Shows / Gotta Love Family Podcast
Episodes
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Practicing Calm — The Time-In – A Series Part 2
The little boy, three years old, was out of control, a temper tantrum of sorts. I didn't know what he wanted, but I could tell he felt desperate to have…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Practicing Calm — The Honey Bucket - A Series
I used to think staying calm with my children was a skill I'd eventually master and move past, something I'd graduate from once they were grown. I know better…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Learning in Disguise
A friend of mine, a mom with several young children, told me recently that her kids' favorite thing to do is play dress-up. They want to do it all day long…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Finding Your Two Mites
My sister Cindy has a job caring for a man with dementia. As I know well, this can be an overwhelming and consuming responsibility. Here was her text to me…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Stop Fixing the Cookies!
When you're engaged in a project, what matters to you? For many adults, it's the outcome. When children are engaged in a project, what matters to them? For the…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Drunken Snails and Other Miracles
When I moved from Montana to Utah in my late 50s, something stopped me in my tracks. The realization that I was responsible for my responses, no matter the…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Two Mintes and a Moment of Stillness
I had a deep, interesting, and moving conversation about learning to slow down and being still with a friend, Melissa. This is something I've been tutored in…
Gotta Love Family PodcastSpark Station Letters: Keeping Kids in Your Heart (and You in Theirs)
When my daughter Marie's children were young, I wanted to stay connected between visits. We only saw each other a couple of times a year, and I wanted more…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
I Thought I Had Committed (I Hadn't)
In January, my daughter Jodie gathered a group of friends to work on having a better outcome in 2026. We listened to an interesting YouTube video by Daniel…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
The Pink Refrigerator-A Book About a Spark Station, Of Sorts!
I received this email in the early days of teaching parents how to use The Spark Station. "You may have seen this. It's a picture book called The Pink…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
The Traveling Spark Station – Holidays, Memories, and a Basket Full of Wonder Part 4
Holidays have a magic that no other topic quite matches. Children feel them coming weeks in advance. They carry memories, traditions, food, and family stories…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
THE TRAVELING SPARK STATION – WIDE-EYED AND WONDERING Part 3
Here we are — Part 3. If you've been listening along with Part 1 and Part 2, you already know the rhythm. You pick a topic, you gather a few books, a simple…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
The Real Problem With Kits Isn't The Kit
While working with individual families, this question came up often - should I let my kids use kits or have them work from scratch? I had listened to speakers…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
5-10-26 The Traveling Spark Station - Numbers Needles & Faries Part 2
Welcome back. If you heard Part 1, you already know that the Traveling Spark Station isn't about content — it's about being present. It's about showing a child…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
A Spring Story - A Principle Taught
It's spring — that season of newness, freshness, and quiet beginnings. It seemed the perfect time to share a story from Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards' book The…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
THE SPARK STATION – IT TRAVELS Part 1
When my daughter, Jodie's, children were young, I lived two blocks away. When I was caring for them in my home, they loved the Spark Station. But I wanted to…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
The Spark Station: Bringing It All Home
When I developed the Spark Station, I thought I was helping parents learn to use a useful tool for connection, learning, and fun. What I spent most of my time…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
The Spark Station: Bringing It All Home
When I developed the Spark Station, I thought I was helping parents learn to use a useful tool for connection, learning, and fun. What I spent most of my time…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
The Spark Station in Action_ Real Families, Real Results Part 2
Last week, I shared an experiment I did with real families using the Spark Station. I reiterated the five rules that make everything else work and shared real…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
The Spark Station in Action: Real Families, Real Results Part 1
I want to tell you about an experiment I did years ago. I had been talking to families about the Spark Station and quickly realized that something wasn't…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
The Spark Station - Everything You Need to Know to Build One
When I was in fifth grade, I learned to crochet. It wasn't easy to learn. I had never done anything like it before. I felt all thumbs, and it wasn't always…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
3-15-26 From the Archive - A Fun and Messy Easter Tradition
"Mom, come on. It's almost Easter, and we need to color the eggs." These words were spoken in a voice of desperation and a full two weeks before Easter. I love…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
3-8-26 From the Archive - Panoramic Sugar Eggs Your Family Can Make
I've taught hundreds of children to make sugar eggs. I taught two groups of kindergartners every year for over 15 years. I taught children how to make sugar…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Learning Play - Math and Science Through Levers
Some children love math and science, while others find these topics unenjoyable or uninteresting. My grandson, Ben, was interested in both. He spent time on…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
2/22/26 Five Principles of Power Series – A Marvelous Example of Being Present
When my youngest daughter, Kate, was a senior in high school, she was in an advanced writing class. One of her assignments was to write a poem using iambic…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
2-15-26 Leave a Legacy of Growth and It Will Be Enough!
A mom in our neighborhood has become a family friend. She has spent time in our home. She has shared meals, and we have had the opportunity to talk. She has…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Listening, Trusting, and Following Through Make a World of Difference
The day of my hip surgery, September 3, after returning home, I was going up and down our two stairs, caregiving, and managing as if I had never had surgery…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Raising Resilient, Confident Kids Practical Ways to Build Traits That Last a Lifetime
Here's an informative article from my friend, Laura Pearson. She's taken the time to dive into a topic that can seem tricky for parents. It's an easy read…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Fantastic Dinner Conversations – Year of the Horse
Sometimes it can be a challenge to get kids to talk at the dinner table, especially teens. But having dinner conversations helps create a culture of…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Our Dreams Can Come True. Watch For It!
