Helping Families Be Happy
 

Helping Families Be Happy

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With help from guest authors, experts, and community and business leaders, the Familius Helping Families Be Happy podcast explores topics and issues that connect families to the nine habits of a happy family: love, play, learn, work, talk, heal, read, eat, and laugh together.

Episodes

Science, Magic, and Puppetry with Randel McGee

Wednesday Feb 09, 2022

Wednesday Feb 09, 2022

In today’s episode of the “Helping Families be Happy” podcast, host Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a practicing Clinical Psychologist, Wellness Advocate, and Author based in Sonoma County, California talks with Randel McGee, a Ventriloquist, Storyteller, Illustrator, and an Author. He shares his upcoming book ‘Zhang Heng’. This book tells the story of Zhang Heng and how he created the first seismometer in ancient China. 

 

Episode Highlights

  • 01:22 – Randel shares, this is his first picture book for young audiences.
  • 02:35 – It’s about the story of Zhang Heng who was the actual inventor/creator and created this earthquake detector device.
  • 03:40 – Dr. Carla enquires, how accurate was the earthquake detector?
  • 04:14 – Randel shares, the age range for his book would be from 6 to 12. He has illustrated it to look like a Chinese Shadow Play. 
  • 06:26 – The host asks, can you tell us a little bit about what happened in his life that makes him a meaningful character other than being the creator of this wonderful device?
  • 08:02 – Randel states, Zhang was highly favoured of the emperor, which unfortunately caused a little bit of jealousy among the other members of the court. 
  • 09:44 - Some scenes portray a humorous side to the story and he too has been very impressed with the familiarise ideals that they want to promote, says Randel.
  • 11:47 – Dr. Carla asks that when Randel looks at what has made him, who he is and what he is proudest of in life?
  • 13:23 – It sounds like you also carry that energy i.e. perseverance, dedication, fortitude, indomitable spirit, into your relationship with your wife and your family to make it what it is, asks Dr. Carla.
  • 14:10 – Dr. Carla mentions that sometimes we gravitate toward an entity that has familiar energy to us.
  • 16:07 – Randel states, publishers thought it was a story that was worth telling, too. 
  • 17:03 – He came up with an interesting presentation because earthquakes in California are a big subject in the schools of studies, mentions Randel.



Three Key Points

  1. This book is about the story of Zhang Hang, who lived almost 2000 years ago in China. He was assigned by the emperor to create some way of detecting where and when an earthquake hit, so he created this device which was able to show which direction the earthquake came from and when it hit.
  2. Dr. Carla shares that this book is a wonderful inspiration for people of all ages not only from the scientific level but also from a creative level. Being inspired by a dream and then taking us into the world of creativity and the way that tiny shadow puppets are done. It sounds beautiful. 
  3. Randel highlights that this story is not only good for science, history, and culture but also to discuss what it takes to persevere to keep going when people are against you and yet you have something good to give to the world.



Tweetable Quotes

  • “I took a little artistic license and added a dream sequence but everything else is a true story.” – Randel McGee
  • “It's a book that can be read together through the generations and talked about.’ – Randel McGee
  • “It's coming out just before the Chinese New Year’s so it will be I think, a special edition, too.” – Randel McGee
  • “He refined an odometer that would count the distance that they would travel and he was able to create different devices to chart the movement of the stars and the planets.” – Randel McGee
  • “The fact that the emperor liked him too much made him a threat to the people didn't feel quite as loved, sounds like family dynamics.’ - Dr. Carla Marie Manly 
  • “My greatest accomplishment is my relationship with my wife and family.” - Randel McGee
  • “It seems like maybe you gravitated toward that character towards that person, Zhang Heng.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly 
  • “The book was inspired by a program I had been commissioned to produce on earthquakes.” – Randel McGee



Resources Mentioned

 

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Finding the Purpose of Your Life with John Schlimm

Wednesday Feb 02, 2022

Wednesday Feb 02, 2022

In today’s episode of “Helping Families Be Happy” podcast, host Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a practicing Clinical Psychologist, Wellness Advocate, and Author based in Sonoma County, California talks with John Schlimm, a writer, an artist, an advocate, and an educator speaks about his upcoming book ‘The Star Jumped over the Moon’. This book tells readers about how they are the star that jumped over the moon. John tells listeners the purpose of life. It’s figuring out what it is that makes us different and unique. 

