161: Bonding With Your Pre-Teen with M. Aurelius Higgs

Thrive Beyond Size

Welcome back, friends! Today’s episode is about something I don’t have personal experience with but something that many of my clients live with and have questions about. And that is children. Specifically pre-teens. I don’t have children but so many of my clients do and they constantly ask how to talk to their pre-teens, and how to effectively communicate with them. So I’m thrilled to introduce you all to M. Aurelius Higgs. Marcus is a Communication Coach for Parents of Preteens. He specializes in teaching parents how to show up for and connect with their pre-teens. I had a conversation with Marcus where I asked him all the questions you want answers to.

Marcus uses beautiful language when speaking about his work and the pre-teens he helps parents navigate, you can just hear how much he loves communication. He describes what’s happening in the pre-teen mind and world, what their mindset is, and what the parental role should be. So how do you talk to them? Well, Marcus shares a lot of insights on that, including working to grow trust between you, learning the skill of empathy, understanding their need for a safe and supportive environment, and how to model and talk with them about vital things like body image and nutrition. The need for pre-teens to have a safe space from which to explore independence is paramount. But so is a sense of supportive framework. Marcus has so much experience with kids that he draws on and so much knowledge about communication to share. Our conversation was enlightening and fascinating and I hope all of you who are parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends of someone parenting a pre-teen find this episode engaging and useful like I did.

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About M. Aurelius Higgs:

Marcus is a communication coach for parents of preteens. He helps parents effectively show up and connect with their preteen during their key formative years, in order to secure a relationship that lasts a lifetime. In his 15+ year career, he has worked with learners from over 20 countries, giving him a deep insight into how young people relate to their parents, family, and our world.

And on a lighter note, when he’s not deep in conversation with parents or teens, he’s Latin dancing or doing Crossfit, and he’s passionate about positive psychology, philosophy and what it means to live a good life.

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Resources discussed in this episode:

• “Grit” by Angela Duckworth
• “Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection” by Charles Duhigg
• “The Breakthrough Years: A New Scientific Framework for Raising Thriving Teens” by Ellen Galinsky

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Learn more about M. Aurelius Higgs:

• Website: MarcusHiggs.com
• LinkedIn

Learn more about Dr. Michelle Tubman and Wayza Health:

• Website: www.wayzahealth.com
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• Email Michelle: [e-mail]