During this time of quarantine, we’re all having LOTS of family meals. As great as sitting around the dinner table sounds, sometimes it’s challenging to make it meaningful. We get it! We’re living the same life.
This week we thought we’d pull this episode from our vault to remind us of the difference sitting around the table makes in connecting as a family.
Pull out the ol’ calendar and schedule your family meals together for the rest of your month
We have RESEARCH!
National Health Institute Review HERE
Family Meals & Social Engagement Study HERE
Family Meals & Overall Health insight HERE
The Family Dinner Project Website HERE
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook. While you’re there, tag someone who would also enjoy this content!
Finally, if you don’t know where to begin listening to back episodes of the podcast, look for the helpful packages on our website betweenparentspodcast.com
Thanks for being awesome!
As we all adjust to the impact of a world with homeschooling, social distancing, and quarantines, the struggle for a new normal is real. On today’s podcast we discuss 8-9 strategies that help make the transition smoother.
Related Links:
Matthew Walker Why We Sleep
Process This:
What are your observations on how each person is wired and how that impacts their response to being quarantined.
Talk about what you do well and what you'd like to do differently
Also remember:
Sharing is caring!! If you’ve enjoyed this episode please share! You can leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This is SUPER helpful in helping others find our show.
OR cut/paste a link from our website betweenparentspodcast.com (this is also where you can find helpful packages of back episodes!)
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook.
Thanks for being awesome!
The world is a crazy place!
Like every generation before, today’s parents have to process difficult news with their kids. But where do we start? What do we say? How can we explain events we don’t fully understand?
In today’s podcast, Billy and Joy talk about principles parents should consider as they process current events with their kids. How do we lead our family well - and wisely - when we are emotionally charged ourselves?
Talk about this:
Are there any "general rules" we violate?
How well do we process current events as a family? How can we improve?
WHAT seems like it needs processing these days?
Also remember:
Sharing is caring!! If you’ve enjoyed this episode please share! You can leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This is SUPER helpful in helping others find our show.
OR cut/paste a link from our website betweenparentspodcast.com (this is also where you can find helpful packages of back episodes!)
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook.
Thanks for being awesome!
Have you ever felt like your kids aren’t grateful for what they have or what they experience? Do you ever feel like they live with a distasteful attitude of demandingness? Perhaps you see this tendency in yourself?
In this replay episode Billy and Joy discuss the benefits of having an attitude of gratitude and some practical ways to build the habit of thankfulness in your family.
How well do I (personally) communicate gratitude? and how well is our family overall at cultivating attitudes of gratitude?
Where are your family "pinch points?" What parts of our family environment need to look different and what habits do we need to cultivate?
Episode #17 – Creating a Plan For Money & Allowance With Your Kids
Do guys or girls make better sound effects? Check out the video HERE
Sharing is caring!! If you’ve enjoyed this episode please share! You can leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This is SUPER helpful in helping others find our show.
OR cut/paste a link from our website betweenparentspodcast.com (this is also where you can find helpful packages of back episodes!)
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook.
Thanks for being awesome!
As long as there have been families, children have misunderstood their parents and parents have misunderstood their kids. No one enjoys this reality, but it is a fact of life.
How do you process the frustration that comes along with this truth? How do you build connections? That’s this week’s discussion.
Related Links:
Episode # 84 – Getting To The Bottom Of Disagreements
Process This:
How much do you struggle with being misunderstood?
What's the best way to address and care for those feelings?
Where do you need to focus your mental energies?
What "mutual understanding" ideas can you apply this week?
Also remember…
Sharing is caring!! If you’ve enjoyed this episode please share! You can leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This is SUPER helpful in helping others find our show.
OR cut/paste a link from our website betweenparentspodcast.com (this is also where you can find helpful packages of back episodes!)
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook.
Thanks for being awesome!
Have you noticed (or felt) a low-level of parent fatigue? Are you familiar with the dazed expression of someone who is feeling overwhelmed? Well, now is as good a time as any to remember things we can do to encourage our community. Today’s podcast offers nine practical ways to lighten up the load of others and find a little encouragement yourself.
