Inspiration from this Episode

“When we can be playful, it releases the endorphins that help the body feel better.”

“Connection in that builds trust so that in those stressful situations you know the other person is trying their best.”

“So have fun with each other. Do something new, bring up something you haven't done for a while.”

098 | Us & Kids: 10 Tips for Playing as Adults

Intro 

On today’s show, we are going to talk about 10 tips for playing as adults. So you might think at first, how is this different from playing as kids? If you revisit our previous episode you’ll remember that the kid's play has more personal growth and brain development in it. 

Playing as an adult has a little bit of a different angle to it. It’s still very, very crucial to healthy living and to building good relationships. Also for keeping your own brain and body in a really good space for relationships and just your own...

Inspiration from this Episode

“If we understand the depth of the wound, we will also understand the depth of forgiveness that we are looking for.”

“I'm going to be calm, cool, and collected. If my emotions are in trouble, I'm going to pause.”

“Realize that forgiving others is often a supernatural and spiritual experience or exercise.”

097 | Us & Kids: 10 Tips for Forgiving

Intro 

Forgiveness is messy, challenging and necessary. That hurt from that person will never leave me. I am scared and damaged for life because of what they did. I will never be whole, worthy or valued because of their ...words, actions, opinions. This week’s podcast will help you get out of the painfulness of unforgiveness and into the freedom that comes with granting forgiveness.

We've done some of our 10 tips around how you talk, listen and play. Different things like all of that can feed right into how we forgive. So I’m going to invite...

Inspiration from this Episode

“As we get to know that information, we’ll be able to change what else were thinking and what else we need to say.”

“Now we can work towards a picture and an idea and a goal more.”

“There are approaches that build oxytocin, and oxytocin builds the idea that we’re connected.”

096 | Us & Kids: 10 Tips for Talking

Intro 

On today’s show, we're going to do 10 tips about talking. We're going to borrow some from the corporate world and the neurophysiological world. We talk about speaking in our course but we’re going to take it a little differently and apply what we know from corporate studies of communication in groups and upper management and apply those to our own relationships. 

I think it's fairly easily done and it's just a little different way of thinking about things that often can open up and help us just make those 3-5% shifts that make such a difference in our...

Inspiration from this Episode 

“Take care of yourself so you can pay attention to others and adjust so that you can be more present.” 

“Unfold your arms, lean in a little bit, soften it up and you'll see that people share more of themselves and your connection and respect for each will go up.” 

“What is their perspective? What is their understanding? What is their experience?”

095 | Us & Kids: 10 Tips for Listening Well

Intro  

On today’s show, we are talking about how do we listen well? What are some tips for helping me just listen a little better? Sometimes it's a little harder during the summer time because it's hot outside and we're tired. We often need a little bit more hydration and sometimes we just end up being up later and drinking more alcohol because there's more hanging out time.  

Take a few minutes here to listen to 10 tips about how to develop a really good listening...

Inspiration from this Episode

“The most important kind of play is usually free play, especially for kiddos but for some adults as well.”

“This just shows your kiddo that you're involved. that you're there for them and it builds their confidence.”

“You will learn things about how she's playing, but she sees you as an important role.”

094 | Us & Kids: 10 Tips for Playing with Kids

Intro 

On today's show, we are talking about the 10 tips for playing with your kiddos. This is not about how to have your kids play by themselves, this is 10 tips for how you can best play with your kiddos. When we play, we are so busy using so many different aspects of her brain, problem-solving, and creative and trying new things. 

Play is our brain's favorite way of learning. We don't learn separate from play, we learn while playing. Have fun with your kiddos as you listen to these 10 tips. I'm hoping that you find one or two that you like...

Inspiration from this Episode

“These are new routines and helping your kids know what the structure is, have a routine.”

“Listening to your body and what your body can do is important.”

“Sometimes heat makes us really lethargic, but lethargy is not really the best trick for keeping our brains healthy and happy.”

093 | Us & Kids: 10 Tips for Summer Health

Intro 

Because it's summer and because this is episode 93 in the history of the Us and Kids podcast, I'm looking forward to episode 100. Episode 100 will be airing on August 3rd, so what I wanted to do is a bit of a countdown. I'm doing a number of podcasts where we are talking about 10 tips and ideas to help us in one specific area each week.

So today we're going to start with the topic of 10 tips for summer health. Now you might be thinking “why do we need a tip for summer health?” And so we're just going to talk for a little bit about what are some ideas to...

Inspiration from this Episode

“Are you using it to help people yourself as well as other people?” 

“Remember anger is energy, and we decide how we want to use it.” 

“Because often anger is asking for is an adjustment, in some way. And in that adjustment, we hear acceptance.”

092 | Us & Kids: A’s of Angry

 Intro  

On today’s show, we're going to talk about the letter A. We're going to start by talking about anger and then add other A words that both lead away from anger in a negative way or in a more sad way and lead away from anger into a more healthy or appealing way. So first, we have to start by talking about anger. 

I talk often with my clients the idea that anger is energy. It's emotional energy that really wants to have influence in some space or another and often, when it is held back can be sort of explosive. It comes out in that way because we haven't just let it come out more quickly...

Inspiration from this Episode

“Having a family was working together financially but also really appreciated the effort that somebody had put in.” 

“Those were skills that we used in helping our kiddos attached to us, so that we could be known as being trustworthy and safe.” 

“So work on your marriage because it will help you blend together as your parents.”

091 | Us & Kids: 42 Years of Marriage - Part 2

Intro  

On today’s show, we are talking about how my marriage has lasted 42 years and one week. Because last week was my 42nd anniversary to my husband Chip. We have known each other for 45 years and so I took a little walk back through history. I looked at it through the lens of our program that we use to help you guys and that is the DNA method.  

It's looking at our desires, the necessary skills that we need and how we apply them. And so last week I talked our way through some of what did we...

Inspiration from this Episode

“As you continue to build up your marriage and your family, you are going to keep on practicing making it better.”

“We were attracted to each other and we are attached to each other and through the years that is still true.”

“The other thing that's the same is that we were generous toward each other.”

090 | Us & Kids: 42 Years of Marriage

Intro 

I have a little announcement today. The date of this is being released is the 42nd anniversary of my marriage to my husband chipper. You're right, usually we call him Chip. I get to call him Chipper. Anyways, I thought well, what happens if I take a little walk back in time and think about “how have we lasted this long?”.

Because it makes it sound like, well yeah, of course, she did it. If she's a marriage and family therapist she better do it. Yes, so far we have done it. Marriage is a work of art and it takes a long time and continuous...

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...