Inspiration from this Episode

“We know your brain and your body wants you to sleep.”

“They don’t know what to do with those emotions so sometimes they just cry.”

“Your goal is to help them go to sleep efficiently or quickly.”

018 | Us & Kids: Sleep, Please! Sleep.

Intro 

On today’s show, in honor of National Sleep Day, we'll take some time to remember why sleep is so important. And why getting to sleep can be so tricky—for us adults, who have practiced sleeping for many, many hours—to our littles who are not very great at it just yet. Physical and emotional connections play a significant role in turning your brain down and letting the delightful weirdness of sleep move in. Enjoy—even in your dreams!

What You’ll Learn in Today’s Episode

• The effects of caffeine and alcohol.
• Cutting out the extra screen time.
• Working on the quality time with our partner.
• How to maintain a...

 Inspiration from this Episode

“These are the same skills we want when we're parenting our little ones.”

“Be creative. Ask for help.”

“Teach, model, show, practice, encourage. Be patient and persistent, with deep kindness and joy.”

015 | Us & Kids: Raising our Kids is Messy, Like Building Gingerbread Houses

Intro 

On today’s show, we're talking about how raising our kids is like building gingerbread houses. There are so many fun, messy and challenging parts of building a gingerbread house around the holidays. A lot can also be said about the fun, messy and challenging times that we go through when we raise our little ones.

As our kids grow and go through different phases, there are little tidbits we can take away from how to handle situations. Sometimes we might need to be still, quiet and just support, while other times we may need to overlook the messy bits and just appreciate the fun we’ve had along the...

Inspiration from this Episode:

“Get them outside. Let them play, let them have fun.”

“Give them the space for rest.”

004 | Us & Kids: Blueberries

Intro 

On today’s show, we are talking about the sweet and juicy topic of berries and how they can resemble our kids and families. When we think about our gardens and the variety of fruits we might be growing, we hardly ever stop to think how so many of the attributes of these berries are similar to our kids. Many of the things needed to careful grow plants and make them flourish are the same things our kids need as they also grow. 

What You’ll Learn in Today’s Episode

•     What berries have to do with raising kids.
•     How our kids might resemble growing fruits.
•     Dealing with the differences in their personalities.
•     Growing fruit vs growing good kids.

Resources in Today’s Episode

•  ...

Inspiration from this Episode:

“Children grow about one million neuro connections every second during their first few years of life.”

“Confidence builds that curiosity of wanting to try new things.”

002 | Us & Kids: Alive After Five—Kids

Intro 

 On today’s show, we’re focusing on the number ‘5’ and why it’s important in the connections in your marriage and with your kids. We’re going to be talking about the first 5 years of raising a child. Obviously, there is an infinite amount of things we could discuss about the first 5 years of their lives, so let’s take a broad look at everything as a whole. 

What You’ll Learn in Today’s Episode: 

•  Where the number 5 shows up in our lives.
• How we can influence their development even after 5.
• How to understand the basic architecture of their brains.
• The importance of consistency from you, for your kids.

Inspiration from this Episode:

“You can indeed be married forever while parenting together.”

“Repairing is doable at any point.”

001 | Us & Kids: Marriage Forever While Parenting Together 

Intro 

Welcome to our podcast. My name is Jan Talen and I’m a marriage and family therapist (for 35 years!). On the Us & Kids podcast, I'll be sharing my professional knowledge and expertise along with life stories to help you become the best married, parenting team.

On today’s episode, we’re going to be talking about how to have a great marriage even while parenting together. 

When we first have kids, everything changes. The first few years of becoming a mom and dad is filled with craziness. Schedules become unpredictable, our sleep patterns change, and we are tired and anxious. Our social life changes, getting a sitter becomes hard and leaving the house seems unmanageable. Finances typically change for many...