In the Arena with the Eyre Sisters

The Eyre sisters, mothers of 18 children ages 1-25 and daughters of best-selling parenting authors, share stories and discuss how growing up in an eccentric family has impacted their lives and their own parenting journeys.

45. Difficult Conversations 04/16/2024

45. Difficult Conversations Join us this week as we discuss how to have difficult conversations with our kids. We acknowledge the messiness, discuss ways to prepare ahead of time, and give ideas to each other on how to approach these tricky conversations. We would love to hear your thoughts! How do you approach difficult topics with your kids? Hop on Instagram and let us know! Show Notes: by Adele Faber /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/30619298

44. Parenting Across Generations 04/02/2024

44. Parenting Across Generations We are so excited to have our mom, Linda Eyre, join us in this week's episode as we chat about parenting through the generations. We discuss the differences and similarities between parenting when our mom had young kids, through Saren and Shawni, to Saydi, who's in the middle, and then Charity, who still has young kids. We hope you can relate as we talk about the challenges as well as the good things about our time of parenting. Hop on Instagram and let us know your thoughts! Show Notes: /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/30604533

43. Worry in Mothering 03/19/2024

43. Worry in Mothering It's natural for moms to worry about their kids! And, if you're like most moms, you tend to worry a lot! In today's conversation, we discuss the nuances and complexities of worry, some detrimental things that happen when we worry, as well as some actionable steps to take to help move through worry and find more peace. Come join us on Instagram and share with us your thoughts about worry! Show Notes: Arthur Somers Roche Sister Runia's Randy Armstrong Courtney Carver Alison Curfman /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/30366753

42. Really Seeing 03/05/2024

42. Really Seeing In this week's episode, we discuss the basic human need to be seen. We share ways we have felt seen or not seen. Saydi brings in her therapist wisdom to help us understand why being seen matters so much, and what some signs are that maybe our children aren't feeling seen by us. We brainstorm ways to help our kids and others around us feel seen. We would love to hear your thoughts and experiences on this very important topic! Please join us on Instagram @eyresisters. Show Notes: Glennon Doyle quote from the book Dan Seigel's quote from the book Tamara W. Runia's quote from her talk Steve Young's quote from the book /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/30184543

41. Personal Wildernesses 02/27/2024

41. Personal Wildernesses This week we come together to discuss the wildernesses that we go through in life. We all face them! We talk about ways we can acknowledge the difficulties, feel all the feelings, and also find support and move through them. We would be so grateful to hear from any of you on Instagram @eyresisters. We'd be honored to hear how you manage your own personal wildernesses. We're grateful to have you as a part of our community! Show Notes: on empathy /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/30075543

40. Self-Care 02/13/2024

40. Self-Care We are so excited to be back for Season 4 of In the Arena! Thanks for joining us. This week's episode focuses on self-care. We talk about how we define self-care, and how to care for ourselves physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. We would love to hear your thoughts! Come share with us on Instagram @eyresisters. Show Notes: - mentioned by Saydi /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/29867033

39. Meaning in Christmas 12/11/2023

39. Meaning in Christmas Merry Christmas everyone! This is our final episode in season 3, and we wanted to end by sharing how we find meaning during the busy, hectic Christmas season. We bring our parents on to discuss ways to slow down and find Jesus. We would love to hear how you do this in your home! Join us on Instagram @eyresisters. Notes: by Pearl S. Buck by Gerda Klein /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/29013988

38. Family Intimacy 11/21/2023

38. Family Intimacy This week, we dive into a discussion about family intimacy. By family intimacy, we don't mean the physical intimacy you share with your partner. Instead, we mean intimacy in the sense of closeness, connections, and a sense of being seen. We discuss things that get in the way of intimate relationships, and we also give some ideas for building intimacy. We would love to hear from you! What's worked well in your family? Come share with us on Instagram @eyresisters. Notes: - by Adele Faber /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/28666173

37. Getting Excited About Giving 11/14/2023

37. Getting Excited About Giving We're getting so close to Christmas time! It can be a crazy time of year - hectic and stressful. In today's episode, we talk about how to get our kids (and ourselves!) excited about giving. We share our ideas, but we'd love to hear yours! Come share what you've done in your family with us on Instagram @eyresisters. Notes: by Angela Elwell Hunt by Pearl S. Buck SNL skit /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/28540691

