Calm Parenting Podcast XX
[0] So if you follow us on Instagram, you'll notice that all of our videos are filmed from mountain peaks we've hiked.
[1] And what powers me is my AG1.
[2] For years, I've enjoyed the same morning routine.
[3] I mix one scoop of AG1 with water, shake it.
[4] And the first thing I put in my body is 75 vitamins, probiotics, prebiotics, and whole food sourced ingredients.
[5] Check out a special offer at drinkag1 .com slash calm.
[6] Ag1 lets you build a healthy daily habit that takes less than one minute and promotes gut health, supports immunity, and boosts energy.
[7] AG1 is a supplement I trust to provide the support my body needs daily.
[8] And that's why I'm excited that AG1 continues to be our partner.
[9] If you want to take ownership of your health, it starts with AG1.
[10] Try AG1 and get a free one -year supply of vitamin D3 and K2 and five free AG1 travel.
[11] packs with your first purchase exclusively at drinkag1 .com slash calm.
[12] That's drinkag1 .com slash calm.
[13] Check it out.
[14] Hey moms, we talk on the podcast all the time about making self -care a priority because when you're tired and you don't feel like yourself, it's hard to be that calm mom you want to be.
[15] That's why I'm excited to introduce Happy Mammoth, creators of all natural products such as hormone harmony.
[16] Hormone harmony contains science -backed herbal extracts called adaptogens.
[17] Adaptogens help the body adapt to any stressors, like chaotic hormonal changes that happen naturally throughout a woman's life.
[18] Hormone harmony is for any woman with symptoms of hormonal changes, such as poor sleep and racing thoughts, even night sweats and feeling tired all the time.
[19] I feel like myself again.
[20] That's what women say over and over again in reviews of hormone harmony.
[21] It's time to feel like yourself again, moms.
[22] For a limited time, you can get 15 % off on your entire first order at happy mammoth .com with the code calm at checkout.
[23] That's happy mammoth .com with the code calm.
[24] Do you have a child who struggles with new experiences, who sometimes doesn't want to go to some new activity you signed him or her up for.
[25] A lot of these kids will resist going to school in the morning and you'll threaten consequences and you'll try to bribe them and give them things, everything.
[26] And nothing rational works because it's not rational, it's anxiety.
[27] Anxiety is a very common thing for our kids to struggle with.
[28] Remember, we've talked about these kids.
[29] They have very busy brains.
[30] there's a lot going on in there.
[31] And so it feels like it's kind of out of control for them.
[32] And that's why they try to control other people in situations.
[33] It's why with board games, they're going to change the rules of the game, cheat or quit, because that's a way to control or guarantee the outcome of the game.
[34] It's why all those things that wear the same clothes, eat the same food all the time.
[35] But this is where anxiety comes from.
[36] It comes from unknowns.
[37] So the antidote to that, and I'm going to give you some very specific, examples today are we want to talk about familiarity we want to talk about giving your kids something they feel in control of and connection and you're going to notice some common things right like so many of the things that human beings struggle with would be made better with just pure connection or us feeling in control of ourselves that's why some of us at night before we go to bed we do what we clean the kitchen sink because inside we're saying I can't control my kids, I can't control my spouse, but my kitchen sink is spotless, and it brings some sense of internal order to us.
[38] So let's talk about anxiety on this episode of the Calm Parenting Podcast.
[39] Welcome, this is Kirk Martin.
[40] Founder Celebrate Calm.
[41] You can find us at CelebrateCalm .com.
[42] If you need help, reach out to our son Casey, C -A -S -E -Y, at Celebrate Calm .com.
[43] As you go through our programs and you listen on that app and you get questions, you're like, hey, I've got a specific situation, Kirk, how would you handle that?
[44] Just email us.
[45] And then we will, we often talk about it, and then we'll get back to you and we'll help you out with that.
[46] So let's go through.
[47] I'm going to do a couple quick example, small ones, and then get to a larger example, and then close up.
[48] And I'll try to hit this on many different levels.
[49] So I just thought of an actual, another one.
[50] So a couple quick ones.
[51] Let's say, oh, this weekend, some of you are going to the beach or to the mountain somewhere for Memorial Day.