Related Links:
Episode # 89 – Why Married Couples Need Single Friends (and Vise Versa)
Episode # 42 – The Most Powerful Question in Marriage
Practice This:
Identify 2-3 parents that you can invest in for the next few weeks - then make a plan to use your words of encouragement
If you have someone in mind who could use some presence - either in the form of listening - or actually helping with life's logistics, make a plan to SHOW UP!
Also remember…
Sharing is caring!! If you’ve enjoyed this episode please share! You can leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This is SUPER helpful in helping others find our show.
OR cut/paste a link from our website betweenparentspodcast.com (this is also where you can find helpful packages of back episodes!)
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook.
Thanks for being awesome!
So your kid has made a mistake – not an accident or “oops” – but a bad decision, a willful rebellion, or a knowing infraction. How do you address the problem? What’s your reflex and what’s your strategy? Where do your emotions land in the equation. There’s a bunch of thoughts to process and today’s podcast will get you started!
Talk about this:
Discuss your default mode when your kid's do something wrong? In what ways are you most likely to mishandle the situation?
What ideas resonated with you on correcting your kid's mistakes?
What are some steps you can take OR reinforce for making your approach as healthy as possible?
Also remember…
Sharing is caring!! If you’ve enjoyed this episode please share! You can leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This is SUPER helpful in helping others find our show.
OR cut/paste a link from our website betweenparentspodcast.com (this is also where you can find helpful packages of back episodes!)
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook.
Thanks for being awesome!
When this happens, guilt creeps into our heads and clouds our hearts. How do you shed guilt in a healthy way? That’s today’s conversation.
Talk about this:
Are you more likely to feel overly guilty or not guilty at all in your parenting? How does this impact your family life?
Are you more likely to accept or deflect blame? What habits would help you to step out of the blame game altogether?
How can you practice making amends with your kids THIS week?
Where would your home life benefit from developing new plans?
Related Link
Episode #119 – Improving Your Marriage Through Better Systems – HERE
Also remember…
Sharing is caring!! If you’ve enjoyed this episode please share! You can leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This is SUPER helpful in helping others find our show.
OR cut/paste a link from our website betweenparentspodcast.com (this is also where you can find helpful packages of back episodes!)
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook.
Thanks for being awesome!
How is your pace around the holidays? Do you feel like you are absorbing the joys? Or does it all feel like it’s a blur? In this episode we cover four reminders that will help your family make the season more meaningful.
Are we comfortable with our pace?
What are our favorite traditions? Are there some we need to ditch?
Episode #78– The Best Way to Destress Your Family
Also remember:
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook. While you’re there, tag someone who would also enjoy this content!
Finally, if you don’t know where to begin listening to back episodes of the podcast, look for the helpful packages on our website betweenparentspodcast.com
Thanks for being awesome!
Even though we know it’s important to have dinner together, after hustling the family to the table, it’s exhausting to guide a meaningful conversation. Where do you start? Who has the energy to form a strategy?
In this episode (and JUST in time for the holidays!) Billy and Joy jump-start the process with a structure and 60 questions (pdf attached) so you can make your time around the table meaningful.
Take a listen!
8 Strategies For Getting Your Family Around The Table
Family Stories That Bind Us - NYT
We love hearing from you. Reach out on the socials @betweenparents on instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook. While you’re there, tag someone who would also enjoy this content! Thanks for being awesome…
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” So says James Clear – and, we agree. But where do you start new habits in your family? We have a few VERY specific ideas for you on today’s podcast!
Talk about this:
Discuss where your family would benefit from establishing new habits then pick a small, SUSTAINABLE next step. Practice for the next 30 days!
Related Links
Episode #38 – Keystone Habits
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Also remember…
Sharing is caring!! If you’ve enjoyed this episode please share! You can leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This is SUPER helpful in helping others find our show.
OR cut/paste a link from our website betweenparentspodcast.com (this is also where you can find helpful packages of back episodes!)
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook.
Thanks for being awesome!
Have you ever considered how your fellow family members describe your family? Have you ever asked them what they think about when they think about each other? If you’ve ever told a classic family story (e.g., the time the car died, or the dog was lost) chances are you noticed how different the narrative is from one person to the next. In fact, for stories we don’t say out loud the narratives can vary even more wildly – and sometimes not in the best way. In today’s podcast we discuss how those stories can shape our family life and what to do if they go negative.
