Between Parents

What did you think life would be like when you became a parent? What were your hopes and dreams? What did you expect from your kids and your experience? Whatever your answer, there’s tremendous power in those expectations. In today’s episode Billy and Joy talk through lesser known, but realistic expectations every parent should have.

What is it about Middle School that makes everything feel so awkward? Is it the rush of hormones? Is it the lack of executive reasoning? Is it because parents are put off by the goofiness or hygiene? Yes to all of the above. Still, with a little patience and a plan, the Middle School season can be AMAZING. Take a listen and see for yourself.

In the throws of new love, dating, and then engagement, it’s easy to lose sight of what it takes to start a marriage well. What do you need to focus on and what needs to be minimized? In this episode Billy and Joy discuss eight things every couple should do before tying the knot!

How well do you share your feelings with your kids? Are you an over or an under sharer? Vulnerability is challenging, but the best place for your kids to learn this life skill is with you. Today’s episode is all about why your kids need to see how you engage with the world (AND them) emotionally.

In marriage awesome communication doesn’t just happen. It’s not like falling off a bike; it’s something you work for. Can you make the process easier? Where do you begin? In this episode, Billy and Joy suggest you start with five essential ground rules. Take a listen!

What do you feel when your kid is afraid? Frustrated? Embarrassed? Does it make you fearful as well? How do you respond to their fears? Do you push them? Or do you let them be? This episode kicks around those topics and gives you a few things to talk about with the people in your life.

Pick up your toys! Brush your teeth! Stop screaming! As much as we would love to think our daily corrections add up to deep, important foundations with our kids, we aren’t fully convinced. On today’s podcast we take the conversation up to a bird’s-eye-view and discuss broad life lessons we want to pass along. While the list isn’t comprehensive, it will get you off to a good start of thinking about what matters in your family.

While most people think marriage should be marked by unconditional love, the idea of unconditional respect isn’t usually a “thing.” Why is that? Is it possible to love when you don’t give your spouse unconditional respect? Billy and Joy chat about how respect impacts your marriage.

Have you ever noticed how opinionated people are about educating kids? How can you sift through all of the opinions with a level head? That's the topic of this week's #betweenparents podcast.

Have you ever noticed how quickly kids disconnect their desire for freedom with their ability to be responsible? In today’s podcast Billy and Joy offer some tips for making sure there’s a link between what a child wants and their ability to assume responsibility.

How do you teach your kids to delay gratification? How do you articulate why waiting for something is better than having it immediately? What’s your plan for equipping your children for dealing with a lifetime of temptation? In this episode Billy and Joy review approaches to these questions and encourage you to keep taming the appetites that can control old and young alike! 

When our kids are little, it’s easy to understand how attitudes and dispositions are “just a phase.” But somewhere between 10-14 there’s a shift and we recognize that a “phase” may actually be a more permanent feature. In today’s episode Billy and Joy discuss settling up with our kid’s flaws and adjusting our approach to the kids we have, not to the kids we dreamed about!

Bored much? Tapped out of ideas for family fun? Well, THIS episode will solve that problem! Check out 101 things your family can do together. Some are aspirational and will take focused attention (#72) while others are easy to accomplish any day of the week (#28, 33, or 83).

Do you ever feel like your calendar is the boss of you? Do you ever wonder how you became so over-committed? In this week’s podcast Billy & Joy discuss one family’s process and discovery of knowing when to quit.

When you live in close proximity to someone, particularly a spouse, eventually that person will annoy you. What do you do with this irritation? Is it avoidable? Is there a way to short-circuit the process and not be so easily frustrated? Billy & Joy serve up some ideas in this episode, so have a listen!