Blessing Not Stressing - Happy Parenting
118 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 6 years ago -This is for parents of all stages and provides tips, tricks, and support for all their challenges. This includes a touch of humor and real stories from a parent of eight.
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Episodes
Build Relationships Through Youth Sports an Activities
September 14, 2017 12:00 - 22 minutes - 32.5 MBFinding the Silver Lining in Activities Youth activities can be all-consuming. Whether it is a sport, academic, or other pursuits, their calendars fill up quickly. This has the opportunity to value doing over being. However, it does not have to be that way. The time spent in these activities can build relationships with others and even provide valuable one on one time with a parent. There are many reasons to see youth activities as positive. On the other hand, there are nearly as ma...
The Positive Side of Comparing To Others
September 12, 2017 12:00 - 19 minutes - 27.6 MBUse Comparison to Find Blessings It is common for us to compare our lives to others in a negative way. Thus, Facebook is a painful site for many. They see happy doing great things. Meanwhile, their life is dull, boring, and full of stress. This does not need to be the case. When you look at how much better your life is than others it can relieve stress and make you laugh in a sad situation. The approach discussed in this episode is finding a silver lining in the idea that things cou...
The Priceless Value of Capturing Memories
September 10, 2017 13:28 - 16 minutes - 24.1 MBAudio is Important in Capturing Memories We all have cameras on us almost all of the time. Thanks to modern technology, our phones are a great way to capture and even document our lives. I have seen this with my ever-growing number of family pictures. Every year we add more year over year and pile up the memories. However, pictures are just part of the story. When you capture audio and (better yet) video with audio you can capture complete memories that are invaluable as time goes by....
Perfection is the Enemy of the Good
September 07, 2017 12:00 - 20 minutes - 30.3 MBPerfection is the Enemy, but Easily Thwarted Many of us spend a good deal of time pursuing perfection of some sort. We try to look perfect, have a perfect yard, or hit a hole-in-one. There is nothing wrong with perfection as a goal, but it can keep us from pursuing other, more meaningful, things. This is important to consider when "good enough" is effectively as good as "perfect." The pursuit of perfection can also keep us from delegating tasks. Our children get far more out of chore...
Coaches and Mentors - A Path To Success
September 05, 2017 12:00 - 20 minutes - 29.8 MBWe Can All Use a Mentor It seems like mentors are more popular among adults than children. However, a good mentor can provide your child an avenue for learning they otherwise would miss. We want to raise them right and teach them all we know, but sometimes ours is not the right voice. A trusted mentor can get through even when our children are resistant to a message. This is helpful at young ages, but critical as the kids move into middle and high school. Peer pressure is hard for pa...
A Racism and Bigotry Rant
September 03, 2017 12:00 - 22 minutes - 33 MBSometimes it Helps to Vent Everyone and their brother have been voicing their opinion about white supremacy groups and racism. I guess it is my turn. This is not a very educational episode. However, it is a plea for embracing those different from you. They outnumber you roughly the population of the Earth to one. I also think that spewing hate back at those that display hate does not serve a purpose. I apologize for a deviation from our normal topics, but it seems like an attempt to...
Pull Them Into Success Instead of Holding Them Back For Safety
August 31, 2017 12:00 - 20 minutes - 30 MBTurning a No into a Yes-and Success is sometimes a matter of perspective. Kids have goals and measures of success that often are not practical or safe. Thus, we tell our children "No" far more often than we give them a "Yes." This can create a point of conflict or at least some resistance on their part. This may be unavoidable in some cases. However, there are also times where we can move with them and provide guidance. We can change a "No" that may put them on defense into a "yes" t...
Teaching Drive and Determination
August 29, 2017 12:00 - 22 minutes - 32.5 MBPoint Them in the Right Direction Drive and Determination are key indicators of success in every field and focus. Anything that is worthwhile as an achievement requires perseverance and some level of effort. However, we can also bail out at almost any point in trying to achieve that goal. This is where drive and determination come in. We will encounter stumbling blocks that will either need to be overcome or we can allow them to keep us from success. There is some part of these skill...
Is College Worth It?
