New Year, New You? #34

12/31/24 • 26 min

Help me out...

My book is behind on pre-sales and I'm trying to make up a lot of ground before release on January 28th, 2025. If you love the podcast, please consider preordering—it’s the best way to support me right now. If you don't typically read parenting books, I also have the audiobook version! Thank you so much!
Preorder the Book

Preorder the Audiobook

Description

This week on The Whole Parent Podcast, why is change is so hard? How can we finally stick to our parenting resolutions this year? Katy Milkman's book "How to Change" has answers. If you want 2025 to be the year you parent with purpose and patience, this episode is for you.

Here’s what I talked about:

Traditions
I reflected on my family’s holiday traditions—both the people we’ve lost and the new faces who’ve joined us. Traditions aren’t just fun; they ground us in who we are and what we value.
Why Change is Hard
I explained how our brains are wired for routines and why we fall back on old patterns, even when we desperately want to do things differently. Spoiler: it’s not your fault. It’s science.
The Fresh Start Effect
One of my favorite insights from Katie Milkman’s book How to Change is the idea of using milestone moments, like New Year’s, to kick-start a fresh start. It’s a game-changer.
Identity-Based Resolutions
I shared why your resolutions should focus on who you want to be rather than just what you want to do. For me, it’s about being the kind of parent who stays calm, listens, and leads with curiosity.
The Power of Community
I talked about why the people you surround yourself with can make or break your goals—and how to build a community that supports the parent you want to become.

My Key Takeaways for 2025:

Start Fresh: Use moments like New Year’s to reset and feel optimistic about change.
Anchor Your Goals in Identity: Instead of saying, “I’m going to stop yelling,” say, “I’m the kind of parent who stays calm under pressure.”
Surround Yourself with the Right People: Community is essential to lasting change.

A Few Quotes I Love:

"It’s not about trying harder; it’s about trying smarter."
"Every choice becomes an opportunity to affirm the parent you long to be."

Your Turn:

I’d love to hear your parenting resolutions for 2025!

Email me at [email protected]—research shows that when you share your goals with someone, you’re three times more likely to stick with them.

If you’re curious, my resolution this year is simple: I am a punishment-free parent. It’s a journey, not a destination, but I’ve made so much progress by grounding my goals in the kind of parent I want to be.

A Special Thank You:

Thanks to everyone who sent in their resolutions to share on this episode. Listening to your goals inspires me, and I hope it inspires the rest of our community too.

Resources I Mentioned:

How to Change by Katie Milkman
My upcoming book: Punishment-Free Parenting: The Brain-Based Way to Raise Kids Without Raising Your Voice (available for pre-order now!)

Thanks for listening to this special New Year’s episode. I hope it helps you step into 2025 with clarity, optimism, a

Send us a text

Preorder the Audiobook

Description

Here’s what I talked about:

Traditions
I reflected on my family’s holiday traditions—both the people we’ve lost and the new faces who’ve joined us. Traditions aren’t just fun; they ground us in who we are and what we value.
Why Change is Hard
I explained how our brains are wired for routines and why we fall back on old patterns, even when we desperately want to do things differently. Spoiler: it’s not your fault. It’s science.
The Fresh Start Effect
One of my favorite insights from Katie Milkman’s book How to Change is the idea of using milestone moments, like New Year’s, to kick-start a fresh start. It’s a game-changer.
Identity-Based Resolutions
I shared why your resolutions should focus on who you want to be rather than just what you want to do. For me, it’s about being the kind of parent who stays calm, listens, and leads with curiosity.
The Power of Community
I talked about why the people you surround yourself with can make or break your goals—and how to build a community that supports the parent you want to become.

My Key Takeaways for 2025:

Start Fresh: Use moments like New Year’s to reset and feel optimistic about change.
Anchor Your Goals in Identity: Instead of saying, “I’m going to stop yelling,” say, “I’m the kind of parent who stays calm under pressure.”
Surround Yourself with the Right People: Community is essential to lasting change.

A Few Quotes I Love:

"It’s not about trying harder; it’s about trying smarter."
"Every choice becomes an opportunity to affirm the parent you long to be."

Your Turn:

A Special Thank You:

Thanks to everyone who sent in their resolutions to share on this episode. Listening to your goals inspires me, and I hope it inspires the rest of our community too.

Resources I Mentioned:

How to Change by Katie Milkman
My upcoming book: Punishment-Free Parenting: The Brain-Based Way to Raise Kids Without Raising Your Voice (available for pre-order now!)

Thanks for listening to this special New Year’s episode. I hope it helps you step into 2025 with clarity, optimism, a

Send us a text

Previous Episode

Managing [Holiday] Stress (with Dr. Aditi Narurkar) #33

Want to get ME a Christmas Present?

