset (The Mind Game)

• Fixed mindset is like wearing cement shoes in a swimming pool: "I'm just not patient" 🙄
• Growth mindset is pure rocket fuel: "I'm learning to be more patient" 🚀

The Beautiful Truth About Failing

• Self-confident people fail ALL THE TIME (shocking, I know!)
• Plot twist: You need self-confidence BEFORE success, not after
• "Failing ahead of time" = when you never try and wonder why nothing changes

Feelings Are Just Vibes (Literally)

• The only thing stopping you? Fear of emotions (spoiler: they're just vibrations)
• When you know you can handle ANY emotion, you become UNSTOPPABLE
• It's like emotional superpowers, but without the cape (unless you want one—I'm not judging)

Confidence-Building Thoughts (Steal These!)

1. "I believe in my ability to get the result I want" (even if it takes forever)
2. "Failure is the way to success" (hashtag wisdom)
3. "My mistakes don't define me" (say it louder for the moms in the back!)
4. "I am the exact parent my children need" (yes, YOU!)

DAILY CONFIDENCE BUILDERS (Your New Best Friends):

1. Morning Thought Download - Brain dump for 5 minutes (cheaper than therapy)
2. Pick a Power Mantra - Write it down, carry it around (like a parenting good luck charm)
3. Blue Sky Perspective - You're the sky, emotions are clouds (they pass through!)
4. One Bold Move Daily - Just one! Start with breakfast chaos and level up later
5. Evening Victory Log - Even the tiniest win counts (especially the tiny ones!)

Public Tantrums 101:

• OLD YOU: "Everyone thinks I'm failing!" 😱
• NEW YOU: "This is normal development and I've got this!" 💪
• Pro move: Get down at their level. Make eye contact. Channel your inner zen master.

SIBLING WORLD WAR III:

• Confidence hack: Stay Switzerland (neutral!)
• Magic words: "You both have feelings. Let's figure this out together."
• Remember: You're building future conflict-solving superheroes!

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE (Are You Ready?):

1. Name your confidence trigger situations (you know the ones!)
2. Create power statements for each (make them juicy!)
3. Practice daily visualization (5 minutes of future-you greatness)

Remember, beautiful human: Every time you doubt yourself, you're robbing your child of seeing your true power. And trust me, your true power? It's EVERYTHING they need.

Keep being amazing! 🌟

xo, Andee (your favorite confidence cheerleader)

P.S. If this helped you even a little bit, share it with a parent who needs this message. We're all on this wild ride together!

Now go hug those beautiful humans and remember: You. Are. Enough. 💝

Next Steps: Leave a review if you've been enjoying the CMP Podcast

My Book: https://cmp.works/1xs

My IG: https://cmp.works/ista

💪 Join The Parenting Confidence Project --> https://cmp.works/confidence 💪

Welcome back to Part 2 of my Self-Confidence mini-series, where we're gonna blow your mind with some serious "aha!" moments about parenting!

(Remember Part 1? Where we talked about how self-criticism is basically the worst dating profile ever? Good stuff!)

Today? We're diving into something SO juicy: how your confidence—or lack of it—is literally shaping your child's behavior. Like, right now. As we speak. Mind = BLOWN.

Key Takeaways (but make it fun!):

The Alpha Child Effect (AKA: When Your Kid Becomes the Boss)

• Quick question: Got a tiny dictator running your household? 🤔
• DR. GORDON NEUFELD (the smartest guy in the room) calls them "alpha children"—kids who sense you're uncertain and decide they better take charge
• Plot twist: This isn't their fault! They're just trying to make things feel safe when the grown-ups seem... uh... not so grown-up-y
• The good news? When YOU show up with confident leadership, they can FINALLY relax and just be kids (phew!)

The Connect Method Parenting Approach (where the magic happens):

• Here's the tea: Self-confidence isn't about what you already know—it's about believing you can figure it out
• Pro tip: When you mess up (and honey, we ALL do), get curious instead of critical
• French people are onto something: "I HAVE frustration" vs. "I AM frustrated" 🤯
• (Seriously, this language shift changed my LIFE)

Why This Matters (aka: Why You Should Care):

1. Your self-talk becomes your child's inner voice (no pressure, right?)
2. Kids need calm, confident leadership like plants need sunshine ☀️
3. When you trust yourself, they learn to trust you back (it's science!)
4. Self-compassion is contagious (the good kind!)

