Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 077. I’m sad to announce that this is the last episode of the Busy Mom’s Survival Guide for the forseeable future. I’ve been thinking and praying about this decision for a while and with Jim’s help, I’ve decided that I need to stop podcasting for now. It’s my hope that by stopping the podcast, I can free up some time to catch up on some projects (for myself, for the family , and for Goat Milk Stuff ) that have been needing my attention for quite a while ...
Jun 05, 2014•24 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 076. Last week we discussed the important role friends play in our lives. Today I’m going to continue my discussion on the importance of friendships with Carlin Flora, author of the book Friendfluence *. Last week we talked about how important friendships are for our children and teens. Today Carlin and I discuss the role of friendships for busy moms and dads. We also discuss how friendships can impact your health and the role that online friendships can...
May 29, 2014•27 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 075. During today’s episode, I’m going to talk about the importance of friendships with Carlin Flora, author of the book Friendfluence *. I read an article a few weeks ago that surprised me. It said that research has shown that if you don’t have enough friends, your risk of dying is the same as if you smoked 15 cigarettes a day. I wanted to understand better the roles that friendships play in our lives, so I read the book Friendfluence by Carlin Flora *....
May 22, 2014•34 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 074. How often have you found yourself embarrassed by your children’s behavior? I know for me, with 8 children, there have been many times that I have wanted to hang my head in shame over something my children have done. But I know that good parenting means that instead of yelling at my kids for embarrassing me, I need to train them on what the appropriate behavior is. I talked about this and other issues with Hal Runkel, author of the book Scream Free P...
May 15, 2014
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 073. I have always said that God gives us children not JUST so that we can raise them, but so that we can finish growing up ourselves. Have you ever found yourself saying, “My children make me want to scream!?” I admit, I’ve said that. And while our children may instigate that feeling in us, they aren’t the ones that make us scream. We do that all on our own. The truth is, becoming a scream-free parent actually has very little to do with our children’s b...
May 08, 2014•34 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 072. During today’s episode, I’m going to finish the discussion about sibling rivalry with Dr. Todd Cartmell, author of the book, Keep the Siblings, Lose the Rivalry *. A lot of parents are tempted to think that siblings fighting is normal and that there is nothing they can do about it. While sibling rivalry may be common, and your children may bicker and squabble, it is something you can definitely do something about. In his book, Keep the Siblings, Los...
May 01, 2014•34 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 071. Sibling rivalry is something I think every parent with more than one child deals with. And it can be so frustrating because of how frequently it appears and how much time we spend dealing with it. But as frustrating as it can be, I know that for me it can also become depressing because as a parent, I truly want my children to be friends as well as siblings. So it is something that I work very hard to ensure doesn’t get out of control. During today’s...
Apr 24, 2014•32 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 070. I’ve spent several months now talking about the importance of studying your children and getting to know their individual strengths and weaknesses as well as their learning styles and love languages . During this podcast episode, I encourage you to study yourself as I talk about parenting styles. Parenting styles are the “emotional climate” which characterizes your home and the manner in which you raise your children. This differs from parenting pra...
Apr 17, 2014•26 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 069. I talk a lot on my blog and podcast about how valuable it is for busy moms to exercise and stay fit . But it’s not important so that we can look good (that’s just a side benefit). It’s important so that we can feel good and so that we can have the energy and stamina we need to thrive in our busy lives as we take care of our family. During this week’s episode, Brett joins me as we talk about some of the tools that we use to stay fit, as well as our c...
Apr 10, 2014•32 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 068. During last weeks episode, I was joined by Kara Durbin, author of Parenting With Scripture *. We discussed how we use Bible verses as we train and raise our children, and shared verses that we use. This week I finish the discussion with Kara about parenting your children with scripture. Episodes Resources National Association of University-Model Schools – naums.net Parenting With Scripture * book Parenting With Scripture website Seeds of Faith CD se...
