Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw

BEING HONEST - Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 233

In this brief but important episode, Dr. Shaw takes a close look at what it means to share your feelings honestly with your friends and with your associates.   In any instance where we feel that telling the truth will create a negative consequence, we may have our rationale, but in reality, honesty is the best policy.  The old saying that "the truth will set you free" is correct, but it is all based on your belief system.  We must all learn to let go of any belief that doesn't serve us.  

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE - Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 232

On this brief podcast, Dr. Shaw takes a moment to express her gratitude and share her desire to help people and continue to contribute to society.  As she hits the 4 1/2 year mark in the life of her weekly podcasts, Dr. Shaw wanted to simply reflect on her desire to share her expertise each week and to thank those who have been so supportive of her podcast efforts.  Her reflection here reminds us that having a positive impact on someone or opening their eyes to a new way of thinking, no matter what the size or scope of that impact, is always worthwhile.

FRIENDSHIPS - Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 231

In this brief but very valuable episode, Dr. Shaw shares some timeless wisdom regarding maintaining friendships as quality relationships.  For a long time she has promoted the concept that friendships, relationships and partnerships are only truly succeeding if all parties involved are lifted up.   No one needs nor should anyone tolerate a relationship where you are made to feel worse or smaller or less than someone else.  She points to the trusting environment that she created year after year in her classroom as a successful learning environment BECAUSE there was trust and a feeling of safety.  She also reminds us that exposing our children appropriately to the ups and downs of our own relationships will serve to teach them the right path in developing and maintaining their own friendships of worth and meaning. 

GIVING CHILDREN RESPONSIBILITY - Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 230

It this episode, Dr. Shaw discusses when and how to designate responsibility to our children.  She draws an important comparison between responsibility and respect because they both need to earned and they both need to be mutual.  She also illustrates how responsibility must be a product of responsiveness, and what that really means.  Here, Dr. Shaw also re-introduces the concept of modeling the kind of result(s) you want for your children, and you can sometimes accomplish that aspect by sharing a very personal story.  She also encourages all parents and educators to share the tasks with young children, and she illustrates clearly in this podcast what that looks like.

Presidential Bullying! - Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 229

This podcast was recorded on March 1, 2025, the day after the surreal meeting of the U.S. President and the President of Ukraine at the White House.  Dr. Shaw has been a proponent of ethics and humanity for a long time... she has written 22 children's nonfiction books on social and emotional behavior... and she cannot digest the embarrassing bullying that took place at the White House on Feb. 28, 2025.  Her comments on this podcast episode might be construed as political, but they are simply a visceral reaction by an educator who fought bullying and other bad behavior for her entire long career.

HOW TO HAVE QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS - Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 228

In this very valuable episode, Dr. Shaw dives into not only the importance of having quality relationships, but she also provides a road map for how to have and maintain them.   She breaks it down into what she calls the "6 C's"... Communication, Conflict management, Caring for yourself and those around you, Connecting openly and deeply, Commitment and Courage.  These essential ingredients to quality relationships are listed and discussed in no particular order, but Dr. Shaw does a great job of examining each of those items and offering illustrative examples of how they work in practice.  This is all important because we want our children to have quality relationships at school and with their peers, and by maintaining quality relationships as parents, educators or mentors, we model the best behavior for them.

LIVING WITHOUT DOUBT - Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 227

In this episode, Dr. Shaw takes a close look at what it means to either live with self-doubt OR to cast doubt aside and live with an attitude of possibility.  Dr. Shaw acknowledges that there are many things that we may not be able to master or ever to do well, but understanding our reasonable limitations is not the same as living in doubt.  She puts forth that doubt (along with regret and guilt) is a creator of obstacles and that when we live in a space of doubt, we are causing our own suffering and not allowing ourselves to be open to success.  Naturally, while this is a philosophy for adults to live by, it's also a pattern that we should model for our children so that they, too, are open to saying "I think I can." 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 226

