Parenting with Fierce Self-Compassion with Dr. Kristin Neff

This interview with Dr. Kristin Neff is a breath of fresh air for parents aspiring not only to nurture their children, but also empower them to be strong and agentic. And guess what!? Growing your own fierce and tender self-compassion skills is key to helping your child do the same.

In this episode of the We Are in It Together podcast, Dr. Kristin Neff describes fierce self-compassion and how it can inform our interactions with our children. Jamie Lynn and Kristin also discuss how gender roles can prevent boys from embracing tender self-compassion, and girls from owning strong self-compassion, and what we as parents can do to empower our children and ourselves (listen to a discussion of gender roles starting at the 9:50 minute mark).

At the end of this podcast, Dr. Neff guides listeners through a tender and/or fierce self-compassion break that can be applied to many different situations.

______________________

Visit Kristin Neff’s website, self-compassion.org, to learn more about self-compassion and/or join her community. Dr. Kristin Neff is a self-compassion researcher at the University of Texas, Austin. She is author of the best-selling books, Self-Compassion, Fierce Self-Compassion, and co-author of the Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook.

Kristin Neff’s community features a host of resources for individuals aspiring to grow self-compassion in community with others. Her community is hosting a Nurturing Self-Compassion in Children Workshop taught by Jamie Lynn Tatera in February 2025. Visit https://self-compassion.org/event/how-caregivers-can-nurture-self-compassion-in-children-with-jamie-lynn-tatera-february-15-2025/ to register or watch the free intro session.

_______________________________

For more resources to help children and caregivers grow resilience and self-compassion, including the Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Workbook for Kids, visit https://jamielynntatera.com.

If you’d like to have a companion on your parenting journey and receive weekly tips on how to help kids (and yourself!) grow mindful self-compassion, sign up for Jamie Lynn’s We Are In it Together Substack: https://jamielynntatera.com/newsletter/.