 

Episode Highlights

  • 01:58 – John shares, several years back a publicist once had asked him for PR materials to summarize who he is in one sentence, which is a challenge for anyone.
  • 03:26 – Dr. Carla enquires, where does the star jump over the moon come from?
  • 04:02 - John mentions, it's that apple tree that was very much rooted upon an old field of green that inspired this story.
  • 06:24 – John worked very hard to make sure that the story of ‘The Star Jumped over the Moon’ is timeless.
  • 08:40 – John has recently fallen in love with the genre of a zine. They're a collection of writings, artwork, and activities that different groups would put together very simply on a photocopier.
  • 10:23 – The guest loves to create as many different entry points as he can for the participants to come in.
  • 14:30 – The cover of the activity zine to ‘The Star Jumped over the Moon’ when people download it, they will see that it’s created by ‘John Schlimm’ and there's a blank line where he wants his collaborators to write their names.
  • 16:00 – John sees kids today as the imagination generation because he believes that kids today have more tools and pathways for exploring and cultivating than any generation before.
  • 18:11 – Imagination is one constant gift that from the beginning of time that has consistently allowed human beings to leap over any challenges, states John.
  • 20:00 – The greatest gift that Gen Z has already given to the world is within the realm of mental health. 
  • 22:21 – You're talking about the imagination, that if there is a way forward, it will be through the imagination and the heart, says Dr. Carla.
  • 24:02 – John states, he has encouraged older adults to just sit down and have a conversation with these young people (Gen Z).
  • 27:04 – We hope we look at each other with acceptance, and a sense of uplifting, supporting, and moving forward focusing on our similarities rather than on any negative differences.
  • 28:00 – The greatest villain right now in the story of the imagination generation is mental health, mentions John.
  • 30:38 - Not only let the kids have fun but have fun alongside them because we adults in so many ways have forgotten how to have fun, says the guest.
  • 34:41 – Dr. Carla points out that those themes are no charge, you can go download, play, laugh, and explore to your heart's content.

 



Three Key Points

  1. The main message that John hopes all readers will walk away with at the end is that they are the ‘Star That Jumped over the Moon’; he wants each reader to come to this book and find themselves in the story of this star. This star who on a chilly morning, woke up in a nest on a branch inside that old apple tree, didn't know how he got there, didn't know where he came from and didn't understand what his purpose was. 
  2. John wants especially those young people to walk away, embracing their imagination, their creativity, their dreams, and figuring out what it is that makes them different and unique because each of us is unique in our ways.
  3. No matter where or how we were born in this world, our imagination is something that is constant and can take us anywhere we want to go. John hopes that with this book and with the activity zine he also created the imagination generation activities that seem to be a companion to that concept. 



Tweetable Quotes

  • “A dear friend of mine once told me, every story has its time to be told.” – John Schlimm
  • “It was important for me, especially as an educator to create a series of resources that could be downloaded for free by parents, teachers, and librarians or by anyone who works or lives with children…..” - John Schlimm
  • “This is a story that I think whether it's children who are reading it, or having it read to them, or the adults who are doing the reading, everyone's going to walk away finding a piece of themselves in this star.” – John Schlimm
  • “I created a companion activities theme that takes the reader through different activities to help them connect and understand how they are that star that jumped over the moon.” – John Schlimm
  • “I love that you're providing resources so that a book like this can take somebody into a deeper space.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “I wanted the zine to have that wonderful old school feeling.” – John Schlimm
  • “It's okay to show those flaws and to be vulnerable.’ – John Schlimm
  • “You might even see a smudge of a fingerprint in there, as it gets kind of messy when you're working with markers and all of that.” – John Schlimm
  • “The energy that I get from your work is there's a lot of love, play, learning, working together, talking, and healing all of those beautiful elements that allow us to grow as human beings.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “That is such a true educator and artist in you and collaborator, you allow someone to co-author with you, so beautiful.’ - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “The imagination is so critical for the success of our species, right?” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “I'm a huge number one fan of Gen Z and have spent the last several years in the classroom with them.” – John Schlimm
  • “One of the greatest gifts that they have given to the world is they were the first generation to not see black or white.” – John Schlimm
  • “Every generation has given gifts, but I do believe that the imagination is the one that kids today are going to be able to give to the world in a way that is just going to blow our minds.” – John Schlimm
  • “I'm so grateful to Gen Z that they are helping to clear a pathway for the imagination generation kids today.” – John Schlimm
  • “When we have good mental health, strong mental health, we inherently have a more balanced life.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “One of the things I love to do most to have fun is climbing trees.’ – John Schlimm
  • ‘Your differences don't make you bad, they're nothing to hide.’ - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “You are the star who jumped over the moon.’ - Dr. Carla Marie Manly



Resources Mentioned



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Social Media as a Parenting Resource with Hannah Lee

Wednesday Jan 26, 2022

Wednesday Jan 26, 2022

In today’s episode of “Helping Families be Happy” podcast, host Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a practicing Clinical Psychologist, Wellness Advocate, and Author based in Sonoma County, California talks with Hannah Lee, a Content Creator and an Instagram Marketer about the power of social media as a resource for parents. She also talks about how she helps other moms who work from home by marketing their small businesses.

