For years I’ve gotten up before the kids (or with the kids and let them play near me) while I do my morning routine to get myself in a good place. This is one of the ways I keep my Soul Pillar intact. When I don’t do my morning routine, I find that it doesn’t take too long before I’m irritable, grumpy, and snappy at everyone around me. Now that I’m aware of that, this morning routine is one of the first things I put back in place when we are transitioning from the novelty and trips of summer back into our school year routines at home.  In this week’s episode, I’m sharing exactly what I’ve done for my morning routine that sets me up for success. My Morning Routine:   Free write about the last 24 hours: I write about anything that was meaningful and significant in the last 24 hours. This creates space in my brain.    Answer questions in the Thriving in Motherhood Journal: I ask myself key questions in the Thriving in Motherhood Journal - What’s one thing that could make me feel successful at the end of the day? What’s one thing I could do to make tomorrow easier? What is something that might challenge me today, and how would my best self handle it?   Scripture study: I read my scriptures and write down a few passages and my thoughts about them.   Exercise: I usually do a Physique 57 workout.   Pray + Shower: I shower, pray, and write down any last thoughts that I have when I’m completely by myself and can ponder.  

For years I’ve gotten up before the kids (or with the kids and let them play near me) while I do my morning routine to get myself in a good place. This is one of the ways I keep my Soul Pillar intact. When I don’t do my morning routine, I find that it doesn’t take too long before I’m irritable, grumpy, and snappy at everyone around me. Now that I’m aware of that, this morning routine is one of the first things I put back in place when we are transitioning from the novelty and trips of summer back into our school year routines at home.  In this week’s episode, I’m sharing exactly what I’ve done for my morning routine that sets me up for success. My Morning Routine: <ol> <li> Free write about the last 24 hours: I write about anything that was meaningful and significant in the last 24 hours. This creates space in my brain.  </li> <li> Answer questions in the Thriving in Motherhood Journal: I ask myself key questions in the Thriving in Motherhood Journal - What’s one thing that could make me feel successful at the end of the day? What’s one thing I could do to make tomorrow easier? What is something that might challenge me today, and how would my best self handle it? </li> <li> Scripture study: I read my scriptures and write down a few passages and my thoughts about them. </li> <li> Exercise: I usually do a Physique 57 workout. </li> <li> Pray + Shower: I shower, pray, and write down any last thoughts that I have when I’m completely by myself and can ponder. </li> </ol>

My Morning Routine [Episode 277]

Dawn Madsen

I’m so excited to finally be sharing the conversation I had with Dawn Madsen of Dawn the Minimal Mom. By now, I’m sure you’ve heard of the concept of minimalism, but in this week's episode, we are talking about how Dawn’s faith has impacted her journey to having less things to manage.   We also talk about the legacy her parents left her that had nothing to do with managing stuff. For me, the biggest takeaway is hope that whatever our weaknesses and strengths are as moms, they can have a lasting impact on our children for the better.   Dawn often gets asked, “What’s the threshold?” when it comes to how much stuff to keep around. Her metric is that everyone should be able to manage their things - and for a two-year-old, that’s not going to be very much!    If you’re just getting started and need a refresher, Dawn recommends starting in the kitchen and keeping just what you are currently using in this season of life. This will have the biggest impact on your days because it’s where families spend a lot of time every single day, and it makes life feel like it is under control when the kitchen is clean.   For more decluttering tips, check out the full episode.

I’m so excited to finally be sharing the conversation I had with Dawn Madsen of Dawn the Minimal Mom. By now, I’m sure you’ve heard of the concept of minimalism, but in this week's episode, we are talking about how Dawn’s faith has impacted her journey to having less things to manage. We also talk about the legacy her parents left her that had nothing to do with managing stuff. For me, the biggest takeaway is hope that whatever our weaknesses and strengths are as moms, they can have a lasting impact on our children for the better. Dawn often gets asked, “What’s the threshold?” when it comes to how much stuff to keep around. Her metric is that everyone should be able to manage their things - and for a two-year-old, that’s not going to be very much!  If you’re just getting started and need a refresher, Dawn recommends starting in the kitchen and keeping just what you are currently using in this season of life. This will have the biggest impact on your days because it’s where families spend a lot of time every single day, and it makes life feel like it is under control when the kitchen is clean. For more decluttering tips, check out the full episode.

Living a Minimalist and Faith-Filled Life With Dawn Madsen from Minimal Mom [Episode 276]

I’ve gotten lots of questions about our Zone system that we use to have the kids help clean up our main living spaces. In this week’s episode, I’m sharing all of the details of what it is, why we’ve set things up this way, what everyone is responsible for, how often we reset each zone, and how long it takes. Zone cleaning is a long-term game plan. It takes time, and it will require a bit of extra effort on your part to set things up.  We’ve divided our downstairs into four zones. Each kid had their own room with a large rug to vacuum. At first, you are going to do every step of the cleaning with your kids. It takes time - even years - for the kids to get the hang of it. We also paid close attention to when someone is feeling overwhelmed by a space and simplify it so they are set up for success. The things they are responsible for match their age.  The wonderful thing about this is that we are now able to reset our entire downstairs fairly quickly as we’ve continued to increase our kid’s skills, decrease the amount of things we have to manage, and foster a team spirit amongst ourselves. Listen to this week’s episode to learn more about our Zone Cleaning System and how it’s working for our family and home.

I’ve gotten lots of questions about our Zone system that we use to have the kids help clean up our main living spaces. In this week’s episode, I’m sharing all of the details of what it is, why we’ve set things up this way, what everyone is responsible for, how often we reset each zone, and how long it takes. Zone cleaning is a long-term game plan. It takes time, and it will require a bit of extra effort on your part to set things up.  We’ve divided our downstairs into four zones. Each kid had their own room with a large rug to vacuum. At first, you are going to do every step of the cleaning with your kids. It takes time - even years - for the kids to get the hang of it. We also paid close attention to when someone is feeling overwhelmed by a space and simplify it so they are set up for success. The things they are responsible for match their age.  The wonderful thing about this is that we are now able to reset our entire downstairs fairly quickly as we’ve continued to increase our kid’s skills, decrease the amount of things we have to manage, and foster a team spirit amongst ourselves. Listen to this week’s episode to learn more about our Zone Cleaning System and how it’s working for our family and home.

Our Family Zone System To Keep Our Home Tidy [Episode 275]

As we are nearing the end of the summer and getting ready for the new school year, I wanted to share some of my all-time favorite books that inspire me in my homeschooling.   10 Books To Get You Excited About Homeschooling:    Educating the Wholehearted Child Life Giving Home Home Education For the Children's Sake The Well-Trained Mind Call of the Wild and Free You Are Your Child's First Teacher Awaking Wonder The Brave Learner Teaching From Rest    As I read these books, I’m searching for little bits and pieces that I can add to my vision of what our family and culture look like. This includes homeschooling, but it also goes deeper and more far-reaching than that.   Homeschooling is about home. And that is a personal quest I’m on - figuring out what home looks and feels like. I’ve had a very transient life, so home isn’t a place that I return to from my childhood. I’m still trying to figure out how to make a place feel like home, but I’m grateful for the little bits I’ve gleaned and incorporated into our family so far.    Whether you’re a seasoned homeschooler, in your first few years, or a mom with young kids too early for school, there is something here for you!

As we are nearing the end of the summer and getting ready for the new school year, I wanted to share some of my all-time favorite books that inspire me in my homeschooling. 10 Books To Get You Excited About Homeschooling: <ol> <li>Educating the Wholehearted Child</li> <li>Life Giving Home</li> <li>Home Education</li> <li>For the Children's Sake</li> <li>The Well-Trained Mind</li> <li>Call of the Wild and Free</li> <li>You Are Your Child's First Teacher</li> <li>Awaking Wonder</li> <li>The Brave Learner</li> <li>Teaching From Rest</li> </ol> As I read these books, I’m searching for little bits and pieces that I can add to my vision of what our family and culture look like. This includes homeschooling, but it also goes deeper and more far-reaching than that. Homeschooling is about home. And that is a personal quest I’m on - figuring out what home looks and feels like. I’ve had a very transient life, so home isn’t a place that I return to from my childhood. I’m still trying to figure out how to make a place feel like home, but I’m grateful for the little bits I’ve gleaned and incorporated into our family so far.  Whether you’re a seasoned homeschooler, in your first few years, or a mom with young kids too early for school, there is something here for you!

My Favorite Books To Get Excited About Homeschooling in the Elementary Years [Episode 274]

We have been road tripping since we had just one little baby, and now we are on our third year of driving across the county and back as a family of six.  In this week’s episode, I’m sharing everything I’ve learned to make our drive smoother to help set you up for success on your next adventure. We are covering everything from our favorite gear, how we pack and organize, car activities for kids, favorite audiobooks, what we prepare for meals and snacks, how we find hotels every night, our procedure for smooth rest stops, and what a typical day on the road looks like. 

We have been road tripping since we had just one little baby, and now we are on our third year of driving across the county and back as a family of six.  In this week’s episode, I’m sharing everything I’ve learned to make our drive smoother to help set you up for success on your next adventure. We are covering everything from our favorite gear, how we pack and organize, car activities for kids, favorite audiobooks, what we prepare for meals and snacks, how we find hotels every night, our procedure for smooth rest stops, and what a typical day on the road looks like.

The Ultimate Guide To Family Road Trips [Episode 273]

Do you have dreams and goals that you want to go after but haven’t made much progress yet? This week’s conversation with Gabe Cox (@gabecox_redhotmindset) will hopefully inspire you to start taking baby steps forward on your unique journey as we discuss the power of letting your kids see you win. When Gabe Cox was a young mom, she had a mentor share with her that her kids had asked her, “What do you do, mom?” She had nothing to tell them except what she did for her children. Her entire life was about them. Investing in and being intentional with our children and families is so important, but for Gabe, she also realized that she wanted her kids to see what going after a goal, trying, failing, and learning looked like. She wanted her kids to see what doing something hard looked like and give them permission to do the same. For her, that looks like running races, qualifying for the Boston Marathon, and writing a book. Fast forward many years, and her oldest son is working to compete in the Olympics as a gymnast. As she has watched him try and fail and learn and improve, she is now inspired by him. Here are three pillars to setting and crushing goals:   See it: Create your vision! What is something that is on your heart? Write it all down - big and small goals. What is something that you could do that is a little bit outside your comfort zone? That is where you will grow.   Plan it: The plan needs to fit your capacity and your season. Know that you will have to adjust and be flexible.   Do it: You have to be in motion. Gabe shares that there is a place to wait on God, but He can work more in our lives when we are doing something for Him to work with.  