August 27, 2017 12:00 - 22 minutes - 32.1 MBInvesting In A Child's Future When our children get to that age where they have to make decisions about the direction of their life, college is often a factor. At this point, we have to ask is college worth the time and financial investment? This has grown to be well beyond a $50,000 question to many families. Thus, it is worth considering the options. An immediate progression from high school to college is not the only way to go. There are steps a child can take that will make it...
Wow as a Motivational Tool
August 24, 2017 12:00 - 18 minutes - 26.7 MBUse Wow instead of How In a recent presentation by Andy Stanley (https://andystanley.com/) he mentioned the difference between a "How" and a "Wow" when hearing an idea. This is something I think we can use to program our kids for success. A simple change in the way we approach all those suggestions (silly and not) that our children toss out can lead them to success. I recommend his leadership podcast for some other great ideas, but in this short episode, we look at a way to point your ...
Good Habits for The School Year
August 22, 2017 12:00 - 21 minutes - 31 MBBack-To-School Part Deux In our previous episode, we looked at the finances, forms, and headaches around the back to school season. Now we will look at some ways to ease into the year. This is a perfect time to relearn old habits or even create new ones. We have talked about a reboot in the past, and this is an excellent time to do so. Setting a schedule is important early in the year. If we don't, we will likely be off balance until the next Summer. However, getting on a schedule e...
School Supplies and Building Relationships
August 20, 2017 12:00 - 23 minutes - 34 MBBack-To-School Part 1 It is that time of year. A time of buying school supplies and filling out paperwork. The time when we shed a tear as our kids head to school and then cheer as we get some of our day back. In this first of a two-part episode, we look at some ways to save money and get teachers to like us. Yes us, both our children and we parents. When we build that relationship with a teacher it can make a year much easier to get through. Even though the school year may alread...
Learning to Drive - Letting Your Child Go Free
August 16, 2017 12:00 - 21 minutes - 30.4 MBLearning To Drive is Stressful There are many watershed moments in our parental lives. We send the kids to school, allow them to spend the night somewhere else, and even send them off to camp. None of these match the stress caused by watching your baby drive a car. We all know it is moderately safe, but that does not stop our fears. There are all sorts of things that can go wrong. However, usually, things go right. We can reduce our fear and worry by spending those learner permit mon...
Creating Whitespace In Your Life - Embracing a Pause
August 15, 2017 12:00 - 22 minutes - 33 MBCreating Whitespace Allows Us to Savor Moments There are many reasons for us to slow down a enjoy our hectic lives. Those tasks that we insist must be done, do not all need to be done. In particular, they do not need to be done immediately. When we spend a little time relaxing and allowing our minds to slow down it can even improve our productivity. This episode is partially a continuation of thoughts from listening to the CEO of WhitespaceAtWork. We need to pause and slow down more o...
Blind Spots and Twisted Sayings
August 13, 2017 12:00 - 19 minutes - 28.5 MBRemoving the Blind Spots We all have things that we have learned incorrectly. This may be a saying, the meaning of a word, or even a historical fact. The challenge is to help our kids avoid falling into those gaps. When a phrase or "fact" is mentioned we need to verify it. Moreover, we need to teach our children to verify their knowledge through a dictionary or encyclopedia. This requires a healthy skepticism about everything including their own knowledge. Ask your children to explai...
Cheering - a Powerful Motivator
August 10, 2017 12:00 - 20 minutes - 29.4 MBLet Your Hair Down and Start Cheering There are great athletes that will point to the cheers of a crowd as giving them an extra boost. When you consider how little connection there is between crowd and athlete, this is amazing. However, when we think about how much our children crave positive feedback, a cheering parent can be a huge motivator. It literally can mean the difference between success and failure. Not everything is a matter of inches or small bits of additional effort. Nev...
Finishing Instead of Quitting - A Proper Ending
August 08, 2017 12:00 - 19 minutes - 28.6 MBFinishing Can Be a Decision We have all heard that winners never quit. What about the times when a child does not care to win? These times do not make the child a quitter, just someone that wants to move on. It does not make sense to force a child to eat all the food in front of them when they are full. Likewise, it serves no purpose to encourage a child to continue an activity they do not like. Yes, there are times when chores and other unwelcome activities are required. However, th...