 

Episode Highlights

  • 02:15 - Hannah was isolated at home so she tried to join a local Facebook support group. However, she was kicked out of the group within two weeks because she mentioned a comment about ‘Sleep Training’ on a post made by an exhausted desperate mother.
  • 03:45 – Hannah’s Instagram page is an intentionally created safe, positive community for stay-at-home moms.
  • 06:45 – Dr. Carla states that it is so inspirational that instead of going and curling up in a dark hole, Hannah chose to be courageous, and started her way of connecting with people.
  • 08:30 – Through the Instagram page and other groups they started sharing different ideas and tricks of creating support for the community and helping other moms in need.
  • 10:40 – So many people who've been put in unexpected situations recently, like working moms, but are also watching their child at home.
  • 13:20 – Dr. Carla asks about Hannah’s favorite content creation.
  • 16:00 – Hannah does some marketing for the small businesses run by moms.
  • 18:15 – To be able to review books for the publishing houses is a dream come true for Hannah as she has always been a book lover.
  • 19:30 – Dr. Carla asks Hannah if she remembers her favorite book as a child if she had one.
  • 21:40 – Hannah reminds parents that parenting was already hard and now we are pandemic parenting, and it's become even harder. 

 

Three Key Points

  1. Hannah thinks that there's a need in the world for something to help mothers build community, and that’s how her Instagram page and the Content Creator in her were born. This page is called ‘Survival of The-Stay-At-Home-Mom’ because it was born out of this difficult struggle to find support.
  2. In addition to the entire wonderful expert resources on Instagram, Hannah discovered many fabulous small businesses and handmade toys by small businesses. She is now connected with brand representatives for a handful of small businesses, toymakers, and small businesses run by moms, and they are now her friends.
  3. Books and Sensory Play are a way to engage kids with the world in a safe way at home. You can travel the world in a book, you can provide kids with some slime, play dough, or rice bins that let them get their hands in there and touch everything.

 

Tweetable Quotes

  • “I'm a former Teacher and Nanny but I had no idea what the transition to motherhood would be like.”– Hannah Lee
  • “I found this app called ‘Peanut’, which is a dating app, but it's for mothers finding communities, which is cool.” - Hannah Lee
  • “Do you stay awake at night thinking about what to create next?” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “You are reaching 3000 formally isolated individuals who now have someone to turn to.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “I am finding so many inspirational people on Instagram, I am following Occupational Therapists, Parenting Specialists, and Nutritionists.” - Hannah Lee
  • “They're engaged and are having a fabulous time and it’s simple and easy.” - Hannah Lee
  • “So, I also have a very strong passion for Sensory Play.” - Hannah Lee
  • “I am a book lover; I always used to sleep with mountains of books as a child.” - Hannah Lee
  • “Books and Sensory Play has been therapy for our family.” - Hannah Lee
  • “The community is such a lifesaving gift isn't it?” – Dr. Carla Marie Manly

 

Resources Mentioned

 

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Parenting 4,228 Miles Across The Transamerica Bicycle Trail

Wednesday Jan 19, 2022

Wednesday Jan 19, 2022

In today’s episode of “Helping Families be Happy” podcast, host Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a practicing Clinical Psychologist, Wellness Advocate, and Author based in Sonoma County, California talks with Leah C. Day, An Author, Outdoor Adventurer, and a Social Worker. She talks about her book ‘Changing Gears’ which stresses finding out what is going to bring you the most strength and joy and going for it despite being uncomfortable.