Do you have dreams and goals that you want to go after but haven’t made much progress yet? This week’s conversation with <a href="https://redhotmindset.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gabe Cox</a> (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/gabecox_redhotmindset/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@gabecox_redhotmindset</a>) will hopefully inspire you to start taking baby steps forward on your unique journey as we discuss the power of letting your kids see you win. When Gabe Cox was a young mom, she had a mentor share with her that her kids had asked her, “What do you do, mom?” She had nothing to tell them except what she did for her children. Her entire life was about them. Investing in and being intentional with our children and families is so important, but for Gabe, she also realized that she wanted her kids to see what going after a goal, trying, failing, and learning looked like. She wanted her kids to see what doing something hard looked like and give them permission to do the same. For her, that looks like running races, qualifying for the Boston Marathon, and writing a book. Fast forward many years, and her oldest son is working to compete in the Olympics as a gymnast. As she has watched him try and fail and learn and improve, she is now inspired by him. Here are three pillars to setting and crushing goals: <ol> <li> See it: Create your vision! What is something that is on your heart? Write it all down - big and small goals. What is something that you could do that is a little bit outside your comfort zone? That is where you will grow. </li> <li> Plan it: The plan needs to fit your capacity and your season. Know that you will have to adjust and be flexible. </li> <li> Do it: You have to be in motion. Gabe shares that there is a place to wait on God, but He can work more in our lives when we are doing something for Him to work with. </li> </ol>

Why Your Kids Need to See You Win with Gabe Cox [Episode 272]

I’ve been decluttering my house for years, working through all the layers of things we have. A few weeks ago, I opened a bin of extra bags, backpacks, and soft luggage and figured I could let these things go since it’s been a while since I’ve used them. But then I remembered all the times we DID use them, how useful they were, and all the times in the future that they could come in handy. I put the lid back on the box and decided to deal with it later.  As I was mulling over the content of the box a few days later, I had an epiphany about the real reason I wasn’t ready to let these things go. We hold onto extra stuff when we don’t have a system for how we will do things. Because I don’t have a clear system for all the aspects of how we travel as a family, I hold onto more bags and travel items, “just in case” or “grab and go,” without giving it lots of thought. Is this okay? Yep! But it’s also a challenge for me that I’m excited to keep plugging away at. Developing more systems not only for traveling but for lots of areas of our home and life.  Once we know how we’ll do something - like the toiletries bags we will use when we make stops in hotels on our road trips - and what and where everything goes in it - then I can confidently get rid of the excess.  There are lots of possible systems you can develop in your family and home to make things run more smoothly, but I want to encourage you that you don’t need too many in place for you to be able to move forward and spend time on the things you love. Here are five systems that I recommend starting with:   Laundry   Dishes   Meals   Wake-up   Bedtime   If you decide the who, what, where, and when in each of these areas, you are already on your way to having your days go a lot smoother. Once these are good enough - not perfect - it’s time to move on to exploring!  You can learn more about that on the 5-Step Path From Surviving to Thriving and where you are on it with my free checklist. And if you need help building family systems that are unique to you and your needs, check out my program, Made to Soar: Next 90 Days.

I’ve been decluttering my house for years, working through all the layers of things we have. A few weeks ago, I opened a bin of extra bags, backpacks, and soft luggage and figured I could let these things go since it’s been a while since I’ve used them. But then I remembered all the times we DID use them, how useful they were, and all the times in the future that they could come in handy. I put the lid back on the box and decided to deal with it later.  As I was mulling over the content of the box a few days later, I had an epiphany about the real reason I wasn’t ready to let these things go. We hold onto extra stuff when we don’t have a system for how we will do things. Because I don’t have a clear system for all the aspects of how we travel as a family, I hold onto more bags and travel items, “just in case” or “grab and go,” without giving it lots of thought. Is this okay? Yep! But it’s also a challenge for me that I’m excited to keep plugging away at. Developing more systems not only for traveling but for lots of areas of our home and life.  Once we know how we’ll do something - like the toiletries bags we will use when we make stops in hotels on our road trips - and what and where everything goes in it - then I can confidently get rid of the excess.  There are lots of possible systems you can develop in your family and home to make things run more smoothly, but I want to encourage you that you don’t need too many in place for you to be able to move forward and spend time on the things you love. Here are five systems that I recommend starting with: <ol> <li> Laundry </li> <li> Dishes </li> <li> Meals </li> <li> Wake-up </li> <li> Bedtime </li> </ol> If you decide the who, what, where, and when in each of these areas, you are already on your way to having your days go a lot smoother. Once these are good enough - not perfect - it’s time to move on to exploring!  You can learn more about that on the <a href="https://thrivinginmotherhoodpodcast.com/checklist/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">5-Step Path From Surviving to Thriving</a> and where you are on it with my free checklist. And if you need help building family systems that are unique to you and your needs, check out my program, <a href="https://thrivinginmotherhoodpodcast.com/made-to-soar/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Made to Soar: Next 90 Days.</a>

Why You Might Be Holding Onto Stuff [Episode 271]

Have you ever heard of a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset? It’s often come up in conversations I’ve had about parenting and helping our kids understand that “if at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again.”  In this week’s episode with Kate House of the Live By Design Podcast, she shares how this principle applies to our mindsets in motherhood. Two Fixed Mindsets That You Might Experience As A Mom   I’m not worthy   I’m not a priority    Discovering the root of lack of worthiness comes by asking yourself “why” enough times until you discover the underlying thought for yourself personally. But once you discover the reason, you can replace it with an intentional thought like, “I’m worthy enough to feel joy.”  It’s also common in our culture for moms to share the idea that “I’m not a priority because I’m so busy taking care of everyone else.” But the reality is YOU are the only one that can actually take care of you, and if this is something you find yourself saying, you can change one baby step at a time. If you are in a fixed mindset, it's the idea that you are born with the abilities that you have, and you can't grow and change. You might be thinking things like, "I could never," "I can't do this," I won't change."  In a growth mindset, you believe that you can learn, grow and change. You might be thinking things like: "I can grow and continue to learn," "I can ask for help," "I can find support", or "I can get creative." It's a continuum. We are always going to fall somewhere in between, which is incredibly liberating for any recovering perfectionist, so you never have to try to be 100% growth set all of the time.  

Have you ever heard of a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset? It’s often come up in conversations I’ve had about parenting and helping our kids understand that “if at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again.”  In this week’s episode with Kate House of the Live By Design Podcast, she shares how this principle applies to our mindsets in motherhood. Two Fixed Mindsets That You Might Experience As A Mom <ol> <li> I’m not worthy </li> <li> I’m not a priority  </li> </ol> Discovering the root of lack of worthiness comes by asking yourself “why” enough times until you discover the underlying thought for yourself personally. But once you discover the reason, you can replace it with an intentional thought like, “I’m worthy enough to feel joy.”  It’s also common in our culture for moms to share the idea that “I’m not a priority because I’m so busy taking care of everyone else.” But the reality is YOU are the only one that can actually take care of you, and if this is something you find yourself saying, you can change one baby step at a time. If you are in a fixed mindset, it's the idea that you are born with the abilities that you have, and you can't grow and change. You might be thinking things like, "I could never," "I can't do this," I won't change."  In a growth mindset, you believe that you can learn, grow and change. You might be thinking things like: "I can grow and continue to learn," "I can ask for help," "I can find support", or "I can get creative." It's a continuum. We are always going to fall somewhere in between, which is incredibly liberating for any recovering perfectionist, so you never have to try to be 100% growth set all of the time.

How We Can Cultivate a Growth Mindset in Motherhood with Kate House [Episode 270]

Do you have a hard time creating a vision of what you want for your motherhood to look like? Or do you feel united in goals with your spouse? A few weeks ago, Andrew and I brainstormed a list of things we could take a risk on. We defined risk as anything that puts us out of our comfort zone - which conveniently puts us in our learning zone as well. It was a fascinating experience and uncovered a lot of things for us.  What you might uncover when you write a risk list:   Things that are stressing you out that you are avoiding or procrastinating on   Things that you feel like you should be doing but are not   Things you want to do but haven’t taken action on   Personal goals or dreams   family goals or dreams   My husband and I were really informal in our risk list discussion. We just started each sentence by saying, “We could take a risk and…”. At first, we shared things that were top of mind and stressing us out. We progressed on to things we want to try with our family, personal goals we have, habits we want to develop, and things we’ve been talking about doing but haven’t taken any action on. Then it progressed into dreams and ideas that would be a few years in the making.  Once we called out these ideas as a risk, it made it seem less scary and impossible. It also gave us a chance to evaluate if we actually want to do these things or if they are just sneaky “shoulds” that we can let go of. For me labeling things like creating a bathroom cleaning schedule as a risk adds an element of fun to the situation. It becomes a challenge, something I can approach with curiosity and experiment to find out what works. If it’s a risk, it’s okay to try and fail. It also gets me unstuck in waiting for everything to be perfect and helps me take baby steps forward. Watch this week’s episode to find out more about what we discovered from this process and what you can learn by doing it for yourself. If you feel like you don’t have the time or energy to even think about doing something new or different, check out my free workshop, 3 Secrets to Do More of What You Love Without Hiring a Babysitter.

