Raising Lions with Joe Newman

Episode 29: Raising Lions with Joe Newman

I have a real treat for you all for this episode; I got to interview Joe Newman, author of one of my favorite parenting books Raising Lions! If you have been around awhile, you have heard me reference his book. This is a must-listen-to episode if you ever said to yourself, I just don’t know how to tackle this, or my child is strong-willed. 

 

This was such a special episode for me to interview Joe Newman, author of Raising Lions. Joe tells us his story of growing up with ADHD and how he came to write his book. We discuss the importance of understanding connection and power. Joe discusses why boundaries are so important and how our past childhood experiences affect how we parent. We go over so much more in this jam-packed episode. This is not one you want to miss. I know there is so much you will take away from this episode.  

 

What we go over with Joe Newman on Raising Lions:

 

  • Joe’s story about how he wrote his book Raising Lions and the work he does.
  • Why it is so important to understand connection and power with your child. 
  • Why eggshell parenting isn’t helping with behavior - when the parent backs away from challenges and does anything not to have a tantrum.
  • The reason why strong-willed children need stronger boundaries. 
  • Why you need to take parts of old school and new school parenting to actually make it work. 
  • How giving too many choices is not helpful. 
  • Why doing less is more helpful. 
  • How Joe reframed timeouts to breaks. 
  • Breaks - what they really are and how and when to use them. 
  • Why no doesn’t mean no when you don’t set boundaries. 
  • How to get kids to take breaks when they aren’t listening. 
  • It takes time to undo children’s behaviors. It can sometimes take multiple experiences.
  • It’s always us, as parents, it’s so critical to understand the dynamic of how you are dealing with your child. 
  • We are still at the beginning of understanding children. This requires stepping out of old paradigms and looking for what works for you and your child. 
  • Ask yourself, is what you are currently doing working? And if not, what can you do to shift the lens on what you are doing?  
  • Why ADHD children usually have sleep struggles. 
  • Kids need different things, some need approval, and others need power. 
  • Your child is not always seeking attention from you. 
  • Look at your behavior and past experiences as a parent. This affects your child.
  • Children don’t learn cognitively first. They learn from experiences. 

Learn more about Joe Newman - Raising Lions https://www.raisinglions.com/

Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@raising_lions

Joe Newman likes kids with attitude because he was one. In 1970 he was diagnosed and medicated.  His book, Raising Lions, is the culmination of a 30-year journey working with the most difficult kids and a desire to build deep respect and love into our educational institutions and families. He teaches parents and teachers simple, practical methods to understand and motivate all our children.  

Everywhere he went, the playground, the classroom, even at home, Joe heard one message loud and clear: you’re broken; your brain doesn't work; you don’t belong here. No surprises when, at eighteen, he shaved his hair into a mohawk and took off to surf the waves and search for a purpose. It was out in the world, surfing the coastlines of the Caribbean and Central America, listening to punk rock, working scores of odd jobs, that Joe realized he was not in fact broken. Out in the world, away from the tethers of school and home, Joe realized that those same qualities which had caused him and those around him suffering as a kid, his aggression, his rapid fire brain, his stubbornness, were all qualities that when put in the right context became sources of positivity and value.  Aggression became contagious passion, distractibility became multi-tasking, and stubbornness became tenacity.  In light of this newfound confidence, he had to wonder: how many children were out there, just like him, with ferocious spirits and no clue what to do with them?

The methods Joe outlines in his book are practical, easy to implement and based on common sense. The method is revolutionary. Instead of observing the child and treating a "condition," Raising Lions helps teachers determine the causes of a child's behavior and identifies a step-by-step approach to correct it, shifting the way adults and children interact everyday. With these shifts in interaction, children develop the ability to internally self-regulate, and teachers set boundaries, while recognizing the voice and autonomy of the child. In layman’s terms, this means teachers spend less time correcting behavior and more time teaching motivated children.

 

Resources:

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