Helping Families Be Happy

The Duality of Despair and Hope with Shaun Tomson

In today's episode of the "Helping Families Be Happy" podcast, host Christopher Robbins, co-founder of Familius publishing, husband, father of nine, author, fisherman, backpacker, and aspirational musician based in the Central Valley of California, talks to Shaun Tomson. Shaun is a former world surfing champion and has been described as one of the greatest and most influential surfers of all time. He is an inductee in the US Jewish and South African sports halls of fame. Today they are going to talk about despair and hope from his most recent book - The Surfer and the Sage: A Guide to Survive and Ride Life's Waves.

 

Episode Highlights

• 02.20: The book is a way to help people to move from a place of darkness to light to move from despair to hope to move to be anxious to calm, says Shaun.
• 03.07: Shaun's father, was an Olympic hopeful from South Africa in the 1948 Olympics and he had a tragic accident while surfing off the coast. Shaun shares his father's story and how that changed the course of his life and helped him understand the duality of despair and hope. 
• 05.04: Shaun's earliest memory of his dad was taking him to swim and surf. He had taught him how to surf and swim about 100 yards away from where he had this terrible attack that destroyed his swimming career.
• 06.46: Shaun shares how his father loved to help young athletes. He took joy in helping people.
• 10.40: There are a number of ways you can get through grief, darkness, and despair, says Shaun. 
• 10.50: Connecting with nature, reconnecting with your faith and helping others are some of the ways to recover from grief or loss.
• 13.20: A little gesture of kindness, you never know how it can be given at the right moment for someone that really, really, really needs it, says Shaun. 
• 16.50: Christopher shares how we can get through trouble. He says it is when we forget ourselves and we go, and we are in the service of other people.

3 Key Points

1. Shaun shares how his father positively impacted so many lives, hundreds and hundreds of lives on the beach in South Africa, helping young people realize their dreams. 
2. Shaun narrates how he won the biggest swimming contest in the world.
3. Christopher and Shaun discuss how helping people can actually help you in return.

Tweetable Quotes

• "I think my dad was this wonderful example to me as a young boy of just being optimistic and hopeful and not dwelling on the negative." – Shaun
• "My dad never dwelled on the shark attack. He wasn't a depressed guy. He was always upbeat. He was always optimistic." – Shaun
• "We create hope by also creating working to create hope and other people." - Christopher

 

Resources Mentioned

• Helping Families be Happy Podcast Apple
• Familius Instagram Twitter Facebook
• Shaun Tomson LinkedIn 
• Podcast Editing

Adding Creativity to Your Daily Routine with Devon Meves

In today's episode of the "Helping Families Be Happy" podcast, host Christopher Robbins, co-founder of Familius publishing, husband, father of nine, author, fisherman, backpacker, and aspirational musician based in the Central Valley of California, talks to Devon Meves. She is a curriculum consultant and educational content creator with master's in education and teaching and curriculum and BSR education. Throughout her career, Devon has focused on two things, education, and creativity. She is the founder of ureadyteddy. 

Episode Highlights

• 2.10: Today Christopher and Devon are going to discuss how families can include more creativity and learning in their lives.
• 03.25: Devon talks about process art. She explains it is the opposite of what we are used to thinking. Process art is the opposite of traditional art. The final product is very open-ended because of that it promotes more creativity than the traditional product art.
• 05.28: Process art promotes confidence and self-esteem related to art. 
• 06.36: We have so many books that we have explored about creativity. There is one by Mary Potter Kenyon where she has written to create, and she says that little children know how to be creative. It's just they create everything about them. They want to play, experiment, build. They said that we start to lose this as we get older. 
• 07.59: Learning together is one of the best ways to really bond with their kids. 
• 08.48: Devon explains what open ended play is.
• 09.35: Open-ended play is getting back to the basics and letting kids use their imaginations to play in whatever way they choose to play.
• 11.45: Open ended play involves a lot of problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, and a lot of other 21st century skills like really being independent and flexible. 
• 12.36: Devon shares how through open ended play children are developing problem solving skills because they are encountering challenges.
• 13.39: If instead of doing these step-by-step intricate crafts or play setups, you take a step back, you can give children the materials and see what they do with them. See how they create art with these materials or see how they play with these materials, it's a lot easier to incorporate these things than an adult might think, says Devon.
• 16.00: One example of an open-ended play activity that Devon really like to do is taking toy cars, toy trains, things like that outside. Children normally play with them inside on a track, and we take them outside and by changing that context they really have to think more creatively. 

