Married and Parented | Podcast: Recent Episodes
Married and Parented
Welcome to the Married and Parented Podcast
This is a creative outlet for me to use my voice. I'm a dad. A husband. I'm Aaron. I'm not an expert. I don't have 'it' together. I'm just a guy that wants to connect with you about marriage, and / or parenting. Through this, I will guide myself, and if it's something you take from this, then that is all I can ask for.
Welcome back to the married and parented podcast. This episode, I interview my 4 year old son: Shay.
No matter how great your relationship is, it can always be better. I truly believe the best relationships are the ones in which the individuals put EFFORT into them. Just like with anything in life, the results you have are directly linked the effort you put in.
Here are some ideas of New Year’s resolutions for couples that will help make this year your best love year yet!
- DO SOMETHING NEW EVERY MONTH
Novelty keeps love alive in relationships! It helps keep the relationship fresh and exciting. Make a New Year’s resolution for couples to do one new thing together every month. This can be traveling to a new city, learning something new together, trying a new food, or doing a new activity.
- FIGHT CLEAN FOR YOUR COUPLES NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION
This is a great new year’s resolution for couples because studies have found that the best indicator of a couple’s long-term potential is the way they fight. It’s so interesting because we usually are the meanest to the people we love the most. It’s important to remember to treat our significant other with love ALL the time, even during the worst of fights!
- INSTITUTE A WEEKLY DATE NIGHT
This one is our New Year’s resolutions for couples for year! - Having a weekly date night (Netflix doesn’t count), gets tough! Regardless of job or family responsibilities.
- DITCH ASSUMPTIONS
It is HARD not to make assumptions and this one that I definitely struggle with. We all have unique thought patterns and so we come to different conclusions on why others do things. However, our conclusions most often are NOT accurate.
- GET TO KNOW THE OTHER PERSON’S HOBBIES
Most likely you both have interests that are different than the other person. You don’t have to do everything together or like all the same things; that could get really boring. However, it is nice once in a while to do things that you don’t like just because your partner likes it.
- TALK ABOUT THE ACTUAL ISSUE DURING ARGUMENTS
Sometimes it can be hard to talk to your partner about the real reason that you are upset with them. It might be because you are embarrassed to admit what you’re bothered by, you might feel they will get mad at what the issue is, or you just feel as though they should already know.
Today's Podcast is all about Drew. Baby Drew. About how he came into this world, and how his week came to be.
Welcome to Married and Parented. Today I talk about my 5 christian songs that have made an impact on me, and their stories behind their songs. What songs shaped me when I became a christian and had a new love of Christ. Listen and find out.
Invite someone to church, it could change their live like it did mine.
At home with your family in close quarters.
Your children are running around wild, and you’re wondering how you’re going to get your work done and care for your kids at the same time.
Kids don’t understand that when mom and dad are home on their computers, they really aren’t “there.”
Actually, spouses may not understand that either.
Or maybe you are a stay-at-home mom or dad who normally relies on the quiet times during the day while your kids are in school in order to be present and engaging when they come home.
So when they interrupt, you get annoyed and pretty soon, there are some harsh words or tears or slamming doors.
Grace – An undeserved gift
The Bible describes grace as an undeserved gift from God. We are to extend this same undeserved kindness to others, including our beloved friends and family members.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
G – Begin with gratitude. When I’m ready to react in anger, I stop and recognize that I’m grateful and blessed to have a husband, children and other loved ones who love and support me.
R – Resist the emotions. I make a choice to resist expressing negative emotions.
A – Adjust my thinking. I realize that whatever my loved one is doing that is annoying me is likely unintentional. Rather, it’s his or her way of communicating a need.
C – Communicate kindly. Sometimes it helps to start with a question. “What can I do for you?” “How can I help?” Or, offer an honest response. “I know this is hard on all of us.”
E – Express genuine appreciation. This becomes the underserved gift. You might be able to make a good argument for dishing out some criticism but when you turn that urge around and offer an encouraging word instead, most often that response calms the other person down.
How am I supposed to show grace when I don’t even have a moment to think?
10th Podcast
-
Netflix or YouTube?
-
Phone Call or Text?
-
Toast or Eggs?
-
Cardio or Weights?
-
Facebook or Twitter?
-
Ice Cream Cone or Snow Cone?
-
Mobile Games or Console Games?
-
While walking: Music or Podcasts?
-
iOS or Android?
-
Form or Function?
-
Pop or Indie?
-
Cake or Pie?
-
Swimming or Sunbathing?
-
High-tech or Low-tech?
-
Big Party or Small Gathering?
-
New Clothes or New Phone?
-
Rich Friend or Loyal Friend?
-
Football or Basketball?
-
Work Hard or Play Hard?
-
Nice Car or Nice Home Interior?
-
What’s worse: Laundry or Dishes?
-
Jogging or Hiking?
-
Bath or Shower?
-
Sneakers or Sandals?
In the days of social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic, you might be bored and trying to think of things to do now that you’re spending more time at home. It’s hard to invite friends over or visit family members, but there are many ways around this obstacle. In this age of the internet, it shouldn’t be too hard to think of creative ways to stay connected with family and friends while social distancing
Working from home comes with its own set of challenges. It’s important to have a quiet space where you can work, minimize distractions, set a routine, and focus on your goals for the day. Working from home with kids can add a new dynamic to your job. When our kids are on extended breaks from school and are sharing the same space, distractions can come more easily which can impact our productiveness.
