The Dr. Psych Mom Show with clinical psychologist Dr. Samantha Rodman Whiten

Become a Paid Subscriber: https://anchor.fm/drpsychmomshow/subscribe A reader requested the topic "how to know if you're raising emotionally intelligent kids" but I figured many people may want to know what to do if you see that you're not!  In this episode, I discuss the number one way to promote empathy and emotional understanding in your kids.  It may be both simpler and harder than you think!  Please subscribe if you learned something new! Links: Mothers: Share Your Feelings With Your Son To Help Him Later Understand Women How to Teach Your Kids Empathy  Don't Compulsively Verbalize And Validate Your Kids' Emotions

Subscribe if you learned something new! https://anchor.fm/drpsychmomshow/subscribe In this episode, I discuss how it's healthy and adaptive to train your partner to meet your needs, why you may think this is impossible or have biases against the idea of this, and even how to model this healthy dynamic for your kids!  I address the myth of it being somehow less genuine or meaningful to have to teach someone how to treat you; in fact, the earlier and more directly you can train your partner how to treat you, the better your marriage will be!  Links: It Isn’t Bad If Your Husband Needs To Learn The Words To Make You Feel Close People Pleasing Daughters Of Covertly Narcissistic Moms (often have trouble asserting their needs) Five Steps to Directly and Effectively Communicate in Relationships

Subscribe if you love these episodes!!  https://anchor.fm/drpsychmomshow/subscribeIn this episode, I discuss why women often feel their bodies drop off a cliff in their 40's, and what happens to their minds and personalities.  Anyone who is or is married to, or WILL be married to, a 40 year old woman, should listen to this episode!  Essential listening to figure out why this age yields so much more independence :) but a lot less niceness :( Please subscribe and thanks for listening!If you are a Dad Starting Over fan, sign up for our Zoom event on whether monogamy can work here! https://events.zoom.us/ev/ALRxKTP6PeG7CacB_qbwNhHXaPGk46c1jLkaB8dN7jpRwigdlXsIN9TRHKtgaB0yFMZmmHQ?lmt=1648863467000Links:Issues That 40 (and 50!) Year Old Women Still Struggle With (https://www.drpsychmom.com/2019/03/07/issues-that-40-and-50-year-old-women-still-struggle-with/) 5 Things That Many Women Experience In Their Late 30's and Early 40's (https://www.drpsychmom.com/2019/09/09/5-things-that-many-women-experience-in-their-late-30s-early-40s/) I'm Turning 40, Now What Do I Do With My Life? (https://www.drpsychmom.com/2014/08/24/reader-q-turning-40-now/)

Subscribe if you love these episodes!!  https://anchor.fm/drpsychmomshow/subscribe Expanding on this post, I discuss the overparenting epidemic and how it hurts both kids and parents. Instead of worrying constantly about doing or saying the "wrong" thing with your kids, recognize that you are a person too, with your own limits and boundaries.  Empower your kids to be confident in themselves by stepping back from the role of overprotective micromanager, and watch how they thrive.  Links: Tell Your Kids About Your Work!  Stop Feeding Your Child Fake Praise 

Subscribe if you love these episodes!!  https://anchor.fm/drpsychmomshow/subscribe There's a term in psychology called help rejecting complainer, and it is exactly what it sounds like!  This episode describes this type of communication style, why it is so irritating, how to handle it if your partner or parent acts this way, and what to do if (gasp) you yourself recognize that you are a help rejecting complainer!  I also dispel the myth that it is terrible to try and problem solve when a partner is consistently unhappy. Please subscribe and thanks so much for listening, everyone! Links: What Else Does Depression Look Like? How Growing Up In A Negative Home Can Paralyze You In Adulthood

Please subscribe here! https://anchor.fm/drpsychmomshow/subscribe As I discuss in this episode expanding on my post Why To Talk About Exes, a wealth of information comes from discussing your past sexual and romantic experiences!  It is silly to talk about families of origin and then just skip over relationship history and expect to understand your partner on a deep level. if you are unable to openly recognize that your partner has seen another set of genitals prior to yours, it may well be stopping you two from having the level of genuine, close connection, in bed and out, that you yearn for. I discuss all the obvious and less obvious benefits of talking about exes, in addition to what people fear will happen versus the reality I observe in my office. Thanks for listening!

Become a Paid Subscriber: https://anchor.fm/drpsychmomshow/subscribe A listener recorded a question for me about dating with a toddler after divorce! I discuss my thoughts about dating as a single parent, and how to maintain a healthy perspective no matter when you choose to start dating or how casual versus serious you are with this new person. The idea that a child will be traumatized by meeting a new friend/dating partner a few times even if it doesn't end up working out is outdated and usually a remnant of a different era of divorce.  If your focus stays on your child and you use my guidelines, dating someone new as a divorced parent (or breaking up with someone) does not have to be a scary event for you or your child. Links: Ex-Wife Wants To Introduce Her Boyfriend Of 3 Months To Our Kids How To Introduce Your New Partner To Your Kids

Become a Paid Subscriber: https://anchor.fm/drpsychmomshow/subscribe  Men and women are on totally different planets with how much, how often and to what intensity level they think about their kids, even if they both love the kids equally. In this episode, I discuss how thoughts about the kids pervade every aspect of the average mom's life, and help her husband understand her on a deeper level and understand how this evolutionarily-mediated phenomenon manifests even (especially?) on date night!  If you discuss this episode with your partner, it can help you understand each other in a whole new way. Links: Men: Here Are 9 Things That Women Really Think About All Day The Stage Where You No Longer Worry About Physical Safety AKA The Renaissance Of The Highly Sensitive Mother  And related... The Young Mother Stage And Why To Come Home Early From Work

Become a Paid Subscriber: https://anchor.fm/drpsychmomshow/subscribe  What is codependency and how does it differentiate from interdependence? So many people use this buzzword, but what does it really mean?  And how can you work toward a healthier relationship where you have boundaries and your own sense of self? Links:  When a Man Loves a Woman (the movie I mentioned!)  Interdependence As A Relationship Goal   Am I Sabotaging My Relationship Because I Don't Want To Confront That He's An Alcoholic  My Brilliant Husband Is Anxious And Refuses Treatment

In a comment about my post My Male Clients Are Doing Much More Housework And Childcare Than A Decade Ago And Their Wives Are Not Happier, a reader asks what we should teach boys about marriage if it's not just to do the housework and help out.  I directly address this, as well as explore the disparity in what parents nowadays seem to teach boys vs girls about self-worth and the need for a partner to respect you. If you don't want your son to end up in a sexless or loveless marriage, there are ways to help him out!  Please subscribe to my podcast and rate me on Apple! Links: Would You Want Your Son's Wife To Treat Him Like You Treat Your Husband? Important Areas of Compatibility