Looking Back on The First 99 Episodes
August 06, 2017 12:00 - 20 minutes - 29.3 MBA Milestone Has Been Reached! 100 episodes is a milestone for any podcast. Some get there quickly if they are on a daily schedule. On the other hand, weekly releases will require almost two years before episode 100 is reached. In any case, this marks the 100th episode and roughly 35 hours of parental guidance mixed in with Dad jokes. Looking Back At Interviews The highlights of these first 100 episodes all center around interviews for me. Thus, I wanted to look back at who I have ta...
Specialization and Alone Time - Allow for Problem Solving
August 03, 2017 12:00 - 21 minutes - 31.1 MBFocus is Fine in Moderation In past episodes, we have looked at the problems that can arise from pushing our children towards specialization early in life. Whether we are looking at academic or athletic pursuits, burnout can hit early in life when we push too hard. However, these warnings do not mean that we should keep our kids from sticking with things for a time. We live in a task driven society and can be tempted to push (or help) our children to accomplish tasks quickly. This app...
Filling Forms Faster and Reducing Paperwork
August 01, 2017 12:00 - 23 minutes - 33.4 MBRed Tape Shortcuts and Reducing Paperwork We add to our paperwork load from almost the moment child is born. It starts with birth certificates and filling out release forms. Unfortunately, that is only the beginning. As our kids grow up they head off to school and join activities of all sorts. Each of these steps includes forms of one sort or another. This fact alone makes reducing paperwork a goal worth pursuing. When you have a large family, the paperwork can become overwhelming. ...
Getting Better Day-By-Day - Episode 97
July 30, 2017 12:00 - 21 minutes - 31.1 MBIncremental Improvement Whether we look out ourselves or our children, there is a desire to get better. We may strive for perfection, but we all know that is impossible. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon to push ourselves and our children to at least become "the best." However, this also is not really feasible. It also is a big goal to lay on anyone. Instead, let's work on building habits that allow us to become better day by day. This approach is much more achievable and can still le...
Maintain a Childish Perspective - Episode 96
July 27, 2017 12:00 - 18 minutes - 26.7 MBGet Over Yourself Parents can get wrapped up in parenting at times. We have so much on our minds that we take the easy way out. We focus on rules and guidelines in our homes and for our children. As we dwell on these rules we suck the humanity and love out of our relationships. Instead of well-balanced children, we create sticklers for the letter of the law. Our kids need a break from the struggles of life just like we do. It is ok to take a "night off" and let your kids slide on th...
Scheduling Tasks and Getting Things Done - Episode 95
July 25, 2017 12:00 - 22 minutes - 31.7 MBSucces is More Likely When you Schedule Tasks We have covered topics like rebooting your life and finding time for these new goals. Now it is time to look at how to bring those dreams to reality. A great tool for making steady progress on anything is to schedule it. We plan important things like doctor appointments all the time. However, we seem to leave many things to be done "when we get to it." This random approach to our aspirations is a great way to live a life unfulfilled. Tha...
Finding a Side Hustle - Episode 94
July 23, 2017 12:00 - 21 minutes - 31.7 MBFind Joy in Your Side Hustle The idea of a side hustle or part time job is hardly new. However, it has become more common and even needed in our busy world. The key to a good side hustle is not the pay or even advancement opportunities. Instead, the goal should be to use this as a step towards doing the things you enjoy. When your job and hobby coincide, then work fades away. You are not working; you are doing the thing you love. All of this talk of a job you love may seem unrealist...
Playing By The Rules - Episode 93
July 20, 2017 12:00 - 18 minutes - 26.7 MBYou can Stay Within the Rules or Break Them There are only a few ways to look at the rules in life. We can walk within them, push the boundaries, or ignore them completely. Playing by the rules is not just for kids and games. The approach we take to life (fair or cheat) seems to be set in our nature during the early years. Keep this in mind as your young ones play in the neighborhood or compete in school and activities. We can set the example for them to grow into strong adults. Ther...
