LIKING the people you LOVE

Last night I was faced with the question "What was one of the happiest moments of your life?" After mulling that over in my mind for a while, this episode has my answer.

Today I'm sharing a practical tip that helps when our kids are in a stage that we don't love. It's tempting to set rules or consequences that try to change their behavior. But if we jump to that too quickly, we may be missing out on valuable insights and the chance to connect on a deeper level.

Today's conversation is a topic that consumes a lot of my brain space and heart space. It's important to me that I do my best to get the gospel deep into the hearts of my teenagers. My guest is my new-ish friend Rachel Tucker. I consider her wise and faithful, and a someone I always love to learn from. If I were to re-cap, I'd say her main advise is: Live your faith Don't be preachy Wrap them in l...

My son and his wife recently celebrated their one year wedding anniversary. I asked them to each share one thing they have learned in their first year of marriage, and they had some beautiful insights. Today I'm sharing what they have learned, and applying those prinicples to parenting.

The very first thing I address with new clients is the skill of compassionate self-awareness. It is an important foundation if you want to make changes in your life, and the first step in learning to maximize the gift of agency. Tune in to hear some examples of how a little bit of self-awareness changes everything!

I'm all for being prepared. I'm a planner and a think ahead-er. And sometimes, that makes my life easier and better! But sometimes, planning ahead- for things that could go wrong- actually makes life worse. Today we're talking about common scenarios where trying to prepare ourselves for the worst case scenario is not helpful at all. I'll give some real life examples, and provide what I think is a...

Today's episode is short and sweet. I'm sharing how I chose to use the sabbath as a day of rest last week. Because maybe you could use a rest too. Matthew 11:28-30

Today we're talking about the difference between discipline and punishment. One is intended to teach and train, the other is intended to control or to assert power. This episode talks about what our real goal is as parents, and how to use consequences not as punishments, but as genuine opportunities to teach. Click here to schedule a free consultation session. 

Today is the continuation of the last week's episode. We're talking about tips 4 and 5 from my ebook: Parenting Teengaers 101 : a Guidebook for Parents. 4. Let Your Teaching Strategies Evolve 5. Be Their Biggest Fan

Today I'm sharing three parenting strategies I wish I had understood better when my oldest child entered the teen years. Don't freak out It's not about you Allow big emotions These "tips" come from years of experience, both parenting my own teens, and coaching parents of teens. You can find these same tips in my short ebook, " Parenting Teenagers 101: a guidebook for parents ." Or if you're lookin...

Today's episode was inspired by President Camille N. Johnson's talk in this last general conference, titled " Spiritually Whole in Him ." We're talking about how to feel spiritually whole, even when family relationships are difficult or strained. Quote from Elder Ballard here . Quote from Elder Renlund here . Quote from Elder Gong here .

I know this is not a new idea. I'm sure you pray often for your children. But if you're anything like me, you might be praying for the wrong things sometimes. Today I'm sharing four "prayer strategies" that have made a big difference in my life: Turn it over to the Lord Ask "what would you like me to do?" Seek and Expect Miracles (" Spiritual Momentum " by Russell M. Nelson, April 2022) Call on An...

My thoughts today are inspired by Elder Patrick Kearon's talk from general conference last year, " God's Intent is to Bring You Home. " I'm talking about how to apply his phrase "relentless pursuit" to our parenting in a way that doesn't feel like nagging or controlling.

I have seven kids with really different personalities. It's funny how people can be raised in the same home and come out so different from each other. Something my kids all have in common though, is confidence. They are all incredibly brave.  They aren't afraid to try new things, and I am in awe of the things they are learning and doing! While I'm not claiming to have "made them" that way, I do th...

Today's episode is a repost of epsiode 51- way back in the day. "Parental Leadership" is a term and a concept that I think about often. When I'm feeling frustrated with the way my kids are behaving, it's helpful for me to step back and analyze my own leadership in the situation. Then I can focus my energy on improving my leadership skills to create the result I want.  

Today's episode is a repost of epsiode 51- way back in the day. "Parental Leadership" is a term and a concept that I think about often. When I'm feeling frustrated with the way my kids are behaving, it's helpful for me to step back and analyze my own leadership in the situation. Then I can focus my energy on improving my leadership skills to create the result I want.  

Parenting comes with a great deal of sacrifice. Sometimes those sacrifices feel beautiful and holy. But sometimes, when we feel like we don't have a choice in what we sacrifice, we end up feeling resentful.. We can even start to feel like a victim in our own lives. Today we're talking about how to change that. We'll discuss how to recognize when you're making yourself a victim, and what you can do...

This past weekend in General Conference, I heard the parable of the ten virgins referenced FIVE times! It caught my attention, and has reminded me that NOW is the time to make sure my spiritual lamp is ready, filled with the oil of conversion. But also... I realized that I am no longer a young virgin. HAHA! What would this parable be like if it were about 10 matrons, or mothers in Israel? Do I hav...

Usually we talk about parenting on here. But sometimes, it's not your children making crazy choices, but your parents, or your spouse, or your sister. Today I have a few tips for those who are struggling with the decisions of another adult that you love. Go listen to this talk by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

Today's episode is just a reminder to zoom out a little and remember that, whatever hard thing you have going on right now, it won't last forever. I'm sharing a couple of examples from my own family just in case you need to feel some hope!

Nothing is more frustrating as a parent than trying to get a teenager to do something they don't want to do! Sometimes our efforts to help our teens even seem to backfire, and they push away from us. In today's episode, I'm talking about what I think are some realistic and important goals for us to remember as parents. " Seeing God's Family Through the Overview Lens ," by Tamara W. Runia Schedule...

Today's episode is a short, sweet reminder that your efforts matter. I'm sharing a little message that Heavenly Father has impressed on my heart, knowing that you can probably use the same reminder.

You may have heard the old saying "A mother is only as happy as her least happy child." Today's episode is a direct rebuttal to that nonsense! The level of joy you experience in your life does not depend on how well your children are or are not doing! I have a few suggestions to help you find more joy in life even when your child is struggling. I'm referencing the following talk from President Rus...

Today's episode is an invitation for you to ponder something with me. I'm talking about the worth of souls, and how to love more like God loves. The book I talk about is "You Are Special" by Max Lucado .

Sometimes it feels like as mothers, there is always something or someone to worry about. We may even think it is helpful and important for us to spend our energy worrying about the people we love. In reality, allowing ourselves to get stuck in worry, fear, or anxiety is unually counterproductive. In today's episode I'll explain why that is, and what we can do instead.