Related Links:
Episode # 147 - How Storytelling Impacts a Kid's Happiness
Episode # 99 - Asking kids better questions
Episode #86 - 60 Conversation Starters For Family Meal time
Episode #115 - Making family meals worthwhile
Episode #131 - Question Grab Bag
Talk about this:
Are you aware of each other's narratives? Where are they the same? How do they differ?
What are some specific steps you can take to uncover the narratives of your kids?
How can you build habits into your family that bring out the best narratives?
Also remember:
Sharing is caring!! If you’ve enjoyed this episode please share! You can leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This is SUPER helpful in helping others find our show.
OR cut/paste a link from our website betweenparentspodcast.com (this is also where you can find helpful packages of back episodes!)
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook.
Thanks for being awesome!
Chances are your kids know your flaws better than you do. Of course, they can’t (or won’t) put the most helpful words around those flaws, so we thought we’d give you a way into some insights. In fact, this episode gives you a dozen questions to think about, wrestle with, and squirm through as you own your flaws! Take a listen if you dare!!
Talk about this:
I AM MORE LIKELY TO...
I AM MORE WORRIED ABOUT ...
Also remember:
Sharing is caring!! If you’ve enjoyed this episode please share! You can leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This is SUPER helpful in helping others find our show.
OR cut/paste a link from our website betweenparentspodcast.com (this is also where you can find helpful packages of back episodes!)
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook.
Thanks for being awesome!
Do you have a child who is wired so differently than you that you find yourself thinking, “Who IS this child of mine?” Do you ever wonder how to navigate those differences in a healthy way? If so, then you’ll find today’s podcast particularly helpful! Take a listen or pass along to anyone who might relate!
Talk about this:
Kick around the idea of differences with your spouse and compare notes on the differences each of you see between you as parents and your kids (you'll likely identify different pieces!)
How likely are you to argue over Preferences rather than Principles?
What can you do to make sure you're valuing Relationship over Being Right?
Related Links:
Episode #60 – What To Do When Your Spouse Annoys - HERE
Episode #107 – Understanding Personality Types - HERE
Episode #128 - When You Don't Understand Your Spouse - HERE
Also remember:
Have you left a review on Apple Podcasts? This is SUPER helpful in helping others find our show.
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook. While you’re there, tag someone who would also enjoy this content!
Finally, if you don’t know where to begin listening to back episodes of the podcast, look for the helpful packages on our website betweenparentspodcast.com
Thanks for being awesome!
School days are right around the corner, which often feels like a blessing, but can also feel like a curse. So how do you make the most of the school year? Today’s episode is a great place to start with eight reminders for every family with school-aged children!
Talk about this:
Which item on this list feels like a challenge for us?
What’s our plan for encouraging our child’s teacher?
Related Links:
Episode #66 – Picking Schools For Your Kids
An additional article on enjoying school here
Also remember:
Have you left a review on iTunes? This is SUPER helpful in helping others find our show.
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook. While you’re there, tag someone who would also enjoy this content!
Finally, if you don’t know where to begin listening to back episodes of the podcast, look for the helpful packages on our website betweenparentspodcast.com
Thanks for being awesome!
Are you bored at home? Does the monotony of your routine zap all of your enthusiasm for parenting? You are not alone! We polled our listeners and compiled their best ideas for beating the monotony and enjoying the days more. Although this list may not be groundbreaking, each idea is a reminder that there are ways to find joy in the little moments and small wins of each day.
Talk about this:
Compare notes with your spouse or whomever you are doing life with and BUST up this weeks routine to do something different. Pick an idea from our list or come up with your own, but find the EXTRA and have fun!
Also remember…
Have you left a review on iTunes? This is SUPER helpful in helping others find our show.
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook. While you’re there, tag someone who would also enjoy this content!
Finally, if you don’t know where to begin listening to back episodes of the podcast, look for the helpful packages on our website betweenparentspodcast.com
Thanks for being awesome!
Do you know the most important part your kid’s education process? In this week’s podcast Billy & Joy discuss one guy’s opinion that the best education focuses on just two things. Check out the quote below and decide if you agree!
