Hey!

I hope you had a lovely Easter or Passover or Spring Break or whatever you celebrate. 

For today’s Two Tip Tuesday, I’m sharing something we invented in last week’s Boy Mom Academy session – it’s about fan clubs. 

I’m also sharing an event (not mine) that I think you’ll appreciate (and want to attend).  Let’s dive in. 

Tip #1: Make Sure Your Child Has a Fan Club (and Knows It!) 

During a recent Boy Mom Academy group session, we started talking about something we all agree matters (and research backs up): kids need other adults in their lives.

But what does that actually mean? Do they need to talk to those adults? Lean on them for support? Or is it enough just to have them around?

In the middle of that conversation, one mom said her son’s robotics teacher is a fan of his.

And I immediately said, “Yes. That’s it. Kids need fans.” They need to know there’s a network of adults rooting for them and caring about their success.

They need to know those adults would have their back, even if they never put that relationship to the test.

So here’s what I want you to think about today:

 Who is in your child’s fan club?

Who’s the president? Are there adults in their lives (outside of you) cheering them on, whether it’s a close grandparent or a distant family friend?

That robotics teacher, and all the other adults in his life, may never have a heart-to-heart with this mom’s son, but it literally doesn’t matter. What matters is that the fan club makes him feel like he matters.

Once you’ve made a mental (or physical) list of who’s in the club, start weaving it into conversations with your child.
  

• “I’m so glad Auntie Katie gave you straight-talk advice about college. She wants you to succeed.”
• “Grandma was amazed when I showed her what you whittled out of wood.”
• “My friend Heather is your biggest fan.”

These are all true, recent things I’ve said (word-for-word) to my 3 boys.

I challenge you to weave reminders like this into your daily musings and chit-chats with your kids. And let me know too! I’d love to be part of your child’s fan club.

Tip #2: Emotional Regulation and Bouncing Back from the Dark Side: 

Does your kid freeze or resist when it’s time to start something big, like homework, chores, or even packing for a trip?

Do your usual tools, reminders, routines, and calm words, suddenly stop working when time is tight?

That’s usually not a motivation problem. It’s a regulation problem.

When kids are overwhelmed, their nervous system goes offline, and pushing them harder can makes things worse.

If you want a simple way to understand what’s going on and what truly helps in those moments, this workshop is worth attending.

My colleagues, Elizabeth Sautter and Emily Kircher-Morris, are hosting a live session on what really builds emotional regulation and resilience.

They’ll walk through:
✔️ Why regulation has to come before performance (the order matters!)
✔️ How to stay in the stretch-zone, without going into overload
✔️ What tools help kids recover so they can move forward
✔️ How to respond with clarity, not urgency

It’s practical, grounded, and easy to apply right away.

👉 Reserve your seat for the live workshop (event already done)

❤️ Rachel

P.S. It’s not too late to join our upcoming discussion about the book: “Talk to your Boys” by Joanna Schroeder and Christopher Pepper. It’s happening on April 23 at 12pm Pacific, and the best part is that you don’t need to read the book to join. I’ll send you a podcast and article to get you up to speed for the discussion (also optional). 

👉 Join the Book Discussion Here