My book is behind on pre-sales and I'm trying to make up a lot of ground before release on January 28th, 2025. If you love the podcast, please consider preordering—it’s the best way to support me right now. If you don't typically read parenting books, I also have the audiobook version! Thank you so much!
Preorder the Book

Preorder the Audiobook

Merry Christmas... sorta.
The holidays are here, and if you’re anything like me, you’re juggling a million things at once—holiday parties, work deadlines, family traditions, and trying to make everything feel magical for your kids. It’s a lot.
But the truth is, it’s not just the holidays. Everyday life as a parent feels more overwhelming than ever, and that’s exactly what we’re talking about in this special Christmas episode of The Whole Parent Podcast.

I’m sitting down with Dr. Aditi Nerurkar, one of the world’s leading experts on stress and resilience, to talk about why parenting today feels so heavy—and, more importantly, what we can actually do about it.
We dive into simple, science-backed strategies from her book The Five Resets that can help us change the way we experience stress. You’ll learn how to use tools like Stop, Breathe, Be and create digital boundaries that protect your mental health and your sleep.

Dr. Nerurkar has so much wisdom to share, and I can tell you this conversation has already made a difference in my own life. If you want to go into the new year with less stress and more calm—not just during the holidays but every day—this episode is for you.

Links Mentioned:

Follow Dr. Aditi Nerurkar: @DrAditiNerurkar
Check out her book The Five Resets
Subscribe to her Substack: It's Not You It's, Your Stress

Take a deep breath, hit play, and let’s figure this out together.

Send us a text

Next Episode

5 Hacks: How to Speak Kid #35

Help me out!
My book Punishment-Free Parenting: The Brain-Based Way to Raise Kids Without Raising Your Voice comes out in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS! Preorder now so you can get it first!
Have you ever felt like talking to your kids is like speaking an entirely different language? You tell them to put on their shoes, and suddenly it’s like you’ve asked them to climb a mountain. Believe me, I’ve been there. In this episode, I’m breaking down why our kids don’t always seem to get what we’re saying—and spoiler alert, it’s not because they’re ignoring us.

We’ll dive into the science behind how kids’ brains work, why they process the world differently from adults, and how we can adjust our approach to get through to them. I’ll share five creative hacks I use with my own kids—simple tools that help me communicate in a way they actually understand. If you’re tired of power struggles and tantrums, this episode is packed with practical tips that can make life a little easier (and a lot more fun).

What You’ll Learn

Why kids’ brains work differently
I’ll explain how their brains are still under construction and why emotional reactions often take over.
How to communicate in ways that work for them
From using stories to simplifying language, you’ll learn how to meet your kids where they are.
Five creative hacks for talking to your kids
I’ll walk you through how I:
- Use iPad bugs to make screen-time transitions smoother.
- Play tooth detective to turn teeth brushing into a fun, nightly ritual.
- Talk to my kids’ bellies to encourage healthier eating choices.
- Sing instructions to make them stick (hello, Daniel Tiger fans!).
- Use puppets to make even tough conversations more approachable.

Why This Matters

I truly believe that how we communicate with our kids shapes not only their behavior but their emotional development and sense of connection. When we approach communication with playfulness and empathy, we’re not just avoiding meltdowns—we’re building trust and lifelong communication habits.

This Week’s Challenge

Try one of these hacks! Whether it’s rethinking how you handle screen time or singing through a tricky moment, I’d love to hear what worked for you.

Resources I Mentioned

Let’s Connect

I love hearing from you! Share your thoughts on this episode, tell me what hack you’re excited to try, or let me know about your own creative communication wins.

Email: [email protected]
Social Media: @WholeParent on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok

Want More?

If you found this episode helpful, please leave a review or rate the podcast—those 5-star reviews mean the world to me and help get the message out. And don’t forget to preorder my book, Punishment-Free Parenting: The Brain-Based Way to Raise Kids Without Raising Your Voice. It’s packed with tools just like the ones we talked about today, but dives even deeper into how to parent with connection at the center.

Thanks for listening, and until next time, let’s keep learning how to speak kid—it might just change your life (and theirs)!

Send us a text

The Whole Parent Podcast - New Year, New You? #34

Transcript

Jon @wholeparent00:01:59.820

Welcome to the Whole Parent Podcast , if we haven't met yet . My name is John .

Jon @wholeparent00:02:03.682

A lot of us have holiday traditions . The same place we go for Thanksgiving or Christmas Day year after year with the same people . Just yesterday I hosted my dad's whole family , all the cousins , his siblings , at our house for our annual Chr