Wire Talk with Karen Stubbs

May can feel overwhelming for moms, filled with endless events, expectations, and emotional moments. Today Karen offers practical wisdom to help you navigate the busyness without losing your joy (or your mind.) From setting realistic expectations to prioritizing what truly matters, this conversation is full of encouragement. Episode Recap: May is just December with sunscreen! (0:30) May feels chao...

Mom guilt can make even the best moms feel like they’re falling short. In this episode, Karen and Emily talk through the pressures we carry and the expectations we place on ourselves. They offer a practical, biblical perspective to help you recognize what’s true and what isn’t. We hope you walk away encouraged and ready to let go of unnecessary guilt!  Episode Recap: Supermoms are a modern day myt...

Family dynamics can get complicated quickly, especially when expectations, boundaries, and communication styles start to clash. Today we’re talking about how to navigate tension with extended family without losing your peace (or your voice.) We hope you’ll walk away with practical ways to communicate clearly, pursue peace, and love your extended family well. Episode Recap: Moms can easily get stuc...

Ever find yourself second guessing your parenting decisions? You’re not alone. In this episode, Karen answers questions from moms navigating school struggles, motivation, and knowing when to step back. We hope you walk away feeling encouraged to trust God with the parenting choices you are making. Episode Recap: One parenting decision won’t make or break your child (1:50) My 1st grader doesn’t wor...

If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I ruining my teenager’s life?” - you’re not alone. Today, Karen answers questions from moms navigating strong personalities, emotional pushback, and the tension between protecting and preparing their teens. With her trademark practical wisdom, she reminds us that what feels like conflict is often part of God’s process for refining our kids. Episode Recap: As moms, we c...

If you’re in the stage of parenting where tears, tantrums, and big emotions seem to take over every day, you’re not alone. Today Karen and Emily are tackling questions from moms navigating the emotional ups and downs of preschoolers and early elementary kids. They discuss why some kids cry more than others, how to handle tantrums without giving in, and how to guide sensitive kids through big feeli...

Last week, Karen talked about the temperaments. This week, she takes that conversation one step further by answering real questions from moms who are navigating strong-willed kids, harsh words, whining, and emotional outbursts. If you’ve ever looked at your child and thought, I know their heart is sweet, so why is this coming out so sideways? this episode is for you. Karen shares practical wisdom...

Today Karen and Emily tackle listener questions about kids with big emotions; the pouters, the perfectionists, the rule followers, and the fiercely competitive. Whether your child melts down when they lose, struggles to say they’re having fun, or takes rules a little too seriously, this episode will help you parent the way they’re wired instead of fighting against it. Episode Recap: Join Wire Talk...

Are you parenting a Gen Z child and wondering why everything feels so different from when you were growing up? Today Karen and Emily sit down with leadership expert Tim Elmore, founder of Growing Leaders, to talk about the unique pressures facing this generation. From overexposure to information and technology and underexposure to real-world experiences, Tim helps moms understand what’s really hap...

Do you ever feel overwhelmed, overtouched, overstimulated and find yourself wondering, why does this feel so hard? Today Karen answers real questions from moms about marriage, resentment, anxiety, exhaustion, and the emotional weight of motherhood. From mismatched sex drives in the toddler years to school-day overload and traveling husbands, this conversation will remind you that you are not alone...

Friendships in motherhood are rarely as simple as we expect them to be. Today Karen and Emily are continuing our friendship conversation by tackling comparison, conflict, cliques, and what to do when a friendship changes. They answer listeners’ questions about unmet expectations and learning when to lean in and when to let go. If friendship feels confusing, discouraging, or just plain messy right...

Friendships in motherhood can feel complicated, especially when old wounds and insecurities get stirred up in new seasons. In this episode, Karen and Emily talk honestly about why friendships can feel hard for moms and how to move forward with grace, healthy expectations, and a “generous explanation” for the people around us. Episode Recap: Friendship is difficult as a mom (2:23) We all have past...

Parenting doesn’t end when your kids turn 18. In many ways, it gets more complicated! Today Karen and Erin are joined by longtime parenting expert Jim Burns for a wise and honest conversation about parenting adult children. They talk about releasing control, shifting your role, navigating boundaries, resisting unsolicited advice, and discerning the difference between helping and enabling. Whether...

