Thriving In Motherhood Podcast

Theresa is a mother of two and owner of Montessori In Real Life blog and Instagram. Today we're talking about how to take principles of the Montessori philosophy and applying them into our home. There are a lot of practical ideas as well as Theresa's own story of growth. Key Points from this Episode: Montessori is providing an environment that allows children to be self-motivated, curious, and confident in their own abilities. They are respected for who they are individually, and, in return, learn to respect others. Having an open floor plan can allow family members to be together without needing to be doing the exact same thing. Having a kid-friendly house does not mean it cannot be beautiful and enjoyable for adults too. Montessori and home can be quite different from Montessori in the classroom. Foster the natural desire toddlers can have to want to clean up.  You can arrange a closet in your home similar to how a classroom would store their materials to make for easy rotation. How we show up for our kids

Today we talk about how to embrace our kids having a normal, messy childhood and what we can do as parents to make things easier on us as parents. Don't forget to join our free Love Your Life Challenge! Key Points from this Episode: Being in nature and being messy is important to our kids' development. Buying clothes from thrift stores or Walmart makes all clothes play clothes and takes the stress off keeping things stain-free. Having a rain suit and rain boots keeps the kids from getting cold and wet while still enjoying the water play. They will play longer and happier and be able to just come in and strip off the top layer and be ready to keep playing inside without a total wardrobe change. A waterproof art smock works wonders on art projects, but also daily needs like helping with dishes. It takes the stress out of letting your kids help! Resources Tuffo Muddy Buddy Rain Suit Waterproof Art Smock

Rhonda Steed is a mother of five (ages 7-17) and a woman of many talents. We talk about setting up a craft room for your kids, how to make sourdough bread, and life as a mother as our children grow from the toddler to the teenage years. Key Points from this Episode: When you are going through a difficult circumstance like Medical School, find a mom friend in the same situation. They will get you and be able to understand the trials you are dealing with. Learn to carry on with your family even if your busy spouse is unable to be home. Learn to be happy when they do get to come, but don't bemoan your situation when they can't. Taking care of your body really matters. It allows us to mother better and do our best. To parent different personality types, set a goal to pray and think about one thing you can do for each child each day. Start with construction paper and water with a paintbrush if you are nervous about introducing art supplies to your kids. To keep the clutter down with so many creative expressions o

Today I'm talking about how I taught my kids to play, which leads into why we homeschool. If you feel like you always needs to entertain your kids and are looking for how to build the independent play skills in your children, this episode is for you! Key Points from this Episode: There is no one right way to do anything, schooling included! Even if you don't homeschool, you can take away ideas about how to run your household that can help your home life. Enabling kids to have the space to play out real life things (like kitchen sets) gives them so much imagination and freedom!) Recognizing kids' capabilities to feed themselves, wash themselves and dress themselves requires us to relinquish some control of our control, but opens the door to have the kids be able to be contributing members of our households. Charlotte Mason teaches that children are born persons. They have their own personalities and ambitions. Teach children to be a part of a family and a community. Resources You Are Your Child's First Teach

Teru Clavel is a mother of three (ages 10-15), author, and comparative education expert. She talks about principles of education that can be applied in all of our lives. We talk about resiliency, failure, and confidence. We talk about what we can do in our own homes to support our children no matter where they go to school. Key Points from this Episode: Play-based preschool helped build children's independence and prepared them to make choices for themselves. Some moments in parenthood when we realize our kids rely on us, so we have to "wake up" and meet their needs completely. We have to choose strength in that moment. Failure is a critical part of the learning process. Most of the important lessons we learn in life come from failure. Failure builds resiliency! More technology is not the answer to teach our children. Having technology is not bad, but the learning process works better in a more tactile world. Motherhood is a great learning ground for multitasking and prioritizing. We naturally measure everyt

In this episode I talk about setting appropriate expectations for ourselves in our new year and the difference between a vision and goals. I also share about my word for 2020: Connection. Key Points from this Episode: Setting goals or having a vision can keep us from drifting through our lives. A vision can keep things in perspective for what you have in your circle of influence, even when it's a hard or the future is feeling unknown. Think about the why behind your vision and goals. It needs to be realistic and compelling. In seasons where you can't do, focus on who you can be. If you are in a season where setting goals of doing is not realistic, have your vision focus on who you can be instead. Keep moving on the baby steps even when you aren't feeling it so that when you have a "wake up" moment and see your life with fresh eyes, you can enjoy the life you have created. Plan action steps for your vision (AKA goals) quarterly or even monthly if the whole year has too many moving parts to predict.

In this episode, I do a Year in Review and discuss some major lessons learned this year. I also talk about some things you might want to consider as you reflect on your year as a whole. Key Points from this Episode: Review any place you keep track of your thoughts or memories for the year. Relive the fun moments or experiences you had. If you can't plan the whole year, that's totally okay! Just take it a quarter, or even a month, at a time. When you focus on your circle of influence, it will have a positive effect on your family. That often means asking for more help! Communicating with your spouse to help make sure you are pulling your loads together, rather than pulling each your hardest but not together, will bring you strength. Recognize the successes you have had this year and find what motivates you to keep going on your goals from those experiences. Figure out what is in your circle of influence that can guide you towards things you really want in your life.