Apr 03, 2014•32 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 067. “I can barely manage my two children; how do you manage EIGHT?” is a question I hear quite often. During last week’s podcast episode I talked about how Jim and I intentionally parent our children. We try to spend more time as proactive parents than we do as reactive parents. During this episode, I am joined by Kara Durbin , author of Parenting With Scripture *. We discuss how we use Bible verses as we train and raise our children. We share some of o...
Mar 27, 2014•29 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 066. If you imagine that parenting styles form a spectrum, with reactive parenting on one end and proactive parenting on the other, you can think about where you usually reside. To intentionally parent means that you spend more time being proactive and learning how to move away from reactive parenting. During this podcast episode, I discuss the differences between proactive and reactive parenting styles. I also share seven principles that Jim and I use i...
Mar 20, 2014•29 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 065. I don’t know of any mom who wants to yell at her children. Yet so many moms are struggling with high stress levels. It often doesn’t take much to “push them over the edge” and they find themselves yelling at their children regularly. So how do you stop this cycle? This is the second part of my interview with the Orange Rhino mom . Two years ago, she decided she wanted to completely stop yelling at her children. But unlike most moms, she actually fol...
Mar 13, 2014•30 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 064. Do you yell at your children? Regularly? Does it bother you that your children don’t listen to what you have to say unless you’re yelling at them? Is yelling at your kids something you’re secretly ashamed of? During this podcast episode, I’m joined by the Orange Rhino mom. Two years ago, she decided she wanted to completely stop yelling at her children. But unlike most moms, she actually followed through on her desire. She set herself a challenge to...
Mar 06, 2014•30 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 063. I don’t doubt that you love your child tremendously. But if your child isn’t FEELING loved, then the fact that you love them isn’t enough. Your child needs to FEEL that you love them so they can grow into emotionally healthy adults. The best way to insure that your child is feeling loved is to express your love to them using all five of the love languages. The five love languages are – Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Gifts, Acts of Service, and ...
Feb 27, 2014•32 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 062. I love my children. And I’m sure that you love yours. But do you show your kids love in a way that they can understand? Do they actually feel like you love them? During this podcast episode I discuss the concept of love languages from the book The 5 Love Languages * by Gary Chapman. The book really made an impact on me when I read it years ago and I highly recommend it. I learned that it doesn’t matter how much I love my children if I don’t express ...
Feb 20, 2014•33 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 061. It is so tempting to look at the difficulties of our lives at this very moment, and to wish for them to be over. Or to be excited about the next thing that is happening in our lives. And while it’s great to be excited and plan for the future, we have to be careful to not wish away today. Despite the difficulties, we need to fully engage in every phase of our life. Can you relate to any of these comments? I’m 38 weeks pregnant. In some ways I’m ready...
Feb 13, 2014•17 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 060. If we are constantly expecting perfection from our children, our husband, our home, and ourselves, we are going to feel very dissatisfied with our lives. During last week’s episode I was joined by Jill Savage , author of the book No More Perfect Moms * and the Hearts at Home Conference and website. During this episode we continue discussing how important it is to not expect yourself or your loved ones to be perfect. We need to set realistic expectat...
Feb 06, 2014•29 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 059. Why is it that we moms often expect ourselves to be perfect? Even worse, why do we find ourselves upset when our husbands, our children, or our homes aren’t perfect either? During this podcast episode I talk about our tendencies as busy moms to expect perfection of ourselves. I’m being joined by Jill Savage , author of the book No More Perfect Moms * and the Hearts at Home Conference and website. We give you some insight and practical tips for adjus...
Jan 30, 2014•33 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 058. For Jim and I, having a strong family unit is a very important goal. I have always wanted my children to be each other’s best friends, which is one of the reasons we had them so close together. I also know that Jim and I are not going to live forever. Some day my children are going to be grown adults without me there to unite them. The relationships they have with each other matter to me and it’s our goal to strengthen family bonds now, so that the ...