Discipline is hard, especially when the results feel slow or invisible. In this final episode of our Parenting Principles from Proverbs series, Karen and Emily shift the focus to the long-term fruit of faithful discipline and the peace it brings to both children and parents. Drawing from Proverbs and Hebrews, Karen reminds moms that discipline is discipleship. It is not about control or behavior m...

We are celebrating 500 episodes of Wire Talk and using this milestone to talk about something every mom wants: wisdom that actually works in real life. Today Karen breaks down what it means to be a wise mom, not a perfect one , and offers a simple grid for everyday moments by asking, “Will my response build my house or tear it down?” From discipline to independence, this conversation focuses on pr...

Karen and Emily are kicking off the year with a three-part series about parenting principles we can learn from the book of Proverbs . Today, Karen addresses the confusion many moms today feel around discipline, authority, and the pressure to “get it right.” Drawing from Solomon’s teaching, she reminds us that children need leadership, clear boundaries, and parents who are willing to direct them wi...

As Christmas approaches, we are turning our focus to love this final week of Advent. In this episode, Karen and Emily unpack what it looks like to love like Jesus in everyday moments: choosing presence, serving quietly, pausing before reacting, and remembering that we love others because Christ first loved us. If the holidays have stretched your patience thin, we hope this conversation will help y...

Joy doesn’t just happen, our hearts have to be tuned to it. In this third week of Advent, Karen and Emily talk honestly about how hard it can be to find joy in the middle of exhaustion, family stress, and the very real unmet expectations of the season. Using the picture of tuning an instrument, they unpack how joy comes when we continually refocus our hearts on Jesus, not on our circumstances. If...

It’s easy to find ourselves in the middle of December with a packed calendar and an unprepared spirit, carrying bitterness, comparison, or disappointment into every day. Drawing from Matthew 3:3, Karen talks about what it means to “prepare the way for the Lord” so we don’t miss Jesus in the middle of our own expectations. You’ll come away with simple, practical ways to prepare your heart for Chris...

Today we’re kicking off our Advent series with a focus on hope. December fills up fast with activities, expectations, and pressure for a picture-perfect holiday, making it easy to place our hope in circumstances, schedules, and our spouses. But what do we do when Christmas doesn’t go as planned? In this episode, Karen invites us to ask a powerful question: Where am I placing my hope this Christmas...

Today Karen is tackling your questions about navigating the teenage years, from motivating strong-willed teens to handling independence, changing relationships, and the ever-present “that’s not fair!” Karen shares what worked in her home, including how to stay connected to strong-willed teens, helping boys who are pulling away, and parenting through the ever-changing norms of phones, jobs, and fre...

If you’re staring down the potty training season with dread, this one’s for you! Karen and Emily are joined by Christine Clark—a mom, preschool teacher, and pro who’s successfully potty trained 17 children. From handling accidents with grace to dealing with fear, regression, or defiance, this episode is packed with wisdom and encouragement for moms in the potty-training trenches. Episode Recap: Ch...

This week, Karen tackles listener questions on navigating everything from over-involved mother-in-laws to family disagreements and unmet expectations. Karen shares wisdom from her 39 years of marriage about when to speak up, when to set boundaries, and how to keep your marriage strong even when extended family drama threatens your peace!  Episode Recap: How do we make our relationships with our MI...

When it comes to raising independent kids, doing less can actually mean loving more. Karen and Emily welcome back mom of eight, Elizabeth Pehrson, whose last Wire Talk clip went viral with over 7.6 million views! In this powerful conversation, Elizabeth unpacks the long-term value of letting kids struggle, take responsibility, and learn from consequences. From packing lunches to doing laundry, she...

The moms we’re hearing from today are facing questions that feel big ; from whether to move our families, to when to say yes at church, to how we pray, parent, and pass down faith to our children. Karen is tackling listener questions that cover everything from culture and church life, to leading your child to Christ. We hope you’ll come away from listening encouraged that God’s wisdom is available...