 

Episode Highlights

  • 02:05 – Dr. Carla asks if Leah’s book is a tale about bringing three aspects of her life into one.
  • 03:30 - Leah and her 16-year-old son biked across the country together and learned some real-life lessons along the way.
  • 05:45 – There were times when Leah’s son – Oakley, did get angry because he's impulsive.
  • 08:25 – Dr. Carla enquires about the most difficult and the most joyful moment of the journey.
  • 10:38 - It was in that moment of joy Oakley was having a huge growth experience, and there was no quitting.
  • 13:00 - Leah felt extreme joy that Oakley was taking care of her and becoming a man. He was turning to her and saying that he’s going to take care of her at this last moment.
  • 15:15 - It wasn't a made-up task but was really working and playing together, says Leah.
  • 17:30 - We know which states to go to if we want to sleep under fire trucks, states Dr. Carla.
  • 19:00 – Leah talks about a few of her favorite acts of kindness during the journey.
  • 21:35 – “Is there one particular part of you that grew more than other parts?” asks Dr. Carla.
  • 23:20 – Leah believes that things that can appear to be your greatest challenge are an invitation to find your greatest strength, and to gain your biggest triumph.
  • 25:44 – Leah and Oakley have a bike store called ‘Lighthouse Bikes’.

 

Three Key Points

  1. The book ‘Changing Gears’ is about raising an unusual child as well as travelling across the country. It's not just a memoir of a biking expedition but it's about how there is no one correct way to raise a child as you have to identify what works best for each individual.
  2. Leah and her son - Oakley had divided their work into different tasks. Every night, no matter what, he would put up the tent while Leah cooked dinner. Hence, they relied on each other, and this gave him a huge sense of responsibility which is so important for teenagers.
  3. If you are value-driven and decide that family's important, you do what you have to do for your family. Put that on top, and it's going to lead you where you need to go.

Tweetable Quotes

  • “I have two biological children and two adopted children.”– Leah C. Day
  • “That makes so much sense because every child is unique.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “The most difficult moments ended up being the most joyful moments.” - Leah C. Day
  • “The fear and the joy were inextricably intertwined, aren't they?” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “Oh, that is a beautiful metaphor for a transformation in a child that he was able to shift from being behind you to leading you.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “I'm telling you the whole town came into that little cafe.” - Leah C. Day
  • “Kindness was just astounding everywhere we went.” - Leah C. Day
  • “All I can do is sit here in awe at your courage and your strength.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “Maybe that's the big thing, to be uncomfortable” - Leah C. Day
  • “Follow your bliss and move through those fears.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “Remember her book – ‘Changing Gears’ will be out in May 2022.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly

 

Resources Mentioned

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How to Conquer Overeating with Deborah Kesten

Wednesday Jan 12, 2022

Wednesday Jan 12, 2022

In today’s episode of the “Helping Families be Happy” podcast, host Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a practicing Clinical Psychologist, Wellness Advocate, and Author based in Sonoma County, California talks with Deborah Kesten, M.P.H. author of Whole Person Integrative Eating. Deborah is an international nutrition researcher, and medical and health writer, with a specialty in preventing and reversing obesity and heart disease.

 

Episode Highlights

  • 1:09 – Deborah shares how Whole Person Integrative Eating came to be and why eating from the heart is important. 
  • 4:42 – Deborah shares how the new way of overeating can be reversed without dieting through her Whole Person Integrative Eating method. This dietary lifestyle can also help people avoid rollercoaster dieting.
  • 12:13 – Dr. Carla recaps the overeating styles and their antidotes. Both Dr. Carla and Deborah discuss why appreciating food and its origins is vital. 
  • 14:37 – Deborah explains why eating in an appealing atmosphere is important. Both aesthetics and a positive emotional atmosphere matter.  Dr. Carla inquires about eating in front of the television. 
  • 16:17 – Deborah explains why it isn’t possible to say which of the antidotes are most important or which overeating styles are most harmful. She explains the holistic nature of WPIE.  
  • 18:50 – Dr. Carla asks what Deborah would say to someone who is struggling with body image issues. 
  • 21:04 – What and how did we eat for 1,000s of years, food was one of life’s greatest pleasures, says Deborah. 
  • 27:50 – Dr. Carla asks how media pressure has impacted people’s self-image and eating styles. 
  • 30:19 – Deborah discusses what she learned from Dr. Chopra about diet and ancient food wisdom. 
  • 33:10 – Dr. Carla talks about the toxic cycle of comparison. We’re not all built to look the same, says Carla. 
  • 35:08 – Observing and knowing people is more important than comparing and judging. Deborah reminds us that kindness is the most important part of a person.
  • 38:21 – “Kindness doesn’t stop at giving someone a hug, kindness is from the inside out.” – Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • 42:10 – Deborah explains why eating to balance mind and body is better than any diet. 