[52] You probably got a condo or a cabin.
[53] Well, that's new.
[54] And a lot of your kids aren't good with new stuff.
[55] They're not good at transitions.
[56] If you still have time, I would possibly even look up that condo on Google Maps, where you're going to be.
[57] If you can see the layout of it.
[58] You know what?
[59] I know that sounds goofy.
[60] Like, why do they have to see?
[61] Well, they don't have to, but it's just helpful.
[62] So they know what to expect.
[63] So they know which bedroom is theirs, where they're going to.
[64] to be.
[65] You could give them some kind of mission.
[66] Whenever I'm taking these kids somewhere, they always have a mission.
[67] And the mission isn't behave and just do what I tell you to do.
[68] I often give them more adult -type jobs.
[69] So if you're going away for the weekend or the week, I'd give them some kind of job.
[70] I don't care if it's like making the grocery list, checking out online.
[71] What are the different grocery stores?
[72] Where are they?
[73] Who's got the cheapest prices on this?
[74] If we have to get a raft or we have to get this, give them jobs to do because that gives a sense of control that seeing things ahead of time is familiarity and you're setting them up for success.
[75] It's why when people are moving, it's always like, oh, okay, so pull up on Google Maps, aerial view of where you're going to be living.
[76] That way they can kind of see the area.
[77] Where's the closest park?
[78] Where's the closest, whatever they like, rock climbing place, whatever it is.
[79] and you give them a little ownership, not control, right?
[80] They don't get, they don't get to choose the house.
[81] But when you're moving saying, hey, you can paint, you can pick out the color of paint for your room, as long as it's not X and Y, something you hate.
[82] But that's when school's starting back.
[83] If your kids are starting a new school in the fall, don't wait till back to school night to go introduce your kids to their new teacher because there's so much anxiety in that school on that.
[84] night.
[85] I take them a few days ahead of time.
[86] Go over the summer.
[87] Let them walk outside.
[88] See what the playground is like.
[89] See if you can get permission to go inside.
[90] Walk the halls.
[91] I, look, I struggle with anxiety.
[92] I am normally early wherever I'm going if I'm speaking, and I like to be in there to see the space.
[93] What does it look like?
[94] What does it feel like?
[95] What does it smell like?
[96] And I kind of visualize and picture kind of how I'm going to do my presentation.
[97] And I'm 58.
[98] So imagine being four or eight or 16 in doing this.
[99] So go in.
[100] And if you can meet someone ahead of time, right?
[101] And I would just ask, I'd be bold.
[102] You're not asking for favors like, well, could you make my child, let my child not do any homework this year?
[103] I'm not asking for that.
[104] I'm saying, hey, I know my child struggles with new things.
[105] It's a new school.
[106] So could we come in a few days early?
[107] Could we come to the office?
[108] Would you mind meeting personally with my child?
[109] Because that connection of, I walk in the first day, oh, I know that lady or that guy from the office.
[110] I know that principal, that guidance counselor.
[111] It just helps.
[112] So let's do, oh, preschool, by the way.
[113] Watch your own anxiety.
[114] Now, I hadn't planned to say that, but that's a big deal for many of you because you're, you have a lot of anxiety.
[115] And so if you're talking in this kind of tone, this will create a lot of anxiety because what I'm really saying is, you know what, I'm kind of nervous for you.
[116] because I know you're nervous and usually every time we go someplace new, you have a big meltdown.
[117] It's kind of embarrassing.
[118] So I think if I talk to, that tone just almost never works for the strong will child.
[119] So even if you have to fake it, I want you to fake it.
[120] I want you to adopt that calm, even matter of fact, tone that says, I've seen this before, I've done this.
[121] This is normal.
[122] There's nothing wrong.
[123] It's all going to be good.
[124] But I was thinking preschool, a lot of times what happens is you're dropping your child off when they're young.
[125] your child starts freaking out crying and screaming and like grabbing mommy's leg and when we say oh honey it's okay i'll be back at 2 30 to pick you up well that that tone creates a lot of instability and so what i'd prefer that you do let's say for a preschool or someone young is if the teacher or someone from the school can meet you out in the carpool line and say oh rebecca i'm so excited that you're here today i could really use your help could you come inside and help me with x Because now you're getting their brain focused on something they can do, something they can control, and that eliminates some of the anxiety.
