020: Creating Routines, Especially When There is No Time
Circle In: The Family Leadership Center Podcast
Release Date: 08/24/2025
030: 5 Guidelines For Your Parenting Journey
Circle In: The Family Leadership Center Podcast
Between the morning scramble and the bedtime battles, it’s easy for our homes to feel like a series of fires we’re constantly trying to put out. This week, Paige and Marjie break down five essential guidelines designed to shift your home from a place of friction to a place of partnership. Respect for self and others: We share how to balance essential self-care with empathy and establish boundaries to prevent burnout. Trust & confidentiality: Why "public" correction is the enemy of connection. Learn how to foster a safe environment where kids feel secure enough to solve...
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029: The Parenting Voyage
Circle In: The Family Leadership Center Podcast
Parenting isn't a destination; it’s a voyage. In this episode, Marjie and Paige explore how to build a 'sturdy ship' for your family’s journey, swapping reactive parenting for a shared compass of dignity and mutual respect. Most of us set sail using either a "replica" of our own upbringing or a "reaction" against it. To build a truly flexible parenting vessel, we must move beyond our own anxieties and learn to respond to the actual needs of the situation. The 4 Pillars of a Sturdy Ship Reframe the Need: Shift from "How do I feel?" to "What does the situation need?" to help your family...
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028: Beyond the Noise: A Practical Framework for Every Parenting Moment
Circle In: The Family Leadership Center Podcast
Do you feel overwhelmed trying to sort through tons of parenting advice—from “gentle parenting” to warnings about "helicopter parenting"? You're not alone! This episode reveals our powerful, comprehensive framework that cuts through the noise and provides you with real-world solutions that solve problems while building the relationship with your child.. In this episode, they share the powerful principles that form the bedrock of everything we do at Family Leadership Center through our Circle In podcast, blog, classes and coaching. It's not just one magical trick. It’s a...
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027: Family Matters - The Practice of Problem Solving
Circle In: The Family Leadership Center Podcast
Does Family Conflict Have You Feeling Drained? 🔋 We’ve all been there: a simple disagreement turns into a "shame spiral," leaving everyone feeling exhausted instead of heard. But what if those tricky moments were actually the secret to a more resilient home? In this week’s podcast, we learn how to flip the script on conflict. Instead of seeing family problems as roadblocks, we’re showing you how to treat them as "muscle-building" exercises for your heart and home. 💪 The Essentials: Building Your Problem-Solving Muscle Problem-solving in your home stems from courage and fostering a...
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026: Family Calendar: The Secret to More Connection and Less Chaos
Circle In: The Family Leadership Center Podcast
Are you the sole family scheduler? Drowning in "Mom/Dad, what are we doing?" questions? You're not alone! Being the only one managing the schedule can lead to stress, chaos, and missed opportunities for connection. This week, we reveal the simple hack that transforms your family dynamic: the Family Calendar. 🗓️ When you talk about the schedule together and give everyone a voice, you don't just cut down on questions—you increase connection, teach responsibility, and boost cooperation. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why being the "Schedule Hero" actually hurts family teamwork. How to...
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025: Family Meeting: The Art & Magic of Encouragement Questions
Circle In: The Family Leadership Center Podcast
With the holidays fast approaching, oftentimes family time shifts into high gear—and that means a perfect chance to connect! This week, we're giving you a simple, powerful tool called the Encouragement Question. It's built on a core idea: when kids (or even adults!) act out, it's often because they feel discouraged. While it’s a standard piece of your Family Meeting, it’s actually a superpower you can use anywhere. Encouragement Questions are simply practice for listening without commenting. Just focus on hearing their thoughts, not shaping them. 🧘♀️ Quick Tips for a Great...
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024: Family Meeting Anchor Skills: Share Appreciations and Plan Family Fun
Circle In: The Family Leadership Center Podcast
Short on time, feeling stretched thin? Wish you had a magic wand for more cooperation and connection at home? ✨ This week, we're diving into the two powerful anchors of a great family meeting: giving appreciations and planning family fun! These aren't just agenda items—they're simple, quick skills you can use anytime, anywhere, to transform your family dynamic. Learn how focusing on the good and carving out time to plan for fun together can be your secret weapon against the chaos. Don't just run the house—lead it with love and intentionality. You've got this! ❤️ In this episode,...
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023: The Secret Ingredients to Your First Family Meeting: What, When, Where, and Who!
