HealthyExpatParent’s Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Relationships are already complicated, and especially so when we add on elements that are unique to FS like multiple international movies, isolation of nuclear family and Embassy bubble life.  How can we keep the relationship with our partner strong?   Lisa, Hillery and Morgan talk with me about things they've done and do to keep their marriages strong, even in times of high...

Send us Fan Mail Human being as social creatures: we do best when we have a sense of connectedness and contribute to oneness, to unity. We love to contribute time and effort to a common good; a common purpose we can share with our village.  Join me for a conversation about creating a village: what is it, why is it important and how can we go about creating a village. For further reading:  https://...

Send us Fan Mail I'm excited to share a podcast with you, talking about nutrition, eating well, and different food choices that might be more healthful. I spend some time talking about super food, about not-so-super foods, and giving tips to help make eating healthfully easier to attain. Check out www.heprecipe.com for super recipes that are good for you and your family, tasty, and nutritiona...

Send us Fan Mail Talking with Lisa Tilstra, about EFMing and choosing your own adventure, figuring out how to make the transient lifestyle work.  We talk a little bit about how it can be frustrating and hard, and how it can negatively impact relationships.  Some special skills: flexibility and curiosity.   It is not just about jobs and employment.  Community, mental wellness, figuring out what we...

Send us Fan Mail Happy New Year!  Sharing an episode of 4 Women Talking (Hillery Midkiff, Morgan Loosli, Lisa Tilstra and myself) as we talk about resolutions, change, how our constant state of impermanence impacts the impetus of chasing change, and how we define "success" with achieving a goal.  We include mindfulness, and also self-compassion as important keys to success.  Join us for...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast is a bit longer, but full of important information.  Talking with M/Med folks about questions about clearances, mental health and special needs.  Also some great suggestions for helping you help yourself get the best care and smooth clearance process. Sites and links mentioned: MED Sharepoint homepage: https://usdos.sharepoint.com/sites/MED/SitePages/Public/Main Med s...

Send us Fan Mail Sharoya Hamm and I discuss supportive bidding for all family members (including furry family members!).  Bidding on new posts is hard enough; we talk about what considerations should be on the table for a successful bidding season for you and your family.

Send us Fan Mail Sharoya and I discuss Anxious generation by Jonathan Haidt  https://www.amazon.com/Anxious-Generation-Rewiring-Childhood-Epidemic/ We talk about social media and our kids, the impact of mobile phone usage on our kids, and how all of this is complicating our kids' mental well being. Resources mentioned: Raising an adult, by Julie Lythcott-Haims  https://www.amazon.com/How-to-R...

Send us Fan Mail How can we achieve success with a goal, be it a new health behavior, a stress-reduction habit, or new activity? Here I share suggestions for elements that help achieve success (Motivation, Convenience, and Simplicity) and share thoughts on other factors that can help support your success.

Send us Fan Mail Sadly, news of heart-breaking events such as school shootings or terrorist actions comes, and even if we are on the other side of the globe, we can't hide it from our kids.  How do we deal with these traumatic stories?  Should we tell our kids?  And if so, how?  Here, Jennie Linton and I talk about these very tough questions.  This episode is also shared on thebigpurpleblob.c...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, talking about getting mammograms and other screening-type tests and how this can be complicated by being in Foreign Service.  Also sharing insights and stories about this very important preventative test.  Joining me is Katie Fowle, a survivor of breast cancer.  This episode is also shared on TheBigPurpleBlob podcast.  

Send us Fan Mail A second episode discussing mammograms, and the importance of this screening test.  Not only talking about survivor stories, but also a little about the process that may happen after having a test come back with an anomaly.  This episode features Jennie Linton and Katie Fowle and is also shared on the BigPurpleBlob podcast.

Send us Fan Mail Addressing super hero skills that contribute to better community and how to turn that kindness and compassion towards our own (harsh) inner voice.  If you would like to take a deliberate step towards noting and then quieting that inner critic, try this simple meditation: https://www.mindful.org/basic-meditation-tame-inner-critic/  

Send us Fan Mail Today, talking with my eldest about applying for university, strategies that helped, and then preparing for heading off the university.  As a Foreign Service kid, we have a lot of advantages, but it can be complicated to send our kiddo off to the live on the other side of the planet for a year.  We talk about what we did to prepare, what helped him find successes last year, and ho...

Send us Fan Mail They went, they studied, they became (somewhat?) independent and adult-like ... now they are home and they are still your child.  Some of it fits, some of it feels a little uncomfortable.  

Send us Fan Mail An important topic, helping kids of all colors have the school and education experience they deserve, no matter what color they might be.  Dr Teneshia Taylor joins me for a conversation about the anti-black experiences our kids have at school, and what we can do to make a positive difference in this seemingly systemic problem.  You can email Teneshia directly at bbeyondbias@gmail....

Send us Fan Mail One of the very real stressors of Foreign Service life is the moving.  Again and again, you'll relocate your home which includes likely weeks of being in limbo, probably a LOT of time with extended family and then more flights to your new-to-you city.  It can be a lot, especially when you're still trying to keep what health and wellness routine you've embraced rolli...

Send us Fan Mail Why gratitude is important for you, and how you can embrace more in your everyday life.  Includes suggestions for helping your kids embrace more gratitude too.

Send us Fan Mail Sorry, had to reload the audio!  Listen to what I feel Mindfulness is, what it isn't and why it matters.  The practice of being mindful can help positively impact all aspects of your life, and, if you have kids, seeing you practice it regularly will help them tune in with greater ease as well. For further reading:  https://www.healthline.com/health/mind-body/mindfulness-activ...

Send us Fan Mail One of the hardest parts of parenting is trying to step back and let your kids learn rather than to do all of the things for them.  Here, I am joined by Sharoya Ham, one of my fellow Purple Blobbers, and we talk about a book we both enjoy How to raise an adult, by Julia Lythcott-Haims.  We discuss the points that we most appreciate in the book, and how they relate specifically to...

Send us Fan Mail Please join for the second part of the conversation about How to raise an adult.

Send us Fan Mail Hillery, Morgan and Lisa join me for a conversation about employment.  We cover EFM and PSC related topics, plus working in the Embassy versus working on the economy, salaries, interview horror stories and more.  

Send us Fan Mail A chat with Dr Jones from M/Med about what M/Med and your Health Units do to keep you and your family well overseas.  

Send us Fan Mail After all of the stress of applications, the letter came, your kid is in!  They finally are off to college ... how does this impact the rest of the family?  What's next?

Send us Fan Mail Four women who happen to be in the Foreign Service talk about what it takes to stay fit, eat well, and deal with time zones, moving frequently, and varying options at different posts.