Do you have a hard time creating a vision of what you want for your motherhood to look like? Or do you feel united in goals with your spouse? A few weeks ago, Andrew and I brainstormed a list of things we could take a risk on. We defined risk as anything that puts us out of our comfort zone - which conveniently puts us in our learning zone as well. It was a fascinating experience and uncovered a lot of things for us.  What you might uncover when you write a risk list: <ol> <li> Things that are stressing you out that you are avoiding or procrastinating on </li> <li> Things that you feel like you should be doing but are not </li> <li> Things you want to do but haven’t taken action on </li> <li> Personal goals or dreams </li> <li> family goals or dreams </li> </ol> My husband and I were really informal in our risk list discussion. We just started each sentence by saying, “We could take a risk and…”. At first, we shared things that were top of mind and stressing us out. We progressed on to things we want to try with our family, personal goals we have, habits we want to develop, and things we’ve been talking about doing but haven’t taken any action on. Then it progressed into dreams and ideas that would be a few years in the making.  Once we called out these ideas as a risk, it made it seem less scary and impossible. It also gave us a chance to evaluate if we actually want to do these things or if they are just sneaky “shoulds” that we can let go of. For me labeling things like creating a bathroom cleaning schedule as a risk adds an element of fun to the situation. It becomes a challenge, something I can approach with curiosity and experiment to find out what works. If it’s a risk, it’s okay to try and fail. It also gets me unstuck in waiting for everything to be perfect and helps me take baby steps forward. Watch this week’s episode to find out more about what we discovered from this process and what you can learn by doing it for yourself. If you feel like you don’t have the time or energy to even think about doing something new or different, check out my free workshop, <a href="https://thrivinginmotherhoodpodcast.com/workshop/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3 Secrets to Do More of What You Love Without Hiring a Babysitter</a>.

The Power of a Risk List [Episode 269]

Our family recently had a week of me being out of commission for some medical things that we knew were coming. Andrew and I have been in this situation for good chunks or our marriage, so it felt like a familiar glove we slipped on for a few days.  In this survival season, we departed from some of our usual standards of ideals - we watched movies every day, ate food that we don’t normally eat, and let go of a lot of the routines or things the kids are supposed to do in the morning.  But you know what didn’t change? My mental health. I was in good spirits. I was the person I wanted to be with my husband and children. In the past, I sacrificed that all in the name of ideals. But when we can determine what our priorities are in a difficult season, we can embrace the difference and novelty of it all and focus on what matters most. Here are five things I did to prepare for survival mode:   Plan for freezer meals. We like to get family-sized Stouffers or Voila to make things easy, but you could also prepare your own.   Plan something to be excited about. This could be painting, reading books together, or watching a fun movie.   Clean up the house. If possible, keep it picked up with short energy windows, or trust that you can reset it when you go through re-entry.   Talk back to the mom guilts when you aren’t doing what you normally do. Everyone’s fine. Be present.   Talk with your spouse. Communicate your needs and priorities and simplify.   In a season of survival, it’s so important to evaluate when you can’t do everything, what you are choosing to do. In the past, I’ve chosen the projects because it’s fun, and the piece of having something to look forward to was crucial to my mental health. But this time, the priority wasn’t fun - and maybe that had a lot to do with it being short-term and a bit to do with us having a large family and needing to keep things a bit more stable. The true priority was just keeping things going smoothly - keeping food on the table, resetting our spaces, putting clothes in drawers, and reading lots of books with my kids. When I had small bursts of energy, these are the things I focused on and I was amazed at how well our home kept functioning. This has taken me YEARS to figure out, so I hope that a peak into how we prepare can help smooth our your next - or current- season of survival mode.

Our family recently had a week of me being out of commission for some medical things that we knew were coming. Andrew and I have been in this situation for good chunks or our marriage, so it felt like a familiar glove we slipped on for a few days.  In this survival season, we departed from some of our usual standards of ideals - we watched movies every day, ate food that we don’t normally eat, and let go of a lot of the routines or things the kids are supposed to do in the morning.  But you know what didn’t change? My mental health. I was in good spirits. I was the person I wanted to be with my husband and children. In the past, I sacrificed that all in the name of ideals. But when we can determine what our priorities are in a difficult season, we can embrace the difference and novelty of it all and focus on what matters most. Here are five things I did to prepare for survival mode: <ol> <li> Plan for freezer meals. We like to get family-sized Stouffers or Voila to make things easy, but you could also prepare your own. </li> <li> Plan something to be excited about. This could be painting, reading books together, or watching a fun movie. </li> <li> Clean up the house. If possible, keep it picked up with short energy windows, or trust that you can reset it when you go through re-entry. </li> <li> Talk back to the mom guilts when you aren’t doing what you normally do. Everyone’s fine. Be present. </li> <li> Talk with your spouse. Communicate your needs and priorities and simplify. </li> </ol> In a season of survival, it’s so important to evaluate when you can’t do everything, what you are choosing to do. In the past, I’ve chosen the projects because it’s fun, and the piece of having something to look forward to was crucial to my mental health. But this time, the priority wasn’t fun - and maybe that had a lot to do with it being short-term and a bit to do with us having a large family and needing to keep things a bit more stable. The true priority was just keeping things going smoothly - keeping food on the table, resetting our spaces, putting clothes in drawers, and reading lots of books with my kids. When I had small bursts of energy, these are the things I focused on and I was amazed at how well our home kept functioning. This has taken me YEARS to figure out, so I hope that a peak into how we prepare can help smooth our your next - or current- season of survival mode.

5 Steps to Prepare For Survival Mode [Episode 268]

Do you want to love motherhood but find yourself in survival mode or burned out more than you'd like to admit? Do you want practical, sustainable, and actionable steps and inspiration that will help you create a life you are excited to wake up to each day that is unique to you and your family situation? You are in the right place! Thriving in Motherhood is home to women who are learning to become Soaring Mothers.  Here you'll learn how to move forward on your greatest goals and build a strong family and celebrate with other moms who are doing the same.  Jessica Jackson (it's great to meet you!) is the homeschooling mother of four children who shares hopeful and down to earth tips for thriving in all seasons of motherhood - especially the really hard ones.  Through solo episodes and guest interviews, you can expect honest conversations that give you hope that you can go from Surviving motherhood to Soaring. See you on Wednesdays!

This podcast is such a blessing in my life! Thank you!

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One of my very favorite podcasts about faith and motherhood. Have loved every episode so far!

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Thriving In Motherhood Podcast

Brandi McIntosh

Brandi is a mother of four (ages 4 - 17) who has worked with her husband to build a slow, intentional life with her family. She lives in the hills of central Texas. She shares how God's love for her and her family has guided her in her life and her parenting. Key Points from this episode:  It takes different intentional actions to stay connected with our children and hold their hearts who are different ages. Changing our emphasis from behavior to relationships with our children will allow us to maintain that relationship through the teen years and beyond. Try to have eyes to see. Notice when our children are withdrawn and remember that sometimes that is when they need us to press in the most. (Adding food makes the heart-sharing easier for the kids, too!) Schedule in one-on-one time with your kids. Put some to bed early if you need to in order to make it happen. Find time to have time with God. If you can't wake up before the kids, try having 15-20 minutes for all your family to go their separate ways to have their connecting time with God. Have older kids take turns watching younger ones to help make it happen. Pause and think about what you say "yes" to and what you say "no" to in order to grow your intentionality. Then take it to the Lord and follow the direction from Him. Journaling the things you learn from books or hear that inspire you help you absorb the information and also give you something to refer back to when you need a boost. We can make the choice whether we miss the things that happen on social media, or we can miss things that are happening under our own roofs. Saying out loud what we are thankful for can help us find joy in our current moment. 

Brandi is a mother of four (ages 4 - 17) who has worked with her husband to build a slow, intentional life with her family. She lives in the hills of central Texas. She shares how God's love for her and her family has guided her in her life and her parenting. Key Points from this episode: <ul> <li>It takes different intentional actions to stay connected with our children and hold their hearts who are different ages.</li> <li>Changing our emphasis from behavior to relationships with our children will allow us to maintain that relationship through the teen years and beyond.</li> <li>Try to have eyes to see. Notice when our children are withdrawn and remember that sometimes that is when they need us to press in the most. (Adding food makes the heart-sharing easier for the kids, too!)</li> <li>Schedule in one-on-one time with your kids. Put some to bed early if you need to in order to make it happen.</li> <li>Find time to have time with God. If you can't wake up before the kids, try having 15-20 minutes for all your family to go their separate ways to have their connecting time with God. Have older kids take turns watching younger ones to help make it happen.</li> <li>Pause and think about what you say "yes" to and what you say "no" to in order to grow your intentionality. Then take it to the Lord and follow the direction from Him.</li> <li>Journaling the things you learn from books or hear that inspire you help you absorb the information and also give you something to refer back to when you need a boost.</li> <li>We can make the choice whether we miss the things that happen on social media, or we can miss things that are happening under our own roofs.</li> <li>Saying out loud what we are thankful for can help us find joy in our current moment.</li> </ul>

Living a Slow, Intentional Life with Brandi McIntosh [Episode 68]

Sarah Molitor

Sarah Molitor is a mother of five under the age of seven and today we talk about finding joy in the Lord in our every day moments and boundaries both within our families and our own lives. Sarah is a Registered Nurse who always had being a wife and mother as her goal. Her passions are raising children to be others-oriented and inspiring other mothers to find joy through her social media influence. Key Points from this Episode:  It takes time to find your confidence as a mother and find your stride. Focus on what things do look like, not what you expect them to look like. In hindsight, we will get to see that what God has planned for us is way cooler than anything we could have planned. Connect to the Lord any where, any time you can. It doesn't have to be at 6 am before the kids are awake. Allow the Lord to seep in all throughout our days. Structure and boundaries can give us the freedom to have more fun because the kids know what to expect to some degree. What we do at home should mimic what we do in public. Being respectful of property and boundaries within our homes sets us up to be enjoyable to others when we are our in public. Take time to look at the good that comes from the challenges. Sharing rooms for kids can be hard, but there is a special bond that comes from sharing.  Remember that as you are raising children, you are actually raising adults. One day, that 7 year old boy is going to be in his 20s and fall in love and will need to know how to treat a girl respectfully.  Get to know your "Power Hours" and know how to cut them off. It's okay if you don't get up before the kids in the morning. Know when you can get stuff done and utilize that time frame.  Know who you are and who you want to be in order to qualify your yeses and nos. 