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw examines the question that many of us ask ourselves which is... how do we get to the point where we feel that we are "enough"?   Over-achievers clearly are motivated by being better all the time, and Dr. Shaw, who admits to being an over-achiever, points out that for her, her biggest competition is with herself.   Often, doing your best is simply enough, and we need to learn how to celebrate doing our best.  It is also okay to have down time, even when the need to contribute for a feeling of self-worth is pushing you forward.  Self-love means working towards unconditional self-love.  An important tenet to remember is to simply lead a balanced life.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 225

In this advice-filled episode, Dr. Shaw veers into a territory that she usually does not address which is interacting with adolescents.  This topic came in by request, and Dr. Shaw dove right in with a balanced and intelligent approach.  She begins by acknowledging that adolescence is a challenging time, and she then runs through a number of key points in how to best address issues with that age group.  She says to encourage open communication, and ideally, that's something you start earlier in life.  She also says to promote healthy habits, to be a source of encouragement, to be honest, to encourage quality relationships outside of the immediate family, to teach problem-solving, to set goals that are attainable, to be patient and to model self-care.  Of course she gives more detail and examples of what each of those supportive behaviors might look like making this an incredibly valuable podcast.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 224

In this episode, Dr. Shaw continues responding to the feedback she received from parents regarding what they would like to see included in their children's education.... and today she addresses COMMITMENT and FOLLOW-THROUGH.   Dr. Shaw describes what a commitment consists of and how to not avoid the task.  The importance of commitment is that it keeps an individual on track.  If you begin a commitment, you need to recognize the goal and the intention of that commitment and that it is important that children feel the accomplish of the commitment.   Also, if there is an agreement to make a commitment it needs to be followed through.  If not, there must be natural consequences.  

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 223

In this episode, Dr. Shaw continues here mini-series focused on best practices for educating children per what parents want most for their children.  Here she concentrates on the concept of grit and hard work, and she begins with a reminder that parents and educators must model exactly what we want our children to learn.  Dr. Shaw also points out that confusion is important to avoid, and checking for understanding when we communicate with our children is very important.  She interlaces the notion of commitment or follow-through while discussing hard work, and she gives great guidance on how to handle things when faced with a difficult challenge.  

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 222

With this episode, Dr. Shaw continues her series within a series.  During this edition, she is addressing the areas of education in which most parents have indicated to her that they are most interested in regard to their child's learning.  This week her focus is on teaching kindness and compassion.  One key to teaching kindness and compassion is by example.  Parents often unconsciously display behavior that runs completely counter to what they want their children to be taught.... the lesson there for parents is to be careful.  For teachers, the key is being intentional.  We are always socializing our children to pay attention to things, so reinforce that their attention should be paid to the positive.  

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 221

With this podcast, Dr. Shaw begins a brief series within her series during which she will present key components of what parents are telling her they want out of their children's education.  The areas of interest for most parents of young children do vary, but Dr. Shaw has distilled the most common goals and topics into a handful of categories, and what she focuses on in this podcast is teaching children honesty and integrity.  Parents want their children to be aware of their humanity, and she explains how in her classrooms the stage was always set for children to learn how to be honest and how deceit is a double-edged sword.  One must note and mark moments when honesty is exhibited, must continue to model honesty and must reinforce in both the home and the learning environment that we pay attention to only the positive and not reward the negative with our attention.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 220

Happy New Year!   In this episode, Dr. Shaw starts the new year of 2025 off with a conversation about New Year's Resolutions and about making your life experience as productive and successful as it can be.  It's a refreshing look at starting the new year out properly without pie-in-the-sky goals that may lead to disappointment.   She offers solid advice and information on how to set reasonable expectations for yourself, on the power of having confidence, on the importance of self-love and on generally remaining positive.   