3 Key Points

1. Devon shares how both adult and children can benefit from process art. 
2. open-ended play is when your goal is to creativity and just imagination.
3. Devon shares some examples of how she thinks families can be better at incorporating process art and open-ended play as they work with their children. 

Tweetable Quotes

• "I think a lot of us grew up either feeling like we were good at art, or we were bad at art. And if we were good at art, we probably liked the class if we thought we were bad at art we probably felt a little frustrated or stressed out in our class, and when we take away that expectation of what the final product looks like and allow these kids to just experiment freely, there's no right or wrong answers." - Devon 
• "Adults can benefit from experimenting with materials and making discoveries alongside with their kids, which is kind of a fun, kind of fun bonding experience because they are learning something together." – Devon
• "Whatever you believe you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." - Christopher

Resources Mentioned

• Helping Families be Happy Podcast Apple
• https://www.ureadyteddy.com/about/
• Podcast Editing

 

Opening Day at Yankee Stadium with Kelly Bennett

In today's episode of the "Helping Families Be Happy" podcast, host Christopher Robbins, co-founder of Familius publishing, husband, father of nine, author, fisherman, backpacker, and aspirational musician based in the Central Valley of California, talks to Kelly Bennett. She has been writing professionally for more than 30 years both fiction and nonfiction. Her award-winning picture books included Not Norman a Goldfish Story, Vampire Baby, Your Daddy Was Just Like You and The House That Ruth Built celebrate all that goes into being a kid, families, friends, pets, fun and games. 

Episode Highlights

• 2.00: Today Christopher and Kelly are going to discuss baseball and the history of the original Yankee Stadium and the opening game between the Yankees and Red Sox. 
• 03.20: The Yankees are the team that made baseball the phenomenon it is today. Around the 90’s it was America's sport at the time. 
• 04.20: Kelly shares how her grandfather was into baseball. Her grandfather was a semi-pro ballplayer. Later she and her brother started playing, now her kids also play baseball. 
• 05.02: There is geometry in baseball, the statistics are just beyond belief in baseball. Kind of gives us an idea of why baseball has been such a fascinating sport for the American public for well over 100 years. 
• 05.54: Baseball is the one game where anything can happen. Anything that ball can go anywhere. It can be hit, or it cannot be hit.
• 06.31: This April celebrates the 100-year anniversary of the original Yankee Stadium opening,
• 08.25: Kelly shares how Babe Ruth changed the game of baseball. People started hearing about Babe Ruth hitting and they started coming to the games just to see if he would hit it. And even when he struck out, they loved it because he put so much into it that he'd spin around beyond. He was a total hand, so it was more about the showman. Because of that, the stadium was built. 
• 09.17: Kelly shares what made Babe Ruth such an iconic figure that transcended time.
• 11.24: Kelly shares what made her so interested in researching this opening day game and the history behind it. Her book includes the fans, the hawkers, the details of the stadium, and the players.
• 12.58: Families have these habits that we believe help families be happy. One is Play Together and one learns together. Kelly’s book falls within those. 
• 15.14: Playing ball is not about your gender, it's not about your physicality. It's about anybody who can play actual catch, starting with your toddler.
• 17.07: Kelly shares one story that she loves about Babe Ruth. 
• 19.02: The house that Ruth built comes out in April 2023, the 100-year anniversary of the first game played between the Red Sox and the Yankees on April 1923.

3 Key Points

1. Kelly shares why she is so interested in baseball and what is her history with baseball. 
2. Kelly explains how Babe Ruth was able to draw all by himself, triple and five times and 10 times the fans that any other stadium, including the archrivals, then New York Giants, was drawing. 
3. Kelly shares how she thinks the family could benefit from and how they could use the house that Ruth built to play and learn besides just reading the story.