Challenges Make Life Better - Episode 92
July 18, 2017 12:00 - 22 minutes - 32.5 MBPast Failures Do Not Block Future Success The challenges we face in life can be exhausting. Nevertheless, that does make them bad or even something we should avoid. When we overcome an obstacle that becomes a win we can hand our hat on. The key to success is to feed on those past victories for energy during the hardest times. Our children will be much more likely to succeed in life when we show that challenges should be embraced. This is where we need to set an example. Teach your k...
Taking a Break During the Summer: Episode 91
July 16, 2017 12:00 - 21 minutes - 30.3 MBUse Vacation to Rest and Recharge Our lives get busier every year. The mere idea of taking a break seems to be harder to conceive each year as well. This filled to the brim approach to life is not just for adults. Kids have a full plate of options during the extended break. The options range from traditional summer camps to ways to improve their athletic and academic skills to chances to learn new skills. It is easier than ever to keep our children busy during the Summer. However, t...
Episode 90 - Finding Time for Change
July 13, 2017 12:00 - 22 minutes - 32.9 MBGetting Better in a Busy Life When we talked about a life reboot, it was left as something easier said than done. Finding time to exist is hard enough, but make improvements? It just cannot be done. Nevertheless, in this episode, we look at the areas to review in your life assessment. We step back and take a look at the forest instead of staring at the trees. Then we move to some ways that we can find time to make these desired improvements. Time management is a topic that will be co...
Episode 89 - Reboot Your Life
July 11, 2017 12:00 - 21 minutes - 30.6 MBEmbracing Watershed Moments Children have regular events that are perfect for resetting their life and expectations. Every new school year is such an opportunity but in some areas (such as grades) every grading period can be a new start. These opportunities to reboot your life are great ways to relieve stress and keep a positive outlook. As adults, it is easy to get into a rut. However, when we find some time to assess and adjust our lives we can keep that childish optimism alive. ...
Episode 88 - Teaching Sleight of Hand and Deeper Lessons
July 09, 2017 12:00 - 20 minutes - 27.5 MBExplaining Magic and Misdirection Can Be Eye-Opening Sleight of hand and misdirection (sometimes called magic) are fascinating to kids and easy to teach. The dexterity required may sometimes seem too much. However, kids are happy to buy into these tricks and thus set the bar low. While teaching a skill like this can help you be a "cool parent", it is much better to use it as an introduction to life lessons. A few minutes of instruction can provide you a way to discuss topics like belie...
Episode 87 - Sending Kids into The Workforce
July 06, 2017 12:00 - 19 minutes - 28.6 MBThis is one of those questions that are harder to answer than one might think. A step into the workforce is a big one. When you children grow old enough to get a job there are a lot of factors to consider. They may need to stay focused on education. Also, they may be dedicated to sports or extra-curricular activities. Thus, their schedule may already be too full. Why add to their load? The value of a job is important immediately, but also down the road. The skills they learn like mon...
Episode 86 - Large Families Get Easier to Manage
July 04, 2017 12:00 - 23 minutes - 33.9 MBAdding More Kids is Incrementally More Work This is a rare episode where we look at that moment where you are considering a large family. Alternatively, you might be increasing the size of your current one. Once the kids outnumber the adults there is a change in how most families are run. We stop to deal with the kids individually. Instead, the kids are managed as a group and family is the focus. This does not mean our kids lose their individuality. Instead, we parent the family inst...
Episode 85 - What Fatherhood Looks Like
July 02, 2017 12:00 - 19 minutes - 28.7 MBFatherhood is More Than a Job There are many stereotypes about fatherhood. Well, about Dads, and that colors our view of what fatherhood should be. A dad is more than an ATM that dispenses money and the guy that takes you to sporting events. A true father is an important part of their child's' life. The work related excuses fro skipping time with our kids are just that, an excuse. A father needs to bring his special toolset to the parenting equation to combine with what mother brings ...
