Struggle Well School

Have you ever heard of the game: Thousand Ball Soccer? Are you looking for ways to keep kids off screens this summer or just looking to feel less awful when they are? Just listen to this episode here and you’re going to feel loads less alone!  I am so proud of you ladies! Here in the middle of Endless Summer 2020 we asked for some problems and we were flooded with solutions you’ve already come up...

Do you ever feel lost as a Mom, like you can’t remember what your assignment is? Are you digging deep right now deciding how you will respond to racial inequality?  Throughout this chat we hit on the ever-evolving nature of our relationships with our children, being a part of a blended family and even share what may be unpopular opinions on some hot topics but with each subject that comes up, Rach...

Think back to your earliest summer memory. Was it something sweet like picking strawberries in a straw hat or was it more like hot lava seat belts and CDs melting to your dashboard?  We’ve all made it to July! This week we celebrate that by reminiscing about scorching Arizona summers and squash some myths about the Southwest. We also share summer recipe ideas, dunk on our Mom a bit, reveal a code...

Greta Eskridge is a homeschooling mom of 4. She loves to fill her family’s days with reading, making art, and being outside as much as possible. Her favorite places to be are on a hiking trail or at the tide pools--preferably with a La Croix or iced coffee in hand. Greta loves laughing, having adventures, and talking about the things that really matter. She and her husband, Aaron, have been marrie...

Yep, there are large problems in the world. And while we educate ourselves and our families on how to help with those problems (more on that in this episode), these pesky non-problem problems are still creeping up. People wrote in and asked things like: How often should I be practicing “bland face” for when my teenager tells me shocking things and How naked is TOO naked when pelotoning with friend...

Do you feel like your life is on hold as you raise small children? Might you spend too much time idolizing the wrong things? Find yourself fixating on a clean house? Maybe pointing out imperfections in others? You will never want this episode to end! Ruth shares with us what she has ascertained as a parent to SIX boys over the past 18 years. We talk: resolving conflict, the actual purpose, and the...

Are you watching your adolescent struggle with mental health? Are you ever torn between faith and your own mental health recovery? Matt Stanford works right at that intersection. He reminds those of us who have adolescents dealing with mental and emotional health issues to check our preconceived notions at the door. Forgetting where they should be and helping them recover gracefully. Matthew S. St...

Where do you feel like you fall short? Just a little honest conversation about comparison going on over here today. It only makes sense to get into a rousing game of Would you Rather during our comparison chat and boy, it’s a tough one. Emily praises Katie for being a sandwich artist and Katie encourages Em to become a plant artist… because she has always wanted to be one. WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT: the...

You know, I don’t feel like I’m cut out for this Mom thing. I am angry ALL the time and it can feel completely overwhelming to be in charge sometimes. But the truth is, we have been chosen to be the mothers of our children. The perspective shift for today is to stop thinking about all of the ways you are falling short and to start focusing on how you have already been equipped for this job. Becky...

Are you racing towards your goals? Running away every chance you can? I sure do. We could all use a gentle reminder to slow down and listen to what God may be telling us. This week we are bringing you an exclusive interview with our very own Rebecky ! There are no problems this month as we celebrate Rebecca Smith’s vulnerable and sweet page-turner that launched this week. In A Better Life: Slowing...

It’s every young parent's nightmare and it’s some parents' reality. My guest this week shares with us her family’s story through her son's addiction, overdose, and recovery. She describes what it looks like through the eyes of a faithful mother who did all of the right things but still found herself in the middle of a war. We talk about her struggles with bipolar disorder and her husband's experie...

Will the pools be open? What about the beaches? What are we going to DO this summer!? We found ourselves asking all of these questions so we decided to get on the mic and talk through it like sisters do! We tried out two new recipes with our kids to pass some time and learned more than expected in that experience. We also talked about what swimsuit trends we may be rocking in our back yards this y...

