In this episode of Motherhood: The Best Job in the World, Kelsey Redd, mental health counselor turned stay-at-home mom, shares a funny, eye-opening parenting story about the gender differences between her boy-girl twins — and what it taught her about communicating with toddlers. Learn why toddler boys may not "see" messes the way girls do, and how you can use specific parenting scripts and simple, concrete instructions to help young kids listen, follow directions, and cooperate without frustration.

If you're wondering how to get your toddler to listen, how to talk to young kids in a way that works, or how to stop nagging and start connecting, this episode is for you. Kelsey gives practical parenting tips for improving toddler cooperation, reducing power struggles, and adjusting your communication style based on your child's unique perspective, gender, and personality.

✨ Topics covered:

• How to get toddlers to follow directions

• Talking to toddler boys vs toddler girls

• Parenting twins and understanding gender differences

• Gentle parenting scripts that actually work

• How to communicate with toddlers so they listen

• Encouraging cooperation without yelling

🎙 Follow the podcast and connect with Kelsey on Instagram at @motherhood_thebestjob for more mindful parenting tips, relatable stories, and practical tools for enjoying motherhood and raising emotionally healthy kids.

In this post, Kelsey Redd shares a relatable story about color-coded plates, toddler meltdowns, and the surprising parenting lesson behind it all: decision fatigue in young children.

Discover how giving toddlers and preschoolers too many choices can overwhelm their developing brains and trigger tantrums, power struggles, and emotional meltdowns. Kelsey explains how simplifying decisions and offering limited choices can help kids feel more confident, regulated, and empowered — while also saving moms from daily battles over everything from breakfast options to favorite cups.

✨ In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What decision fatigue looks like in toddlers and preschoolers

• How too many choices can overwhelm young children

• The power of offering two choices to build autonomy and prevent meltdowns

• Simple parenting hacks for reducing overwhelm and creating calmer routines

• How to support your child’s emotional regulation through mindful decision-making

This episode is perfect for moms of toddlers and preschoolers who want to reduce power struggles, create smoother daily routines, and parent with confidence, mindfulness, and peace.

🎙 Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and follow Kelsey on Instagram at @motherhood_thebestjob for more mindful parenting tips, relatable stories, and practical scripts you can use with your kids right away.

Unlock the secret to a thriving family culture with this heartfelt episode of Motherhood: The Best Job in the World! Join host Kelsey Redd, a stay-at-home mom, as she shares four sacred rituals to transform your parenting from reactive to intentional. Discover practical parenting tips like how to make sacred rituals out of family mealtimes, one-on-one car conversations, unrushed mornings, and dedicated bedtimes to foster connection and a nurturing home environment. Perfect for busy moms seeking to build a meaningful family culture, these intentional parenting strategies help creating lasting bonds and a sense of security. With ideas inspired by Household Habits expert, Justin Whitmel Earley, this episode offers actionable ideas to balance the chaos of motherhood with purposeful routines. Tune in for relatable stories, stress-reducing techniques, and insights to create a family culture you’re proud of. Connect with Kelsey on social media or the podcast website to share your journey!

I hear so many moms that say they don’t do anything for themselves. Or tell me they can’t even remember what they used to enjoy. This is a problem! If this is you, DM me and let’s get on a coaching call and find your identity again! 

When you enjoy hobbies for yourself, you can be the mom you want to be and here’s why:

1️⃣ When you fill your own cup, you have more resources to pour into your family. You can’t keep giving and giving without ever replenishing yourself. Some kid free time doing something you love will give you the mental, emotional, and even physical energy to be a happy and present mom. 

2️⃣ Having your own hobbies models to your kids that it is OK to take breaks and give yourself what you need. How often do you tell your kid to go have some quiet time or take some space when they’re overstimulated, but are we modeling this for them? Not to mention the benefit of SHOWING kids how we are trying new things, learning and failing, and that we value play when we go out and do it ourselves!

3️⃣ Spending time in kid-free hobbies allows you to reconnect with who you are outside of being a mom. This helps preserve and strengthen your individual identity, which can so easily get lost in the all-consuming process of raising tiny humans.

Subscribe now, share this show with a mom friend, and join the conversation! 

What are your family values? What is most important to your family? How would you describe your family culture? If you can't answer those questions, this episode of Motherhood: The Best Job in the World is for you.  A family culture that you're proud of doesn't just happen.  If you aren't defining your household values, news media, peer influences, or societal pressures will shape your culture for you. Learn why proactively defining your family culture can transform your home! Your host, Kelsey Redd, shares practical steps for collaborating as a family to decide what is important to your family, creating a family mission statement, and how to implement your values into your routines. Subscribe now, share this show with a mom friend, and join the conversation! 

In today's relatable mom story, Kelsey shares how she learned to be a more present and attuned mother from her baby.  This episode discussed attachment theory in children 0-3 years old, and why parental attunement is so critical as babies form their belief system about the world around them.  In order to learn trust, safety, and healthy attachment, babies' bids for attention need to me met with soothing touch and a calm voice.  Kelsey describes one of the big "joy-killers" in mothering, and how to create space and balance between work and family.

Discover the power of intentional parenting in this engaging episode of Motherhood: The Best Job in the World! Join Kelsey as she explores the key differences between reactive and intentional parenting, offering practical tips to create a nurturing family culture. Learn why intentional parenting—rooted in clear values and consistent rituals—helps regulate both parents’ and children’s nervous systems, fostering a calmer, happier home. Drawing from Andy and Sandra Stanley’s book,  "Parenting: Getting It Right", Kelsey shares relatable stories and actionable strategies, like defining your parenting “win” and matching your approach to your child’s developmental stage. Perfect for parents seeking effective parenting techniques, stress reduction, and stronger family connections. Tune in for expert insights, emotional regulation tips, and a roadmap to purposeful parenting that transforms your family dynamic.

Moms do so much for their kids, yet we often feel so unappreciated.  In this episode, Kelsey shares a relatable story about how her homemade sourdough bread was received; and gives two practical tips for teaching your kids to show more gratitude.  Although children are developmentally going to be ego-centric at times, parents can intentionally model showing appreciation and cultivate a gratitude family culture.  If you enjoy this episode, don't forget to leave a review and share it with a mom friend! And of course, reach out to Kelsey to share your motherhood stories! 

Get to know Kelsey as a friend, as she intimately shares her experience of finding meaning in suffering through infertility; having twins in the NICU and feeling postpartum depression when they came home; then experiencing paralyzing postpartum anxiety after her third baby was born.

Kelsey shares her theory that all women since Mother Eve have Divine Gifts that help them mother.  These Divine Feminine gifts include the need for expansion, the ability to see potential, and ultimately, the gift of being a Divine Creator.

Real and raw stories from a stay-at-home mom just like you.  Have you ever had a great idea of something to do with your kids, just for everything to go wrong.  Here's two tips for salvaging parenting plans gone wrong. 
Subscribe now, share this show with a mom friend, and join the conversation! 

Connect with Kelsey:

motherhood.thebestjob@gmail.com

IG @motherhood_thebestjob

I’m Kelsey Redd, your Parenting Coach. I want to help you be a more present mom, teaching you how to enjoy parenting, and empower you to experience personal growth and fulfillment while parenting!

In this Episode, Kelsey shares the decade long journey of infertility that made her hate Mothers Day, and the full circle healing that eventually led her to starting a podcast all about the joy of mothering.  Because she understands the struggle of infertility and postpartum depression, she is even more grateful for the privilege of motherhood, and wants to celebrate all the moms out there!