Episode 84 - Establishing Healthy Eating Habits
June 29, 2017 12:00 - 21 minutes - 31.1 MBHealthy Eating is a Basis for a Better Life Healthy eating is one of the most impactful habits we can establish. This also happens to be one that can be started early in life. When you lead your child to make good dietary decisions in those early years, it will pay off with good decisions as they get older. We can help set them on the right course by limiting fast food meals and offering healthy snacks along with the "junk food" that all children love. Unfortunately, the good habits s...
Episode 83 - Obedience requires patience
June 27, 2017 12:00 - 19 minutes - 28.2 MBWait for Obedience Don't Demand It One of the struggles parents have is obedience from tweens and teens. Yes, they do tend to tune us out and forget what we have asked. However, we also tend to look for an immediate response rather than allow them time to comply. They have tasks and goals just as we do. Thus, they get frustrated with our interruptions and requests to "drop everything" so they can get a chore completed. Rather than pounce on them for not immediately responding, allow t...
Episode 82 - Childish Drama and Reverse Inflation
June 25, 2017 12:00 - 22 minutes - 32.5 MBFew Comparisons Leads to Childish Drama We have all heard our child exclaim something is the best or worst. Although we see it as hyperbole and childish drama, the child may not. Consider the short time and limited experience your children have had. That apparent little event can also be one of the most impactful in their lives so far. We can brush such things aside and tell our children their concerns are not warranted. However, this minimizing of their "first" does not help them ...
Episode 81 - Pomodoro Technique For Children
June 22, 2017 12:00 - 21 minutes - 30.9 MBAdult Productivity Technique for Kids The Pomodoro technique is a popular way to improve productivity among adults. It embraces our natural rhythms of learning and rest. It only makes sense that a similar approach works for children as well. We complain about the short attention spans of modern children. However, we seem to have a similar struggle as adults. Try building these patterns of focus and rest with your kids to help them become more productive and get more out of every minut...
Episode 80 - The Power of a Routine
June 20, 2017 12:00 - 20 minutes - 29.6 MBCreate a Routine to Cultivate Success One of the best things that a parent can cultivate in their children is a routine. Of course, good habits are great. However, getting a child into a routine is not only healthy, it prepares them for life. Simple things like hygiene and quiet times can provide a solid foundation as a child grows up. Larger routines like practicing a skill or physical improvement can even lead a child to greatness. In this episode, we look at some ways to get a rout...
Episode 79 - 30 Day Challenge For Kids
June 18, 2017 12:00 - 20 minutes - 30.2 MBA Challenge Can Start or Break a Habit The 30-day challenge is a popular thing for adults. It can kickstart a change or even be a form of vacation. Thus, these are not just for adults, they can be great for kids and even families to start a new adventure or get out of a rut. The challenge options for adults are a bit different from those for kids. However, there are a lot of excellent ideas to try out this Summer. In this episode, we look at how a challenge can help with goal setting ...
Episode 78 - You Don't Know The Last Time
June 15, 2017 12:00 - 22 minutes - 32.1 MBCasey Palmer Interview - Part 3 We wrap up our conversation with Casey Palmer with a look at his life as a blogger and future plans. We also discuss what he has learned in his short time as a father. Watch out, he has learned one of the greatest lessons already. This final part of the interview is packed full of nuggets of information with a sprinkling of humor on top. As parents, we often focus on the first time, but there is also the last time to remember. We discuss staying in the ...
Episode 77 - Winning, A Cure For All Ills
June 13, 2017 12:00 - 20 minutes - 29.7 MBWinning and Losing Carry Momentum When your child is winning then there are no worries. However, when your child seems to suffer a loss everywhere they turn it can cause depression and a sense of doom. It can be hard to turn around a child particularly when they have made a series of bad decisions to get them in a hole. Fortunately, although there is a sort of momentum that winning and losing carry, they can also be turned around. A great way to get on a winning track is to find small ...
Episode 76 - Passing Down Religion and Politics
June 11, 2017 12:00 - 21 minutes - 31.2 MBReligion and Politics are Worth Discussing Our core beliefs are important to pass down to our children. Whether we are talking religion or politics, we all have beliefs about the world in which we live. When we explain why we believe the way we do it helps our children understand instead of parrot ideas. This explanation helps their critical thinking skills and can help them relate to others. Core beliefs and confidence in the same can avoid being offended easily while also making one ...
