Wire Talk with Karen Stubbs

If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I ruining my teenager’s life?” - you’re not alone. Today, Karen answers questions from moms navigating strong personalities, emotional pushback, and the tension between protecting and preparing their teens. With her trademark practical wisdom, she reminds us that what feels like conflict is often part of God’s process for refining our kids.

Episode Recap:

• As moms, we can see the writing on the wall but our teens literally can’t (1:45)
• My daughter and I fight all the time, I just do not like her right now (4:02)
• You cannot take their attitude and/or push back personally (7:43)
• How do I motivate my lazy teenage son? (9:01)
• We don’t need to coddle our sons (11:09)
• Look into our new study: How to Teach Your Kids the Bible (13:30)
• My daughter’s career dreams are unrealistic, how do we talk to her about it? (13:45)
• Any tips for a blue mom raising a melancholy 15 year old teen? (17:36)
• Our job is not to solve all our kids’ problems, it’s to point them to the Lord (19:41)

Scripture: Galatians 6:9 (NLT)
“​​So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

Discussion Questions: 

1. When have you felt like your teen misunderstood your intentions? How did you respond?
2. Where are you tempted to take your teen’s behavior personally?
3. What would it look like to “get out of God’s way” in your parenting right now?
4. How can you stay emotionally steady when your teen is not?
5. What is one boundary you need to hold with confidence this week? 

Resources:

• Listen to the rest of our conversation on WT+: boaw.mom/insider
• Check out Karen’s Peace for the Anxious Mom study today
• Check out our BRAND NEW Bible study: How To Teach Your Kids the Bible
• Download our FREE temperaments packet
• Pick up Karen’s devotional for Teenage Girls on Amazon

Want More of This Conversation?
WT+ listeners will hear Karen encourage you to stand firm in your parental convictions without damaging the relationship. Karen shares personal stories of the fruit that both she and her children have reaped from maintaining stricter boundaries in the teenage years.

Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

If you’re in the stage of parenting where tears, tantrums, and big emotions seem to take over every day, you’re not alone. Today Karen and Emily are tackling questions from moms navigating the emotional ups and downs of preschoolers and early elementary kids. They discuss why some kids cry more than others, how to handle tantrums without giving in, and how to guide sensitive kids through big feelings. If you’re in the thick of it these days, we hope this episode reminds you that this stage is normal and it won’t last forever!

Episode Recap:

• All of our kids go through hard phases, you are not alone (1:08)
• My 5 year old boy cries about EVERYTHING - help! (3:05)
• My son’s temper tantrums are out of control, what can I do? (7:08)
• My 4 yr old is very dependent on her brother, I’m worried about her clinginess (9:11)
• How do I approach the “stranger danger” conversation with my outgoing girl? (12:39)
• You’re not going to change the way your kid is wired, but you can understand it (20:00) 

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) 
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Discussion Questions: 

1. How do you usually respond when your child cries or throws a tantrum? How’s that working for your family? 
2. Karen talked about helping kids learn that not every situation is a “10 out of 10.” How do you teach your children perspective when they’re upset?
3. What are some practical ways you can help your child learn to express feelings with words instead of tears?
4. How does remembering that this stage is temporary change the way you respond in the moment?

Resources:

• Listen to the rest of our conversation on WT+: boaw.mom/insider
• Send us your questions through the BOAW Moms app [Apple] [Google Play]
• Check out our BRAND NEW Bible study: How To Teach Your Kids the Bible

Want More?

Wire Talk+ listeners get extended conversations every week. Today Karen and Emily are sharing tips for how to make mornings easier with reluctant risers.

Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

Last week, Karen talked about the temperaments. This week, she takes that conversation one step further by answering real questions from moms who are navigating strong-willed kids, harsh words, whining, and emotional outbursts. If you’ve ever looked at your child and thought, I know their heart is sweet, so why is this coming out so sideways? this episode is for you. Karen shares practical wisdom for understanding your child’s wiring, correcting with grace, and helping them grow.