Merry Christmas!! Today, I talk about choosing to walk in the light rather than darkness during times of trial.  Key Points from this Episode: Angels are helping us in our times of trial even if we don't notice them.  Our thought patterns are like waking through tall grass. Our typical patterns are well-worn paths and are easy to walk through. It takes effort to try a new path, but you can do it! Read the questions to ask God. Open the scriptures and read a few verses. Then review and ponder the questions and see where the Spirit guides your thoughts. Hone in on what is in your circle of influence. Accept what phase of the Surviving to Thriving Framework you are in (Surviving, Re-Entry, Normalizing, Exploring, or Thriving). Own it and don't try to keep a foot in the door in phases you aren't really in right now! Oftentimes when our circumstances get bigger than ourselves, contentment can be the first thing to go. Peace can go out the door right with it. Accept the circumstances for what they are and remember

Today, I'm talking about a principle that has the ability to completely revolutionize your life. It's called the Big Three for the Week. It works wonderfully with the Thriving in Motherhood Planner, but can absolutely be applied with or without this particular planner. Key Points from this Episode: A Big Three for the Week helps add a lot of clarity, but you can optionally also have a Big Three for each Day if you have that kind of structure available to you. The Big Three are three things that help you move the needle forward on the most important tasks. Big Three should be highest priorities and we are intentionally giving space to them. You can have one of your Big Three be for one of your personal goals. You can have one of your Big Three be a goal for your family. This can be a great check to make sure things are in balance. You can have one of your Big Three be beyond your family. Look for opportunities of service or church work. It's okay to have just a Big One or Big Two if you know your top priority

Sarah Molitor is a mother of five under the age of seven and today we talk about finding joy in the Lord in our every day moments and boundaries both within our families and our own lives. Sarah is a Registered Nurse who always had being a wife and mother as her goal. Her passions are raising children to be others-oriented and inspiring other mothers to find joy through her social media influence. Key Points from this Episode: It takes time to find your confidence as a mother and find your stride. Focus on what things do look like, not what you expect them to look like. In hindsight, we will get to see that what God has planned for us is way cooler than anything we could have planned. Connect to the Lord any where, any time you can. It doesn't have to be at 6 am before the kids are awake. Allow the Lord to seep in all throughout our days. Structure and boundaries can give us the freedom to have more fun because the kids know what to expect to some degree. What we do at home should mimic what we do in public.

Today, we are talking about ways to create space in our lives. When we take the time to clear out mental space, we can make room to think ahead and prepare for the upcoming year! Key Points from this Episode: What is on your list to help you create space? Consider: Physical space Process Paperwork Setting Boundaries for Social Media Usage Reading Books that have been on your List Take a Break from Work  Focus on Your Relationship with God Look for finding balance, not on a daily or weekly level, but zoom out and make sure your yearly priorities are reflected in your yearly accounting of your time. If we don't take time to empty out, then we are more likely to want to escape. Instead, work to create a life that you don't want to escape from.

Dr. Sherry Zhang is a mother and founder and CEO of Genopalate. We talk about equipping our children with tools to navigate challenges, successes, and failures. We also talk about learning and the importance of asking good questions. Key Points from this Episode: Motherhood is a learning experience from day one. Every day is going to have some sort of fantastic uncertainty. It's up to us to make it better or worse. Learning from our children, who we created, is an amazing experience. Teaching our children principles and standards sets them up to interact well with the ever-changing environment around them. Successes are a very personal thing. Your successes can look completely different than someone else's. Your genetic code can give hints to what foods work best with your body. Health is not just about weight loss. Overall health is so much more.

Oakley is a mother of three, blogger & Instagrammer. She shares her family's stories about working with their son who has down-syndrome and discusses accepting imperfect mothering during the process. Key Points from this Episode: Keeping the home simple can help keep you from feeling like you are drowning. It's okay to not be the exact mom we want to be at this exact moment in time. Raising a family is a whole-family effort. Being a more open parent with our children about the process helps it become a team effort. Parenting has become more of an open process with our children because of the transparency of the world we live in.  Navigate the needs of your children by knowing your children. Notice what the need is. It's okay that the needs of the children are different. Take the time to be still with each child. Be a listener and let your children feel heard in their own home. Give your kids a few moments where you can let them feel like they are the center of your universe. Some of the surprises can be

Today we are talking about the Thriving in Motherhood Planner and three actionable steps for you to take (in our planner or another one) to help you change how you feel about your motherhood and your days and how you're using your time! Key Points from this Episode: This planner grew out of really wanting to have a place for myself to be able to bring to fruition what I wanted my motherhood to look like. The planner solves two MAJOR problems: It's a place to empty out your brain so you can engage in real life. It's also a way to be intentional with your time without adding unnecessary pressure. Change how you look at your time. Look at your time at a weekly level rather than a daily level. In the next 24 hours, write down all the things you accomplished, the things you discovered, the places you went to, the books you read, what you have done with your family. You can celebrate your accomplishments and evaluate where you want your priorities to be better. Ask yourself what you are curious about trying and