Three Key Points

  1. The book ‘Whole Person Integrative Eating’ gives readers the tools to correct their overeating habits and create a heal their bodies and minds.
  2. The food you eat is only part of the equation. The way you eat and the environment you eat in also play a role in healthy eating and mindful living. 
  3. Ancient food wisdom holds the key to a healthy relationship with food. Cooking with love and kindness are important. Eat in a way to balance mind and body.

 

Tweetable Quotes

  • “I define Whole Person Integrative Eating as a dietary lifestyle, a way of life.”– Deborah Kesten
  • “I describe WPIE as ancient food wisdom meets modern nutritional science.” – Deborah Kesten
  • “Eat with others in a pleasant atmosphere both aesthetically and emotionally.” – Deborah Kesten
  • “Appreciate food and its origins from the heart.” – Deborah Kesten
  • “To relate to food as a social and sensual ceremonial pleasure, and let your weight fall where it’s meant to be.” – Deborah Kesten
  • “I’m so appreciative of everything you’re saying because you’re making it easy for people.” – Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “Slow down and make food less of a task and more of a joy.” – Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “We’re not all built to look the same.” – Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “Do you want to live your life, the precious gift of your life, thinking about your body?” – Deborah Kesten
  • “The biggest gift we can give to ourselves is to observe ourselves and see if we are being kind to ourselves and others.” – Deborah Kesten
  • “When you live from that place of kindness you find that you tend to eat in kinder ways.” – Dr. Carla Marie Manly

 

Resources Mentioned

 

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A Land Twice Promised: An Israeli Woman’s Quest for Peace with Noa Baum

Wednesday Jan 05, 2022

Wednesday Jan 05, 2022

 

In today’s episode of “Helping Families be Happy” podcast, host Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a practicing Clinical Psychologist, Wellness Advocate, and Author based in Sonoma County, California talks with Noa Baum, Writer, storyteller, Author, and Coach, about her book ‘A Land Twice Promised’. Noa discusses the power of storytelling that helps people bridge the differences and also reveals how she started doing workshops.

 

Episode Highlights

  • 02:00: The guest, Noa, introduces herself and says that she grew up in Jerusalem, Israel and she was an actress there.
  • 04:00 – Noa took the workshop with two prominent storytellers at her first National Storytelling Network Conference. The workshop was titled ‘The Importance of Telling Difficult Stories.’
  • 06:30 – Noa talks about how she began telling personal stories.
  • 08:30 – Noa took the conversations with her Palestinian friend and started recording them and this is how she created a one-woman show called ‘A Land Twice Promised’, where she tells personal stories of mothers that echo the contradicting national narratives of Israeli people.
  • 10:20 – Dr. Carla enquires about the title of the book – ‘A Land Twice Promised’.
  • 12:30 – Noa’s book – ‘A Land Twice Promised’ embraces the core values of Familiar Publishing that allows people to work together through their differences, to come to a commonplace, and to heal together, says Dr. Carla.
  • 15:10 - Dr. Carla asks Noa if she could share a few snippets from her book for the listeners that might give a list or the energy of her storytelling.
  • 17:00 – Noa reads through the excerpt from the opening of her book for the listeners.
  • 20:00 – Dr. Carla praises Noa saying that her book reflects that she is a wonderful storyteller at the same time it talks about transformation, unity, change, and the power of love and listening.
  • 22:45 - We definitely can create a lot of peace not just within ourselves and within the other person but throughout the world because everything we do tends to make waves in one way or another, mentions Dr. Carla.

 

Three Key Points

  1. Noa realized from the responses that her story is not about mom's meeting on the playground, it's not even about Israelis and Palestinians but her story is about the power of storytelling, and the power of listening to the story of other people where their stories are so different and difficult.
  2. When Noa realized that this is the power of storytelling that helps the bridges, she started doing a lot of workshops. She still does workshops where she uses the power of stories in many different applications to help, people bridge the differences.
  3. The book is a journey into how do we change from a rigid place to a place that can embrace more complexity and paradox. It is also the story of Noa’s life journey of the transformative relationship of this story had on her relationship with her mother. So it's a lot about the values of healing because she had to tell her mother’s story.

