I gave you a chance to ask my hubby & I anything in these episodes as we close out 2023–and I’ve never had more questions and requests! You want us to talk about parenting, relationships (including why we were separated), family, work-life balance, sharing the domestic load at home, our kids' dating (yikes!), handling screen time…you name it. 
John likes to think there were so many questions because he’s a ratings machine. His humility is a gift.
In this episode, we talk about meeting and marrying young, why we gave our marriage another chance, how we make time for each other and protect our relationship, plus one of our parenting fails in 2023!
As we wrap up the year, we hope these conversations encourage you…and propel you into 2024. 
Life Happens… Let’s Talk About It! 
(00:04) - Parenting, Relationships, and Family Conversations
(10:24) - College Meeting, Living in South
(15:17) - Protecting Our Marriage and Overcoming Challenges
(22:01) - Successful Relationships and Family Life
(30:11) - Parenting Styles and Advice for Dads
LINKS 
Parenting Generation Screen book we love 
https://amzn.to/41fQSM0
Paula’s sweatshirt 
https://www.aproudtee.com/products/not-bossy-just-aggressively-helpful-sweatshirt?spm=..index.featured_collection_1.1&variant;=1087050e-8e81-4d20-8577-a59aa2156388
The family calendar that saves us: https://www.etsy.com/listing/766114220/large-acrylic-calendar-personalized-dry?utm_source=OpenGraph&utm;_medium=PageTools&utm;_campaign=Share
Hello Fresh boxes 
​​https://www.hellofresh.com/pages/raf_lp11?c=FIH-6N3JYTT1UWHY&utm;_campaign=referralinvite&utm;_medium=nativeshare&utm;_source=freebies&utm;_invitername=Paula&utm;_term=ios_app&discount;_comm_id=992270dc-a684-4b10-bd34-da8bb5f811b2

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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-paula-faris-show/message  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paula & John on Relationships, Family, and Why We Gave Our Marriage Another Chance

Join Emmy-Award winning journalist, Founder of CARRY™ and America’s most curious mom, Paula Faris, as she and her frequent co-host, husband John, talk about the hottest topics that parents are talking about. This listener driven show tackles your big questions: "When to have the sex talk with my kid? Why are we fighting about the dishes again? How can I juggle work and life? Why are teenagers and toddlers so hard?" If you’re talking about it, Paula is talking about it in a real, relatable and authentic manner. Join Paula as she engages in a conversation style of no sugar coating, authenticity and keeping it real. She will have you laughing and learning. Life Happens. Let's Talk About It!

Society & Culture

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Places & Travel

This was such a fun conversation catching up with Olympic Gymnast Shawn Johnson and her husband, Andrew East, as we talked about The Olympics, life with littles, and youth sports.  
 Because the Olympics start NEXT MONTH, we had to park there for a bit and Shawn shared something about the Olympics and the athletes that truly shocked not just me, but Andrew, as well.  
 It’s so much fun for me to talk to parents with littles, and wow, are they in the thick of it, with THREE kids under the age of 4? I can’t wait for you to hear what’s saving them in this season, how they’re supporting Olympic athletes who are parents, and their really unique take on youth sports.  
 Life Happens. Let’s Talk About it! 
RESOURCES:
 
 Listen in to learn more:  (00:00) - Life With Littles and Olympics (13:19) - Parenting Perspectives on Gender Differences (17:53) - Importance of Kids Sports Participation (23:13) - Parenting, Youth Sports, and Relationship Dynamics (37:12) - Challenges in Supporting Families (42:45) - Olympics Excitement and Parenting Advice 
 
 
 SUMMARY In this episode, we are digging into the ins and outs of parenting little kids of both genders, preventing burnout and encouraging our kids in sports, how proactive counseling has been beneficial as individuals and as a couple, and the heart behind Shawn and Andrew’s launch of the Moment Makers childcare initiative.  
 LINKS: 
 LAST MINUTE FATHER’s Day gift ideas: 
 CHARCOAL steak rub  ARMRA– 30% off with CODE: PAULAFARIS 
 Shawn ON IG Andrew on IG  
 SIGNUP  FOR PAULA’S NEWSLETTER https://www.paulafarisofficial.com/newsletter  
 
 FOLLOW PAULA ON INSTAGRAM   https://www.instagram.com/paulafaris/?hl=en 
 
 LINK TO CARRY’S NEWSLETTER  https://carrymedia.com/the-carry-all/ 
   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shawn Johnson and Andrew East: The Olympics, Life with Littles and Youth Sports