[126] And it also helps them the teacher get the child away from you and your own anxiety.
[127] So you really do have to work on that.
[128] I'm not blaming you, but it is your fault.
[129] You know what I'm saying.
[130] Some of you just work on that.
[131] Look, whenever I bring something up like your own control issues, your perfectionism, it's not a blame thing.
[132] it's like you're not like you're a horrible person we all have issues it's just that we say oh yeah I do struggle with that and I can see how that interplay happens with my child where they're picking up on my anxiety and now we've just created like this anxiety vortex and so we can counter that so here's kind of a big example and then I'll end with two examples maybe for teenagers older kids so I come home and let's say that I ask my son it could be your daughter it doesn't matter but I come home and ask my son hey case do you want to do um you want to take that new taekwondo class this summer and he's like sure dad sign me up so I come home a couple weeks later I'm like hey case got to go got to go remember we got that taekwondo class tonight got to go got to go and you guys already know this the more you do got to go when I try to rush a child it always makes them move more slowly they're not rejecting you they're not rejecting your authority.
[133] They're rejecting your anxiety because they know when you're in an anxious state, you're not patient and you tend to be short with them and your voice gets clipped and use a different tone and you flip people off in traffic.
[134] All those things happen.
[135] And so they're rejecting your anxiety.
[136] That's another way that the inner play happens.
[137] So I come home and I'm like, hey, case we've got taekwondo tonight.
[138] Well, what am I going to get initially?
[139] Dad, you know, my stomach's kind of upset.
[140] Could we just stay home?
[141] I promise I'll go to next week.
[142] with a bribe.
[143] Hey, you know what?
[144] If we leave right now, we'll stop at McDonald's.
[145] We'll get a happy meal even if you're 12 and everybody will be happy, right?
[146] Because we try bribery.
[147] Bribery never works.
[148] Your child's, right, they don't care because, see, that's a rational, you're trying to be rational with a child who is an emotionally irrational state inside because he's dealing with all the unknowns.
[149] I'll go through that in a second.
[150] So then we do this one.
[151] We turn around.
[152] and our face totally changes.
[153] You know what?
[154] I paid $175 for that class.
[155] Your little butt's going to be there.
[156] As if your child's going to say, Dad, I didn't know how much, I didn't know that you paid that much for it.
[157] Now I'm motivated to go, right?
[158] That's not going to happen.
[159] So what happens now?
[160] Now I grab my son by the forearm.
[161] Not too hard, but I grab my, I'm going to drag them out to the car.
[162] And we get out to the car and I'm going to stuff them in the car like with the hand over the head like they do on that cop show.
[163] And now you're going to have this big meltdown in front of all your nation.
[164] That's partially what caused me to learn how to do this because at the time we were living in a town home Outside of Washington DC where we had like 5 ,000 neighbors and they could see all of my parenting mistakes right in front of them and hear my son yelling awful things at me And so you've got now you've got the meltdown No, and here's what they're going to say no I'm not going Taekwondo stupid you're stupid how many of you ever get that lovely gift right and so here's what's happening and there's a couple of decision points here because they start going and no, I'm not going.
[165] Taekwondo is stupid, you're stupid.
[166] And we take that as disrespect.
[167] And you know what?
[168] I know I get pushed back for this, but it's true.
[169] I'm the grown up.
[170] I'm a grown adult.
[171] Something can only be disrespectful to me if I choose to be disrespected by it.
[172] Right?
[173] It's like if you come up and try to offend me by saying something offensive, it only has power over me if I let it be offensive to me. Right?
[174] So I don't take these things personally because I'm a grown adult dealing with a kid, dealing with a child, even if that child's 16, it doesn't mean I'd let them walk all over me. But in this case, we have something emotional going on.
[175] This is not a tantrum.
[176] A tantrum is rational.
[177] I want something you won't give it to me, so I'm going to make your life miserable until you're given.
