The Aloha EQ Podcast

Aloha! 🌺 I’m Ruth Kongaika, an emotional intelligence guide shaped by 36 years of life in the islands of the South Pacific. After raising my own family across cultures and generations, I’ve learned that emotional intelligence isn’t just something we teach—it’s how we live, love, and lead every day. 💛

Around here, heart and science come together with island wisdom. 🌴 We’ll talk about how to raise resilient, emotionally aware kids, how to stay calm when big feelings show up, and how to build the kind of relationships that feel safe, loving, and real. Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, caregiver, or simply someone who wants more peace in your home, you’re in the right place.

Join me for real-life stories (the kind we usually only share in the kitchen after dinner 🥥), practical tools you can use right away, and a gentle ocean breeze for your soul. 🌊 Together, we’ll learn how to worry less, connect more, and create families where everyone feels seen, heard, and loved. 💫

Listen on:

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Episodes

Friday Dec 12, 2025

This episode explores how body image affects tweens and teens and why worth goes far beyond appearance.Hosts examine how social media and comparison shape self-image and teach a simple three-step EQ tool to name feelings, spot triggers, and question harmful thoughts.Featuring island-rooted stories, practical language for families, and guidance on getting professional help when needed.

An Aloha Holiday Reset

Thursday Dec 04, 2025

Thursday Dec 04, 2025

Aloha, malolelei, and talofa. Welcome back to Aloha EQ, where we blend emotional intelligence with island wisdom to help you soften a heavy December.
Travel through Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Fiji, and the Cook Islands with stories of food, music, and open doors that create belonging. Learn simple island swaps — a shared meal, one song, an invitation — that build nervous-system safety and connection.
Come with me and take away three tiny systems: a 24-hour repair, a 90-second daily connection, and a 10-minute weekly check-in, plus the 60–90 second Aloha Reset (Acknowledge, Lower, Observe, Honor, Act small) to use when the holidays feel overwhelming.

Roast The Racism Out

Friday Nov 28, 2025

Friday Nov 28, 2025

What happens when a blonde, blue-eyed girl from Utah marries a dark-skinned boy from a tiny island in Tonga - and then decides to talk honestly about bias, culture, and love on a podcast?
In this episode of The Aloha EQ Podcast, I'm inviting you into a tender, real conversation about racial bias, prejudice, and fear of "other" - for ALL OF US, no matter where we come from or what we look like. We'll explore the jokes we grew up with, the quiet comments we don't question, and how those little things shape the way our children see people who are different from them.
This isn't about blaming one race or defending another. It's about noticing our own patterns, choosing curiosity over fear, and learning how to love wider and deeper than we were taught.
*Hit play, then ask yourself: What's one old story or joke I'm ready to retire so my grandchildren never inherit it? And, if this episode stirs something in you, share it with someone you love and keep the conversation going. Mahalo nui loa, Ruth
 

Thursday Nov 20, 2025

Your latest episode of The Aloha EQ Podcast titled "Navigator's Star" beautifully intertwines emotional intelligence with Polynesian island wisdom. The use of the canoe-building metaphor and the sacred ritual of purpose-setting establishes a powerful narrative that encourages listeners to start their day with intention and clarity. The poetic and spiritual elements evoke a deep sense of connection to nature, community, and ancestral values, which enriches the emotional intelligence theme with cultural resonance. This episode serves as a calming and inspiring guide to grounding oneself in purpose amid life's uncertainties, making it both meaningful and motivational for your audience. The closing imagery of fire and the sky reinforces resilience and hope in a compelling way. 
 

Wednesday Nov 19, 2025

A podcast episode blending emotional intelligence and Polynesian values to help parents connect with their teens. Ruth Kongaika shares practical strategies — from understanding teen brain development to using side-by-side conversations, setting aloha-style boundaries, and the four-step calm canoe method — so parents can balance firm expectations with compassion.Learn simple tools like the value-limit-consequence formula, the three E's for naming emotions, friend-fielders, pre-decisions, and the three R's for handling failure. This episode offers short scripts, cultural context, and ways to shift from manager to mentor while keeping family belonging at the center.Resources and prompts are available in Ruth's guide Helping Parents of Teens Navigate Challenges with Compassion and Wisdom, and listeners are invited to apply these EQ practices at home to build trust, reduce secrecy, and prepare teens for independence with love.

Wednesday Nov 12, 2025

This episode explores how our grandparents' "first draft" shaped family life in the islands and how we can choose what to keep, improve, or let go with aloha.Using island concepts like talanoa (open conversation), tauhiwa (caring for relational space), and ohana rituals, the host offers practical scripts, micro-rituals, and three columns (keep / improve / let go) to make immediate, gentle changes at home.Listeners will leave with a short, actionable list to try this week, island-flavored swaps for common family patterns, and reminders that repair and connection matter more than perfection.

Raising Teens With Aloha

Friday Oct 31, 2025

Friday Oct 31, 2025

Ruth Kongaika blends emotional intelligence with island wisdom to help parents of teens connect before correcting. This episode shows a two-hand framework — wisdom (structure) and compassion (connection) — and offers practical tools like the Calm Canoe method, the 3 E's, boundary formulas, friend-fielders, and the 3 R's to build trust, set loving limits, and guide teens toward healthy belonging and responsibility.

The Wisdom of a Young Coconut

Wednesday Oct 15, 2025

Wednesday Oct 15, 2025

This episode highlights our fourth grandson, Jacob Tupou, a student at BYU Provo studying Chemical Engineering. He had been taking Tongan language classes and enjoys studying Tongan history, myths, legends, and genealogy. His grandfather, 'Isileli Tupou Kongaika, interviews him for the podcast. He shares why he became interested in Tongan Culture and traditions, even though he has never been to Tonga. He shares the knowledge he has acquired by studying the writings of many Tongan writers. He is the young coconut we are referring to - the title of this podcast. The Tongan title would be "Potopoto aniu mui". The intention of this podcast is to encourage young Tongan teens to learn more about their heritage and language. 

Thursday Oct 09, 2025

Kevin Eaton is the creator of "Make More Time Masterclass" with Simpify Work.io A program designed for busy professionals who feel overwhelmed, to help them transition from "overwhelmed operators" to leaders who have more freedom in their time and energy. He shares his ideas about time management, love of family, and personal worth. He emphasized the importance of leveraging resources to make a greater impact: less effort, more results.
Kevin also explains what OfferLab is and invites you to join to collaborate as either a creator and/or connectors. it is FREE to join at: offerlab.simplifywork.io I am also a member of Offerlab and highly recommend it.
#kevineaton #makemoretime #masterclass #simplifywork.io # AlohaEQPodcast #kongaika #successmindset #offerlab #timemanagement
https://digitalnestforparents.online
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Connection Before Correction

Friday Sep 26, 2025

Friday Sep 26, 2025

This episode is about adopting a better way of disciplining children when they do something wrong. Discipline only works when children feel safe, seen, and understood. In this week's episode, I introduce The Aloha Shift, Connection Before Correction, as a better way to discipline using emotional intelligence. 
A special guest, Zion Viliami Kongaika, is interviewed by his grandfather, 'Isileli Tupou Kongaika. He expresses his feelings about being Tongan and how it influences his thoughts, actions, and choices. 
It is a great episode for all ages, especially for tween and teens. 

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