Episode 197: Supporting sleep from infancy to the teen years with Belynda Smith

Episode 197: Supporting sleep from infancy to the teen years with Belynda Smith

Author: Marion Rose, PhD. August 28, 2024 Duration: 1:01:20
I'm so delighted that Belynda Smith is back on the podcast, after she interviewed me about The Emotional Life of Babies in episode 151. Belynda is an Aware Parenting instructor and a Hand in Hand Parenting Instructor. She is also the Editor of my trilogy of books. In this episode, Belynda shares about her passion for – and deep experience with – the vital importance of receiving lots of listening if we are wanting to listen to our children's feelings. Belynda shares about the details of Listening Partnerships, which is a term from Hand in Hand Parenting and which offers specific parameters to create deeper safety and healing. Belynda shares about her experience of coming to Hand in Hand Parenting when her children were in early childhood, after experiencing both frequent night waking (every 40 minutes) and, once her second child was born, her own unexpressed feelings starting to bubble up. She shares the breakthrough experiences she had when she first came across Hand in Hand Parenting, and when she had her first session with a Hand in Hand Parenting Instructor and Trainer, Ann Hefferan, which inspired her to go on and become a Hand in Hand Parenting Instructor herself. Belynda shares about the next part of her journey, and discovering Aware Parenting. She also talks about the process of having lots of LP support when editing the books. She shares about her experience of Aware Parenting and sleep and her teens, and the subtle difference between Hand in Hand Parenting and Aware Parenting with sleep. We also discuss what we experience is the vital foundation in parenting. Belynda has a new free offering on play coming up. She also has a monthly online listening circle and offers 1:1 Aware Parenting support. You can find out more about her and her work at https://belyndasmith.com.au/ and https://belynda-smith.newzenler.com/aware-parenting

Marion Rose, PhD. hosts The Aware Parenting Podcast, drawing from her role as a level two instructor and regional coordinator for Australia and New Zealand within this philosophy. The foundation of her discussions is Aware Parenting, an approach developed by Aletha Solter, PhD. Rather than offering quick fixes or rigid rules, this podcast delves into the nuanced and often emotional landscape of raising children-and ourselves. Each episode considers the practical and psychological aspects of family life, from navigating daily challenges to understanding the deeper patterns that influence our reactions. You’ll hear explorations on how to support children’s emotional expression, build trusting relationships, and approach discipline from a place of connection. The concept of reparenting-the work we do to heal our own childhood experiences-is woven throughout, recognizing how our past shapes our present parenting. Marion’s perspective provides a compassionate framework for anyone looking to move beyond autopilot reactions and cultivate more awareness in their family dynamics. Tuning into this podcast feels like a thoughtful conversation with a knowledgeable guide, one that respects the complexity of both the child’s and the parent’s inner world.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Aware Parenting Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Episode 175: Food and feelings - a child's perspective [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:19
This is the last episode in the series related to my latest best-selling book, 'I'm Here and I'm Listening', before I return to finish the food series, so this episode is a kind of bridge back to that! Then I'll be start…
Episode 174: Why children aren't fighting sleep [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:45
In this episode, I talk about why children aren't fighting sleep, and why we're often fighting their natural relaxation response. I share concisely about how we can trust children and follow their lead and can then coope…
Episode 173: Screens, play and loving limits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:48
In this episode, I share about how we can stay connected with children in relation to screens, including with attachment play. I offer some information that I wish I'd had when my children were younger, about loving limi…
Episode 172: Helping a hitting child [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:50
In this episode, I share about what's going on when a child is hitting. I talk about them being in the fight or flight response, and how we can help them move out of that state of hyperarousal, through feeling physically…
Episode 171: Blankets, bunnies and other control patterns [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:18
In this episode, I talk about when children use have a soft toy, blanket or other object as a control pattern. This might be something they use to suppress their feelings when going to sleep or during the day when feelin…
Episode 170: Loving limits Q and A [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:03
In this episode, I respond to questions about loving limits that parents asked on my social media accounts. They include: What happens when loving limits don't seem to work – eg, the child moves on to something else and…
Episode 169: Loving limits update [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:03
In this episode, I share an update on loving limits, after gaining lots of new clarity through the process of editing my latest best-selling book, 'I'm Here and I'm Listening'. and having conversations with Aletha Solter…
Episode 168: Melting a child's freeze [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:15
This is part of a series of episodes where I refer to topics in my new best-selling book, 'I'm Here and I'm Listening', and I read a story shared from a child's perspective. In this episode, I talk about the process of h…
Episode 167: Leaving the park [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:59
Long gone are the days where parents who wanted to leave the park were told to just walk away and say "bye!" to their child. However, it can be so common for us as parents to feel really powerless when we want to leave t…