[178] this is an emotional meltdown because this child is on code red inside faces all red and nothing i'm doing that's nothing i'm doing that's rational is getting through to this child it's not it's not connecting and so i hear most of us as adults we hear defiance and disrespect and it triggers up us you know what you get the little button you get your little button car or you go to your room and you lose your video games for the rest of the week no food no video games for a week because that's what dads do because we always give consequences not always a lot of us give consequences we can't keep so watch i'm reading this as defiance and disrespect and part of the reason we talk about learning to be calm calm is not an end goal my goal is not to be gondy or buddha or zen master it's a means to an end because when i slow my world down when i stop reacting when i stop taking everything personally, when I stop projecting into the future, when I stop trying to control the outcome of everything, I can see clearly.
[179] And see, now I can use wisdom in order to problem solve here instead of honestly just escalating it every single time.
[180] Because some of you, you just escalate things all the time.
[181] And I'm not picking on you.
[182] I'm just saying we have to stop that because it doesn't work.
[183] And when I talk to men, I'm like, look, the past 43 times you did this, it escalated.
[184] Your way is not working.
[185] If you had this track record at your job, you'd have been fired by now.
[186] If this happened at work, you would have changed your tactics or your strategy.
[187] So I'm looking at a child and thinking, you know, to find, this is what I said to Casey one time.
[188] Why do you have to make everything so difficult?
[189] Man, if you want to wound a child and bruise and and ruin a relationship and make a kid internalize that I'm a bad kid and I make everything difficult and my mom or my dad doesn't like me, man, you're setting off a chain of events there that will have ramifications sometimes for decades.
[190] And so the reason I want to be calm and I want to slow myself down is so I can see this for what it is.
[191] I'm not looking at a defiant, disrespectful kid.
[192] I'm looking at an anxious kid.
[193] Anxiety is caused by unknowns.
[194] When I came into his room said, hey, case, we need to go to Taekwondo.
[195] Here's what triggered in his brain.
[196] All the unknowns.
[197] Mom, Dad, have ever been to Taekwondo before?
[198] Is it going to be loud in there?
[199] And is the instructor going to be nice to me?
[200] Sometimes adults aren't all that patient with me. And what about the other kids?
[201] I struggle to connect with kids my own age.
[202] What if they pick on me?
[203] And I'm not always that coordinated.
[204] What if I'm not good at it?
[205] And I'm not good at following multiple step directions.
[206] And so What if I get confused and I'm not good and then I cry in front of everybody and what if I want to quit and then dad's going to say we don't raise quiters in this home and we have a big fight and all those unknowns lead up to this.
[207] No, I'm not going.
[208] And the reason they say taekwondo is stupid and you're stupid.
[209] Think how brilliant this is kind of from that lizard brain, right?
[210] You're stupid.
[211] That guarantees you know what?
[212] Young man, young lady, up to your room for the rest of the.
[213] the night and you know what the strong will child or the child nerd a virgin kid thinks is see i can take being sent to my room i've lived most of my life there i'm accustomed to being in trouble see that's known that's familiar to me and i'll sit up in my room all night and be relieved that i didn't have to go to that new place with new people that might reject me where i might fail and where I might feel again like I'm just a dumb kid.
[214] You know we like to get to the root of issues beneath the surface.
[215] And it's the same with acne.
[216] Phyla isn't just about fixing acne you can see.
[217] It's about stopping new breakouts in their tracks by getting right into the pores.
[218] Look, acne can be painful, both physically and emotionally.
[219] Whether your child is just starting to get breakouts or has been struggling with them for years, Phila is the same.
[220] safe, effective, side effect -free, and natural product that can help.
[221] Phila is like a spa treatment for your skin, gentle, no irritation, no dryness, and definitely no harsh chemicals like benzene.
[222] It's safe for kids of all ages and dermatologist approved.
[223] Don't settle for temporary fixes.
[224] Tackle acne's root causes.
[225] Get 25 % off your first order of phila with the code calm.
[226] Go to phyla.
[227] and type in the code calm that's p h y a dot com and use code word calm see how that works that's what was going on in your child's mind see we look at that child and say he's just trying to be a defiant little snot makes my life difficult a disrespectful rebellious kid and we missed it all and when you try to if you're just going after a disrespectful kid the only thing you have is, you better stop disrespecting me or else.