Sarah Molitor is a mother of five under the age of seven and today we talk about finding joy in the Lord in our every day moments and boundaries both within our families and our own lives. Sarah is a Registered Nurse who always had being a wife and mother as her goal. Her passions are raising children to be others-oriented and inspiring other mothers to find joy through her social media influence. Key Points from this Episode: <ul> <li>It takes time to find your confidence as a mother and find your stride.</li> <li>Focus on what things do look like, not what you expect them to look like.</li> <li>In hindsight, we will get to see that what God has planned for us is way cooler than anything we could have planned.</li> <li>Connect to the Lord any where, any time you can. It doesn't have to be at 6 am before the kids are awake. Allow the Lord to seep in all throughout our days.</li> <li>Structure and boundaries can give us the freedom to have more fun because the kids know what to expect to some degree.</li> <li>What we do at home should mimic what we do in public. Being respectful of property and boundaries within our homes sets us up to be enjoyable to others when we are our in public.</li> <li>Take time to look at the good that comes from the challenges. Sharing rooms for kids can be hard, but there is a special bond that comes from sharing. </li> <li>Remember that as you are raising children, you are actually raising adults. One day, that 7 year old boy is going to be in his 20s and fall in love and will need to know how to treat a girl respectfully. </li> <li>Get to know your "Power Hours" and know how to cut them off. It's okay if you don't get up before the kids in the morning. Know when you can get stuff done and utilize that time frame. </li> <li>Know who you are and who you want to be in order to qualify your yeses and nos.</li> </ul>

Finding Joy in the Lord with Sarah Molitor [Episode 86]

In this episode, I introduce the Surviving  to Thriving Framework and interview Megan Dilworth about how this framework has impacted her life. Megan is a wife and mother of three kids (ages 2-7) who is a member of The Thriving Team. She is a photographer, graphic designer, and lover of DIY projects. Key Points from this Episode:  Surviving to Thriving Framework:  All the steps are important. There is no time frame on this path. We all will repeat this path over and over throughout our lives. 1. Surviving  circumstances, not mindset   2. Re-entry  Uncomfortable transition between surviving and trying to get back into real life   3. Normalizing  Basic routines   4. Exploring  Establishing family culture and finding out what you love   5. Thriving  Enjoy the beautiful moments. The seasons that feel like things are going well.     Believing things are temporary will help us be more optimistic. These are temporary stages in our lives! Its okay to drop ideas that aren’t serving you. It’s okay to try new things, even if they don’t end up lasting. The act of writing things down helps us remember. 

In this episode, I introduce the Surviving  to Thriving Framework and interview Megan Dilworth about how this framework has impacted her life. Megan is a wife and mother of three kids (ages 2-7) who is a member of The Thriving Team. She is a photographer, graphic designer, and lover of DIY projects. Key Points from this Episode: <ul> <li>Surviving to Thriving Framework: <ul> <li>All the steps are important. There is no time frame on this path. We all will repeat this path over and over throughout our lives.</li> <li>1. Surviving <ul> <li>circumstances, not mindset</li> </ul> </li> <li>2. Re-entry <ul> <li>Uncomfortable transition between surviving and trying to get back into real life</li> </ul> </li> <li>3. Normalizing <ul> <li>Basic routines</li> </ul> </li> <li>4. Exploring <ul> <li>Establishing family culture and finding out what you love</li> </ul> </li> <li>5. Thriving <ul> <li>Enjoy the beautiful moments. The seasons that feel like things are going well.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li>Believing things are temporary will help us be more optimistic. These are temporary stages in our lives!</li> <li>Its okay to drop ideas that aren’t serving you. It’s okay to try new things, even if they don’t end up lasting.</li> <li>The act of writing things down helps us remember.</li> </ul>

The Path from Surviving to Thriving [Episode 81]

Sometimes it feels like our kids should be our number one priority all the time. In this episode, I talk about how I think building a strong family and creating healthy relationships is the focus we should be having instead. Key Points from this Episode:  Our kids are wonderful, but our priority is building strong families. We, as mothers, are part of the strong family that we need are building. Our family is only as strong as the weakest link, so we need to take care of ourselves too! When we can shift the idea from being a fire to put out to being a teaching moment, it can help us handle the situations differently. How we approach our days when we are thinking "My goal is to build a strong family. My goal is create healthy relationships" changes how we respond to our children. Supporting our children's growth is different than focusing on the results (and a whole lot less stressful!) Creating a strong family culture and atmosphere of growth is what is under our circle of influence, not our children's behavior, which often gets focused on when our kids are the priority. When we focus on building strong families and healthy relationships, our capacity for joy and experience joy right now is so much greater. Those little moments of the day of seeing glimpses of the strong family and healthy relationships happen. Recognizing them helps us find the motivation to keep going. It's so much easier to "lose ourselves" when our kids are the focus all the time. The power of friendship is so real in motherhood. It helps buoy us up! "Sisters, oh how we need each other" - Marjorie Pay Hinckley 

Sometimes it feels like our kids should be our number one priority all the time. In this episode, I talk about how I think building a strong family and creating healthy relationships is the focus we should be having instead. Key Points from this Episode: <ul> <li>Our kids are wonderful, but our priority is building strong families.</li> <li>We, as mothers, are part of the strong family that we need are building. Our family is only as strong as the weakest link, so we need to take care of ourselves too!</li> <li>When we can shift the idea from being a fire to put out to being a teaching moment, it can help us handle the situations differently.</li> <li>How we approach our days when we are thinking "My goal is to build a strong family. My goal is create healthy relationships" changes how we respond to our children.</li> <li>Supporting our children's growth is different than focusing on the results (and a whole lot less stressful!)</li> <li>Creating a strong family culture and atmosphere of growth is what is under our circle of influence, not our children's behavior, which often gets focused on when our kids are the priority.</li> <li>When we focus on building strong families and healthy relationships, our capacity for joy and experience joy right now is so much greater.</li> <li>Those little moments of the day of seeing glimpses of the strong family and healthy relationships happen. Recognizing them helps us find the motivation to keep going.</li> <li>It's so much easier to "lose ourselves" when our kids are the focus all the time.</li> <li>The power of friendship is so real in motherhood. It helps buoy us up!</li> <li>"Sisters, oh how we need each other" - Marjorie Pay Hinckley</li> </ul>

Why My Kids Aren't the Priority [Episode 80]

Today we're talking about practical tips to be able to enjoy yourself and your family during this crazy Coronavirus Quarantine time. As a homeschooling mom, I've figured out a few things along the way that can help as we all cope with the changes of being at home with our children all day, every day. Key Points from this Episode:  Look to create a rhythm or routine for your household. Every day does not need to be the same, but general expectations help kids and adults alike to feel grounded. Cleaning up after meals is our "ticket to play/project" because who wouldn't want to play, but the work needs to get done too! We come together, eat together, we have some sort of intellectual stimulation/conversation/activity, then the kids have free play. Then it repeats. Build a repeatable rhythm that are tied to anchors of things like eating meals together. More time at home means more time for the kids to engage in things they love as well as being more engaged in the housework together. Have a conversation with your kids about what household work needs to get done and who can do what. Yes, there will be more work with everyone being home, but there are more people to share the load as well. Have a family council to discuss screen time to prevent the need for constant decision-making in the moment. Set a reasonable expectation. Embrace the time you have to let your kids cook with you, clean with you, etc. Don't try to recreate the public school in your home. Doing a little bit of skill work that is on level with where they are is all they need to keep those brain muscles active. Having a solid family read-aloud helps so much during a tough time. It brings everyone together and lets everyone escape into a world together. Consider having something that kids can do to have their hands busy while you read if they tend to get mischievous without guided movement. Just be curious. Just keep trying. Try something new. Each day, find things to mix it up. Do what works for your family. Remember - You probably already have a lot of these things going for you, so make sure you're doing them intentionally and consistently and it'll be great! Play games! They always help with math skills. Keep what you can do in perspective. Sometimes all you can do is keep a smile on your face and stay kind. Set the goal to be respond rather than react. Identify what is in your circle of influence vs your circle of concern. Ask yourself what unhelpful thoughts you had and prayerfully evaluate them to see how you can make adjustments in the future. Remind yourself this is temporary. Identify what you, as a parent, are looking forward to on a daily or weekly level. Pay attention to the magic moments with your children. It will help change what you see to find more of the magic.  Resources This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Chronicles of Narnia  The Trumpet of the Swan  Winnie the Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner  Milly-Molly-Mandy  Besty-Tacy  The Boxcar Children  My Father’s Dragon  Little House in the Big Woods - and all of the books in the Little House Series!  The Long Winter is our favorite and maybe feels a bit relevant now.   The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey  Thriving in Motherhood Journal

