Podcasts about chores

"Send Ben a text"If everything feels like a fight with your teen, it can be hard to know where to start.Phones. Video games. Chores. Grades. Bedtime. Disrespect. Responsibility.It can feel like every problem needs a different solution.But what if they don't?In this episode, I'll show you why boundaries are one of the best places to start when things feel off with your teen.You'll learn why trying to control your teen can turn boundaries into power struggles, and how to focus more on what you can actually control.We'll talk about:Why boundaries are not about forcing your teen to obeyHow to stay calm and firm when your teen pushes backHow to give your teen a voice without putting him in chargeWhy too much control can make it harder for your teen to take responsibilityHow to stop carrying responsibility that belongs to your teenHow to create more peace without waiting for your teen to change firstThe goal is not to control your teen.The goal is to lead well, hold clear boundaries, and help your teen take more responsibility for his own choices.I also share details about my new small group program, Boundaries with Buy-In, for moms of teenage boys.If you want help creating boundaries you can actually hold while building more responsibility, trust, and connection with your teen, join the priority list at:benpughcoaching.com/boundarieswithbuy-inAre You Caught in the Parent Trap?Discover the hidden patterns that are keeping you stuck—and how to break free.Take this quick (and eye-opening) quiz to uncover which common parenting trap you're falling into with your teen. Get a personalized roadmap to help you parent with more clarity, confidence, and connection—starting today.https://benpughcoaching.com/parent-trap-quiz