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 219

In this episode, Dr. Shaw takes a moment to focus on how the human condition and the desire for connection can sometimes be guided simply by the group that we are part of rather than our pure humanity.  It is true that being a member of a group does offer valuable support, but it is too narrow of a definition for ourselves.  Dr. Shaw observes that she never wanted one chapter of her life to be the dominant chapter of her personal story. She illustrates this analysis by relaying a recent experience she had with a new friend, and she noticed that she and this friend shared an experience and perhaps that commonality led the two of them to their connect.  In the end, it almost doesn't matter what creates the connection... the connection itself is the gift.  Humanity should be the source of connection and with that knowledge, we don't need subgroups to define us.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 218

This brief episode is another one inspired by the recent election in the U.S., and it is a personal and non-political commentary.  Dr. Shaw is an educator who believes in "walking your walk" and it would not be honest for her to not share her wishes and hopes for the world going forward, and that's what she does here.  She references the words and theories of other writers, yet at the same time she presents her singular point of view.  Her hope is for everyone to end up winning as a result of the recent political contest 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 217

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw re-examines the topic of surrender versus seeing things through.   She feels that it is an important attribute of child-rearing that conversations take place and that many of life's tasks and events are prepared for in advance or "front-loaded" as much as possible.  One of the conversations that is important to have is when it comes to commitments that are made by children.  It could be commitment to a sports team or other after school activity, it could be a commitment to a hobby... whatever it is there are learning lessons inherent in knowing when it is time to persevere or when it might be time to change course.  There are consequences to not setting the stage properly up front and also to making the wrong choice at decision-making time.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 216

In this brief episode, which follows two very personal episodes, Dr. Shaw returns to her specialty as a parenting expert.  Here she discussed the simple scenario of having a child acting out because something didn't go their way.  What actually happened isn't as important as Dr. Shaw's tenet that it's okay to veer away from your usual parenting rules and boundaries AS LONG AS bad behavior is not seen as being rewarded.  Also, if bad behavior is temporarily not addressed for whatever social or environmental reasons, it must be addressed and reviewed at a later time.  Your child must know what they did incorrectly, why it was not appropriate behavior, and what the normal natural consequence for such behavior should be.  Children know and appreciate boundaries as well as needing them.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 215

In this episode, Dr. Shaw once again takes the opportunity to share how positivity can be found as the silver lining of difficult situations.   Her home in Florida was affected by a recent hurricane and she discusses the fallout from that challenging event and how resilience remains an important trait.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 214

In this episode, Dr. Shaw presents a personal point of view regarding the feelings that some folks are having following the recent US Presidential election.  As an educator, Dr. Shaw focused on teaching humanity (just like with the title of this podcast), and for someone with her history it could be easy to be frustrated or scared or shocked by the recent political outcomes across the U.S. because teaching humanity involves teaching about kindness, inclusion, tolerance, respect and so much more... and those things seemed to be clearly missing from the winning team in this election cycle.  Her point of view here, however, is positive.  She offers advice on how we should all remain patient and positive because what happened had an element of inevitability.  She encourages everyone to stay strong and positive and keep focused on the best possible outcomes in the future.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 213

In this episode Dr. Shaw addresses the notion of having confidence.  She begins by noting that, often in life, individuals who have confidence will go further than those who possess actual talent but lack confidence.  Dr. Shaw shares that this is hot topic for her personally, and that in fact while she is working on a new book, she tends to ask the question, "Am I really qualified to create this book?"   It really comes down to being an internal battle with self-doubt, and that can often be the re-appearance of an old "muscle," one that lacks confidence.  The idea is to exercise a new muscle that exudes confidence.  She points out that we all need to recognize those habits that don't serve us and to transform those negative thoughts into the feeling that "yes, I can."  Additionally, if you are going to allow anyone to be a coach for you in life, make sure that they are the kind of coach that lifts you up and doesn't keep you down.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 212

In this episode, Dr. Shaw discusses how we overcome grief and how we allow ourselves to have the feelings that we have.  We cannot suppress certain feelings.. we have to feel them.  For her personally, self-observation followed by reflection on her own behavior leads her to her own transformation or adjustment from one mood to another.  She questions whether there is sometimes a need to be sad.  Sometimes there may be an unconscious addiction to feeling a certain way.  Sometimes depression feeds us.  Sometimes there are external forces that steer us to negativity.  Sometimes we are the cause of our own suffering.  Regardless of the causes, it's important to observe ourselves and recognize the state of our being in order to adjust and have the most fulfilling lives. 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 211

In this very brief episode, Dr. Shaw introduces us to a new concept that she is developing as a program to assist families.   In schools, many students will be given an IEP or Individual Education Plan which is a document that identifies a given student's needs and outlines how those needs will be met.  Dr. Shaw believes that given the stresses and strains of life right now, many FAMILIES need a similar structure in order to have the best practices of family life come into play.  To that end, Dr. Shaw is beginning to offer her services in developing FEP's or Family Education Plans.  She briefly describes her new project on this podcast with more details to follow.   You can always learn more online about Dr. Shaw's history and her work and you can also contact her, all via her website at www.LearnWithMeRemotely.com.  