Tweetable Quotes

• “We love baseball, but you got to hate somebody, whoever you are playing against. I guess that's the way it goes.” - Kelly
• “Anybody can play baseball. It's easy to get. All you need is a ball and a bat, and you can start playing baseball.” - Kelly
• In Kelley’s book, there are sidebars that have facts of baseball historically. You can bring together your intergenerationally. Because kids today have no idea what the world was like 100 years ago.” – Kelly
• “Football is very controversial right now. You need a ball that's a certain shape you need to feel there's the plays are really much more set. Basketball, you need a hoop. Baseball, all you need is two people, or one person throw it up in the air they catch.” - Kelley
• “A lot of people think Babe Ruth was an orphan. He wasn't an orphan. However, when he was seven years old, his parents put him into a boy's school for incorrigible children, for orphans and some put there by the state. In his case, he was put there by his family.” - Kelly 

Resources Mentioned

• Pre-order now: https://www.familius.com/book/the-house-that-ruth-built/
• Helping Families be Happy Podcast Apple
• https://www.kellybennett.com/
• Podcast Editing

Life-Changing Storytelling with Eileen the Storyteller

On today's episode of the "Helping Families Be Happy" podcast, host Dr. Carla Marie Manly talks with Eileen, who is also known as Eileen the Storyteller. She will be talking about her beautiful work on YouTub. As an expert, Eileen will be sharing about the time she spends with children, and feedback she gets from parents about life-changing results from her storytelling.

Episode Highlights

• 1.28: Eileen is going to open up about all of life's vicissitudes and give feelings a language and strategies for moving forward because it's not always about happily ever after. It's also about the grit and the resilience and the oath that it takes to power through the not-so-happily-ever-after moments.
• 3.13: The power of messages that we hear from parents and educators get reflected in us and that really puts the fuel in our tank, and we feel very much like we are on a mission to bring something to kids that they need, says Eileen.
• 4.05 Eileen reads picture books for children, and she does it with her cast of puppet characters. The kids see themselves in these puppet kids and it adds the element of further deeper connection.
• 06.36: We could all learn a lot from reading more children's books, like how to play nice. And it's deep, It's not childlike. It's complex. 
• 08.23: Eileen loves helping families be happy through talking to really brilliant creative people like Carla who have found a way, especially with parents being so busy.
• 12.14: Eileen talks about the color and energy of the imagination that she helps foster in children's lives.
• 13.02: Being kind is not for the weak. It takes a lot of courage. To have a big open heart and to be kind and to be loving because they may not feel like it sometimes to the same scary. But we have to fight our fears when we know that we are able.
• 17.30: Eileen shares how children tend to gravitate toward what their psyche needs.
• 19.27: Funny is Eileen's absolute favorite thing, followed closely behind by magical books that do things that you don't expect.
• 21.49: Storytelling is as old as humanity, and that's what unites us to one another, to past generations, to the future, to ourselves, and to each other. That's the window for everything. 

3 Key Points

1. Eileen shares how she picks and selects children's books for reading. How over the last eight years Eileen and her husband have really gotten to know what children respond to?
2. Eileen shares some instances where her storytelling has positively impacted people's lives. 
3. Eileen talks about her inspiration to start her own channel.

Tweetable Quotes

• "I bring the books to life in a very theatrical way because the drama of life does connect and is contained in all children's books. You can see all the world's truths are in them." - Eileen 
• "I always make sure that whatever we read is super fun and funny. And I do seek out books that have zero nutritional value but just enjoyable, fun, repairing time to make sure that the love of reading is just brewing." - Eileen 
• "We do need to keep things magical. I don't think we should ever lose that." - Eileen
• "The more I delve deep into being a storyteller, the more I live in that world and the more comfortable I am being an adult who is completely open-hearted and fearless." – Eileen
• "Life is hard whether the kid is in a perfectly adjusted, beautiful home or a wreckage of a situation." - Eileen

 

Resources Mentioned

• Helping Families Be Happy Podcast Apple
• https://www.youtube.com/@KidTimeStoryTime
• Podcast Editing

 

Conversations about Conservation with June Smalls

On today's episode of the "Helping Families Be Happy" podcast, host Dr. Carla Marie Manly talks to June Smalls. She will be talking about her upcoming book, "Hear Them Roar: 14 Endangered Animals from Around the World". June shares how we do so many things naturally and can do more of them that mimic the animal world which would be really good for us. 