Raising Future HEALTHY Adults with Elizabeth Pehrson (Episode 296)   Hebrews 12:11 NIV “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”   *Transcription Below*   Elizabeth Pehrson is a speaker, podcaster and founder of The Exchange. She's a yellow sanguine, who is full of energy and lives life wide-open! She loves Jesus and meaningful connections. Elizabeth is married to David and mother of EIGHT children, who range from high school to graduated from college.   Follow her online:  Instagram: @long_game_parenting or @octomama or @theexchangeus Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.m.pehrson   Thank you to Our Sponsor: WinShape Marriage   Questions and Topics We Cover: What are a handful of habits in the home that you see as most essential for families so that they all can experience a joyful life together? What natural consequences and strategic discipline can you offer as ideas for teens living at home? As parents, what else can we do now to help our kids reach maturity and independence as adults?   Previous Guests from The Savvy Sauce Episode Mentioned: 74 Effective Parenting for Toddlers Through College with Wife, Mother to 8, and The Exchange Founder, Elizabeth Pehrson Part 1  75 Responding to God's Stirring with Elizabeth Pehrson, Founder of The Exchange, Part Two Inspiring Perspective in Parenting with Kay Wyma (Episode 164) Stories of God's Upside Down Economy with Kristen Welch (Episode 174)   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:11) ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (0:12 - 1:18) ‍ ‍ Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here. ‍ ‍ I'm thrilled to introduce you to our sponsor, WinShape Marriage. Their weekend marriage retreats will strengthen your marriage, while you enjoy the gorgeous setting, delicious food, and quality time with your spouse. To find out more, visit them online at winshapemarriage.org slash savvy. ‍ ‍ My returning guest for today is Elizabeth Pehrson, and if possible, we are going to get even more practical than we did last week, as we're going to discuss ways to actually enjoy parenting, while simultaneously preparing our children to launch as faithful and healthy adults someday. ‍ ‍ Here's our chat. ‍ ‍ Welcome back again to The Savvy Sauce, Elizabeth. I'm so excited to be here. ‍ ‍ This is fun. It's always a joy to get a chat with you, and we're going to go even more practical today, but do you mind sharing some disclaimers about that first? ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (1:32 - 1:57) ‍ ‍ Not at all. You know, when I was growing up, I grew up in the church, and I really looked at "train up a child in the way he should go, and when he's old, he will not depart from it," as a promise. And it really is a principle. And so as much as we want it to be A plus B equals C, it's not always that way. There are certain principles that we are to follow and God's asked us to, and so I think we need to focus on that and leave the rest to him. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (1:57 - 2:28) ‍ ‍ That's so good. So, keeping that in mind, but then also hearing wise tips that we can hopefully implement. How do you think we can teach our children the importance of reciprocity, such as encouraging them to ask other people questions rather than just focusing the conversation on themselves, or encouraging them to do chores around the house, rather than just expecting their parents to do all the work or over function for them? ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (2:29 - 6:07) ‍ ‍ Oh, yeah, this one's right up my alley. I love this question so much. John F. Kennedy, you know, gave his famous speech, "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." And I think in the same way, we want each family member to ask not what can you do for me, but what can I do for the family. And we believe that wholeheartedly. ‍ ‍ And so, because of that, we started assigning age-appropriate chores at the age of three. And they have a chore every single day of the week, except for Sunday, even when they're busy, even when they have baseball, football, lacrosse, didn't matter what it was. We have this whiteboard in our home. And it's like the motherboard of all things in our family. And it's got on the top part of it, it has our calendar appointments, practices, games, meetings, you know, meals for the week, like everything you can imagine that it takes to run our family is at the top part. And then the second part of the whiteboard, we have a section that says, “because we clothe and feed you, and then it has their names underneath that. ‍ ‍ And so, when they leave for school, I look at the calendar, I look at everything that needs to be gotten done that day or that week for the family. And then I delegate it to each of the children. And so, I would assign them each a chore. And so, when they would get home from school, it was right there where they would walk in and put their backpacks down and they knew to look at their chore. And they knew that it had to be finished before dinner. And it made it so easy because there was no nagging, there was no reminding, there was no, you know, begging them to do it and following up, it was just so much a part of each of their day, just like going to school or brushing their teeth, it was something they knew they had to do. ‍ ‍ And in addition to that, in our home, when our children turn eight, we have this rule that you are no longer a consumer, but you are a contributor. So, at the age of eight, they have to start doing all their own laundry, washing their own sheets, and lots of other substantially harder chores. And then at nine, they have to start mowing the yard, they start cooking and things that actually really contribute to the family as a whole. ‍ ‍ And, you know, in the last episode, I talked a lot about modeling for our kids, you know, what we want them to learn. And as far as the, you know, talking about asking important, I mean, having them ask questions and reciprocity, it's the same thing as to you have to model it, right? You have to model that for your children. And so let them hear you ask the cashier how her day's going, you know, even if it embarrasses them, or, you know, how you speak to the waiter or the waitress, let them see you notice the neighbor struggling with something in their yard. Like let them watch you thank their father for taking the car to get the oil changed or taking the trash out just simple things like that. You know, something that our mentors taught us that we implemented with our children right away. ‍ ‍ And this was I cannot emphasize the impact that this had on our children enough. But when somebody anybody, but particular an adult asked you a question, you look them in the eyes, you answered their question. And then you responded with a question, you ask them a question that was a game changer. I can't tell you how many bus drivers, teachers, coaches said, “I've never had a student asked me how my weekend was.” I've never once, when they get on the bus asked me, ”How am I doing today? How was my day?” ‍ ‍ And again, it's not for any like praise or anything like that. But my point is, it's so countercultural that it stands out. And it's so important to have your children learn from a young age what it looks like to look an adult in the eye and ask her a question. If they can't do that, when they're older, they'll never be able to advocate for themselves. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (6:08 - 6:21) ‍ ‍ I love all things countercultural. I think because a lot of times it does point back to Jesus, just even somebody experiencing that and having a wow factor. Ultimately, it's because the goodness of the Lord that they've just experienced. ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (6:22 - 6:23) ‍ ‍ Absolutely, absolutely. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (6:23 - 6:38) ‍ ‍ So, do you have maybe a handful of habits in the home that you see as most essential for families so that everyone living there can enjoy and experience a joyful life together? ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (6:40 - 9:00) ‍ ‍ Oh, I'm sure that we do. I think joy in a home is rarely accidental. It's cultivated, it's intentional. And I would just say, ask what brings your family joy, and then do more of that. It's most likely going to be different for everybody. And I can only speak for us. But what we loved, what we did, family dinners around the dinner table were non-negotiable. ‍ ‍ There were seasons around the dinner table, that part was negotiable, because there were seasons, like we had four boys playing football. And so, we would have practices five nights a week and four games on Saturday. And so, we would take the dinner to the ballpark, and we would literally sit there as a family, because I wasn't going to constantly never have family dinner just for the six months in the fall, or winter, or whatever. But we used dinner time to ask intentional questions, to laugh, to tell stories. We joked, we role-played, that was a big one for us. ‍ ‍ Just as a family, we would do that together. And probably the best thing that we did, and the thing that we still do, is we make things fun. We play games, really fun ones. Not that board games aren't fun, those are fun. But instead of, our kids are grown now, and for Easter, they will all come home, and I will have created games out of Easter eggs with all different types. Not going to find them, but just different types. I'll line up 20 Easter eggs with different colors, and then the first person, they get 10 seconds to look at it. And then the first person that can replicate it with those colors. Things like that, what was in the Easter eggs, questions, that kind of stuff. ‍ ‍ One year, we did an Easter egg hunt, where we tied two people together. One was on the back, and the one below was blindfolded. So, the one on the back had to tell them where to go, and what to do. Or we leg-tied their legs together. Just things to make it creative or fun. At Christmas, we always play reindeer games. It's my kids' favorite thing that we do. We've often gotten in inflatables, and we've done an Easter egg hunt that way, where everyone's wearing these huge inflatables, or we play a kickball game. And that was our Christmas card this last year. But just anything that wants to make them want to participate, right? Want to have them want to come home. So that's what I would say. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (9:01 - 9:18) ‍ ‍ I love it. And I don't remember the direct quote. It was from Bob Goff. But just saying how the more outlandish it is, or the more that you add variety or break from the norms, that's what they're going to remember. So, I'm sure your kids have incredible memories of all those holidays. ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (9:19 - 9:19) ‍ ‍ Yes. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (9:20 - 9:38) ‍ ‍ I hope so, anyway. Oh, I'm sure that we'll have to steal some of those. But do you also have any stories to share for the payoff now that you're experiencing? Because when your children were little, you started them off with focusing on chores and hard work. ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (9:38 - 9:39) ‍ ‍ How long do you have? ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (9:40 - 9:42) ‍ ‍ Give everything you got. ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (9:42 - 14:13) ‍ ‍ Okay. Chores for children when they are young, it has proven to be the single biggest indicator of success when they're older. Hands down. Chores, specifically hard chores, they teach your kids responsibility. They teach them resourcefulness. It instills in them confidence. It instills in them capability. It instills in them competence. And I could give you example, after example, after example of how I've seen this payoff for my children. And I would say even in some ways, more importantly, how I have seen it negatively impact their friends, whose parents did not require them to work at home when they were younger. ‍ ‍ I remember my oldest son went off to college, and he called me after orientation and he's a man of few words, doesn't say thank you very often. And he said, "Mom, I have to tell you something." And I said, "What?" And he said, "You know, this is a pretty hard school to get into. And the people are competent. They're smart." He said, "I have never in my life seen a group of individuals that are so incapable of doing anything for themselves." He's like, "We're standing in line to get our, what's the ID, you know, their picture taken." He said, "Kid after kid on their phone. Hey, I don't, I don't have a credit card. I don't have a debit card. I don't know how to do this." He said, "I mean, and then he gets to college and it's like, they don't know how to get their oil changed. They don't know how to, you know, make their own doctor's appointment." And he thanked me. He's like, "I'm sorry. I resisted it when I was younger, but I just want to say thank you." ‍ ‍ And, you know, my daughter Libby called me one day and she said, "Mom, you know, you're not going to believe this." And I said, "What?" And so, she tells me of the story of her roommate, and her roommate had not left campus in six weeks. And so, she asked her, she said, "Hey, I thought you had a car here." And she said, "I do." And she said, "Well, why don't you ever leave?" And she said, "Well, I don't have gas." And she said, "Well, do you need money?" And she said, "Well, no, I don't need money." You know, she said, "I thought maybe you needed gas money." She said, "No." And she said, "Well, then what's going on?" She goes, "I've never put gas in my car." And that's not a chore, but that is a basic skill. Think about that, dropping your child off to college with a car and never having shown them or made them get their own gas. ‍ ‍ And then she called me a couple of weeks later. And she said to me, "Mom, did you know it's possible not to know how to hand wash dishes?" And I said, "Well, that's not possible. What are you talking about?" She said, "Well, she was just buying new dishes, plastic dishes. She was buying them because she didn't know how to wash them." And so, she said, "I said to her, hey, like you can just wash your dishes." She goes, "We don't have a dishwasher." And she said, "So I had to show her how to use soap and water to wash her own dishes." I mean, I could go on and on and on. ‍ ‍ I mean, I have another daughter that went off to college, and we were at the very first day moving them in and the mom was barking orders, telling everyone what to do. And after about 10 minutes, I was like, I went outside in the hallway, and I just sat down and removed myself. And her husband looks at me and he goes, "Wow, you learned quickly." And I said, "What does that mean?" And he said, "Get out of her way and let her do it." And I said, "Well, what about your daughter?" He goes, "Oh, she's never done anything for herself. She does everything for her." ‍ ‍ We got in the car to go home. And I just said to my husband, I said, "It's going to be really hard for our daughter because this girl's never done anything for themselves." I mean, I could give you story, after story, after story, but you know, when you require your children to put in hard work when they're really young, you know, they don't panic when life requires effort. Later on, they aren't entitled to comfort. They aren't entitled to other people doing things for them. You know, they know how to contribute, you know, wherever they land, whether it's in a dorm room, a house or, you know, college house or beyond, you know, my kids joke with me. They were like, "Mom, this can be a gift or a curse knowing how to do everything." And I said, "Well, what do you mean?" They're like, "Well, nobody else knows how to do everything. And they know that we do. So, they just want us to do it." And I was like, "Sorry about that. You know, sorry, you have to take care of it." ‍ ‍ But again, it's like, we are trying to train our kids up for independence, not to be dependent on us. And they go off to college or they graduate college, and they're already going to have first, like so many first being away from home, sleeping with a stranger in their same room, your dorm room, like so many things are going to have to navigate. And then do you want them to have to figure out how to do laundry, how to do dishes, how to I mean, no, it's like, wow, chores instill that. And then when they're really young. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (14:14 - 14:23) ‍ ‍ So, did you and your husband sit down and map out everything that you wanted them to know? Or how did you come up with these chores? And what are some more examples? ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (14:24 - 16:09) ‍ ‍ Oh, yeah. And it's so interesting. It's so interesting, because I thought about this when I was thinking about our time together. But there's a book that we read. Well, there's a couple of books that we read that were pretty impactful. But one of them was called Cleaning House by Kate Wills Weima. And so, her 12 things, the idea of the book is to think about all the things you want to know your children know how to do and know how to do well when they leave home. And then you take one month and you just focus on that, that specific thing. And so, we sat down and her 12 things weren't our 12 things. Some of them were, but some of them were not. And so, we just did month after month after month of wanting them to know exactly, you know, how to do these things, you know, when we're grown, or when they're grown. And so we did that. ‍ ‍ But I mean, my husband, anytime he was working on the lawnmower, anytime he was doing anything in the yard, he gathered the boys around like, "Hey, boys, come on," and he was trying to show them or fixing the toilet or deal, you know, whatever it might have been. And I would do the same thing, whether it was in the garden, or whether it was in the kitchen, or whether it was outside with yard work, whatever, just to gather them around and involve them because they don't know. I mean, it's not their fault, but they won't know unless we show them. ‍ ‍ And one of the things I love is that the earlier you start showing them and training them up in these chores, and in this yard work, and in managing a home, the longer you have at home to train them up to do it well. But a lot of people think, oh, they're too young, or I'll just wait until they're older. Well, truth is, by the time they're 16, you really have very limited time with them. Very limited. And you're like, "Oh, when am I going to do that?" You know, they're at their sports, they're at school things, they're driving, they're with friends. And so, it's like, the earlier you can start the better. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (16:11 - 16:22) ‍ ‍ So good, even I'm thinking we could even involve our kids in what else have we not thought of that you want to learn how to do because it really is a gift to be trained and to take that time. ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (16:23 - 16:32) ‍ ‍ I mean, and that kind of goes back to what we've talked about last time, you know, just being lifelong learners and curious, like, I don't know how to do this. But let's figure it out together. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (16:33 - 16:44) ‍ ‍ Well, and I'm going to also link to a previous episode, I did interview Kay on that book. But do you remember the other one that you also read related to it? ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (16:44 - 20:24) ‍ ‍ Oh, yes, there was a season where there's actually two of them. But there is a season where my focus and my priority was riding entitlement from my children. I meet with moms all the time. And they're like, "My children are so spoiled." And I'm like, "Well, just I'm curious who spoils them." You know, and it really does start with us. It stems with us, even if it's the ones where moms will say, "Well, I mean, I don't give them that brand new thing, but their grandmother does." Well, technically, you're the gatekeeper of what comes in and out of your home, you can allow it or not allow it, you can say to them, "You know what, they don't need the newest iPad, they don't need the newest Lululemon or whatever. I want to, I want you to offer an experience with them, you know, something different, something like that, you can control that." But there was a season where that's all I saw. And I saw it in my children's hearts as well. And so, I read the book How to Raise Grateful Children in an Entitled World. And then I also read the book 7 by Jen Hatmaker long time ago, a lot of our philosophies have changed. But back in the day, long time ago, it was an entitlement, it said an experiment against a mutiny against excess. And so, it was another challenge we did, like we did the 12-month challenge from Kay's book, we did a seven-month challenge from her book, and we took seven areas where we have so much excess, and we stripped it down one month at a time. And I'm telling you, it was hard, not only because our children didn't want to do it, but it was hard for me, particularly the month of technology. I mean, you're talking no TV, no cell phone, no, I mean, other than phone calls, you know, no scrolling, none of that, no podcast, no, you couldn't use it just for a month just to have stillness, quiet. I mean, it was crazy hard. But then we noticed that the puzzles started coming out and coloring started coming out and creativity started coming out, you know, it requires 15 minutes of boredom, boredom for creativity to set in. And I would say the creativity did set in, and it was unbelievable. ‍ ‍ One month, we only allowed we got to choose, but we picked seven foods. That's all you could eat for one month. When you went out, that's all you could choose from. It was so hard. It was unbelievable. But what caught me so strongly was in her book, she starts out by saying she had three young children at home, and she was adopting two children from Ethiopia. And she had already been over to visit them twice. And they were literally starving to death. And you know, her heart just wanted them home. But because of all the logistics, she couldn't get them here yet. And she said one day she made fish sticks for her kids. And then she went up to go switch laundry. She came back down a few minutes later, and she saw all the fish in the trash can. And she was like, "What in the world?" So, she asked them, she said, "Did y'all not eat?" They're like, "We did." And she said, "Well, I just saw the fish sticks in the trash can." And they're like, "We didn't have ketchup." She's like, "You just threw away five pounds of fish, you know, whatever it was, because you didn't have ketchup. Yet we have two other children across the world that would give anything to have those fish sticks." And I was like, "I see that with my children. It's like, I don't want that. Or I don't care for that. Or that clothing, I'd rather something else." And so, for one month, they only could wear seven articles of clothing total. That's it. And it's crazy, because you think everyone's looking at you like, "Why are you wearing the same thing every single day?" No one even cares what you're doing. But it just changed your whole mindset and perspective. So, entitlement was a big one for us. And those two books were super helpful with that. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (20:25 - 20:28) ‍ ‍ Well, and even it sounds like a version of fasting. ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (20:29 - 20:53) ‍ ‍ Oh, absolutely. I mean, we've told our kids all you know, since they were young, it doesn't matter what it is. Whatever you can't fast from owns you. It does, whatever that is. And so, some months the food was harder for others for some month, the clothing was harder, the girls, the clothing was harder. You know, the boys could care less for some month, it was a technology, but it's like whatever it is, it's got a stronghold in your heart. That's what owns you. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (20:54 - 23:23) ‍ ‍ And now a brief message from our sponsor. ‍ ‍ Friends, I'm excited to share with you today's sponsor, WinShape Marriage. Do you feel like you need a weekend away with your spouse and a chance to grow in your relationship together at the same time? WinShape Marriage is a fantastic ministry that provides weekend marriage retreats to help couples grow closer together in every season and stage of life. From pre-marital to parenting to the emptiness phase, there is an opportunity for you. WinShape Marriage is grounded on the belief that the strongest marriages are the ones that are nurtured, even when it seems things are going smoothly, so that they're stronger if they do hit a bump along their journey. ‍ ‍ These weekend retreats are hosted within the beautiful refuge of WinShape Retreat, perched in the mountains of Rome, Georgia, which is a short drive from Atlanta, Birmingham, and Chattanooga. While you're there, you will be well-fed, well-nurtured, and well-cared for. During your time away in this beautiful place, you and your spouse will learn from expert speakers and explore topics related to intimacy, overcoming challenges, improving communication, and more. ‍ ‍ I've stayed on site at WinShape before, and I can attest to their generosity, food, and content. You will be so grateful you went. To find an experience that's right for you and your spouse, head to their website, winshapemarriage.org/savvy. That's W-I-N-S-H-A-P-E marriage.org/savvy, S-A-V-V-Y. Thanks for your sponsorship. ‍ ‍ Another big topic is discipline, and that's something that parents are consistently interested in discussing, probably so that we can all balance rules and relationship. For any of the other parents who are also exhausted and maybe don't know what consequences to utilize as they seek to influence their children, what are some natural consequences and strategic discipline that you've offered before or that you can think of, especially with teens in the home? ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (23:25 - 27:02) ‍ ‍ Yeah. Discipline basically means to disciple, and so we're training our kids up. We can't expect them just to know it on their own and intuitively think, that's not a wise choice, so I shouldn't make it. We're here because they need us. God entrusted them to us. But I love that you said consequences, because that's really the way I choose to look at discipline, because childhood is meant to be training ground for independence. ‍ ‍ Natural consequences, in my opinion, are the best way to do that, because I think consequences should connect directly to their choices, to my choices, because as we tell them, every single choice you make, every single one has a consequence, good or bad. You're going to have a consequence. You reap what you do, so therefore it is so important to acknowledge and recognize what you choose. Not my response to it, but to what you choose. ‍ ‍ You oversleep an alarm, which is, you know, middle schoolers and high schoolers are known to do. You oversleep the alarm, you experience the discomfort of being late, whether that's missing the whole day because you as the mom are busy doing other things, or you're at work, or maybe you just missed that test the first period and you can then drive yourself to school, but you have to suffer that consequence. I'm not going to rescue you from that, or you know, you forget to bring in a project that you have worked on for days and days and days and days, and you forget to bring it in. Your grade will reflect that. That is a natural consequence. ‍ ‍ I had a son, I won't name him, but I had a son that chose to make the decision to cheat on a chemistry test, and the teacher called me and said, in high school, AP, and said, "You know, he's a great student, he made a poor choice, he didn't study, he's busy with football," and she said, "So I'm going to let him retake it," and I said, "No, he chose to make that decision. Please fail him like you would do any other student. I do not want him to ever, ever, ever consider doing this again," and she goes, "Well, it might be on his transcript." I said, "Okay, so be it, but I'm more interested in his long-term character and who he's becoming than I am about his AP chemistry score. I'm more interested in that," so the natural consequences, or to give him a zero on that. ‍ ‍ You know, you have the stud athlete as a son, and they forget their cleats or their jerseys at home. Guess what? They sit out from practice. They sit out from the game that afternoon. You know, it's not going to be the end of the world. Although we think it is, they think it is, it's not. So, I try to think of discipline, you know, not as punishing, but more as preparing them for adulthood, and you know, like we talked about the other day, I encourage moms not to bail, but to let them fail. I mean, it literally could seem like the end of the world to your child, but in the grand scheme of things, it has no bearing on their life later on, but many moms treat every little thing as if, you know, but I just try to tell moms when I meet with them, your child's employer will not care what they made on a middle school project. They won't. If they forgot it and got a C, your employer, their employer will not care that they made a C on that, or maybe even an F. They will not even care what your son or your daughter's high school GPA is. They will not care if you missed that baseball game, you missed that tournament, but they will care if you are hardworking, if you're responsible, if you take ownership for your actions, and I think natural consequences are the best way to teach all of those things. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (27:03 - 27:13) ‍ ‍ Well, and I would assume if we actually follow through, it's so painful in the moment, but it probably doesn't take many times to learn that lesson. ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (27:14 - 29:29) ‍ ‍ No, not at all, and particularly if you have multiple children. I remember I was giving a talk on entitlement and how we rescue our children so easily, and I was setting up, and so I was getting things out of my car, taking things back and forth into this, you know, building where I was setting up, and as I get into the back seat, I see this project that my daughter literally had been working on for two weeks, and when she got out of the car that day, she left it, and I just thought, "Oh, here I am talking about this. I can either do it, nobody will know, take it up there, but then I was like, no, what does that teach her? Mom's going to bail me out every single time," and it was like, ah, it crushed me, crushed me, but I was more interested in what's going to happen for her long term, and another thing, if you have, if you have siblings, multiple children, they can learn from each other, not just from their own personal suffering. ‍ ‍ That same daughter, I'll never forget it. She came home from school. She was in the third grade, and my kids know, like, your schoolwork is on you. It is not on me. I have already been to kindergarten. I have already been to third grade. I've already been to high school. It is on you, and I email the teachers at the beginning of the year. I just want you to know that my third-grade daughter will be doing her entire projects, schoolwork, tests, grade, everything will be her, so please, please grade her on a third grade level, because what's happening is parents are doing their projects, parents are doing their papers, all of the things, and so it's like, wow, hers looks terrible. It is on par for a third grader, though, you know, so I email the teachers at the beginning, and I let them know that they are responsible. They can choose to teach them in any way that they want, discipline them in any way they want, and my daughter came home from school one day, and she had this big thing due the next day, and she was like, "Mom, oh my goodness, I left it in my desk. Would you please email her and see if I can come in early in the morning and get it and work on it," and I said, "Sure," and all my kids were like, "You will," and so I emailed, and I said, "Dear Mrs. Prilliman, she left her, you know, her assignment in her desk. Please feel free to punish her and discipline her in any way that you see fit," and she's like, "Mom," you know, she was so upset, but the other kids are like, "Mental note, I will never do that," you know, so they can learn, you know, from each other as well, so. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (29:30 - 29:50) ‍ ‍ That is a benefit of having siblings. I love hearing those stories. That helps it sink in, but Elizabeth, also, what can we be doing while our children are still in the home in hopes of them experiencing wise financial stewardship and freedom financially when they leave home? ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (29:51 - 32:34) ‍ ‍ Yeah, I'm going to be very honest. David and I were not the best at this. It's not our greatest strength, that is for sure. It is not our natural genius, and with a family of 10, money was always tight. It really was, but we didn't want our kids to feel the weight of that. We didn't want them to feel that burden, but having said that, we did teach them delayed gratification. We did teach them saving before spending, distinguishing wants from needs. That's a big difference, working for what they desire or what they wanted, and they had to participate in paying for part or all of what they wanted, and that included travel sports. I mean, you know, there were times where we had five or six in travel sports. I mean, it's thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars, and so they either had to contribute financially if they could, depending on their age, or I remember one year, my son was young, and he wanted to do it, and it was going to be $2,800, and he was very gifted in baseball, and we wanted him to have this experience, but we knew that it was going to impact the entire family because all of our kids were still young. ‍ ‍ It wasn't like we could leave them at home. Everybody would be going every single weekend to all these different places, and so we said, "Okay, we're going to sit down as a family, and we're going to talk about this," and so they agreed. They wanted him to do it. They wanted to go to all these tournaments as a family, but so we decided that we would not eat out until that was paid off, the equivalent of that was paid off, and anytime anyone wanted to like stop at McDonald's or pick up something, we're like, "Remember, we're paying for Jack's baseball," and it was a family effort, and so, you know, I mean, it could be their homecoming dress if they want something extravagant or things that were above and beyond, you know, over a roof over their head or food on the table or clothes, you know, their basic needs, but just tried to model financially real life, and we all know that just because we want something doesn't mean we get it. It doesn't work that way, and when we give our kids everything they want, I would argue that we are setting them up and sometimes their potential future spouses up for failure because I don't know if you know this, but this generation is the first generation not to have as to make as much or have as much as their previous two generations before them. ‍ ‍ Typically, we make more than our parents and our grandparents, but this is the first one not to, and that's why grown adults are still living at home, so it's like, wow, if we can model this for our kids, you know, that, hey, just because you want that extra thing doesn't mean you get it. You got to work some extra jobs. You got to pick up some extra shifts, you know, maybe ask for some money chores at home, you know, that we would offer them, but we just tried to model it for real life, but like I said, it wasn't our greatest strength. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (32:35 - 32:41) ‍ ‍ Oh, I bet even more of a strength than you realize just hearing that example. I did not know that about the generation. That's fascinating. ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (32:43 - 34:15) ‍ ‍ Yeah, I mean, one of my all-time favorite, there's a TED Talk. It's old. It's like a really short one, and I'm blanking on the lady's name, but she was in college, and her dad was an attorney, and he was very affluent. They had a lot of money, and back in the day, I think this was like in the 90s, 2000s maybe, there was this new pair of jeans that were out, and they were $120, and every other pair of jeans were like 50 bucks or something, you know, 40 bucks, and so she called her dad, who could easily afford it, and said, "Dad, oh my gosh, I need a pair of these jeans. Everybody," she was in college at University of Florida. "Everybody has these jeans. I want a pair," and he goes, "Okay, well, what are you going to do to go get the money?" She's like, "Dad, come on. I know you can give it to me." He said, "No, that's not the way life works," so she happened to be in the student center, and she saw one of those little advertisements, need a house cleaner, and she's like, "My parents made me do chores. I know how to clean a house," so she pulled the little number. She went to the lady's house. She cleaned her house, got the 120 bucks, and the lady said, "Well, when are you coming back," and she said, "Oh, no, no, I just needed one pair of jeans. Like, you know, I'm not coming back," and she said, "No, you did an amazing job." Well, this girl went on to start an organization while she was in college, a business. Now, it's like on a Fortune 500 something. I don't even know, but it's called Student Maid, M-A-I-D, and she had 500 employees by the time she was a senior, and she was cleaning apartments, houses, but her dad had given her the 120 bucks because he could to get the pair of jeans, so it's like, get out there and figure it out, and so I just love that story. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (34:16 - 34:34) ‍ ‍ Wow, I love that as well, and totally different topic, but when it comes to caring for our health and our bodies, if we truly believe our bodies are a temple for God, what are ways that we can model and encourage our children to live wisely in that way? ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (34:35 - 37:07) ‍ ‍ Yeah, I'm glad you said model because really that's what it comes down to. I mean, if they see us beating ourselves up, not prioritizing sleep, not moving our bodies, not eating well, you know, that's what they're going to do. I mean, it's just history has proven itself. You can look at cultures. Those that move their bodies, sleep, rest on the Sabbath, I mean, they're a healthier culture, and so all of those things, you know, eating with balance, not obsession, resting on Sundays, I mean, even in the church world, that's almost unheard of to take the Sabbath off, and I would really say, particularly if you have daughters, not that it doesn't matter for sons as well, but it really impacts daughter is speaking respectfully about the body that God has given you. ‍ ‍ I sadly see so many women talk trash about their own looks or their own appearance, their body, if I could just fix this, I wish I didn't have this, and then they expect their daughters not to do the same, you know, and so when we say, "Oh, honey, you're beautiful," they're like, "Well, you don't think you are," you know, and they see right through it. I mean, I want my daughters to be strong, not skinny, right? I want them to be healthy, not appearance driven. I want them to know that mom got up and went to the gym every morning. Mom made sure she got outside and got sunshine and got on a walk, you know, culture already put so much pressure on these young girls and their size. Oh, my goodness, it like just breaks my heart, and so the last thing they need is for us to start, you know, for striving for unattainable goals, right, that put an expectation on them and their appearance. I mean, that's the last thing that they need, and so David and I have always tried to, well, I would say we tried very, very, very, very hard to compliment their character and their effort, but never their appearance. ‍ ‍ Most of the times when you hear parents applauding and just talking about how good looking someone is, how beautiful they are, it's nothing that they did to earn. I mean, you'll hear something. My son is so tall and big and strong, and I'm like, he did nothing. God gave him that, you know, and if you happen to have a very small son like I do, and if that's what you're praising over here, what does that speak to this child? Or, you know, oh my goodness, you're so beautiful, and so we try to focus on their heart, the internal, their, you know, the stewardship of what God has given them, but never appearance. It's more taking care of the body, and we believe the important part of that is the heart and the soul. So, we just want them to have the goal of honoring the life that God entrusted to them, the body that God entrusted to them. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (37:08 - 37:21) ‍ ‍ Such wise principles, and then when we think about spiritual life as well, what wisdom can you share for parents who want to help their children cultivate a flourishing spiritual life? ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (37:22 - 39:19) ‍ ‍ Well, one prayer for our children is that they would each have a faith of their own, you know, not one that's handed down, not a formula, you know, but a relationship with Jesus, and so with that in mind, we tried to focus on the heart of who Jesus is and not the rules of God. You know, we never wanted them to view God as this like scary judge, you know, with his gavel, like handing down these judgments, but a God who genuinely loves them regardless of what they do, and so we wanted that to be their own unique personal relationship, not one that looks like ours, acts like ours, you know, it's like this cookie cutter, so we encourage them just to pray naturally, not formula, you know, like formally, but we talked about God in a real casual way, like in our coming and our going, not this big Sunday conversation, you know, you have at the dinner table after church, but we wanted them to see our own dependence on God, which was every single day, and we wanted to create space for them to have their own unique personal faith, and one thing I've learned is that faith cannot be manufactured, but you can cultivate the soil where it grows, and I'll just say this really quick, in an effort to have them have a faith of their own, it was so neat, they all went to the same church, but their faith looks so differently, different from their siblings, and there was a time we had all four of them at one college in Athens, and so they're all there, and we were visiting, and I said, "Hey, well, you know, we'll go to church tomorrow morning, you know, with y'all," and they all kind of looked at me like I had three heads, and I thought, "Well, don't y'all go to church, please tell me I'll go to church," you know, that's not what they meant, they all four went to completely different churches, wow, I was mind blown, I was like, "This is the most ecumenical family I've ever met," like I was like, I had no idea that that is how different the relationships with the Lord are, as for what they were seeking in a church, and I was just so grateful for that. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (39:20 - 40:17) ‍ ‍ When was the first time you listened to an episode of The Savvy Sauce? How did you hear about our podcast? Did a friend share it with you? Will you be willing to be that friend now and text five other friends or post on your socials anything about The Savvy Sauce that you love? If you share your favorite episodes, that is how we continue to expand our reach and get the good news of Jesus Christ in more ears across the world, so we need your help. Another way to help us grow is to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. Each of these suggestions will cost you less than a minute, but it will be a great benefit to us. Thank you so much for being willing to be generous with your time and share, we appreciate you. ‍ ‍ One other practical thing too, do you have just any tech tips, especially because you've raised so many teens already? ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (40:17 - 42:06) ‍ ‍ Oh, tech tips. You know, we had this big charging station in our kitchen, and so the kids had to put their phones there at night, and it would charge like all of them, and so we could see if the phone was not up at night, and there were some serious consequences if they broke those rules. I remember one time my daughter, after we went to bed, she snuck back downstairs and got her phone and brought it upstairs, and anyway, I kept getting these notifications come through on my iPad, and I was like, "What in the world?" Well, I didn't even realize the clouds, or it's over my head, but whatever reason, hers was beeping on mine, and so we went in there, and she had her phone under her pillow. She was texting somebody, and so when she got home from school that next day, her door was off of the hinges, and she was, you know, as a middle school girl, her privacy was so important. I was like, "You can change in the bathroom, you know, but you have shown us that you cannot earn privacy right now. You don't make the choices with it," but it is really hard. ‍ ‍ I think a lot of people, their natural inclination is just to remove it all from them, but I hesitate to encourage anyone to do that, because the truth of the matter is the world we live in is full of technology, and if you just completely say you can't have it, and the next thing you know they're 18, they go off to college or whatever the age is, and you give it to them, they haven't been in the home where you've been training them up how to manage your time with it, put, you know, limits on the time, how much you can spend on it, that kind of thing, and so it's like you're never going to outsmart your children in technology. They're already smarter than you are, but it's like how can you help them with the time management, you know, letting, talking with them about like what they're putting before their eyes on the technology, that kind of thing. The same goes for TV. You know, we would never watch something in front of our children that we would want them to think is normal ever, you know, and so it's like it's not, we don't want to normalize that. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (42:07 - 42:33) ‍ ‍ That's good, and really I'm hearing this theme, a key ingredient for everything we've discussed so far is actually a fruit of the spirit, self-control. So, knowing that discipline and self-control are actually going to lead to freedom, how can we help our children grow up to live an appropriately disciplined life? ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (42:34 - 45:53) ‍ ‍ Yeah, my dad used to say this thing all the time. He would say, "The slave to the compass has the freedom of the seas. The rest must sail close to the shore," and it's so true. I mean, we have, if you want to do that, you have to come under the authority of the boat. In other words, you can't just do whatever you want on a boat and be able to sail the whole ocean. It doesn't work that way. You have to follow the captain's orders, and you have to follow the mechanisms that make the ship move, right? And so, it's like, but if you do that, if you master that, if you're a slave to the compass, to the sails, so the way the boat works, you can have the freedom of the seas. And the same is true of discipline and of self-control, right? We must exhibit that in order to have freedom. ‍ ‍ And so, when our children exhibited obedience and discipline and self-control, we then gave them more freedom, you know, more responsibilities. And then when they didn't follow instructions, like my daughter with the cell phone, you know, they didn't do what was expected of them. We pulled in the reins a little bit. Dave Ramsey, years and years ago, before I, my children were older, he shared the analogy of the rope, and I loved it because he said, you know, the more your children exhibit responsibility, making the right choices, they're being obedient, you let out that rope. And that one end, it's almost like you've got a rope around their waist. You're letting it out, letting them experience more independence. But then the second that they don't do that, you kind of rein it back in. If they make a poor choice, they stay out past their curfew, whatever it might be, you pull it back in. And so, it's a very important analogy for his family. ‍ ‍ So important though, when his oldest daughter went off to college, Rachel, you know, she goes off to college, he wraps up this beautiful gift, and it was a rope. And it was the rope with the round. And he said, and it had, he tied things on it, like she went to Tennessee, I think. So, it had like an orange thing on it. And then it had the colors of her high school and all these things that represented her life. And he said, "Hey, for 18 years, I've been holding on to this end of the rope. But now it's time I let it go. And I'm giving it to you; you're going to manage that rope all on your own." And so, it meant the world to her because they knew how important and so she put it on her doorknob in her dorm room. And every time she left and entered, she saw that, you know, that rope realizing that she was responsible for how far she let that thing out and how far she pulled that in. And so, discipline, self-discipline is huge. ‍ ‍ You know, at the end of the day, we just wanted to show our children that discipline and self-control, it isn't a restriction, right? It's the pathway to freedom. And I've got to tell you; my kids are more disciplined than I am. I mean, my two oldest sons are 26 and 25. And they set timers on their phone. And so, they literally can only and each other has the passcode so they can't even override it. They can only be on their phone for three hours a day at all for anything. And they do it during the hours where they're at work, so that they know they can't be on it anyway. I mean, it's already self-limiting. And it's like they know that this is a temptation, they don't want to waste that time. And so, and when you see a child when you train up a child and discipline, it's amazing how it spills over into other areas. You know, they both are very disciplined with how many books they read, how far they run every day. Like, I mean, they're very disciplined individuals, because I think it's contagious. You know, that just self-discipline just kind of permeates all the other areas of your life as well. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (45:54 - 46:06) ‍ ‍ And that is so encouraging, because I guess I just envision like, we're planting seeds, and we've gotten to hear a few of the seeds that you planted. And now it grows up even bigger than you could have probably ever asked or imagined. ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (46:06 - 46:22) ‍ ‍ Oh, yeah. I mean, sometimes their discipline frustrates me, because like, I'll need to talk to them, and they're on like a 23-mile run, and they can't talk or, you know, like, I'll want to call them. And they're like, "Mom, I can't use my phone right now." And I'm like, "Come on," you know, but they are, they are disciplined. I just drives me crazy sometimes. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (46:23 - 46:36) ‍ ‍ Oh, I love that so much. So, Elizabeth, as parents, what else can we do now to help our kids eventually reach maturity and independence as adults? ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (46:37 - 51:07) ‍ ‍ Yeah, I mean, again, I can't say it enough. Childhood is meant to be the training ground for independence. So, every single day, they are training you or you are training them. And it's like, are you training them up for independence, maturity? Are you training them up to be dependent upon you? Are you teaching them that your proximity is what keeps them safe? And it's like, okay, so we're going to make these choices when they're young, might be harder on us, because I have mom say to me all the time, you know, I mean, it's just easier when I do it. And I'm like, it is, or they're like, they'll never do a job as good as I do. They won't. But you know what, it's like, it doesn't matter. It's not about what's easy on us. It's what's best for them for the long run. ‍ ‍ So, you know, goes back to that book we talked about, but you can really just think of Kay's book, you can really think about anything that you want to know that you want them to know how to do well and reach maturity and master whatever that is. And, you know, most people, not intentionally, but subconsciously think, oh my goodness, by magic at the stroke of their 18th birthday at midnight, you know, they're just going to know how to do these things. And they don't, they don't know how to do these things. ‍ ‍ I mean, my oldest son went off to college and two weeks after he went off, I came back home and I was at Target. And I ran into this lady and who'd also dropped off her daughter. And she said to me, "How are you doing?" And I said, "I'm fine. How are you?" She goes, "I mean, are you, are you managing?" And I'm like, "Managing what?" And she's like, "Without your son." And I said, "Yes," she would help my son. She goes, "Well, I have to ask you how many times have you been up there?" And I said, "Since two weeks ago when we dropped them off?" And she said, "Yeah." And I said, "I haven't should I ask how many times you've been up there?" She was well, one time she called me because I forgot to teach her how to use her diabetic medicine. So, I had to drive and teach her how to do that. And I thought, okay, in my mind, I'm thinking that was kind of a really big deal to not know how to do. And then she said, "And then another time she called me, and she chewed me out because I didn't pack laundry detergent for her." And I thought, "Oh, you packed her stuff. She didn't do that." And she said, "Well, I mean, you know, I just was doing it for her." And she goes, "I had to tell her I did pack laundry detergent." And she said, "No, the only thing I've seen you pack are those little round things that I've seen you put in the dishwasher." Oh, no, this is what she tells me. And I was like that she's seeing you put in the dishwasher. She goes, "I had to tell her that laundry pods are made too. So, I had to go up and teach her how to do laundry." And then the third time I just missed her. So, I went up there, but I thought, wow, like we are training them to fly from us. ‍ ‍ You know, that is the ultimate goal is that they are independent, that they can leave us. But the hardest thing about it is accepting that success. If you do it well, because that's the last thing you want to do is have your child not need you anymore. Moms thrive on being needed, particularly by our children. But honestly, that is what God gave them to us for so that they can go out and launch onto their own. So, we just started training them up as soon as we possibly could on little things like solving problems or managing their own schedules. That's a big one. You shouldn't be asking them what homework do you have? What tests do you have? What paper do you have? How can I help you? Don't do that tonight because you've got to do your homework. Let them manage their own schedules. Let them set their own alarms. If they oversleep it, there is a natural consequence. So, they won't keep doing that anymore. ‍ ‍ And I mean, I had a daughter that slept through every alarm we ever set. It didn't matter how loud it was. So, I was not going to give into that. So, we literally bought an alarm that was a round ball. And on this round ball, it would be on the floor. And when her alarm would go off, it would roll away from her bed. And so, she couldn't not turn it off. She'd have to get out of bed to turn it off. And so, I mean, there's ways you can do it if you really want to. But, you know, training them up how to advocate for themselves. Most children don't know how to advocate for themselves, which is why the most recent stat right now on Fox News, I saw it two months ago, 29% of college graduates are taking their parents with them to their job interviews. 29% are taking their parents with them. They're 23 years old. Think about that. Let that set in. You know, teaching them how to shop for, prepare, cook meals. You have conflict, healthy conflict. Recover from mistakes. You know, try again. I mean, our job, I've already said it, but our job is not to make their lives easy. And it's not to do what's easy for us. It's to make them capable. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (51:10 - 51:38) ‍ ‍ Wow. You have been so inspirational to learn from. And one more thing on that. When, if we're very encouraged, we're going to be more consistent and do this thoughtfully, intentionally. When we meet resistance from our kids, what encouragement do you have for us, regardless of their age, whether they're whining about it when they're younger, throwing a temper tantrum or giving attitude? What would you encourage us with there? ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (51:38 - 54:03) ‍ ‍ Well, it's not very encouraging, but you will meet resistance. You will. I mean, why would they ever, I mean, my kids had to make their own lunches starting in kindergarten. And my daughter Walker would come home every day and I'm the only one that has to make their own lunch, you know? And I'm like, "You know what? You get to put in your lunch, whatever you want. Every other child has to eat what their mom makes them eat." You know, I'm like trying to show her these things, but the truth is you are going to be met with resistance. But if it ever crosses that line into disrespect, that first and foremost needs to be handled first, without a doubt. There's never a reason for disrespect. And if you allow that disrespect in your sons, they will grow up to be men that disrespect their wives. If you allow that in your children, they will grow up to be employees that disrespect their employees. And on, you know, you reap what you sow. So, it's like, I am not going to allow that. ‍ ‍ Having said that we make our chores on the whiteboard so that there is no nagging, there is no reminding, there is none of that. And so, we put it on there. They know it has to be done. And if it's not done, they don't sit down for dinner. And then once our kids hit middle school and they had practices after school and high school practices and things like that, they couldn't do it before dinner because they didn't get home until dinner or sometimes afterwards. So, it had to be done before they went to bed. And if they didn't, I didn't nag, I didn't get upset with them. But the next day when they walked up and saw the whiteboard, their second chore was incredibly time consuming and incredibly hard because they did not do the chore from the day before. Because again, we're modeling real life. Just because you had a full day doesn't mean you get to walk in the door, kick off your heels at night and just assert all your responsibilities. Not at all. You have to still do it. And so, it's like you've chosen to play these sports. You've chosen to do these travel things and you're still a part of this family. So, it's like encourage them in a way to do these things that doesn't impact you. Like you don't want to get into this, you know, match back and forth trying to explain to them why it's important. It's just a rule. It is what it is. That's why I like it on the whiteboard. There's no, there's no having to nag, having to check, but just don't allow the disrespect is the big thing when they kind of meet you with resistance. But again, what child's going to be like, "Sure, mom, I want to take on this." They're not going to, you know, I, like I said, my oldest, he did not enjoy doing all the things that he had to do. And there came a day he went to college and he was so grateful, so grateful that he knew how to do those things. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (54:04 - 54:07) ‍ ‍ So, we're going for that long term. Thank you. ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (54:07 - 54:09) ‍ ‍ Always, always long game parenting. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (54:10 - 54:19) ‍ ‍ Well, Elizabeth, you have given us so much in these weeks together, but where would you like to direct us to continue learning from you after this chat? ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (54:19 - 54:49) ‍ ‍ Well, if women live in Atlanta, we do have the exchange, which is local and coming, and I would love for them to come to that. We also have our podcasts on purpose with, which encourages women to live on purpose and with intention. You know, I just absolutely love connecting with women that want to live wholeheartedly this one beautiful life we've been given. So, I'd love for them to reach out to me on Instagram. I've got my personal handle as Octomama. I also have the exchange US and long game parenting. ‍ ‍ Laura Dugger: (54:50 - 55:09) ‍ ‍ Wonderful. We will provide all of those links in the show notes for today's episode. And I just have one more question for you. We are called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for you today, Elizabeth, what is your savvy sauce? ‍ ‍ Elizabeth Pehrson: (55:09 - 56:01) ‍ ‍ My savvy sauce today, based on what we've spoken about, I would say to the women listening to the very best of your ability, it's going to be difficult. It is not going to be easy, but to the very best of your ability, stop over functioning for your children. And over functioning is simply doing for your children what they can and should be doing for themselves. And my favorite mantra that I tell moms all the time is just because you can do provide or give doesn't mean you should just because you can do provide or give, it doesn't mean you should. So, if you want to have grateful children, do less, not more. You want to raise children that have a respect for other people, do less, not more. If you want to raise de

