Happy New Year. Starting off the new year with another Tuesday Tip for Parents. Today it is about what is important and do you set resolutions for the new year. Join Gina and Don for this short tip.

#newyears2024 #newyearsresolutions #newyearsgoals #planningfornewyear2024 #ginagrothoff #dongrothoff #focusedhealthyfamily

Do you have furry children? The pets that help you through even the roughest times and are there for you even when people are not. Have you lost a furry friend in the past? Gina and Don have a tribute to their dog Olive who recently passed away. They talk too about how animals play a big role in healing. Join us for this emotional discussion…

This year Olive, our fun-loving and beautiful dog passed away. She had lived 16 years and was one of the best dogs ever.  Olive was there for my middle child when Abby was going through her worst times. Olive was her therapy and rescue. She really was the rescue for all of us. She was a brave dog who defended us when another dog tried to attack us. She was the dog that never complained or whimpered. She was the one that was there anytime someone was ill or not feeling their best. I attribute Abby’s recovery from OCD a lot to Olive. She loved us and life. It was extremely hard letting go of her. She will be remembered always in our hearts and mind. Gina and I did this tribute to Furry Angels and Olive on this podcast.

#dogswelove #dogspassingaway #deathofadog #animalswelove #animalspassingaway #catswelove @catspassingaway #deathofananimal #deathofacat #focusedhealthyfamily #ginagrothoff #dongrothoff #furryfriends #furryangels

Best of 2023 - 

Moving to a new place can send your emotions on a roller coaster ride. Changes of any sort have us dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma and what do we do about it? Gina and Don are going through a move to another part of Charlotte and depression and anxiety are making it harder to go through the processes that are needed for that move. They discuss how they are having moving emotions and they are also moving their emotions to a better place. Join us…

#anxietyaroundmoving #depressionaroundmoving #depressionmakingthingsharderthantheyare #ginagrothoff #dongrothoff #focusedhealthyfamily

This week is the best of 2023 and this was our interview with Adam. Adam takes young adults looking for work and adventure at the same time. He fills their gap years (between graduating college and taking time before career.

Adam Salzman has worked in educational programming for over nine years, involved in everything from study abroad to recruiting international students for global internships and now supporting American students on destination work programs through AdventureEXP. Adam is passionate about meaningful travel, especially with young people, and believes it lays the foundation for a joyful life of purpose and belonging. His own journey started in China during a gap year of studying and interning throughout the country. Since then, Adam has been fortunate to travel to many other parts of the world with purpose and help hundreds of young people do the same.

https://www.instagram.com/aexp_travel/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064288982371

https://www.linkedin.com/company/71016496

https://adventureexp.com/

The Gap Year Association 

https://www.gapyearassociation.org/

#youngadultstravels #gapyeartravel #gapyear #adventureexp #afterhighschooltravel #destinationworkplace #destinationworkprogram #adamsalzman #ginagrothoff #dongrothoff #focusedhealthyfamily

Gina and Don interview Cathy Adams from Zen Parenting Radio. Cathy talks about being a caregiver to both her aging parents over a long period of time. Her father with a stroke and failing health and and then her mother dealing with dementia. 

Cathy is … a self-awareness expert, podcast host, & author focused on parenting and the personal empowerment of women and young girls. Along with her husband Todd, she co-founded Zen Parenting Radio Podcast. She’s a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Parent Coach, Certified Elementary School Teacher, Certified Yoga Teacher, and she teaches in the Sociology Department at Dominican University and Elmhurst College.

Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable World 

https://zenparentingradio.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ZenParenting/

https://twitter.com/zenparenting

https://www.instagram.com/zenparentingradio/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/zen-parenting-radio/about/

https://www.pinterest.com/zenparenting/

https://www.youtube.com/user/zenparentingradio

#sandwichgeneration #agingparents #seniorparents #seniorcaregivers #dementia #alzheimers #lewybodydementia #vasculardementia #frontotemperaldementia #zenparentingradio #cathyadams #focusedhealthyfamily #ginagrothoff #dongrothoff

This week we are looking back at the best podcast of 2023 and talking about the Sandwich Generation, parents who are sandwiched between raising their kids and caring for aging parents.

How many things do you have to juggle in your life? Now add on caring not only for your kids but an aging parent.  You have to be a great juggling performer to make that work. Gina and Don (along with Grover) talk about how to juggle all of that. Join us…

#sandwichgeneration #jugglinglife #takingcareofchildren #takingcareofagingparents #agingparentsupport #agingcaregivers #caregivingagingparents #seniorcaregiving #ginagrothoff #dongrothoff #focusedhealthyfamily

This week we are looking back at the best podcast of 2023 and talking with Richard who was so informative and enjoyable. Foster Care is a broken system where kids can get lost and forgotten. Too many kids in foster care end up on the streets. The system needs change. Richard Villasana is doing something about it. 

#fostercare #fostercaresystems #fosterkids #fosterchildren #fosteringachild fosteringakid #richardvillasana #foreverhomesforfosterkids #ginagrothoff #dongrothoff #focusedhealthyfamily

https://foreverhomesforfosterkids.org/

Book: Do No Harm – Get it here

Find Richard on Linkedin here 

Find Richard on Twitter here 

Find Richard on Facebook here

Check out this episode!

Belated Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Gina and Don share some Holiday memories and also talk about how to make some for yourself.

#holidays #christmas #thanksgiving #emotionsaroundholidays #feelingsaroundholidays #kidsandholidays #kidsandchristmas #hanukkah #Kwanzaa

Your teen decides he doesn't have to go to Grandma's because his friends are getting together. This goes against the tradition and the challenge begins. How do you handle it? Gina and Don talk about problem solving and effective communication with a teen.

#problemsolvingwithateen #talkingtoyourteen #communicationwithkids #talkingwithkids #howtotalksokidswilllisten #talkingtokidsaboutholidayactivities #focusedhealthyfamily #ginagrothoff #dongrothoff

Check out our How To Talk So Kids Will Listen Workshop 

Starting Jan 9th, 2023

It is a simple concept but one we forget in the middle of all the preparations and planning of the holidays. Just to find time to laugh, breath and enjoy. Gina and Don talk about that give some tips you may not have thought of.

#holidays #christmas #thanksgiving #emotionsaroundholidays #feelingsaroundholidays #kidsandholidays #kidsandchristmas #hanukkah #Kwanzaa