36. It Takes a Village 11/07/2023

36. It Takes a Village Join us this week as we discuss using a village to help raise our kids in our modern age. We discuss how much of the parenting in our modern society falls to the mom and dad (and mostly the mom!), and how sad this is! There are so many great people who can contribute to our kids' lives, let's use them! We'd love to hear your thoughts about this on Instagram @eyresisters. Notes: by Michaeleen Doucleff /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/28523324

35. Cultivating Gratitude 10/31/2023

35. Cultivating Gratitude We know it's Halloween today, but we wanted to kick off November a day early with a short and sweet episode focusing on the power and importance of gratitude. We're grateful for you! Notes: /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/28363001

34. The Magic of Reading 10/24/2023

34. The Magic of Reading We love reading! But not all of us have always loved reading, and not all of our kids love reading. Join us this week as we discuss ways to help our children discover the magic of reading. We talk about connecting with our kids through books, modeling a love of reading, and being patient with kids who are slower to find that love. What are some ways you help instill a love for reading in your home? We'd love to hear on Instagram, @eyresisters! Notes: Books Lists - Books Mentioned in this episode, plus a few extras we threw in: Some favorite picture books: The Happy Lion Leonardo the Terrible Monster The Little Brute Family The monster at the end of this book Where the wild things are Favorite read alouds for pre-k up: Education of Little Tree The one and only Ivan Little house books Boxcar Children Ms. Piggle Wiggle Roald Dahl Narnia series Pippi Long Stocking King Matt Heidi The Little Princess Little Women Little Men Harry Potter The Mixed Up Files Wonder Jonny Tremain (older kids) The Giver (older kids) The Bronze Bow Under the Egg The Terrible Two The Hobbit The Hundred Dresses Ida B Charlotte Web All of a Kind Family Some Kind of Courage Books we love as women: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Jane Eyre A Tale of Two Cities The Good Earth A Place For Us Tattoos on the Heart And there was Light /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/28353212

33. When Parenting Gets Tricky: A Conversation with Eli 10/17/2023

33. When Parenting Gets Tricky: A Conversation with Eli Come listen in this week as we talk with our brother, Eli, about the difficulty of parenting not-so-easy kids. We all have a kid who is trickier to parent - or a kid who's in a tricky stage, and it can be draining and frustrating! We talk with Eli about how we keep our cool, how we remember the kind of parent we want to be, and how we keep on loving them. What do you do when parenting gets tricky? Let us know on Instagram @eyresisters! Notes: by Dr. Becky by Sister Tamara W. Runia /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/28323686

32. Why Nature Matters 10/10/2023

32. Why Nature Matters We could talk about how much we love nature for hours! Growing up, our parents were very intentional about pointing out the beauties in the world. All of us have taken that appreciation for nature and woven it into the fabric of our own families. Join us as we discuss why nature is so important and share some ideas for getting your kids outside. How do you bring the benefits of nature into your family? Come share with us on Instagram! @eyresisters Notes: episode by Richard Louv by Scott D. Sampson by Florence Williams - Health Benefits & Tips by Johann Hari - Light, sleep, and circadian rhythm quote quote quote quote blog post quote /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/28261187

31. Are you a Sculptor, Gardener, or Shepherd? 10/03/2023

31. Are you a Sculptor, Gardener, or Shepherd? Join us this week as we talk about the difference between seeing our children as growing seeds with inherent complex, internal personalities and traits, or as lumps of clay that we can mold into what we want. We discuss how hard it is to relenquish our desire to push our kids towards what we think would be great for them and share times when we've failed as well as times when we have done a pretty good job. We'd love to hear your thoughts about this - we'd love to know how you nurture your little seedlings. Come join the conversation @eyresisters on Instagram. Show Notes: Dr. Russell Barkley on Ross Green, "We don't see things as they are" where we talk about control with Tal /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/28174859

30. Interview with Life Coach and Sister-in-Law Anita 09/26/2023

30. Interview with Life Coach and Sister-in-Law Anita This week's episode features our amazing sister-in-law, Anita. Anita is a life coach and she offered us some simple but powerful principles that can help transform our parenting thoughts and actions. We learned about managing our expectations, being our word, paying attention to our train of thought, and more. Anita generously offered a free hour of coaching to all our listeners so head to her website to schedule your free session right away! Show Notes: Byron Katie, (Maya Angelou Quote) (Brene Brown Quote #1) (Brown Brown Quote #2) /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/28129601