Are you homeschooling by choice or by force? What “counts” as school, anyway? Maybe you just need some basic guidelines to keep your sanity. Erin shares with us 5 things that you can do right now to improve your homeschool experience plus ways to re-frame this unique situation to find the good . One of my favorite parts of this chat is where she shares the practice of placing value on “unique abil...

Emily doesn’t look forward to grandchildren and Rebecky has started cussing during quarantine. These are just the down and dirty facts, and we can’t hide them any longer. We talk about conflicting opinions on arugula, the good and bad days during a pandemic, and jaw-dropping chalk art. I would like to formally thank Rebecky for our shiny new explicit rating and for keeping things… fresh around her...

Does someone in your family have a chronic illness? Could you use a perspective shift towards grace when it comes to your children? I was so happy to hear from my guest today because she has practical ways to get in the bible no matter what your spiritual maturity and that was just the motivation I needed. She shares with us her wisdom on the subject of grace and her family’s journey navigating Cr...

Friendship is hard in quarantine! How are other people connecting right now? Should I change my face to a potato on a Zoom call? Before we ever got to the actual subject of friendship we found out that Emily has experienced Tiger King’s property first hand and how Katie’s at-home art class became more educational than planned. We also did stash it or trash it on Aha Black Cherry + Coffee Sparkling...

Raising daughters is amazing/overwhelming. Today we are focusing on pre-teen girls but we also touch on the general wellness that all of us mothers are trying to maintain over here. In Courtney’s experience, our girls turn a corner around first and second grade - when things aren’t just about cool tutus and everyone being friends. Courtney is really passionate about this time in life, so with her...

WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT: how putting down our phones can help us stop overthinking not letting our disappointments turn into comparisons that lead to shame how Anne is helping guide her family through quarantine Anne’s struggle with overthinking the link between perfectionism and overthinking determining when you’re giving something the attention it deserves vs. overthinking it ways to stop overthinkin...

Waiting well through the adoption process , working towards financial freedom for your family and battling comparison as a parent of a child with delays are just a few of the topics we hit on today with my guest Alison Storm. She talks to us about her season of waiting and her distaste for the phrase “it happens in God’s time”. Alison saw child slavery first hand on a trip and it started a fire in...

WHAT I CHAT ABOUT: giving your anxiety to the Lord; He is near finding things to be grateful for waiting well - be aware of what you look to for comfort while you wait expecting well - trust that God is working all things for our good looking again - find opportunities to share hope leaning in - make the next right choice moment by moment and embrace the opportunities God is providing LINKS MENTIO...

Have you ever wondered if you may have a substance dependence issue? Maybe you have a child or loved one dealing with substance abuse and could use some advice on how to love them well through that. My friend and neighbor Liz came to sit with me on my bedroom floor and tells us about her journey through alcohol use and rehabilitation. She shares when she came to faith and the conditions she made u...

Thank you to each and every one of you that wrote in with your vulnerable and funny problems to solve surrounding love and marriage. Rebecky and I had to take this one in a different direction because it turns out as we have been solving YOUR problems, OUR problems had been stacking up! WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT: what’s going on with Rebecky and Emily if Emily should haze the new patients at her job solv...

You guys, we just scored some sound advice on bedtime problems, sibling rivalries, and technology + teens. These two have a framework that has really shaped my parenting and now they have even more resources for us to enjoy! Jim & Lynne LOVE making God’s grace and truth practical for parents. Their combination of experience at home with three wired kids, and in careers helping kids and parents...

WHAT WE CHAT ABOUT: Kirsten’s story changing the language we use about our bodies how working through non-sexual trauma affected Kirsten’s sex life taking control of your energy for yourself changing the negative connotation of pleasure deciding what you want your sex life to look like the mind, body and spiritual connection of sex LINKS MENTIONED: It’s So Amazing Another Name for Everything with...

If you want to feel normal about marriage, please listen to this episode. Huge shout out to the listeners who wrote in! We all have conflict and it was so fun to hear about your most ridiculous fights and how you all have learned to conflict well . We shared a good amount of personal information on behalf of our “big boys” and we are hoping this podcast never makes its way to their phones! WHAT WE...