Episode 75 - Social Networks, Awkward Moments, and Older Women
June 08, 2017 12:00 - 21 minutes - 31.1 MBIn this episode, we continue to get to know Casey a little better. We talk about how embarrassing social network posts can be. Then we talk about those moments parents love to remind kids about. We move on to live as a multi-racial couple during the Holidays and raising children in a family with multiple traditions. Of course, we can't move on without talking about marriage to an older woman and how long you can get away with telling a bad joke. You can learn more about Casey on his s...
Episode 74 - Party Options for Kids
June 06, 2017 12:00 - 19 minutes - 27.7 MBParty Time! Regular celebrations like a birthday party, or other milestone markers are common in the life of a child. Unfortunately, the cost of a party for children is starting to rival one for adults. There is a broad range of activities available to modern children that are new to this generation. However, that does not mean that "old school" activities do not still hold a lot of value. In this episode, we look at some activities from our childhood that can be an excellent lost-cost...
Episode 73 - Parental Guidance does not Guarantee Success
June 04, 2017 14:03 - 21 minutes - 31.2 MBShake It Off We all make mistakes. However, our parental guidance mistakes do not "ruin" our children. It can be hard to avoid second guessing parental decisions when your kids make bad choices. We tend to embrace the responsibility we have for our children and society often reminds us as well. Our children are a reflection of us, but they do make their own decisions. Although this means good kids can come out of a bad family life, it also allows for rotten kids from the best circumst...
Episode 72 - Casey Palmer: No Rest for the Wicked-Awesome
June 01, 2017 13:23 - 21 minutes - 31.6 MBCasey Palmer is a Dad blogger in Canada. Actually, he is more than that. His articles cover a wide range of topics and I think almost anyone will find relevant topics discussed on his site. In this episode, we get an introduction to Casey Palmer and his family life. Although his situation may be very different from yours, I think you will still see how families of any kind have a lot of similarities. We cover some specifics like life in the big city. We even discuss how young kids ...
Episode 71 - Why Watch 13 Reasons Why
May 30, 2017 12:00 - 19 minutes - 28.1 MBMature Content Commonly Watched By Kids 13 Reasons Why is a recent Netflix original series based on a book. It looks in depth at a suicide victim and the aftermath as she sends a set of tapes to those that failed her. It is rated TV-MA and easily earned that rating. However, kids of all ages are watching this and it is causing discussions in schools across the country. In some cases, schools have banned discussing the show, but that is only more likely to stir interest in the series an...
Episode 70 - Sharing The Load
May 28, 2017 12:00 - 18 minutes - 26.4 MBAllow Kids to be Kids When we share adult worries with our kids it can create more of a burden than we know. They are still children after all and have childish perceptions of the world. Struggles that are part of our normal day can be overwhelming to them. We also can undermine our spouse by sharing things that are not suitable for childish ears. This is a struggle more often for single parents as they look for adult conversation. It may not seem like much, but consider your au...
Episode 69 - Nowhere To Lay My Head
May 25, 2017 12:00 - 25 minutes - 36.8 MBHomeless, but Still A Dad In this final episode of the interview series, we talk about Craig's latest book and some of the homeless experiences that led to it. He talks about how his choices led to his homelessness but also allowed him to stay in his daughter's life. These were tough decisions for anyone. However, Craig knows that a true Father has only one option in a situation like this. Your children need a Dad so you sacrifice for their sake. Craig has written a couple of books i...
Episode 68 - All Hands on Deck
May 23, 2017 12:00 - 17 minutes - 25.9 MBBig Families Need All Hands The bigger your family the more hands you can call on. This option is critical for some of the larger activities including cleaning, vacation prep, and parties. All hands is also a great way to build memories and strengthen bonds. We look at some ways to divvy out work that will help do more than simply complete some tasks. These situations can be an opportunity for both one-on-one discussions and for building a sense of family. Please leave a review and l...