Wire Talk with Karen Stubbs

Danielle from Intentional Marriages joins us today to share insights from over a decade of working with married couples. She offers practical ways couples raising young kids can connect with one another on a daily and weekly basis and shares hope for couples who are struggling in their marriage.

We hope you pick up one practical tip that helps you be intentional about prioritizing your marriage relationship today.

Episode Recap:

11:45 - Connecting with Your Spouse in Seasons of Busyness

14:30 - What Does a Daily Check-In Look Like?

15:50 - Pausing to Talk Through “The Story I’m Telling Myself…”

19:10 - Tigers Vs. Turtles

23:15 - You Need a Weekly Check-In

27:30 - Everything Else Is Scheduled, Schedule Sex! 

31:30 - Get Help Before Your Relationship Is In Trouble

Resources:

• Check out Danielle and Russ’s ministry and resources: Intentional Marriages: https://www.intentionalmarriages.net/
• Want Karen to speak to the moms in your community? Reach out to us for events in 2025: www.birdsonwiremoms.com/invite 
• Connect with Birds on a Wire Moms on Instagram: www.instagram.com/birdsonawiremoms and Facebook: www.facebook.com/birdsonawiremoms

Questions for Group Discussion:

1. If you were to rank the health of your marriage today on a scale from 1 (on life support) to 5 (thriving) where would you put it?
2.  Are you the “turtle’ or the “tiger” in your relationship? 
3. What’s one practical thing Danielle mentioned in this conversation that you can put into practice this week? 
4. When’s the last time you had a weekly check-in with your spouse? 

Our strong-willed children can drive parents up the wall with their forceful opinions! In today’s episode Karen gives advice for any mom locked in a battle with her “red” child. She reminds us of the needs our strong-willed children have, and offers encouragement for coming alongside them without giving in to their demands. 

Episode Recap:

4:28 - Why Karen Loves Her Reds

5:30 - Strengths and Weaknesses of the Red Personality

7:50 - Dead Giveaways You Have a Red Child

11:00 - How Do I Handle My 6 Year Old’s Stubbornness?

19:00 - How Do I Discipline a Defiant Toddler Who Hits?

24:15 - How Do I Break Bad Habits We Started During Covid? 

29:05 What Do I Do About My Picky Eater?

32:00 - Give Choices to Your Strong-Willed Child

34:33 - Reds Are Your Leaders, Get Them on the Right Path

Resources:

• Take the quick quiz to learn your child’s personality color: boaw.mom/quiz
• Grab Kathleen Edelman’s book: A Grown Up’s Guide to Kids’ Wiring https://amzn.to/3vnmyUd
• Check out Karen’s latest curriculum on Right Now Media: Survival Guide to Motherhood: https://app.rightnowmedia.org/en/content/details/760101
• Want Karen to speak to the moms in your community? Reach out: www.birdsonwiremoms.com/invite 
• Connect with Birds on a Wire Moms on Instagram: www.instagram.com/birdsonawiremoms  and Facebook: www.facebook.com/birdsonawiremoms

Today Karen is sharing a simple way to talk with your kids about the meaning of Easter. Listen as she walks us step-by-step through the Easter story using Resurrection Eggs. This may be a great new tradition you can start with your family this year! 

Episode Recap:

11:00 - Karen walks through the Resurrection Eggs

14:30 - Old Testament prophecy Jesus fulfilled (Zec. 9:9)

22:10 - Don’t try to sugarcoat the ugliness of the crucifixion for your kids

36:05 - You can have fun with Easter and still focus on the reason we celebrate

36:45 - How can we share the Good News of the resurrection with our older kids? 