[228] Most of the time, in my experience, it's not disrespect, it's not defiance.
[229] The outward behavior is, right?
[230] It's like a kid telling you, you're stupid, is disrespectful.
[231] But that's not the core issue.
[232] The core issue is it's anxiety.
[233] And as long as I keep reacting to the outward behavior, I never solve anything.
[234] And what, this is real, this is even more important to me. I don't really care.
[235] Oh, I got disrespected.
[236] What if I'm an NFL wide receiver?
[237] I'm a grown man. I don't need anybody to respect me, let alone a four -year -old or a 17 -year -old.
[238] I have something called self -respect.
[239] So if my 17 -year -old is disrespectful, well, guess what?
[240] I'm not going to go take them places.
[241] It's not going to drive the car.
[242] But I'm not going to get all huffy and all upset about someone disrespect me. It's not what I'm, interested in this moment.
[243] I want to teach.
[244] Discipline means to teach.
[245] I want to teach my son.
[246] This is an anxiety issue.
[247] The reason that you're so upset isn't because you're a bad kid and you're disrespectful and defiant and you can't go new places, all those things that he's internalizing.
[248] It's because you're anxious and that's normal.
[249] See, because someone who struggles with that will probably struggle to some degree with anxiety for the rest of their lives.
[250] So, let's go back to the scene where we're outside and we're getting this big fight going on i step back i take three seconds one two three that's long enough sometimes to just sit say okay what's going on what's going on okay right and if any of you are um people of faith then you can just pray hey god give me some insight here give me some insight what's going on what am i seeing and now you're like oh light bulb went off oh this is irrational so this is an anxiety issue so now my tone changes from young man you better get your little butt in the car demanding which you guys know has never worked with the strong will chat i know on our instagram page people are like well if you would just discipline them hard from the time they were young yeah duh we are sorry about that duh see there's my disrespectful part yeah duh we all did that how many of you as parents of strong well kids have had people tell you, you know, I think if you would just discipline her, you know, I think it would go much and you're like, really?
[251] I'd never thought to actually be consistent and follow through.
[252] Thank you for your insight, judgmental person.
[253] Right.
[254] That's not what's going on.
[255] And so when I change my tone and when I step back and I say, oh, this is an anxiety issue.
[256] And so I looked down at my son and I said, hey, is your stomach a little bit upset?
[257] He's like, say, oh, yeah, that's normal, because anxiety lives in the stomach.
[258] Usually that causes people stomachs to be upset.
[259] Like, when you have to do something hard, have a hard, hard conversation with someone, do a presentation in front of a new client.
[260] What happens?
[261] Your stomach gets upset.
[262] And that's a perfect time.
[263] So number one thing I always, look, there's five things here.
[264] But one of the main things I want to do with anxiety is normalize it.
[265] Normalize it.
[266] Oh, son, of course, sure, Of course, I love that phrase of course, of course you're anxious.
[267] You're going to a new place where you don't know anybody, where everything is going to be new.
[268] You should be anxious.
[269] I'm not making an excuse for him.
[270] I didn't say, therefore, let's just stay home.
[271] I just normalize the fact that he should be feeling anxious so he doesn't feel like there's something wrong with him.
[272] One of the worst things we have done in our society with this anxiety thing is that we've made it out to be like something that's really wrong and so we're taking our teenagers every week to talk to a therapist every week about your anxiety and guess what we're creating more anxiety because we need some adults who step up and say no you're a teenage girl or a teenage boy you should feel anxious a lot of the time it's a really hard time of your life to navigate and so if you're confused and you're a little bit anxious That means you're a normal teenager.
[273] See, normalizing it is a very powerful thing.
[274] So, son, of course, of course you're, look, and now here's where I get to teach and identify with him of like, hey, when I do, when I have to do this special presentation at the office, man, my stomach gets upset the night before.
[275] When I have to have a talk with my mother -in -law, oh, stomach.
[276] I'm kidding.
[277] When I'd have talks with my dad, my career military dad, for sure my stomach was upset and knots.
[278] So one, normalize it.
