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With the holidays coming up, many of us are going to be sharing space with other families and friends – including other kids (in my family, LOTS of other kids!) Will your house erupt with squabbles, spats and fights over toys? If so, do you ever wonder how to handle them – particularly when you have a different parenting style from your friends or family members?
In today’s podcast I chat with Heather Shumaker, author of It’s OK NOT To Share…And Other Renegade Rules For Raising Competent and Compassionate Kids (Tarcher/Penguin 2012). Heather and I talk about:
- Why it’s so hard to parent “your way” in public…and how to do it with grace
- How hyper-managing kids’ play can backfire (and how to take a step back and relax)
- Violent play: is it as bad as we’ve been led to believe?
And much more. The great thing about Heather’s “Renegade Rules”? They may seem to go against the grain, but so many of them are just plain common sense…and reading her reasoning can validate thoughts you’ve been afraid to speak out loud.
So during your next Kitchen Hour, play the podcast and let Heather take some of the anxiety and pressure out of parenting. You may never look at the way you interact with your kids the same way again.
Sounds like a great talk, Meagan! A friend of mine just gave me this book, so it’s very timely too.
Fantastic discussion! Thank you for addressing these topics!
Glad you liked the discussion! Yes, some of these topics don’t get talked about. Social rejection among kids, forced friendships, forced sharing and rough play like wrestling matches, violent play topics, etc.
If you’re weary of being a constant referee, take a listen and learn a new way of sharing that’s fair for kids and relaxing for the adult.
I listened to this podcast on my work commute over a couple of days, and I found it very provocative (in a good way), and mentally stimulating. I love Heather’s practical tips and phrasing she suggests for dealing with these issues of child-child and child-parent dynamics. I will definitely be reading her book soon! Thank you for offering such varied guests to the Kitchen Hour podcast. I hope you continue producing these wonderful gems!