Episode Recap:

• Last week, we talked about blue and red temperaments (2:00)
• My blue/green son often comes across as critical and harsh (3:00)
• My rising Kindergartener is controlling and bossy and can be physical (7:23)
• My daughter used to love being the center of attention, now she’s self-conscious (12:25)
• What is the temperaments book you reference all the time? (16:05)
• Pick a “lane” when you take the temperaments test (18:57) 

Scripture: Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Discussion Questions: 

1. Which of my child’s behaviors may be connected to their temperament, and which ones need clear correction?
2. Do I tend to react to my child’s tone or behavior in a way that escalates things?
3. How can I better coach my child after the emotional moment has passed?
4. Where does my own temperament make parenting this child especially hard?
5. What would it look like to be more patient and intentional in helping this child grow over time?

Resources:

• Listen to the rest of our conversation on WT+: boaw.mom/insider
• Episodes featuring moms of different temperament colors: 330, 331, 332, 333
• Grab Personality Plus for Parents by Florence Littauer 
• Take the Colors Temperament Quiz today

Want More of This Conversation?

Wire Talk+ listeners get extended conversations every week! Today Karen delves deeper into how moms’ own temperaments affect the way they respond to their kids and gives a helpful rundown of the core needs of each temperament.

Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

Today Karen and Emily tackle listener questions about kids with big emotions; the pouters, the perfectionists, the rule followers, and the fiercely competitive. Whether your child melts down when they lose, struggles to say they’re having fun, or takes rules a little too seriously, this episode will help you parent the way they’re wired instead of fighting against it.

Episode Recap:

• Join Wire Talk+, our VIP club for listeners (3:45)
• Is it okay to let my sensitive child pout in his room? (4:27)
• My “blue child” never says she’s having fun and it’s discouraging to me (9:55)
• How do I handle an overly strict rule follower? (13:30)
• My 9 yr old cannot bear losing - should I give him consequences for meltdowns? (17:28)
• You’re not going to change the way your kid is wired, but you can understand it (20:00) 

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

Discussion Questions: 

1. Does my child need space or correction in emotional moments?
2. Am I reacting to their personality, or am I training their character?
3. Do I expect my child to respond emotionally the way I would?
4. Where do I need to be more consistent with consequences?
5. How can I model emotional regulation in my own responses?

Resources:

• Listen to the rest of our conversation on WT+: boaw.mom/insider
• Send us your questions through the BOAW Moms app [Apple] [Google Play]
• Check out our BRAND NEW Bible study: How To Teach Your Kids the Bible
• Check out Raising Emotionally Strong Boys by David Thomas 

Want More of This Conversation?

Wire Talk+ listeners get extended conversations every week! Today Karen is sharing insights on parenting “blue” temperaments specifically.

Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

Are you parenting a Gen Z child and wondering why everything feels so different from when you were growing up? Today Karen and Emily sit down with leadership expert Tim Elmore, founder of Growing Leaders, to talk about the unique pressures facing this generation.

From overexposure to information and technology and underexposure to real-world experiences, Tim helps moms understand what’s really happening beneath the surface in a Gen Z kid. Don’t miss his fantastic illustration of what it means to be a “velvet-covered brick” as a parent!

Episode Recap:

• Growing Leaders was created to help parents understand the next generation (00:54)
• Who is the Gen Z kid? Who is Gen Alpha? (2:00)
• Gen Z makes us better leaders (4:20)
• Gen Z is overwhelmed by their overexposure to information (8:25)
• This generation is underexposed to experiences (10:09)
• How can a generation be so connected and still so lonely? (13:06)
• How do I equip my kids to overcome hardship? (16:04)
• Parents allow their kids to risk too little, and then rescue too much. (18:54)
• What intentional habits can make a difference for this generation? (22:44)
• Enter our giveaway on @birdsonawiremoms to win one of Tim’s books (27:20)

Scripture: James 1:2-4 (NIV)
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Discussion Questions: 

1. Where am I most tempted to rescue my child instead of coaching them through something hard?
2. When my child says they’re overwhelmed, how do I typically respond?
3. How well am I balancing “be yourself” with teaching my child to belong to something bigger than themselves?
4. What is one real-life experience I could intentionally create this year to help my child grow up (not just grow older)?

Resources:

• Listen to the rest of our conversation on WT+: boaw.mom/insider
• Check out all of Tim’s books on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4tQ7Iig
• Check out our BRAND NEW Bible study: How To Teach Your Kids the Bible

Want More of This Conversation?

Wire Talk+ listeners get extended conversations every week! Today Tim shares his perspective on the top 3 mistakes parents of teens are making with this generation.

Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed, overtouched, overstimulated and find yourself wondering, why does this feel so hard?

Today Karen answers real questions from moms about marriage, resentment, anxiety, exhaustion, and the emotional weight of motherhood. From mismatched sex drives in the toddler years to school-day overload and traveling husbands, this conversation will remind you that you are not alone. Motherhood can be beautiful and exhausting at the same time- and good and hard can truly run on parallel lines.

Episode Recap:

• Good and hard can run on parallel tracks! (3:10)
• How can I honor my husband’s higher sex drive and actually enjoy sex right now? (4:33)
• My afternoons are exhausting with 3 school age daughters - is this normal? (6:57)
• My husband travels for work & chooses golf on weekends, I feel resentful (12:50)
• My job and homeschooling has me feeling so anxious, I dread my day to day life (18:28)

Scripture: Philippians 4:19 (NIV)
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”

Discussion Questions: 

1. Where am I currently feeling the most overwhelmed — marriage, work, parenting, or emotionally?
2. Is there resentment quietly building in my heart? What honest conversation needs to happen?
3. What small buffer or margin could I create this week?
4. Am I trying to solve everything myself instead of laying it before the Lord?
5. Where do I need to remind myself that “good and hard can run on parallel lines”?

Resources:

• Listen to the rest of our conversation on WT+: boaw.mom/insider
• Check out our BRAND NEW Bible study: How To Teach Your Kids the Bible
• Listen to episode 131 or 165 on having a healthy sex life after kids

Want More of This Conversation?

Wire Talk+ listeners get extended conversations every week! Today Karen shares a personal story about a painful season when she had to “bend the knee” to God’s will in her life. Join us and we hope you’ll come away encouraged.

Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

Friendships in motherhood are rarely as simple as we expect them to be. Today Karen and Emily are continuing our friendship conversation by tackling comparison, conflict, cliques, and what to do when a friendship changes. They answer listeners’ questions about unmet expectations and learning when to lean in and when to let go. If friendship feels confusing, discouraging, or just plain messy right now, we hope this episode encourages you! 

Episode Recap:

• What is happening over on Wire Talk+? (4:01)
• Where do your friendship expectations come from? (10:30)
• How have your healthy friendships naturally changed over time? (12:56)
• Ask God for what you need - even in your friendships (14:52)
• Friendship doesn’t always look exactly like what we have imagined (18:02)
• How do we handle conflict and tension in friendship? (18:30)
• You can create space without ghosting people (21:37)
• How do I make friends when everywhere around me is full of cliques? (22:00)
• My friend continually brings up a topic of conversation that irritates me (25:25)

Scripture: Proverbs 17:17 (EST) “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

Discussion Questions: 

1. How has comparison (especially through social media) shaped your expectations of friendship?
2. Are there friendships in your life where proximity (distance, schedules, seasons of life) has changed the relationship?
3. When conflict or tension shows up, do you tend to address it or pull away? Why?
4. What kind of friend do you have the capacity to be right now? What kind of friendship do you realistically need in this season?
5. Is there one practical step you could take this month to strengthen a current friendship or pursue a new one?

Resources:

• Listen to the rest of our conversation on WT+: boaw.mom/insider
• Join our BOAW Moms Facebook group
• Check out our BRAND NEW Bible study: How To Teach Your Kids the Bible

Friendships in motherhood can feel complicated, especially when old wounds and insecurities get stirred up in new seasons. In this episode, Karen and Emily talk honestly about why friendships can feel hard for moms and how to move forward with grace, healthy expectations, and a “generous explanation” for the people around us.

Episode Recap:

• Friendship is difficult as a mom (2:23)
• We all have past hurts that impact how we receive or offer friendship today (4:30)
• How do we prevent self-sabotaging friendships? (6:17)
• Communicate clearly when you have moved into a new season of life (8:06)
• Choose a generous explanation whenever possible (10:02)
• How do I handle someone who is not a good fit wanting to be friends?! (13:54)
• How do I maintain friendships in a very full season? (16:45)
• Continue this conversation on WT+ at the link below (20:16)

Scripture: Ephesians 4:2 (NLT) “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”

Discussion Questions: 

1. Have you had a friendship since becoming a mom that didn’t turn out the way you expected. What made it hard?
2. When friendships feel disappointing or painful, what past experiences or insecurities tend to get stirred up for you?
3. Where do you think your expectations in friendships might need to shift to match the reality of your current season?
4. What would it look like for you to give a “generous explanation” instead of assuming the worst in a friendship right now?
5. What is one practical way you can pursue friendship with more grace this month without overextending yourself?

