Circle Up: A Family Leadership Center Podcast

Family Leadership Center•familyleadershipcenter.org

Circle Up: A Family Leadership Center Podcast takes tired, frustrated, and discouraged parents, informs and inspires them with up-to-date research, timeless wisdom, and light humor leaving them feeling hopeful and encouraged.

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Episodes

008: Skills for Life: The Power of Family Meetings Revealed: Interview with Alyson Schafer

Family Meeting: a multi-modal tool packed with lifeskills. Alyson Schafer shares valuable wisdom and strategies about Family Meetings–the terrific way to give every child a platform to be able to solve their problems. This form of family meeting answers these questions: How do we give voice to everyone in the family? How do parents demonstrate leadership so everyone can hear each other and work harmoniously together? If we want to move away from the hierarchy model, what replaces it? They key st...

Mar 13, 2025•35 min

007: Raising Resilient Kids: the Power of Family Meetings, Part 2: Problem Solving

In this episode, Marjie Longshore with her daughter, Louisa, explore how problem solving works in a family meeting. Problem Solving in Family Meeting is a practical way to help build a family life that is friendly, fun, and collaborative. Together, they talk through a strategy to help everyone in a family unit strengthen their problem solving muscles. This problem solving method is a form of collective surfacing–a practice that enables a group to let go of the form that isn’t working while holdi...

Feb 27, 2025•19 min

006: Raising Resilient Kids: the Power of Family Meetings, Part 1

What if you could feel more connected to your kids and see more cooperation in your household in under 20 minutes a week? It’s possible through the power of Family Meetings! Create a weekly routine that is a one stop shop to foster and practice the 4Cs (connect, capable, count, courage). Family Meetings work when they’re focused on encouragement, active listening and shared problem solving. In this episode, we break it down so you feel confident and motivated to start growing a more resilient, e...

Jan 17, 2025•29 min

005: The Present of Your Presence: 1-on-1 Time with Your Child Boosts Confidence and Trust

Step into the magical art of spending one-on-one time with your children in this episode. Learn how just a few minutes a week can increase cooperation, reduce unwanted behavior, and remind you how much you like and enjoy your child. Tune in for practical advice on carving out these special moments and create lasting memories, even in the busiest of schedules. Hosts Marjie Longshore, Executive Director of Family Leadership Center Paige Trevor, Certified Parent Educator and Coach at Balancing Act ...

Dec 13, 2024•22 min

004: Parenting Hacks: 10 Ways to Foster Cooperation Through Chores

Are you tired of nagging, bribing, or arguing to get your kids to do their chores? You are not alone! We had great feedback on our last episode and we were inspired to create this special BONUS episode, where we dive into 10 practical and creative strategies to make chores a smoother (and even enjoyable!) experience for your family. Whether you’re dealing with toddlers, tweens, or teens, there’s something here to help turn resistance into cooperation! Hosts Marjie Longshore, Executive Director o...

Dec 03, 2024•22 min

003: Navigating Parenting and Screen Time: How to Create a Healthy Digital Environment

In this episode we’ve dared to wade into the murky depths of technology. Instead of being stuck or victimized by devices, we show you powerful ways to flip the script, get closer to your kids, and improve relationships. Rather than focusing on limits or taking devices away as punishment, consider what you might add in: a homemade pizza, a round of pickleball, or a quick game of cards. We talk about shifting focus from what is wrong to what is right. Technology is a defining topic for this genera...

Nov 15, 2024•21 min

002: Chores Without Wars: Encouraging Responsibility and Cooperation in Kids

In this episode, we’re diving into one of the biggest sources of frustration for parents—getting kids to do their chores. From daily responsibilities to teaching life skills, we’ll discuss the importance of chores. We’ll use the Family Leadership Center’s signature 4C’s to not only get household chores done, but to really help our kids grow into capable, contributing, compassionate and courageous adults. What’s not to love?! Hosts Marjie Longshore, Executive Director of Family Leadership Center ...

Oct 19, 2024•22 min

001: Peace Begins at Home

When we get stuck thinking the kids have to change so we can calm down, we often end up using relationship draining tools like nagging, yelling, or ignoring. In this podcast, we share relationship building skills to use in the moment of emotional upset and preventative strategies to avoid dysregulation in the future. For more from Family Leadership Center, find us online at familyleadershipcenter.org...

Sep 19, 2024•21 min