Money. Intimacy. Chores. Parenting. Sometimes it's just the way they said "okay." If it feels like you're fighting about everything, don't try to fix everything. Fix this first. In this episode, I'm joined by my colleague Alejandra Piñero Stillmann, a licensed marriage and family therapist at Growing Self, to talk about the one change that makes every other relationship problem easier to solve: emotionally safe communication. Because here's what I've learned after working with thousands of couples... The fight you're having is rarely the real problem. When couples feel stuck, they usually try to solve money, intimacy, parenting, or household conflict one issue at a time. But if every conversation turns into an argument, none of those problems stay solved. The foundation has to come first. In this episode you'll learn: Why you're probably fixing the wrong problem The real reason the same arguments keep happening What emotionally safe communication actually looks like How to stop seeing each other as opponents and start working as a team Why lasting relationship change takes practice—not perfection The one question to ask your partner tonight that can change the entire conversation If you're ready to take the next step, download my free Communication That Connects training and workbook at www.growingself.com/communication. And if you'd like personalized support, you can learn more about Alejandra Piñero Stillmann and book a free consultation at www.growingself.com/alejandra. Alejandra works with individuals and couples in both English and Spanish and specializes in helping people build healthier, more connected relationships. Sometimes the biggest breakthrough in your relationship isn't solving the biggest fight. It's finally learning how to have a different conversation. Xoxo, Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby Growing Self Special thanks to this month's sponsors of the podcast: Shopify —  Every self-made person started somewhere. Yours starts free at shopify.com/lhs Quince — Quality products you'll actually use that feel like luxury without the price tag. Get free shipping and 365-day returns at ⁠quince.com/lhs⁠ Skylight — Stay connected with the people you love through beautiful digital calendars and photo frames designed for real family life. Learn more at skylightcal.com/lhs.