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 210

In this episode, Dr. Shaw takes a look at the need to balance the essence of a child with the developing personality of a child during a child's growth and emergence into being a person.  Their essence is that innocence and spirit that a young child has, the purity that enables them to be friendly and approachable and joyful about living and learning.  Their personality is that socialized side of a youngster where learned behaviors can inspire caution or the holding back of true expression.  Both are important ingredients for a child... you want your child to have an exuberance, yet they also need guardrails and boundaries in life for their own safety and protection and simply in order to fit in.  As with so many aspects of life and child-rearing, it's all about balance.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 209

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw puts forth the notion that it is important to see yourself as you are in order to effectuate change in your life.  While working on oneself, we need to be reflective and intentional and monitor our attention.  By doing so we build stamina and increase the muscle of patience and of having objectivity.  We all have blind spots, but when build up our attention we can eliminate those blind spots.  Also, much of the time that it seems as though change isn't happening, it actually slowly is.   The exercise of seeing oneself is actually the mechanism for change.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 208

This week Dr. Shaw follows up on her last podcast where she had discussed those moments when young children are experiencing anxiety.  She begins her parenting advice this week by suggesting that we tell our children that those feelings of anxiety are natural and part of life and that can be done by sharing one's own experiences of feeling anxious, but only if that sharing is developmentally appropriate.  It's also helpful to remind our children that all moments pass, both the happy ones and the negative ones.  The key is maintaining an inner sense of well-being.  Challenges are just an invitation to overcome them and learn from that experience and one can't live in the negative space of an anxious moment.  Additionally, letting young children know that you once went through difficult times successfully will help them not get bogged down by anxiety.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 207

In this episode you'll find a valuable conversation about something that has become more common among children, the experience of having anxiety.  Dr. Shaw begins by questioning whether not not there is a true and thriving and growing trend for children to experience nervousness.  She tables that discussion and then uses illustrative examples to lay out a real strategy for your children when it comes to dealing with anxiety... among the strategies are to be open and honest, to model or discuss your own anxieties with your child, and to consider counseling.  Anxiety among children is on the rise, and understanding the best possible approaches in parenting can be extremely helpful.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 206

In this episode, Dr. Shaw discusses how, while parenting, one must trust the process.  She begins by sharing an example of a parent who was in communication with their family's small private school about classroom assignments and how this one family didn't end up getting the path that they wanted for their child.  Dr. Shaw looks at that situation, evaluates the plusses and minuses of what happened and offers a perfect strategy for that parent, and it's a solution that gives the disappointed family full control of their destiny.  Her philosophy is that there are any number of situations in family life where trust in one's own gut instinct can be the most beneficial tool, 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 205

In this episode, Dr. Shaw discusses how your perception, particularly about yourself, can impact the way in which you show up in life and manifest your place in the world.  Here she focuses on that notion by recounting a recent interaction she had with a young man with physical challenges.  As a long-time teacher, she made the comment while interacting with this young man and in some ways, everyone has special needs, but her comment landed on him a offensive.  The young man felt that his obvious impairments could not be compared to someone with fewer challenges.  They had a lively discussion and ended their interaction with hugs, but her philosophy is such that Dr. Shaw puts forth that if you see yourself as something.... disabled, angry, unlucky, negative... your perception will manifest your reality.  

