EmPowered Couples with The Freemans

We know this can be a hard conversation, but it’s critical in order to protect our children from the very real threats and predators. You might think that trafficking is something that is distant or would not affect your area or town. But as you’ll learn from today’s guest, Rosalia Rivera, the abuse and trafficking of children occurs mostly in plain sight, in areas near and around you. But this episode is not to put you in fear; in fact, it’s to empower you to have specific ACTIONS to take, whether your kids are 2 or already up to teens.  You will hear: The difference between human trafficking and sexual abuse of children What it means to teach “consent” to children, and conversations to have from parent to child What age you can start having these conversations about body autonomy and consent 3 specific ways to protect children from online predators or exploitation 3 specific ways to protect children from local threats, even that can occur in their clubs, sports activities, and sleepovers with neighbors Conversations to start with your local community, their schools, and daycares,  And so much more. All of it is sobering and somewhat shocking that we have to think about this, but we DO   Dive into her helpful resources here on her website and instagram!   

After you dive into the episode, be sure to sign-up for the 30-Day Couples Challenge starting Sept 1st! This is the best step to consistently add to your love account levels and be more connected on a daily basis.  Of course not all relationships are the same because of the personality dynamics that are unique to the two of you and also the specific events or challenges that you face in your marriage. This is where the episode really makes a claim; that you will face challenges in your life and marriage together.  As you listen to this episode you are going to hear 3 inescapable truths that you must accept and navigate as to lead to having more happy than hard days. This will be even more critical when you are facing challenges, whether internal or external, so that you can still have happiness, understanding, and collaboration no matter what challenges arise!  

Becoming a mother is a transformative and in some ways challenging journey. Everyone focuses on the actions of being a parent and not enough on the identity shifts and emotional journey that it really is.  Today’s guest expert, Dr Morgan Cutlip, wrote the book, Love Your Kids Without Losing Yourself. In today’s interview with her, you’ll hear: Why “balance” is bologna and what to seek instead The core inner conflicts a mom faces, and likely doesn’t expect The impossible standards we set for ourselves and how that affects us How to banish or tame the guilt we encounter with the decisions we make as a mother After you tune in to the interview, please support this hard-working mom by ordering her book and claim the bonuses she provides HERE.

Picture this: you and your partner on vacation at your favorite spot, yet you haven't exchanged a word in three days. The silent tension, the "stand-off," can feel like it's tearing your relationship apart, whether it's a recurring pattern or a prolonged icy silence. But fear not, because in this episode, we dive into the fascinating realm of how our minds can play tricks on us, especially in the heat of a relationship blow-up. Discover the cognitive twists and turns that can lead to misunderstandings and emotional chaos.  We explore the psychology behind intelligence and how our cognitive development shapes the way we interpret conflicts. From confirmation bias that paints your partner as the villain to cognitive distortions that blur the lines between feelings and facts, we unravel the mysteries behind these mental mechanisms. Join us as we guide you through navigating the complex landscape of emotions, reminding you that while feelings are valid, they might not always align with reality. Tune in to learn how to dismantle the stand-off, focusing on self-reflection, responsibility, and solution-oriented repair. Don't let your relationship be a casualty of the stand-off – let's bridge the gap together.   Additional Resources From the Show Join us in-person at The Couples Workshop on September 10th, 2023 in Arizona. Get the Making Up & Moving Forward guide to repair faster and more effectively.

Proactive communication allows you to have more harmony, ease, and unity in your relationship. But what does that really mean, is it just speaking your mind more often? We all know that “our partner can’t read our mind,” but how many of us try to just survive the chaos of life without communicating enough with our partner? Or worse, communicate “reactively” once there’s already tension, frustration, and miscommunications. Today’s episode gives you 3 helpful steps to focus on more proactive communication as a couple. These steps will help you be more on the same page, avoid little upsets, and build more trust in each other.   Resources For Your Relationship: To help with these conversations ongoingly, you can get our Family Meeting Guide here for constructive weekly, quarterly, and yearly check-ins.

Join us in this episode as we dive deep into the intricate ways your upbringing shapes your approach to 4 crucial dynamics of your marriage. You will hear the subtle yet profound influences of your past on how you navigate these dynamics with your partner. We all recognize the power of our formative experiences, from childhood to early romance, and their lasting effects on us, but what can you really do about it, right?  We'll explore how your emotional regulation, sense of responsibility, reception of feedback, and ability to repair are intricately tied to your upbringing. Discover how your family's approach to emotions, promises, feedback, and conflict resolution unconsciously shape your behavior in these key areas. Tune in to gain insights that will empower you and your partner to create a harmonious and fulfilling relationship, building a bridge between your past and your future together.   Resources For Your Relationship: Attend the LIVE Couples Workshop in Arizona on Sept. 10th, 2023: http://thecouplesworkshop.com/ Find our recomended guides, webclasses, and courses on our main website: https://www.meetthefreemans.com/links

Having good friendships is critical to your fulfillment in life and plays a big role in your marriage as well. However, not all of your friends will tell you the hard truth and some of the things that you really need to hear if you are to get out of a hard season in your relationship.  It’s also unlikely that your friends are relationship coaches so there is a key piece of advice that you will not hear from any of them, that you really need to hear. This episode is all about how you need to stop acting from how you feel and start acting from your commitment. Listen to this episode so that you can take a stand to turn a hard season around and keep it from any further decline or disconnection.   Resources For Your Relationship: Attend the LIVE Couples Workshop in Arizona on Sept. 10th, 2023: http://thecouplesworkshop.com/ Find our recomended guides, webclasses, and courses on our main website: https://www.meetthefreemans.com/links

We went on an impromptu staycation this weekend… just us! And we used some of our time (besides playing, flirting, and relaxing) to have some meaningful conversations. We like to call them “check-ins.” This one in particular happened to be getting on the same page about our life and marriage priorities for the rest of the year.  Do you and your partner feel on the same page about what your priorities are? If you don’t take some time a few times per year, you can just be going about the motions expending energy in two different directions… or nowhere at all, really. So dive into today’s episode to get some inspiration for a great conversation you can have together!   Resources For Your Relationship: Join the "Prioritize Us" Couples Challenge - the 30 day challenge for couples to simplify how to make positive changes in their marriage and prioritize loving actions and respectful communication. This one starts Aug 1st, 2023 and you get the Family Meeting Guide included. If you just want the Family Meeting Guide on it's own, you can get it separately here too.     

This highly anticipated episode is finally here! Today we dive into underlying frustrations and areas of dissatisfaction for men that we want to be mindful of in our relationship. Remember, these aren’t to blame one person. We both can participate in meeting each other’s needs, preventing frustrations, and talking through the patterns that are interconnected. After you dive into the episode, be sure to sign-up for the 30-Day Couples Challenge starting August 1st!

Getting married and choosing to do life with someone means that you're also saying, “I am going to care about your needs, I am going to care about whether you’re satisfied or not, and I am going to do my best to meet the standards we’ve set for a partnership.” When this stops happening for various reasons, then the fulfillment and satisfaction for that partner can start to go down. So today’s episode is really about boosting satisfaction in the partnership by understanding the top sources of dissatisfaction for women specifically and how to prevent them.  To go with today’s episode, also get access to our Family Meeting Guide and Templates here:  https://thecouplesexperience.com/family