Episode Highlights

• 2.02: June talks about her love for reading and writing books at an early age. She got serious about sharing her work with the world back in 2013. That is when she joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and started looking for critique groups. 
• 3.11: June talks about the book written by her - She Leads, that's part of a series. Then there is - He Leads which is about the mountain gorilla and then the follow-up book that will be out in the fall - They lead, which is about the Gray Wolf Pack. So, we have different leaders and different family structures throughout the animal kingdom.
• 05.14: June talks about her upcoming book and the research that she did and all challenges she faced. 
• 07.15: June makes the sound of a baby rhinoceros. She shares how they make they make little, tiny sounds that should be coming out of a much smaller animal.
• 08.15: June and Carla talk about poaching and how rhinos are endangered because of it. 
• 10.16: The best thing when we look at animal families is that we see that there is no one way to be a perfect family. And there are some animals that are solitary that are only with their parents for the first couple of years when they're growing and then they are solitary.  
• 12.18: June shares how as a family, there are so many different ways to be a family and to help each other.
• 13.19: As per Carla, we often forget in today's busy world, the importance of playing together. 
• 16.46: Childhood and families, sometimes they are messy, sometimes it's not always perfect, says June. 
• 17.21: June shares how reading a book together is a way to bond and a way to open and spark conversations. 
• 19.51: The good thing about nonfiction animal books, is we are going to mention that there is birth, which is beautiful, and there is death, which is hard, and there are struggles those animals don't always eat every day, and sometimes that can open a conversation about different animals. 
• 22.56: June talks about flying foxes and how they are endangered. They are megabats, but they are so important because they are just like butterflies and honeybees because they pollinate, they eat fruits, and they eat the nectar out of the flowers. 

3 Key Points

1. June explains how she sees books about families, animal families, extinct animals, and all of that as a package. How can the book make families happier? How does this impact families?
2. There is the capacity for us to not only see different ways of doing things through the animal world but realizing we can incorporate those into our own lives in beneficial ways because sometimes it does take more than a single mom or a mom and dad or a single dad to raise a child.
3. June shares some of the key lessons that she can offer to her listeners about the importance of reading for family, togetherness, family happiness, and having parent, child caregiver, and child reading together.

Tweetable Quotes

• "Some animals are so rare that even though we have had them in captivity, we don't have any recorded sounds for them." - June 
• "There are so many elements when we look at the animal world where they are working together while being part of a family, and it sounds like that makes these animals much happier." - Carla 
• "I would rather help support a child to be a B student who is happy and well-rounded than an A student who is stressed and anxious and unhappy." - June 
• "If you are afraid of bats, look up the flying fox eating a banana, then you will never be afraid of bats again." - June

Resources Mentioned

• Helping Families be Happy Podcast Apple
• https://junesmalls.com/
• Podcast Editing

 

Storytime as Community with Peter Limata

On today’s episode of the “Helping Families Be Happy” podcast, host Dr. Carla Marie Manly, talks with Peter Limata, who will be talking about story time. Peter discusses what happens in story time with Mr. Limata, and why is it so important? During story time, the whole idea is just to connect with books, introduce students and parents alike. The books that they are reading are not only for funny laughs, but they are books that deal with serious issues. 

Episode Highlights

• 1.30: Peter has taught first grade students the longest. He has also taught 2nd and 4th grade students. He then worked with after school programs at the first two years, after that moved to the US.
• 03.00: Peter explains how family-oriented country Zambia is. He shares instances, experiences and quotes that best describes Zambia. 
• 04.30: As per Peter, in US you become independent at an earlier age. There is more output and opportunities for employment and earning a living on your own. 
• 06.21: As per Dr. Carla, Zambia is doing a very good job of really creating a sense of family no matter where you are. 
• 7.56: Peter shares how he gets his inspiration from his mom who was an educator. 
• 9.44: Peter explains how being an administrator, allows you to see the bigger picture. He says that the people in the classrooms, the people that are working with the children, we need their input we need their voices, and we can't just be as administrators or as people.
• 11.40: Peter has live experience of the classroom, so he brings all of that to the administration or somebody who has only ever been administrator may not have that vantage point, says Carla. 
• 13.48: Peter shares how he enjoyed narrating stories to kids and what led him to launch story time in Facebook and YouTube. 
• 17.47: Carla mentions the beauties of picture books. She says the words can be used or they cannot be used, and you can create your own story and then talk. 
• 20.05: Peter shares how he has received positive feedback from families and how story time has helped people during the pandemic.
• 24.42: As adults engage in a true, genuine apology not only are we looking at the child and modeling for them, but children watch as we apologize to other adults. And so, a true genuine apology also offers us the room to grow and do it differently to move forward, says Carla.
• 26.21: When we are gentle, we can never underestimate the power for children and adults to be gentle. We can say almost anything no matter how pointed a message that it needs to be. But we can say it with kindness and gentleness, says Carla.
• 28.30: Let kids be kids, many times we try to have kids see the world through our lens, says Peter.

