Inspiration from this Episode

“There's a hole in the bucket but for us, there might be a hole in our heart.”

“We often have to throw out seven ideas before we come up with a reasonably good idea and then that probably has to be fine tuned.”

“They're going to tell me about the hole and I'm going to listen carefully so that I understand it.”

041 | Us & Kids: Hole in the Bucket

Intro 

On today’s show, we're talking about a hole in our bucket. I'm curious, do you know this song? It's about two characters - Henry and Eliza. Henry has a leaky bucket and Lysa just wants him to fix it. The song describes a deadlock situation where the things you need are dependent on the things you currently don’t have.

My question for you is, are there decisions made in your house that sounds like this song. Is there one parent who always needs something done or fixed and just wants it finished now? Does the other parent always seem to...

Inspiration from this Episode

“What if there's a way that can bring in encouragement and safety and calm amidst the chaos of your home?”

“And sometimes, because we feel like we're limited in that emotional energy, we're hesitant to give it away.”

“So that you can bring some calm, maybe some gentle humor, maybe some reassurance that everything will be okay.”

040 | Us & Kids: Donut Day

Intro 

On today’s show, we’re going to talk about donuts. What does National Donut Day have to do with being married forever while you parent together? National Donut Day is on June 5th or the first Friday of June every year. Interestingly enough it comes out of the Salvation Army sending donuts throughout the camp during WWI, and the troops would enjoy a taste of home that brought encouragement and emotional support and joy.

Now you’re probably wondering, what does this have to do with our joy of eating donuts in our...

Inspiration from this Episode

“They have less emotional knowledge, and less emotional awareness. Not necessarily less emotional experience.”

“I want them to be able to absorb pain and use pain in a healthy and okay way.“

“Because I wanted her to be empowered by talking about it out loud on her own, forming her own thoughts, gathering her own courage to say her own experience and letting me just be the listener.”

038 | Us & Kids: Grief in a Child

Intro 

On today’s show, the topic we're talking about today isn't necessarily a really happy one. But it's a rather common one. And the topic is about grief or loss for a child and how they experience it, but also how we can help them develop skills to get through it. We usually think we know what grief means to us or other adults we know, but it might look a lot different to the kids in our life. 

To children, the loss or grief happens because someone or something...

Inspiration from this Episode

“Social distancing has made me lonely. Zoom calls, although better than nothing, don't cut it for me in the long haul.”

“Being connected to them, seeing them eye to eye, hearing their voices in automatic direct time and in the real same space.”

“Caring for my friends and about my friends and my family is natural human behavior and it's healthy.”

037 | Us & Kids: Angsty = Anger and Anxiety

Intro 

On today’s show, we are doing things a bit differently. We aren’t going to focus on our marriage, nor are we going to talk about parenting much. What we are going to be diving into is us, and how that can inevitably affect our partner and kids. 

It can be hard during this time to not get stuck in the spinning circle of that anxiety and then being angry for feeling anxious. We want to make sure that we manage our emotions and that our emotions aren’t managing us. When we are more...

Inspiration from this Episode

“So in these extended days of staying at home, this need for oxytocin release is even higher.”

“Sit still and listen to what they might say because their little minds are working and growing millions of neurons still every day.”

“When we sense that we are going this alone our tendency can be to pull back from other people.” 

033 | Us & Kids: How to Feel Loved While Sitting on the Couch

Intro 

On today’s show, we are talking about couches, couples and connecting. After a long day at work or maybe endless hours together at home, it can feel easy to grab your phone and sit down next to each other on the couch. This time is better than nothing, right? Or could these little actions be doing more harm than good?

If we create habits like these in our everyday lives they might become a crutch for us to turn to instead of our spouse in times when we need real emotional support. We don’t...

Inspiration from this Episode

“We do have an impact if we pay attention to the long game and say, this is what I'm deciding.”

“Do you want the mess to create higher anxiety or do you want it to create lower anxiety?”

“Remember to be grateful, to think positive and content thoughts.”

032 | Us & Kids: Dismiss Depression, Negative Nonsense and Anxiety

Intro 

On today’s show, we are going to be keeping up with topics that are timely with everything going on. We are talking about what is happening in your home, with what is working or not working to keep those relationships together when we are all together so very much. It’s easy for strong overwhelming emotions to take over us during this time. 

Some of our worries and our anxiety can be taken on by our partners and kiddos if we’re not careful. One of the best ways we can become more aware of our feelings and struggles is to write down, on paper, all the...

Inspiration from this Episode

“What's more dangerous for you when your heart is full of anxiety or when your heart is full of love?”

“It is a very, very powerful tool in terms of avoiding the blackness that anxiety can bring into a household”

“Maybe one of you thinks this is awesome and one of you thinks this is awful, but both are real for both of you.”

030 | Us & Kids: Falling in Love, Not into Anxiety

Intro 

On today’s show, we are taking it back to the times and memories of when you and your partner first fell in love. What were those feelings like? What about them made your heart skip a beat? So many things in our lives can cause anxiety, especially with everything that is going on in the world right now.

If we take the time to reminisce on the things our partner did or the things about them we loved, those chemicals in our brain can help combat some of that anxiety. We might be trying to find a new normal right...

Inspiration from this Episode

“Adjustment to a newborn is a big deal for our brains and our bodies.”

“They’re not trying to make your life miserable, they’re trying to figure it out too.”

“Don’t always talk about the baby. Talk about the future. Talk about real life plans.”

026 | Us & Kids: The Infant Between Us

Intro 

On today’s show, this is going to be an interesting episode especially if you are a new parent. We are going to be talking about infancy and adding an infant to our lives and family. It’s not always an easy adjustment to bring a little one home. People like to think about all the great and fun things that come with a new baby arriving.

But we also have to remember that it's hard, it's tiring, and we usually don’t know what’s going on. We usually don’t really know how to care for this new being but we sure have to figure it out quickly. It can be very easy to...

Inspiration from this Episode

“This nervous system is wired to look out for things that appear to be dangerous.”

“It begins with being aware that you are in control of your body.”

“Make a different plan that gives yourself a minute to think about it because anxiety is trying to protect you.”

025 | Us & Kids: Befriending Your Anxiety

Intro 

On today’s show, we are talking about all things anxiety! How do we get it? How do we handle it? What do we do when we freeze and can hardly think? How does anxiety affect our kiddos and what does it look like in them?

Our bodies naturally work to protect us from danger. Although the dangers our bodies recognize now are a lot different than they used to be, our nervous system still kicks in to send out that adrenaline. With all that adrenaline pumping through our bodies, we can be left with overwhelming emotions and feelings. 

What You’ll Learn in Today’s...

Inspiration from this Episode

“We don’t have much control when the sun shines, but we must take advantage of it when it’s there.”

“15 to 20 minutes outside can really give you a nice boost.”

“When we have that sense of camaraderie, we're not alone.”

020 | Us & Kids: Light to Feel Right

Intro 

On today’s show, we're talking about something most people like to avoid talking about - depression. Depression can affect many of us for so many reasons and in so many different ways. The reason depression leaves us feeling a variety of different emotions from sluggish to sadness or even loneliness is because of the serotonin levels in our brain. Serotonin is a hormone that brings us happiness, pleasure and that upbeat feeling. 

Many of us are also affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD due to the gloomy weather, lack of sunshine or grey skies we see a lot of in the winter. Yes, weather can impact...