Us and Kids: Parenting and marriage coaching with therapist, Jan Talen

On today’s show, Rachel Johnson Greer will talk with us about what to look for in all those online purchases.  Her work in Amazon compliance and helping online sellers understand the manufacturing and distribution laws puts her in a unique position to inform us about how to discern a safe purchase from ones to be cautious about.

Her book, “No Dead Babies” comes from the days when she and her team sighed in deep relief when at ...

Welcome to the Us And Kids Podcast!

We are talking today about how to create smooth transitions  - for our kiddos, and for our selves.  It's spring, moving into summer, and often those schedules around school, day care, social spaces and places create good times, and trying times.  Our kiddos often don't understand going to sleep when it's still light outside -and we forget to get them to bed on time, because it is l...

So, Mother’s Day has come and gone, again.  How are you?  Still so glad to be a mom or wondering how long you can hang in there with this mommy stuff?

Did you entertain all day, were you ignored most of the day, or did the kids and others figure out how to honor you, in a way that was meaningful to you?

On today’s show we’re talking about being yourself (Me) even while being a Mom.

Managing so many things, balancing energ...

Yes, today’s show is for adults, (but still rated very G.)

Why?  Because staying in the adult-world after having a baby is very important to your identity as an adult, and your identity with your spouse.

And those adult identities are also very important to the development of your kiddos as they grow up.

Yep, I’m hinting at what happens in the room where your (adult) bed is…and how to be sure you still have a space and place t...

On today’s show we are talking all about parenting, new babies, and pretzels.  Pretzels can represent hugs, give a way to pause and think, distract from the depression and anxiety that can swamp new parents, and help couples remember to love and hug each other - and their kiddos.

We will chat about 10 good ways to help you and your household reset with joy and connection after a new one comes home.

These tips are good reminder...

Are you struggling with the noise, tears and screams in your house?  A simple request turns into tempers, tantrums and trouble?

And, you are supposed to stay calm, cool and collected?  Really?

Join us for this short, yet info-packed time of teaching about what self-control is, and how to build it into the fabric of your parenting, as well as your psyche.

Parenting is not easy. Teaching, learning and using self-control in ...

Do you like to fight?...with your spouse or your kiddos?

On the show today we are talking about those fights that seem to just recycle, over and over.  Sometimes, it (seems) settled for years, or months - other times, “it” was settled - for maybe 15 minutes.

And it’s sooo tiring, confusing, draining.  Are these fights even finish-able?

Listen in and learn why these conversations replay repeatedly - and learn the trick to ...

Married, with kiddos?  What kind of reading are you doing - newsfeed, kids’ books, whatever is short and quick?   Reading is a skill we would be troubled to be without.  And, it is one of the most complex skills we need to learn.

Relationships also require a lot of reading.  And a lot of comprehending what we just read.  Body language, tone of voice, look in the eyes, touch, all play into how we “read”...

Finally - or fastly - 2021 is almost done! We are into our 3rd year of bringing you bi-weekly podcasts to help you be married forever while you enjoy parenting your kiddos together! So, today, we’re going to round out the year with just some pithy thoughts and sentences that make sense but don’t take long enough to each make a whole podcast.

You know, it’s sort of like cleaning out your fridge - not enough leftovers to make a meal,...

So it's December. Do you feel a little bit crazy? Like maybe the world is always spinning and you try to jump on, but tumble off, embarrassingly. Or maybe from time to time you secretly bumble and jump off. Or do you thrive under the chaos? Or does the chaos thrive inside of you - eating your brain, your sanity, yourself, and your relationships?

Well, it's often called National Chaos Day. Not particularly this specific day, but a d...

Let me ask you, "Are you ready?"
"For what??", you might ask.
For learning about how to loosen up and lighten up, even in the midst of November and December.
What do you think when you hear those words loosen up, lighten up?
Do you just get angry, like, well, who has time for that?

This day was made to help us find our lighter side while locking up our serious side for a few hours. When we loosen up, lots of good...

On today’s show, we're going to talk about napping. Now you can have all sorts of different emotional reactions around this, like, “Oh, I'd love to nap!”, or “They always nap way too long”, or “That kid who of mine does not know how to take a nap!”  You can go all over the place with napping conversations. So today we're just going to talk  mostly about why napping is good for kiddos. Let's remember that naps are also oft...

Have you had a heavy heart this month?  There are two intense life events that impact so many of us in October as it is both Breast Cancer and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.  Listen in to how the grief that we can experience in these life events can be different and yet the same - as shared by personal stories.  And then, be with your friends and spouses as they too work through this grief - either newly ...

On today’s show, we are going to be chatting with our special guest, Christi Gilbert. She is an awesome mom of 3, an education expert, and my oldest daughter. She and I are talking through her experience of parenting her son as she began to realize that some other expert input would be really wise.

Hear her story and thought process as she worked to find the appropriate expert, listen to her gut, and use the guidance in ways that b...