Today we're talking about practical tips to be able to enjoy yourself and your family during this crazy Coronavirus Quarantine time. As a homeschooling mom, I've figured out a few things along the way that can help as we all cope with the changes of being at home with our children all day, every day. Key Points from this Episode: <ul> <li>Look to create a rhythm or routine for your household. Every day does not need to be the same, but general expectations help kids and adults alike to feel grounded.</li> <li>Cleaning up after meals is our "ticket to play/project" because who wouldn't want to play, but the work needs to get done too!</li> <li>We come together, eat together, we have some sort of intellectual stimulation/conversation/activity, then the kids have free play. Then it repeats.</li> <li>Build a repeatable rhythm that are tied to anchors of things like eating meals together.</li> <li>More time at home means more time for the kids to engage in things they love as well as being more engaged in the housework together. Have a conversation with your kids about what household work needs to get done and who can do what. Yes, there will be more work with everyone being home, but there are more people to share the load as well.</li> <li>Have a family council to discuss screen time to prevent the need for constant decision-making in the moment. Set a reasonable expectation.</li> <li>Embrace the time you have to let your kids cook with you, clean with you, etc.</li> <li>Don't try to recreate the public school in your home. Doing a little bit of skill work that is on level with where they are is all they need to keep those brain muscles active.</li> <li>Having a solid family read-aloud helps so much during a tough time. It brings everyone together and lets everyone escape into a world together. Consider having something that kids can do to have their hands busy while you read if they tend to get mischievous without guided movement.</li> <li>Just be curious. Just keep trying. Try something new. Each day, find things to mix it up. Do what works for your family.</li> <li>Remember - You probably already have a lot of these things going for you, so make sure you're doing them intentionally and consistently and it'll be great!</li> <li>Play games! They always help with math skills.</li> <li>Keep what you can do in perspective. Sometimes all you can do is keep a smile on your face and stay kind. Set the goal to be respond rather than react.</li> <li>Identify what is in your circle of influence vs your circle of concern.</li> <li>Ask yourself what unhelpful thoughts you had and prayerfully evaluate them to see how you can make adjustments in the future.</li> <li>Remind yourself this is temporary.</li> <li>Identify what you, as a parent, are looking forward to on a daily or weekly level.</li> <li>Pay attention to the magic moments with your children. It will help change what you see to find more of the magic.</li> </ul> Resources This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. <a href="https://amzn.to/2IJeRf9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chronicles of Narnia</a> <a href="https://amzn.to/2vivsTM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Trumpet of the Swan</a> <a href="https://amzn.to/2TQLmyo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Winnie the Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner</a> <a href="https://amzn.to/33hB8tS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Milly-Molly-Mandy</a> <a href="https://amzn.to/33l7iVb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Besty-Tacy</a> <a href="https://amzn.to/2vXF4Uz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Boxcar Children</a> <a href="https://amzn.to/2WfhlKi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My Father’s Dragon</a> <a href="https://amzn.to/33lU0bf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Little House in the Big Woods</a> - and all of the books in the Little House Series!  The Long Winter is our favorite and maybe feels a bit relevant now.  <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful/dp/1451639619/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1528710338&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=7+habits+of+highly+effective+people&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=ajacksonfamil-20&amp;linkId=f274fa74e18166e7792cf1f3aa2c2989" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People</a> - Stephen R. Covey <a href="https://thrivinginmotherhoodpodcast.com/thriving-in-motherhood-journal/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Thriving in Motherhood Journal</a>

Practical Tips For Being at Home with Your Kids All Day, Every Day [Episode 100]

April Perry

April is a mother of four and founder of Power of Moms and LearnDoBecome. She lives very intentionally and helps other mothers do the same. She shares her journey of recognizing that working together is a tool to build relationships in our home and create a feeling for everyone in the family to grow. She talks about learning to love ourselves so we can love others. She shares the importance of being open and honest in every step of your motherhood journey in order to find your "person" behind the word "mother." April talks about clearing the clutter out of our homes, but also out of our minds and our hearts to then be able to love. She speaks to the feeling in the home being the focus of our efforts. She goes against culture to get our housework done so we can be a mom, but rather teaches the importance of doing the housework side-by-side with our children and finding the beauty in that housework. April talks about the impact that Scream Free Parenting by Hal Edward Runkel has affected the way she looks at loving herself and loving her children. She prioritizes self-care with bedtime for herself, exercise, taking a shower, drinking water, and eating for herself. She talks about the importance of really talking with your kids (even if it's a topic that you don't want to necessarily get into with your kids) and building true relationships with them. She encourages us to spend more time looking in our children's eyes rather than our phones. She believes that is possible by involving them in our lives and letting them help us with what we need to do. April emphasizes the need to value the moments we have, even if they don't seem Facebook-worthy.

April is a mother of four and founder of Power of Moms and LearnDoBecome. She lives very intentionally and helps other mothers do the same. She shares her journey of recognizing that working together is a tool to build relationships in our home and create a feeling for everyone in the family to grow. She talks about learning to love ourselves so we can love others. She shares the importance of being open and honest in every step of your motherhood journey in order to find your "person" behind the word "mother." April talks about clearing the clutter out of our homes, but also out of our minds and our hearts to then be able to love. She speaks to the feeling in the home being the focus of our efforts. She goes against culture to get our housework done so we can be a mom, but rather teaches the importance of doing the housework side-by-side with our children and finding the beauty in that housework. April talks about the impact that Scream Free Parenting by Hal Edward Runkel has affected the way she looks at loving herself and loving her children. She prioritizes self-care with bedtime for herself, exercise, taking a shower, drinking water, and eating for herself. She talks about the importance of really talking with your kids (even if it's a topic that you don't want to necessarily get into with your kids) and building true relationships with them. She encourages us to spend more time looking in our children's eyes rather than our phones. She believes that is possible by involving them in our lives and letting them help us with what we need to do. April emphasizes the need to value the moments we have, even if they don't seem Facebook-worthy.

It's About the Feeling We Create in Our Homes with April Perry [Episode 59]

In this episode, I talk about where to start to get the house back on track after a Survival Mode season. I share my rhythms and systems that have helped me and my kids know what to expect when we are transitioning from full-blown Survival Mode back into "normal" life. Key Points from this Episode:  It's OK to make intentional choices to let things like housework go when we are in survival mode, but we need to pick up the pieces when we are able to. Start with prayer. Then listen to the promptings of where to start. "Home Blessing Hour" every week for concentrated time to take care of the house. Go room by room. Garbage to the trash bag. Clothes to the laundry basket. Everything that doesn't belong into a basket. Put those items away. Sweep/vacuum the floor. Set timers for short increments to get bursts of cleaning focus from our children. Consider having some major incentives for after the house gets put back together. Talk with your children while you clean. Use it as a chance to bond as a family. 

In this episode, I talk about where to start to get the house back on track after a Survival Mode season. I share my rhythms and systems that have helped me and my kids know what to expect when we are transitioning from full-blown Survival Mode back into "normal" life. Key Points from this Episode: <ul> <li>It's OK to make intentional choices to let things like housework go when we are in survival mode, but we need to pick up the pieces when we are able to.</li> <li>Start with prayer. Then listen to the promptings of where to start.</li> <li>"Home Blessing Hour" every week for concentrated time to take care of the house.</li> <li>Go room by room. Garbage to the trash bag. Clothes to the laundry basket. Everything that doesn't belong into a basket. Put those items away. Sweep/vacuum the floor.</li> <li>Set timers for short increments to get bursts of cleaning focus from our children.</li> <li>Consider having some major incentives for after the house gets put back together.</li> <li>Talk with your children while you clean. Use it as a chance to bond as a family.</li> </ul>

Where to Start When You Feel Overwhelmed by Your Messy House [Episode 73]

Today I'm talking about how I taught my kids to play, which leads into why we homeschool. If you feel like you always needs to entertain your kids and are looking for how to build the independent play skills in your children, this episode is for you! Key Points from this Episode:  There is no one right way to do anything, schooling included! Even if you don't homeschool, you can take away ideas about how to run your household that can help your home life. Enabling kids to have the space to play out real life things (like kitchen sets) gives them so much imagination and freedom!) Recognizing kids' capabilities to feed themselves, wash themselves and dress themselves requires us to relinquish some control of our control, but opens the door to have the kids be able to be contributing members of our households. Charlotte Mason teaches that children are born persons. They have their own personalities and ambitions. Teach children to be a part of a family and a community.  Resources You Are Your Child's First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin Dancy (affiliate link)  A Delectable Education Podcast - The Early Years Home Education by Charlotte Mason (affiliate link) A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola (affiliate link) The Montessori Toddler by Simone Davies (affiliate link)

Today I'm talking about how I taught my kids to play, which leads into why we homeschool. If you feel like you always needs to entertain your kids and are looking for how to build the independent play skills in your children, this episode is for you! Key Points from this Episode: <ul> <li>There is no one right way to do anything, schooling included!</li> <li>Even if you don't homeschool, you can take away ideas about how to run your household that can help your home life.</li> <li>Enabling kids to have the space to play out real life things (like kitchen sets) gives them so much imagination and freedom!)</li> <li>Recognizing kids' capabilities to feed themselves, wash themselves and dress themselves requires us to relinquish some control of our control, but opens the door to have the kids be able to be contributing members of our households.</li> <li>Charlotte Mason teaches that children are born persons. They have their own personalities and ambitions.</li> <li>Teach children to be a part of a family and a community.</li> </ul> Resources <a href="https://amzn.to/2R6TpWi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">You Are Your Child's First Teacher</a> by Rahima Baldwin Dancy (affiliate link) <a href="http://www.adelectableeducation.com/2017/05/episode-79-the-early-years-before-6-years-old/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> A Delectable Education Podcast</a> - The Early Years <a href="https://amzn.to/2NHgmNQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Home Education</a> by Charlotte Mason (affiliate link) <a href="https://amzn.to/2R9uCRH" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Charlotte Mason Companion</a> by Karen Andreola (affiliate link) <a href="https://amzn.to/2RAs7XA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Montessori Toddler</a> by Simone Davies (affiliate link)

How I Taught My Kids to Play and Why We Homeschool [Episode 92]

Today is Part 1 of an amazing conversation with four of my great friends from Indiana on the topic of friendship. How to have meaningful conversations, how to serve each other, how to become friends with people who are different than you are all topics we discuss. Key Points from this Episode:  Meaningful friendships can come from all age groups, not just people who are the same age as you! Be on the lookout for new people moving in and be ready to welcome them and invite them into the fold of your friendship. Sharing your heart with your friends allows you to get to know each other's souls and develop a deeper connection. Recognize that your friends are different from you. That acceptance of each other's differences can allow you to be inspired without becoming overwhelmed with expectations. Do things for yourself like reading books or listening to podcasts and that gives you material to bring up in discussions with others. Sometimes it is easier to be vulnerable and develop deeper relationships in one-on-one situations rather than large groups. A good question to ask is "What are you excited about?" It opens the door for them to tell you about anything that makes them happy at the time. You don't have to spend money in order to spend time together! Try nature walks, potluck picnics, parks, in each others' homes, etc. When you have somebody over, think through what toys you want available and what doors you want open and closed to set the boundaries and keep the cleanup from becoming overwhelming. Stay to help clean up when you've played at someone else's house. Play together and clean together! 