Seth Godin quote
“ Sooner or later parents have to take responsibility for putting their kids into a system that is indebting them and teaching them to be cogs in an economy that doesn’t want cogs anymore. Parents get to decide. I’m a huge fan of public school … But from 3 to 10 those kids are getting homeschooled, and they’re either getting homeschooled watching the Flintstones or they’re getting homeschooled in learning something useful. And I think we need to teach kids two things: one, how to lead, and two, how to solve interesting problems.
There are plenty of countries on earth where people are willing to be obedient and work harder for less money than us. So we cannot out-obedience the competition. Therefore we have to out lead or out solve the other people … who want whatever is scarce. The way you teach your kid to solve interesting problems is to give them interesting problems to solve. And then, don’t criticize them when they fail. Kids aren’t stupid. If they get in trouble every time they try to solve an interesting problem, they’ll just go back to getting an A by memorizing what’s in the textbook …
We don’t need to have them spend a lot of time getting good grades so they can get into a famous college, because famous colleges don’t work anymore. Famous colleges don’t work anymore. The point is, is there an entity that will have trouble living without you when you seek to earn a living? Because if there is, you’ll be able to make a living. If on the other hand you’re waiting in the placement office for someone to pick you, you will be persistently undervalued. “
Talk about this:
What are practical ways we can get our kids to practice leadership?
What are my tendencies that might undermine their leadership process?
What are interesting problem solving skills we can give our kids this week?
What are my tendencies that might undermine their problem-solving process?
Related Links:
Bats and turbines – read at your peril here
The Seth Godin conversation was originally found on the Tim Ferriss Podcast here
Also remember…
Have you left a review on iTunes? This is SUPER helpful in helping others find our show.
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook. While you’re there, tag someone who would also enjoy this content!
Finally, if you don’t know where to begin listening to back episodes of the podcast, look for the helpful packages on our website betweenparentspodcast.com
Thanks for being awesome!
Do you ever lose your cool? Have you ever felt like you have one nerve left and everyone is standing on it? If you’re like us, it’s easy to react to people and circumstances reflexively – to give full range to impatience, frustration, or anger.
In this summer replay episode Billy and Joy kick around the idea of responding rather than reacting to the things that bug us.
Take a listen and form some of your own opinions about their opinions!
Talk about this:
How often do I react to my kids versus respond to them?
What "Pause Phrases" can I use? (Practice them!)
What circumstances do I need to imagine in advance? Where do I struggle to "assume good intentions?"
Related-ish Links
Malaphor examples HERE
Getting to the bottom of disagreements – Episode #84 HERE
Also remember:
Have you left a review on iTunes? This is SUPER helpful in helping others find our show.
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook. While you’re there, tag someone who would also enjoy this content!
Finally, if you don’t know where to begin listening to back episodes of the podcast, look for the helpful packages on our website betweenparentspodcast.com
Thanks for being awesome!
What do you want to be when you grow up? This seems like a harmless question, right? But what if it undermines what we really want for our kids? That’s the thesis of a recent article by Adam Grant and the topic of today’s podcast.
Talk About This:
When we talk about the future with our kids, how much do we emphasize the "what" you'll be versus what you'll be "LIKE?"
What are the potential liabilities in the way we talk future employment with our kids? What should we continue to emphasize in the same way?
What unique personalities, types, or wirings separate our kids (or separate our kids from us) that should be noticed as we have future-oriented conversations?
Related-ish Links:
The Full NYT article by Adam Grant HERE
Dolphin like submarine video HERE
Adam Grant TED talk HERE and his book Originals HERE
Also remember:
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook. While you’re there, tag someone who would also enjoy this content!
Finally, if you don’t know where to begin listening to back episodes of the podcast, look for the helpful packages on our website betweenparentspodcast.com
Thanks for being awesome!
Today’s episode clears out some of the random questions we have received about family life. There’s a little something for everyone here PLUS maybe we answered a question that’s been on your mind too!
Talk About This:
In what areas do we struggle with being servant-hearted?
What are key words/phrases we can use to elevate our service factor?
What prevents our ability to release our expectations in our relationships?
Who do we need to spend time with those behind us (newer to) in their season of marriage?
Discuss the idea of opening up your home to others. Are you ready for that? What would be your hesitations? What makes you excited about doing so?
Related Links:
Episode #89 – Why Married People Need Single Friends (& Vise Versa)
Also remember:
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook. While you’re there, tag someone who would also enjoy this content!
