When Your Child Needs Attention with Whitnee H.

Whitnee has a 2.5-year-old son who is struggling to cope with big changes as the family moves to a new city. He always wants Whitnee to play with him, even when she’s not able to. How can Whitnee help him to understand that she can’t spend all of her time playing with him, as much as she’d like to?

Today, I share with Whitnee the importance of validating his feelings. We talk about why, in the middle of upheaval, he looks to her for security, and I suggest that she schedule little play breaks. I point out the importance of making it clear that she’s not doing him a favor when she plays with him; she wants to. I note the helpfulness of a kitchen timer and explain how to use it in this situation. I offer some terminology to help him with the feeling that Whitnee is with him even when they’re not playing.

“I think he’s wanting to be with you more because you give him security.” – Sue Groner

This week on The Parenting Mentor:

• The importance of scheduling
• Validation of feelings
• The need for security
• Some helpful terminology

Meet the Parenting Mentor

If you want to reduce the everyday stress and anxiety that inevitably come with parenting and learn to be a happier and more relaxed parent, then this is the place for you.

Here, you can listen in on real sessions with parents who open up about the specific challenges they face with children from 2 to 22. Listen along and gain perspectives and strategies to help you parent with sanity and joy.

Visit theparentingmentor.com for notes on this show, more episodes, and all the ways to subscribe, and don’t forget to pick up my book, Parenting with Sanity and Joy: 101 Simple Strategies, which includes my Nine Golden Rules of Parenting.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts!

Spotify I Stitcher I Apple Podcasts I iHeard Radio I TuneIn I Google Podcasts

Most Recent Episodes

July 26, 2023

When You’re the Lead Dad in a Mom’s World with Paul S (ENCORE)

Paul S is the lead dad to his three daughters. What is that exactly, you ask? He’s the main parent that takes on most or all of  the daily responsibilities for the kids. He loves his role with his...

Listen · 22:54

July 12, 2023

When your child won’t listen to the word NO with Jes L (ENCORE)

Jes L is a mother to two girls, 11 years old and a 15 months old. While her first daughter was fairly easy as a baby, Jes is finding the experience with her second daughter to be entirely different -...

Listen · 21:12

July 6, 2023

When Your Child Doesn't Want To Use the Potty with Tina V (ENCORE)

Tina V has two boys, 3 years old and 1 year old. She has been struggling with potty training her 3 year old who is resistant to the process. She has tried bribing him with toys and chocolate and...

Listen · 12:13

Load More Episodes

Susan G. Groner Founder of The Parenting Mentor, Author, Podcaster

As an experienced mother of 2 young adults, Sue Groner knows how stressful and overwhelming parenting can be at times. She founded The Parenting Mentor to provide an ally for parents in their quest to raise confident and resilient children. Sue is the author of Parenting with Sanity and Joy. 101 Simple Strategies, is the host of The Parenting Mentor Sessions Podcast, and is a certified Positive Discipline parent educator.

Sue is also the creator of the CLEARR method of parenting, developed through years of trial (and her fair share of errors!) with her own family. CLEARR adheres to the belief that parenting strategies should be grounded in six important pillars: Communication, Love, Empathy, Awareness, Rules, and Respect. This has become the cornerstone of her practice as The Parenting Mentor.

A graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a former advertising executive, Sue is a frequent guest expert on ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox to name a few, and provides advice for many national publications and websites such as The Wall Street Journal, Parents, Real Simple, Today.com, HuffPost, and Katie Couric Media. Sue resides in New York City and Bedford, NY with her husband, and when she’s lucky, with her children. She is available for private and group mentorship sessions(in-person or virtual) nationwide for individuals and corporations.