3 Key Points

1. Peter talks about his experience as an educator and administrator. He shares how the two are different. 
2. Peter talks about story time and how he makes or help families be happy through the power of story. 
3. Storytime is meant to support reading for kids and of course families reading together but also helping them have those conversations, says Peter. 

Tweetable Quotes

• “Today it's on your friend, tomorrow it's on you and usually it refers to something that is, some of your friend is struggling, don't laugh at them help them because you never know when your time comes on.” – Peter Limata
• “I am in this role because of the influences that I had from my mom who was an educator.” - Peter Limata
• “Decision makers make decisions in a vacuum. We need to bring in the people we need. And that's what has helped me just leaving the class last year and being an administrator now.” - Peter Limata
• “When I started storytime, I started it looking for a way to connect with my kids.” -  Peter Limata
• “I really have embraced it in, in a way that I never would have imagined. But it came about because as I was putting out content for story time, how do I reach more people, more kids, and so my idea was just to put out stuff. And then I started thinking, well, I have these events page on my Facebook that I will put up, but then I needed a way of highlighting those telling people what's coming next.” - Peter Limata
• “Apologies are a gift, so some people definitely steer clear of them, but I see them as a real bonus to everyone.” - Carla 
• “You can wire your brain whatever way you want to wire your brain. It can become part of who you are.” - Carla

Resources Mentioned

• Helping Families be Happy Podcast Apple
• Peter: Instagram | Website 
• Podcast Editing

 

Boundaries and Consent for Kids with Christine Babinec

On today’s episode of the “Helping Families Be Happy” podcast, host Dr. Carla Marie Manly, talks with Christine Babinec, who will be talking about her new book “Want a Hug? Consent and Boundaries for Kids”. Christine shares her views on when a boundary crossing has occurred. She answers the questions: How do we help a child? How do we empower them to come forward without shame, embarrassment, and guilt no matter how minor or major that boundary crossing is?

Episode Highlights

• 1.20: Christine’s practice is about combining prevention work and treatment within a social justice scope, and she is trying to figure out how can we prevent abuse and harm from happening in the world. How can we effectively treat it and make sure that we are bringing marginalized people and hearing the voices of the people who have been hurt?
• 4.55: As adults, sometimes we see a child and know the child needs an answer and sometimes the answer or explanation becomes very cerebral and wordy. But the children's books can be so perfect in giving us the simple, concise language that children can understand and process, says Carla. 
• 9.57: When you see your child not want to be hugged just have a lighthearted general conversation to get a beat and a read on what your kid is comfortable with in general because a lot of times we assume kids are soft and cuddly, but some of them just aren't and they don't like to have that foisted on them.
• 11.13: We often don't talk to kids about how you can show kindness and love and generosity and affection without physical contact, says Christine.
• 12.21: Carla believes in talking to the relatives in advance saying. She is working on boundaries at home. So, if the little one is showing signs of having strong boundaries, please applaud them and respect that they're learning how to take that with them through life.
• 14.49: Christine also encourages grown-ups to not apologize when their child doesn't want to give a hug or cuddle because this may communicate to the child that they might have done something wrong, or it gives them a mixed message.
• 17.28: One of the things that Christine have made addressed in the book is that a lot of kids are very afraid that they are going to get in trouble because that's what perpetrators do when they convince the child that they have done something wrong.
• 19.40: Sometimes it's later that you realize, that happened and that shouldn't have happened or didn't feel right and then children and adults tend to feel guilty for not having stopped it right then and there, says Carla. 
• 21.14: There could be a power differential even between a much larger child and a much smaller child in the same grade, Christine.
• 23.20: In slippery slopes, there is not a clear demarcation of when the hug turned into something that was much more inappropriate. Christine shares her views on how she would coach parents to help themselves or maybe forgive themselves and help them explain to their child.
• 24.40: We want to live in a world where we teach our kids that they are grown-ups and that they can trust, and that the world is a safe place. But then we also have to talk to them about certain realities.
• 27.34: Your instinct could be crystal clear on a lot of different things. But when you have complex emotions and complex relationships involved, this is where Christine worries that people will blame themselves that she should have had an instinct.
• 28.56: If your instinct comes up, pay attention to it and notice it. If you override your instinct or didn't get an instinct on and something happens, never blame yourself.
• 30.27: Christine’s book is to set the foundation for healthy boundaries, learning about consent in naturalistic, developmentally appropriate ways that are fun and engaging and stuff that child is already doing now.

