Thriving In Motherhood Podcast

Emily is the creator and co-host of the Enlightening Motherhood Podcast and a life coach. As a mom of four, former foster mom of 27, and educator of all ages, she understands what it’s like to feel overwhelmed with your children’s intense behaviors and emotions.  Her mission is simple yet strong: to empower moms to calmly and confidently handle their children’s big feelings and behaviors, so motherhood won’t seem so hard and so there can be more peace at home. In this week’s episode, we talk about how to be the parent you want to be and how understanding the reasons behind your child’s behavior can help you handle big emotions more calmly and effectively.

I was recently asked what our family scripture study looks like, and I realized that it has evolved a lot over the years. In this week's episode, I outline what our family does for scripture study as an example of how I’ve pulled from many different sources to create a vision for my family and how we slowly grow into that vision in time. It’s the process I’ve built into the Thriving in Motherhood Planner, and it was good to reflect on how much growth we’ve had in this area of our lives using the planner as a tool to guide me.

A few years ago, I saw this idea of a Big 5 from @farmhouseschoolhouse, and we adopted it immediately into our home with tiny children. I’ve mentioned it on the podcast before, but a friend reached out with some excellent questions about what the kids and I do for our Big 5, when we have to finish them by, and what we do if someone doesn’t complete their Big 5. This week’s episode of the podcast answers all of these and more!

There is a lot of focus on time management and being productive. As a mom, I find that managing time can be inconsistent, which for me, is incredibly demotivating. The great news is that there are other things we can focus on to accomplish what matters to us.  For me, that is homeschooling, my kids, working on projects together around the house, having time each day to study scriptures, journal, and pray, adventuring as a family, and running Thriving in Motherhood. In this episode, learn the secret to making space for what matters to you!

Today I'm taking you behind the scenes of the Soaring Mothers Summit and sharing some of the miracles and the lessons I learned. This was an opportunity to strengthen my faith and trust in God in very real ways.

This episode is a little about homeschooling but more about how God wants to be involved, not just in giving us things to do but actually doing them with us. This principle is part of the Soul Pillar in my Made To Soar: Next 90 Days course (opening again in January), but I wanted to share it with you now because it is life-changing. And I don’t say that lightly. I’ve tried muscling through and solving problems on my own, but I fall into the “Exhausted Supermom Trap” and end up burned out. Listen to this week’s episode to find out what inviting God into your life, and problem-solving actually looks like in the life of a rather busy mom.

Today’s episode is an inspiring conversation with Arielle, a mom of four children ages 2 to 9. Arielle discovered the Soaring Mothers Summit last year during a period of transition. The idea of creating a vision for her life took hold of her, and she decided to make a change. Instead of staying in place thinking, “All I do is clean, cook, and keep kids alive,” she would create a life she was excited to wake up to each day. Her journey and lessons learned during the last few years of motherhood are sure to uplift and inspire you in your own motherhood journey.

Life can be hard sometimes, and when it is, it can feel easier to throw in the towel and give up than to keep pressing forward. But, when you have a clear vision of what you want your life to be like (or even a hazy idea), you’ll be able to spend your time and energy focused on making things happen instead of scrolling on social media, even if it is all you feel like doing.  For examples of what this looks like in my life, check out this week’s episode of the podcast.

My quest for the first few years of motherhood was just trying to figure out why I felt like I was surviving all the time when I wanted to love being a mom so badly. As life marched on and I slowly gained more experience, I discovered there are four main reasons moms end up feeling like they are surviving.  In this episode, I break down the four reasons for feeling like you’re in survival mode as a mom. Knowing what the problem was brought me so much peace and focus, especially since it meant nothing was wrong with me - I just had skills I needed to learn. I hope it will help you too!

Summer is coming to a close, and I’ve taken some time to reflect. We had ups and downs, focused on building family relationships, and experienced the normal stressors that come with family life. Looking back, I learned a lot - and I'm betting you did too! In this week's episode, I'm sharing my lessons learned, and I would love to hear yours too. What’s a lesson you learned this summer?

This week, I’m talking with Unymie Ogutuga @oliveandblisswellness about the three phases of rethinking motherhood. If you relate to feeling pressure to do and be more, this episode will give you a lot to think about.

We just got back a few weeks ago from our cross-country road trip, spending 60 hours in the car. Roadtripping for 3-5 days is a huge undertaking! In this episode, I share my best tips and systems for going on long road trips with children. This is our second time making the drive, and we solved many pain points for a much smoother experience. Knowing everything won’t go perfectly, and everything will still be okay takes the pressure off. A problem-solving mindset keeps hope alive and allows you to live in your circle of influence. I hope these tips help make your next road trip smoother!

Today's conversation is with Kaeli Wood introduced me to many new ideas when it comes to ways to contribute financially as a stay at home mom. Kaeli and her husband have done two live in flips of their homes and have been an air bnb host for 5 years. She is also a mom of three young kids who is really committed to raising her kids and also very passionate about finances. She gives a real behind scenes look about what this lifestyle looks like - both the financial side and the day to day living impact.

Audition Template: 1 Mono Host track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Mono Interview track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Stereo Sound FX with effects, 1 Stereo Music Bed track. 44.1k, 16 bit, Stereo Master.

This weeks chat with Greta Eskridge of @maandpamodern is one that will inspire you to return to the basics - things like reading aloud and going on adventures outside. I've loved both of Greta's book so this was also a chance to ask questions ranging from what has made the biggest impact in her family's homeschooling journey to how to discuss pornography with our kids. What is your biggest take-away from the episode?

Recently I was interviewed by the Minimalist Moms Meetup group about the story behind Thriving in Motherhood as well as the principles that carry us from surviving in motherhood to thriving.