Circle In: The Family Leadership Center Podcast
Are you a busy, loving parent ready to transform your family dynamic? You've heard in episode how they are a powerful tool for connection, problem-solving, and building skills. Now, in this must-listen episode, we dive into the "what"—the essential, simple ingredients you need to get started. We break down the core components, offering practical, encouraging advice that makes starting this practice feel achievable, not overwhelming. Learn why consistency is more important than perfection, what a family meeting is not (spoiler: it's not a time to criticize!), and the simple practice that...
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022: Why Family Meetings Matter
Circle In: The Family Leadership Center Podcast
Do you ever feel like you're too busy to deal with family problems? Or that when you do try to talk, everyone gets too upset? Welcome to the first episode of our new series, where we introduce the Circle In Family Meeting ToolKit. It's a simple, weekly 20-minute meeting that helps you solve problems, create connections, and plan fun activities with the people you love. We’ll share how this timeless method, backed by decades of practice, can help you and your family. Family meetings aren't about lecturing or criticism—they're about slowing down to build skills like respect and appreciation,...
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021: Less Drama, More Love: The Key to Peaceful Parenting
Circle In: The Family Leadership Center Podcast
Do you ever feel like you're caught in a never-ending cycle of drama with your kids or even your partner? You're not alone! This week, Marjie and Paige sit down with , LCMFT, to talk about the Drama Triangle. Barbara breaks down three roles we often find ourselves playing— Perpetrator, Rescuer, and Victim—and helps us see why this pattern keeps repeating. Here's the good news: we don't have to stay stuck in the drama! When we look at the whole picture and stop blaming each other, it leaves space to build healthier relationships with yourself and with others. 💖 Tune in to discover how...
info_outlineDo your evenings feel like a second full-time job? Do you just know you need a routine, but don’t have time to create one? This episode is for you.
Marjie and Paige dive into the surprising power of creating small, collaborative routines, even when you feel like you don't have time. Drawing from a real-life example of a family struggling with a child's challenging behavior, they reveal how a simple shift in mindset and a few strategic actions can bring a sense of calm, cooperation, and genuine connection back to your family life.
In this episode, you will learn:
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A new mindset for busy parents: start seeing routines as a gift, not a burden.
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The power of "Special Time": Why prioritizing this intentional connection can be the lever that increases cooperation and capability in all other areas.
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The "Do Not Do" list: What to leave out of your routine to prevent overwhelm and maintain focus on what truly matters.
An organized evening isn't just about getting things done; it's about the feeling of peace you have when you put your head on the pillow at night.
💬Join the Conversation Your ideas and questions matter. We’d love to hear how routines helped your child (or yourself). Or if you struggle, let us know, we can work on it together.
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send us a voice message through our Speakpipe
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leave us an anonymous written message
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email us questions@familyleadershipcenter.org
🙏Subscribe & Rate If you’re enjoying the podcast, please take a moment to rate and review us wherever you listen to your podcasts.
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Hosts
Marjie Longshore, Founder of Family Leadership Center
Paige Trevor, Parent Coach
Special thanks to editor Max Cotter, and team Marike Pienaar and Wendy Tracy. You make a valuable difference.
Resources
📋 Join Paige for her live Get Ready with Routines Workshop on August 27th
🎧 Listen to The Present of Your Presence for a refresher on Special Time
🏫 For grade specific tips, read the FLC blog on Back to School Routines
🙉Try PEP’s (Parent Encouragement Program) Free Intro: Why Don’t My Kids Listen to Me?
👓 Read Paige’s blog Routines: A Parenting Super Power
📖 The CircleIN podcast from Family Leadership Center is based on Adlerian philosophy, including the work of Dr. Alfred Adler. Adler's core needs were translated into The Four Crucial Cs by Amy Lew, Ph.D. and Betty Lou Bettner, Ph.D. The Cs are: Connect (belonging), Capable (movement, progress), Count (significance, mattering), Courage (encouragement).
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Ansbacher, H. L., & Ansbacher, R. R. 1956. The Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler, Basic Books. New York.
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Bettner, B.L. & Lew, A. 1989. Raising Kids Who Can. Connexions Press. MA. (available for sale at familyleadershipcenter.org)
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Dreikurs, R. & Soltz, V. 1964. Children: The Challenge. Hawthorn Books. New York.