3 Key Points

1. When we have conversations with kids and the material is approachable everything changes. It sets the foundation to have more complicated conversations later, and it opens the developmentally appropriate ways for them, says Christine.
2. We want to empower kids to say no, but we have to remember kids are not responsible for protecting themselves, says Christine.
3. Silence is not consent. Persuasion is not consent. Consent is only present when it's freely given, reversible, informed, enthusiastic and specific, says Christine.

Tweetable Quotes

• “We do all great work to set the foundation for consent and boundaries, and then we don't explicitly talk about it in terms of bodies and relationships.” – Christine
• “The developmentally appropriate way is so critical because if we are either speaking beneath the child's level or over a child's level, we're missing an opportunity for attunement.” - Carla
• “Consent and boundaries are the foundations of all healthy relationships is my favorite line. But upon reflection, my favorite line from the book is, it's not my fault.” – Christine
• “70s and 80s were all about stranger danger because we don't like to think about the fact that often when abuse happens, it's from someone we know.” – Christine

 

Resources Mentioned

• Helping Families be Happy Podcast Apple
• https://www.christinebabineclpc.com/
• Podcast Editing

Picture Books for All with Charlotte Offsay

In today's episode of the "Helping Families Be Happy" podcast, host Dr. Carla Marie Manly is going to talk to Charlotte Offsay. She will be talking about her work with Instagram and her literacy platform.

 

Episode Highlights

• 1.33: Instagram is a wonderful space and community where people share the books that they are interested in, the books that they are reading, and she makes recommendations based on the books that her children and she loves.
• 2.05: Books are a fabulous way to enter a conversation with a child and discuss what's going on in their minds and enter naturally into a conversation.
• 4.35: As per Carla, we still have picture books as adults, and we just call them photography books and images share so much.
• 5.19: Carla explains as an Instagram influencer why does she think it's important to read together for family happiness?
• 6.30: On emotional level, reading together brings calmness and tranquility to the end of our day. It can definitely lead to lots of giggles and fun and silliness too, says Charlotte.
• 8.16: Being immersed in the kid-lit world, Charlotte gets to see so many of the new books coming out and it gets to meet the wonderful authors that she works and writes and interacts with.
• 9.47: Through the picture books Charlotte got a window into what else is going on around the world like traditions or cultures she and her children both got to experience that together.
• 10.43: Reading and interacting and looking at a book offers a way to explore curiosity and see it in a different light and slow down.
• 12.44: When you find a piece in a book that you can identify with and say that person is like me, it's one of the most precious parts of reading, says Carla.
• 14.08: Charlotte is lucky to get books sent to her by fabulous publishers, and she just absolutely loves getting a stack of new picture books and pouring over them and getting excited to share them with her kids and with people who she has gotten to know online.
• 16.02: There are the small everyday moments that also need to be celebrated and recognized, says Charlotte.
• 18.15: There are so many different types of books out there and there is something for everyone and that can be a such a wonderful experience for everyone, says Charlotte.

3 Key Points

1. Picture books are meant to be read a loud and meant to be shared in a special way and they offer a unique connection, says Charlotte.
2. Every child wants and needs to see and deserves to see themselves reflected in the pages of a book, says Charlotte.
3. Charlotte's next book A Grandma's Magic is a lyrical ode to the magic of the relationship and all that a grandma brings into our lives through the small moments.