29. Family Reunions: Joys and Challenges 09/19/2023

29. Family Reunions: Joys and Challenges Welcome back for Season 3! We are so excited to be starting off another season with you. In this episode, recorded at the tail end of our annual Bear Lake reunion, we share how we do reunions and talk about the things we love and the challenges we face. How do you handle reunions in your family? What suggestions do you have for balancing scheduled time vs. free time? We'd love to hear your experiences! Come share with us on Instagram @eyresisters. Show Notes: (this episode of our podcast was recorded at the close of this reunion) (from 2018) /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/28061454

28. Oh What Do you Do in the Summertime? 05/09/2023

28. Oh What Do you Do in the Summertime? Summer is just around the corner! Join us for our last episode of season 2 as we discuss ideas for meaningful and do-able summer activities. We dive into ideas for little kids, elementary-aged kids, high school kids, and even your adult kids. What do you do to make summer awesome in your family? This week's challenge is to come up with the summer plan that best fits YOUR familiy. We'd love to have you share your ideas and plans with us on Instagram! @eyresisters Have a great summer, and we'll see you next season! Show Notes: Saren's post about her Shawni's for summer ideas Shawni's on Claire's experience Shawni's on summer goals with a plan Shawni's other on summer goals book /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/26787339

27. Technology 05/02/2023

27. Technology Listen in today as we discuss technology! It's a hot topic, for good reason. We discuss the good that technology brings, and we also discuss the difficulties - setting limits, keeping our kids engaged with the world, the problems with comparison & the effects on self-esteem, how technology affects our ability to focus, the waste of time... there is so much to think about. Come join us for this discussion! We also challenge you to go have a screen competition with someone to see how little you can use your phone this week! And don't forget to check in on Instagram @eyresisters and let us know how it goes. Show Notes: Book Saydi talked about - Book Shawni quoted from - 15-minute book summaries app - Blinkist or Headway /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/26672265

26. Q&A #2: Relationships, Homeschooling, Meal Planning and more 04/18/2023

26. Q&A #2: Relationships, Homeschooling, Meal Planning and more Here's another episode of us answering questions submitted by you! We had a lot of fun talking about what we do for fun, how invovled we are in our kids' relationships, homeschooling, meal planning, and more. We love your questions! Thanks for asking. Don't forget to visit us on Instagram and add your thoughts - @eyresisters. Show Notes: Shawni's on Family Mottos Saydi's of red flags for emotional immaturity where Saren offers ideas about choosing schooling for your kids where Saren interviews her twins about their homeschooling experience /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/26574516

25. Positive Psychology, Parenting, and Poetry with Tal 04/11/2023

25. Positive Psychology, Parenting, and Poetry with Tal Join us this week as we talk with our brother, Talmadge (Tal). He lives in Switzerland with his wife and daughter. He's a poetry-reading, basketball-playing, book-writing, deep-thinking guy, and he has a lot to share! Tal talks with us about his experience as a kid who really struggled wtih reading, the challenges that he and his wife had with infertility, and the intentional practices he's taken from his education in positive psychology, including locus of control, explanatory style, and blind spots. We're sure you will love learning from the awesome little brother we used to call "Tam the Lamb." Share what you learned with us on Instagram @eyresisters. /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/26502156

24. Adult Sibling Relationships 04/04/2023

24. Adult Sibling Relationships We get asked all the time how we are so close as siblings. In this week's episode, we discuss ways we've built and maintained relationships with each as we've grown up and have our own families. We talk about how we work through differences, issues we've had with hurt feelings and tensions, the bond we have through our religion, and how we try to connect individually with each other. What do you do to build your relationship with your siblings? Come share with us on Instagram @eyresisters. /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/26389431

23. How to Build Resilience 03/28/2023

23. How to Build Resilience This week we answer a listener's question about what our parents did to help us deal with negativity, and how we're working to build resilience in ourselves and our kids. We loved this discussion! We share experiences that have helped us develop thick skin - from the time a guy proudly announced that he'd burned the book our dad gave him to dealing with negative blog comments. We share ideas about how our parents taught us resilience and ways we can help cultivate resilience in our kids. What do you do in your home to teach resilience? Come share with us on Instagram @eyresisters. Show Notes: /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/26337516

22. Adult Kids: Parenting/Coaching/Cheering 03/21/2023

22. Adult Kids: Parenting/Coaching/Cheering Parenting adult kids is a whole new ballgame, folks! We talk about how our parents approached parenting us in our adulthood then Saren and Shawni share their experiences with adult kids as they've moved from parenting to coaching to cheerleading. Saydi chimes in with a lot of great questions she's been thinking about as her oldest is about to head off to college soon. Do you have adult kids? What works for you? Share your ideas and thoughts on Instagram @eyresisters. Show Notes: by our parents Shawni’s on parenting adult kids by Fatima Farheen Mirza (book mentioned by Shawni) shared by Saydi about having a child is like having your heart walking around outside of your body /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/26246148

