Thriving with 8 Podcast

Suicide, unfortunately, is a growing problem in our society. In this interview Kristen shares with us her "why" that motivates her to be an advocate for mental health and suicide awareness. Suicide awareness and prevention begins with mental wellness. Mental wellness talks should start from the time our kids can talk. None of us are immune from life and the challenges that come from it. As we help...

Violence is all around us- in the news, glorified in movies, on TV, and in video games. As parents, it is important that we teach our kids that violence is never the answer. We need to empower our children with tools so that when they experience feelings of anger and frustration they know how to respond. By teaching our kids how to deal with anger in appropriate and healthy ways, we are setting th...

Are you simply surviving summer "break" or are you thriving? It can be a challenge to have your kids home all day, every day. In this episode I share 3 tips that have helped my kids and I thrive during summer break. 

According to Dr. Christy Kane, Ph. D, we are raising the "Smart Phone Generation". Do we really know how smart phones are affecting the brains of our children, especially our teenagers? Scientific research shows that our teens brain development is literally being altered. Technology is not going away so we need to understand how it works and be able to maintain balance. Although there are many ben...

Kids are born resilient. Failure and negative self-talk are learned. As moms we can follow the example of our little ones and adapt an "I got this" mind set! We are our own worst critic and usually believe ourselves more than others. We can practice positive self-talk by reminding ourselves daily in the mirror that we are children of God, by reviewing our successes, and saying "I love you".   Addi...

Do you ever doubt your abilities to be a mother? Worry that you aren't enough? That is common for mothers. However, the truth is that you are the mother your children need ! In this encouraging interview with author and mother Christie Gardiner she gives the key to our success-"show up as  you with God." Heavenly Father specifically prepared you for this time and these children.     

God's grace is available to all of us. Christ paid the price for our mistakes through His atonement. Now it's up to us to use this precious gift to become more like Him, to progress day by day in order to thrive in life. We are literally practicing for heaven. Brad Wilcox is an amazing teacher, speaker, and author. This episode is an inspiring message of hope that will encourage our families as we...

"You didn't have a cell phone when you were a teen? How did you survive?!" Let's face it, our children live in a much different world than we did and face challenges that didn't exist when we were growing up. It's crucial that we have open communication concerning their phones, social media accounts, and sexting (just to name a few). Kyle Henrie from NetSmartz joins me for this discussion with som...

As busy moms, it's often hard to find time to exercise. However, it's important to make time for ourselves and find something we enjoy doing. There are so many benefits to being active! Megan Murff, founder and owner of Cahoots Fitness, joins me to talk about how exercise can help us thrive as moms (and what to do with our kids while we work out).    Cahoots Fitness

Creating a thriving marriage is an on-going process. Although each marriage is different, we can learn from the examples of other couples. Listen as I share lessons on happy, enduring marriages I have learned from my loving grandparents. 

It's that time of year again. Will your New Years Resolutions just be more items on your to-do list or really help you become the person you want to be? Our goals should be meaningful and realistic. In order to be successful we must have strong motives behind them and real purpose. When we include God in our goal planning He will help us set goals that will help us become better moms, loyal wives,...

Have you ever pondered how Mary must have felt gazing into the eyes of her newborn baby that first Christmas night? How did she feel about being the mother to the Savior of the world? Although we are not mothers to the Savior we are mothers to very special children of God. Do our kids recognize their divine potential? Do we make an effort to see our children through God's eyes?    Additional resou...

Have you ever arrived at the end of the Christmas season, only to realize that you forgot the reason for the season? Join me as I talk with Christie Gardiner , author of "Our Family Christmas: Creating Meaningful and Memorable Christ-Centered Traditions" . Christie has some wonderful ideas on how we can invite the Savior into our lives as we celebrate this special time of year with our families. 

Are you a bucket filler? We can help our kids understand the importance of kindness by teaching them about being bucket fillers. Every time we are kind, give a compliment, notice the good, etc. we are filling another person's bucket. A mom should be her kids #1 bucket filler! Although this is not always easy it will lead to more happiness in the home. Thriving moms are bucket fillers!   Have You F...

These days, with constant internet access, it's more important than ever that parents have "The Talk" with their kids. But how do we talk about maturation and intimacy in a comfortable way? What is the right age to begin? Brad Wilcox has some wonderful insight and tips on how to open the lines of communication with your kids about sex education.    Additional resources: https://deseretbook.com/t/a...

Tackling your daily to-do list will become easier when you apply the 4 D's: Do, Delegate, Delete, and Defer. You can't do everything so take time to figure out what's most important and not "run faster than [you] have strength." Make sure to put your spiritual needs on your "Do" list everyday! We thrive when we keep our family and God our top priorities.    Additional Resources:  Mosiah 4:27 http:...

Interview with Christian actor and family advocate Kirk Cameron! Social media is replacing real relationships. Families are suffering from the negative effects of technology. But there is hope! The film "Connect", hosted by Kirk Cameron, will help families thrive through this digital world we are living in. Join me as Kirk talks to us about social media, technology, and the importance of family an...

Can you teach your children to be friends with each other? You can definitely provide opportunities to spend time together and help encourage those friendships. This episode shares ways to help siblings become friends. If we believe families can be together forever then we should enjoy spending time together!

My friend Natalie is an amazing example of a thriving mom. I was thrilled when she let me interview her during a recent visit from China. She has great advice for moms on dealing with change, challenges, and adjusting to life in China. 

In his movie "Connect", Kirk Cameron refers to us as "pioneer parents" when it comes to social media and technology. No other generation has faced the parenting challenges that we are facing! Just like teaching our kids to drive is scary, but necessary, so is technology. This episode discusses the importance of learning alongside our kids and presents ways we can stay connected to them.     https:...

"You can choose to be kind!" This statement is heard repeatedly in our home (thanks to Daniel Tiger). So how do we teach our children to be kind? Kindness begins with ME, the mom. We can start by being kind to our kids. Our kids will follow our example. We can also help them thrive by identifying ways to help others, complimenting times when they are kind, and asking them each day "How were you ki...

Do our kids know the difference between saying "I'm sorry" and true repentance? Going to time out does not equal being sorry. Let's help our kids understand the steps to repentance, starting with our example of humility and apology when we do wrong. Our family's Legend of the Ketchup Bottle is a humorous example of sibling conflict and applying the steps to repentance.    Additional resources: "I'...

Do video games keep your family from thriving? Are you familiar with the content of the games your kids are playing? Violence in video games does affect how you think and act. Thriving parents are aware of the video games their kids play and how it affects them. 

Do video games keep your family from thriving? (Part 1) As moms, it's important to be aware of how much time our kids spend playing video games as well as what types of games they are playing. Too much video gaming can lead to addiction, isolation, a decrease in health, wasting time, and so forth. Let's help our kids thrive by teaching them the importance of limiting video game time and keeping ba...

Thriving Through Finding Balance: How do moms sacrifice for others without sacrificing themselves? Balance is the key. We will thrive as moms and help our kids thrive as we balance the needs of our body, mind, spirit, and relationships.