In the Arena with the Eyre Sisters
Saren, Shawni, Saydi and Charity
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The Eyre sisters, mothers of 18 children ages 1-25 and daughters of best-selling parenting authors, share stories and discuss how growing up in an eccentric family has impacted their lives and their own parenting journeys.
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3 days ago
29. Family Reunions: Joys and Challenges
Welcome back for Season 3! We are so excited to be starting off another season with you. In this episode, recorded at the tail end of our annual Bear Lake reunion, we share how we do reunions and talk about the things we love and the challenges we face.
How do you handle reunions in your family? What suggestions do you have for balancing scheduled time vs. free time? We'd love to hear your experiences! Come share with us on Instagram @eyresisters.
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May 9, 2023
28. Oh What Do you Do in the Summertime?
Summer is just around the corner! Join us for our last episode of season 2 as we discuss ideas for meaningful and do-able summer activities. We dive into ideas for little kids, elementary-aged kids, high school kids, and even your adult kids. What do you do to make summer awesome in your family? This week's challenge is to come up with the summer plan that best fits YOUR familiy. We'd love to have you share your ideas and plans with us on Instagram! @eyresisters
Have a great summer, and we'll see you next season!
Show Notes: Saren's post about her Do-it-Yourself Summer Camp
Shawni's blog post for summer ideas
Shawni's blog post on Claire's experience
Shawni's blog post on summer goals with a plan
Shawni's other blog post on summer goals
The Parenting Breakthrough book
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May 2, 2023
27. Technology
Listen in today as we discuss technology! It's a hot topic, for good reason. We discuss the good that technology brings, and we also discuss the difficulties - setting limits, keeping our kids engaged with the world, the problems with comparison & the effects on self-esteem, how technology affects our ability to focus, the waste of time... there is so much to think about. Come join us for this discussion! We also challenge you to go have a screen competition with someone to see how little you can use your phone this week! And don't forget to check in on Instagram @eyresisters and let us know how it goes.
Show Notes:
Book Saydi talked about - Stolen Focus
Technology contract from Shawni -
Book Shawni quoted from - The Tech-Wise Family
15-minute book summaries app - Blinkist or Headway
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Apr 18, 2023
26. Q&A #2: Relationships, Homeschooling, Meal Planning and more
Here's another episode of us answering questions submitted by you! We had a lot of fun talking about what we do for fun, how invovled we are in our kids' relationships, homeschooling, meal planning, and more. We love your questions! Thanks for asking. Don't forget to visit us on Instagram and add your thoughts - @eyresisters.
Show Notes:
Shawni's blog post on Family Mottos
Saydi's list of red flags for emotional immaturity
podcast episode where Saren offers ideas about choosing schooling for your kids
podcast episode where Saren interviews her twins about their homeschooling experience
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Apr 11, 2023
25. Positive Psychology, Parenting, and Poetry with Tal
Join us this week as we talk with our brother, Talmadge (Tal). He lives in Switzerland with his wife and daughter. He's a poetry-reading, basketball-playing, book-writing, deep-thinking guy, and he has a lot to share! Tal talks with us about his experience as a kid who really struggled wtih reading, the challenges that he and his wife had with infertility, and the intentional practices he's taken from his education in positive psychology, including locus of control, explanatory style, and blind spots. We're sure you will love learning from the awesome little brother we used to call "Tam the Lamb." Share what you learned with us on Instagram @eyresisters.
Locus of Control
Shadow Work
The Writer's Almanac
Mary Oliver
Wild Geese
The Summer Day
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Apr 4, 2023
24. Adult Sibling Relationships
We get asked all the time how we are so close as siblings. In this week's episode, we discuss ways we've built and maintained relationships with each as we've grown up and have our own families. We talk about how we work through differences, issues we've had with hurt feelings and tensions, the bond we have through our religion, and how we try to connect individually with each other. What do you do to build your relationship with your siblings? Come share with us on Instagram @eyresisters.
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Mar 28, 2023
23. How to Build Resilience
This week we answer a listener's question about what our parents did to help us deal with negativity, and how we're working to build resilience in ourselves and our kids. We loved this discussion! We share experiences that have helped us develop thick skin - from the time a guy proudly announced that he'd burned the book our dad gave him to dealing with negative blog comments. We share ideas about how our parents taught us resilience and ways we can help cultivate resilience in our kids. What do you do in your home to teach resilience? Come share with us on Instagram @eyresisters.