Resources:

• Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@birdsonawiremoms
• Grab Resurrection Eggs for your family this Easter! https://amzn.to/48QOWM5
• Pick up Karen’s Teen Devotional: https://store.birdsonawiremoms.com/collections/frontpage/products/preorder-teen-devotional
• Want Karen to speak to the moms in your community? Reach out: www.birdsonwiremoms.com/invite 
• Connect with Birds on a Wire Moms on Instagram: www.instagram.com/birdsonawiremoms  and Facebook: www.facebook.com/birdsonawiremoms

Moms face conflicting priorities daily. From little things, like: do I wake up early to get a workout in or catch extra sleep because the baby was up last night to bigger questions like, do we have another baby or do I prioritize going back to work? The answers aren’t always black and white, but today Karen offers up wisdom to help guide you when you’re caught between two good choices.

Episode Recap:

08:34 - How do I shift my mindset about the heavy workload I carry as a working mom?

15:44 - How can I be a more playful mom? 

20:07 - I’m finding it hard to be joyful as a newly expectant older mom…

22:37 - Help! The blue personalities in my life are draining me!

Resources:

• Pick up Karen’s Teen Devotional: https://store.birdsonawiremoms.com/collections/frontpage/products/preorder-teen-devotional
• Check out Karen’s grandkids on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee2YYTZ-mfQ
• Listen to our Dad Color series from last summer: 368, 369, 370, 371
• Want Karen to speak to the moms in your community? Reach out: www.birdsonwiremoms.com/invite 
• Connect with Birds on a Wire Moms on Instagram: www.instagram.com/birdsonawiremoms  and Facebook: www.facebook.com/birdsonawiremoms

Today's episode rides the emotional rollercoaster ride of defiance, particularly with red/blue personality kids. Karen shares insights, encouragement, and practical tips for parents who are facing defiance head-on.

Episode Recap:

08:26 - Red and Blue Temperament Combination

10:16 - Seeking God's Wisdom

19:41 - Addressing Defiance in Children

24:56 - Gaining Respect from a Defiant Child

27:54 - Letting Fathers Take the Lead

Resources:

• Don’t miss it! Register for Mom Core Online today! www.boaw.mom/momcoreonline
• Pick up Karen’s Teen Devotional: https://store.birdsonawiremoms.com/collections/frontpage/products/preorder-teen-devotional
• Want Karen to speak to the moms in your community? Reach out: www.birdsonwiremoms.com/invite 
• Connect with Birds on a Wire Moms on Instagram: www.instagram.com/birdsonawiremoms  and Facebook: www.facebook.com/birdsonawiremoms

Today we’re answering your questions about the challenges of potty training. We cover dealing with frequent bathroom trips during outings and handling stubborn three-year-olds and Karen shares practical tips for creating routines and staying patient through the ups and downs of potty training. Tune in for helpful advice, encouragement, and reassurance that you’re not alone on this messy adventure!

Episode Recap:

2:16 - Potty Training Boys vs. Girls

3:24 - Frequent Potty Breaks Issue

5:15 - Motivating a Stubborn Child to Potty

7:16 - Dealing with Weak Pelvic Floor in Children

10:21 - Empathy and Understanding in Potty Training

11:36 - Strategies for Poop Training

Resources:

- Register for Mom Core Online today! www.boaw.mom/momcoreonline

- Want Karen to speak to the moms in your community? Reach out: www.birdsonwiremoms.com/invite 

- Connect with Birds on a Wire Moms on Instagram: www.instagram.com/birdsonawiremoms and Facebook: www.facebook.com/birdsonawiremoms

Taylor joins Karen and Emily in the studio today to answer your questions about creating a healthy relationship with your son. We answer questions about what experiences bonded Taylor’s heart to Karen early on in life and how Karen being a student of Taylor’s (blue/melancholy) personality helped him to feel known growing up in a house full of girls. This conversation is full of nuggets that will both encourage your heart and help you invest in your sons. 

