Wow! It's hard to believe that I started the podcast almost six years ago and have published 170 episodes. I love researching, planning, and recording podcast episodes. It has been a blast! During this episode, I'll catch you up on what is happening with the podcast and my life and business in general.

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Have you thought about what your days will look like when you finish homeschooling? As my daughter was progressing through high school, I started thinking about what the empty nest years might look like. I'll be honest and say that I'm looking forward to them! It's no secret around here. I will miss my daughters' daily presence, but there is also a lot I'm looking forward to about them both graduating and moving out. It will mean more independence and freedom for all of us. 

We have graduated one daughter; the other is in high school. We are not fully empty nesting yet, but we have changed our family dynamics from a family of four to having an only child for most of the week, and she is a busy little bee with activities and friends. As we moved into this stage, I had thoughts about what the days would look like and how things would be. I was wrong about several of them. In this episode, I'm sharing three of the myths I believed about launching our children after homeschooling so you can have realistic expectations of what is ahead.

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• Empty Nest Awakening: Weaving the Threads of Your Passions into Purpose by Ruthie Gray 
• 169: Three Truths I Learned As I Rediscovered My Dreams
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Do you remember when your children were young and how what they wanted to be when they grew up changed every few months? They were exploring their world and discovering new interests. Somewhere along the way, we started to believe that we had to choose one career path and stick to it. But let's be real for a minute. If you went to college, how many of you graduated from college with the major you started with? More recently, how often have you changed your homeschool curriculum because something just wasn't working? Rarely do we know exactly what we want and take a straight path to get there! Changing what we use for the sake of our children seems okay, but it's not okay for us to change our minds.

I commented recently to a friend that it feels like I am a toddler exploring the world again or a college student trying to decide what her major should be. It's scary, confusing, and makes me a little dizzy! But it's okay. It's a part of the process of discerning where God is calling me to serve next. In this episode, I am sharing my journey of re-discovery of who I am and what I want to be when I grow up, umm, I mean when I finish my current calling of being a homeschool mom. Along the way, I'll share three important truths I learned.

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When I took my first life coaching class in the summer of 2021, I thought it sounded interesting and like something I might want to pursue, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it professionally. I figured even if I didn't continue this as a profession, my family would benefit as I learned to be a better listener. 

As you can probably guess by now, I fell in love with coaching! I love creating a safe space for clients to process their situation, helping them rediscover their dreams and passions, watching the light bulb go off when they realize what is keeping them stuck, and partnering with clients to help them achieve their dreams! 

And my family has definitely benefited! As I have continued to improve my coaching skills, I've learned six questions that can have a profound impact on your thinking. I ask myself these questions when I am struggling with something. And I ask them of my daughters and husband, too. 

The questions we discussed today were:

1. What is prompting me to think about this? What is prompting them to tell me this?
2. What does that mean to you?
3. What do you think about that?
4. What is important about that? 
5. What might you need to address?
6. What can I do to support you?

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• 105: How I coach myself
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I was listening to a podcast episode where they were talking about controlling your emotions by talking to the elephant. I was intrigued and pondered this more over the next several days. It tied in perfectly with the Bible study my women's group was doing, so I prepared some talking points as a session opener for the group. 

Being a thermostat instead of a thermometer is important to me and is something I have been trying to do since my daughters were in elementary school. I learned how to manage my emotions during that season and thought it was now second nature. But I've come to realize lately that I need reminders often because I am facing different emotions (and more hormones). The reminders in this episode are as much for me as for you. I hope they help you during your season of transition, too!

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• 117: How I Retrained My Thoughts To Be A Thermostat Instead Of A Thermometer
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When my daughters were in elementary school, I dreaded the teenage years. I had heard stories of challenging days, hormonal swings, and tension. With two girls, I dreaded what the hormonal days would look like, but then I read a book that changed my perspective.

