“The greatest gift we can give our children is the ability to cope with the inevitable difficulties of life.”
On this episode of the Student Fitness Expert Podcast, Karen Gilbert, alongside her co-host, Farah Zweig, interviewed a licensed marriage therapist and family coach, Bette Alkazain.
Bette shares a unique perspective on parenting and how parents can create safe environments where the child can reflect and grow into the best version of their unique self.
Bette believes if the parent is lost in making the child happy, then the core job of parenting doesn’t happen. To put it in perspective, she underscores how raw practices like teaching your kids to be honest and tolerating discomfort can contribute to their success.
Tune in to learn how you can build resilience in your kids and set them up for ultimate success.
About the Guest:
Bette has been a parenting coach, licensed marriage therapist, and educator for over 25 years.
By the time she was 12 years old, her family was going through a second divorce. She struggled in a relationship with her dad and cried many nights while in highschool. Now, Bette helps other families go through difficult times with a little more ease and direction than she had.
Through her coaching practice, Bette provides solutions and proven methods to help families restore and maintain peace at home. As a parent and family coach, Bette also works with parents to set firm, loving limits with their children to raise them into resilient, self-reliant, empathetic adults. She is the author of two best-selling books Parenting Backwards and Potty Training 101. (Links below)
TimeStamps:
- [00:41] About Bette, a snippet of her Journey
- [2:29] What inspired Bette to become a therapist
- [4:44] Best piece of advice for coaches on how to connect with kids
- [8:01] How to support children with their emotions in the light of the current situation
- [15:20] How can parents help kids to build resilience
- [23:57] Bette shares the inspiration behind her Book: Parenting Backward
- [28:40] What it takes to set your kids up for success
- [33:57] Bette’s definition of being fearless
- [37:38] Childhood experience that influenced the role fitness plays in Bette’s life
- [45:54] Where to learn more from Bette
Quotes:
“Communicating is building a relationship of trust that helps kids to blossom and grow.”
“The greatest gift we can give our children is the ability to cope with the inevitable difficulties of life.”
“I accidentally got asked to teach a mommy and me class when a friend of mine was ill, and she asked me to step in that led to being a 14-year career of teaching mommy and me.”
“As parents, we don’t have to help our kids to get through the easy days. Our job is to help the kids cope with the hard feeling of getting through the hard days.”
“Where people tend to fall short in relationships, the most tends to be in communication.”
“Parents’ ultimate job is to prepare their kids for us to die. To deal with the ultimate loss.”
Resources Mentioned:
Highly Recommended Books:
- Parenting Backwards: https://amzn.to/2CoHPRR
- Potty Training 101: https://amzn.to/2WxL8wY
Connect with Bette:
Website: http://balancedparenting.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BalParenting