Today is Part 1 of an amazing conversation with four of my great friends from Indiana on the topic of friendship. How to have meaningful conversations, how to serve each other, how to become friends with people who are different than you are all topics we discuss. Key Points from this Episode: <ul> <li>Meaningful friendships can come from all age groups, not just people who are the same age as you!</li> <li>Be on the lookout for new people moving in and be ready to welcome them and invite them into the fold of your friendship.</li> <li>Sharing your heart with your friends allows you to get to know each other's souls and develop a deeper connection.</li> <li>Recognize that your friends are different from you. That acceptance of each other's differences can allow you to be inspired without becoming overwhelmed with expectations.</li> <li>Do things for yourself like reading books or listening to podcasts and that gives you material to bring up in discussions with others.</li> <li>Sometimes it is easier to be vulnerable and develop deeper relationships in one-on-one situations rather than large groups.</li> <li>A good question to ask is "What are you excited about?" It opens the door for them to tell you about anything that makes them happy at the time.</li> <li>You don't have to spend money in order to spend time together! Try nature walks, potluck picnics, parks, in each others' homes, etc.</li> <li>When you have somebody over, think through what toys you want available and what doors you want open and closed to set the boundaries and keep the cleanup from becoming overwhelming.</li> <li>Stay to help clean up when you've played at someone else's house. Play together and clean together!</li> </ul>

How to Have Friends When You're a Mom Part 1 [Episode 97]

Today we are talking about the Thriving in Motherhood Planner and three actionable steps for you to take (in our planner or another one) to help you change how you feel about your motherhood and your days and how you're using your time! Key Points from this Episode:  This planner grew out of really wanting to have a place for myself to be able to bring to fruition what I wanted my motherhood to look like. The planner solves two MAJOR problems: It's a place to empty out your brain so you can engage in real life. It's also a way to be intentional with your time without adding unnecessary pressure.   Change how you look at your time. Look at your time at a weekly level rather than a daily level. In the next 24 hours, write down all the things you accomplished, the things you discovered, the places you went to, the books you read, what you have done with your family. You can celebrate your accomplishments and evaluate where you want your priorities to be better. Ask yourself what you are curious about trying and use that to inform your vision for next year.   Separating out inflexible appointments from flexible to-do items gives you more wiggle room as life happens and feels less overwhelming. Plan your weekly to-dos and do your very best not to add any more as the week goes on unless it HAS to get done. You'll see greater progress and accomplishment. 

Today we are talking about the Thriving in Motherhood Planner and three actionable steps for you to take (in our planner or another one) to help you change how you feel about your motherhood and your days and how you're using your time! Key Points from this Episode: <ul> <li>This planner grew out of really wanting to have a place for myself to be able to bring to fruition what I wanted my motherhood to look like.</li> <li>The planner solves two MAJOR problems: It's a place to empty out your brain so you can engage in real life. It's also a way to be intentional with your time without adding unnecessary pressure.</li> </ul> <ol> <li>Change how you look at your time. Look at your time at a weekly level rather than a daily level.</li> <li>In the next 24 hours, write down all the things you accomplished, the things you discovered, the places you went to, the books you read, what you have done with your family. You can celebrate your accomplishments and evaluate where you want your priorities to be better.</li> <li>Ask yourself what you are curious about trying and use that to inform your vision for next year.</li> </ol> <ul> <li>Separating out inflexible appointments from flexible to-do items gives you more wiggle room as life happens and feels less overwhelming.</li> <li>Plan your weekly to-dos and do your very best not to add any more as the week goes on unless it HAS to get done. You'll see greater progress and accomplishment.</li> </ul>

Three Small Changes and One Tool That will Help you See Progress and Get Rid of the Overwhelm [Episode 82]

Jennifer Pepito

Jennifer is the homeschooling mother of seven in the foothills of California. She is the founder of The Peaceful Press, a company that is dedicated to creating wholehearted homeschooling curriculum and a podcast host for Wild + Free. She talks about the development of being able to have conversations with her older children and emotionally investing rather than feeling so physically drained in the years of early parenting. She talks about the diminished need for "mommy friends" as her children have slowly become some of her best friends. She talks about finding the time to get her alone, rejuvenating time in bits and pieces rather than the bulk of nap time or after kids go to bed. She loves to read or listen to a podcast to recharge herself. Jennifer has always felt drawn to motherhood. She had her abilities feel challenged when one of her children had a personal crisis and Jennifer took the responsibility upon herself for her child's trials. She had her awakening moment about her lack of total control of motherhood which opened the door to a greater joy as she was able to let go of her desire to control the results of her parenting efforts. She recognized the relief that comes from building relationships with the children and watching them work through problems on their own while not being solely focused on the outcomes. She talks about the importance of grieving a reality that isn't going to be or missed expectations and then welcoming in the unconditional love of God to help take the pressure off Jennifer's parenting. Jennifer talks about the grieving process helping herself to stay soft and not become a sharp or tough type of mother. She discusses realizing she did not need to perform for love, but she was loved no matter what. She was then able to extend that love to her children along their own growth journey. Jennifer covers how the scriptures and the book Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning ingrained in her the feeling of love unattached from performance. Jennifer talks about realistic expectations for our children. To recognize that they are, in fact, children. She addresses the need to find  balance between offering our children grace and still maintaining solid leadership with reasonable expectations in our homes. Jennifer talks about rejecting fear and making sure you have a vision in your family and basing your decisions on that vision. She explains that make decisions or signing up for activities that do not align with our vision are a huge factor in misplaced expectations and anxiety levels growing in the home, which lead to behavioral issues with our children. She emphasizes taking time to slow down and just be at home and observe the feeling and interactions as a way to reset your own expectations for motherhood. She explains how margin plays a big role in her life. Intentional margins in finances and time help her focus her efforts and keep everyone on track. She references Gordon Neufeld's Hold on to Your Kids. Jennifer talks about the importance of taking time to forgive others around you and creating your vision for your life. Jennifer recounts her family's adventure in finding their focus on a family car trip and encourages others to find the skills and things that bring them joy to follow as a guide rather than jumping on every bandwagon that passes through to help bring the variety and color to the world around us. She talks about how her family's vision has morphed and changed as her children have grown older and developed their own interests and passions. She talks about mastering the ability to understand the need of God in her life and the guidance from God in all her decisions. Jennifer also discusses the balance between being present with your kids and maintaining the household. She talks about helping instill in them the life skills they'll need to be functioning adults.

Jennifer is the homeschooling mother of seven in the foothills of California. She is the founder of The Peaceful Press, a company that is dedicated to creating wholehearted homeschooling curriculum and a podcast host for Wild + Free. She talks about the development of being able to have conversations with her older children and emotionally investing rather than feeling so physically drained in the years of early parenting. She talks about the diminished need for "mommy friends" as her children have slowly become some of her best friends. She talks about finding the time to get her alone, rejuvenating time in bits and pieces rather than the bulk of nap time or after kids go to bed. She loves to read or listen to a podcast to recharge herself. Jennifer has always felt drawn to motherhood. She had her abilities feel challenged when one of her children had a personal crisis and Jennifer took the responsibility upon herself for her child's trials. She had her awakening moment about her lack of total control of motherhood which opened the door to a greater joy as she was able to let go of her desire to control the results of her parenting efforts. She recognized the relief that comes from building relationships with the children and watching them work through problems on their own while not being solely focused on the outcomes. She talks about the importance of grieving a reality that isn't going to be or missed expectations and then welcoming in the unconditional love of God to help take the pressure off Jennifer's parenting. Jennifer talks about the grieving process helping herself to stay soft and not become a sharp or tough type of mother. She discusses realizing she did not need to perform for love, but she was loved no matter what. She was then able to extend that love to her children along their own growth journey. Jennifer covers how the scriptures and the book Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning ingrained in her the feeling of love unattached from performance. Jennifer talks about realistic expectations for our children. To recognize that they are, in fact, children. She addresses the need to find  balance between offering our children grace and still maintaining solid leadership with reasonable expectations in our homes. Jennifer talks about rejecting fear and making sure you have a vision in your family and basing your decisions on that vision. She explains that make decisions or signing up for activities that do not align with our vision are a huge factor in misplaced expectations and anxiety levels growing in the home, which lead to behavioral issues with our children. She emphasizes taking time to slow down and just be at home and observe the feeling and interactions as a way to reset your own expectations for motherhood. She explains how margin plays a big role in her life. Intentional margins in finances and time help her focus her efforts and keep everyone on track. She references Gordon Neufeld's Hold on to Your Kids. Jennifer talks about the importance of taking time to forgive others around you and creating your vision for your life. Jennifer recounts her family's adventure in finding their focus on a family car trip and encourages others to find the skills and things that bring them joy to follow as a guide rather than jumping on every bandwagon that passes through to help bring the variety and color to the world around us. She talks about how her family's vision has morphed and changed as her children have grown older and developed their own interests and passions. She talks about mastering the ability to understand the need of God in her life and the guidance from God in all her decisions. Jennifer also discusses the balance between being present with your kids and maintaining the household. She talks about helping instill in them the life skills they'll need to be functioning adults.