 

Tweetable Quotes

  • “I grew up in Jerusalem in Israel and I always wanted to be an actress.”– Noa Baum
  • “So that trust did not build overnight.” - Noa Baum
  • “It echoes the idea that people feel that the land was promised for them and they have proof, we all have a lot of proof.” - Noa Baum
  • “As you were describing it, your friendship, there was plenty of laughter and play and love involved.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “As I started writing the book, I realized, well, how did I get there?” - Noa Baum
  • “It sounds like that's a huge part of the energy of your book.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “I don't remember much of what that Palestinian man said.” - Noa Baum
  • “Let me just add that it's not easy.” - Noa Baum

 

Resources Mentioned

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Improving Friendship with Friendship Coach Bailey Hurley

Wednesday Dec 15, 2021

Wednesday Dec 15, 2021

In today’s episode of “Helping Families be Happy” podcast, host Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a practicing Clinical Psychologist, Wellness Advocate, and Author based in Sonoma County, California talks with Bailey Hurley, a Friendship Coach, a Writer, and a Speaker about her upcoming book ‘Together is a Beautiful Place’. The book talks about all the barriers that keep you away from togetherness and what you can do to make sure that you are fighting back against it.

 

Episode Highlights

  • 02:40: Bailey says besides being a Coach, Writer, and Speaker, she is mostly a mom.
  • 04:40 - Some women who approached Bailey were in a serious situation, or some hurt words that had been shared.
  • 06:30 – Bailey gives tips to a new mom who is feeling isolated and has no one to connect to.
  • 08:25 - For every person who's feeling alone and isolated there's somebody probably within steps of you, who is feeling the same, says Dr. Carla Marie Manly.
  • 10:50 – Nostalgic Friendships are unhealthy friendships that we cling to because we feel like they stood next to us on our wedding day.
  • 13:05 - Guilt certainly does keep people doing things that might not be the healthiest for them, mentions Dr. Carla Marie Manly.
  • 15:10 - Being a genuine and trustworthy friend doesn't mean that mistakes aren't made.
  • 16:46 - Dr. Carla Marie Manly points out that it's so important to have quality than quantity friendships.
  • 19:20 - When you have a healthy friendship, you're teaching your kids what healthy friendships look like.

 

Three Key Points

  1. Bailey states that whether you are a new mom or an older person, you need to be a little bit proactive about those friendships where you just leave a conversation that felt a connection with someone and hope that you should catch up soon, but there's no contact number taken. Moms have the flexibility to carry on friendships, maybe in the workday to get to catch up with a friend.
  2. There's some research out there that these vague relationships are just as harmful as having no relationship at all because you're in this constant state of wondering, are we friends or not?
  3. Bailey’s book ‘Together is a Beautiful Place’ will be out in April and you can pre-order it now. The book is all about acknowledging the loneliness that we feel. Instead of allowing loneliness to kind of make you an outsider, you can choose to fight for togetherness. It's those safe friends that allow you to grow into who you're meant to be. 

 

Tweetable Quotes

  • “Reading is such a wonderful way to connect.”– Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “I always like to check in and say like, how's it going?” - Bailey Hurley
  • “Be the first one to say, hey, I'm looking for friends and interested in getting together with you.” - Bailey Hurley
  • “I like to call those friendships, nostalgic friendships.” - Bailey Hurley
  • “It's not a healthy place to constantly sitting in and wondering what's going on.” - Bailey Hurley
  • “Your book is out in April of 2022, I'm absolutely thrilled and so excited.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “When you are becoming a good friend to your peers, you're also modeling good friendship to your kiddos.” - Bailey Hurley

 

Resources Mentioned

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Helping Young Women Discover Real Beauty with Author Stephanie Raff

Wednesday Dec 08, 2021

Wednesday Dec 08, 2021

Helping Young Women Discover Real Beauty with Author Stephanie Raff

 

In today’s episode of “Helping Families be Happy” podcast, host Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a practicing Clinical Psychologist, Wellness Advocate and Author based in Sonoma County, California talks with Stephanie Raff, an Author and a Storyteller about her award winning book - ‘The Ravenous Gown’ and 14 more tales about the real beauty.