Verschiedene Sprachen und fremdländische Melodien ergeben unterschiedliche Klangfarben im Liedprogramm eines Chores. In der heutigen Fiirabigmusig machen wir einen musikalischen Rundgang quer durch die Chormusik Europas. Zu hören sind Lieder wie «Kristallen den fina» oder «Funiculi funicula».

I'm so glad to welcome back my friend Kim O for her third appearance on the show. Kim is a relational soul coach and author who works directly with ROGD-affected teens and their parents — one of a very small handful of people doing work that closely mirrors my own. In this conversation, we dig into what it actually looks like to believe in your child's soul when everything about their behavior is screaming at you to panic.Kim shares how shifting from fear and worry energy to genuine belief in her own son's potential transformed their relationship — and how she now coaches families to do the same. We explore what I call strategic and what Kim calls clever: non-threatening, indirect approaches that plant seeds of growth without triggering the ego defenses that gender ideology has shored up in these kids. We talk about the power of fun and play in rebuilding connection, the danger of suggestion-based parenting, setting real boundaries around devices, and why personality typing tools like the Enneagram can actually give girls a healthier outlet for the same identity-seeking impulse that gender ideology exploits. Kim also introduces her new parent and teen workbook journals, designed to create structured moments of connection and self-reflection for families who don't know where to begin.Kim O is a Relational Soul Coach and author. She utilizes Conscious Principles, Presence, and Authenticity Mapping to awaken you to your greatest power, your Conscious Authentic Self. Through inner child work and profound mindset strategies from the stoics and sages, unhealthy coping mechanisms diminish, leaving your empowerment and high relational intelligence in the wake. As a coach, she provides personal, alchemical stories of trauma turned into gold. If she did it, so can you! Contact and find her resources at linktr.ee/heartworkuKim's workbooks:My Role as the Parent of a Teen: a Journal that Guides YOU to Lead & Create ConnectionWho Am I? a Teen's Journal of Self-Celebration & Connection [00:00:00] Start[00:02:10] Shifting From Fear to Belief Energy[00:06:45] Celebrating Teens and the Teen Brain[00:10:15] The Weekly Check-In and Connect[00:16:15] Practicing Belief When Your Kid Is Nasty[00:20:35] Rupture, Repair, and Strategic Apologizing[00:25:00] Untangling Emotion From Gender Identity[00:32:15] Parents Who Never Rebelled[00:35:00] Rebellion as the Spirit of Adventure[00:40:00] Guilt, Self-Forgiveness, and Planting Seeds[00:45:00] Social Media and the Immature Brain[00:49:06] Fun, Play, and Suggestion-Based Parenting[00:55:45] Chores, Boredom, and Preparing for the Road[01:01:00] What Is the Role of the Teen and Parent[01:07:53] Coaching Under a Different Name[01:11:19] Personality Typing as an Alternative to Gender[01:18:15] Myers-Briggs and Breaking Gender StereotypesROGD REPAIR Course + Community gives concerned parents instant access to over 120 lessons providing the psychological insights and communication tools you need to get through to your kid. Now featuring 24/7 personalized AI support implementing the tools with RepairBot! Use code SOMETHERAPIST2026 to take 50% off your first month.PODCOURSES: use code SOMETHERAPIST at LisaMustard.com/PodCoursesPRODUCTION: Looking for your own podcast producer? Visit PodsByNick.com and mention my podcast for 20% off your initial services.MUSIC: Thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude & permission. ALL OTHER LINKS HERE. To support this show, please leave a rating & review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe, like, comment & share via my YouTube channel. Or recommend this to a friend!Learn more about Do No Harm.Take $200 off your EightSleep Pod Pro Cover with code SOMETHERAPIST at EightSleep.com.Take 20% off all superfood beverages with code SOMETHERAPIST at Organifi.Check out my shop for book recommendations + wellness products.Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.Watch NO WAY BACK: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care (our medical ethics documentary, formerly known as Affirmation Generation). Stream the film or purchase a DVD. Use code SOMETHERAPIST to take 20% off your order. Follow us on X @2022affirmation or Instagram at @affirmationgeneration.Have a question for me? Looking to go deeper and discuss these ideas with other listeners? Join my Locals community! Members get to ask questions I will respond to in exclusive, members-only livestreams, post questions for upcoming guests to answer, plus other perks TBD. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode 005 — Stop Raising Dependents: Teaching Work Ethic and Responsibility In this episode of Raising Lions with Pastor Joseph, we talk about how parents can unintentionally create dependency by doing too much for their children. The goal of parenting is not simply to care for children while they are young, but to gradually prepare them to carry responsibility for themselves. In This Episode Why constantly rescuing children can weaken responsibility The difference between helping and enabling dependence Why work is not punishment, but part of God's design How chores and household contribution build character Why responsibility should increase as a child matures Practical responsibilities for young children, preteens, and teenagers Why small failures can be valuable teaching opportunities How to begin again if your teenager is already 15, 16, or 17 Why privileges should be connected to responsibility How to teach teenagers the relationship between work and money Why parents should stop paying for every want The difference between needs, privileges, and wants How part-time work can teach accountability and discipline The four stages of transferring responsibility: I do it for you We do it together You do it while I supervise You do it yourself A practical 30-Day Responsibility Reset for your home Key Takeaways Responsibility must be trained before it is required. Children do not suddenly become responsible adults when they turn eighteen. Independence should be developed gradually throughout childhood and adolescence. If you carry every burden for your child, do not be surprised when they never develop the strength to carry one themselves. Parents should provide love, guidance, protection, and support while also allowing children to experience age-appropriate responsibility and consequences. Work ethic is learning to do what needs to be done even when you do not feel like doing it. The home should be a safe training ground where children learn diligence, contribution, stewardship, perseverance, and accountability. Scriptures Referenced Genesis 2:15 Proverbs 6:6–11 Proverbs 10:4 2 Thessalonians 3:10 Colossians 3:23 30-Day Responsibility Reset Week 1 — Audit: Identify what you are still doing for your child that they are capable of doing themselves. Week 2 — Transfer: Give them two or three clearly defined responsibilities. Week 3 — Stop Rescuing: Reduce reminders and allow reasonable consequences to teach. Week 4 — Add Financial Responsibility: Give older children an age-appropriate area where they begin managing money or paying for personal wants. At the end of the month, evaluate their progress and begin adding responsibility as their capability grows. Final Challenge Ask yourself: What am I currently doing for my child that they are fully capable of doing for themselves? The goal is not to raise children who depend on us forever. The goal is to raise capable, responsible adults who know how to work, serve, manage their lives, and honor God with what He has entrusted to them.

On this episode of the State of Mind Mental Health Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Bryan Gastelle, a clinical psychologist and the founder of Empower Psychotherapy, a fully remote practice serving clients across multiple states. Bryan works primarily with neurodivergence — ADHD and autism — along with couples, trauma, anxiety, and depression. We get into the stuff that usually gets skipped. Why autism flies under the radar for decades, and how masking actually forms. Whether people on the spectrum really lack empathy (the answer is more interesting than you'd think). What sensory overload feels like, and the small adjustments that take the edge off. Where ADHD and autism overlap around executive function, and what AuDHD means. Why ADHD gets missed in girls so often. And whether the rise in diagnoses is a real increase or just better recognition. Then we go practical. Exercise and the neurotransmitter cocktail it releases. Meditation as attention training — treating focus like a muscle that starts out weak. The do-it-now rule for short tasks. Building SMART goals so a vague plan stops feeling impossible. And how ADHD shows up in relationships through forgotten texts and undone dishes, plus how both partners can meet in the middle without it becoming an excuse. We close on shame — the self-blame that piles up after years of being told you're lazy — and how Bryan dismantles that in CBT. Live with courage, clarity, and compassion. Practice inner strength, and develop within. Chapters: [00:00:00] Cold Open: When ADHD Looks Like "You Don't Care" [00:01:04] Welcome and Meet Dr. Bryan Gastelle [00:05:11] Obvious Cases vs. Flying Under the Radar: How Autism Gets Missed [00:09:50] Do People on the Spectrum Lack Empathy? And How Therapy Actually Helps [00:14:31] Sensory Overload: Eye Contact, Crowds, and What Takes the Edge Off [00:19:12] AuDHD, Executive Function, and Why Diagnoses Are Rising [00:23:21] Why ADHD Looks Different in Boys and Girls [00:27:44] Exercise, Meditation, and Training Attention Like a Muscle [00:32:00] ADHD in Relationships: Texting, Chores, and Real Compromise [00:36:05] Do It Now: SMART Goals and Offloading Working Memory [00:40:12] Shame, Self-Blame, and Why It's Not a Character Flaw [00:44:31] Final Advice and Where to Find Bryan Learn more about Bryan's work: https://www.empowermytherapy.com/ Free 1-month of the Meditation App - Waking Up https://dynamic.wakingup.com/guestpass/SC58BD912 Please Subscribe to my YouTube - YouTube Subscription Link Disclaimer Professional medical care and psychotherapeutic services are not offered on this Youtube channel. It is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such condition. Seeking professional support is encouraged if you think you have an issue and that you want help.

Link Up w/The Morning Sickness Digitally All Over:Instagram: @hms_98_official, @bosskupd, @bretvesely, @dickToledoX/Twitter: @HMSon98, @DickToledo, @bretveselyFacebook: @HMSKUPDYouTube: @hmspodcast9320, @98kupdRequest/Call in/Wakeup Song line:(IN AZ) 602.585.9800More HMS online: www.holmbergpodcast.com, www.98kupd.comEmail: dtoledo@98kupd.com, bvesely@98kupd.com, bbogen@98kupd.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Link Up w/The Morning Sickness Digitally All Over:Instagram: @hms_98_official, @bosskupd, @bretvesely, @dickToledoX/Twitter: @HMSon98, @DickToledo, @bretveselyFacebook: @HMSKUPDYouTube: @hmspodcast9320, @98kupdRequest/Call in/Wakeup Song line:(IN AZ) 602.585.9800More HMS online: www.holmbergpodcast.com, www.98kupd.comEmail: dtoledo@98kupd.com, bvesely@98kupd.com, bbogen@98kupd.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After moving into what seemed like the perfect family home, a young couple watched their six-year-old daughter become fascinated with a sunny little room at the end of the upstairs hallway. She insisted she wasn't alone up there. There was a kind woman with gray hair who liked to sit in the rocking chair by the window.At first, they assumed it was an imaginary friend.Then they began hearing footsteps in empty rooms. Chores seemed to finish themselves. A babysitter left convinced someone else had been walking the upstairs hallway. None of it felt threatening...just strangely familiar.Years passed, but one question never completely went away.Who was the woman upstairs...and why did she seem determined to keep watching over the house?#Paranormal #GhostStories #HauntedHouse #TrueGhostStory #LifeAfterDeath #Spirits #Unexplained #HauntedHome #RealParanormal #Ghost #Apparition #ImaginaryFriendLove real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:

After moving into what seemed like the perfect family home, a young couple watched their six-year-old daughter become fascinated with a sunny little room at the end of the upstairs hallway. She insisted she wasn't alone up there. There was a kind woman with gray hair who liked to sit in the rocking chair by the window.At first, they assumed it was an imaginary friend.Then they began hearing footsteps in empty rooms. Chores seemed to finish themselves. A babysitter left convinced someone else had been walking the upstairs hallway. None of it felt threatening...just strangely familiar.Years passed, but one question never completely went away.Who was the woman upstairs...and why did she seem determined to keep watching over the house?#Paranormal #GhostStories #HauntedHouse #TrueGhostStory #LifeAfterDeath #Spirits #Unexplained #HauntedHome #RealParanormal #Ghost #Apparition #ImaginaryFriendLove real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:

Kevin Nash and Sean Oliver dive deep into the real numbers behind WWE's recent live event slump. The duo breaks down SummerSlam's two night ticket sales and explores what it actually takes for Superstars to stay sharp in an era without constant house shows. The conversation heats up as Nash responds directly to The Undertaker's recent criticism of the infamous MSG Curtain Call, offering a blunt perspective on the iconic moment that changed professional wrestling forever. Beyond the squared circle, the discussion shifts to the grueling realities of constant travel and the utter lack of modern airport etiquette. The hosts also explore the chaotic global political landscape, dissecting current US military production capabilities and alarming missile shortages. From military readiness to foreign policy blunders, the episode offers a completely unfiltered take on the modern geopolitical quagmire. The pop culture commentary hits overdrive as they examine sensory shopping at Sephora and the unexpected revelations found within Anthony Fauci's personal diaries. Viewers also get a hilarious reaction to the viral clip of a certain politician falling asleep at a funeral, followed by another wild round of the classic Florida Man versus Jersey Guy game. Finally, the guys tackle a fresh batch of hard hitting questions directly from the fans in the 11SOFT club. BlueChew- When you buy two months of BlueChew Gold, you get the third FREE with promo code NASH. You will also receive an additional 10% OFF + Free overnight shipping on your first order. Visit BlueChew.com for more details and important safety information StopBox - Get firearm security redesigned and save 10% off @StopBoxUSA with code NASH at https://stopboxusa.com/NASH #stopboxpod Ridge-Get 10% Off your entire order & take advantage of Ridge's Annual Sweepstakes by going to https://www.Ridge.com/KLIQ #Ridgepod NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to legal residents of the promotion territory, who have reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence. Void elsewhere & where prohibited by law. Enter by 9:00 a.m. USPT on 8 September 2026. 2 winners, prizes total ARV: up to approx. $539,165 CAD / £284,170. Skill-testing question required in CA. See Official Rules at ridge.com/pages/rules for complete eligibility, entry instructions, how to enter without a purchase, entry limits, prize details, odds, and restrictions. Sponsor: The Ridge Wallet LLC." 00:00 Kliq This #213 00:58 The Nash Travel schedule 04:15 When people aren't looking while walking 07:15 Keeping Sane while Traveling 10:48 LIVE Kliq This 12:00 the WHCD 12:52 Dr Fauci 15:51 Hadestown pro shot 18:15 Summerslam ticket sales vs The overall ticket market 22:40 Patriot Missile shortage 26:00 AVG military production for a conflict vs continued conflict 30:00 CHINA 33:15 6 Degrees of KB 36:30 BREAK BLUECHEW 38:30 HHH on Busted Open 46:09 Was The Curtain Call unprofessional? 50:04 Running Buckle Bump 52:12 SEPHORA 54:50 The View 58:43 Chores as a child 01:00:04 BREAK RIDGE 01:03:15 KTTV 01:03:23 What would Sexy do? 01:08:21 Trump shitting himself 01:11:02 FL vs NJ 01:16:30 BREAK STOPBOX 01:18:59 Putting Weapons in your car 01:20:09 ASKNASH 01:20:18 On Location 01:21:12 Ming's Death Grip 01:21:35 Favorite non finisher finish 01:22:29 Backyard Butcher 01:22:50 Rick Martel 01:23:42 Making Bret Hart Laugh 01:24:27 OUTRO

A company in San Francisco is rolling out robots that you can rent and put them to work. They'll do all your household chores you need done. Would you feel comfortable with having a robot clean your house?

Episode 004: Obedience Is Only the Beginning – Training Their Heart, Not Just Their Behavior Episode Overview Is getting your child to obey enough? In this episode of the Raising Lions Podcast, Pastor Joseph explains why biblical parenting must go beyond behavior management and focus on shepherding a child's heart. While obedience is a command from God and the foundation of a healthy home, it was never intended to be the finish line. The ultimate goal is raising children whose character reflects Christ—even when no one is watching. You'll learn how to intentionally cultivate biblical character instead of simply reacting to bad behavior, discover the everyday parenting habits that either strengthen or undermine character, and walk away with a practical, year-long plan to help your children grow into faithful, responsible adults. In This Episode Why obedience is the beginning—not the destination The difference between behavior modification and heart transformation Why God is concerned with the heart, not just outward actions Seven biblical character traits every parent should intentionally teach: Work Ethic Honesty Respect Self-Control Humility Gratitude Responsibility How children actually learn character through: Watching their parents Chores and responsibility Delayed gratification Serving others Accountability and consequences Modern parenting habits that unintentionally weaken character A practical one-year plan for intentionally developing biblical virtues in your home Key Scriptures Ephesians 6:1 Proverbs 4:23 Deuteronomy 6:4–9 Galatians 5:22–23 James 1:2–4 Hebrews 12:5–11 Proverbs (selected passages on diligence, wisdom, and responsibility) Key Takeaways Obedience without heart transformation is incomplete. Behavior is the fruit; the heart is the root. Character is developed through consistent daily habits—not occasional lectures. Parents prepare children for adulthood by allowing responsibility, hardship, and consequences to become teachers. The goal of parenting is not merely raising obedient children but raising adults who faithfully follow Christ. Weekly Challenge Choose one biblical character trait to focus on this month. Pray over it daily. Read Scripture that reinforces it. Create opportunities for your children to practice it. Encourage growth when you see it. Correct failures with grace and truth. Discuss it around the dinner table throughout the month. Repeat the process with a new virtue each month, and by the end of the year you'll have intentionally cultivated twelve biblical character traits instead of spending twelve months simply reacting to bad behavior. Resources Raising Children in the Lion's Den – A Biblical Guide to Discipline and Instruction in the Home Rules & Consequences Bundle – Practical biblical household rules and age-appropriate consequences Join the Raising Lions Community for exclusive parenting videos, Q&A sessions, and biblical parenting resources.