It’s the most vulnerable John and I have ever been about our 25+ year relationship, as we talk about the tensions we’ve navigated in our marriage and how we’ve fumbled our way to being equal partners, at home and at work.  
 The journey to true partnership hasn’t been easy and, at times, has been clumsier than clean.  
 In this conversation, you’ll hear about the scary and supportive decision John made for me early on and how we’ve figured out a way to share the load at home, which has been our BIGGEST source of tension. (That reminds me, who is cooking dinner tonight??)  
 If you didn’t love John already, you’re going to love hearing his heart and journey of how he’s been a true partner in every aspect.  
 Plus, we discuss some of those antiquated phrases like “stay at home” and “breadwinner”, that just need to go… 
 Life Happens. Let’s Talk About It! 
 RESOURCES: 
 Listen in to learn more:  (00:00) Equal Partnership in Work and Life (04:09) Gender Roles and Partner Support (14:52) Navigating Career Changes and Sacrifices (26:18) Household Partnership and Communication (32:59) Living With Three Kids and Olympics 
 
 SUMMARY In this episode, we are delving into the importance of having a partner who is your biggest cheerleader, the disservice we do to both men and women when we box each other into specific roles, why the 1950s dynamic many of us have romanticized may not be as ideal as we thought, and a method for sharing the tasks of the home that has been a lifesaver for John and I.  
 LINKS: 
 The shirt I’m wearing is SOLD OUT but here is a similar option - https://amzn.to/4aOHD8K 
 WIN THE FAIRPLAY BUNDLE AND SIGN UP FOR PAULA’S NEWSLETTER https://www.paulafarisofficial.com/newsletter  
 
 FOLLOW PAULA ON INSTAGRAM   https://www.instagram.com/paulafaris/?hl=en 
 
 LINK TO CARRY’S NEWSLETTER  https://carrymedia.com/the-carry-all/ 
   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Ongoing Journey to Being Equal Partners At Work and At Home

Therapist David Thomas is back, answering all your questions about TWEEN and TEEN boys! 
 Your questions ranged from gaming, discipline, ragey hormones, and phone use to porn, substance use, and body image. Phew! We covered so much.  
 David, the host of the Raising Boys and Girls podcast and the Executive Director of Daystar Counseling, will help you navigate these years and give you SO MUCH HOPE. 
 Share with anyone who could use some insight into tween and teen boys. They’re precious but so misunderstood.  
 Life Happens. Let’s Talk About It.  
 
 Listen in to learn more:  (10:42 - 11:32) Consequences of Phone Misuse (18:25 - 19:50) Supporting Boys Through Peer Pressure (29:51 - 30:51) Addressing Pornography and Male-Female Relationships 
 
 In this episode, we are diving into healthy boundaries on gaming and technology, why helping our kids regulate is the first step of discipline, consequences that make sense (besides just taking away screens!), body image conversations with our boys, and helping our sons navigate through instead of numbing out when things get tough. 
 Resources:  
 CONNECT WITH DAVID:  https://www.daystarcounseling.com/  
 FOLLOW DAVID/DAYSTAR ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/raisingboysandgirls/ 
 DAVID’S BOOK RAISING EMOTIONALLY STRONG BOYS: https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Emotionally-Strong-Boys-Tools/dp/0764239988 
 DAVID'S PODCAST - https://www.raisingboysandgirls.com/podcast  
 Here’s a great phone contract to sign with your kids from WAIT UNTIL 8th.   https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58938b9fbebafb25099e8c5b/t/654cfadfc2beb7065a3dbb16/1699543775246/Wait+Until+8th+Family+Phone+Plan.pdf  
 
 LINK TO PAULA’S NEWSLETTER https://www.paulafarisofficial.com/newsletter  
 
 FOLLOW PAULA ON INSTAGRAM   https://www.instagram.com/paulafaris/?hl=en 
 
 LINK TO CARRY’S NEWSLETTER  https://carrymedia.com/the-carry-all/ 
   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Answering Your Questions About Tween and Teen Boys, PT 2

To be honest, I’ve had a difficult time connecting with my boys. At times, I’ve wondered, and you may have, too, “Is anything connecting?” On top of that, my teen son recently told me that I don’t understand him. I know so many of you are right there, too. That’s why we’re talking about it.  
 David Thomas, the Executive Director of Daystar Counseling is joining the conversation to  help us make sense of tween and teen boys. (I have cried tears of joy and relief since talking with him!)  
 This is the first of two episodes in which we’ll discuss what’s happening in the boy brain, their different stages of development, how we can best support them, and why we need to extend their runway to age 25.  
 David also hilariously explains what happens to their collective IQ when a group of adolescent boys gets together and why they only seem to open up at night. (It’s a thing!) 
 This conversation is setting up next week’s episode, in which we will answer all your questions about tween and teen boys in an insightful Q&A; with David.  
 Life Happens. Let’s Talk About It.  
 
