The Midlife Momma Podcast - Empty nest mom, Parenting adult children, Midlife transition, Christian mom

When the relationship with your son or daughter-in-law is strained, it can feel like everything is fractured: your connection with your child, your role as a mom, even access to your grandkids. Counselor Kathy Cunningham joins me for a powerful conversation about healing those deep relational wounds. She shares practical wisdom, biblical insight, and the very first step a mom should take when peace feels impossible.HELPFUL LINKS: Free Guide: What I Wish I Knew Sooner About Parenting Adult Children hereKathy's Course: Uncovered Grace here Discount Code: Grace10Free Guide: 10 Things Not to Say to Your Adult Child hereFree Connection Call with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela hereTake the free 2-minute Quiz hereReview + Rate podcast hereFollow Pamela on Instagram hereFollow Pamela on Facebook herePamela's website with free resources here

Do you have a vision for the kind of mother-in-law you want to be?By avoiding playing the victim and taking things personally, not overstepping boundaries, and not competing for your child’s loyalty, you can have a supportive, healthy relationship with your child’s spouse. Listen in for eight things NOT to do as a mother-in-law,HELPFUL LINKS: Free Guide: 10 Things Not to Say to Your Adult Child hereFree Discovery Session with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela hereTake the free 2-minute Quiz hereReview + Rate podcast hereFollow Pamela on Instagram hereFollow Pamela on Facebook herePamela's website with free resources here

You set the tone in your relationship with your child’s spouse. Be the first to extend love and grace.Honoring and supporting their family unit without meddling will strengthen your relationship with your child’s mate.HELPFUL LINKS: Free Guide: 10 Things Not to Say to Your Adult Child(And 5 Ways to Stop Yourself from Saying Them hereGift Guide for Moms, Dads, and Grads hereFree Discovery Session with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela hereTake the free 2-minute Quiz hereReview + Rate podcast hereFollow Pamela on Instagram hereFollow Pamela on Facebook herePamela's website with free resources here

It’s not just you; there are real barriers to communication with your grown child.Listen in to identify ten common communication barriers and learn a solution for each. When you understand what you’re up against, you can build a strategy to reconnect with your grown child.HELPFUL LINKS: Free Guide: 10 Things Not to Say to Your Adult Child(And 5 Ways to Stop Yourself from Saying Them) hereFree Discovery Session with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela hereChristian Parenting's Moms, Dads & Grads Gift Guide hereTake the free 2-minute Quiz hereReview + Rate podcast hereFollow Pamela on Instagram hereFollow Pamela on Facebook herePamela's website with free resources here

This generation of young adults is called the Anxious Generation, and we need to know how to talk to them.No mom wants to add to her grown child’s anxiety. Linda Hanstra provides tips for moms with anxious children. Learn to support your anxious child by listening more and reminding them what they know to be true.HELPFUL LINKS: Happy Together Checklist- for your Boomerang Kids hereLinda's Book, Empty Nest Joyride hereFree Guide: 10 Things Not to Say to Your Adult Child(And 5 Ways to Stop Yourself from Saying Them) hereFree Discovery Session with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela hereTake the free 2-minute Quiz hereReview + Rate podcast hereFollow Pamela on Instagram hereFollow Pamela on Facebook herePamela's website with free resources here

Avoid these 10 phrases and learn to speak life instead.Communication doesn’t have to be hard as long as we remember some guiding principles to speak life over our children. Let’s talk about awareness, humility, and the power of empathy.HELPFUL LINKS: Free Guide: 10 Things Not to Say to Your Adult Child (and 5 Ways to Stop Yourself from Saying Them) hereFree Discovery Session with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela hereTake the free 2-minute Quiz hereReview + Rate podcast hereFollow Pamela on Instagram hereFollow Pamela on Facebook herePamela's website with free resources here

No mother intends to hurt her grown child with her words, and yet she does.Without realizing it, we can make our kids feel guilty, criticized, or like they never quite measure up. Tune in for 10 phrases not to say to your adult child.HELPFUL LINKS: Free Guide: 10 Things Not to Say to Your Adult Child hereFree Discovery Session with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela hereTake the free 2-minute Quiz hereReview + Rate podcast hereFollow Pamela on Instagram hereFollow Pamela on Facebook herePamela's website with free resources here

You’re not the only one struggling to communicate in your marriage.Join Bob and Pamela Henkelman for a candid conversation about how they’ve struggled to communicate effectively in their marriage. They’ll share lessons they’ve learned and offer practical tools to strengthen communication with your spouse.HELPFUL LINKS: Free Guide: Marriage Awareness Worksheet hereFree Discovery Session with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela hereTake the free 2-minute Quiz hereReview + Rate podcast hereFollow Pamela on Instagram hereFollow Pamela on Facebook herePamela's website with free resources here

Have you ever tried “I feel” statements with your husband?They are a great way to help you be honest and communicate with understanding instead of blame. We also talk about focusing on fun and seeking professional help when you feel stuck in a negative communication pattern in your empty nest.HELPFUL LINKS: Free Guide: Marriage Awareness Worksheet hereFree Discovery Session with certified Empty Nest Coach Pamela hereTake the free 2-minute Quiz hereReview + Rate the podcast hereFollow Pamela on Instagram hereFollow Pamela on Facebook herePamela's website with free resources here

Let’s learn some practical tools to reconnect and strengthen our communication.Incorporate intentional conversations(how-tos in the show notes), practice active listening, and embrace grace and forgiveness.Daily Check-In Script:Person A starts by saying: I feel __ _ _ _ about my work.                                       myself                                        us                                        children                                        spiritualityAfter each feeling statement, the partner mirrors why they just heard without correcting, blaming, shaming, trying to fix, or arguing with their partner.  Try to avoid feeling words like “good,” “bad,” “fine,” “ok,” etc, since they lack depth. When Person A is finished and Person B has mirrored each item back, it’s Person B’s turn.Example: Person A: "I felt pretty frustrated about work since two people called in sick, and I had to cover their jobs and couldn’t get my projects done.”Person B: “So it was pretty frustrating you had to do other people's jobs.Check-ins don’t have to take a lot of time; it can take less than 5 minutes. Have some ritual about how and who starts this. Otherwise, the person who always feels like they have to initiate or prompt the other one to “check-in” will feel discouraged. Check-ins take practice and repetition and may feel awkward initially, but ultimately, you’ll feel more connected.HELPFUL LINKS: Free Guide: Marriage Awareness Worksheet hereFree Discovery Session with certified Empty Nest Coach, Pamela hereTake the free 2-minute Quiz hereReview + Rate podcast hereFollow Pamela on Instagram hereFollow Pamela on Facebook herePamela's website with free resources here