Recharging – Do You Know What Works for You
Gotta Love Family Podcast
There are many ways to recharge and care for yourself but they aren't helpful unless you know what works for you. and did you know that what works can change and then you have to go back to the drawing board. Join me as I share an experience from 2011 and another from 2024 that is illuminating when it comes to understanding what works for you when you need to recharge. I will also share why I don't buy the idea that to recharge we have to go outside of the chaos of daily living. If that is the case, then many of us will get very little self-care. It doesn’t matter how you...
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SPARKS = Loving to Learn
Gotta Love Family Podcast
In the last two weeks, I’ve given you some information on Sparks and how to use them to connect with your children. In the article on March 10 – , I mentioned that when we learn to utilize Sparks, we can help our children love the idea of learning. Kids have a lot to learn, and often, whether we homeschool or use public or private schools, the love of learning can get buried. We can’t prevent times when school is boring or too hard. But we can keep the desire to learn alive, as we utilize our children's Sparks. When I was speaking and teaching, I spent many hours helping parents use...
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SPARKS - The BIG Win
Gotta Love Family Podcast
Last week I shared information about Sparks and how valuable they can be in building child-parent relationships. I also shared my big failure when it came to one of my grandsons Sparks. Let’s have a quick review. In my book I wrote that the value of seeing your child’s Sparks is that it’s a wonderful way to get Present with your child. It’s powerful not only in helping them love learning but also in creating tighter relationships. So, what is a Spark? Simply put, a Spark is anything that a child says or does that lets you know they’re interested in...
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SPARKS - The Big Fail!
Gotta Love Family Podcast
In my book I wrote that the value of seeing your child’s Sparks is that it’s a wonderful way to get Present with your child. It’s powerful not only in helping them love learning but also in creating tighter relationships. Over the next few months, I want to share some examples of how I, and other parents, were able to use Sparks to connect with our kids. They are fun ideas that you can incorporate with your children, even if they haven’t shown up as a Spark, because you can also ignite Sparks. Light a spark and watch it burn! Besides, it’s nice to have a quiver of ideas in your back...
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Are You Afraid of Reading Hard Books?
Gotta Love Family Podcast
Have you ever wondered how to read books that aren’t easy reads? This has been an issue for me. I LOVE reading but sometimes the classics are a challenge. History can be dry. Some books deal with tough topics. How do you manage those? I just finished a book while at my daughter's in Seattle, The Midnight Library. It’s a book I would recommend to others, but it wasn’t what I would call a ‘tough read.’ It was a thoughtful and enjoyable read. We all need those now and then but to learn and grow we occasionally need the tough read. In May of 2023, I finished the book, Confucius - The...
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Do You Have a 'Family Thing'?
Gotta Love Family Podcast
Every mother struggles to bring all that she has to the family table. We all want to teach our children to be kind, to have manners, to be honest, to do their chores, to share, and on and on. We also want to teach skills that can help them as adults. We desire to encourage them to develop talents for the joy of it. It can feel daunting. But there is something else that many of us struggle with; we want to have meaningful ‘family learning’, where our families connect and where the connection we create is passed down. That can often seem even more challenging because of the time and effort...
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Harness the Power of focus!
Gotta Love Family Podcast
I have a friend that I admire very much, Alysia Humphries. What got me thinking about her this last couple of weeks was that tonight (Saturday) I am going to a special event for caregivers. She and a handful of other women are giving some nurturing to caregivers. I fit into that group and so Alysia asked me to come. I am going to have some foot zoning done and Alysia is giving me some light therapy. Restful! That got me thinking about Alysia and a letter she sent to me after an event I participated in over a dozen years ago to help to mothers focus better on what matters. Today Alysia kids are...
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HELP! I Need Activities for Small Children
Gotta Love Family Podcast
I recall getting an email from a very harried mom with a three-year-old. I laugh about it still because I can relate! “YIKES!! My three-year-old wants me to help him with everything!! I need some activities and games for small children!” Not long after, I got an email from a mom who was homeschooling. She loved working with her eight-year-old, but she had two littles who made it difficult to give her older son the attention she wanted to. She needed some diversions for those little ones. She planned for all of them to be in the same room, but she needed her littles to be able to play...
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I No Longer Have a Bucket List or Is Parenting the End of My Dreams!
Gotta Love Family Podcast
Do you have cherished dreams? Is there a goal you want as much as breathing? Do you worry that because you chose to be a parent they may never come to pass? I can relate. I raised seven children. I was busy and overwhelmed lots of the time. I had goals and dreams and there were times I felt they could come to pass. Then, just when I felt I was moving towards them, I would be called home physically or emotionally and the dream would be on hold again. Today, I want to encourage you and give you heart, so will hold on to your dreams while you do this most important calling, raising your family. I...
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Simple Techniques for Stress-Free Single Parenting
Gotta Love Family Podcast
Life as a single parent is a challenging journey, but it can also be filled with growth, resilience, and moments of joy. I have a daughter navigating this path, and it can be both painful and joyous watching her and her children as they move through this new territory. To manage well requires a blend of practical strategies and emotional fortitude. Understanding how to manage as a single parent, either a mom or dad, requires support and resources. In April of 2023, I posted an article by a fellow writer, Laura Pearson, filled with resources to assist parents returning to school. Today I...
info_outlineI am a finisher. This will be important for you to remember as you read this article. Being a finisher is a blessing in my life and the lives of those I live with and serve. But it has its drawbacks. I can get caught up in projects and leave people behind.
Learning to STOP what we are doing in favor of something that is truly more important, usually having to do with our spouse or children, is a process. I have had to learn to give myself space and time to keep practicing. Changing one’s way of being, whatever that may look like for you, takes intention, effort, consistency, and time. I have had to learn to forgive myself when I must be reminded that something else matters more than my current project.
A change of heart, a new way of being, can take years to achieve and then it isn’t usually a done deal. We must be reminded occasionally of what we know and our new way of responding. Perfect rarely happens. Changing our way of being is not the same as ticking something off a list, like making your bed every morning. It is deeper and it matters more.
Here are two stories that will become one and will give you a clear idea of what change takes and how important it is to grant yourself space and time for it.