21. On Surviving and Enjoying Little Kids 03/15/2023

21. On Surviving and Enjoying Little Kids In this episode, we focus on a specific age group - little kids! In answer to listener questions, we share our experiences and tips on sleeping, eating, emotional disregulation (temper tantrums!), promoting cooperation, and the joys of little kids. These years can be exhausting, but they are also full of so much fun! Please share your favorite little kid ideas on our Instagram page @eyresisters. Show Notes: /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/26233863

20. Making Family Travel Happen (if you want to) 03/07/2023

20. Making Family Travel Happen (if you want to) In this episode, we share our best tips for family travel. We talk about how to make time for travel, how to find the money to travel, how to feed your family inexpensively while traveling, how to involve your kids in the planning, how to travel with younger children, and more! As with family life in general, traveling with your family can feel pretty un-glamorous when you're in the middle of it but when you look back, the experiences are cherished. We share some crazy stories and some beautiful memories alongside practical ideas for how you can make family travel happen if that's something you'd like to do with your family. Our challenge for you to sit down with your spouse and make a plan for some sort of trip you'd like to take with your family. Show Notes Food you can find and make in pretty much every country: Pasta and red sauce with cheese Fresh fruits and veggies (produce is typically more flavorful in other countries) Fresh crusty bread with cheese/salami No bake cookies (oatmeal, cocoa, butter, sugar (it's fine to leave out the vanilla) French toast (even for dinner) with honey instead of syrup Scrambled eggs Homemade pizzas (local bread topped by red sauce and cheese cooked in the oven) Rice and beans with garlic, onions, chili powder (with cheese on top) Frozen prepared meals are available in many places (especially frozen pizza) /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/26114082

19. Unconventional Family Life: Interview with Jonah 02/28/2023

19. Unconventional Family Life: Interview with Jonah Our brother Jonah marches to the beat of his own drum and has created a rich and beautiful life for his family while living very frugally. Join us as we interview Jonah and learn more about the unique approach to life and parenting that he and his wife, Aja, have chosen. We talk about everything from killing your own food for meat to moving to New Zealand after being inspired by Lord of the Rings to fixing up cars so they run on old vegetable oil. We hope you find Jonah as inspiring as we do! Join us on Instagram, @eyresisters, and let us know what out-of-the-norm things you've chosen for your family or what you'd like to do after listening to Jonah. We can't wait to hear from you! Show Notes: (Ana's award-winning film about driving cross-country in an old G-Wagon) A about Thanksgiving with Jonah & Aja /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/26030697

18. Q&A: You Asked, We Answered! 02/21/2023

18. Q&A: You Asked, We Answered! This week we decided to answer a bunch of questions from our listeners. We answer questions about our names, flops in our family growing up, how we take care of ourselves as mothers, etc. Go grab your favorite dessert and come join us for a fun chat! Show Notes: by Michaeleen Doucleff by Merrilee Browne Boyack /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/25962012

17. Sex: How to Talk to your Kids 02/14/2023

17. Sex: How to Talk to your Kids Here it is! The episode where we talk about what our parents told us was the most wonderful, beautiful thing in the world - sex! We discuss the talk our parents had with each of us at age 8, how they followed up on that initial discussion, and what we liked and didn't like about how they handled things. We also talk about the initial and ongoing talks we've had with our own kids. How do you talk with your kids about this super important topic? How do you keep things open? What resources have been most helpful to you? Please share over on Instagram @eyresisters! Show Notes: - Linda and Richard Eyre Shawni’s Instagram: /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/25896543

16. Parenting with Your Valentine 02/07/2023

16. Parenting with Your Valentine With Valentine's Day right around the corner, we decided to discuss some of the joys and challenges of parenting alongside our Valentines. We discuss how to prioritize your spouse, how to handle the inevitable disagreements, differing ideas about parenting, and what works for us when it comes to division of labor. The challenge this week is to do something for your partner that will be really helpful for them. Hop on Instagram and let us know what you decide to do. Happy Valentine's Day! Show Notes: /episode/index/show/3f364724-0ec7-447f-9af9-95b041612b8f/id/25754658

In the Arena with the Eyre Sisters

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