 

Episode Highlights

  • 01:27 - Storytelling is a great way for Stephanie to connect with people through the medium that she loves so much.
  • 03:50 – Stephanie tells the story behind why she wrote the book – The Ravenous Gown. 
  • 06:20 – The author talks about her three year old daughter and how life began to change after she was born. Stephanie started to see things from a different perspective in terms of real beauty.
  • 08:15 – Stephanie realized that if she didn't change her story about beauty then her sweet little daughter would grow-up living and believing the same story that she did.
  • 10:40 - Do you have a piece of a fairy tale you'd like to share, asks Dr. Carla Marie Manly.
  • 12:30 – Stephanie narrates an interesting part of the story from the book.
  • 16:00 – “Whoever can crush the stone with their bare hands first wins the challenge”, Stephanie narrates from the book.
  • 19:20 – “Tell me what you wish, my dear & I shall grant it, fairy godmother took out her wands.”
  • 21:38 – “The princess smiled and accepted the bread and soft cheese from the first tray.”
  • 23:35 – “The king was sputtering in his rage; the princess stood and addressed them all.”
  • 26:33 – Dr. Carla Marie Manly enquires if there are any other tidbits of gold Stephanie would like to share with the listeners.
  • 28:05 – Stephanie wanted to give parents a way to have a conversation about all of the different ideas and things in the book, because those conversations are powerful.
  • 30:30 – The author says because she has four boys, she really wanted to put things in the stories that would capture their attention too.
  • 32:00 – Regardless of gender fairy tales are definitely good food for the soul, heart and mind.

 

Three Key Points

  1. Stephanie realized that there weren't a lot of stories out there that could help her paint a better picture of what beauty is. So, she started writing and that is when ‘The Ravenous Gown’ came into existence. These stories have so much heart and all of her life experiences & hard work. She is trying to change her view of herself so that her daughter could live more happily than she did.
  2. Dr. Carla states this one story by Stephanie brought all the Familiar values together. It not only brought laughter but also was very poignant and growth oriented.
  3. The different thing about the book is that the author has put some of the stories behind the stories as to where they came from. There are some great questions and quotes in the book so that it can open-up a conversation. These conversations connect us to each other and they connect us to the story and with the ideas that help us to be stronger and happier.

 

Tweetable Quotes

  • “I especially love that piece you said about the incredible work that goes on within the walls of home.” – Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “I started every journal entry with - I am so ugly.” - Stephanie Raff
  • “I certainly don't have the right body shape to be a beautiful princess.” - Stephanie Raff
  • “So, there're 15 different stories in this book.” - Stephanie Raff
  • “Okay, so I'm imagining there are 14 more tales.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “One of the things that make this book a little bit different is in the back.” - Stephanie Raff
  • “I can see women of all ages, sharing this book and learning.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “I believe that boys and men due too, their pressures are just as big as ours.” - Stephanie Raff

 

Resources Mentioned




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How to Talk to Kids about Race and Racism - with Sheila Modir, Ph.D. and Jeff Kashou, LMFT

Wednesday Dec 01, 2021

Wednesday Dec 01, 2021

In today’s episode of “Helping Families be Happy” podcast, host Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a practicing Clinical Psychologist, Wellness Advocate and Author based in Sonoma County, California. She talks to guests Dr. Sheila Modir (Pediatric Psychologist) and Dr. Jeff Kashou (Licensed Marriage & Family therapist in California). They both discuss about how to communicate with kids about color, race and racism. They also talk about their Book – ‘The Proudest Color’.

 

Episode Highlights

  • 2:00 – Dr. Sheila says that she has specialized in trauma and understanding racial discrimination across different communities of color.
  • 04:00 - Dr. Carla gives out a beautiful description of the book while asking both the guests about the narrative of their book. 
  • 06:45 – Referring to one of her favorite pages from the book, Dr. Carla enquires more about emotional identification and emotional literacy.
  • 09:25 - Children need to understand that they can have more than one emotion; multiple emotions in one moment can sometimes help explain an ambiguous situation, states Dr. Sheila.
  • 11:40 – How does emotional literacy lead to emotional intelligence, asks Dr. Carla.
  • 13:30 - A parent can very much understand what their child is going through, even if the child can't necessarily explain it sometimes.
  • 15:45 – Dr. Jeff and Dr. Sheila didn't see a book that could speak to a brown child and hence they wanted to put a book out there that was accessible to a broad range of children.
  • 18:00 - If you talk about diversity in a school curriculum, children of non-communities of color tend to recognize discrimination more, and tend to go to the teacher and say something about it.
  • 20:00 - Children can readily relate to the character of the book and parents can utilize tools like open-ended questions to help build understanding in the child. 
  • 22:05 – Dr. Carla points out that even though it is a children's book but she also sees it as a really wonderful learning tool for adults.
  • 24:00 – There are numerous people of color who have gone on to do amazing things, whether it's just in a family and local community or school or on kind of a bigger global stage, says Dr. Jeff.
  • 26:20 – Dr. Sheila and Dr. Jeff really hope that this is a book that families can learn together, talk together, heal together and understand together.
  • 28:30 - Dr. Carla enquires if the resources that they offer at the end of the book will really help them find the most appropriate way to talk to the children at the right level.
  • 30:20 – Dr. Jeff suggests few important takeaways for parents who want to help instill more resilience in their child.