Jan 23, 2014•31 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 057. Over the years of parenting 8 children, I have discovered that to be a truly effective parent, you have to modify your parenting style to account for the uniqueness of each of your individual children. Because our kids do not learn the same, think the same, behave the same, or respond the same, we should not parent them the same. During this episode I share 8 principles that I hope will help you to figure out what this actually looks like in your da...
Jan 16, 2014•30 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 056. On last week’s episode , I discussed the concept of multiple intelligences with Dr. Kathy Koch , author of the book “ How Am I Smart? A Parent’s Guide to Multiple Intelligences *” and the website www.CelebrateKids.com . If you missed that episode , the concept is that there are 8 basic ways that people learn. Every person has all 8 smarts, but we tend to be dominant in some of them. Understanding how your children are smart can really help you to be...
Jan 09, 2014•32 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 055. My husband got his Master’s Degree in Teaching. One of the things I remember him studying was “Multiple Intelligences” and “Learning Styles”. I admit, I didn’t really pay much attention to it back then, but I picked up enough to learn that different children learn differently. That seemed like common sense to me at the time. In fact, it still does. When I became a homeschooling mom of eight unique children, knowing that each child potentially learne...
Jan 02, 2014•32 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 054. During the previous two episodes I discussed work ethic with Eric Chester, author of the book Reviving Work Ethic .* Those episodes sparked some good conversations, but it also resulted in several questions from parents asking how I actually taught my toddlers and young children to work. During this episode, I talk about the principles that I follow when it comes to instilling a strong work ethic in my children. I also spend some time talking to Jad...
Dec 26, 2013•29 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 053. Today we’re going to finish the conversation I started last week with Eric Chester. Eric is the author of the book Reviving Work Ethic * and as an author and speaker he has visited over 1500 schools. Eric is not just aware of how important a strong work ethic is, but also how it is lacking in today’s teens and young adults . In speaking with many businesses and business leaders over the years, Eric has found seven common traits that employers are lo...
Dec 19, 2013•32 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 052. I’ve seen two trends concerning children and work ethic that disturb me. The first is that many parents treat work as a punishment. The second is that many parents indulge their children and then expect them to all of a sudden magically develop a work ethic when they are young adults and ready to enter the work force. Around here, work is a fact of life; it isn’t a punishment. I start teaching my children work ethic from the time they are toddlers. ...
Dec 12, 2013•33 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 051. Some children naturally outgrow being a picky eater. Unfortunately, without intervention, many children who are picky eaters become adults who are picky eaters. While it is difficult having children who are picky eaters, it is also difficulty being married to one. I know this because I married a picky eater and have watched Jim struggle throughout the years dealing with multiple foods that he didn’t like. Fortunately, Jim wasn’t content to remain a ...
Dec 05, 2013•40 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 050. I have spent many years teaching my children how to eat a wide range of foods. That doesn’t mean that they love everything, but they do try new foods, even if they do so reluctantly at times. During this episode I share why I think it is important to invest time into training your children not to be picky eaters. I also talk about several of the strategies that I regularly practice, as well as mistakes I try to avoid. Are your children picky eaters?...
Nov 28, 2013•36 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 049. Being able to put together a meal is a valuable life skill that I start teaching my children when they are as young as two years old (depending on the child). During the early years they work beside me or their father or one of their older siblings when they are in a good mood and for as long as their attention span allows. But as they become older and get more experience, they are able to safely cook certain foods all on their own. This is the fina...
Nov 21, 2013•26 min
Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 048. It is important to me that my children learn how to cook. But that is not enough. I also desire for them to love (or at least to enjoy) cooking. So during this episode, I am joined by my son, Emery, who is now 13. Emery has been cooking for years and he shares some of his thoughts and feelings on children (both himself and others) learning to cook. Emery also helps me answer listener questions and I think you’ll love hearing what he has to say. List...
Nov 14, 2013•30 min