Living into Joy with Jennifer Pepito [Episode 61]

Today, I'm talking about a principle that has the ability to completely revolutionize your life. It's called the Big Three for the Week. It works wonderfully with the Thriving in Motherhood Planner, but can absolutely be applied with or without this particular planner. Key Points from this Episode:  A Big Three for the Week helps add a lot of clarity, but you can optionally also have a Big Three for each Day if you have that kind of structure available to you. The Big Three are three things that help you move the needle forward on the most important tasks. Big Three should be highest priorities and we are intentionally giving space to them. You can have one of your Big Three be for one of your personal goals. You can have one of your Big Three be a goal for your family. This can be a great check to make sure things are in balance. You can have one of your Big Three be beyond your family. Look for opportunities of service or church work. It's okay to have just a Big One or Big Two if you know your top priority will take up every spare moment in your week.  Resources Free Training: How to Finally Stop Drowning in Piles

Today, I'm talking about a principle that has the ability to completely revolutionize your life. It's called the Big Three for the Week. It works wonderfully with the <a href="https://thrivinginmotherhoodpodcast.com/2020-planner-checkout/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thriving in Motherhood Planner</a>, but can absolutely be applied with or without this particular planner. Key Points from this Episode: <ul> <li>A Big Three for the Week helps add a lot of clarity, but you can optionally also have a Big Three for each Day if you have that kind of structure available to you.</li> <li>The Big Three are three things that help you move the needle forward on the most important tasks.</li> <li>Big Three should be highest priorities and we are intentionally giving space to them.</li> <li>You can have one of your Big Three be for one of your personal goals.</li> <li>You can have one of your Big Three be a goal for your family. This can be a great check to make sure things are in balance.</li> <li>You can have one of your Big Three be beyond your family. Look for opportunities of service or church work.</li> <li>It's okay to have just a Big One or Big Two if you know your top priority will take up every spare moment in your week.</li> </ul> Resources <a href="https://sb244.isrefer.com/go/TRAINSTEP1/jmoose2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Free Training: How to Finally Stop Drowning in Piles</a>

Why and How to Choose a Big Three for the Week [Episode 87]

Valerie Woerner

Valerie is a mother of two girls and creator of a Prompt and Prayer Journal and author of a book,  Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday. We talk about God's will, fighting the lies about motherhood that the world gives, and how to start adjusting our thinking during our days. Key Points from this Episode:  Dance to shake out the grumpiness in the mornings. We are stronger than we think we are with the help of God. “When ours [our plans] are interrupted, His are not. His plans are proceeding exactly as scheduled, moving us always (including those minutes or hours or years which seem most useless or wasted or unendurable) ‘toward the goal of true maturity’ (Rom 12:2).” - Elisabeth Elliot Trust that worthy things we want to do will get done, even if it's not in the time frame we expect, or we will learn it isn't what God wants us to be doing. We don't need to add extra drama to our lives. We need to be real about motherhood. We cannot do motherhood for the praise. Our challenging moments in our days are just that - moments. Rehashing the hard times just forces our minds to dwell on those negative things rather than embracing and focusing on the positive that has happened. We can give our children a safe place to grow up and don't need to share every mistake they make. Think about how that must make our children feel. The world wants to distract us from the amazing gift that motherhood is. God wants us to recognize the gift that it truly is! There is space a between stimulus and response. We can adjust our auto-pilot thinking to change how we feel about the same situations. Start by taking the time to notice your thoughts. We can take responsibility and have integrity in our lives by accepting that things are not just happening to us, but we can choose how to act. 

Valerie is a mother of two girls and creator of a Prompt and Prayer Journal and author of a book, <a href="http://www.valmariepaper.com/books/grumpy-mom-takes-holiday-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday</a>. We talk about God's will, fighting the lies about motherhood that the world gives, and how to start adjusting our thinking during our days. Key Points from this Episode: <ul> <li>Dance to shake out the grumpiness in the mornings.</li> <li>We are stronger than we think we are with the help of God.</li> <li>“When ours [our plans] are interrupted, His are not. His plans are proceeding exactly as scheduled, moving us always (including those minutes or hours or years which seem most useless or wasted or unendurable) ‘toward the goal of true maturity’ (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/rom/12?lang=eng" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rom 12:2</a>).” - Elisabeth Elliot</li> <li>Trust that worthy things we want to do will get done, even if it's not in the time frame we expect, or we will learn it isn't what God wants us to be doing.</li> <li>We don't need to add extra drama to our lives. We need to be real about motherhood. We cannot do motherhood for the praise.</li> <li>Our challenging moments in our days are just that - moments. Rehashing the hard times just forces our minds to dwell on those negative things rather than embracing and focusing on the positive that has happened.</li> <li>We can give our children a safe place to grow up and don't need to share every mistake they make. Think about how that must make our children feel.</li> <li>The world wants to distract us from the amazing gift that motherhood is. God wants us to recognize the gift that it truly is!</li> <li>There is space a between stimulus and response. We can adjust our auto-pilot thinking to change how we feel about the same situations. Start by taking the time to notice your thoughts.</li> <li>We can take responsibility and have integrity in our lives by accepting that things are not just happening to us, but we can choose how to act.</li> </ul>

Finding Joy in the Truths of Motherhood with Valerie Woerner [Episode 72]

Theresa is a mother of two and owner of Montessori In Real Life blog and Instagram. Today we're talking about how to take principles of the Montessori philosophy and applying them into our home. There are a lot of practical ideas as well as Theresa's own story of growth. Key Points from this Episode:  Montessori is providing an environment that allows children to be self-motivated, curious, and confident in their own abilities. They are respected for who they are individually, and, in return, learn to respect others. Having an open floor plan can allow family members to be together without needing to be doing the exact same thing. Having a kid-friendly house does not mean it cannot be beautiful and enjoyable for adults too. Montessori and home can be quite different from Montessori in the classroom. Foster the natural desire toddlers can have to want to clean up.  You can arrange a closet in your home similar to how a classroom would store their materials to make for easy rotation. How we show up for our kids really affects how the kids show up for the day. Making time to refresh ourselves away from our kids weekly makes a big difference in being able to give of ourselves to our children.  Connect with Theresa Instagram: @montessoriinreallife Website: montessoriinreallife.com Resources  Montessori Home Tour The Power of Showing Up by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson (affl link) The Whole Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson (affl link) Montessori From The Start by Paula Polk Lillard and Lynn Lillard Jessen (affl link) No Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson (affl link)

Theresa is a mother of two and owner of Montessori In Real Life blog and Instagram. Today we're talking about how to take principles of the Montessori philosophy and applying them into our home. There are a lot of practical ideas as well as Theresa's own story of growth. Key Points from this Episode: <ul> <li>Montessori is providing an environment that allows children to be self-motivated, curious, and confident in their own abilities. They are respected for who they are individually, and, in return, learn to respect others.</li> <li>Having an open floor plan can allow family members to be together without needing to be doing the exact same thing.</li> <li>Having a kid-friendly house does not mean it cannot be beautiful and enjoyable for adults too.</li> <li>Montessori and home can be quite different from Montessori in the classroom.</li> <li>Foster the natural desire toddlers can have to want to clean up. </li> <li>You can arrange a closet in your home similar to how a classroom would store their materials to make for easy rotation.</li> <li>How we show up for our kids really affects how the kids show up for the day.</li> <li>Making time to refresh ourselves away from our kids weekly makes a big difference in being able to give of ourselves to our children.</li> </ul> Connect with Theresa Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/montessoriinreallife/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@montessoriinreallife</a> Website: <a href="https://www.montessoriinreallife.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">montessoriinreallife.com</a> Resources <a href="https://www.montessoriinreallife.com/home/2020/1/20/our-montessori-home-tour" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Montessori Home Tour</a> <a href="https://amzn.to/2ulr9H6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Power of Showing Up</a> by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson (affl link) <a href="https://amzn.to/39gIYWo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Whole Brain Child</a> by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson (affl link) <a href="https://amzn.to/39gIIqr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Montessori From The Start</a> by Paula Polk Lillard and Lynn Lillard Jessen (affl link) <a href="https://amzn.to/2Sa13jd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">No Drama Discipline</a> by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson (affl link)

How to Foster Responsibility in Our Kids with Theresa [Episode 95]

Teru Clavel

Teru Clavel is a mother of three (ages 10-15), author, and comparative education expert. She talks about principles of education that can be applied in all of our lives. We talk about resiliency, failure, and confidence. We talk about what we can do in our own homes to support our children no matter where they go to school. Key Points from this Episode:  Play-based preschool helped build children's independence and prepared them to make choices for themselves. Some moments in parenthood when we realize our kids rely on us, so we have to "wake up" and meet their needs completely. We have to choose strength in that moment. Failure is a critical part of the learning process. Most of the important lessons we learn in life come from failure. Failure builds resiliency! More technology is not the answer to teach our children. Having technology is not bad, but the learning process works better in a more tactile world. Motherhood is a great learning ground for multitasking and prioritizing. We naturally measure everything against our children and their needs. 

Teru Clavel is a mother of three (ages 10-15), author, and comparative education expert. She talks about principles of education that can be applied in all of our lives. We talk about resiliency, failure, and confidence. We talk about what we can do in our own homes to support our children no matter where they go to school. Key Points from this Episode: <ul> <li>Play-based preschool helped build children's independence and prepared them to make choices for themselves.</li> <li>Some moments in parenthood when we realize our kids rely on us, so we have to "wake up" and meet their needs completely. We have to choose strength in that moment.</li> <li>Failure is a critical part of the learning process. Most of the important lessons we learn in life come from failure.</li> <li>Failure builds resiliency!</li> <li>More technology is not the answer to teach our children. Having technology is not bad, but the learning process works better in a more tactile world.</li> <li>Motherhood is a great learning ground for multitasking and prioritizing. We naturally measure everything against our children and their needs.</li> </ul>

How to Support our Children's Education with Teru Clavel [Episode 91]

In this episode, I talk about Survival Mode and how that does not need to stop us from thriving even while we are in the midst of it. I share some of my personal life in the middle of full blown survival mode (surgery and recovery, moving, home-buying, etc.) and how the things I've discovered over the past five years adjusted my thinking and got me ready for the things I could prepare for. During this round of struggles, I tried to step away from the worry. I instead asked myself "What is in my circle of influence?" and "What is the next step?" to myself and to God in order to find focus to prep while I was able. I used friends as sounding-boards and got to work on my next actions that were within my circle of influence. I learned to walk away from a project when there was no Next Action and move on to another task - and feel totally fine about that. Recognizing our growth in the moment of struggle disarms fear, frustration, and anger. We instead can celebrate "Look how much we're learning!" Having a little bit of heads up for survival circumstances before we were in the midst of it allowed me to take some responsibility and ask for help when I knew I would need it. Gratitude has provided the power to pull myself out of any pity feelings I might feel for myself in these rough circumstances. Choosing to practice gratitude lets me offer a smile to those around me. Even when I'm "sick mom," I can still help lift spirits and find moments of joy. I'm deciding to be proud of what we have done rather than feeling guilty that I'm not at full functioning levels. Remembering that God's opinion of me is all that really matters has helped me keep perspective on the things that really matter most. Keeping prayer central to my recovery has allowed me to see God in the details of my life. We've already been through a whole lot of hard. We've already learned from a whole lot of hard. We can take the knowledge that we've gained from doing the hard to help us know that we can make it through the next hard. We don't have it all figured out. Hard is still hard. But that's okay. Hard is not wrong. That doesn't mean it's not worth it. If you are not currently in Survival Mode, great! That gives you the chance to look outward and understand how you can better serve others who might be. Prayers and paper products can lift others in ways you cannot imagine. We are all in this trying world together, and together we can help each other thrive!