Many of us will have logged multiple weeks of extreme isolation with family and housemates this weekend because of the coronavirus. We checked in with readers who told us about how they’ve been managing relationships with those in their households at various points of confinement. Some, feeling the strain, are trying to stay away from each other in their small spaces. But others are relishing the time as a chance to get to know each other again. For some readers, self-isolation has meant not seeing their loved ones at all.
When you are working from home, you may have goals that you need to accomplish that day. However, it’s unrealistic to think that your kids will comply with the goals you have. So how do you find that sweet spot, where you are able to reach your goals and still respond well to your kids?
Here are tips for staying sane and keeping your kids happy while working at home:
This is a very uncertain moment for our world as we collectively respond to this new coronavirus and its growing spread around the globe. In my lifetime, there has not been a pandemic that has so gripped our attention and impacted us so greatly. I am trying hard to understand the rapidly changing news, as I’m sure you are, and at times it can feel overwhelming. We are sharing this moment together and at the same time, it feels deeply personal as we wrestle with our own thoughts, fears and choices in the midst of this global crisis.
As we look to respond to all that is happening around us, I believe it is so important that we draw near to God to seek his wisdom, comfort and strength, and to his Word for guidance, assurance and courage so we respond as our faith would call us to respond: To be compassionate to those who are suffering or fearful; to be generous to help where we can; to be discerning and share our faith with those who are looking to God for answers; to fervently pray for those in authority; to rest in God’s protection and sovereign will; to be courageous to support family and friends; and so much more.
It is natural for us to feel afraid. God understands. There’s a reason the Bible is filled with instances of him telling his people not to be afraid, because he knows we are human:
Sitting down with my 5 year old daughter. I interview her on being a child!
Have a listen to: Anna
Dad stereotypes aren’t just damaging for men, but for families as a whole. Here are some clichés about fatherhood we really wish would cease to exist…
1. Dads are too busy having fun to actually parent
Welcome to my guest at this time: Ben Bourque.
He is a Christian. dad. A husband. A musician. A creative, and skillful mastermind. He is Ben Bourque.
We talked parenting styles with ice breakers, tough parenting situations, and his music career!
You can find out all details about his band "Charming to the last" at charmingtothelastmusic.com
How Dads Can Connect With Their Children: 0-3 Year Olds
To connect with 0-3 year old children, we need to get down on their level. Consider these options for doing that:
How Dads Can Connect With Their Children: 4-6 Year Olds
As a parent, sometimes we long to kick up our feet toward the end of the day and relax. But often we’ll miss the chance to connect and work on relationship building if we don’t get on our feet and get involved with our kids, at least once a week. Each of our kids is different, so we may need to do a little searching to find what they enjoy best.
How Dads Can Connect With Their Children: 7-12 Year Olds
This is where the challenge to connect becomes tougher — and we have less available hours to connect with them. The older they get, our kids will spend more time doing homework and focusing on independent activities. However, friends and culture play an increasingly larger role in influencing them — and not always in good ways. Therefore, it’s critical that we stay connected. How can we do that?
I have someone I know that had gone through a divorce. I only know couples. I don’t have friends that are divorced. They both knew where they were in life and great kids. There was no financial woes burdened them down. They’d just grown apart. They’d become more like roommates than committed partners. Now they were going their separate ways.
Cruise control
News like this forces us to take a good look at our marriage. We love each other, but sometimes we find it easier to focus on pressing needs – such as the numerous demands of kids, work and church – than on each other.
Too often we put ourselves in cruise control, and this tendency, more than major problems, keeps us apart. When we’re in cruise control, we don’t actively seek to meet one another’s needs or communicate our own needs. Slowly, we drift in different directions.
- Introduction
- Who I am.
- My walk in history
- My relationship
- My family
- 5 ways to stay on the same team
- One of my wedding vows to my wife, Samantha , was that I would fight for her – not with her. We did pretty well with those vows for the first few years. And then we had kids.
- don’t think I’m blaming our children for our childish behaviours.
Welcome to episode 2: My wife & How we connect.
With a list of questions, we get to know who is my wife, and how do we connect.
How old are you?
When did you know you wanted to marry me?
When did you want kids?
What do you think is going right in our relationship?
Where would you like our relationship to be this time next year?
Will you please marry me, all over again?
I’d love to hear about your dreams for the future
How are you doing health-wise?
If you could change one thing about our priorities as a family, what would it be?
What was your funnest subject in high school & which one did you dread?
What is one attribute of your mother that you see in yourself?
How did your mother and father meet?
Who would you like to have a closer relationship with?
What would you do with one week to do anything, all expenses paid?
Would you rather be a painter, writer or musician?
Do you think you are hard on yourself?
Parenting questions
Do you share photos of your kids online?
How good of a parent do you think you are?
How good of a parent do you think your partner is?
At what age is it appropriate for a kid to get a cell phone?
Co-sleeping, yes or no?
Kids and screen time?
Have you ever caught yourself repeating something your parents said to you?
How do you deal with picky eaters?