The Parent Pivot Podcast

We are Steve and Julia Cummings and we are empty nesters who desire to maintain healthy relationship with our adult children. We have found that something needs to change in us, the parent, when our child becomes an adult. We need to ”pivot” from parenting, to partnering. What does that look like? When do I say something and when do I not? Why won’t they listen to me? We address these questions and host more in a real, raw an vulnerable way in real time. Tune in each week as we help you become a partner to your adult children. New podcast weblog

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Episodes

4 days ago

Pivoting from "Mamma parent" to "Mamma partner" can be one of the toughest things you'll ever have to do - especially if you have an adult son.
On this edition of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia discuss the unique dynamics of the Mother/Son relationship and what you want that to look like as they start their own life without you as the #1 woman in their life. It's not a sad story and doesn't have to be. Find out how to see the joy in this next season.
 
Resources mentioned on this podcast:
1. "A Tale of Two Brains - Men's Brain Women's Brain" - Mark Gungor. 
2. "The Parent Pivot" - by Steve and Julia Cummings. 

Tuesday Apr 15, 2025

Ever feel like you're walking a difficult road with a wayward adult child? 
On this edition of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia sit down with author and licensed parent-family educator, Lori Wildenberg, as she offers practical grace- and truth-filled ways of navigating your relationship with a detoured child—whether they are rejecting faith, dabbling in sin, or wholeheartedly embracing sinful behavior.
Steve, Julia and Lori want you to know, there IS hope. After all, their struggle isn’t really with you—it’s with God.
Resources mentioned on this podcast:
1. "Messy Journey: How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Home" by Lori Wildenberg.
2. "The Messy Life of Parenting: Powerful and Practical Ways to Strengthen Family Connections" by Lori Wildenberg.
3. "The Parent Pivot: 13 Principles for Building Stronger Relationships with Your Adult Children" by Steve and Julia Cummings. 
4. Legacy Coalition

Tuesday Apr 01, 2025

Probably THE hardest thing a partner of an adult child faces is when their child goes through some sort of suffering.  It never changes because we never stop being Mom and Dad.  We all feel deeply it and our knee-jerk reaction is to:
Step in and fix it
Make the pain go away
And in the process - we make it worse.
SO - what are we supposed to do?  What is the healthy way to deal with our adult child who is struggling in their marriage?
On this edition of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia walk us tenderly through this subject offering grace, wisdom and compassion for you to lean into.
Resources mentioned on this podcast:
The Parent Pivot: 13 Principles for Building Stronger Relationships with Your Adult Children by Steve and Julia Cummings

Tuesday Mar 25, 2025

Does it seem like your adult child ignores you, talks down to you, or treats you in a negative way somehow?  Maybe it even feels like you're walking on eggshells?
On this edition of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia provide some insightful wisdom on how we can navigate that path with confidence toward a healthier relationship with our adult kids.

Tuesday Mar 18, 2025

"One" is a song by American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson that was made famous by Three Dog Night back in the 60's.
You may be parents who have one adult child and may not realize there are some unique dynamics that play into what your pivot looks like.
On today's Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia look at those dynamics after hearing from some adult children who are the only child in their family.

Tuesday Mar 11, 2025

We long for relationships to be joyful and life-giving, right? So why do they often leave us wounded, broken and exhausted?
If you're looking to break the cycles that hurt your relationships with your adult kids and hold you back - you won't want to miss this edition of The Parent Pivot Podcast. Steve and Julia sit down with Justin and Trisha Davis about their new book - "One Choice Away from Change."
Resources mentioned on this podcast:
1. "One Choice Away from Change" by Justin and Trisha Davis.
2. RefineUs Ministries

Tuesday Mar 04, 2025

You pour your heart and soul into raising your family. You kids grow up and become responsible adults and often times find their mate and get married.
That's what we want, right partners of adult kids?
Something that can suddenly impact and throw off your "Disney fairy-tale ending" often begins at the wedding. TWO families coming together and dynamics enter and things can change abruptly! THEN - the grandkids come and grandparenthood can quickly get sideways.
How do we handle relationships with our adult kids and grandkids when in-law relationships make it messy? That's today's topic that Steve and Julia address on The Parent Pivot Podcast.

"Know Thyself!"

Tuesday Feb 25, 2025

Tuesday Feb 25, 2025

Pivoting to healthy relationships with our adult children requires:
                   1. Diving
                   2. Reflection
                   3. Processing
Picture an iceberg. That's ALL we see in a person is what's above the surface. Unbeknownst to us is the other 90% brewing beneath the surface that stirs up our emotions and thoughts as we try to make sense of ANY situation or conversation.
On this episode of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Julia opens up about her core wound and openly shares how she recently was triggered by it and how she handled it.
It's an impacting conversation to help us interact with our adult children and forge more healthy relationships. Get your mirror ready, partners!

Tuesday Feb 18, 2025

Dads: What if you were told that "doing" LESS as a father when your kids turn 20, would actually raise your stock (i.e. respect) i their eyes? Would you listen?
It certainly goes against the grain of what we have been taught, shown and modeled in our culture - even the traditional church.
On this special edition of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve talks to dads straight from the heart and shares his own pain, struggle and anxiety trying to be a good father to his adult children.
If you're a dad of adult children, you don't want to miss this authentic and vulnerable look at how we can actually become the hero in their lives.
Mentioned on this podcast:
"Guardian Angel" by Skip Moen
"I'm Going to the Sidelines" PPP Interview with Jackson Cummings
Bringing Kingdom - Steve's men's ministry
The One-Minute Pause App by Wild at Heart
"Heart of a Warrior" by Michael Thompson
"King Me" by Michael Thompson
For a FREE copy of either of Michael Thompson's books, email Steve at: parentpivotpodcast@gmail.com

Tuesday Feb 11, 2025

Let's face it . . . not only is there NOT instructions handed to new parents by the doctor explaining "what to do" when you leave the hospital and take your baby home.
The same can also be said when your adult kids leave home. Where's the "partner manual"? Where do you go to find out how to make the pivot from parent to partner? We got you on this one!
On this edition of the Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia interview Gill Tillmann, author of the book, "Pour the Wine: We're Talking About Our Adult Children . . . Again".
Sit back, relax and pull up a chair and join us for this delightful conversation about "life after parenting."
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/fished.my.wish/?hl=en
Pour the Wine - book

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