Latest Babymilestones Podcast Episodes
Executive function: Empathy
My New Life - March 27, 2024 08:00 - 26 minutesEmpathy can be a puzzling concept for a young child. They often need adults to model it for them. When reading stories or playing with the wooden peg people together, ask your child: “How do you think that person is feeling right now? How can you tell? How would you feel in his place?” Encourage...
Executive function: Flexible thinking
My New Life - March 20, 2024 08:00 - 24 minutesHave you ever played “hot/cold” with your child? It’s good for a laugh, particularly when a child can’t find something in plain sight. But it’s also great at teaching young children flexible thinking, or the ability to adapt to change. As they are searching for the lost item, they are listening ...
Executive function: Managing frustration
My New Life - March 13, 2024 08:00 - 25 minutesSuccess in life — that looks different for everyone. But skills like persistence, managing frustration and emotional regulation tend to scaffold that success, no matter what the end result looks like. These skills are all part of what scientists call executive function, something we’re focusin...
Executive function: Thinking ahead
My New Life - March 06, 2024 08:00 - 23 minutesExecutive functioning skills are important, because they help us achieve our goals. Children with strong executive functioning skills have the focus, patience, flexibility and resilience to succeed in—and out—of school. While children continue to develop these skills into adolescence, researc...
When parenting feels unequal
My New Life - November 27, 2023 06:00 - 24 minutesOur guest today is a mother of four children, ages 5 to 17. She knows well how the demands of parenting can run you into the ground. She made the choice to step off the “struggle bus of overwhelm” — as she calls it — but it was a move that took time, and conscious effort. The secret? Establish...
Helping children deal with change
My New Life - November 20, 2023 06:00 - 21 minutesWhy can change be so unsettling for our toddlers? I mean, change up the snack crackers and you may have a major crisis on your hands. On this episode of My New Life, Jessical Rolph hosts Lael Stone, author of “Raising Resilient and Compassionate Children”. Never is our resilience put to the test...
Managing expectations as a mother
My New Life - November 13, 2023 06:00 - 23 minutesFor the most part, limits provide a framework that helps everyone move through the day more fluidly, and with less friction. But on this episode of My New Life, we discuss limiting beliefs — beliefs that interfere with our own wellbeing and that of our family. A big one is the notion that we ...
Expert in neurodiversity Dr. Billy on emotional regulation
My New Life - October 30, 2023 06:00 - 26 minutesWe welcome Dr. Billy Garvey to this episode of My New Life. He runs a clinic in Melbourne, Australia, that helps parents focus on their children’s strengths, and move through some of their challenges. The clinic has a 3-year waitlist and after listening to this episode, you’ll understand why:...
Helping siblings with boundaries
My New Life - October 23, 2023 06:00 - 22 minutesBickering, fighting, jealousy, constant comparison and competition — sibling rivalry can be exhausting. Here to help us reduce the conflict between our children is parent educator, Kristin Mariella. Her approach is to hold the limits, while welcoming the waves of emotion. You can find more from ...
Behavior is a smoke alarm
My New Life - October 16, 2023 06:00 - 31 minutesThere are lots of parenting experts talking about choosing connection over discipline, but today’s guest on My New Life has a fresh take on limit-setting: She compares bad behavior to a smoke alarm going off. Punishment is like taking a hose and pointing it at the alarm. If the pressure is great...
What you should know about men's and women's fertility
My New Life - July 31, 2023 06:00 - 23 minutesWhen it comes to starting or growing a family, many of us come face-to-face with a painful reality: Infertility. Even if you had an easy time conceiving, it doesn’t guarantee subsequent pregnancies will be just as easy. Problems in men’s bodies are the cause of around half of all infertility....
When and how to stop breastfeeding
My New Life - January 11, 2023 07:00 - 30 minutesHost Jessica Rolph breastfed all three of her children, but weaning the last has been an emotional experience. It’s hard to say how many mothers breastfeed beyond that first year or two, but often those mothers feel judged for choosing to continue. Lyndsey Hookway joins us to help demystif...
Transitioning from crib to bed
My New Life - December 28, 2022 07:00 - 23 minutesSwitching your child from a crib to bed can be a big milestone! Most sleep experts recommend waiting until your child is around three years old. Jessica Rolph, your host, is joined by Dana Obleman to discuss what factors might go into that timing. Dana is an Infant and Child Sleep Consul...
Co-parenting after a separation
My New Life - December 14, 2022 07:00 - 20 minutesNavigating the ups and downs of divorce looks different in each situation, but there are some universal ways to make it easier on our children. These start with better communication — rules around communicating that put your child first. Here to help us establish some of these best practic...
Talking about death
My New Life - November 30, 2022 07:00 - 26 minutesBirthing is a topic we all want to weigh in on, but death? Not so much. We tend to avoid the subject, and when it comes to talking to our child about death, choosing the right words is hard. Of course, there’s no “right” way to talk about death except to lead with honesty and love. Jessica...
