Do you like to fight?...with your spouse or your kiddos?  Or are you a bit weary of it all?

On the show today we are talking about those fights that seem to just recycle, over and over.  Sometimes, it (seems) settled for years, or months - other times, “it” was settled - for maybe 15 minutes. 

And it’s sooo tiring, confusing, draining. 
Are these fights even finish-able? 

Listen in and learn why these conversations replay repeatedly - and learn the trick to solving them, for real, by being real. 

 Be sure to share this with your friend, and your spouse!

 What you will learn

 ** And… if you are the listener… you would take the time to really listen.

** Arguments that come back to us over and over again are usually ignoring a question that is core to the relationship.

**And that question usually is, "Do I matter to you?"  

Insights

** So we did some Division of labor. 

**It is okay to revisit...

Inspiration from this Episode

“A strong marriage is in part when there is a steady and strong you.  You, as an individual - who can manage emotions, thoughts and words with reasonable grace and truth.”

“The most important unit within your family is the us. - the two of you”

"When you're in unity, when you're connected with each other in this way, it's easier to work together. It's easier to sacrificially support and to move towards mutual goals." 

110 | Us & Kids: Us & Kids: Your “Us” in 2022

Intro 

 On today’s show, we’ll be talking about how to enhance your marriage through the letters U and S.  We’ll think about using unity, understanding, personal growth of yourself with strength and steadiness, no matter the chaos, moods or weariness.   And, together, you will become more united and stable.  

 What You’ll Learn in Today’s Episode

• How to feel stronger...

Inspiration from this Episode

“When the stress is high, often kisses go bye-bye.”

“And when it builds up inside of us, our brain becomes anxious and can’t think well.”

“As you change your self talk, your internal thoughts can move to become more positive.”

074 | Us & Kids: KISSes & Stress

Intro 

On today’s show, we are wrapping up the last part of a 5 part series we started in January about how to stay married forever while you parent together - not one or the other. Today we are talking about KISSes. Of course, there has to be kisses! Eskimo and butterfly kisses, as well as I love you - oooh! kisses. 

But when there is stress and headaches, so much and too much! Who even remembers to kiss? And, does it really matter if we kiss? Really? Well, if you can take care of this kind of KISS, then the other kisses are so much better and sweeter!

What You’ll Learn in Today’s Episode

• How to...

Inspiration from this Episode

 “Every person has value, and their thoughts and reactions develop out of their own life experiences.”

 “For good conflict resolution, the first need is to check in with yourself - what is going on with you emotionally and relationally.”

 “If the engaged person ups the energy and the worried person ups their reactivity and anxiety, then you are going to have a dandy dysfunctional fight.”

047 | Us & Kids: Conflict Resolution

Intro 

On today’s show, we are talking about conflict resolution and what it looks like in parenting and marriage. Conflict resolution is a mouthful of ideas, experiences, emotions and words! No wonder it’s so hard to figure a way out of it. No wonder we want to just run from it.

Are you tired of fighting about the same things over and over again? What if we turned it upside down and looked first at ourselves, then at the problem and then at the...

Inspiration from this Episode

“And what's supposed to have been built in its place while they dissipate is really good emotional bonding.”

“By using really good listening skills, along with saying what they knew was going on emotionally, they bonded and connected in even better and stronger ways."

“They wanted their compassion and care and empathy to be able to help them through the rough spots.”

039 | Us & Kids: D is for Divorce

Intro 

On today’s show we are talking about the D seed of divorce. When does this snarly seed get planted - and how can we weed it out before it overtakes our thoughts, reactions and relationships. The Divorce seed does not need to stay. Take a few minutes to learn how to pull it out and keep your marriage steady, strong and safe.

This is exactly the reason why I developed Us and Kids and the DNA for Fun communications course. The seeds are planted, often in those first few years of parenting, and...

Inspiration from this Episode

“Do you have fun with people you don't trust or are you always a little on the edge?”

“When you do things together, you share the time.”

“It becomes more solid or steady so that where you want to go as a family and as a couple is actually dependable.”

031 | Us & Kids: What the T?

Intro 

On today’s show, we are going to be discussing things that are affecting the entire world right now. In times of crisis and uncertainty, it can be easy for us to get ourselves worked up and use certain slang out of fear. I am going to talk all about the “T” words you can use to replace a not so friendly “F” word in our “What the ____” sentences. 

There are things we can do during this time to be intentional with our spouse's family while we are in such close quarters. It can be easy to get on each other's nerves if we’re not careful so if we can keep these...

Inspiration from this Episode

“Don’t just say I love you, also act it.”

“Listen to feedback from your spouse on what makes them calm down and hear them.”

“Help them learn, help them through the flops.”

023 | Us & Kids: How to Become Bilingual

Intro 

On today’s show, we are learning how your brain best receives love so that it can sink into your heart and being is good to know - and good for others to know. Of course - you would also then want to know what language your spouse speaks so that you can clearly and deeply communicate your deep love for them in a way that they easily understand.  

Did you know that love can have many different languages? And that you and your spouse and other family members can all speak a different language? Don’t be overwhelmed just yet - these languages are pretty easy as they share the common base to them - the base of love.  

What You’ll...

Inspiration from this Episode

“What I do advocate is that you work a plan and work a budget.”

“We talked about where there was going to be time for us.”

“It keeps integrity between us so we can ask about each other’s day.”

022 | Us & Kids: Keeping Your Relationship Rug Clean

Intro 

On today’s show, we are carrying on from last week’s episode about cleaning up under your rug. Rugs...keep our feet warm, collect crud from our shoes, make a room look pretty. How do we keep our relationship so that it is warm, doesn’t become overwhelmed with crud and even looks and feels pretty? 

Like an entryway rug, our relationship gets daily use and can easily get beat up and looking pretty ratty. But, with some attention to daily details, your relationships can stay strong, steady and even pretty. Join us for great ways to keep track of memories, stay positive and keep the crud of everyday living from...

Inspiration from this Episode

“What do we want the end of the conversation to look like?”

“We didn’t rush into things often.”

“I'm going to continue to help my children to be calm.”

010 | Us & Kids: Apologize

Intro 

On today’s show, we're discussing something that's important in any relationship—how to apologize. Sometimes things can get messy and we need to learn the right way and time to apologize to one another. When we run into difficult situations in our marriage and while parenting, there are a few things we can do to help get to a resolution. 

A lot of the time we need to evaluate what we want to get out of a conversation before we know how to approach it. When kids are brought into the mix, it can be hard to understand how to properly handle a situation while using it as a learning experience. 

What You’ll Learn in Today’s Episode

• Defining the desire for our...