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013: How to Support those who are Grieving // Rachel Gainer of Rachel Rebuilt
Many of us know friends and family members who have lost precious loved ones. During those heartbreaking times, it’s so hard to know what to say and do to show our love and support.On today’s podcast, we hear from a mother who has been there and has so much wisdom to share. Several years ago, Rachel Gainer…
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012: How to Stop Being Mean to Yourself: 3 of the Best Tools I Learned in Counseling
Five years ago, I realized that I needed to go to counseling. I had been coping with stress and heartache through both undereating and overeating for almost ten years, and my negative thoughts about myself had become debilitating and all-consuming. I sought treatment from an outpatient eating disorder clinic, and I fully expected my counselor to…
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011: Setting Goals without Sacrificing Sanity // Monica Packer of About Progress
“Perfectionism, we wrongly assign only to overachievers. I think most perfectionists are actually underachievers.” When I first heard Monica Packer of the podcast About Progress explain this phenomenon–that a perfectionist can actually become an underachiever–I was stunned. I recognized that she was describing me. I had gone from a hardcore overachiever (who had developed eating disorders as…
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010: Simple Holiday Traditions to Connect Generations
“How are you today, Grampy?”
“Oh the same: old and ugly, but contented.”
This is the opening line of this week’s interview with my 88-year-old grandpa. You are going to love his personality and spunk, as he shares memories from his childhood Christmases. My Granny also hops on to talk about what she remembers. My heart just melts at the sound of their voices, and I am so grateful for all of the Christmas Eves that I spent in their home when I was a child. (And we are headed there next week! I can’t wait!)
Listen as I reflect on how to create cherished traditions that your children and maybe even grandchildren will remember, by creating “anchors” every year:
-A special food
-A meaningful gift
-A memorable activity
Stay tuned until the end of the episode to hear about my Christmas gift to you! I think it will be useful to anyone who is a consistent listener to the 3 in 30 podcast.
Merry Christmas to all of you. I truly love and appreciate you!
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009: Protecting our Kids from a Holiday “Soul Fever” // Carrie Thomas Scott, MA LCPC
Though you may never have defined it as “soul fever” before, all parents have witnessed this malady taking over their children from time to time…when kids have had too much excitement, too little sleep, too much sugar, and too little downtime–and their behavior shows it!
On today’s episode, Carrie Thomas Scott–a licensed professional counselor and a mother herself–uses the four pillars of Simplicity Parenting to teach us how to protect our kids from catching a “soul fever” this holiday season.
Listen in for concrete strategies on how to help your children stay balanced and soul-healthy during this exciting month by using these four pillars:
1. Environment
2. Schedule
3. Rhythms
4. Filtering Out the Adult World
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008: Controlling Kids’ Clutter // Tana Parke
It’s the witching hour–when you are trying to get dinner made–and your four-year-old son is whining that there’s nothing to do. You walk with him to the playroom, only to find that he has dumped out every bin of toys, yet can’t seem to find anything suitable to hold his attention.
Unable to face the mess of Legos, cars, Magformers, and stuffed animals that are now strewn everywhere, you simply close the door to the playroom and pretend it doesn’t exist. You turn on the TV to keep your little man occupied, and you wonder, “What new toy should we get him for Christmas that he will actually play with?”
If this scene sounds familiar, this episode is for you. I invited Tana Parke, a mother of five children and a semi-professional organizer, to share three strategies for keeping our kids’ clutter at bay. Our discussion includes exciting topics, like:
-Why you should hide some toys from your children for a while
-Who might be happy to receive some of the little trinkets that your kids have collected (it’s not who you think!)
-How to teach your kids to think critically about whether or not they actually want a new toy or trinket
-Why “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” doesn’t work for children (and how you can modify it!)
-How to allow your children to have some “treasures” while also keeping them from being hoarders
…and much more!
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007: How to Create a More Peaceful Home // Cate Johnson
“At any given point, you can say, ‘This is not how the story is going to end.'”
Cate Johnson was a mother of two young children with a big, beautiful home in the country. From the outside, it looked like she was “living the dream,” but inside, she felt like she was drowning.
She craved peace and connection with her children–but instead she felt only chaos and overwhelm. She spent hours cleaning her big home while her kids watched television. She felt heartbroken that she was not the mother that she had always wanted to be.
In this powerful episode, Cate shares three small but significant changes that transformed their home environment:
1) Using the five senses to create a haven of peace.
2) Designating a “kid of the day” to eliminate fighting.
3) Structuring their family time around rhythms to create stability.
Cate is now a fulfilled, empowered mother, and she has a message of hope for all of us: We can have more peaceful homes, no matter where we live. (Click on Episode Webpage for links to the resources mentioned in the podcast.)
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006: Three Messages of Hope for the Darkest Times
This week, my family has been through the death of a loved one who is incredibly special to us: my son’s birthmother, Katie.
I couldn’t go on with business as usual on the podcast, so I took a break from our usual show format to record some thoughts on how we can find hope, even in the darkest of trials.
Listen in as I share three scriptural phrases that gave me strength during my long battle with infertility and the ups and downs of the adoption process. Whether or not you’re religious, whether or not you’ve ever adopted, I think these messages of hope will uplift you. They are universal.
1. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
2. He gives unto them beauty for ashes
3. When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Hold your families close this week. Much love.
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005: The Very Best Way You Can Support your Child in School // Amanda Hamilton Roos of Building the Bridge
Is your child’s life at school a bit of a mystery to you? Whenever you ask what he/she did today, do you hear the lackluster response, “Oh, nothing.”
Amanda Roos taught high school English for nearly a decade before deciding to stay home with her three children. She has continued to be very involved in education by writing curriculum and developing a website called BuildingtheBridge.org. Her mission is to help families bridge the divide between home and school and build strong, effective partnerships.
In today’s podcast, she shares three easy steps for forming a “working relationship” with your child’s teacher. Within the discussion, you will learn…
-Why talking to your child’s teacher about something other than school is so important
-How to start these conversations without sounding like an awkward teenager on a blind date
-How often you should “follow up” with teachers and in what ways
-Why a little praise and gratitude goes a long way
-What you should be asking to see within the classroom
(Click episode webpage for full shownotes.)
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004: How to Stop Yelling at your Kids // Ralphie Jacobs of Simply on Purpose
“The prerequisite to all other parenting principles is to be in control of yourself as the parent. And this is the major struggle for parents. They feel like they are standing on the sidelines helpless, and their children are running rompus around them and all over them…But this can easily be changed. We should not…
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