The Parent Pivot Podcast

Football season is in full swing and you've likely seen a runner get stopped at the line of scrimmage and gang tackled to the ground.  Five or six guys against one all piling on. What does that have to do with pivoting from a parent to a partner, you ask? On today's edition of The Parent Pivot Podcast, we are re-airing this subject as Steve and Julia bring us some sound counsel on what to do when...

If you have a prodigal son or daughter who is not talking to you and you're wondering, "God, where are You?" . . . there is hope. On today's Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia interview Kari Trent Stageberg and her dad, Dr. John Trent, author of the book, "The Blessing." "Broken to be Blessed" is the story of a prodigal daughter and her redemptive story - and pivoting parents who spoke truth an...

Whether it's Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas or the 4th of July - pivoting parents can be left alone on the holiday. How do we navigate that when we yearn to be with our kids and grandkids? On today's Parent Pivot Podcast - Julia openly walks through her recent 4th of July weekend and how she and Steve were able to manage the loneliness of being away from their kids with authenticity and vulnerabi...

Doing life with your adult children can bring up issues from the past that now affect your relationship as a pivoting parent to partner. Left unaware of how to take the necessary steps toward healthy relationships will make life with your adult kids more difficult.  On today's Parent Pivot Podcast, Julia and Steve openly share their own struggles they experienced and how they used those mistakes t...

According to AI: "'Therefore'" is an adverb that means 'for that reason' or 'consequently.' It indicates a logical conclusion based on a preceding statement or situation. In essence, it signals a cause-and-effect relationship." Parents of adult children: There is a "cause-and-effect relationship you have with your adult kids. On today's Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia provide the biggest "Th...

Your son or daughter has just gotten married, or is about to.  What does it look like to pivot from parent to partner with your new in-law kids? On this episode of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia sit down with their daughter-in-law, Ashleigh Cummings, for a transparent and insightful interview from her perspective on marrying into a different family than the one she was raised in.  You'l...

Summer is here and family vacations are in full swing! On this edition of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia reflect on their week hosting their oldest son and his family of 3 kids and what they learned about themselves during those 7 days. Resources mentioned on this podcast: 1. Practicing the Way with John Mark Comer. 2. The One Minute Pause App  3. "13 Principles for Building Healthy Rel...

The pivot from Parent to Partner goes more smoothly when we "keep our mouths shut and the welcome mat out" - the main theme of Jim Burns' book and The Parent Pivot Podcast. Okay - but what is the balance between keeping our mouths shut - and dealing with our own emotions and resentment that pops up with our adult kids?   On this "Best of" podcast, Steve and Julia Cummings help you navigate what th...

Helping our adult kids out when they are struggling financially "can" bring up additional issues, especially with their siblings.  What is fair when maybe not all of your adult kids have the same struggles?  What can you do if your generosity is being taken advantaged of? On today's Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia reflect on this and what they went through as kids, how they managed it when r...

We all love family get-togethers where there is laughter and everyone is having a good time remembering stories from the past, right? Nothing wrong with that . . . or is there? On today's Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia use their EQ to let us in on something we may be missing that can be a downer with our adult kids. It's an "awareness check" that we all need to file away and remember to pul...

As we grew up as kids ourselves, we may or may not have good memories of how we were celebrated on our birthday.  Then we get married and our spouse's experience plays into how we choose to celebrate our own kids birthday. Now they are adults.  Whether you realize it or not, there "could be" some underlying issues your adult child is facing that aren't known when it comes to their birthday. On thi...

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens."  Often the season of the empty nest can leave us dealing with a number of issues.  How can you make sense of it all? On this re-air episode of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia share some raw and vulnerable feelings about their relatively new journey as empty nesters and provide some...

There are instances where parents can get stuck making the pivot from raising a child as a parent - to releasing them into the world as an adult and becoming a partner. Today on The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia - after getting distracted again by the wildlife in their backyard - deliver a major symptom that prevents parents from pivoting well.  Using some current sporting news and T.V. sh...

Pivoting from "Mamma parent" to "Mamma partner" can be one of the toughest things you'll ever have to do - especially if you have an adult son. On this edition of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia discuss the unique dynamics of the Mother/Son relationship and what you want that to look like as they start their own life without you as the #1 woman in their life. It's not a sad story and doe...

Ever feel like you're walking a difficult road with a wayward adult child?  On this edition of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia sit down with author and licensed parent-family educator, Lori Wildenberg, as she offers practical grace- and truth-filled ways of navigating your relationship with a detoured child—whether they are rejecting faith, dabbling in sin, or wholeheartedly embracing si...

Probably THE hardest thing a partner of an adult child faces is when their child goes through some sort of suffering.  It never changes because we never stop being Mom and Dad.  We all feel deeply it and our knee-jerk reaction is to: Step in and fix it Make the pain go away And in the process - we make it worse. SO - what are we supposed to do?  What is the healthy way to deal with our adult child...

Does it seem like your adult child ignores you, talks down to you, or treats you in a negative way somehow?  Maybe it even feels like you're walking on eggshells? On this edition of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia provide some insightful wisdom on how we can navigate that path with confidence toward a healthier relationship with our adult kids.

"One" is a song by American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson that was made famous by Three Dog Night back in the 60's. You may be parents who have one adult child and may not realize there are some unique dynamics that play into what your pivot looks like. On today's Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia look at those dynamics after hearing from some adult children who are the only child in their f...

We long for relationships to be joyful and life-giving, right? So why do they often leave us wounded, broken and exhausted? If you're looking to break the cycles that hurt your relationships with your adult kids and hold you back - you won't want to miss this edition of The Parent Pivot Podcast. Steve and Julia sit down with Justin and Trisha Davis about their new book - "One Choice Away from Chan...

You pour your heart and soul into raising your family. You kids grow up and become responsible adults and often times find their mate and get married. That's what we want, right partners of adult kids? Something that can suddenly impact and throw off your "Disney fairy-tale ending" often begins at the wedding. TWO families coming together and dynamics enter and things can change abruptly! THEN - t...

Pivoting to healthy relationships with our adult children requires:                    1. Diving                    2. Reflection                    3. Processing Picture an iceberg. That's ALL we see in a person is what's above the surface. Unbeknownst to us is the other 90% brewing beneath the surface that stirs up our emotions and thoughts as we try to make sense of ANY situation or conversatio...

Dads: What if you were told that "doing" LESS as a father when your kids turn 20, would actually raise your stock (i.e. respect) i their eyes? Would you listen? It certainly goes against the grain of what we have been taught, shown and modeled in our culture - even the traditional church. On this special edition of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve talks to dads straight from the heart and shares hi...

Let's face it . . . not only is there NOT instructions handed to new parents by the doctor explaining "what to do" when you leave the hospital and take your baby home. The same can also be said when your adult kids leave home. Where's the "partner manual"? Where do you go to find out how to make the pivot from parent to partner? We got you on this one! On this edition of the Parent Pivot Podcast,...

We recently posted some TikTok short videos on a variety of subjects to see what would stick to the wall. One particular issue touched home with over 11,000 hits! (Huge for us!) Adult children and parents all chimed in with their hurt and pain seeking healthy answers to this question: "What do you do when relationship between parent and adult child is cutoff?" On this edition of The Parent Pivot P...

Your son or daughter is heading off to college - or currently in college - and you're finding it extremely hard to let go. It can be painful to not be needed as much as you used to. How do you make sense of this new season of life? Steve and Julia have a few small steps you can begin to take down this new road and start to make "the pivot" from parent to partner. Dads: This is for you, too! Join u...