Why I Didn't Rebel by Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach helped me see how the teenage years would have their own unique set of challenges but could also be a delightful time that I could look forward to with excitement. My daughter's teenage years have been some of my favorites. 

In this episode, I'm sharing what I love about the teenage years and why you can look forward to them!

🤿 Want to dive deeper?

• Why I Didn't Rebel: A Twenty-Two-Year-Old Explains Why She Stayed on the Straight and Narrow---and How Your Kids Can Too by Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach 
• Narration: What You Need To Know
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• Download the wah-di (What would you do if...?) talking points
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The teenage years are often a little rocky. It's inevitable that there will be friction as your teen learns to become an adult and you learn to let go of control. 

It's a little like shooting a bow and arrow. To shoot the arrow far and straight, you need to pull back on the bowstring and create tension. The tension can be uncomfortable and strained, but it is necessary to hit the target. 

Continuing with our theme of adjusting our parenting style as move along the Influence Factor Parenting Continuum™, in this episode we will explore 3 traits you need to embrace as your children mature and you learn to move to a mentoring and coaching approach.

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• Download the Responsibilities and Privileges List
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We've been talking about moving along the Influence Factor Parenting Continuum™ from instructing and control to a position of influence with mentoring and coaching. If you missed those episodes, you might want to take a listen. 

Today, we are talking about one aspect of moving from control to influence with our teens and pre-teens. As they begin getting involved in more activities without us, they need to be able to choose how they want to respond and follow through with that action. 

In this episode, I'll share the activity we used to help our teens become more confident in their actions and responses. And the best part is that it only takes a few minutes!

🤿 Want to dive deeper?

• 162: 3 Reasons Why Your Parenting Style Must Change As Your Children Mature
• 163: 3 Principles I Try To Follow To Not Nag My Children
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No one likes to be told what to do, especially teenagers. My daughter's junior year of high school was rocky. As hard as I tried to allow her to assume responsibility for her decisions and actions, I kept stepping in and trying to control the situation. It was stressful and frustrating for both of us and damaged our relationship. 

Thankfully, I learned how to handle such situations better, and our relationship has recovered. In this episode, I am sharing 3 principles I try to follow to help my children own their actions without nagging.

🤿 Want to dive deeper?

• 162: 3 Reasons Why Your Parenting Style Must Change As Your Children Mature
• Losing Control and Liking It: How to Set Your Teen (and Yourself) Free by Tim Sanford
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• Schedule a Strategy Session Coaching Call

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Have you thought, "If only parenting came with an instruction manual?!" Me, too! It seems that when we finally figure out how to handle a situation, our children change. What was working no longer works! It can be infuriatingly frustrating at times. We scramble to talk to friends, read books, and search the Internet to figure out what to do. I've been frustrated by this at times until I realized that it is a natural part of life as we progress through the stages of the Influence Factor Parenting Continuum™.

As I learned to embrace the shift from control to influence, I have deepened my relationship with my children and become more secure in allowing them to explore and spread their wings. But it hasn't been easy! My first step was to recognize and acknowledge why it was necessary to change my perspective and parenting style. Shifting my mindset gave me encouragement when the transition was difficult. In this episode, I'm sharing the three motivations I keep in mind as I move along the Influence Factor Parenting Continuum™.

🤿 Want to dive deeper?

• 135: The Four C’s Of Obedience: How To Make Learning To Obey Fun
• 136: Passing the Baton: Learning To Turn Over Responsibility To Your Children Gracefully
• 153: Feel like you are hitting your head against the wall teaching your children life skills? Hang in there!
• No Perfect Parents: Ditch Expectations, Embrace Reality, and Discover the One Secret That Will Change Your Parenting by Dave and Ann Wilson
• Download the free Responsibilities and Privileges List
• Register for a workshop
• Schedule a free Discovery Call to learn more about coaching
• Schedule a Strategy Session Coaching Call

© Triumphant Learning, LLC