On March 9, 2025, I shared truths that I had written when I was 62. I shared them again because from 62 to 75, they hadn't changed. I had lived them, and they…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
The Education Adventure - Be an Example & Remember the Spark
I mentored parents for many years. One of the issues for all parents was how to help children/youth want to learn, enjoy the process, and take responsibility…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Transparency as We Begin 2026
To a post I made about my Sept. 3 hip surgery, a friend responded with: Hope you both recover quickly! I love how you make the best out of any situation…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Five Principles of Power Series – The Importance of Anticipation
Join me as I share the magic of Christmas in our lower-middle-class home and how the anticipation my parents created can bless your family, even when it comes…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Peter and the Boy - A True Christmas Story by Lynda Huddleston
My mother had a stroke in February. She wasn't doing well and was put in hospice. In the ensuing months, she had an astonishing recovery and will be leaving…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
12-14-25 How Being Inspired Transforms the Quality and Effectiveness of Our Education
In 2010, I hosted an essay contest. The topic was The Inspiration Connection: How Being Inspired Transforms the Quality and Effectiveness of Our Education. A…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
A Children's Christmas Play - Enjoying Kids Being Kids
A fun Christmas season activity is watching children perform Christmas plays. When Maggie was five and Jack was three, they had the opportunity to be in a play…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
A Children's Christmas Play - Enjoying Kids Being Kids
A fun Christmas season activity is watching children perform Christmas plays. When Maggie was five and Jack was three, they had the opportunity to be in a play…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
When Things Go Wrong
The article I had prepared to post on November 30, 2025, had been published in 2017. My Excel sheet wasn't as in order as it needed to be. Instead of getting…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
11-23-25 Reasons for my Thanksgiving Celebration
Join me as I share the things that I am most grateful for this year. You will find yourself included. : ) It may help you ponder what you are grateful for and…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
The Value of Expressing Gratitude
Several years ago, I wrote an article about the importance of gratitude. I'm posting it again because this is the season when we think about expressing…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
We Can't Stop Our Lives, But We Can Invite Others In
In an article I wrote in September 2024, titled The Five-Year Lesson, I detailed how I transitioned from not nurturing relationships to consistently engaging…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
What It Looks Like to See Another and Why It Matters
This week, I had an experience that brought to mind the importance of letting our kids know, daily, that we see them and that they matter. It brought back many…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Five Principles of Power - Principle Five
Today, let's look at the fifth Principle of Power. I love all five principles; they all matter, but this seems to be the most challenging to implement. Many of…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Five Principles of Power - Principles 3 and 4
Recently, I wrote about principles that I consider powerful for a healthier and happier family life. Last week, we delved into principles one and two. Today, I…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Five Principles of Power – Principles 1 and 2
I love the Five Principles of Power (formerly the Five Rules of Engagement). I didn't have them fully formed in my mind when I began working with parents and…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
From the Archive – Two Principles of Power: Show Up & Stay Present
A mother who attended one of my classes in the early days of my teaching career mentioned that because what I taught was based on principles, she could go home…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Learning Play – Creating a Rain Stick
I was watching Jack, almost 3, and Mary, who was 10 months old. It was getting crazy. I was trying to write an article and keep the Christmas Tree from tipping…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
9-21-25 Smarter Moves: Budget-Friendly Home Buying Tips for Families of Children with Special Needs
Most of you know that I live in a four-generation home. What caused that to happen almost fifteen years ago was my granddaughter, Maggie. She was born with…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Nurturing Leadership Skills in Children: Parent-Led Approaches
Today, I'm sharing an article written by my friend, Laura Pearson. I've watched my daughter, Jodie, do much of what Laura has shared in this well-written…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
A Series of Conversations – The Dissolution of a Story
As I've mentioned before, there's a story that has caused me grief. I've worked on rewriting it, but it continues to morph as I move into my 9th year of…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
8-17-25 Learning Play - Sewing
In 2012, the week after Christmas, Don and I traveled to Colorado to visit our grandkids. We loved and missed our daughter and her husband, but we went to see…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
8-10-25 A Series of conversations - Step Out of the Trench and See the Sunset
A few days before my 54th anniversary, May 28th, I spoke to my good friend, Joy. I had been down with bronchitis for three weeks. I was challenged to keep up…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
8-3-25 Learning Play – Chemistry Via a Child's Spark - Part 2
Here is part 2 of the wonderful experience I had with my Colorado grands in the summer of 2012, as we embarked on our chemistry adventure. If you haven't…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Learning Play – Chemistry Via a Child's Spark - Part 1
The wonderful experience I had with my Colorado grands in the summer of 2012 is too long for one article, so I am breaking it into two parts. When we had this…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
7-20-25 Learning by Doing – Immersive/Experimental Learning
Learning by doing is a powerful way to teach children. When they experience something new or exciting, it's an effective way to absorb information and to…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
7-13-25 Learning Play - Dragonflies and Katydids
Sometimes something happens that dictates what you introduce to your children or grandchildren. Don and I sat on the balcony to enjoy the fall sunshine one…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
A Series of Conversations - Do you Need a Reminder to SMILE
On my daily worksheet, I have 'smile' in the section titled Care for Self. Yup, I must remind myself to check in and see if I've made the effort to smile…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
A series of Conversations – Get Lost, Herkimer!
Once a month, I talk with my friend Joy Petty. I LOVE these calls. They are interesting and resource-filled. Sometimes I share something that helps her, and…
- Gotta Love Family Podcast
Learning Play – The Nothing Special Day
I have shared some wonderful Learning Pay Days. But I don't want you to get the idea that Learning Play always requires a lot of thought or special activities…