In this episode, I talk about Survival Mode and how that does not need to stop us from thriving even while we are in the midst of it. I share some of my personal life in the middle of full blown survival mode (surgery and recovery, moving, home-buying, etc.) and how the things I've discovered over the past five years adjusted my thinking and got me ready for the things I could prepare for. During this round of struggles, I tried to step away from the worry. I instead asked myself "What is in my circle of influence?" and "What is the next step?" to myself and to God in order to find focus to prep while I was able. I used friends as sounding-boards and got to work on my next actions that were within my circle of influence. I learned to walk away from a project when there was no Next Action and move on to another task - and feel totally fine about that. Recognizing our growth in the moment of struggle disarms fear, frustration, and anger. We instead can celebrate "Look how much we're learning!" Having a little bit of heads up for survival circumstances before we were in the midst of it allowed me to take some responsibility and ask for help when I knew I would need it. Gratitude has provided the power to pull myself out of any pity feelings I might feel for myself in these rough circumstances. Choosing to practice gratitude lets me offer a smile to those around me. Even when I'm "sick mom," I can still help lift spirits and find moments of joy. I'm deciding to be proud of what we have done rather than feeling guilty that I'm not at full functioning levels. Remembering that God's opinion of me is all that really matters has helped me keep perspective on the things that really matter most. Keeping prayer central to my recovery has allowed me to see God in the details of my life. We've already been through a whole lot of hard. We've already learned from a whole lot of hard. We can take the knowledge that we've gained from doing the hard to help us know that we can make it through the next hard. We don't have it all figured out. Hard is still hard. But that's okay. Hard is not wrong. That doesn't mean it's not worth it. If you are not currently in Survival Mode, great! That gives you the chance to look outward and understand how you can better serve others who might be. Prayers and paper products can lift others in ways you cannot imagine. We are all in this trying world together, and together we can help each other thrive!

Finding a Thriving Mindset in Survival Circumstances [Episode 64]

Today we talk about how to embrace our kids having a normal, messy childhood and what we can do as parents to make things easier on us as parents. Don't forget to join our free Love Your Life Challenge! Key Points from this Episode:  Being in nature and being messy is important to our kids' development. Buying clothes from thrift stores or Walmart makes all clothes play clothes and takes the stress off keeping things stain-free. Having a rain suit and rain boots keeps the kids from getting cold and wet while still enjoying the water play. They will play longer and happier and be able to just come in and strip off the top layer and be ready to keep playing inside without a total wardrobe change. A waterproof art smock works wonders on art projects, but also daily needs like helping with dishes. It takes the stress out of letting your kids help!  Resources Tuffo Muddy Buddy Rain Suit Waterproof Art Smock

Today we talk about how to embrace our kids having a normal, messy childhood and what we can do as parents to make things easier on us as parents. Don't forget to join our free <a href="https://thrivinginmotherhoodpodcast.ck.page/025761a872" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Love Your Life Challenge</a>! Key Points from this Episode: <ul> <li>Being in nature and being messy is important to our kids' development.</li> <li>Buying clothes from thrift stores or Walmart makes all clothes play clothes and takes the stress off keeping things stain-free.</li> <li>Having a rain suit and rain boots keeps the kids from getting cold and wet while still enjoying the water play. They will play longer and happier and be able to just come in and strip off the top layer and be ready to keep playing inside without a total wardrobe change.</li> <li>A waterproof art smock works wonders on art projects, but also daily needs like helping with dishes. It takes the stress out of letting your kids help!</li> </ul> Resources <a href="https://amzn.to/36HFgUa" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tuffo Muddy Buddy Rain Suit</a> <a href="https://amzn.to/37HrqCu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Waterproof Art Smock</a>

How to Embrace Our Kids Having a Normal, Messy Childhood [Episode 94]

Sherry Zhang

Dr. Sherry Zhang is a mother and founder and CEO of Genopalate. We talk about equipping our children with tools to navigate challenges, successes, and failures. We also talk about learning and the importance of asking good questions. Key Points from this Episode:  Motherhood is a learning experience from day one. Every day is going to have some sort of fantastic uncertainty. It's up to us to make it better or worse. Learning from our children, who we created, is an amazing experience. Teaching our children principles and standards sets them up to interact well with the ever-changing environment around them. Successes are a very personal thing. Your successes can look completely different than someone else's. Your genetic code can give hints to what foods work best with your body. Health is not just about weight loss. Overall health is so much more. 

Dr. Sherry Zhang is a mother and founder and CEO of Genopalate. We talk about equipping our children with tools to navigate challenges, successes, and failures. We also talk about learning and the importance of asking good questions. Key Points from this Episode: <ul> <li>Motherhood is a learning experience from day one.</li> <li>Every day is going to have some sort of fantastic uncertainty. It's up to us to make it better or worse.</li> <li>Learning from our children, who we created, is an amazing experience.</li> <li>Teaching our children principles and standards sets them up to interact well with the ever-changing environment around them.</li> <li>Successes are a very personal thing. Your successes can look completely different than someone else's.</li> <li>Your genetic code can give hints to what foods work best with your body.</li> <li>Health is not just about weight loss. Overall health is so much more.</li> </ul>

]The Fantastic Uncertainty of Motherhood with Dr. Sherry Zhang [Episode 

Amy Klein

Amy is a mother of two and co-founder of Give Her Courage, a company focused on helping young girls develop courage and confidence. We talk about the how and why and modeling that courage for our children. Key Points from this episode:  Celebrate the nice things siblings do for each other to encourage the positive behaviors. The things that are worthwhile are going to be hard and challenging, but we shouldn't let that discourage us! Nothing is perfect. Just be in the moment. Try to focus on whatever you are doing in that moment and just be in it. Sitting down for (a distraction-free) dinner as a family every night opens the door for bonding and communication. Embrace your imperfections and let your children see that. Let them see you comfortable in your own skin. That will give them permission to do the same. Risk-taking is doing something where you are stepping outside your comfort zone. It is as individual as we are. Let your children know when you are feeling outside your comfort zone and are choosing to do it anyways. Guilt is just in our nature because we are trying so hard. Confidence is reminding ourselves that we are great and we are doing the best that we can do. 

Amy is a mother of two and co-founder of Give Her Courage, a company focused on helping young girls develop courage and confidence. We talk about the how and why and modeling that courage for our children. Key Points from this episode: <ul> <li>Celebrate the nice things siblings do for each other to encourage the positive behaviors.</li> <li>The things that are worthwhile are going to be hard and challenging, but we shouldn't let that discourage us!</li> <li>Nothing is perfect. Just be in the moment. Try to focus on whatever you are doing in that moment and just be in it.</li> <li>Sitting down for (a distraction-free) dinner as a family every night opens the door for bonding and communication.</li> <li>Embrace your imperfections and let your children see that. Let them see you comfortable in your own skin. That will give them permission to do the same.</li> <li>Risk-taking is doing something where you are stepping outside your comfort zone. It is as individual as we are.</li> <li>Let your children know when you are feeling outside your comfort zone and are choosing to do it anyways.</li> <li>Guilt is just in our nature because we are trying so hard. Confidence is reminding ourselves that we are great and we are doing the best that we can do.</li> </ul>

Instilling Courage and Confidence in our Girls with Amy Klein [Episode 70]

Today we are talking about how to ask for help and some of the principles about why and assurance that it's okay to ask for help! We all need it. Key Points from this Episode:  Asking for help can be hard, and that's okay! Helping others feels wonderful, so remember it's okay to be on both sides of the helping. If we love helping others, it can be a huge blessing to others to let them help us. The bar for getting help and asking for help is way, way, WAY lower than we think it is. Interdependence helps lift everyone involved way farther than independence can.  Allowing the interdependent relationships to develop allows everyone to get help even when things aren't in pure survival, but even have help with the lesser, but still hard times. We have to fight that lie that independence is the end-all be-all. Especially in motherhood. Sometimes we have to be brave and ask for help so we can start cracking down our walls of independence and open the door for them to feel comfortable asking for help from you. In some times of your life, there will be not be as much give and take and you will just need to be served. Know that in another season, you will get to serve when you are capable. When you need A LOT of help, ask a lot of different people so you don't strain friendships. It's scary to ask more people, but spread it around when the help that is needed is ongoing. Be specific with what you need help with. Notice what lifts you up and practice doing that more in your daily life.  Resources  Thriving in Motherhood Podcast Episode 5 with Chelsea Homer

Today we are talking about how to ask for help and some of the principles about why and assurance that it's okay to ask for help! We all need it. Key Points from this Episode: <ul> <li>Asking for help can be hard, and that's okay!</li> <li>Helping others feels wonderful, so remember it's okay to be on both sides of the helping. If we love helping others, it can be a huge blessing to others to let them help us.</li> <li>The bar for getting help and asking for help is way, way, WAY lower than we think it is.</li> <li>Interdependence helps lift everyone involved way farther than independence can. </li> <li>Allowing the interdependent relationships to develop allows everyone to get help even when things aren't in pure survival, but even have help with the lesser, but still hard times.</li> <li>We have to fight that lie that independence is the end-all be-all. Especially in motherhood.</li> <li>Sometimes we have to be brave and ask for help so we can start cracking down our walls of independence and open the door for them to feel comfortable asking for help from you.</li> <li>In some times of your life, there will be not be as much give and take and you will just need to be served. Know that in another season, you will get to serve when you are capable.</li> <li>When you need A LOT of help, ask a lot of different people so you don't strain friendships. It's scary to ask more people, but spread it around when the help that is needed is ongoing.</li> <li>Be specific with what you need help with.</li> <li>Notice what lifts you up and practice doing that more in your daily life.</li> </ul> Resources <a href="https://thrivinginmotherhoodpodcast.com/2018/05/15/navigating-a-mixed-faith-marriage-with-chelsea-homer-episode-05/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Thriving in Motherhood Podcast Episode 5 with Chelsea Homer</a>

How to Ask For Help [Episode 96]

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