Tweetable Quotes

• "Young children need literacy and books, and books offer windows and mirrors and discussion points."- Charlotte
• "The more that you read, the more you're going to teach and share and open up a young child's world." – Charlotte
• "From skin color to eye color to body size to pets, it's so wonderful to see someone who's life mirrors yours." – Carla
• "I tend to write about the things in my life that consume me, whether that's my children or me and what's going on with them." - – Charlotte

Resources Mentioned

• Helping Families be Happy Podcast Apple
• http://charlotteoffsay.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/picturebookrecommendations/?hl=en
• Podcast Editing

Teach Your Family to Read (Even the Dog!) with Susan Holt Simpson

In today's episode of the "Helping Families Be Happy" podcast, host Christopher Robbins, co-founder of Familius publishing, husband, father of nine, author, fisherman, backpacker, and aspirational musician based in the Central Valley of California talks with Susan Holt Simpson. Today they are going to talk about how to help children learn to love reading. Susan also shares tips to inculcate reading into a child's life.

Episode Highlights

• 03.30: Susan Holt Simpson is a freelance writer living in Northern Kentucky. She volunteers as a reading coach with the Kentucky one-to-one children's literacy program. Her jittery spotted dog inspired her to write and teach your dog to read.
• 2.46: Susan is going to share her insights on teaching children how to read. She gives a few hints for early reading and what parents need. How early should parents start? 
• 3.12: As per Susan children can learn to recognize somebody's reading even before they are born. 
• 04.02: As per Susan, parents can begin reading, during pregnancy and that can have an impact.
• 04.48: It is easy to just read aloud, even during feeding times, to get out those board books that you got at your baby shower and just read them to your children while they are feeding, while they are in their highchair, even during bath time putting on audiobook, especially of Mother Goose of rich rhyme and textured stories and books is good. 
• 06.02: Buying a book is not the only way to put together a library for your kids. You can also opt for secondhand resale for charity. Just searching through those resale thrift stores will have children's books for very reasonable prices. 
• 08.40: Susan talks about her love to go to libraries and wander around books. Special books are often set on top of the library shelves by the librarians because they see the value in some of these books too.
• 09.56: You can experience that New York Times has the same wonderful journals that provide great lists that you can experience if you are trying to build a beginning library. 
• 10.45: Susan prefers to buy real books for her kids and grandkids. Whenever she gets a chance.
• 12.02: Susan Shares that to spike the interest of elementary students, make sure that they are reading and the book that they are presented with is tailored to their interest. 
• 14.02: Instead of choosing books that start with their activity interest, present a book that has something that will lead you to an activity that everybody will enjoy and that will inspire more reading. 
• 15.08: Launchpad books are books that are going to launch your little guy into an interest-based activity.
• 17.00: Christopher talks about how he and his wife have opened the world of reading to their children. 

3 Key Points

1. Susan shares her thoughts on whether one should build a library for their children as they grow from newborns to toddlers to early readers to chapter readers and so on. 
2. Susan shares tips about what to do in order to help children reengage or continue their love of learning during elementary years when their world is expanding. 
3. Susan shares how she encourages people to be really natural with the way that they present reading to their children.

Tweetable Quotes

• "We can expose children to books, wherever they are, whatever they are doing." - Christopher  
• "I am a book buyer, I love going to bookstores that is an important part of the way that we acquire books for our kids and now for our grandkids to make sure that we are buying those really good quality, beautiful books that will be treasured." - Susan 
• "I do look at lists online, there are a lot of people with lists. But you know, what I like to do is I love to go to the library and just kind of wander around those beautiful books. 
• "So many of our children are now reading on any device that they happen to have." - Christopher  
• "You can encourage anyone to read in, regardless of what medium that they like." – Susan
• "Rather than be too concerned about their expanding universe complement their expanding universe with books that align with their expanded universe." - Susan

Resources Mentioned

• Susan's Book
• https://susanholtsimpson.com/
• Podcast Editing

Mental Health for Mom with Rebecca Fox Starr

In today's episode of the "Helping Families Be Happy" podcast, host Christopher Robbins, co-founder of Familius publishing, husband, father of nine, author, fisherman, backpacker, and aspirational musician based in the Central Valley of California talks with guest Rebecca Fox Starr, an author, writer, Blogger, speaker, and mental health advocate. She created her internationally read blog "Mommy Ever After" in 2010 following the birth of her first child when she became pregnant with her second child in 2013. Rebecca suffered from prenatal anxiety and depression and subsequent severe postpartum depression. She decided to document her journey in real time in an effort to help others.

