Inspiration from this Episode

“They have less emotional knowledge, and less emotional awareness. Not necessarily less emotional experience.”

“I want them to be able to absorb pain and use pain in a healthy and okay way.“

“Because I wanted her to be empowered by talking about it out loud on her own, forming her own thoughts, gathering her own courage to say her own experience and letting me just be the listener.”

038 | Us & Kids: Grief in a Child

Intro 

On today’s show, the topic we're talking about today isn't necessarily a really happy one. But it's a rather common one. And the topic is about grief or loss for a child and how they experience it, but also how we can help them develop skills to get through it. We usually think we know what grief means to us or other adults we know, but it might look a lot different to the kids in our life. 

To children, the loss or grief happens because someone or something...

Inspiration from this Episode

“Social distancing has made me lonely. Zoom calls, although better than nothing, don't cut it for me in the long haul.”

“Being connected to them, seeing them eye to eye, hearing their voices in automatic direct time and in the real same space.”

“Caring for my friends and about my friends and my family is natural human behavior and it's healthy.”

037 | Us & Kids: Angsty = Anger and Anxiety

Intro 

On today’s show, we are doing things a bit differently. We aren’t going to focus on our marriage, nor are we going to talk about parenting much. What we are going to be diving into is us, and how that can inevitably affect our partner and kids. 

It can be hard during this time to not get stuck in the spinning circle of that anxiety and then being angry for feeling anxious. We want to make sure that we manage our emotions and that our emotions aren’t managing us. When we are more...

Inspiration from this Episode

“He knew that the best thing he could do for me was listen, without many words.”

“How can I help you? And that question, may not have an answer, like I don't really have an answer for him, but it means I'm in it with you.”

“I understand you can't control everything and move forward based on what you can know and do as you move forward.”

036 | Us & Kids: Uncertainty Can Make us Crazy

Intro 

On today’s show, let’s be certain about what we’re talking about - uncertainty. There is so much going on and changing everyday in our homes, our hearts and our relationships. We are told one thing and then what feels like almost instantly that answer changes. 

Do we just have to sit and spin in circles because nothing's for sure? Or is there a way to keep ourselves calm and keep on track? When we take the time to understand that we can’t control everything, it helps us regain...

Inspiration from this Episode

 “From the minute they're born, we begin to influence their brain.”

 “Sadly, because this need to connect deeply is so significant that if it is not filled nicely with mom and dad then that need can carry over to other spaces.”

 “Demonstrate and live with intentional good behavior so that they can copy you. This is when bonding happens.”

035 | Us & Kids: How Velcro Helps Us Be Better Parents

Intro  

On today’s show, we're moving on to part two of this two part series. In the last podcast, we were talking about Velcro. We talked about how to be connected with your spouse, and about how to clean up those connections in case being velcro’d together isn't working very well. Sometimes there are too many fuzzies and other things that are blocking the good connections. 

We're going to continue that today, but today we're going to talk about bonding or Velcro...

Inspiration from this Episode

“It's blocking you from getting other people's warm fuzzies and saying that those things from those people are genuine.”

“Your fear that they will disappear sort of like the people that helped you in the past limits you from really attaching nicely.”

“They have something to tell you about your past and they could also tell you something about the future.”

034 | Us & Kids: Velcro and Marriage: Cleaning Up Marriage Love

Intro 

On today’s show, we're going to talk about Velcro and about staying connected. So I have a question. Do you think your home life can just naturally get better without any outside support? I know that you keep on trying this thing and then that thing and there are two steps forward and there's one step back.

Each time we know you're trying to improve the connections with your kiddos and your spouse and often it can just feel like a moving target. I hope that for the...

Inspiration from this Episode

“So in these extended days of staying at home, this need for oxytocin release is even higher.”

“Sit still and listen to what they might say because their little minds are working and growing millions of neurons still every day.”

“When we sense that we are going this alone our tendency can be to pull back from other people.” 

033 | Us & Kids: How to Feel Loved While Sitting on the Couch

Intro 

On today’s show, we are talking about couches, couples and connecting. After a long day at work or maybe endless hours together at home, it can feel easy to grab your phone and sit down next to each other on the couch. This time is better than nothing, right? Or could these little actions be doing more harm than good?

If we create habits like these in our everyday lives they might become a crutch for us to turn to instead of our spouse in times when we need real emotional support. We don’t...

Inspiration from this Episode

“We do have an impact if we pay attention to the long game and say, this is what I'm deciding.”

“Do you want the mess to create higher anxiety or do you want it to create lower anxiety?”

“Remember to be grateful, to think positive and content thoughts.”

032 | Us & Kids: Dismiss Depression, Negative Nonsense and Anxiety

Intro 

On today’s show, we are going to be keeping up with topics that are timely with everything going on. We are talking about what is happening in your home, with what is working or not working to keep those relationships together when we are all together so very much. It’s easy for strong overwhelming emotions to take over us during this time. 

Some of our worries and our anxiety can be taken on by our partners and kiddos if we’re not careful. One of the best ways we can become more aware of our feelings and struggles is to write down, on paper, all the...

Inspiration from this Episode

“Do you have fun with people you don't trust or are you always a little on the edge?”

“When you do things together, you share the time.”

“It becomes more solid or steady so that where you want to go as a family and as a couple is actually dependable.”

031 | Us & Kids: What the T?

Intro 

On today’s show, we are going to be discussing things that are affecting the entire world right now. In times of crisis and uncertainty, it can be easy for us to get ourselves worked up and use certain slang out of fear. I am going to talk all about the “T” words you can use to replace a not so friendly “F” word in our “What the ____” sentences. 

There are things we can do during this time to be intentional with our spouse's family while we are in such close quarters. It can be easy to get on each other's nerves if we’re not careful so if we can keep these...

Inspiration from this Episode

“What's more dangerous for you when your heart is full of anxiety or when your heart is full of love?”

“It is a very, very powerful tool in terms of avoiding the blackness that anxiety can bring into a household”

“Maybe one of you thinks this is awesome and one of you thinks this is awful, but both are real for both of you.”

030 | Us & Kids: Falling in Love, Not into Anxiety

Intro 

On today’s show, we are taking it back to the times and memories of when you and your partner first fell in love. What were those feelings like? What about them made your heart skip a beat? So many things in our lives can cause anxiety, especially with everything that is going on in the world right now.

If we take the time to reminisce on the things our partner did or the things about them we loved, those chemicals in our brain can help combat some of that anxiety. We might be trying to find a new normal right...

Inspiration from this Episode

“We can feel like deer in the headlights. We're not making that adjustment so quickly.”

“It can become very tempting for us to take on the blame for things gone wrong.”

“How did your parents handle change? How did people that you admire handle change?”

029 | Us & Kids: Perspective, Childhood Beliefs, and Generating Change: Adults

Intro 

On today’s show, we talk about all the changes that we have to make. How do we make them and stay an adult? Sometimes there are so many changes. They come at us so fast that just even the change of what's for supper can tip us over. We wonder how that can happen? Why can't I just stay self-composed for that little thing?

This shouldn't be such a big deal. Well, sometimes we have these thoughts, right that everything goes wrong. Even when we're adults, and it can be a fairly common thought when there are lots of big changes and we're not really sure about...