Proud Police Wife Podcast

The day that this episode airs it is Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. However, ANY DAY is a great day to show support and appreciation to law enforcement. In today's episode I share free (or VERY inexpensive ways) that you can say thank you to law enforcement. Also, many supporters want to show support but don't know how. So if you are a spouse that is listening, be sure to share these...

The spouses and family members of first responders serve right alongside the hero in their lives. Because of that, it is important to know how we can best serve those in a support role, what stress they may encounter as a supporting spouse and what gaps exist as far as support and resources. Joining me in today's episode is Dr. Erin Craw, the daughter of a first responder and a researcher loo...

Whether your spouse is ready to retire or is questioning if it is time to leave law enforcement or not, it is important to know what the transition can look like and how to prepare. So in this episode we are talking about transitioning to retirement for law enforcement officers and their families. Joining us in today's podcast episode is Jason Hoschouer where he talks about his own transition...

Any critical incident in the law enforcement community, seems to hit close to home. Even if we don’t know those immediately impacted, we feel a connection, in some way, to those hurting. And when someone in the law enforcement community is hurting we want to offer support and help in some way. Joining us on today’s episode is Rachael Flick discussing how and when to offer support to those experien...

One "perk" that many law enforcement families see to the job is getting overtime which equals more each month. We all know that law enforcement officers aren't paid their worth, so one way to offset that pay and bring in extra money each month is by working some overtime. But overtime can cause some problems if you aren't careful. In today's episode Rebecca discusses 4 pro...

The holidays are almost here and while it can be an exciting time, it can also be a stressful time for children of law enforcement. Many questions come up during this season from kids wondering why their holiday has to look a little different than their friends or other family members. In today's episode I share some discussions you can have with your kids to help minimize any confusion and v...

This is a very popular question I get asked a lot: “How do I meet other police wives or girlfriends or gain support from others who get it?” It is important to be able to connect with those who also need support or friendship as a police spouse or significant other. And we all know that no one quite understands this lifestyle unless they walk in our shoes. So over the years I have learned many way...

Whether a critical incident has occurred for you, your spouse or your family or you just want to be mentally prepared now knowing that this possibility could happen the best you can do is find tools to be resilient. Taking action now and meeting someone where they are at after a critical incident is important for mentally and physically recovering from the event.  Knowing where to get help, what i...

Work phones ringing off the hook, overtime, working later than expected, always talking about the job, having plans canceled too frequently- sound familiar? While some of these things do happen to most law enforcement families from time to time, they don’t need to happen all the time. Instead, your family needs boundaries from the job. In today’s episode we are discussing ways to put these plans i...

I think we can all agree that it takes WORK, actual work, to keep the connection and fire going in our marriages. What was once super easy when you were first dating, maybe isn’t always easy anymore because well, life happens. You get immersed in your jobs, have kids, more household duties, you grow older and get used to the mundane, plus the demands of the job and the impact it has on your relati...

We all have those days, weeks or even seasons where things feel crazy busy and exhausting. If you are feeling that right now, then this episode is for you. Rebecca talks about why you need to press pause, especially as first responder spouses. If you enjoyed today's episode or past episodes, please leave a rating or review. For continued support, grab my book Proud Police Wife: 90 Devotions B...

Police officers need healthy coping strategies for dealing with the job and the trauma that comes with it. When cops don't have coping mechanisms or don't talk about the job, we do see signs and symptoms of that impact. To talk about those signs and symptoms, and why it is so important to talk, we brought on guest Susan Simons. Susan Simons is President and Founder of Under the Shield, l...

First responder and military couples often have bigger asks of them compared to civilian couples. These careers ask more out of couples and families. But sadly, it can be hard to find support and resources for the tens of thousands of service families that need them. In today’s episode I am joined by Taya Kyle. Taya Kyle is the widow of Chris Kyle-American Sniper, Executive Director of The Taya an...

Being financially prepared is important for everyone, but even more so for first responder families. Not only is it smart to have an emergency fund in case of an injury, change in career, family emergency or something worse, but there are other ways to prepare, too. Joining me today is Courtney from Heroes Financial Coaching where we talk about emergency funds,  paying off debt and life insurance....

First responders take in the bad of the world regularly so building resiliency in first responders is important to combat the negativity around them. Joining me today is Kristen Jauregui, fellow police wife and dispatcher of 23 years. She is also passionate about helping first responders combat stressors of the job. That's why she wrote a new book titled A Resiliency Journal for First Respond...

When your spouse works a dangerous job mixed with shift work, it is NORMAL to feel happy, excited, emotional or relieved when he/she comes home safely after shift. I remember many nights where our baby cried all night and I longed for the moment until my husband walked through that door so I could hand him the baby so I could get some sleep. But after time, I realized that my quick actions as soon...

Today's episode kicks off Season 2 of The Proud Police Wife Podcast and today we are talking about sleep. No doubt bedtime can be a stressful time when your spouse is working night shift and you are putting kids to bed solo on top of normal evening routines like dinner and chores. But it doesn't have to be a nightly struggle. Joining us in this episode is Melissa P. Melissa is a fellow p...

We hear a lot of talk lately about police officers leaving the field completely or retiring early and moving on to another career. And can we really blame them? With society dehumanizing law enforcement, it makes their job even harder than it already is. So whether you (or your spouse) are ready to turn in the badge or you are just exploring your options, today's episode will give you some in...

With shift work and inconsistent schedules it can feel as if creating routines for your family are difficult. But I am here to tell you, that you probably already have routines that you may not be aware of. And you can absolutely create routines based on what YOU CAN CONTROL. If you focus on what you can control vs what you can’t (like your spouse being held over at work or his/her schedule) then...

Today's guest is Pete James, former law enforcement officer and owner of OfficerPrivacy.com . Pete saw first hand how easy it was for people to target law enforcement officers with the click of a button. So he started Officer Privacy as a way to help police officers not get harassed. At Officer Privacy, they help to remove your personal information off the top 50 people search sites breaking...

Today is a very special episode as I sit down with my oldest daughter, age 10, and we talk about what its like to have a parent in law enforcement. She openly shares what it's like to be a child of a law enforcement officer, what advice she gives to other kids in her shoes and what she loves about her father being in law enforcement. If you have children or plan to have children, this is the...

Sadly, coming across people and sometimes even friends and family who buy into this negative police rhetoric can happen. And for many in our community, it feels like it is happening more now than ever before. But knowing how to deal with those who are anti-police can be a great burden. In today's episode, I am sharing what to say and do when faced with this situation. This episode may seem sh...

Years ago, I did not know that the loneliness I was experiencing was very normal. In fact, most police spouses experience loneliness, on some level, at some point. If you are finding yourself lonely and missing your spouse, then I want you to know, you are not alone. You may be feeling lonely or you may be physically alone a lot. I talk about both and what you need to remember as a police spouse t...

Ready to live your life with intention no matter what comes your way? Then this episode is for you. Joining me on the podcast today is Zanna Wolfgang. Zanna is a former police wife, founder of Honor the Brave and she has some new ventures that we are talking about today which share her passion for helping women live their lives purposefully even during hard times.  It’s no secret that the past few...

If you haven't heard, The Police Wife Conference is coming back for it's 4th year! This is a virtual event that is happening April 25th-29th, 2022! 5 days, 10 expert speakers, talking about 10 different topics for law enforcement families. In a nutshell, the best resources and support for police spouses all packed in to one powerful week. Learn all about the conference and what it has to...