This Week's Challenge (drumroll please 🥁):

Next time your kiddo tries to run the show, PAUSE. Ask yourself: "Am I showing up like a confident leader or like someone who forgot their lines in the school play?" Then shift that energy (not to bossy—just to calm and capable) and watch the magic happen!

A Resource You'll Love:

💪 Join The Parenting Confidence Project --> https://cmp.works/confidence 💪

Listen up, parent extraordinaire: You don't need to be perfect. You don't need to have all the answers. You just need to show up with that gorgeous blend of confidence and compassion that makes your kids think "Phew, they've got this!"

Next time in Part 3? I'm spilling ALL the secrets on how to actually BUILD self-confidence (like, for real). Plus, how to make failure your bestie. 🎉

Until then, keep being the amazing human you are!

xo, Andee (your biggest cheerleader) 📣

P.S. - Want to know something? You're already doing better than you think. Promise.

Now go hug those beautiful humans of yours!

Next Steps: Leave a review if you've been enjoying the CMP Podcast

My Book: https://cmp.works/1xs

My IG: https://cmp.works/ista

💪 Join The Parenting Confidence Project --> https://cmp.works/confidence 💪

It's Tuesday, the floors are mysteriously sticky (WHY are they ALWAYS sticky??), someone just announced they need poster board for tomorrow's project (it's 9pm), and you've just unleashed your "THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS" voice for the third time today.

And then what happens? That little voice in your head starts up: "Great job, Mother of the Year right here. Your kids are definitely telling their future therapists about this moment."

BUT WAIT. What if—plot twist—beating yourself into an emotional pulp doesn't actually make you parent better? GASP

I'm six kids deep into this parenting journey, and I'm here to tell you: Self-doubt is the ACTUAL WORST parenting strategy. It's like trying to drive with your emergency brake on and wondering why you're not getting anywhere.

The Self-Confidence Celebrity Masterclass 🌟

So I've been low-key stalking how super successful people handle their mega-fails:

• Elon Musk's "bulletproof" Cybertruck windows SHATTERED on live TV and he just went "Hmm, interesting, we'll fix that" while my brain would be sending emergency evacuation signals.
• Barack Obama accidentally invented seven extra states and then JOKED about it later.
• J.K. Rowling basically said her rock-bottom broke life was the foundation for her success. Who THINKS like that?? (Answer: confident people, that's who!)
• Walt Disney called failure "good heart failure" like it's some kind of superfood smoothie ingredient.

Your Totally-Do-This-I'm-Not-Kidding Homework 📝

This week, I need you to channel your inner David Attenborough and narrate your self-critical thoughts:

"Here we observe the fascinating inner critic in its natural habitat. Watch as it attempts to catastrophize a forgotten permission slip into evidence of complete parental incompetence..."

Then replace that garbage thought with: "I'm basically a parenting scientist running experiments that sometimes explode. DATA IS DATA!" Stick this mantra on your phone, mirror, forehead—wherever your eyeballs land regularly.

What's Next in This Wild Ride 🎢

In Part 2, I'm diving into why your wobbly confidence makes your kids think they need to be the boss. When you're not confidently holding the parenting steering wheel, guess who grabs it? Your kiddos with exactly zero driving experience.

EXCITING THING ALERT! 🎉

I made you a THING! It's called "The Parenting Confidence Project" and it's my little brain baby that goes with this series! Head to https://cmp.works/confidence for a workbook plus 12 daily mini-episodes where I basically become your personal confidence coach (but like, the fun kind who brings snacks, not the scary kind who makes you do burpees).

If you're already in the League, you beautiful humans you, I'll be sending you all the info so you can go through this mini-course! If not, come join our little confidence revolution!

Gotta dash—I just heard what sounds suspiciously like someone "reorganizing" the kitchen with a wooden spoon and a determined attitude.

xo Andee 💕

P.S. Remember that time you handled that impossible parenting moment like a BOSS? Yeah, THAT'S the real you. The rest is just noise. Let's turn down the volume together, shall we?

Next Steps: Leave a review if you've been enjoying the CMP Podcast

My Book: https://cmp.works/1xs

My IG: https://cmp.works/ista

If you've ever thought,

“I shouldn't feel this way...”
“I should be happier…”
“Good parents don't feel so frustrated…”

this episode is for you.

