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Where is this podcast headed? The short answer: I'm not sure. Here's what you need to know: 1. I LOVE variety and change. 2. I get bored and restless with routine and predictability. 3. When I get bored and restless, I NEED to make changes, lest I abandon the project. Listen in to hear what that means for the podcast.   Join the waitlist for my upcoming subscription box launch

I was almost 40 when I learned to ski. I use the word "learned" loosely because I still struggle to slow down, turn, or stop when on the slopes. I know one speed, and that is "GET OUT OF MY WAY BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SLOW DOWN!!" It makes skiing interesting and a bit terrifying. But, in parenting, speed is not the goal. We are in it for the long haul. It is a marathon, not a sprint, where steadiness will keep us on track. The small things? They matter in parenting. Slow and steady wins the race. Listen in as we unpack what that means.   Are you working to raise competent and confident teens? Download my free guide: Teach Your Teens to Fly: 40 Things Every  Teenager Needs to Know. Looking for a ridiculously easy solution to help you raise independent kids? Something big is coming! Join the waitlist today. Find show notes here. Follow along on Instagram Follow along of Facebook

When I was a child, my mom always told me that I had to learn things the hard way. That was partly because I hadn't learned to take the advice of others who were further along the path than I. Instead, I had to try it for myself. I have since become a little wiser. I try to learn as much as I can from others who have walked paths similar to mine. Today, Greg and I are sharing three things we learned the hard way, including: 1. Sometimes, it is OK to go to bed angry. 2. It’s not a good idea to tie spirituality to external rewards/punishments. 3 Kids will do what you do before they do what you say. We are keepin' it real today, friends. Let's get to it!   View show notes here Download the guide: 40 Things Every Teenager Needs to Know Join the waitlist for my upcoming subscription box launch Follow along on Instagram Follow along on Facebook

The world is a crazy place these days. Sometimes, I wonder how I will succeed in raising righteous children when darkness seems to be multiplying by the second. Amidst the growing tide of evil, however, Heavenly Father has provided us with instructions on how to navigate the landmines of our day. As we read and apply the scriptures and counsel of modern prophets, we will be safe. But what instruction have we received? We dive into that question in this episode. Download your FREE guide: Teach Your Teen to Fly - 40 Things Every Teenager Needs to Know Find show notes here Follow along on Instagram Follow along on Facebook

Everybody makes mistakes, including children. But sometimes, we, as parents, overreact to our kids' mistakes. We make their failures into huge obstacles instead of allowing them to be learning experiences. When we blow mistakes out of proportion, we run the risk of damaging our relationship with our kids. When that happens, they may not feel comfortable coming to us when they make (sometimes big) mistakes. Tune in to learn how to make your home a safe place to fall - a place where you encourage your kids to learn from and overcome their mistakes. Download your FREE guide: Teach Your Teen to Fly - 40 Things Every Teenager Needs to Know Follow along on Instagram Follow along on Facebook Find show notes here

I am a big believer in teaching kids to be independent, but I haven’t always been that way. I am, in fact, a recovering control freak. When my kids were young, I didn’t want to give them too much responsibility because I could do all the jobs better than they could. Not only that, but they were messy creatures. While they were learning to do things for themselves, disorder and chaos was the name of the game. But their messes turned me into a crazy woman, which was not a positive experience for anybody involved. I have come a long way since then. I have learned that parental control is the enemy of budding childhood independence. Not only that, but control is an illusion. It's not reality. Today, I want to help you tame your inner control freak with five simple strategies. They just might change your life (and your kids' lives).   Curious how prepared your teen is for the launch? Download your FREE guide and assessment today. It will help you determine where you are and what to do next on your journey to raise a confident and competent young adult.    Follow on Instagram Follow on Facebook