Pacifiers: In or out?
My New Life - November 16, 2022 07:00 - 15 minutesPacifiers are so convenient… until they’re not. At some point, there can be concerns about developing teeth and interference with speech, and weaning a child off a pacifier can be challenging. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and speech and l...
Coping with separation anxiety
My New Life - November 02, 2022 06:00 - 28 minutesThe stress of separation is real — it can be upsetting for both you and your child. Whether it be a child sobbing for you to stay when the babysitter shows up or clinging to your leg at drop-off, it’s easy to feel like you’re doing it all wrong when these raw emotions take over. My New Lif...
Preventing screen-time meltdowns
My New Life - October 19, 2022 06:00 - 30 minutesScreens are hard to avoid in today’s world, and when our children do have access, turning them off can bring on some big emotions! Have you ever wondered why they have these oversized reactions? Or how to avoid them? My New Life host Jessica Rolph is joined by Dr. Martha Deiros Collado, a...
When potty training gets messy
My New Life - October 05, 2022 06:00 - 28 minutesIs your child refusing to sit on the toilet? Or waiting until the pull-up is on to go poop? You’re not alone. For a lot of parents, the potty learning process is more drawn out than we anticipate. For some, it takes months or even years. In previous episodes, you heard some common potty-tr...
Simplifying: Why children benefit
My New Life - September 07, 2022 06:00 - 26 minutesThe first years of a baby’s life can feel anything but simple. While their needs are few, namely love, food, sleep, and play, parents often feel pressure to provide the absolute best on these fronts. The best food. The best sleep. The best play. We are told that to accomplish this by doin...
Supporting a positive sibling relationship
My New Life - August 24, 2022 06:00 - 21 minutesSibling rivalry is normal. The kids usually move on quickly, but it often leaves us adults unhinged. What can we do to help diffuse those tense moments, and maybe even build some mutual respect? In the spring we shared an episode about bringing home a new baby sibling. In today’s episode, ...
How to boost your baby's biome
My New Life - August 10, 2022 06:00 - 24 minutesWe hear a lot about the first 3 years of a baby’s life — how critical those years are to brain development. But today’s guest, the author of The Baby and the Biome, would argue that the same window is just as critical for our gut. Probiotics may have a role in keeping that system healthy. But a...
Screens: What the research tells us
My New Life - July 27, 2022 06:00 - 18 minutesScreens are so effective at distraction, but equally effective at causing parents angst! In today’s interview, Jessica Rolph is joined by Lovevery expert, Dr. Zach Stuckelman, to get to the bottom of the research on screens and young brains. They examine which content is better than other...
Ready for more? Why birth spacing matters
My New Life - July 13, 2022 06:00 - 11 minutesUsually when we consider having another baby, personal preferences factor heavily into decisions around timing — things like budget or sibling dynamics. But it’s rare to consider the health impacts, and it’s even less common to discuss birth spacing with your doctor. Jessica Rolph, your ho...
Normal fears vs. anxiety with Dr. Lockhart
My New Life - June 29, 2022 06:00 - 26 minutesWith everything we have to worry about in today’s world, it’s easy to lose sight of how our children can have their own big worries too. Things like getting nails clipped, night-time noises, strangers, doctors, even entering a pool can feel overwhelming to our children. How do we help them...
Tips for teaching kindness
My New Life - June 15, 2022 06:00 - 23 minutesYoung children are naturally egocentric. This is a normal part of their development, as they must first make sense of the world around them through their own eyes, before they can see it through someone else’s. In fact, until they approach preschool age, they have little reason to believe that ot...
Montessori made simple with Simone Davies
My New Life - June 01, 2022 06:00 - 25 minutesIndependence, freedom, order, beauty. These are all elements of the Montessori play space, and who doesn’t want these things for their child? However, sometimes adopting a Montessori approach can feel like a high bar. Jessica Rolph, your host, is joined by Simone Davies, author of The Mon...
Learning through play: Is free or guided play better?
My New Life - May 18, 2022 06:00 - 17 minutesPlay has so much to teach us, children and parents alike. Sometimes parents can get a little too involved in their child’s play, particularly with the extra cool toys. When does our guidance become interference? And what amount of direction is appropriate? Dave Neale joins Jessica Rolph on...
Nutrition for pregnancy and postpartum
My New Life - May 04, 2022 06:00 - 23 minutesAny pregnant mom will tell you: Their body goes through a major transformation! And with each passing month, nutritional needs change. We hear lots about omega-3s, but did you know that protein and choline play critical roles in the baby’s development in utero? Host Jessica Rolph speaks with Reg...
Does Mozart really work?
My New Life - April 20, 2022 06:00 - 12 minutesThe so-called “Mozart effect” first entered the public conscience in the early 90s. The theory states that listening to classical music while pregnant, will make your baby smarter. We talk a lot about how babies become smarter on My New Life, so host Jessica Rolph figured she better dig into this...
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