In this episode, I introduce the Surviving  to Thriving Framework and interview Megan Dilworth about how this framework has impacted her life. Megan is a wife and mother of three kids (ages 2-7) who is a member of The Thriving Team. She is a photographer, graphic designer, and lover of DIY projects. Key Points from this Episode: Surviving to Thriving Framework: All the steps are important. There is no time frame on this path. We all will repeat this path over and over throughout our lives. 1. Surviving circumstances, not mindset 2. Re-entry Uncomfortable transition between surviving and trying to get back into real life 3. Normalizing Basic routines 4. Exploring Establishing family culture and finding out what you love 5. Thriving Enjoy the beautiful moments. The seasons that feel like things are going well. Believing things are temporary will help us be more optimistic. These are temporary stages in our lives! Its okay to drop ideas that aren’t serving you. It’s okay to try new things, eve

Sometimes it feels like our kids should be our number one priority all the time. In this episode, I talk about how I think building a strong family and creating healthy relationships is the focus we should be having instead. Key Points from this Episode: Our kids are wonderful, but our priority is building strong families. We, as mothers, are part of the strong family that we need are building. Our family is only as strong as the weakest link, so we need to take care of ourselves too! When we can shift the idea from being a fire to put out to being a teaching moment, it can help us handle the situations differently. How we approach our days when we are thinking "My goal is to build a strong family. My goal is create healthy relationships" changes how we respond to our children. Supporting our children's growth is different than focusing on the results (and a whole lot less stressful!) Creating a strong family culture and atmosphere of growth is what is under our circle of influence, not our children's behavi

Natalie Hixson is a wife, mother, and certified professional life coach. Her goal is helping burnt out and discouraged Christian mothers overcome destructive anger so they can enjoy being a wife and mom. She, her husband, and three girls (ages 9, 12, and 16) live in Bozeman, Montana. Key Points from this Episode: We can break the fear and yelling cycle in our lives. Remember that our children have developmentally-appropriate tantrums. We need to work on things to be able to, in turn, help our children with their struggles rather than throw our own, grown-up tantrums. Recognizing that you have destructive anger and are facing burnout is the first step to overcoming it. It's not a mindset you have to stay in. Reach out for help if you recognize you have destructive anger! What we say to ourselves becomes our beliefs. It's the story we are telling ourselves and we believe it and what we believe, we support with our actions and our thoughts. Our minds look to support our thoughts. If we focus on positive thought

Jeanette Tapley, host of It's Time for Coffee Podcast all about friendship, wife, and mother of three children. We talk about her adoption journey and things she's learned from that. We also talk about tips on starting your own podcast and the art of the apology. Key Points from this Episode: Jeanette heard the whisperings of God saying, "I called you to be a mom. What are you going to do about the [children] that don't have one?" "I will always be the mom they need, but I will never be a perfect mom." Our kids learn how to be humble and apologize primarily by our example. "We are showing them how to love recklessly and, in turn, that will show us how Jesus has loved us." "Love well, love often, and love first." Checking in with our kids consistently can help let them know that open communication is there. Being honest with the people close to you about where things stands on your work or personal projects can help keep resentment from growing. If you want to start a podcast, figure out first who you want to

In this episode, I discuss the concept that the work of motherhood includes rest. Real rest is so important to the work of motherhood, especially as we gear up for the upcoming holiday season. If you take time to take care of yourself, then you will have the freedom to expand your influence in a way that is healthy to you and those around you. Key Points from this Episode: You are where it starts. You are smack-dab in the middle of your circle of influence. If you don't nourish yourself, you won't be able to nourish those around you. The more you focus on bringing the best for yourself, the more power and influence you will have for others. None of us can go full speed all the time. We weren't designed to go go go without taking time to rest. Sometimes we become numb to the amount of work we are doing in our daily lives. It's okay that we feel tired! Laziness is a deception of the adversary to keep us exhausted. Beware of being distracted to the point of not getting real rest. It's not laziness to go to bed

You have climbed mountains! In this episode, I talk about the dialog in our own minds that can adjust our thinking to be able to shift from "I am being beat up" to "I have climbed mountains!" The skill of having a Thriving Mindset is something that we can develop with the right tools. Key Points from this Episode: Every time we reach a mountain peak, we find a beautiful view and can stop to recognize the strength we have displayed to get as far as we have. Sometimes faith alone isn't enough to keep us positive. It's one piece of the puzzle. Gratitude is one piece of the puzzle. Identifying our cognitive patterns and distortions is a piece of the puzzle. Connect with people. Celebrating our milestones and progress helps us having a Thriving Mindset. Planning for the struggles that we know will be coming our way makes the struggles easier. When we decide who we want to be ahead of time, it makes a major difference. Ask God what He wants you to do that day. Pick the section that you are struggling with the most