This week, I talk with Irene McKenna, a parenting expert, about helping families to navigate the loss of a pet. The bulk of our conversation includes how to express feelings and how to help our children to be resilient.
Find out more about Irene:
Irene is a conscious parenting & relationship coach for moms who want to yell less and laugh more so they can have amazing relationships with their partner and kids. She’s passionate in the belief that moms get to thrive in motherhood and have fun along the journey. She’s the owner of Irene McKenna Coaching and host of the Thrive in Motherhood Podcast. Her inspiration and greatest teachers are her two boys who give ample opportunity for learning daily. Irene believes in cultivating joy in her life daily and you can usually find her curled up reading personal development books (seriously all the books), walking outside with her puppy, or playing games with her husband and kids.
Summary
It’s okay to be sad in front of our kids – it teaches our children that feelings are real for everyone and that expressing them is healthy. By helping our children to express their feelings, they can learn to be resilient.
Sharing memories and photos helps your child to feel invested in the story and allows them to see you get through your feelings. It helps them feel they can get through hard feelings too.
It’s okay to take space for yourself if you are feeling too sad to be present for your kids.
Empathy acknowledges that you have experienced those feelings too. It allows you to be there without trying to “fix” their feelings.
Ask a Question
If you’ve got a question about your kids and dogs, go to www.speakpipe.com/PoochParenting and record it there just like a voicemail. And I will include it in a future episode.