[279] Now, here's one of the other thing, the other strategy I use for anxiety all the time.
[280] Wherever your kids go, have another adult give them a job to do.
[281] So ideally in this situation, I'm going to take my son to the Taekwondo place, let's say three days ahead of time.
[282] So we can walk into that place when there's no pressure to perform.
[283] Because what do we do?
[284] Come on, Taekwondo, got to go.
[285] Come on, and they're always late.
[286] and so we're rushing and we get in there and we're like come on go in have a good time you'll have a good good time and it's filled with anxiety they walk in everybody's already there and that's really hard so i take him three days ahead of time there's no pressure to perform i may take a snack maybe we're going to sit up in the stands and we're going to watch the other classes because that's familiarity so we can get used to what it sounds like in there what do the different movements what's the routine going on that's really helpful and then i try to arrange this i go talk to the type of teacher.
[287] I'm like, hey, Mr. Taekwondo, listen, my son's going to be in your class on Thursday night.
[288] My son is awesome helping other people.
[289] And inside you're like, does nothing for me. But he loves helping other people.
[290] Could you give him a job to do?
[291] And if Taekwondo guy, or a teacher at school, or an assistant principal at school, or or the person in children's church, or wherever you're taking your child says, oh, man, Casey, I'm psyched you're going to be in my class Thursday night.
[292] Listen, I could really use your help.
[293] Could you get here five minutes early, every class, and you can help me rearrange the mats and set up the cones, and could you do that for me?
[294] And most of your kids, two other adults will say, yes, ma 'am, yes, sir.
[295] And so watch how this changes.
[296] When I come home on Thursday, I'm like, hey, Case, we've got Taekwondo.
[297] Instead of it triggering in his brain, all the unknowns, here's what happens.
[298] Hey, Mom, Dad, remember that Taekwondo guy said, he said, he needed me to be there five minutes early so we need to leave like three and a half hours early so we're not going to be late right that's why they do that what he said he needed my help see they want to feel helpful they like adult type jobs when he gets to the taekwondo place instead of his brain being on all the other kids am i going to be successful he's already met the taekwondo guy that guy showed some kind of interest in your child and said hey i could really use your help And now my son's brain is focused on his job to do, and your kids are good at doing specific concrete jobs, especially harder jobs.
[299] And so I've just created a success.
[300] You'll hear us talking about that.
[301] I just created a success.
[302] I gave him a tool.
[303] Look, this perfectly is what we talk about of instead of just like, well, if you, look, here's typical.
[304] If you don't go to Taekwondo tonight, then you're going to have to pay for their class and you're going to lose your screens.
[305] And there's nothing wrong with that at all, except it tends not to be very motivating and it usually doesn't work.
[306] Instead, I gave my son a tool, which was connection, meeting, me, look, this is so foundational and so important.
[307] I just taught him for the rest of his life at meetings, get somewhere early and meet someone and form a personal connection because that will calm you.
[308] It's literally what I've done probably 1 ,500 times when I've spoken at different events.
[309] I get there early.
[310] I meet one person.
[311] If you ever come to one of our events, I'll be there early.
[312] And you're going to come and sit down in about 10 minutes before the presentation starts.
[313] I'm going to be like, hey, why did you guys come out?
[314] What do you want to dress?
[315] What are you struggling with in your home?
[316] And what I'm doing is, look, I don't really need to know what you're thinking.
[317] I already know what you came out for.
[318] I've done this for a long time.
[319] And I tell people that at the end when I do this example.
[320] The reason I do that is because I end up forming a personal connection with a few people in the audience, and that settles me down.
[321] So I use this myself.
[322] It's the same thing you do.
[323] If you're an introvert and you get invited to someone's house for a dinner party or a party, and then like me, if you're like make up an excuse of like, oh, no, our son is sick.
[324] You're like, your son is like grown.
[325] I know, but he's not feeling well.
[326] I can't come because I don't want to come to your house.
[327] The very first thing I will do when I come to your house is ask this, hey, is there anything I can do to help?
[328] Oh, we're grilling out?
[329] I'll run the grill.
[330] Let me flip the burgers.
[331] Now I have a job.
