CODE 3 FAMILIES

Loyalty, dedication, passion, and being a team player are some of the characteristics that make our first responder's great at what they do! In this episode Dr. Rachelle (Fire Spouse) and Dr. Alma (Police Spouse) discuss how these respected characteristics can also be the ones that lead to a first responder's strong sense of obligation to the work which may have downsides such as poor boundaries, a lack of self care, and why they might also choose overtime over family time. 

In our clinical work, we notice that kids from first responder families tend to have more big worries and lean towards being more anxious than the average kid. Listen to Dr. Rachelle (fire wife) and Dr. Alma (police wife) as they talk about their experience working as psychologists with first responder kids and their thoughts about where their anxiety may stem from. 

As a first responder spouse I'm sure you're no stranger to your first responder spouse working overtime. In this career it can often times be out of the first responder’s control. However, there are also many times overtime is a choice. Listen in as Dr. Rachelle (fire wife) and Dr. Alma (police wife) discuss the benefits of overtime and also the significant costs we may not always be considering when it is a choice. 

As a first responder spouse you think they are off work, yet in a split second when someone needs help they are immediately "ON" in helper mode. We all have stories of the many times being the helper has taken over our moment as a family. Listen in as Dr. Rachelle (fire spouse) and Dr. Alma (police spouse) share what it's like for them being the non-first responder spouse when their husbands suddenly go into first responder mode while off duty. 

Dr. Alma shares big news! As a first responder spouse we have MANY opportunities to be alone managing social events, family responsibilities, holidays, sleep... and the list goes on. Adapting to this can be different for every spouse. Dr. Rachelle (fire spouse) and Dr. Alma (police spouse) talk about the challenges they have experienced along the way adapting to the lifestyle that encourages so much independence. They discuss how they manage being alone now and what you can do as a spouse to make those times more manageable. 

As a first responder spouse you deal with many additional stressors in daily life. You often take on a majority of the family responsibilities and many times need to parent and manage things on your own. For your family's sake, please care for yourself first. Usually that's easier said than done. Join Dr. Rachelle (Fire Spouse) and Dr. Alma (police spouse) as they discuss self care for first responder spouses and share their own challenges with managing it all.

Dr. Rachelle (fire spouse) shares her early pregnancy experience and big news with Dr. Alma (Police spouse). As a first responder spouse it can often be hard to know what's really going on at work for your first responder. Listen in as we discuss from the psychological perspective why first responders may often not be talking about the job and ways you as a couple can work on this! 

Because the first responder career often lacks flexibility, as the spouse we may be left with feelings we have to manage, challenges we have to navigate, and new ways of doing things we have to accept. Listen in as Dr. Alma (Police Spouse) and Dr. Rachelle (Fire Spouse) discuss how silenced a spouse may feel, especially in current times.   

Whether we are an actual employee of the department or not, first responder culture impacts a lot of the conversations we have with our spouse and the decisions that are made regarding work etc. Listen in as Dr. Rachelle (Fire Spouse) and Dr. Alma (Police Spouse) discuss what they have learned about first responder culture over the years and how they play into it as wives. 

With so many things to throw us off... quarantine, protests, air quality, fire season, distance learning, and forced overtime left and right... we are left to manage our own feelings as a first responder spouse and roll with the punches. Listen in as Dr. Rachelle (Fire Spouse) and Dr. Alma (Police Spouse) discuss how they are managing the disappointment of broken plans and their kid's feelings.