Every night, you make sure your phone is plugged into its charger. If you forget, you know that your phone won't last through the next day. Your son is much the same way. If you don't make sure his “battery” is charged at home, he will struggle to sit still and focus while he is at school. Make sure your boy has plenty of opportunities each day to do fun and fulfilling things. Create an obstacle course for him in the backyard. Give him a bunch of cardboard boxes and help him build a fort. Take him for a long bike ride. Chores and school are important, but let your boy be a boy. Then he will be “fully charged” to tackle life. For ideas on raising boys to be godly men,  visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Every night, you make sure your phone is plugged into its charger. If you forget, you know that your phone won't last through the next day. Your son is much the same way. If you don't make sure his “battery” is charged at home, he will struggle to sit still and focus while he is at school. Make sure your boy has plenty of opportunities each day to do fun and fulfilling things. Create an obstacle course for him in the backyard. Give him a bunch of cardboard boxes and help him build a fort. Take him for a long bike ride. Chores and school are important, but let your boy be a boy. Then he will be “fully charged” to tackle life. For ideas on raising boys to be godly men,  visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Sometimes the smallest things reveal the biggest relationship issues. A trash bag left by the door, a credit card balance that keeps growing, a family dinner seating arrangement, or a visit that goes two hours too long can expose resentment, embarrassment, entitlement, and communication problems that have been building for years.In this episode, we discuss a Booski who needs a clean exit strategy from long visits, a family member humiliated by assigned seats based on weight, and a woman concerned about her fiancé refusing to pay off a manageable credit card balance while they are saving for a home. Nesha G and Moelethal also respond to a young man worried about sexual disconnect three months into his relationship and a wife who finally refuses to take out the trash her husband keeps letting pile up.Through every story, one theme keeps showing up: people cannot expect grace, help, patience, and understanding while refusing accountability. This Our 2 Cents episode is funny, direct, and full of real-life marriage perspective.Send us Fan MailSupport the show Thanks for rocking with us! Don't forget to follow Life After I Do so you never miss an episode. Got a relationship situation you want us to weigh in on? Hit us at https://beacons.ai/laidpodcast — we just might talk about it in a future episode. 

In part one of Red Eye Radio with Gary McNamara and Eric Harley, a crazy story from The College Fix: "Women Do More Water Chores Due To Neocolonial Gender Blind Spot" / Mayor Zohran Mamdani boasts how his city-run grocery stores will offer a core basket of everyday groceries that will be 30 percent cheaper / Cash would help New York City's needy more than cheaper goods at a government run grocery store / New IRS migration data show billions of dollars in taxpayer wealth flowing into Texas as higher-income households continue moving to Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. For more talk on the issues that matter to you, listen on radio stations across America Monday-Friday 12am-5am CT (1am-6am ET and 10pm-3am PT), download the RED EYE RADIO SHOW app, asking your smart speaker, or listening at RedEyeRadioShow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chores can either be an annoyance or an opportunity to invest in your future health. During today's ten-minute walk, Dave shares how his perspective on daily chores has changed over the years.dave@walkingisfitness.comDownload your FREE 30 Day Fitness Chain TrackerSupport the mission of Walking is Fitness and buy Dave a coffeeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The more you can give your kids, the easier it is to spoil them. That's the quiet worry of every dad working hard to provide, so we went into the vault for this Deep Cut and pulled a teaching that's stuck with our members for years. In a member-only Front Row Dads workshop, financial planners Andrew Lisi and Adam Stock of Next Level Planning Group lay out a simple framework for raising grounded kids: three guiding principles (grace, gratitude, and generosity) and their opposites (pride, envy, and greed), which double as the warning signs a kid is drifting toward entitlement. It gets practical fast: chores vs. allowance, need vs. want, teaching kids to earn and invest, and the line worth writing down: "A luxury once enjoyed becomes a necessity." The theme underneath it all: kids catch our values from how we live, not from the lecture. As Andrew puts it, "thank before you bank."   IN THIS EPISODE: The 3 guiding principles: grace, gratitude, generosity The 3 spoiling indicators: pride, envy, greed "Give first, save second, live off what's left over" Chores vs. allowance, need vs. want, and teaching kids to earn and invest Why it starts with the parents, not the lecture   Join the brotherhood: https://frontrowdads.com  

Anyone who's ever clocked out mentally while still clocking in physically, managed a team running on fumes, or wondered whether investing in people actually moves the needle needs to hear this conversation.More info, resource & ways to connect - https://www.tacosfallapart.com/podcast-live-show/podcast-guests/mark-decarloWhat does improv comedy have to do with your employee wellness program? More than you'd think. In this episode of Even Tacos Fall Apart, MommaFoxFire sits down with Mark DeCarlo, comedian, TV host, author and corporate speaker, to talk about why investing in your people isn't just the right thing to do. It's the smart business move.Mark has spent decades in entertainment and now brings that energy into the corporate world, helping companies build cultures where people actually want to show up. His argument is simple and backed by data: employee wellbeing programs improve productivity. Full stop. So even if you're the most hard-nosed, bottom-line-focused executive in the room, the numbers still make the case for you. There's no tradeoff between caring for your people and running a profitable business. Those two things move in the same direction.The conversation takes a sharp turn into creativity, and this is where it gets good. Mark makes the case that creativity is a teachable skill, not something you're born with or without. Improvisation is his gateway. When you practice improv, you train your brain to stop flinching, stop second-guessing and start generating. But here's the catch: your brain needs room to work, and most of us aren't giving it any. We're buried in our phones, glued to our headphones and never actually bored. Mark argues that unplugged time isn't a luxury. It's a prerequisite for any kind of original thinking.MommaFoxFire backs this up with something her 12-year-old absolutely does not want to hear: boredom is good for you. Research supports it. When your brain has nothing to react to, it starts creating, connecting dots it never had time to connect before. Chores, dog walks without earbuds, sitting in a waiting room without scrolling, these aren't wasted time. They're where ideas come from.Mark also gets real about high-stress professions, the ER nurses, the NICU teams, the first responders who love what they do but are burning out anyway. Wellness programs aren't just for cushy office jobs. For people in inherently stressful roles, having outlets matters even more. Release valves, as Mark puts it. Ways to shake off the weight of the work so they can come back the next day and do it again.His life hack ties it all together: make every decision, big and small, based on whether it moves you toward happiness or away from it. Find your thing, orient your life around it and be honest enough with yourself to keep checking in as that thing evolves.If you've ever wondered whether your company's wellness initiatives are worth the investment, or whether creativity is actually a skill you can build, this episode has your answer.

Survivor winner Kyle Fraser returns to First Round's On Me to introduce Paprclip, a social accountability app designed to help people accomplish goals, build better habits and strengthen their relationships together.Kyle explains how an unexpected moment involving a cartoon and a paperclip inspired the original idea—and how his secret Survivor alliance with Kamilla Karthigesu eventually evolved into a real-world business partnership.We explore why traditional habit trackers often fail, how accountability changes motivation and why completing goals alongside another person can be far more powerful than trying to do everything alone.Kyle also breaks down Paprclip's shared goals, habits, daily challenges, group functionality and private photo and video check-ins. He shares how the platform could help friends, couples, families, new parents and members of the ADHD and neurodivergent communities stay connected while becoming better versions of themselves.The conversation also covers entrepreneurship, choosing the right co-founder, maintaining adult friendships, protecting your imagination and learning to stop measuring your worth by how much other people like you.Paprclip's Kickstarter launches July 14. Follow the campaign through the link below and support the team as they prepare for beta testing.https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1638490462/paprclip-the-social-accountability-app?ref=aj5ebcIn this episode:• Why accountability is more powerful than motivation• How Kyle came up with the idea for Paprclip• Why most habit-tracking apps fail• Building goals and habits with friends• How body doubling can improve consistency• Using accountability within marriages and families• Gamifying personal growth without replacing human connection• Kyle and Kamilla's transition from Survivor allies to co-founders• The loneliness of becoming a solo founder• Why friendship and imagination matter• What Kyle would tell his 10-year-old selfSubscribe to First Round's On Me for more honest conversations about dating, relationships, personal growth and genuine human connection.Happy connecting.00:00 Kyle Fraser Returns01:10 Becoming a New Father01:46 Where Paprclip Came From03:20 Turning an Idea Into an App05:38 What Is Paprclip?07:09 Accountability With Friends or Strangers08:17 Daily Challenges and Gamification09:33 Completing Goals Together10:20 Group Paprclips and Shared Content12:02 Why Habit Trackers Fail13:11 Accountability and the Loneliness Epidemic14:06 Maintaining Long-Distance Friendships15:00 Competition, Chores and Relationships17:02 Who Is Paprclip Built For?18:25 Fitness, Marriage and New Parenthood20:16 Making Adult Life Fun Again21:25 Introducing the New Dating App22:07 Calendars, Organization and AI23:24 Why Paprclip Is Human-Centered24:18 Paprclip's Development and Beta24:57 The July 14 Kickstarter27:13 Paprclip and the ADHD Community27:53 The Loneliness of Being a Founder28:38 Choosing Kamilla as a Co-Founder31:25 Paprclip's Vision for the Future32:01 Friendship and Imagination34:02 Finding Your Real Cheerleaders35:34 Refusing to Lose Your Creativity36:32 Advice to Kyle's 10-Year-Old Self37:39 Supporting Paprclip38:19 Where to Find the Kickstarter

Oscar Ledlin is just 34 years old, but last year he was ranked number 55 on the Financial Review Young Rich List with a fortune valued at $123 million. The founder and chief executive of the Ledlin Group started the company after seeing a gap in the market for small commercial properties during the e-commerce boom. In this episode, the property entrepreneur sits down with BOSS editor Sally Patten and reveals the secrets to his success, including where his best ideas come from and the piece of advice he almost always ignores. This podcast was sponsored by the City of Parramatta. Further reading: Young property entrepreneur gets set in green concrete start-up Oscar Ledlin, who ranks number 55 on the Young Rich List, has launched a company specialising in sustainable concrete production, with ambitions to IPO. This developer cracked the Young Rich List by making warehouses sexy Oscar Ledlin has tapped into the Instagram generation to build his fast-growing commercial property empire, but there have been stumbles along the way. Billionaire property whisperer Monika Tu spills her secrets Ready to retire at 45, everything changed for this immigrant from humble beginnings when she met her third husband – and discovered her purpose.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're a fan of riddles, this video is going to warm up your brain and boost your imagination! Some of the tasks are unlikely to happen in real life, but that make them even cooler! Pay attention to the tiniest details and think hard. These riddles and puzzles with answers are here to unlock your inner Sherlock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chores. Nobody's favourite topic. But possibly the most underrated parenting tool in the whole toolkit.In this episode Stephanie makes the case that chores are not really about having a clean house. They are about belonging. About raising kids who understand that families are not hotels, that everyone is crew, not passengers, and that the work of keeping a life running well is something you learn young or struggle with later.From the "item on the stair" hack that never worked, to the dishwasher rotation that taught the golden rule better than any conversation could, to watching her adult son plan his cleaning day from across the country, this episode is honest, warm and grounded in twenty+ years of real family life.Including the research finding that the best predictor of a young adult's success in their mid-twenties was whether they did household chores at age three or four.Not grades. Not sport. Chores.There are no magic fairies. Teaching our kids this might be one of the most loving things we ever do.Lazy Parenting Podcast | Episode 82 | lazyparenting.ca | @lazyparenting

Why do constraints help kids thrive? Dr. Aliza Pressman & David Epstein reveal the counterintuitive science of raising resilient, confident children. If you've ever wondered whether making things easier for your kids is actually holding them back, this episode will stop you in your tracks. Dr. Aliza Pressman sits down with bestselling science writer David Epstein, author of Inside the Box, to unpack the research-backed case for constraints as one of the most powerful — and most misunderstood — tools in child development. From the Harvard Study of Adult Development's landmark findings on chores and confidence, to the neuroscience of why frustration tolerance is a skill every parent should be actively building, this conversation gives you concrete strategies you can implement this week. Starting at the dinner table. What you'll learn: Why assigning chores in kindergarten predicts higher self-confidence later, and how to frame them so kids actually want to do them What the Constraints-Led Approach (used by elite sports coaches) can teach every parent about stepping back and letting kids self-organize "Brain first, tool second," David's framework for navigating AI, screens, and the cognitive risks of passive consumption Why anomie (normlessness) drives youth anxiety and how clear family values and rituals act as a protective anchor This episode is brought to you by: Minnow: Cabana Capsule celebrates days spent lingering by the sea, soaking up the sun, and savoring the simple luxury of having nowhere to be. Shop the capsule starting July 7th at shopminnow.com and enter code MEETMINNOW15 at checkout to receive 15% off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

DOMRADIO.DE hat am 13. Sonntag im Jahreskreis das Pontifikalamt aus dem Kölner Dom mit Weihbischof Ansgar Puff übertragen. Der Mädchenchor am Kölner Dom gestaltete die Messe unter der Leitung von Oliver Sperling und Cécilia Bazile musikalisch. Erstmals sangen dabei 27 Mädchen des B-Chores aus den dritten Klassen gemeinsam mit den älteren Sängerinnen des A-Chores, des Kammerchores und des eXtra-Chores ein Hochamt im Kölner Dom. Zu hören waren unter anderem Werke von Claudio Casciolini und Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. An der Domorgel spielte Matthias Wand. Zum Abschluss der Messe erklang das Präludium und die Fuge E-Dur von Vincent Lübeck. In seiner Auslegung des Sonntagsevangeliums stellte Weihbischof Ansgar Puff die Frage nach der richtigen Ordnung der Liebe im Mittelpunkt. Jesus mache deutlich, dass die Liebe zu Gott Vorrang vor allen anderen Bindungen habe. Der Kirchenlehrer Hieronymus betont dazu, die Liebe zu Eltern und Kindern werde nicht aufgehoben, sondern dürfe die Liebe zu Gott nicht übersteigen.