Resources:

• Listen to the rest of our conversation on WT+: boaw.mom/insider
• Join our BOAW Moms Facebook group
• Check out our BRAND NEW Bible study: How To Teach Your Kids the Bible

Want More of This Conversation?

Wire Talk+ listeners get extended conversations every week! Today Karen and Emily share how their past relationships have affected the kind of friend they are today.

To become a Wire Talk+ Insider, head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

Parenting doesn’t end when your kids turn 18. In many ways, it gets more complicated! Today Karen and Erin are joined by longtime parenting expert Jim Burns for a wise and honest conversation about parenting adult children. They talk about releasing control, shifting your role, navigating boundaries, resisting unsolicited advice, and discerning the difference between helping and enabling. Whether your kids are still at home, newly launched, or already raising families of their own, this episode will help you parent with clarity, peace, and long-term perspective.

Episode Recap:

• Jim is the founder of Homeward Ministries (3:06)
• When our children become adults, we have to give up control (4:43)
• What does it look like to embrace a new “job description” as moms? (7:00)
• How can we offer wisdom to our adult children or do we just bite our tongues? (11:37)
• Resist the urge to become a “one topic” parent (13:15)
• What’s the difference between helping your kids and enabling them? (15:45)
• How do we place good boundaries when adult kids move back in? (19:10)
• What does it mean to, “wear beige and keep your mouth shut?” (24:00)
• Can you cast vision for the grandparent years? (28:00)
• Continue this conversation on WT+ at the link below (32:00)

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV) –  “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”

Discussion Questions: 

1. What part of parenting adult children feels most difficult for you right now? If you don’t have adult children yet, what fears or worries do you have about that season of life?
2. How can you shift from giving advice to asking permission before speaking?
3. Is there an area where helping may have crossed into enabling dependency?
4. What expectations need to be clearly communicated in your family right now?
5. How can you focus on relationship building rather than behavior correcting?

Resources:

• Listen to the rest of our conversation with Jim over on WT+: boaw.mom/insider
• Grab a copy of Jim’s new book, Doing Life With Your Adult Children
• Connect with HomeWord Ministries online
• Check out Jim’s podcast and his recent episode on Long Distance Grandparenting
• Check out our BRAND NEW Bible study: How To Teach Your Kids the Bible

Want More of This Conversation?

Wire Talk+ listeners get extended conversations every week! Today we go deeper into parenting wayward adult children, setting boundaries, and navigating complicated family dynamics.

To become a Wire Talk+ Insider, head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

Discipline is hard, especially when the results feel slow or invisible. In this final episode of our Parenting Principles from Proverbs series, Karen and Emily shift the focus to the long-term fruit of faithful discipline and the peace it brings to both children and parents.

Drawing from Proverbs and Hebrews, Karen reminds moms that discipline is discipleship. It is not about control or behavior management in the moment, but about shaping hearts, building security, and leaving a generational blessing.  Don’t miss the end of today’s episode, when Emily announces our big winners from last week’s giveaway!! 

Episode Recap:

• What does the fruit of discipline look like? (2:30)
• Discipline now will bring peace later (7:10)
• How do I teach my son to obey without all the drama? (11:30)
• How do I stay calm while disciplining my bonus child? (14:12)
• My kids argue and whine about everything. I’m exhausted! (17:30)
• Discipline takes time and repetition (21:17)
• Discipline leaves a generational blessing (22:54)
• Our big giveaway winners announced! (24:42) 

Scripture: Hebrews 12:11 (ESV) – “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

Discussion Questions: 

1. Why do you think discipline feels especially hard when results are not immediate?
2. How does seeing discipline as discipleship change your perspective?
3. Which scripture from this episode encouraged you the most and why?
4. Where might God be asking you to stay consistent, even when you feel tired?
5. What kind of long-term fruit do you hope to see in your children ten years from now?

Resources:

• Check out our BRAND NEW Bible study: How To Teach Your Kids the Bible
• Listen to episode 347 with David Thomas, Raising Emotionally Strong Boys
• Grab Thomas’ book: Raising Emotionally Strong Boys