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 204

In this very personal episode, Dr. Shaw reflects on a recent experience during which she participated in the celebration of an old and dear friend.  The friend was also a body-worker/healer who helped Dr. Shaw's family many years ago and through difficult times, and she talks here about what it was like to be included in that recent celebration and to experience the reciprocal exchange of love and admiration at that event.  Dr. Shaw always promotes the idea that a life well-lived is a life full of love, and that brings up an examination of how you get that kind of life.  She believes that it comes down to the choices you make.  Identify what you want in life, and decide how you will get it.  It's a lesson for all of us... for children and adults alike.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 203

In this episode, Dr. Shaw discusses the importance of learning from observing yourself.  In order to illustrate how that works, she shares a personal story about giving parenting advice to her own daughter who reacted by resisting taking her advice.  She watched herself feel somewhat hurt and offended and then feel embarrassed and disappointed in herself for being offended.   Her principles, however, include the notion that timing is important and that patience is indeed a virtue, and she was able to re-visit the situation with her daughter later in a manner that allowed for a peaceful "agree to disagree" scenario.   It was an important lesson in perception versus reality and it was also a lesson in how self-observation can be so beneficial.  Being mindful of how we show up in the world and modeling appropriate behavior is always a winning formula.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 202

In this brief but very useful episode, Dr. Shaw talks about the balancing act that parents must maintain with their children when it comes to making commitments that require time, energy, effort and more.   The key is balance... balancing the desire to have your child participate in something fun, healthy and/or productive but then facing the reality sometimes that the commitment you made has pitfalls.  How do you juggle not being a quitter with actually taking a path that is different that what you had planned for any number of reasons.   Dr. Shaw shares a personal anecdote about her own recent experience with this kind of dilemma, and she offers solid advice (as usual) for different approaches and strategies that you can use within your own family.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 201

In this episode, Dr. Shaw tackles the topic of what happens when we defend our positions during the course of disagreements.   Her discussion was spurred by a recent personal experience, and it has been Dr. Shaw's philosophy for a long time to not take things personally.  When confronted, most people get defensive, but when defending your position you are actually not being open to potentially valuable points of view.... plus, it's a waste of energy and disrespectful to the other person who is speaking with you.  Dr. Shaw also admits that in the recent case where she didn't defend her position that the person she was dealing with was not really in her inner circle, and there's an important lesson in that... we and our children can all "practice" not being defensive and not taking it personally when the situation and the relationship isn't emotionally charged.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 200

On this episode, Dr. Shaw celebrates the milestone presentation of her 200th podcast.  During this reflective installment of her series, she reviews a number of the concepts that she has discussed throughout the four years that she's been delivering a weekly message via this venue.  She enumerates many of the life-lessons that she has presented throughout this series and she lays out some of the axioms and guidelines that she lives by every day as an educator, as a member of a close-knit family, as a thinker and as a member of the global community.  We all need to take time to reflect, and this episode provides a lovely and earnest recap of Dr. Shaw's teachings.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 199

This podcast is an immediate follow-up to last week's episode in which Dr. Shaw speaks about her philosophy that timing is everything.... but she's not necessarily talking about the timing that you might assume she's referring to.... she's really focused on patience in life, not about coincidence and not about immediate gratification.   She's also talking about the kind of patience that allows the truth is revealed.   Dr. Shaw feels there's a connection between moments when one is full of ego, one can't be patient.   When an individual is full of ego they only care about convincing others that they are right.   When egoless, the experience is fulfilling enough.   There is also a practicality in this philosophy in getting things done with our children, and she offers valuable advice on how that can work.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 198

In this brief episode, Dr. Shaw focuses on how, in life, timing can be everything.   She runs through several examples and scenarios to illustrate how waiting for the right moment can pay off... timing can deliver you the right relationship, timing can help students in school when a child needs an extra moment, patience can keep you centered or when you are waiting for word about a school application or a job or acceptance into a club or sports team.   Unanswered prayers need a moment to be answered, and often the answer can come in disguise.  Even having the right conversation with your child about anything from a temper tantrum to an awkward moment that we are navigating, may require just the right time to be effective.   Life ebbs and flows, and patience through the process pays off.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 197