Episode Highlights

• 1.07: Rebecca writes candidly about her life as a mother, survivor, advocate, singer-songwriter, dance partier, and studded shoe collector. Her story has been featured in the New York Times, Huffington Post, on ABC News, and all forms of media across the world. 
• 03.43: Maternal mental health is just mental health feelings, emotions, and diagnosis. But for mothers, for those who are trying to conceive, pregnant or have children. 
• 04.45: Rebecca talks about motherhood and what drove her to start her first blog.
• 05.07: Rebecca shares how she tackles postpartum depression post giving birth to her second child. 
• 06.58: For Rebecca writing was the greatest therapy. When feeling down, nervous, depressed, she used writing as a medium to get out of it. 
• 08.24: As treacherous as the landscape of social media can be, there is also something that is amazing about the exposure, because now people are used to sharing things about their lives and it's become easier, sometimes even attractive, or desirable, says Rebecca.
• 08.56: As per Rebecca, because people are talking more and connecting more because we are all so much more connected through social media. 
• 11.26: Rebecca shares how motherhood is the greatest joy in the world, but it is also the hardest phase. 
• 12.05: As per Rebecca, everyone has negative feelings, and just like it's in her book, negative feelings come. We don't have to pretend that they don't exist. We need to be resilient and know that we are sad or lonely or scared. But just like storms, they these feelings pass. 
• 14.02: For moms in particular, 25% of moms or 30% of moms are diagnosed with a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder. 
• 15.46: Rebecca talks about the therapeutic way of positive thinking and how it can help to get over anxiety and depression.
• 17.21: For someone with depression validation is important, says Rebecca.
• 18.45: As per Rebecca, support is the key to success, and she has done a lot of research on postpartum depression screening and diagnosis. She is not a clinician, but she has done a lot of research and written academic books on this.
• 20.11: A lot of times people who are going through especially a parental mood and anxiety disorder, postpartum depression, they are thinking that they should feel better or that they are bad parent for feeling the way that they do.
• 21.10: Christopher has found out that saying how can I help you is not as helpful as just helping.
• 21.46: Rebecca shares for those who are in the book world, what does she hopes that the publishing industry in the book industry can do to help improve mental health awareness? 

3 Key Points

1. Rebecca shares how writing has helped her to crawl out of her depression post giving birth to her second child. Writing is how she connects with people, so finding people to connect with was incredibly healing.
2. Rebecca talks about her book, Mommy Ever After, how does that relate to mental health and why was that book important for her to write? 
3. To use business terms, somebody who reaches out to a friend once a week, the return on investment is so great. You have a 30% less chance to experience depression or to sink down into a deeper depression and just by being checked in on, says Rebecca. 

Tweetable Quotes

• "In 2013-2014 people didn't talk about mental health the same way that they do now. Not as openly, not as compassionately." – Rebecca
• "Sharing about postpartum depression has been, as I said, the greatest. Pivot and ultimately gift in my life." - Rebecca
• "Actually, starting to write was the most healing thing that I did. And over the course of the next several years, as I crawled out of that hole of anxiety and depression, I knew that if I got that feeling, feeling down, feeling nervous, feeling depressed, writing was the greatest therapy." - Rebecca 
• "When I started writing about postpartum depression, my first two books were academic texts. There was not a big list of books on postpartum depression and. There is no book on trying to expand your family after postpartum depression, so I wrote it because there was nothing there." – Rebecca
• "For me, Mommy ever after, is this whimsical book with the most gorgeous illustrations." -Rebecca
• "We encourage our audience, if anyone is experiencing acute anxiety or debilitating depression, to make sure that they get proper professional medical care to help them as they navigate this one of these life challenges." - Christopher

Resources Mentioned

• Rebecca's Book
• www.mommyeverafter.com
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rebeccafoxstarr/?hl=en
• Podcast Editing