The Girlfriend's Guide to an Empty Nest

46. Advice for When Your College Kids Move Home for the Summer

Today we are sharing our thoughts on how our parents raised us and how that influenced how our generation then raised kids in a “hovering” fashion.  Becky also shares her concerns about her daughter moving home for the summer and Anne shares her experience with this with her own kids. For any girlfriends in this boat of kids temporarily moving home, we pray this one is so encouraging and empowering!  Topics in our conversation today: 1. Do you give your child rules when they return home from college to live at home for the summer? 2. The balancing act of not policing your kids but still giving them independence and healthy expectations for living back at home 3. Things giving us joy with our kids right now (there ARE pros of social media!) 4. The only rule Anne had for her kids when they moved home for the summer 5. Factors that impact your future relationship with your kids positivity  6. The powerful teacher that failure can be and why we need to let our kids make mistakes 7. The struggle to trust your kids AND God 8. Practical statements you can say to your kids when giving your opinions to them without judgment 9. The wisdom of still investing in what fills you up, even when they are home for the summer.  10. The grief of things still changing and evolving and how to deal with that in a healthy way 11. Validation that this season has really hard, awkward and not fun parts 12. Hope for a future where you actually enjoy an empty home Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ [https://www.beckykopitzke.com/girlfriendsguide] Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ [https://www.annemwatson.com/podcast] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/annewatsontx/] Connect with Becky: Website⁠ [https://www.theinspiredbusiness.co/] ⁠Her books⁠ [https://amzn.to/3uHjXR5] The Inspired Business podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inspired-business-podcast/id1648161453]

45. Raising Boys & Gaining Sons-in-Law

No brothers? No sons? No problem! :)  For those girlfriends who want to better understand raising boys or how to interact with/encourage the boys in their lives (sons-in-law, boyfriends of your daughters etc.), this episode is for you!  We share today about: 1. Anne’s experience raising a son vs raising her daughters 2. Helping your kids navigate online dating  3. A funny story of Anne standing up for her son his freshman year of college  4. What matters to boys in college compared to what matters to girls  5. Things Anne wishes she would have talked to her son about more 6. Different techniques for learning about what is going on in a son’s life 7. Anne’s biggest fear as a mother of a son 8. Why you have to sometimes be more intentional connecting with your sons than your daughters once they leave home/get married 9. Tips for being an open and not pushy parent, so your kids want to come to you for advice 10. Unique Advice on welcoming new “kids” into the family via sons-in-law Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ [https://www.beckykopitzke.com/girlfriendsguide] Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ [https://www.annemwatson.com/podcast] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/annewatsontx/] Connect with Becky: Website⁠ [https://www.theinspiredbusiness.co/] ⁠Her books⁠ [https://amzn.to/3uHjXR5] The Inspired Business podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inspired-business-podcast/id1648161453]

44. Becoming Someone Joyful to Be Around

There is a different tone in homes when laughter is easy, jokes are made more often and when your spouse is actually enjoyable to be around and not weekly getting a case of the Sunday Scaries (you know, dreading the upcoming work week). So today we pose the question: what can we do to set a joyful atmosphere in our homes as wives and moms? This episode is all about intentionality. Taking action to get a better outcome.  We pray this one encourages you, girlfriends! Today we dive into: 1. How our contentment at work (or lack of) impacts our home lives 2. Why YOUR pursuit of joy benefits your loved ones too 3. Thoughts on changing jobs in the Empty Nesting season to bring you more purpose 4. Looking for next steps once your kids leave, to lead you to new callings  5. Our experience with being Empaths and how that feels when your spouse is down 6. Recognizing the impact you have as a woman on the mood in the home 7. Ideas to have more fulfilling relationships and days 8. How to find things that bring you joy and how to allow your deep dreams to awaken 9. Amazing stats about productivity in your 50’s and 60’s 10. Accidental joy hunting vs intentional joy hunting  11. The importance of staying curious Episodes mentioned:  Doing Some Thing Badly episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/37-how-about-not-setting-goals-this-new-year/id1760203235?i=1000743952619 [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/37-how-about-not-setting-goals-this-new-year/id1760203235?i=1000743952619] Smothering Your Dog Once Your Kiddos Leave episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/4-where-to-put-your-mom-energy-now/id1760203235?i=1000664451393 [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/4-where-to-put-your-mom-energy-now/id1760203235?i=1000664451393] Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ [https://www.beckykopitzke.com/girlfriendsguide] Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ [https://www.annemwatson.com/podcast] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/annewatsontx/] Connect with Becky: Website⁠ [https://www.theinspiredbusiness.co/] ⁠Her books⁠ [https://amzn.to/3uHjXR5] The Inspired Business podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inspired-business-podcast/id1648161453]

43. Letting Your Kids Walk Through Difficulty in Order to Grow

Today is an episode for all the mama bears out there who just want to swoop in and fix things for their kids. It is such a HARD thing when your cub is grown and now you are required to play a supportive role, not a fix it role.  We chat today: 1. The importance of life’s trials being allowed to be a teacher 2. Encouraging vs fixing 3. Thoughts on how hardships in life shapes you (and your kids) 4. The natural feeling of wanting to fix things 5. The pain of watching your kids experience pain (even when it results in good things)  6. Why the answer isn’t always to make struggles go away 7. How issues in relationships can teach our kids how to handle conflict and more 8. Ideas on how to give your perspective to your kids with loving language 9. Successes AND failures providing lessons for all 10. Noun Parenting vs Verb Parenting  11. The skill of trusting your kids and your good job as a parent   Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ [https://www.beckykopitzke.com/girlfriendsguide] Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ [https://www.annemwatson.com/podcast] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/annewatsontx/] Connect with Becky: Website⁠ [https://www.theinspiredbusiness.co/] ⁠Her books⁠ [https://amzn.to/3uHjXR5] The Inspired Business podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inspired-business-podcast/id1648161453]

42. When Your Adult Kids Are on the Struggle Bus (and you can’t really help)

Today we are navigating a tough topic: what to do when your grown children are struggling. It is SO hard on a mama’s heart when situations arise that you can’t practically do anything to fix, other than letting them know you are there to listen and sympathize.  Today we chat about: 1. Reflections of our own childhoods 2. Our own parent’s style for parenting vs our own styles 3. How to to give our imperfect parents grace 4. Becoming the mom you wish you had growing up yourself 5. How the older generations view emotions as weakness (and the impact of that on their kids) 6. Thoughts on mental health in the church and our kids lives 7. The wisdom of just asking your grown kids how to best help them 8. The importance of apologizing to your kids 9. Giving yourself grace for not knowing how to do everything right 10. Why looking to the grace of God first, helps you to then have grace for yourself Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠ [https://www.beckykopitzke.com/girlfriendsguide] Connect with Anne: ⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠ [https://www.annemwatson.com/podcast] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/annewatsontx/] Connect with Becky: Website⁠ [https://www.theinspiredbusiness.co/] ⁠Her books⁠ [https://amzn.to/3uHjXR5] The Inspired Business podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inspired-business-podcast/id1648161453]