A few months ago, I set out to create an online course to help parents raise competent and confident kids. I outlined the modules. I started to work through the content. But it was not flowing. I hit a wall. Something felt off, though I could not put my finger on what was wrong. Over the past few weeks, I have been asking myself a million questions about how to proceed. My journey has led me to a place I never anticipated. I am getting ready to launch a program that I had never even considered until two weeks ago. I believe it will be WAY more helpful for busy parents than an online course. Want to know the plan? I don't have all the details figured out quite yet, but I pulling back the curtain and revealing what I do know. As my loyal podcast listeners, you are the first to hear the specifics of what I plan to offer, how it will help you, and how you can get in on the ground level for the lowest price I will ever offer. Stay in the loop by joining the waitlist here. Follow along on Instagram Follow along on Facebook

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of changes and emotions surrounding school. The Back-to-School experience has been anything but normal, resulting in a myriad of stress for my kids and, by extension, myself. We are one-week into the new school year with a senior, a sophomore, and a seventh-grader, all doing online school: Zoom style. They will be unable to get back to the classroom until at least October. They are chomping at the bit. They are missing their friends. They are grieving what could have been.  In this episode, we are spilling the beans about our experience, complete with three solid takeaways that will (hopefully) help you to walk a smoother road than we have. Find show notes here Follow along on Instagram Follow along on Facebook   Do you want to raise confident, well-prepared kids but don't have a ton of time? If so, help is on the way. I will take all the guesswork out of the process, providing you with ongoing support and a myriad of resources to help you in your quest. This baby will be launching soon. Click here to sign up for the waitlist so you don't miss it!

Since we are smack in the middle of July and many people are traveling and enjoying summer with their families, we are going to something a little bit different. Today, we are republishing Episode 5 of the podcast, which is our most popular episode to date. If you haven't listened to it yet, today is your lucky day! If you have listened, this is a topic that could always use a good refresher. This episode stems from a listener question: “What should I do when my child doesn’t listen – flat out ignoring me until I yell or do something physical to get their attention? I ask calmly and quietly and kindly and after the 3rdtime, I may need to make eye contact, but even when they acknowledge that I asked something (OK, Mom) they don’t do it.” In this episode, we answer that question by first laying a foundation. We talk about the importance of developing a leadership mindset in parenting, complete with suggestions on how to do that. We teach the specifics of authoritative communication, which is the magic sauce. We also give specific examples of how to implement this framework. It will work for toddlers up to teens. The approach we teach is not rocket science – it is common sense! Listen in!   * Uplevel your parenting in a hurry by downloading my free audio training. * Join the waitlist for my upcoming online course: Aim for the Launch: A Practical Approach to Raising Competent and Confident Kids * Follow along on Instagram * Follow along on Facebook  

Life feels heavy lately. COVID-19 cases continue to rise. Political tensions are escalating in the US. Divisiveness and contention are everywhere. It feels like many of our freedoms are on shaky ground. Fear, anger, and intolerance for differing viewpoints are rampant. Looking around at the dystopian world that has become our reality, I wonder If there is any rest for the weary. What will become of us? What will the world look like for our kids in the coming days?  And how can we prepare them to greet it with faith and courage and strength? Do our children know who they are and what they are here to do? Do they understand that they are courageous, determined, and strong? Do they realize that they are capable of being immovable in the face of growing darkness and fierce opposition? Do they know that standing up and standing out is what they were born to do? Do they know? It is HARD to teach those things when the winds of the world are reaching hurricane speeds. It is not easy or straightforward to convince our kids that they are more than meets the eye. More than the opinions of their peers. More than they can even imagine. And yet, we must. They must catch the vision of who they are and what they are here to do. They must believe in their goodness, their strength, and their ability.   If you love the podcast, I think you will also love my upcoming online course. Learn more and join the waitlist here. Find show notes here Follow along on Facebook Follow along on Instagram

