When I was a teenager, I lost myself trying to be who I thought everyone else wanted me to be. It has taken me years and lots of hard work to find myself again. If there is anything we can do, as parents, to keep our kids from losing touch with who they are and living confidently in their skin, let's do it! What can we do? Listen in for a few tips.   Download your free guide: 40 Things Every Teen Needs to Know Follow on Instagram

We have all been in situations where the parenting decision that feels right is also inconvenient. It might throw off our day. Or week. It might require putting plans on hold or changing them altogether. Instead of getting frustrated, let's play the long game. It is all about perspective. Listen in for all the details. Download your free guide: 40 Things Every Teen Needs to Know Follow on Instagram

As humans, it is instinctual for us to hold on tight when we feel like we are losing something. That instinct kicks into high gear during the teenage years because we feel like we are losing our kids. And, in a way, we are. But, by holding on too tight, we fail to give our kids permission to fly into the lives they were born to live. How do we let go? Listen in for all the details.   Download my free guide: 40 Skills Every Teen Needs to Know Follow on Instagram Follow on Facebook  

As we try to teach our kids that sometimes, they must do things they don't want to do, let me ask you this question:  Are you willing to win the battle while losing the war? Which battles are worth fighting with our kids? The ones that will help us win the war. Listen in for all the details.   Download my free guide: 40 Skills Every Teen Needs to Know Follow on Instagram Follow on Facebook  

We all want our kids to be happy and successful. This month, we are broadening our definition of success, but what about happiness? Is our kids' happiness our responsibility? In this episode, we explore that question. Download my free guide: 40 Skills Every Teen Needs to Know Follow on Instagram Follow on Facebook

If I have learned anything over the past year, it is that finding peace and hope amidst turmoil and uncertainty is possible. Is it easy? Nope. But it is possible. In this short episode, I will teach you a quick tip to help you see challenges in a positive way. To dive deeper, download the free guide: 40 Things Every Teen Needs to Know Follow on Instagram Follow on Facebook  

In Silicon Valley, the unofficial motto is "Fail fast, fail often, fail forward." The tech giants embrace failure because it can be the best teacher. But how do we adopt that mindset and help our kids do the same? Listen in for five actionable tips.   To dive deeper, download the free guide: 40 Things Every Teen Needs to Know Follow on Instagram Follow on Facebook  

We are leaving behind a rough year. Perhaps, you are looking back and wondering what you even accomplished. Maybe success feels elusive because mere survival felt like a feat. Parenting is sometimes hard that way. But what does parenting success even look like? Is it kids who never fight or argue? Is it kids who get accepted into top-tier universities? Is it kids who become CEOs of prestigious companies? Or is it something entirely different? In this episode, we explore parenting from...

If I have learned anything this year, it is that the future is uncertain, and there is so much I cannot control. But how do we, as parents, prepare our kids to face an unknown future with confidence? How do we help them move forward with faith in themselves, come what may? I am diving into that topic today. I will teach you four ways you can help your kids develop more confidence, complete with actionable tips you can implement today. **Parenting Launch Lab, my membership...

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...

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...

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:...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...