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!
Here’s a fact that made us say “wow”: according to Pew Research, sharing household chores ranks as a top three issue associated with having a successful marriage (third only to faithfulness and good sex). This seems like something we can all master, right? That’s today’s podcast conversation!
Talk about this:
Go out of your way to express gratitude to your spouse this week.
Compare notes to clarify and synchronize your household priorities
Discuss which tasks you hate the most and then plan on doing the chores together.
Related Link
In case you REALLY want to know, the mascot for the University of Waterloo is the King Warrior. Check it out HERE
Article about couples thinking they do all the work 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!
For a host of reasons, the holidays can be rough on our schedule, our health, and particularly our relationships. Wouldn’t it be nice to make the upcoming holiday season a little smoother? In today’s podcast we tackle a few ways to let out the pressure!
Talk about this:
What are our priorities? Do our traditions serve our priorities or do our priorities serve the tradition?
What expectations am I carrying? What exactly am I expecting of others?
How can I celebrate others?
Is this ___________ (whatever I’m about to consume) a wise decision?
Bonus question for others: “Tell me about why you believe what you do." (then listen!)
Related Link
Episode #116 - Four reminders to make the holidays meaningful
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 told your kids they aren’t normal? Have you ever even THOUGHT it? Today we kick around the idea of “normalness” and that there may be a better and/or more precise word to use. Take a listen!
Talk about this:
- In what areas of our parenting might we be pushing an agenda under the guise of NORMAL when it might just be OUR agenda or the POPULAR agenda?
- In what ways can we begin a conversation with our kids to better understand THEIR desires, affinities, and wants as they grow?
- In what ways do you see your kids becoming HEALTHIER versions of themselves?
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!
No one likes to be picked at…but criticism is especially deadly in marriage. In this episode Billy & Joy challenge you to try and see your critical habits in the mirror and to consider the impact they have on your marriage.
Talk about this:
What critique hurts more than others?
What critiques feel like personal preferences?
What criticisms are good advice, but delivered poorly?
What topic/issue is most important to you?
How does your wiring impact the way you communicate?
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!
Sometimes little things make a big difference – especially in marriage. In this week’s episode we kick around three ideas that can make all the difference in keeping your marriage strong (and fun!)
Talk about this:
Ask your spouse for a ranking on how they think you are doing AS A COUPLE when it comes to 1) Embracing consistency 2) Having strategic habits 3) Having fun.
Which areas do you need to work on? Make a plan!
Related Links:
How to fold a fitted sheet – HERE
James Clear: Atomic Habits – HERE
Episode #38 – Keystone Habits
Episode #48 – Is Criticism Killing Your Marriage?
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!
Time to clear out some lingering questions! In this episode we’ll discuss how to not squash your kids with a disciplinarian approach, what to do if you aren’t having regular date nights, and finding the middle ground when it comes to keeping your house tidy.
Talk about this:
We've jumped around today so pick one of these areas to discuss with your spouse:
Your disciplinarian approach - does it need work?
Your date nights - does it need structure?
Your housekeeping challenges - does it need flexibility and improvement?
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!
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!
Inevitably every parent faces moments of discouragement. But when these moments come, what’s the best way through the challenge? How do you find the support and wisdom you need to thrive? Check out today’s discussion on Between Parents!
Talk about this:
Where are you in relation to the hurricane wall?
What can you do to establish community now? (where can you offer support?)
Identify a handful of people you would like to connect with who could offer wise counsel. Seek them out and get some time on the calendar!
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!
Marriages are complicated, subject to falling into ruts and disrepair. Discouragement is a natural byproduct when this happens. So how do we battle this trap? How do we find hope when challenges arise? Today’s podcast has a handful of helpful ideas to get you on track.
Talk about this:
Since this week's content is super action-focused, review the five starting points:
Recognizing seasons
Checking your habits
Finding brightspots
Leaning into community
Serving others
Consider the next thing you can do to move to a more encouraging time? Talk about it - if not with your spouse, then with whomever would encourage you to follow thru - then DO something!
Related links:
People who sort of look like Adam Sandler but aren’t Adam Sandler Facebook Group HERE
Episode #136 Keystone Habits 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!
Have you ever noticed how many details kids forget about their childhood? Developmentally kids haveto forget old things so they can learn new things. But what happens to all of those happy memories? Well, that’s where parents come in. Today’s podcast is about the little known job parents have to be the “keepers of happiness.”
Talk about this:
As you go away this week, we'd love to challenge you to do two things:
Related links:
Gretchen Rubin’s podcast goodness HERE
A terrific article on family story telling 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 feel like you need to talk about every aspect of the future with your spouse? What if your speculative conversations do more harm than good? Have you considered waiting to see how life unfolds first? Join us for a conversation where we kick around the idea of holding your tongue.
Talk about this:
Is "over-processing" something you are likely to do?
Do you ever feel like you either tune out your spouse OR feel like you're being tuned-out by your spouse?
Discuss what YOU think are “major” and “minor” things you have talked through in the past and whether it's been “likely” and/or helpful.
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!
Have you ever considered how easy it is to find flaws in other people and how challenging it is to see our own faults? Even though this bias is natural, it’s not very helpful in a marriage. Today’s discussion breaks apart this phenomenon and challenges us to dig a little deeper into our individual issues. Fun, right? Listen in if you dare!
Talk about this:
The biggest flaw I bring in the marriage is _______
What words feel safe for my spouse to use around this flaw?
In what way does my spouse's behavior make sense?
How well do I empathize with their struggles?
What can I do to extend grace to them?
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!
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!
Extra-marital affairs can be ruinous to marriage, family, and self-esteem and yet they are familiar parts of our storylines. Is it possible to stop them from happening in the first place? In today’s episode Billy and Joy discuss factors that erode our relationship and what we should focus on to keep our marriage strong.
Talk about this:
- How much do we talk about our temptations as a couple? How much do we talk about what concerns us? How can we be better?
- In what areas might I/we be "eroding?"
- Is there any practice or mindset that might leave us more exposed for affairs?
Related links:
The Art of Manliness podcast - HERE
Pornography and broken relationships article HERE
Guardrails – Message 3 Forever Yours 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 thinking about having kids? Ever wonder what you need to know or maybe what things you shouldn’t worry about? Where do you start? In this episode Billy & Joy discuss six crucial practices to develop before you have kids. While this list isn’t exhaustive, it’s a great starting point.
Here’s a quick recap of the list:
#1 – Establish healthy habits
#2 – Dial into families whose family (and processes) you admire
#3 – Prioritize your marriage
#4 – Prepare for your new life with some practical questions
#5 – Imagine the failings, disappointments, and flaws with a family
#6 – Practice Serving
Talk about this:
Where do we need to spend time thinking about our pre-kid planning?
Related Link
In case you want to see the list of misspelt words, look 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!
I don’t know about you, but quoting movies is one of our favorite hobbies. We love when characters say EXACTLY what’s on our mind. In this episode we kick around a classic exchange between parents that convicts, challenges, AND entertains us. You might want to check out the link below before you listen to this episode so you can “see” what we’re talking about.
Talk about this:
Kick around these quotes - discuss what you find challenging about parenthood. Do any of these ideas ring close to home?
How do you respond to life's messiness?
Related link:
See the movie clip 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!