It is no secret that parenting is hard work. It is a huge responsibility to take a helpless infant and prepare them to be a functioning member of society. But it does not need to be the hardest thing you have done or will ever do in your life. While there will be difficult stages and problems that catch you off-guard, the overall experience can be relatively relaxed and joyful. What is the key to a relaxed child-rearing experience? Boundaries. Now, let me clarify. Setting boundaries is not easy. Enforcing them is even more difficult, especially when your kids push back (and they will!). But doing so will pave the way for calm seas ahead. When parents say what they mean and mean what they say, remaining consistent and refusing to bend when their kids test their resolve, kids learn to live comfortably within that framework. They learn to respect boundaries. They learn the art of self-discipline and eventually, stop testing the waters. At that point, the parents' job gets exponentially easier. They don't have to deal with the same problems over and over, day in and day out. Challenges will still arise because that is called life. But difficulties become a small part of the child-rearing experience rather than the substance of it. Listen in for all the details. Find show notes here. If you enjoy the podcast, I think you will also enjoy my free audio training: 3 Parenting Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make (and What to do Instead). Uplevel your parenting in a hurry by signing up today. Join the waitlist for my upcoming online course: Aim for the Launch: How to Turn Kids into Responsible Adults Follow on Instagram Follow on Facebook  

The scenario:  Your child misbehaves, causing you frustration, disappointment, and even embarrassment. How do you stay calm? That is what we are tackling today. We've got a formula to help, and it looks something like this: 1. Check your mindset 2. Think through your reaction in advance 3. Don't take the behavior personally 4. Don't dish out consequences in anger 5. Treat mistakes as opportunities to learn   Find show notes here   If you enjoy the podcast, I think you will also enjoy my free audio training: 3 Parenting Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make (and What to do Instead). Uplevel your parenting in a hurry by signing up today. Join the waitlist for my upcoming online course: Aim for the Launch: How to Turn Kids into Responsible Adults Follow on Instagram Follow on Facebook

While we are conservative about many things, our curfew policy is fairly liberal. It allows our teenagers a great deal of freedom, but also requires a hefty dose of responsibility.  The liberal approach that we explain in this episode has worked like a charm in our home. It has taught our teens to set appropriate boundaries and then, to live within them. Listen in for all the details.   If you love the podcast, I know you will love my FREE audio training series: 3 Parenting Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make (and What to Do Instead). It will help you uplevel your parenting in a hurry. Sign up here. Find show notes here Follow along on Instagram Follow along on Facebook  

About ten years ago, we decided to get rid of the video game system that our kids bought with their own money. It was one of the best decisions we have ever made, and we will never get another one.  Listen in to hear about the experiences that led to our controversial decision, the research to support it, and how video games are contributing to a generation of unmotivated kids (especially boys).   Sign up for my FREE three-part audio training: 3 Parenting Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make (and what to do instead) Find show notes here Follow along on Instagram Follow along on Facebook  

This podcast is all about preparing kids to become responsible adults. We talk about helping kids develop a variety of different skills that will make the transition to adulthood as smooth as possible. Let's be honest: it takes years to prepare a child for the launch. It is not something that happens overnight or in the months leading up to high school graduation. And sometimes, parents lose sight of the forest over the trees. (I have been there!) It is easy to get caught up in the concerns of the moment and forget about the end goal: raising responsible adults. But have no fear, my friend. That is where we come in to help. Today, we are sharing our very own VESL framework that will help you raise confident and competent children. It is a comprehensive training plan that focuses on teaching children values, emotional skills, social skills, and life skills. Armed with skills in all four areas, kids will be more likely to transition into adulthood with grace. CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: Assess your child's overall preparedness based on the VESL framework. In which areas are they strong, and which areas need a bit more TLC? Set a reasonable training goal in each area (values, emotional skills, social skills, and life skills) and make a plan for how to reach it. Click here to sign up for my FREE audio training: 3 Parenting Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make (and what to do instead) Find show notes here Follow along on Instagram Follow along on Facebook 