Finally, if you don’t know where to begin listening to back episodes of the podcast, look for the helpful packages on our website betweenparentspodcast.com
Thanks for being awesome!
Are you ever tempted to control your kids? Perhaps you’re merely tempted to drift into the world of “over-managing” them. Whatever the case, in this episode we give you a word picture WE LOVE that can help you stop the control madness!
Talk About This:
We encourage you to talk to your spouse and extended friends and family about the idea of being a Gardener or an Architect. Work to bring that language into your conversations.
Then identify how your mindset reflects Gardner ideas or Architect ideas. How is this mindset helping or hurting?
NEXT consider what behaviors need to change BECAUSE of this mindset.
Finally, discuss where you feel most pressure to grow at home- curiosity/patience? Improving environments? Or purging worry?
Related Links:
Episode #65 – Balancing Freedom & Responsibility
Episode #114 – How to Worry Less About Your Kids
Neil Gaiman on the Tim Ferris Podcast
Also remember:
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook. While you’re there, tag someone who would also enjoy this content!
Finally, if you don’t know where to begin listening to back episodes of the podcast, look for the helpful packages on our website betweenparentspodcast.com
Thanks for being awesome!
Have you ever wondered how you’re doing as a parent? What do your kids think about the way you handle the family? If you want some insightful comments, ask them! In this episode we’ll discuss how to solicit feedback from the people who experience your highs and lows first hand.
Talk About This:
Although this week was all about questions, we still think there are a few things you should process with your spouse.
Discuss the answers you got from your kids and what you learned. Did any of the answers surprise you?
Are there things you need to change in light of your kid's answers?
What would you do differently the next time you plan an "awkward" session?
Related Links:
Episode #11 – The Awkward Date Night
Also remember:
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook. While you’re there, tag someone who would also enjoy this content!
Finally, if you don’t know where to begin listening to back episodes of the podcast, look for the helpful packages on our website betweenparentspodcast.com
Thanks for being awesome!
Are you stressed out when parents “brag” about their kids? Do you ever feel like you don’t measure up in the land of parents? You’re not alone and you’re not crazy. But what do you do to relieve the pressure when you feel like raising kids is a competition? Let’s chat about it!
Talk About This:
How often do I feel competitive with other parents? What are the triggers?
Is there anything I do that could make other parents feel like I am being competitive with them?
What specific person/family do I need to celebrate more?
Related Links:
Mindset by Carol Dweck
Also remember:
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook. While you’re there, tag someone who would also enjoy this content!
Finally, if you don’t know where to begin listening to back episodes of the podcast, look for the helpful packages on our website betweenparentspodcast.com
Thanks for being awesome!
Are you exhausted or discouraged? Perhaps a little bit of both? Today’s podcast is for you with five big picture, you-can-do-this, “at the end of the day” bits of encouragement. You’ve got this!
Talk About This:
What thought did I MOST need to hear?
HOW can I commit it to memory?
What other parent needs this encouragement? (pass it along!)
Related Links:
Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl - HERE
Also remember:
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook. While you’re there, tag someone who would also enjoy this content!
Finally, if you don’t know where to begin listening to back episodes of the podcast, look for the helpful packages on our website betweenparentspodcast.com
Thanks for being awesome!
Doesn’t every parent want his or her kid to become independent? While this seems like an obvious “yes,” many parents interrupt their children’s growth process by making life too easy for them. When we fall into the trap of removing hardships and shortening challenges we rob our kids of lessons they will need for life outside the home.
It’s a big topic and we hope today’s discussion challenges your thinking!
Talk About This:
What is my natural bent... to be too permissive or too restrictive on my kid’s push towards independence? What should I do in light of this?
What are some of the reasons I am reluctant to let m kids "do it themselves?"
What are some of the greatest steps to independence I could grant my kids in THIS season of their lives? What are some of their "stretch" activities?
Related Links:
The Coddling of the American Mind HERE
Also remember:
Want to reach us? You can find us on the socials @betweenparents on Instagram and @betweenparentspodcast on Facebook. While you’re there, tag someone who would also enjoy this content!
Finally, if you don’t know where to begin listening to back episodes of the podcast, look for the helpful packages on our website betweenparentspodcast.com
Thanks for being awesome!