The Parent Pivot Podcast

What a Week with Our Kids and Grandkids Taught Us

Summer is here and family vacations are in full swing!
On this edition of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia reflect on their week hosting their oldest son and his family of 3 kids and what they learned about themselves during those 7 days.
Resources mentioned on this podcast:
1. Practicing the Way with John Mark Comer.
2. The One Minute Pause App
 3. "13 Principles for Building Healthy Relationships with Your Adult Children" by Steve and Julia Cummings 

Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast: "Having Hard Conversations with Your Adult Child"

The pivot from Parent to Partner goes more smoothly when we "keep our mouths shut and the welcome mat out" - the main theme of Jim Burns' book and The Parent Pivot Podcast.
Okay - but what is the balance between keeping our mouths shut - and dealing with our own emotions and resentment that pops up with our adult kids?  
On this "Best of" podcast, Steve and Julia Cummings help you navigate what this looks like to help strengthen your communication and ultimately your relationship(s) with your adult child(ren).
 
Resources mentioned in today's podcast:
For a FREE copy of Randy Alcorn's book, "The Treasure Principle" - send your name and address to: parentpivotpodcast@gmail.com 
Order a copy of "How We Love" by Milan and Kay Yerkovich here.
Get your free copy of Soul Words.
For a copy of "The Parent Pivot: 13 Principles for Building Stronger Relationships with Your Adult Children."

"Generosity and Our Adult Kids"

Helping our adult kids out when they are struggling financially "can" bring up additional issues, especially with their siblings. 
What is fair when maybe not all of your adult kids have the same struggles?  What can you do if your generosity is being taken advantaged of?
On today's Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia reflect on this and what they went through as kids, how they managed it when raising their own family, and how they practice generosity in their family as one way to get the conversation going with your spouse.
 
Resources mentioned on today's podcast:
Practicing the Way with John Mark Comer

"Me? Offensive? Are You Joking?"

We all love family get-togethers where there is laughter and everyone is having a good time remembering stories from the past, right? Nothing wrong with that . . . or is there?
On today's Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia use their EQ to let us in on something we may be missing that can be a downer with our adult kids. It's an "awareness check" that we all need to file away and remember to pull it out and use it when the family jokes start flying around.
Resources mentioned of this podcast:
Get a copy of Steve and Julia's new book, "The Parent Pivot: 13 Principles for Building Stronger Relationships with Your Adult Children." 

How Birthday Celebrations "Can" Impact Your Pivot to Partner

As we grew up as kids ourselves, we may or may not have good memories of how we were celebrated on our birthday.  Then we get married and our spouse's experience plays into how we choose to celebrate our own kids birthday.
Now they are adults.  Whether you realize it or not, there "could be" some underlying issues your adult child is facing that aren't known when it comes to their birthday.
On this edition of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia look at their own upbringing - how they did birthdays in their family - and provide some insightful wisdom for navigating this path of the parent pivot you don't want to miss!
Resources mentioned on this podcast:
1. "The Parent Pivot: 13 Principles for Building Stronger Relationships with Your Adult Children"
 
 

Best of the Parent Pivot Podcast: Navigating This New Season of Empty Nesting

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens."  Often the season of the empty nest can leave us dealing with a number of issues.  How can you make sense of it all?
On this re-air episode of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia share some raw and vulnerable feelings about their relatively new journey as empty nesters and provide some hope for you to navigate this new season you're facing.

One Symptom of How a Parent Gets Stuck Making the Pivot to Partner

There are instances where parents can get stuck making the pivot from raising a child as a parent - to releasing them into the world as an adult and becoming a partner.
Today on The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia - after getting distracted again by the wildlife in their backyard - deliver a major symptom that prevents parents from pivoting well. 
Using some current sporting news and T.V. shows to make their point, you will be able to get a clear picture to enable you to overcome getting stuck in your pivot to partner.
 
Resources mentioned on this podcast:
1. "Stop It!" with Bob Newhardt  
2. "The Parent Pivot: 13 Principles for Building Stronger Relationships with Your Adult Children"
 

"Mammas, Don't Let Your Sons Grow Up . . . NOT!"

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. 

"Messy Journey: How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Home": Interview with Lori Wildenberg

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

My Adult Child's Marriage is in Trouble: Now What?

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