Three Key Points

  1. This book is a wonderful launching pad for children and adults to be able to learn to feel their emotions, name their emotions, and then express their emotions. Once you learn to describe and express your feelings in healthy ways, then you're able to use all of that insight to use your emotions to work for you to integrate the emotions and then use the emotions to work for you.
  2. Dr. Sheila and Dr. Jeff have experienced varying levels of discrimination growing-up being Middle Eastern Americans in America, especially in a post 9/11 world where the level of discrimination increased tremendously towards this population. Now they both are trying to help create a children's book from their experiences.
  3. They wanted to be very sensitive about writing a book like this however what helped them feel comfortable was not just their education and background, but also the research on themselves. They’ve included citations in the book and also on their website at the theproudestcolor.com. 

 

Tweetable Quotes

  • “Jeff and I are actually happily married; we live together in Southern California.” – Dr. Sheila Modir
  • “We enjoyed writing this book honestly.” - Dr. Sheila Modir
  • “I'd like to read one of my favorite pages from the book, because you mentioned emotion identification, and emotional literacy.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “We wanted to write an authentic and honest book based on our experiences.” – Dr. Jeff Kashou
  • “We want to ensure that that emotion literacy is a key component of this book.” - Dr. Sheila Modir
  • “Once you kind of have the language, you know how to speak English, and then what do you do with that?” - Dr. Jeff Kashou
  • “That was the other point why we wrote the book.” - Dr. Jeff Kashou
  • “Books like this are so wonderful for beginning the conversation and allowing personal awareness.” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “I do find books to be a magical tool in communicating messages.” - Dr. Sheila Modir
  • “I really love that you mentioned the healing one because it's so important, isn't it?” - Dr. Carla Marie Manly
  • “The resources are really geared towards children age’s five to eight.” - Dr. Sheila Modir

 

Resources Mentioned

 

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WHAT ABOUT US with Karen Kleiman

Friday Sep 10, 2021

Friday Sep 10, 2021

Karen Kleiman joins host Dr. Carla Marie Manly to discuss What About Us: A New Parents Guide to Safeguarding Your Over-Anxious, Over-Extended, Sleep-Deprived Relationship, which will be available everywhere books are sold on 9/14/2021, and is available for pre-order now.

https://www.familius.com/book/what-about-us/

ABOUT THE BOOK:

"Karen Kleiman’s wisdom about not only taking care of the mother and her well-being, but also her partner and their whole system at large, helps us all stay connected to our partners and loved ones during a tumultuous, life-changing, and potentially relationship-taxing time. . . . God bless Karen for her support in helping us all integrate every relationship within our 'new normal' as parents. Her humor, experience, wisdom, and insight are like a port in the most heart-spinning of storms."
-Alanis Morissette

The demands of a new baby can test a couple’s relationship like nothing else! When we factor in sleep deprivation, hormonal changes, depression and anxiety, and different personalities, life with a newborn can feel a bit CRAZY. Couples tend to misinterpret this rough patch as a sign that something is wrong with the relationship, but when couples take steps toward open communication and safeguard their relationship, they can face everything new parenthood throws at them together. From the team behind the bestselling Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts comes a new guidebook of short essays, comics, and quick journal prompts about the stressful newborn stage, the struggles that so many new parents face, and the skills you need to tap into your strength as a couple.

ABOUT KAREN:

Karen Kleiman is a well-known international maternal mental-health expert with over thirty-five years of experience as a psychotherapist, teacher, and writer. As an advocate and author of several groundbreaking books on postpartum depression and anxiety, her pioneering work has influenced personal and professional populations within the perinatal mental health community for decades. In 1988, Karen founded The Postpartum Stress Center, a treatment and training facility for prenatal and postpartum depression/anxiety disorders where she treats individuals and couples.

ABOUT Illustrator Molly McIntyre:

Molly McIntyre is an artist, illustrator, and animator living in Brooklyn, New York, with her family. Her work has been featured in the upcoming Netflix series Worn Stories, the book Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts (Karen Kleiman, Familius), Bitch magazine, Everyday Feminism, Scary Mommy, and Psychology Today, and shown in exhibitions throughout the US and in Japan. 

 

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