Remember back when you had the energy to be romantic?  Remember when someone brought your roses - just for fun, not to try to smooth over a rough night or conversation?

Romance and parenting can feel like oil and water  - they might co-exist but they don’t mix.  Many couples begin to believe that the need for sleep and just keeping the household going is the best it’s going to get…for the next maybe 18 years.  

Oh my!  That’s a long time! 

So, enjoy today’s show as we talk about 4 aspects and actions you can do each day to keep your relationship blossoming into beauty - even on the thorny days!

Inspiration:

*Your relationship, your connection with your spouse is more important than whether or not you are right.

*Do you know a little something you can do for your spouse that might seem insignificant to you but really meaningful to them?

*Soft is like gentle. With gentleness, we know that we are strong. Gentle...

Inspiration from this Episode

"Kiddos probably have language or look that will make it very clear to you that you are right on.  Pay attention and use that info for their good growth."

"Some kids just have hard periods of life and they just need someone to walk through and give them some new tools. "

"I wish that I had known that play is the primary language of children before my children were seven and four."

Intro 

 On today’s show, we are talking with a very special person in my life.  My daughter, Tammi, is wise, compassionate and courageous.  Today we hear about her and Phil’s journey,  as they processed their son’s play - and what it was saying about how he was feeling within himself, and with the (covid) world around him. 

 What You’ll Learn in Today’s Episode

• Adding resources for your kiddos is a very kind, loving action.  It is not a sign of incompetence as a parent. 
• Working together,...

Inspiration from this Episode

“When our kiddos are tiny, they mostly need kisses. In some ways they might like it the way the acronym goes, keep it simple and sweet.”

“It's true that chaos, confusion and clutter can impact how a kiddo rests, resets and interacts.”

"Yet when we do take that energy, we often find their fun and funny energy will lighten and brighten our moods."

Intro 

 On today’s show, the joy of having kiddos will re-awaken, perhaps just a bit. Using K.I.D. we will talk about kid-healthy ways to be your best parent!  It’s doable and delightful even when you are dreadfully tired!

What You’ll Learn in Today’s Episode

• How to parent with energy, even when you are so weary. 
• That delighting in our kiddos makes parenting more doable.
• Independence and interdependence are a balancing act - for both of you.  

 Resources in Today’s Episode: 

 Join the Us & Kids supportive...

Inspiration from this Episode

“A strong marriage is in part when there is a steady and strong you.  You, as an individual - who can manage emotions, thoughts and words with reasonable grace and truth.”

“The most important unit within your family is the us. - the two of you”

"When you're in unity, when you're connected with each other in this way, it's easier to work together. It's easier to sacrificially support and to move towards mutual goals." 

110 | Us & Kids: Us & Kids: Your “Us” in 2022

Intro 

 On today’s show, we’ll be talking about how to enhance your marriage through the letters U and S.  We’ll think about using unity, understanding, personal growth of yourself with strength and steadiness, no matter the chaos, moods or weariness.   And, together, you will become more united and stable.  

 What You’ll Learn in Today’s Episode

• How to feel stronger...

Inspiration from this Episode 

“Because remember, our communication is 85% nonverbal, meaning it's what your face looks like when you're asking that question.” 

“Now this takes patience in the ask, but it also takes patience in formulating your answer.”

“As we grow and mature, we learn how to accurately listen, speak clearly, and manage our own emotions.”

109 | Us & Kids: Pithy Tidbits to End 2021

Intro  

Finally - or fastly - 2021 is almost done! We are into our 3rd year of bringing you bi-weekly podcasts to help you be married forever while you enjoy parenting your kiddos together! So, today, we’re going to round out the year with just some pithy thoughts and sentences that make sense but don’t take long enough to each make a whole podcast.

You know, it’s sort of like cleaning out your fridge - not enough leftover to make a meal, but some tasty tidbits that you can just eat with your...

Inspiration from this Episode 

“These skills let us realize that things might change - and that we will be okay.” 

“Evaluating and determining the best course of action is not easy when there are so many new and unpredictable moving parts.” 

“Part of calming down was knowing how to reset my emotions and thoughts as I got new information.”

108 | Us & Kids: Christmas Chaos

Intro  

So it's December. Do you feel a little bit crazy? Like maybe the world is always spinning and you try to jump on, but tumble off, embarrassingly. Or maybe from time to time you secretly bumble and jump off. Or do you thrive under the chaos? Or does the chaos thrive inside of you - eating your brain, your sanity, yourself, and your relationships? 

Well, it's often called National Chaos Day. Not particularly this specific day, but a day in November is National Chaos Day. And I think we could do better by calling it just...

Inspiration from this Episode 

“When we loosen up, lots of good things can happen and our worlds will not fall apart.” 

“We know that your brain changes when you force a little smile upon your face. So begin with a smile.” 

“Faith in themselves that they could do this, that things would be okay in the end.”

107 | Us & Kids: Loosen Up Day 

Intro  

Let me ask you, are you ready? For what you might ask. For learning about how to loosen up and lighten up, even in the midst of November and December. What do you think when you hear those words loosen up, lighten up? Do you just get angry, like, well, who has time for that? 

This day was made to help us find our lighter side while locking up our serious side for a few hours. When we loosen up, lots of good things can happen and our worlds will not fall apart. They might in fact, even improve a bit.

What You’ll Learn in Today’s...

Inspiration from this Episode 

“As we nap, it reduces the fatigue, not just the physical fatigue but also that mental fatigue.” 

“It's not a bad idea to consider a nap when you're overwhelmed, because it gets you out of the way and lets your body naturally do the reset that it needs.” 

“You demonstrate to your kiddos as well, that taking good care of themselves is an important thing to do.”

106 | Us & Kids: Naps

Intro  

On today’s show, we're going to talk about napping. Now you can have all sorts of different emotional reactions around this, like, “Oh, I'd love to nap!”, or “They always nap way too long”, or “That kid who of mine does not know how to take a nap!” 

You can go all over the place with napping conversations. So today we're just going to talk a little bit, mostly from a general place, because napping is good for kiddos. It's often also good for...

Inspiration from this Episode

“Grief doesn't just go away. It becomes a part of the fabric of our lives.”

“Grief is so unpredictable and so messy. It's important to have somebody be able to go along on the ride to hold your hand.”

“Take care of yourself with permission to grieve and permission to live well in people's honor and memory.”

105 | Us & Kids: The Two Griefs of October

Intro 

On today’s show, we are talking about grief and that's not always so very easy when we contemplate what October is in memory of. October is both Infancy and Pregnancy Loss Awareness month, as well as breast cancer awareness month. 

And for me, both of those titles hold significant weight because they have happened to me in our family, my immediate family with my kids, but also in my extended family. I also know that so many people are affected by one or both of these so I think it’s an important topic to cover today.

...

Inspiration from this Episode 

“Though all of those pieces together made a lot more sense to me that it was sensory and not just he's a naughty kid.” 

“We had to do a little bit of advocacy work on his behalf and on our financial behalf as well.” 

“And so he was open and willing to continue to do some of these things together because he felt the benefits of it and they were fun.”

104 | Us & Kids: ProActive Parenting

Intro  

On today’s show, we are going to be chatting with our special guest, Christi Gilbert. She is an awesome mom of 3, an education expert, and my oldest daughter. She and I are talking through her experience of parenting her son as she began to realize that some other expert input would be really wise. 

Hear her story and thought process as she worked to find the appropriate expert, listen to her gut, and use the guidance in ways that brought growth and health. 

...