Show Notes:
Brene Brown quote
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Mar 21, 2023
22. Adult Kids: Parenting/Coaching/Cheering
Parenting adult kids is a whole new ballgame, folks! We talk about how our parents approached parenting us in our adulthood then Saren and Shawni share their experiences with adult kids as they've moved from parenting to coaching to cheerleading. Saydi chimes in with a lot of great questions she's been thinking about as her oldest is about to head off to college soon. Do you have adult kids? What works for you? Share your ideas and thoughts on Instagram @eyresisters.
Show Notes:
Grandparenting course by our parents
Shawni’s post on parenting adult kids
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza (book mentioned by Shawni)
Quote shared by Saydi about having a child is like having your heart walking around outside of your body
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Mar 14, 2023
21. On Surviving and Enjoying Little Kids
In this episode, we focus on a specific age group - little kids! In answer to listener questions, we share our experiences and tips on sleeping, eating, emotional disregulation (temper tantrums!), promoting cooperation, and the joys of little kids. These years can be exhausting, but they are also full of so much fun! Please share your favorite little kid ideas on our Instagram page @eyresisters.
Show Notes:
Joy School
Still face
Early Childhood Development Class
Don’t Carpe Diem
Hand Brain Model
Lava Concept
Documentary on Babies
Zones of Regulation
Book on Cooperation
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Mar 7, 2023
20. Making Family Travel Happen (if you want to)
In this episode, we share our best tips for family travel. We talk about how to make time for travel, how to find the money to travel, how to feed your family inexpensively while traveling, how to involve your kids in the planning, how to travel with younger children, and more!
As with family life in general, traveling with your family can feel pretty un-glamorous when you're in the middle of it but when you look back, the experiences are cherished. We share some crazy stories and some beautiful memories alongside practical ideas for how you can make family travel happen if that's something you'd like to do with your family.
Our challenge for you to sit down with your spouse and make a plan for some sort of trip you'd like to take with your family.
Show Notes
Ian's post about traveling on credit card points
Saren blog post about making travel affordable
Food you can find and make in pretty much every country:
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Pasta and red sauce with cheese
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Fresh fruits and veggies (produce is typically more flavorful in other countries)
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Fresh crusty bread with cheese/salami
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No bake cookies (oatmeal, cocoa, butter, sugar (it's fine to leave out the vanilla)
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French toast (even for dinner) with honey instead of syrup
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Scrambled eggs
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Homemade pizzas (local bread topped by red sauce and cheese cooked in the oven)
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Rice and beans with garlic, onions, chili powder (with cheese on top)
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Frozen prepared meals are available in many places (especially frozen pizza)
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Feb 28, 2023
19. Unconventional Family Life: Interview with Jonah
Our brother Jonah marches to the beat of his own drum and has created a rich and beautiful life for his family while living very frugally. Join us as we interview Jonah and learn more about the unique approach to life and parenting that he and his wife, Aja, have chosen. We talk about everything from killing your own food for meat to moving to New Zealand after being inspired by Lord of the Rings to fixing up cars so they run on old vegetable oil. We hope you find Jonah as inspiring as we do! Join us on Instagram, @eyresisters, and let us know what out-of-the-norm things you've chosen for your family or what you'd like to do after listening to Jonah. We can't wait to hear from you!
Show Notes:
Wagon (Ana's award-winning film about driving cross-country in an old G-Wagon) A blog post about Thanksgiving with Jonah & Aja
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Feb 21, 2023
18. Q&A: You Asked, We Answered!
This week we decided to answer a bunch of questions from our listeners. We answer questions about our names, flops in our family growing up, how we take care of ourselves as mothers, etc. Go grab your favorite dessert and come join us for a fun chat!
