052: How to Raise an Emotionally Healthy Child – with Maureen Healy

If you’re a parent, you’ll know how tricky it is to raise children. You may also know how to juggle running your business at the same time. For me, there’s always a sneaky little voice in my head that creeps in and says, “Hey Mary, you’re doing it WRONG!”

What if there was a different way to parent? More importantly, what if you could squash that fear and be equipped with simple, practical tools that will help your kids navigate life, their intense emotions, and ultimately help them be happier and healthier in today’s world?

Good news, you’ve come to the right spot.

My guest today, Maureen Healy, is going to simplify how to raise an emotionally healthy child.

Maureen is an award-winning author, and her work is so LEGIT, the Dalai Lama himself wrote the preface to her latest book, WOW!

Having kicked cancer to the curb at age 25 and having a baby shortly after, I can think of no one else better suited to show us the way.

In this episode, you will learn:

• What does the term ‘an emotionally healthy’ child mean?
• What the ‘accelerators of health’ are, and what role mindfulness plays in how you parent
• What the ‘3 steps to success’ are, and how this can help your kids when they get triggered (you can use them as adults too!)
  • Stop
  • Calm
  • Make a smart choice, for yourself and others
• What it means to have a ‘highly sensitive’, or ‘Indigo child’
  • How you might need to shift your parenting approach and/or mindset to better connect with them
• How to best broach the topic of death when it comes to their aging grandparents

I really love how Maureen simplifies it all down for us. It takes a shift in your mindset (with new ideas, tools and insight), mixed with a reconsideration of your current habits, through new strategies and every day practice. This is how you can get to where you want to go, which could apply to any area of your work and life – not just parenting.

Love it!

Let’s #DoTheThing!

Links, books and apps mentioned:

Book: The Emotionally Healthy Child: Helping Your Child Calm, Center, and Make Smarter Choices – Maureen Healy

Book: Growing Happy Kids: How to Foster Inner Confidence, Success, and Happiness – Maureen Healy

Book: Choose the Life You Want: The Mindful Way to Happiness – Tal Ben-Shahar PhD

Book: Energetic Keys To Indigo Kids: Your Guide to Raising and Resonating With the New Children – Maureen Healy

Resource: Information resource about Indigo kids

Favorite quotes from this episode:

[16:50] “Definitely growth – the physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual – they’re all interconnected.” – Maureen

[19:09] “The goal isn’t only to be a safe refuge as parents, but also to teach [children] how you soothe yourself, how do you internalize that safe place, so that when you’re out in the world (that doesn’t always feel so sensitive or safe) you can learn how to bring yourself back to that sense of soothing.” – Maureen

[23:51] “The goal in life is to give your best and let go of the rest and then you can try again.” – Maureen

[24:31] “The more you do something that is uncomfortable, the easier it becomes because you’ve got practice at it.” – Mary

[27:06] “Particularly children who are emotionally sensitive – have big emotions which are very intense and very fast moving – helping them learn how to make those smart choices and navigate their world is the goal.” – Maureen

About Maureen:

Maureen Healy is the author of The Emotionally Healthy Child and also Growing Happy Kids, which won Nautilus and Readers’ Favorite book awards in 2014.

A popular Psychology Today blogger and sought-after public speaker, Maureen runs a global mentoring program for elementary-aged children and works with parents and their children in her busy private practice.

Her expertise in social and emotional learning has taken her all over the world, including working with Tibetan refugee children at the base of the Himalayas in Northern India to classrooms in Northern California.

Maureen’s vote for the perfect guest on The Simplifiers Podcast:

Renee Stahl of Renee & Friends’ Simpatico – a musical collection of collaborations between singer Renee Stahl, producer Rich Jacques and a notable array of singers, writers and performers.

Where Maureen hangs out online:

Facebook: @maureendhealy

Twitter: @mdhealy

Instagram: @maureendhealy

YouTube: Maureen Healy