In today's episode, I'm diving into the messy-but-magical world of emotional regulation and why—those uncomfortable feelings you're trying to stuff down are actually your parenting superpower in disguise.

I share my own journey from emotional avoidance to acceptance (including that time I almost took my kids to Disneyland just to escape dealing with my feelings—true story!), and why understanding your own emotions is the secret sauce to helping your children manage theirs.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why the "50/50 rule" of emotions changed everything for me
• The science behind why feeling your feelings actually makes them LESS powerful
• My step-by-step process for moving from emotional reactivity to response
• Practical ways to use your triggers as teachers instead of tormentors
• How emotional acceptance creates deeper connections with your kids

Remember, you don't need to be emotion-free to be an amazing parent—you just need to know how to ride the waves without drowning. And I'm here to be your emotional lifeguard! 🏄‍♀️

Until next time, stay feeling! ~Andee

Next Steps: Leave a review if you've been enjoying the CMP Podcast

My Book: https://cmp.works/1xs

My IG: https://cmp.works/ista

Hey hey, beautiful people! ✨

Oh. My. Goodness. So picture this: I'm on a call with this mom (let's call her Sarah) who's completely stuck in the yell-guilt-repeat cycle (sound familiar, anyone? 🙋‍♀️). She's exhausted, beating herself up, and right in the middle of our session - BOOM - everything clicked. And I thought, "This isn't just for her. EVERYONE needs to hear this!"

Here's the game-changer, my friends: What if instead of trying to STOP feeling triggered, we developed the capacity to feel EVERYTHING and still parent from our highest self?

Her face changed instantly. Mine probably did too. Because this is IT - the missing piece in so many parenting journeys (including my own baby powder blizzard days... if you know, you KNOW).

I'm sharing the 8 emotional capacities that have transformed my own reactive parenting into connected parenting. They're practical emotional MUSCLES that every single one of us can strengthen starting TODAY.

The 8 Emotional Capacities That Changed My Life (and can change yours too!):

1. The capacity to hold space for big emotions - Remember my Machu Picchu meltdown story with my daughter? That moment when I learned to be the calm in her emotional storm without getting sucked into the vortex? GAME. CHANGER.
2. The capacity to accept what is - This one's all about courage, my friends. When my client's daughter wasn't invited to the birthday party and everyone else was... oof. But accepting reality doesn't mean you like it - it means you stop wasting energy fighting against it!
3. The capacity to feel without reacting - That baby powder blizzard moment when I paused instead of exploding? The anger was STILL THERE, but I didn't let it drive the car. Mind. Blown.
4. The capacity to recover after disconnection - Because let's be real, we ALL lose it sometimes. Perfect parents don't exist (and if you meet one, they're either lying or selling something, lol).
5. The capacity to set limits with connection - My gentle parents crew, this one's for YOU. Firmness + compassion = parenting magic.
6. The capacity to trust the process - Just like those tulip bulbs I planted at our cabin 10 years ago (side note: WHO KNEW they'd actually grow in the mountains??), parenting is the ultimate long game.
7. The capacity to stay curious instead of judgmental - When my client's teen was slamming doors and eye-rolling, her judgment was blocking the truth. The moment she got curious? She discovered he was being BULLIED.
8. The capacity to choose connection when you want to correct - Remember my story about the nail polish on the brand new couch? That moment of choosing my daughter over furniture STILL gives me chills.

Listen, for everything you haven't done that you WANT to do as a parent - for every reaction you've had that you wish hadn't happened - there is an emotion you're avoiding feeling that's in the way.

You can't take your kids beyond your own emotional capacity. If you can't handle big emotions yourself, how can you possibly help your child navigate theirs?

I'm challenging you to pick ONE capacity this week. Just one! Message me on Instagram @ConnectMethodParenting and tell me which one you're working on. I'd absolutely LOVE to hear from you!

Remember, this isn't about perfection - it's about progression. And every time you stretch your emotional capacity, you're creating more space for connection with your kiddos.

Go connect with your kids! (And if you haven't subscribed or left a review yet, it would mean the WORLD to me! 💕)

xo, Andee

Next Steps: Leave a review if you've been enjoying the CMP Podcast

My Book: https://cmp.works/1xs

My IG: https://cmp.works/ista