Today we look at thoughts like “Am I failing them!?” and others with Dr.Laura Froyen, a development psychologist and a podcaster herself: check out The Balanced Parent here.

Habitual thinking, Obsessive Thoughts, Intrusive Thoughts. We suffer from all types of different thinking patterns as humans. And when you are under the stress of parenthood, these patterns can swing more to the negative than they may have in the past.

Dr. Laura and I get into the neurology of and developmental reasons for these thinking patterns and offer practical tools for gaining perspective, using mindfulness to establish distance or ‘objectification’–space to look and assess. 

Sometimes thoughts can seem true - maybe like: our kid's behavior reflects how “good” or “bad” of a parent we may be. We talk about temperament, personality, and our innocent search for worthiness within our children’s growth and development.

Find out more about Dr.Laura Froyen on her website, laurafroyen.com, and she will send you a free self-compassion exercise to try with your family.

Referenced in the show:

• The Gardener and the Carpenter by Alison Gopnik

• The Scientist in the Crib by Alison Gopnik

• How to spot the signs of Postpartum Anxiety on HelloPostpartum.com

• The Love & Kindness Bodyscan - Episode 19

• Join the Gratitude Circle here, and let's anchor ourselves in connection.

• Find ALL the Parenting with Gratitude™ practices in one place - here.

Are you ready to parent with more patience, empathy, and compassion? Parenting with Gratitude™ is not the end goal - it's the method. 🎟 It's the means to achieving the goal of parenting differently. 

Follow along for more gratitude and parenting advice:

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Buy my bedtime book: “The Middle of the Night Book “here.

Subscribe and share so you can all listen as a parenting expert and author, Stef Tousignant offers you a sneak peek into her journey to normalize imperfect parenting and discover the gifts a committed gratitude practice can bring to modern family life.

🎧 Listen to this podcast if you want to parent differently than you were raised.

🎧 Listen to this podcast if you want to parent differently than you did 5 years ago.

Other podcast bonuses include interviews with expert guests, sleep consultants, and other mindful parenting guides, and easy and fun gratitude practices that fit your modern parenting lifestyle.

The kids of my good friend Alison Mountford of Ends and Stems, a family meal planning and food waste expert, provided our fantastic and giggly intro. More about her here: https://endsandstems.com