[332] Now I have context for when people come out.
[333] I'm like, hey, what kind of burger you want?
[334] What do you want on your burger?
[335] What kind of cheese do you like?
[336] And then I find out, and then at the end of the night, all I know is that that dude likes Swiss, that dude likes provolone.
[337] But it got me through the night because it helped me with.
[338] my own anxiety.
[339] So that whole idea of I'm giving him a job.
[340] Now, and I'm giving the child tools and I'm creating a success.
[341] That's what I want you to start doing.
[342] So when Casey goes into that place, he knows his job to do and the Taekwondo guy's going to give him a fist pump and say, hey, good job, Case.
[343] Every week, five minutes early because you're a good helper.
[344] Now go sit down.
[345] We're going to get ready for class.
[346] I may use, you know, it helps for some kids in sports.
[347] Your kids tend to be better with younger kids.
[348] So to get them to go out and play sports, have another coach ask them, hey, I could really use your help.
[349] You're really good at doing this.
[350] Could you come out and help me because I've got a class of nine -year -olds and you're 11 or 12, whatever?
[351] Could you come and help me teach them?
[352] I'll use you as an example.
[353] well that feels really good to be useful to other people it feels good to have something to give by the way that counters anxiety it can also counter a fair amount of lethargy and sometimes depression to know i have a skill i have something to give another human so try that let's do that i've got one more example for you for teenagers who've maybe internalized a lot of anxiety over the years and it's even hard for them to go to school sometimes.
[354] You know, if a teacher were to meet them sometime, watch the difference here instead of, you know, Caitlin, why haven't you been here all week?
[355] You know, if you keep missing classes, you're going to fail.
[356] That is the least helpful thing you could tell.
[357] That guarantees this girl will not come back again tomorrow.
[358] But I guarantee you if there's someone in that school, or even a mom or a dad who on the way to school just said in a very even way, nobody knows how much of courage.
[359] Look, it almost makes me cry, as I say, nobody knows how much of courage it took to get here today, but I'm glad you're here.
[360] That will get that girl, that young man, to school because someone recognized it, right?
[361] And so here's my final one is, and I like using this for all kids, but especially as they get older, teenagers especially, find an older couple or an old guy or older lady in your community in your neighborhood at your church, synagogue, wherever, and ask them say, hey, my teen's struggling a little bit and doesn't get out of the house much, just plays video games all the time, is kind of sunk into themselves a little bit.
[362] Could you ask my teenager to come down and help you with something?
[363] Because older people need help reaching things, changing light bulbs, whatever, just make up a job.
[364] Even if as a parent, you have to pay the old person and say, hey, here's 20 bucks, pay my child, to do X. You know why?
[365] Well, a couple things.
[366] One is we're getting human connection.
[367] Hey, Brandon, I've heard you're really good at doing X. I'm a little bit older now.
[368] Could you come down to my house for an hour?
[369] It would really help me out.
[370] If you could come down every Tuesday, it would help me. You know what happens?
[371] Now I feel as a kid, I feel helpful.
[372] Like someone needs me. I'm doing something I'm actually good at doing.
[373] And I'm connecting with another human being.
[374] And older people are very grounding for teenagers because they were teenagers and they've lived a long time and they can encourage your kids in ways that nobody else can and by the way they can also hold them accountable say look i live through the depression okay cut the crap stop being a whiny right you know what i'm saying but they can they can talk to your kids in a different way but it helps these kids with some confidence and it helps them with that anxiety so let's do that this week if you need more help with this i encourage you go to our website we i think this is the last weekend, we extended it to Mother's Day to Mother's Month.
[375] So you get a sale on our products.
[376] We'll teach you how to do all these things and get that connection that's so important and also giving your kids tools to succeed, learning how to control yourself.
[377] There's so much in here, right?
[378] Just this one example.
[379] That's why I love it because there's so much it's about changing us as people as well.
[380] And then we're teaching our kids for the rest of their lives.
[381] you're going to struggle in this area so here's how you handle when you're 15 and 23 and 38 58 so hey thank you for listening enjoy enjoy your holiday weekend and um let us know how we can help you okay thanks for sharing the podcast love you all bye bye