On this episode we touch on Ohios Wayne National Forest for sale and we will be looking on more info on this!Are you benefitting from hanging your cameras now or do you wait till season? Is velvet overrated? Thanks for listening!John 3.3WiseEye Tech Trail Cameras⁠https://wiseeyetech.com/⁠Code: bornagain for 10% off!  Premier Outdoors⁠https://premieroutdoors.us/⁠Code at the register: Podcast 2025 for 10% off! (exclusions apply)Rogue Bowstringshttps://www.roguebowstrings.comCode: BornAgain20 for 20% off!Latitude Outdoorshttps://www.latitudeoutdoors.comCode: BORNAGAIN for 15% off!

The Thoughtcrime crew dives into compelling topics of the moment including: -How should California determine if a person is officially gay? -What home chores are dad jobs vs. mom jobs? -Is the movie Obsession an indictment of men, or of women? Watch every episode ad-free on members.charliekirk.com! Get new merch at charliekirkstore.com!Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Thoughtcrime crew dives into compelling topics of the moment including:-How should California determine if a person is officially gay?-Does dads helping more at home drive down the birthrate?-Rest in peace, Pizza Hut?Support the show

The Thoughtcrime crew dives into compelling topics of the moment including: -How should California determine if a person is officially gay? -What home chores are dad jobs vs. mom jobs? -Is the movie Obsession an indictment of men, or of women? Watch every episode ad-free on members.charliekirk.com! Get new merch at charliekirkstore.com!Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thanks for listening!

If you've ever looked around your house thinking, “Why am I still doing everything for these capable humans?” — this episode is for you.I'm deeply passionate about helping parents raise kids who are not only healthy, but independent, resilient, and prepared for real life. And honestly? Chores and family responsibilities are one of the most powerful tools we have to make that happen.In this conversation with Hunter Clarke-Fields from the Mindful Mama Podcast, we talk about why chores are about so much more than getting help around the house. They help kids build confidence, ownership, problem-solving skills, and even better mental health.We also talk about:Why responsibility protects teen resilienceHow to start chores with toddlers and preschoolersWhat to do if your teen has never really helped beforeWhy contribution matters more than perfectionHow to stop nagging and build systems that actually workAnd yes — I share the exact chore system we've used in our family for over 10 years.Whether your child is 4 or 14, it's never too late to start building the life skills they'll carry into adulthood.Resources We Mention for Chores for TeensBuilding Strong Families, Connected Kids with Father Leo of Plating GraceThe Kimball Family Chores System That Works!Can Mindfulness Make You a Better Parent? (+ Bonus Guided Meditations for Kids!)Get some life skills, right now! Easy workshops for kids and teens to take ownership.Start your kids making simple snacks now at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastsnacks. Shop Third Rock Essentials at kidscookrealfood.com/thirdrock, and use code KITCHENSTEW for 20% off!Kitchen StewardshipRaising Healthy Families follow Katie on Instagram or FacebookSubscribe to the newsletter to get weekly updatesYouTube shorts channel for HPHFind the Healthy Parenting Handbook at raisinghealthyfamilies.com/podcastAffiliate links used here. Thanks for supporting the Healthy Parenting Handbook!

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Hanna's plans for a relaxing Friday night went completely out the window when she noticed a few spots on her bathroom mirror. She explains how "family rot time" quickly became an evening of "power puttering." We also get some advice on the best ways to help a grieving friend without seeming pushy or judgy about the state of their home. And listener #9544 offers a tribute to Ridwell. 

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Monday!!!! Jules is BACK from Cape Cod (with a hot take: there is nothing better than timing a girls trip with the premiere of Love Island!!!). And we officially took our first road trip with 2 under 2 (Dallas!!)… we have OPINIONS… is it actually easier to drive 3 hours or fly 30 minutes when you have a toddler and a newborn?! We break down the full case for each (and the verdict surprised even us). Then we get into Harrison officially deleting social media from his phone (goodbye doomscrolling) and what he's doing to "replace" that time (Morning Brew!), which leads Alex to a BIG announcement: we are officially starting a Substack!!! Coming Thursdays (we think) starting next week (we think), plus you guys already know but next week we're ALSO moving to 3 episodes a week (Mon/Wed/Fri), which Harrison is suddenly calling a trial but we are not. We get into all things parenting: the mom who couldn't pump at a spa and went VIRAL (uhhh the law is the law!!), the impact of a dad on his daughter's self-esteem before age 5, what we learned at the Pure Mama x Nuna motherhood panel (postpartum mood disorders can show up as OCD, rage, paranoia, psychosis & more), and Rocky's reflux update because Dr. Ari's advice changed EVERYTHING. Of course we have the fun stuff: Belmont Cameli is NOT giving us the ick (also I swear if we heard the name before having Rocky he would be a Belmont right now), West & Amanda are in Italy and the spit-gate video is taking over the internet (are they in on the joke or are they solid-coring?!), our THINGS WE DMED EACHOTHER on Esther Wojcicki's iconic advice "don't do anything for your kids that they can do themselves" (she raised the YouTube CEO + the 23andMe CEO so… yeah we're listening), and TWO BICKERS OF THE WEEK: are some nicknames off limits in your own household (Tay vs. Tate!!!), and waiting for a specific parking spot when there are 12 others available

Happy Friday! This short episode announces a six‑week summertime sampler membership and shares three quick ways to gamify cleaning with kids using Go Fish, Uno, and Candyland. Each idea turns tidy tasks into playful challenges — but remember: gamify your cleaning, don't turn game time into chores. Try these simple twists, adjust for ages, and join the summer group for more light, easy organizing fun.  Let me know how it goes and your own fun ideas! Summertime Sampler Series: https://joylovinghome.myflodesk.com/summer Connect with Me! Website: https://joylovinghome.com Free Community: https://bit.ly/joylovinghomecommunity Membership: https://joylovinghome.com/membership Email: joy@joylovinghome.com IG: https://instagram.com/joylovinghome

There's more to summer than camps, trips, and schedules. While those things are all a part of summertime, the way you think and feel about summer matters just as much (if not more!). Today, I'm going beyond structure and calendars and talking about creating good summer vibes, so you can actually enjoy all those things you're planning. Then, we'll also get into creating a good summer plan and dealing with common obstacles that come up. You'll Learn:Why summer planning starts with your thoughtsA little trick to make your new thoughts feel more trueSummer routines and limits to decide in advanceThe inevitable challenges of summer (it's not just you!)How to avoid summer burnout as a momThe goal is that when you send your kids off to school in the fall, you can look back on this summer and think, "That was fun." Let's make it happen!---------------------------------------Whether you already have the entire summer planned out or you're winging it and hoping for the best, these tips will help you to feel comfortable and confident heading into the summer break.I like to think of summer preparation in 3 different parts:Your summer mindsetYour summer planYour summer confidenceWhen you put these 3 pieces together, you end up with a summer that feels good for you, with a healthy combination of routine and freedom. Your Summer MindsetWhen I talk about mindset, the basic idea is that your feelings come from thoughts that you have. So by choosing the thoughts you want to focus on, you can feel the way you want. The way you think about summer and lots of open-ended time with your kids determines how you feel. If you go into the summer thinking, "This is going to be hard," or, "I don't like spending this much time with my kids," it is going to feel a lot harder. Summer is a long haul. It means a LOT of time with your kids, especially if you don't have childcare. Your kid is going to misbehave and have big feelings and complain and be too hot and overtired. You are going to feel tired. There are going to be hard days. Lots of parents get to the end feeling burned out, overwhelmed, frustrated, angry, and resentful. But you can also get to the end of summer feeling joyful, present, and with some really great memories. The first thing I want you to do is think about how you want to remember this summer. How do you want to feel about it? What thoughts do you want to have about it? How do you want to feel about yourself and your kids? What do you want the tone of your summer to be?Some examples of things you might want to chase are:JoyFunGratitudeDelightConnectionEaseChallengeOnce you're clear on what feelings you want to chase, you can set an intention to guide you.Let's say that you decide you're all about chasing fun this summer. Write down a few thoughts that you want to have about your summer, your kids, and yourself. These thoughts might feel like a bit of a stretch. It's a bit of a mix between making them believable and "fake it til you make it".Here are a few more examples to get you started:I like playing with my kids.I love watching my kids learn new things.I love watching my kids smile and listening to them laugh.I want to remember this summer with _________ (insert your desired feeling).The more joy in my thoughts, the more joy in my actions. I get to choose how I think and feel.Summer goes by quickly, and I want to enjoy it.I am enjoying my time as a mom.Peace is better than perfection. Some days are hard, and that's okay.This is temporary. It's gonna be alright.Another one of my favorite thoughts for summer is, "We don't have to". Parents often think they have to have extravagant, over the top events for their children in order for them to be happy or enjoy the summer. And that's just not true. You can make good memories in the simplest of moments. Playing a game, lounging around, eating popsicles, going to the park, looking at the clouds. Just being present in those kinds of moments is enough. Memories are created in the feelings, not the things.What your kid really wants from you is your presence. They want you to be with them, look them in the eye, and move at their pace. Summer PlanA common mistake parents make in the summer is letting things be too much of a free-for-all. I believe that kids do need a break from the demands and strict schedule of school, tutoring, sports, appointments, etc. And I want you to have a balanced structure to your day. Having more flow and flexibility during the summer is helpful for kids' nervous systems because their nervous system is naturally slower than ours. But I also like to think of limits and routines as the metronome beat underneath your family. It's a consistent rhythm. So how do you know when to let things flow and when to bring in some structure? The areas I'll talk you through today are screens, sweets, sleep, and chores.Screen time. Ask yourself, "How do I want screens to go this summer?" Think about your screen routine during the school year. Will you keep it the same? Will you make changes?I know you probably want me to tell you want to do here, but I'm not going to. It really depends on what you have going on, how busy your family is, how overwhelmed you are as a mom, etc. I do think it is generally a good idea to avoid screens first thing in the morning. Give them a chance to get up, have breakfast, and get their bodies moving. You can set whatever limits you want here. For example, "You can watch TV for an hour as long as you have gotten dressed, had breakfast, and brushed your teeth."If your kids are going to camp, I'd avoid screens altogether in the morning. It's not worth the meltdown when you're trying to get them to turn it off and get out the door.Sweets. How much, how often, and when will your kids get sweet treats? Will you allow one sweet treat per day? Only when you are out? Only on weekends?Sleep. With the sun going down later, it's fine to make bedtime 30-40 minutes later. But once you decide on the new bedtime, be as consistent as you can. Of course there are nights when you're having a barbecue or you're watching 4th of July fireworks, and your kid ends up staying up late. It's not that big of a deal. The next day might be a little rough, but you can handle it. What gets really hard for kids is when they're up late multiple nights in a row. Their bodies get used to a rhythm, and it's important to stick to that as much as you can. Chores. The easiest way to get kids to do what you want them to do is to connect chores with another event. For example, "We'll leave for the beach once the trash cans are brought in," or, "We'll go to the pool today as long as everyone puts their laundry away by 11 a.m."Here's the thing with limits. You can decide in the moment or change your rules every day if you want, but it will be confusing for your kids and you'll likely have more big feelings because they don't know what to expect. If you do set limits and create a structure around these things, be prepared to follow through on them consistently.As you figure out your summer limits and structure, think about your ideal day. When you know how you want things to go, it's easier to decide what you want those rhythms and limits to be. Summer ConfidenceBefore we get into this one, I want you to know that a few things are inevitable during the summer:If you have more than one child, they are going to fight.Your kids will get bored. This is actually a good thing. You will feel burned out. Summer is a heavy lift for moms. People will have grumpy moods. Your kid will get grumpy, and you will get grumpy. It's okay to pivot if people aren't up for whatever you have planned. Trust your intuition. Repeat after me. "I am not my child's camp counselor." It is not your job to make your kids happy or to make them have fun. Boredom is uncomfortable for them, but it's their job to figure it out. Play is their work. In order to avoid burnout as much as possible (and get through it when it hits), you'll need to be proactive about managing your energy. Move your body daily. Connect with other adults. Do something that delights you. Allow your thoughts and feelings, and work on your mindset. Rest when you're tired. Even with screen time limits, you have permission at any time to put on a movie for your kids and take a break. Wishing you a calm (and FUN!) summer, Mama!Additional ResourcesCheck out our curated Calm Summer Mama podcast playlist on SpotifyGet the Stress-Free Summer ToolkitEpisode 182: Digital Detox Made Easy with Molly DeFrankEpisode 130: How To Do a Digital Detox