I remember running to answer the phone, practically tackling my siblings to get there first. Those days are long gone because most kids have their own phones. They don't make many calls with those phones, though. Most of their communication is through texting, social media, and video chats. Because of that, many young people have not learned the art of telephone etiquette. Or, in other words, they are not skilled at answering calls, carrying on conversations on the phone, or taking proper telephone messages. In this episode, we tell a hilarious story about one of our kids whose lack of phone manners got our family into a highly embarrassing situation. We also dive into the ins and outs of telephone etiquette, why it is a vital skill, and how to teach it to kids. CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: For younger kids:  Help your child memorize your phone number and practice calling it. Then, call them and have them practice answering. For older kids/teens: Have your child call a place of business and ask a question using the principles we discuss in this episode.   Find show notes here Follow along on Instagram Follow along on Facebook Click here to sign up for my FREE audio training: 3 Parenting Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make (and what to do instead)  

Every parent's worst nightmare is for their child to get abducted. With the instant availability of news (especially bad news), it sometimes feels like it is only a matter of time before something awful happens to our kids. I understand that there are bad people in the world who do horrible things to children. I am not downplaying that in any way, and we do need to teach our kids to be cautious. The reality is, however, that strangers abduct only .01% of all missing children. The other 99.99% of kids reported missing have been taken by family members, run away, discarded (meaning their families did not want them), or reported missing by error. (“Chapter 1.” How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success, by Julie Lythcott-Haims, St. Martin's Griffin, 2016, pp. 14–15.) A vast majority of strangers are good people. Teaching our kids that they should never talk to strangers is denying them the needed opportunity to learn vital communication skills. Listen in for all the details. CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK For young kids: Take your child out to eat and let them order their own food without your help. For older kids and teens: Invite an adult who may be unfamiliar to your child over to you home and encourage your child to lead the conversation. Find show notes here Follow along on Instagram Follow along on Facebook Thank you for your ratings and reviews! If you find this podcast helpful, please keep them coming!

The three most sought-after skills for 9 out of 10 jobs are: Critical thinking Complex problem solving Judgment and decision making However, the world we live in erodes our problem-solving abilities. We consume a massive amount of surface-level information, but often fail to process. We go wide but not deep. So how do we raise problem solvers? Listen in for a few practical suggestions.   Find show notes here Follow along on Instagram Follow along on Facebook   Thank you for the ratings and reviews! Please keep them coming!

Julie Lythcott-Haimes, former freshman dean at Standford University, noted in a 2016 TED talk that  "professional success in life, which is what we want for our kids...comes from having done chores as a kid." But, man alive, it is not easy to get kids involved in household work! It is one million times easier for parents to do the work themselves, especially when the kids are young and inexperienced.   If you, like me, sometimes struggle to get your kids involved in chores, you are in the right place. This short and power-packed episode dives into the why, what, and how of chores. It also provides simple and practical suggestions for how to handle pushback or failure to follow through on tasks.   Weekly Challenge: Teach your child one new skill and make it their chore for this month or this week. To make it easier, download a free guide that will help you determine what skills you can reasonably teach at what ages.   Find show notes here Follow along on Instagram Follow along on Facebook   And THANK YOU for your ratings and reviews! Please keep them coming.    

For a child to be prepared to leave home at age 18 confidently, they must master a variety of skills. As a parent, it can be overwhelming to think of all the things you must teach your kids in the years leading up to the launch. Over the next several weeks, we will be teaching you simple and practical ways to arm your kids with essential life skills and faith skills. In each short episode, we will tackle one skill and leave you with an actionable challenge to help you implement it in your family.  This week, we are laying the groundwork by giving you a simple formula that will help you teach your child just about any skill: Tell - Show - Do Listen in to learn how it works. Weekly Challenge: Make a list of skills your child will need to master before age 18 and highlight the ones that are most pressing. We will use this list as a foundation as we build upon existing skills. To make it even easier, we have compiled a list of skills and when it makes sense to teach them (between the ages of three and eighteen) into a free printable. You can grab your copy here. Find show notes here Follow along on Instagram Follow along on Facebook