In this brief but insightful episode, Dr. Shaw talks about teaching our children to be flexible.  As with other tenets of Dr. Shaw's philosophy, teaching flexibility begins with proper modeling for our children.  When an adult behaves in a frustrated or inflexible manner, which will happen, it's important to point out that behavior and also explore the situation that you are in for the learning lessons built into it.   When we react in a negative way, we should note and mark it and then strive to be better next time.  We need to show up in the best possible way, and we need to teach our children that it's ok to be different from one another as in our differences and our ability to be flexible with one another, that's how we demonstrate and learn true acceptance.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 196

In this very personal episode, Dr. Shaw shares her recent experience of having her adult son hospitalized with an serious condition and what her learning lessons were from that adventure.... and the lesson is that it's all about how you show up.   She discusses some of the ups and downs of advocating for her son Joshua in the hospital and how encountering different personalities among the doctors and nurses re-taught her that flexibility is often the key.   Sometimes you have to be assertive, sometimes you have to make peace, but all the time one needs to keep in mind that you are not likely to change the other person by your behavior.   All one can do is be themselves with honesty and integrity and that gets you through the negative as well as the positive.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 195

In this brief but important episode, Dr. Shaw discusses the need for setting boundaries for young children and her approach is always that children who, for example, have temper tantrums actually ARE ASKING for and know they need boundaries.  She begins by discussing an example of a substitute teacher who has temporarily taken over an unruly class and suddenly that class is well behaved.   In that case, it's not that the children have changed, it's that the person in charge is earning respect and treating the children with respect as well, and the mutual respect that they share leads to harmony.  Dr. Shaw also talks about the role of parents in setting boundaries and she acknowledges that parents have a different relationship with their children and that boundaries might be more challenging.  Still, if you don't display a high threshold for chaos and if you don't just act mean or demanding and if you simply have the correct boundaries that are respective and have give and take, you'll have positive results.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 194

In this episode, Dr. Shaw takes a look at the use of language and how it can cause misunderstanding or misinterpretation.   She uses the example of the phrase "the universe is testing me," and the framework of that phrase implies a zero sum game where the universe is either for or against us.   What we should say in that situation is the universe presents opportunities, and the manner in which we respond to that point of view becomes a demonstration of where we are as individuals and how we show up.  How we choose our words impacts our experience, and we don't want our words to turn us into victims.  What we need to do is see ourselves in each and every moment and if we can teach our children to do the same thing via modeling, we will be helping them tremendously.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 193

In this episode, Dr. Shaw discusses on one of her most important and frequently mentioned educational tool and that is "noting and marking" occurrences of success.   She shares some of her own experience from her decades of experience, and she then focuses on an illustrative example of noting and marking from her personal life.  She relates a recent story about how she dealt with some anxiety that her granddaughter was feeling and how noting and marking a successful experience in dealing with that anxiety.  She believes that learning is not a selfish experience, rather a generous one, and this story can help reinforce how modeling the right behavior goes very far in educating.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 192

In this brief but insightful episode, Dr. Shaw discusses and illustrates how we are often lucky in our lives when negativity strikes.   While that may seem counterintuitive on the surface, Dr. Shaw provides a few examples of how our challenging moments in life can lead to us being lifted up.   Her poignant conclusion on this topic is worth remembering.... that our moments of suffering are truly gifts because they lead us to the next moments of complete healing.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 191

In this episode, Dr. Shaw talks about the celebrations of the Spring Season.  The religious holidays and other celebrations of this season have a focus on re-birth, growth and freedom.  She relates a personal story about her recent experience telling the story of Passover to her young grandchildren and how she handles some of the scary parts of that story.  She talked at that dinner about how the Passover story allows a vision into the human condition and is very focused on the notion of freedom.   There are lessons in there about co-existence and it demonstrates different belief systems.  The conversation then turns to handling relationships that may not share the same point of view... her conclusion is that someone may not be a friend, but that doesn't mean one shouldn't be friendly with that person.  The understanding that comes from this is that in order to have peace in our lives, acceptance of differences is key.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 190

In this podcast, Dr. Shaw takes a very personal turn and shares an story from her own life in order to illustrate how we should celebrate the good stuff in life.  The story she shares is about selling a home and buying a new one, but the emotion runs deeper than just that transaction.  The new home felt perfect from the start, and much of that happened because the prior owners who built the house clearly created a home filled with love.  Then, not only did it feel that way, but the current owners have been very cooperative and downright sweet in helping access their property for planning purposes.  Their land is filled with fruit trees and they generously shared their homegrown fruit and gave lessons on the care and feeding of their garden.   The positivity of that exchange and that experience makes the exit from the old home feel very comfortable and welcoming. One can focus on one's struggle, and there can be valuable lessons in overcoming thing, but it's important to also keep a focus here on being present and open to positivity.  

