Inspiration from this Episode

“For kiddos, we want them to understand that they have feelings and emotions and we help them put labels to them.”

“Put yourself in their shoes, understand their perspective. This is a key part of building empathy.”

“This is my looking for ways to help her and ways to apply how I use empathy and perspective for her age.”

089 | Us & Kids: Empathy

Intro 

On today’s show, we are using the DNA method. We are going to need to Define our desires or a dream. And that means today my dream or my desire is being emotionally connected with my family and with other people in very kind ways. What is my N, my necessary skill? Today is going to be about empathy. And the A is, how are we going to apply it? Empathy, yes for anyone in our family. 

In order for everyone to get on the same page, we need to know exactly what we mean by the word empathy. That is part of defining our dreams and desires, is...

 Inspiration from this Episode

“That is why when we blend imagination and let it grow into confidence through our conversations.”

“Where you would like to become better, you would like to have more confidence in your skill.”

“I'm going to practice it in my mind, I might even practice some of it out loud by myself.”

088 | Us & Kids: Imagination and Confidence

Intro 

On today’s show, our topic is all about using our imagination to build confidence and this is a timeless podcast because we are always as adults and as kiddos encountering new things and we can either become scared and a little shaky or unsure of ourselves, losing our confidence or we can be confident of ourselves and what we are able to do. 

Imagination plays a significant role in building up and maintaining confidence. Let’s talk, first of all, about what do I mean by imagination? And I think using our imagination is using our brain to...

Inspiration from this Episode

“Kids often also have to move when they're anxious because they don't have language to be able to say what's going on.”

“Plan that there is going to be anxiety and then plan so that you can manage it.”

“I'm going to look at my options and I'm going to choose the best one for the moment and for the long haul.”

086 | Us & Kids: Anxiety and Breathing

Intro 

On today’s show, we’re going to talk about anxiety. Anxiety is often physiologically a sense of overwhelming concern, or worry. Because there doesn't seem to be a good way to resolve it and even if it's resolved, there's a worry about what about next time? So it's a worry about things in the future and the unknown things that we don't have control over. 

Sometimes we don't know exactly what we are worried about. We can just feel that concern running around in our heads all the time. So, let’s talk about what to do with...

Inspiration from this Episode 

“His takeaway from that experience was valid, as was mine, even though our takeaways were a little bit different.”

“What did we want to do if we were ever in such traumatic places again?”

“It’s okay to talk about it. It’s okay to feel it and to relive it and to wonder about it.”

081 | Us & Kids: A Trauma

Intro  

On today’s show, we are going to talk about trauma. Not many of us like to think about it, but probably all of us have it. And trauma impacts families, it impacts marriages and impacts us as individuals. And yet I feel like it’s not very often talked about even though it often impacts how a family and a couple reacts and interacts with things. 

Today we are going to talk mostly from the general perspective about trauma with a little bit of application more towards the end. You will hear some of the DNA process.

What You’ll Learn in...

Inspiration from this Episode

“Routines are really helpful even if they’re not done perfectly.”

“It’s a routine that helps people gain success and build trust and those things build calm.”

“Resistance to a routine is often because of fear and there’s not a good amount of trust.”

072 | Us & Kids: Routines Reduce Overwhelm

Intro  

On today’s show, we are carrying on with our series that we kicked off 2021 with. This series is about how to reset from the mess of 2020. This week we are going to talk about routine and overwhelm. How do routines help settle down the overwhelm and what to do when the routines aren’t working. Because it’s true, sometimes they don’t work. 

Next week we are going to talk about exploring ideas that help to expand possibilities. And how do we have more courage to look up and around and say what else can I do, where else do I need to go?

What...

Inspiration from this Episode

“We don’t even necessarily even care if you’re happy in your heart, we know when you smile it changes the way your brain thinks and works.”

“Lead into a space that is helpful and calms the chaos.”

“Our voice tells both our thoughts and our emotions so it’s a double power.”

071 | Us & Kids: SET for Calmness

Intro 

On today’s show, we are continuing on with a little book I wrote and just taking it chapter by chapter. The little book is about the five things you need for being married forever while you parent together. Last week we talked about intentions and how to make good intentions and be aware of what we are bringing into a conversation or relationship space.

So today, the second step to that is knowing how to reset so that you can get some calm. We do this reset by thinking and talking about 3 things. We are going to dive into these three things for staying and...

Inspiration from this Episode

“This power of hope for something better, or bigger than us - that relieves pain or brings joy is crucial to our daily lives - no matter how old we are.”

“Kids show up with energy and desires to be near you for comfort, strength and reassurance and growth. They want to follow and model you. 

“Making an impact on your spouse that brings strength, courage and connections that build memories about this year so that it ends in joy and peace.”

067 | Us & Kids: Anticipation and Hope

Intro  

Our podcast today comes from my thinking about anticipation and the 3 wise men. The story of the wise men comes from the Christian story of the birth of Jesus. But, do not worry if you think this is going to be a come to Jesus moment. This podcast is about the anticipation, disappointment and joy that the wisemen experienced.  

In some ways, they had a year like us. You see, they started out with...

Inspiration from this Episode 

“Happiness often helps to build our confidence that we are liked, and we are appreciated, or we are needed.” 

“When we succeed at something that pushes our skills just a little bit, we have a sense of happiness, a sense of accomplishment.”

“The momentary part of happiness by adding a bit of a challenge that we're pretty sure we can do, even if it needs a little support.”

063 | Us & Kids: Happy Hour at Home

Intro 

On today’s show, we’re going to talk about happy hour. Now you might think “Happy hour? I have to leave the house for that and I haven’t done that in months!”. My question is could there be a happy hour at your house? How's the happy hour at your house? Or, is there no happy hour? How about a happy minute? Or is it just to make it through the day?

But, the question becomes, what is happy? We know that usually it is listed as an emotion....

Inspiration from this Episode 

“Look at your shelf with them to see what you can do to clean it up and to make it so there’s room to function.”

“The walls for us are really our framework or boundaries and there are times when those boundaries are sticky.”

“The emotions and thoughts you need can get stuck on somebody else’s attitude or your own attitude.”

062 | Us & Kids: What’s in Your Refrigerator?

Intro  

On today’s show, we’re going to talk about something that all of us have - our refrigerators. Ever think that it's time to clean your refrigerator? Every now and then, we might realize that our refrigerator has gathered a whole lot of crunchy dirt. 

And so as I think about refrigerators, I also realized that they have an awful lot in common with how we live our lives as a family and as a couple. So let's take a look inside your refrigerator and see what we find.

What...

Inspiration from this Episode

“What amount of emotion is appropriate for this kind of place?”

“I’m going to make it so they can ease their way back to having some calm even though they are overtired.”

“Next time I’m scared of something I want to do, I can make a plan for carrying that forward.”

060 | Us & Kids: Salty Emotions

Intro 

On today’s show, we are talking about salt and emotions, and what does one have to do with the other? So let’s just think for a minute about salt. It’s been around for ever and ever, and so have emotions. It has a variety of uses, some are wonderful and some of them are rather icky - and that’s true for emotions as well.

There are a million uses for salt and some might say there are a million and one uses for emotions. And some of us would say there are a million and one emotions too yet. Salt and emotions - the perfect pair. Sprinkle these around your heart...