 Listen in to learn more:  (00:00 - 00:26) Developmental Differences in Adolescence (01:32 - 03:15) Understanding Tween and Teen Boys (09:23 - 10:59) Parenting Through Adolescent Development (14:20 - 15:25) Understanding Adolescents Through the Enneagram (19:15 - 20:20) Boys, Pornography, and Parental Supervision (21:29 - 22:28) Stages of Adolescent Development (28:51 - 30:16) Navigating Motherhood With Steadiness and Support 
 SUMMARY: In this episode, we discuss how to communicate with tween and teen boys in a nonthreatening way, the developmental differences between boys and girls, how we can best support and nurture our boys' unique wiring, why ages 13-15 are so tough for teen boys and their parents and hope for the future of our relationships with our sons.  
 LINKS:  
 CONNECT WITH DAVID:  https://www.daystarcounseling.com/ 
 FOLLOW DAVID/DAYSTAR ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/raisingboysandgirls/ 
 DAVID’S BOOK WILD THINGS: https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Things-Art-Nurturing-Boys/dp/1414322275 
 LINK TO PAULA’S NEWSLETTER https://www.paulafarisofficial.com/newsletter 
 FOLLOW PAULA ON INSTAGRAM   https://www.instagram.com/paulafaris/?hl=en 
 LINK TO CARRY’S NEWSLETTER  https://carrymedia.com/the-carry-all/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Making Sense of Tween and Teen Boys (with author and counselor David Thomas) Part One

One of the scariest, yet best things our family did was moving from NYC to a small town in South Carolina in 2020. Has there been a lot of GAIN in our life because of it? Absolutely. But, there’s also been a lot of things we’ve GIVEN UP because of it.  
 We’ve created a life we love and my guest today, Stephanie May Wilson, is going to take us through three steps to help you create a life you love, as well. She’s even written a new best-selling book about it!  
 Stephanie is doing just that in her own life, moving her young family to Spain (wait until you hear why!) to create a life they love. It’s a decision that’s both scary and exhilarating.  How often do we get ourselves twisted up making a decision we think will please someone else, or living another life that’s not authentic to us? 
 Stephanie has four words for all of us: YOU GET TO DECIDE.  
 Friends, we get to decide. Yes, there will be gain, as well as giving up. But, we get to decide.  
 
 Listen in to learn more:  (6:04 -9:37) Childcare Costs and Women in the Workforce (9:38 - 12:46) Defining Life Moments Before Age 35 (13:21 - 14:34) Pressure of Turning 30 (or 40, 0r 50) (16:56 - 17:49) You Get to Decide (17:50 - 19:23) Three Things To Quiet the Noise and Find Out What You Want Out of Life (21:23 - 22:51) When Our Choices are Limited by Circumstances 
 SUMMARY: In this episode, we are delving into the pressures of building a career and a family at the same time, the power of making decisions (even when our choices are limited by our circumstances), 3 things you can do to quiet the noise and figure out what you want out of life, and the hard reality that even the best choices will come with sacrifice.  
 LINKS:  
 LINK TO STEPHANIE’S WEBSITE: https://stephaniemaywilson.com/ 
 
 LINK TO STEPHANIE’S BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Create-Life-You-Love-Outside-ebook/dp/B0CCV1RMLV 
 
 LINK TO STEPHANIE’S PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/girls-night-with-stephanie-may-wilson/id1278993781 
 
 LINK TO PAULA’S NEWSLETTER https://www.paulafarisofficial.com/newsletter 
 
 FOLLOW PAULA ON INSTAGRAM   https://www.instagram.com/paulafaris/?hl=en 
 
 LINK TO CARRY’S NEWSLETTER  https://carrymedia.com/the-carry-all/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paula & John on Relationships, Family, and Why We Gave Our Marriage Another Chance

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