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 189

In this episode Dr. Shaw addresses the need for empowerment and the ways in which we sometimes give up our power.   She poses the question of when we learn to give up or power and how do we stop doing it?    The way to reclaim power is to not blame anyone else.   As we teach our children to be empowered (while still at the same time keeping them on the track that we want) it is important to give them responsibility.   If we adults model being empowered for our children, it teaches them to understand how to hold on to their power.   Dr. Shaw gives a great illustrative classroom example of not giving her power away to a student who was being a bully, and then wraps by reminding the listener that her social-emotional children's book series address these kinds of issues directly... those books can be found here:  https://tinyurl.com/DrMindyBooks

 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 188

In this episode, Dr. Shaw discusses and reveals some perspective on her own humanity in a way that can help parents, and all adults really, keep themselves in check regarding their own personal progress in life.   She begins with the notion that a moment is just a moment, and she points out that when we have dramatic experiences or we learn important lessons that we need to develop a new emotional muscle so that we don't fall back on old patterns.  For herself, she always attempts to be present so as not to respond habitually.  She then shares an important example of how this creation of stamina or new behavior came into play for her recently in an important interpersonal relationship.  The big takeaway is that we all tend to be our most self-important when we feel unimportant... we all feel our most controlling when we are actually out of control.   Knowing this can be incredibly liberating.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 187

In this brief and personal episode, Dr. Shaw talks about the parenting dilemma of being overly enabling versus allowing our children to have experiences that sometimes can be very difficult.   She shares an illustrative example from her own life and friendships as she describes a parent experiencing their child in an abusive relationship.  Her philosophy is that as a parent, we can't judge or intervene sometimes... we have to help our children navigate their situations, but all we can do is pick up our children when they fall.  Sometimes, in fact, when they fall, there are important and hard lessons learned via natural consequences.   Our children need real life experiences to build their own independence, difficult as that may be to witness.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 186

In this episode, Dr. Shaw examines the concept of not moving forward in life because we are defending our positions or defending our own limitations.   She uses some illustrative examples of how we defend our positions in order to set the stage.   Then we learn that what she feels we need first and foremost are good relationships, and a key to a good relationship is having communication that includes the views of our partners and not disregarding their opinions.   If we can learn to not defend our positions, we can teach our children to be better friends and not to sweat the small stuff.  Don't take things personally... that's an important axiom to live by. 

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 185

In this episode, Dr. Shaw shares a very personal story about a recent experience in her own life.   In this tale, she talks of a moment at which she felt like she needed a reprieve and she internally "cried uncle," and then within hours, the situation resolved itself.  The lesson of the situation was that she noticed that she momentarily forgot her aim of remaining optimistic and she actually fell into an old pattern.   What she was reminded of was that her new intention of being present and trusting that the universe will help work things out.  It was a reminder to remain vigilant about maintaining a vision and to live life in the moment.

Teaching Humanity Remotely with Dr. Mindy Shaw - Ep. 184

In this brief but important episode, Dr. Shaw discusses the concept of acceptance, and mostly from the point of view of self-acceptance.  Her belief is that if someone is not accepting them self, then the alternative is to be filled with desire, and that's a negative and potentially dangerous emotional space to be in.   We must teach our children to be satisfied with what we have.  That is not to say that we shouldn't be aspirational, but we need to move forward based on who we are with an attitude of gratitude.  We also want our children to have self-love, self-worth and self-respect.  From that position of accepting who we are,  we can begin personal growth from a positive point of view.