Everyday Learning Ideas for Every Family
Gotta Love Family Podcast
Some time ago, I read an article called “Afterschooling,” written by a mom who was also a teacher. The idea is simple: learning doesn’t stop when the school day ends. Parents can use after-school hours, weekends, and summers to help kids stay sharp, fill in gaps, or stretch further when they’re ready for more. It works whether your child is homeschooled or attends a private or public school, and it’s especially helpful for the child who needs more than the classroom can give. What interested me was how ordinary the ideas were. Join me as we explore some wonderful ways to have fun and...
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Five Principles of Power Series – Real Life Planning
Gotta Love Family Podcast
At a webinar on the , I gave the attendees an assignment to determine which of the principles they felt most resistant to. I received a hilarious email from an attendee. It was hilarious, but also sobering. The principle that caused her to cringe was planning ahead. In her email, she related all the ways that she was constantly interrupted and why planning anything was a disaster. After a conversation, she sent me this email: "I appreciated you addressing my hang-up with preparation. I felt much relieved and empowered after our talk. Thanks for helping me see through another set of eyes!" Join...
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Five Principles of Power Series – The Wizard of Oz Moment
Gotta Love Family Podcast
When my youngest daughter was getting married, we went announcement shopping. Shopping is not on my list of enjoyable activities! We stopped at a couple of places, choked on the prices, and then found the perfect thing. It was way out of our budget, but being crafty, we can do anything, sort of women, we decided we could recreate it ourselves. We headed to my sister's home for a second opinion. While we were talking about photos, my sister mentioned she thought people looked better in black and white photos. An animated conversation took place over her comment. The enormity of...
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Practicing Calm — Holding the Chaos A Series Part 5
Gotta Love Family Podcast
Long ago, after a day that started at 7:00 in the morning and didn't end until 1:30 a.m. the next day, my daughter, Jodie, said, "Mom, it's probably a real blessing that you have the grandkids so much. It gives you lots of material for your writing." LOL We were preparing to teach a room full of sixth graders how to make gingerbread houses out of graham crackers. It took over ten hours of preparation. It was a gift to the kids for a fundraiser they'd put together to help with my granddaughter Maggie's therapy. However, a big project doesn't pause the rest of life. So how do you manage a day...
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Practicing Calm — What the Boys Taught Me - A Series: Part 4
Gotta Love Family Podcast
Many of us, without a plan, default to raised voices. We want calmer homes, but when the moment comes, we go straight to frustration and yelling because that's the response we're used to. Staying calm comes from knowing, ahead of time, how to respond when things are out of control or don't meet our expectations. Join me as I share two real-life stories that illustrate perfectly that staying calm requires a plan and that with a plan you can do it.
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Practicing Calm — It's Better to Laugh Than to Cry – A Series: Part 3
Gotta Love Family Podcast
In today's podcast, I share two real-life examples that illustrate how important it is to laugh and find humor in hard situations. When you do, it can make all the difference. You will love the stories and I bet you will relate. Join me and learn more about the art of remaining calm when parenting.
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Practicing Calm — The Time-In – A Series Part 2
Gotta Love Family Podcast
The little boy, three years old, was out of control, a temper tantrum of sorts. I didn't know what he wanted, but I could tell he felt desperate to have whatever it was. His mother was using a calm voice, talking to him, holding him gently while he twisted and screamed, then leading him away. I could tell that many of the onlooking adults felt upset with her. Why wasn't she doing anything about this terrible tantrum? Why didn't she make him stop? That little boy was my grandson, and his mother is my daughter, Jodie. We were at a family reunion, and this wasn't his first outburst. He was three,...
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Practicing Calm — The Honey Bucket - A Series
Gotta Love Family Podcast
I used to think staying calm with my children was and move past, something I'd graduate from once they were grown. I know better now. Right now, I'm caring for my 96-year-old mother, who has dementia, and I'm finding myself back in the same classroom I thought I'd left decades ago. The stories in this series are from long ago, mostly from the years when my children were small, or my grandchildren were underfoot. But I keep coming back to them, because the lessons in them are just as true today as they were then. I hope these stories feel less like advice from someone who's arrived, and...
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Learning in Disguise
Gotta Love Family Podcast
A friend of mine, a mom with several young children, told me recently that her kids' favorite thing to do is play dress-up. They want to do it all day long, even the boys. Of course, it makes a glorious mess. As we visited, she asked me about the value of this interest she was seeing in her kids, and it opened up a wonderful conversation. Today I will share some effective ideas on how to harness the joy of dressing up and learning in a family activity. They work for little kids and teens. They can be so family-connecting!
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Finding Your Two Mites
Gotta Love Family Podcast
My sister Cindy has a job caring for a man with dementia. As I know well, this can be an overwhelming and consuming responsibility. Here was her text to me: "Mary, I need advice. Taking care of D. is draining me. I didn't go to the temple all week. I'd leave his house, and I had nothing left. He wants to be with me constantly. When I'm cooking his food, he stands right next to me, and I have to move away. He asks me what he should do about everything. It's exhausting." After some pondering, because I do know firsthand what this is like, here was my response: "No matter what our current...
info_outlineMy sister Cindy has a job caring for a man with dementia. As I know well, this can be an overwhelming and consuming responsibility. Here was her text to me:
"Mary, I need advice. Taking care of D. is draining me. I didn't go to the temple all week. I'd leave his house, and I had nothing left. He wants to be with me constantly. When I'm cooking his food, he stands right next to me, and I have to move away. He asks me what he should do about everything. It's exhausting."
After some pondering, because I do know firsthand what this is like, here was my response: "No matter what our current mission, we can survive and even thrive, but we must revive."
Today I will be sharing some real-life examples of how to survive caring for and interacting with others: the elderly, kids, teens, and those we work with. It can be challenging unless we have ways to revive after hectic days. Join me and begin to thrive!