When kids are home all the time, the house gets dirtier, patience gets shorter, and the pressure to make every day count mounts. Today, we're going to talk about how to create easier summer chores for families in a very Lazy Genius way. The first part of the episode will be about you and how you think as a parent of these kids, and the second part will be some practical ideas of how to get chores done in your house without you and your kids hating the chores or each other. Let's jump in. Helpful Companion Links Order my book The PLAN or ask your library to consider carrying a copy. Episode #330: How I Manage a Busy Season Episode #382: How to Manage Calendar Logistics Sign up for our every-other-week podcast recap email called Latest Lazy Listens. Sign up for my once-a-month newsletter, The Latest Lazy Letter. Grab a copy of my book The Lazy Genius Kitchen or The Lazy Genius Way! (Affiliate links) Download a transcript of this episode. Want to share your Lazy Genius of the Week idea with us? Use this form to tell us about it or record your idea and share your voice on the show. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#857: Neal and Toby discuss the recent box office success for YouTubers creating films, like the hit ‘Obsession'. Next up, why Peter Thiel relocated to Argentina and the World Cup player who skyrocked on social media to become a viral star. Then, big tech wants robots to do your chores and taking a look a the week ahead.  Sign up to join our trivia night! https://mbdtrivianight-june2026.splashthat.com/  To learn more visit https://www.sage.com/morningbrew Subscribe to Morning Brew Daily for more of the news you need to start your day. Share the show with a friend, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app. Listen to Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note⁠⁠⁠  Watch Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow⁠ This is a paid advertisement. Today's episode of the Morning Brew Daily Show is brought to you by Sage — a trusted global provider and leader in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses. The following commentary reflects general information about Sage and its products. Specific features, capabilities, and availability may vary by product, region, and customer requirements. To find out more, visit sage.com/morningbrew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to the Messy Success Podcast! This week Elizabeth is sitting down with Reiki master, bestselling author, and all-around magical human Molly Donlan to talk about her book Mundane Magic, a lazy witch's guide to hacking your brain, building a daily practice, and actually getting stuff done. If you have ever stared down a pile of laundry or a sink full of dishes and felt your soul leave your body, this episode is for you. Molly came into the energy and Reiki world as a full blown skeptic, burned out from nearly a decade of advocacy work for survivors of sexual violence. What started as her own healing journey became a thriving online business, a community with an 88 percent course completion rate, and now a book that is making people cry in the best possible way because they finally feel seen. In this conversation Elizabeth and Molly talk about what it really looks like to build a business by following your gut instead of a formula, why consent based marketing actually converts better than pressure tactics, and how turning your most dreaded household tasks into intentional daily rituals can unlock creativity, focus, and a whole lot more peace. Molly also shares the free download she has available and where to find the book.

Comedian and author Jordan Carlos joins Matchmaker Maria to talk about the surprisingly sexy secret to saving a relationship: doing the chores without being asked! From "invisible labor" and executive function to a grabbing some milk, they get into why a clean kitchen can actually improve your sex life! This episode gets hilariously real about marriage, gender roles, and modern dating. Jordan opens up about hitting a rough patch 10 years into marriage, realizing he'd become a bit of a man child, and how learning to truly co-parent changed everything at home. Maria agrees saying women notice the missing top sheet immediately, and the small habits actually make someone more attractive. If you've ever wondered whether buying extra coffee creamer counts as romance… this episode says YES! Support the sponsors, support the show! Ask A Matchmaker fans get 20% off Bleume liquid plant food with code MATCHMAKER at http://GrowBleume.com

In this episode the guys break down the healthiest U.S. states versus where people actually live the longest, and answer listener questions on processed foods, deadlifts, abs, and training through menopause. SPONSORS Caldera Lab (skincare botanicals & peptides) — ⁠https://calderalab.com/MINDPUMP⁠ Code: MINDPUMP — 20% off first order Ketone IQ (exogenous ketones) — ⁠https://ketone.com/MINDPUMP⁠ 30% off first subscription order LMNT (electrolytes) — ⁠https://drinklmnt.com/MINDPUMP⁠ Free sample pack with any purchase   MAPS 15 BOGO — ⁠https://maps15bogo.com⁠ Buy 1 get 1 FREE — limited time (all 7 MAPS 15 programs same price)   LINKS Mind Pump Store: ⁠https://mindpumpstore.com⁠ Maps Fitness Products: ⁠https://mapsfitnessproducts.com⁠ Instagram: @mindpumpmedia   0:00 - Intro 1:54 - Healthiest states vs. where people actually live longest 7:42 - Longevity vs. healthspan — why frequent movement beats scheduled workouts 18:54 - Chores and gardening — the daily activity longevity link 34:19 - Online dating confessions 39:26 - Dad life stories 49:17 - Ketone IQ 51:43 - LMNT 52:19 - What "processed" really means — heavily engineered foods 55:07 - Deadlift vs. sumo — which is right for you 56:44 - Vacuum pose — pairing ab work with daily vacuums 58:04 - Building muscle during menopause — 2 days/week is enoughIn this episode the guys break down the healthiest U.S. states versus where people actually live the longest, and answer listener questions on processed foods, deadlifts, abs, and training through menopause.   SPONSORS Caldera Lab (skincare botanicals & peptides) — ⁠https://calderalab.com/MINDPUMP⁠ Code: MINDPUMP — 20% off first order Ketone IQ (exogenous ketones) — ⁠https://ketone.com/MINDPUMP⁠ 30% off first subscription order LMNT (electrolytes) — ⁠https://drinklmnt.com/MINDPUMP⁠ Free sample pack with any purchase   MAPS 15 BOGO — ⁠https://maps15bogo.com⁠ Buy 1 get 1 FREE — limited time (all 7 MAPS 15 programs same price)   LINKS Mind Pump Store: ⁠https://mindpumpstore.com⁠ Maps Fitness Products: ⁠https://mapsfitnessproducts.com⁠ Instagram: @mindpumpmedia   0:00 - Intro 1:54 - Healthiest states vs. where people actually live longest 7:42 - Longevity vs. healthspan — why frequent movement beats scheduled workouts 18:54 - Chores and gardening — the daily activity longevity link 34:19 - Online dating confessions 39:26 - Dad life stories 49:17 - Ketone IQ 51:43 - LMNT 52:19 - What "processed" really means — heavily engineered foods 55:07 - Deadlift vs. sumo — which is right for you 56:44 - Vacuum pose — pairing ab work with daily vacuums 58:04 - Building muscle during menopause — 2 days/week is enough  

Do you ever feel overwhelmed… no matter how much you get done?Like your nervous system never fully settles.You move from one responsibility to the next.Work. Parenting. Relationships. Messages. Decisions. Chores. Deadlines.And even when you finally sit down to “relax”…your mind is still running.For a long time, I thought being overwhelmed was just part of being a high-achiever.But what I eventually realized is this:Not all overwhelms are the same.Sometimes the problem is practical.There's simply too much to carry with too few resources.But other times… the overwhelm is emotional.And no amount of productivity hacks, massages, bubble baths, or better scheduling can truly fix it.Because emotional overwhelm often happens when there's something deeper we're avoiding.A conversation.A truth.A change.A decision.A part of ourselves asking to finally be heard.In this week's episode, Dealing with Emotional and Practical Overwhelm, we unpack the difference between these two kinds of overwhelm, and why understanding that distinction can completely change how you respond to stress.Because when we treat emotional overwhelm like a scheduling problem…we stay stuck.And when we treat practical overwhelm like a personal failure…we burn out our nervous systems even more.Episode timestamps:02:53 — The two different kinds of overwhelm03:28 — What emotional overwhelm actually feels like04:26 — How to tell whether your overwhelm is emotional or situational05:32 — A real-life example of situational overwhelm07:32 — What happens when emotional overwhelm builds up08:39 — One major sign you're emotionally overwhelmed10:31 — Why even joyful activities stop feeling restorative12:01 — The deeper truth emotional overwhelm is often pointing toward13:36 — Why self-care alone sometimes doesn't work14:40 — Why practical overwhelm is easier to identify15:01 — The real cause of practical overwhelm16:18 — The two ways to reduce practical overwhelm18:02 — Planning vs. execution: the hidden mental load19:21 — The power of “minimal acceptable standards”20:14 — Questions to help identify your type of overwhelm22:02 — The “golden nugget” exercise to apply this immediatelyOne of the most important shifts for me personally was realizing this:Sometimes overwhelm isn't a sign that you're weak or failing.It's your nervous system trying to tell you something.Sometimes it's asking for support.Sometimes it's asking for rest.And sometimes… it's asking you to stop abandoning something important inside yourself.Because healing overwhelm isn't only about doing less.It's about learning how to listen differently to yourself.And if this episode resonates deeply with you, and you're a physician or high-achieving professional reading this thinking…“I know how to function under pressure… but my nervous system still feels constantly on edge”That's exactly why we created Untriggerable.A space to help you regulate your nervous system, stop living in constant reactivity, and learn how to move through stress, conflict, and overwhelm without losing yourself in the process.If that speaks to you, just reply to this email or reach out to admin@drkavethasun.com and we'll send you the details.

Hour 1: Sarah is already craving lobster at 6am. James Franco will return to the big screen this year. Sarah and Vinnie aren't sure how to feel about this. Travis Kelce knows his place. Kim Kardashian is getting a man out of death row. A little sports chat. Ronda Rousey defeats Gina Carano in Netflix's latest MMA fight. It's prom season! Think twice before showing up in a helicopter. How about a lesson on ginseng! Hour 2: Remember when Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson tricked us?! Is Tom Cruise next? Alex Cooper is pregnant. Adam Driver is saving it for his own book. Lena Dunham is top of mind these days. Cleavage for men is here, and Vinnie is pissed. Does Ketchup belong in the fridge? What about bread? New cities are enjoying getting to know Waymo. Hour 3: Sarah remembers the last time she saw Santana. Will Ferrell on SNL! The gender pay gap also applies to MMA - in case you were wondering. Tom Brady looks good in all leather. Does Aaron Rodgers really have a wife? This cake is on fire! High speed buses! Sounds like a great idea. A woman fainted behind the wheel with her 8-year old daughter in the car. Oh, so that's what Ohio is like. Hour 4: Kiefer Sutherland had to cancel his US country music shows due to low ticket sales. Ella Langley swept at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Lainey Wilson and Devlin “Duck” Hodges tied the knot in Tennessee. Chores are an important part of life - which are you choosing? Help! Vinnie is the only one who remembers this piece of slang. Opportunity, bad ideas, and boredom leads to bad news. The happiest cities in the world! Plus, when did that happen?

Kiefer Sutherland had to cancel his US country music shows due to low ticket sales. Ella Langley swept at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Lainey Wilson and Devlin “Duck” Hodges tied the knot in Tennessee. Chores are an important part of life - which are you choosing? Help! Vinnie is the only one who remembers this piece of slang. Opportunity, bad ideas, and boredom leads to bad news. The happiest cities in the world! Plus, when did that happen?

This time of year might not seem relevant for deer hunting, but if you want to find consistent success like some of the best big buck hunters, you might want to change your offseason approach. But don't just take it from me. I spoke with MeatEater's Mark Kenyon, who knows a thing or two about chasing mature bucks. Mark has also interviewed the best deer hunters across the country, so he's a bit of an encyclopedia when it comes to whitetail...

Monday, May 4. The seven stories you need to know today.Read today's briefing.

Today, we're going to talk about how to create healthy phone habits. Healthy habits are personal. What's healthy or unhealthy for me might not be for you, so this isn't a judgmental episode. Instead, we're going to examine what healthy means, what parts of our phone experience need some attention, and figure out how to create some better practices that align with what matters. Helpful Companion Links Order my book The PLAN or ask your library to consider carrying a copy. My profile on Spotify I mentioned looking for a folder on my profile of podcast playlists, but after recording, I realized you can't see it publicly. Here are those podcast playlists: Planning, Margin, Work, Change, Chores, Cooking, Kids, Office Hours, Summer Sanity, Holiday Sanity, Starter Pack, and Guests Gonna Try to Run playlist Calling for Spring playlist Road Ready app New York Times Cooking and New York Times Games Merlin Bird ID app 5 Calls app Kindle app Libby app Chirp app Audible app Book of the Month app Aardvark Book Club app Book Buddy app Trello app Sign up for our every-other-week podcast recap email called Latest Lazy Listens. Sign up for my once-a-month newsletter, The Latest Lazy Letter. Grab a copy of my book The Lazy Genius Kitchenor The Lazy Genius Way! (Affiliate links) Download a transcript of this episode. Want to share your Lazy Genius of the Week idea with us? Use this form to tell us about it or record your idea and share your voice on the show. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices