Jodie Maddox

I PARTNER with parents and schools.

I EMPOWER them to make decisions within their sphere of influence.

I PROVIDE reliable support, with effective strategies, to gain desired results.

Email jodiemaddoxicoach@gmail.com

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Dear Friends,

Happy St. Patty's Day!!!! I love the month of March for many reasons. It's kind of an unsuspecting month with a few traditions that are fun for everyone, young and old. Spring Break, St. Patrick's Day, March Madness, and this year a double blessing with Easter sneaking in towards the end of the month.

This year March has kept me on the highway running back and forth to my hometown to care for my dad. However, because I have the benefit of mostly virtual work, my coaching, and consulting were able to continue as well as pick up speed a bit! Although every family and school is unique, most of my coaching conversations continued to swirl around the same topics. How to help parents manage childhood and teenage emotions and behaviors, and how to help kids cope and thrive while learning to navigate their anxiety. When talking and learning about these issues, I inevitably end up talking about screens and technology and how they unfortunately contribute to behaviors, emotions, and anxiety.

Raising and educating kids in the digital age is not for the emotionally weak-natured. The list of digital options parents must manage and police is much longer than the list the average adult grew up with. Because screens are everywhere, parents don’t always have total control of screen access and content. More and more parents must take special care to ensure they choose media carefully, as well as set healthy boundaries to instill their own family values and beliefs about technology.

In this week's newsletter parent spotlight, we hear from Tanya and Ben, parents of five spectacular children, ages 6 - 17. God bless them! They were kind enough to share their perspective on technology as well as the guidelines that have worked for their family. Such wise wisdom, and might I say courageous foresight in each boundary they are dedicated to enforcing and managing for the healthy formation of their children.

May the luck of the Irish embrace each of you this March!

With A Grateful Heart,

Jodie Maddox Parent Coach and Education Consultant

Below, is a list of real-time technology boundaries from a family with multiple age levels. I truly appreciate their attentiveness to everything from limited screen time to recognizing that with each age comes a different level of responsibility and the need to trust but verify the family guidelines that have been taught. I hope you are able to take away a few bits of goodness and apply them to your own family.

From Tanya and Ben :

1. None of our kids have their own tablets. We have a few that we use almost exclusively for travel, but in general, they are to seek entertainment and mental stimulation elsewhere.
2. We have streaming services at home for our TV, but the rule is that they (pre-high school) can only watch TV with permission, and they must have approval from one of us on what they are watching. Also, they are not allowed to browse YouTube or anything of the like on their own. This needs to be constantly reinforced.
3. Computers are used in common areas only in the house, no laptops or tablets are allowed in their bedrooms. Cell phones stay in the kitchen overnight. That is their designated charging space.
4. In general we use the Google Family Link App to manage screen times.
5. Our teenagers received their cell phones in 8th grade. They sign a cell phone contract which includes explicit details and guidelines regarding:

• Ownership and responsibility of the device and the understanding there is no assumed right to privacy
• The importance of identification protection
• Browsing guidelines with sites like Google and Youtube
• Social Media (they are not allowed to have it)
• Responsibility for damages and repair of the device
• Visibility of screens when in the house
• Cell phone etiquette in situations like meals, parties, texting conversations, and other social communications and gatherings

This sounds like a lot of 'NO's' and 'prohibitions', but it is for the sake of preserving what is good and human about them as they are still young and in formation. We understand they need to be able to navigate technology (and they will), but first and foremost they need to be able to navigate their humanity, recognize truth, beauty, and goodness, and develop the virtue that will help them to keep these things in their proper order.

What is functional & integrative medicine?

Functional & integrative medicine is a shift in the traditional medicine model. Functional integrative medicine focuses on patient-centered care & addresses the whole person, not just a set of symptoms. Functional & integrative medicine dives deep into a child’s medical history, genetics, environmental, & lifestyle factors that can influence their health.

The clinical approach of functional & integrative medicine is to search for the root cause of the disease or condition. When working with children, I always ask “Why did this symptom start?” and “Why is it progressing/not getting better?”. The cause of any condition can vary from child to child, some examples being nutrient imbalances, poor gut health, excess environmental toxins, poor sleep, unstable home or school environment, poor stress response, inadequate nutrition, and lack of appropriate movement/exercise. Two kiddos may be diagnosed with the same condition, but the causes may be completely different. Therefore, each of their protocols would be different as well. Searching for a child’s root cause, and creating a holistic care plan, makes the functional & integrative medicine approach so effective in improving symptoms for ADHD, anxiety, autism, focus, OCD/ODD, sleep disturbances, & other mood or behavior challenges.

For more information about functional and integrative medicine, or to book a free consultation with Dr. Ross check out her website at https://www.flourishbound.com.

Providing support and guidance in a judgment-free zone is a privilege. Together we will dive deep into your priorities, values, and dreams, creating a plan unique for your situation and family. Ready to feel empowered, I am here to help! I partner with parents to help them design necessary strategic change. Together, in 10 short weeks, we will discover, dream, design, and make a plan that supports and empowers you!

Contact me today for your free consultation at jodiemaddoxicoach@gmail.com

Great News!!! I am pleased to share that I have been approved as a vendor for the state of Missouri, complete with a Classwallet account! This is excellent news for schools that are still trying to spend their allocated EANS money. Instructional coaching is an excellent place to start, especially if you have new teachers still working towards their teaching certificate.

I offer a wide range of Professional Development that can help address learning loss experienced due to COVID-19, such as differentiated instruction, inclusion, classroom management, curriculum mapping, strategic planning, and team coaching. Many schools are also taking advantage of Title 4 and EANS funding to build community engagement through parent coaching.

Let's work together to make a difference for teachers and kids! For a description and full list of topics I am currently offering click here.

Email: jodiemaddoxicoach@gmail.com
Website: jodiemaddoxicoach.com
Phone: (913)908-8220
Facebook: facebook.com/Jodiemaddox-ParentCoach&consultant