Episode Recap:

- Mother-Son Relationship Dynamics

- How Karen Showed Love During Taylor’s Teen Years

- Strategies for Interacting with a Blue Personality

- Learning to Communicate with a Blue Child

- Dating Rules for Taylor vs. His Sisters

- The Four S's for Blues

- Structuring Family Time for Blues

- Advice for Grandparenting with Sensitivity and Staying in Your Lane

Resources:

- Register for Mom Core Online today! www.boaw.mom/momcoreonline

- Want Karen to speak to the moms in your community? Reach out: www.birdsonwiremoms.com/invite 

- Connect with Birds on a Wire Moms on Instagram: www.instagram.com/birdsonawiremoms and Facebook: www.facebook.com/birdsonawiremoms

As moms, making time to prioritize friendship can feel difficult or downright impossible depending on your situation. In today’s episode, Karen answers questions about friendship from the new mom in town, working moms, introverted moms, and the mom who feels out of place with others in her peer group.

Episode Recap:

4:17 - The Loneliness of Motherhood
7:15 - Finding New Friends After Moving
9:15 - The Challenge of Making Friends as an Introvert
10:45 - Balancing Work & Friendship
13:43 - Dealing with Past Hurt from Mom Cliques

 Resources:

• Want to start a group? Learn more: https://birdsonawiremoms.com/start-a-group
• Codependent No More book: https://amzn.to/4bmmrs4
• Want Karen to speak to the moms in your community? Reach out: www.birdsonwiremoms.com/invite 
• Connect with Birds on a Wire Moms on Instagram: www.instagram.com/birdsonawiremoms  and Facebook: www.facebook.com/birdsonawiremoms

If the church has hurt you - this is one conversation you don’t want to miss. Today Karen is answering questions about what to do if your teens don’t enjoy the church you attend, seeking a new church family, when church hurts, and how to respond to a church that seems to be slowly dying. We hope this conversation encourages you to persevere in your efforts to be a part of a local church and reminds you why it is worth it!

 Episode Recap:
4:30 - There’s no such thing as a perfect church
11:20 - How to handle teens hurt by church
16:30 - Help! My teens dislike our church
22:00 - Our church is dying…what do we do?
 

Resources:

• Available Now! Karen’s new Teen Girls Devotional:  https://store.birdsonawiremoms.com/products/preorder-teen-devotional
• Want Karen to come deliver some encouragement to the moms in your community? Reach out to Katie at www.birdsonwiremoms.com/invite 
• Connect with Birds on a Wire Moms on Instagram: www.instagram.com/birdsonawiremoms  and Facebook: www.facebook.com/birdsonawiremoms

We’re talking teens and their faith on today’s show. Join us as Karen answers your questions on everything from choosing a Bible for your teen to navigating difficult life situations and even to questioning God. Our prayer is that this episode gives you the encouragement and the resources you need to help guide your teens along their faith journey. Check out today’s show notes for links to all the recommendations from the episode and then some! 

Episode Recap:

7:48 - Bible study recommendations for teen girls
8:06 - Announcing Karen’s devotional for teen girls!
9:43 - Handling apathy in your teen's faith
10:01 - Encouraging your teen to read their Bible
10:54 - Creating boundaries around your teen’s behavior

 Resources:

• Find great Bible studies for teens on Right Now Media: https://www.rightnowmedia.org/
• Available Now! Karen’s new Teen Girls Devotional:  https://store.birdsonawiremoms.com/products/preorder-teen-devotional
• Great Bible for Teen Boys: https://amzn.to/48IJTOF
• Katie’s choice Bible for Tween Boys: https://amzn.to/3vJVI8G
• Karen’s choice Bible for Tween or Teen Girls: https://amzn.to/3SsgnHa
• Guidance for your prayer life - The Power of a Praying Mom: https://amzn.to/3S91oAy
• Boundaries with Teens: https://amzn.to/3OfuKfc
• Want Karen to come deliver some encouragement to the moms in your community? Reach out to Katie at www.birdsonwiremoms.com/invite 
• Connect with Birds on a Wire Moms on Instagram: www.instagram.com/birdsonawiremoms  and Facebook: www.facebook.com/birdsonawiremoms