Show Notes:
Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff
The Parenting Breakthrough by Merrilee Browne Boyack
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Feb 14, 2023
17. Sex: How to Talk to your Kids
Here it is! The episode where we talk about what our parents told us was the most wonderful, beautiful thing in the world - sex! We discuss the talk our parents had with each of us at age 8, how they followed up on that initial discussion, and what we liked and didn't like about how they handled things. We also talk about the initial and ongoing talks we've had with our own kids. How do you talk with your kids about this super important topic? How do you keep things open? What resources have been most helpful to you? Please share over on Instagram @eyresisters!
Show Notes:
How to Talk to your Child about Sex - Linda and Richard Eyre
Shawni’s blog post
Good Pictures, Bad Pictures
Protect Young Eyes
Instagram: @kristinbhodson
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Feb 7, 2023
16. Parenting with Your Valentine
With Valentine's Day right around the corner, we decided to discuss some of the joys and challenges of parenting alongside our Valentines. We discuss how to prioritize your spouse, how to handle the inevitable disagreements, differing ideas about parenting, and what works for us when it comes to division of labor. The challenge this week is to do something for your partner that will be really helpful for them. Hop on Instagram and let us know what you decide to do. Happy Valentine's Day!
Show Notes:
Gottman institute: The Four Horsemen
Brooke Romney Post: His Yin to My Yang
Shawni’s Blog Post: Valentine's Edition
Love Languages
Little Dad painting by Brian Kershisnik
Dr. Becky, Good Inside
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Jan 31, 2023
15. Growing up in a Religious Family
In this week's episode, we share some key aspects of the religious beliefs and attitudes we grew up with and how our parents' take on the gospel and our church affected the development of our faith and our desire to remain active members of our church. We discuss transactional religion vs. transformational religion and share what matters most to us about our faith. We also talk about how to nurture healthy spirituality so our children can have the capacity to really connect with God and Jesus. We would love to hear your thoughts over on Instagram. How do you nurture faith and spirituality in your home? What are the key ideas you hope your children are getting about religion and about Jesus?
Show Notes:
The Chosen Series
God's Many Voices (Michael Wilcox): Searching Foot Podcast
Richard Rohr Meditations
Patricia Holland, "A Quiet Heart"
Blog Post about Lucy
What Mother Teresa Teaches About Prayer
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Jan 24, 2023
14. How to Control your Kids
This week we talk about how much or how little we should try to control various aspects of our kids' lives. It can be tough! We want to protect and guide them but we also want to help them become confident and independent as they make their own decisions. Join us as we discuss our parents' approach to control in our family growing up examine the approach we each take in our mothering. Do you lean more towards helicopter or lawnmower parenting? Or do you tend to be more permissive? What tips do you have for striking the balance? Hop onto Instagram and let us know your thoughts!
References:
Country Bunny and the Golden Shoes
Destiny of the Republic - Candice Millard
Parents.com - Why the Best Parenting Style isn’t one style at all, but many
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Jan 17, 2023
13. Q&A with Our Parents
Welcome back for Season 2! This week we talk with our parents about questions that came up during Season 1 - questions like, "Mom, how did you actually feel about Dad surprising you with the land at Bear Lake?!" We also ask them questions about how they came up with their parenting approaches and if they have any regrets. Join us for an entertaining, inspiring episode that will have you laughing at stories of living in the Eyre house, as well as feeling emotional at beautiful reminders like "each child is a seedling."
Don't forget to join us on Instagram @eyresisters!
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Nov 15, 2022
12. Traditions: Building family identity on special days
Come join us for a fun discussion on traditions as we wrap up Season 1. We really enjoyed talking about traditions we had growing up around birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. We also shared evolved and new traditions we have in our homes now. Traditions don't have to be fancy or stressful - they just need to be something that connects your family. We challenge you to do a tradition inventory so you and your family can decide which traditions to keep, which to get rid of, and maybe talk about some new ones to add. We'll be doing this too! Come share with us your meaningful family traditions on our instagram account!
Show Notes: Link to Saren's Simplified Easter Week Guide: https://poweroffamilies.com/easter-week-ideas/
Link to Saydi's do it yourself halloween - http://bostonshumways.blogspot.com/2011/11/do-it-yourself-halloween.html?m=1
Link to Saren's son Ashton's post about Thanksgiving - https://poweroffamilies.com/easter-week-ideas/
Link to Shawni's post about giving on C…
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Nov 8, 2022
11. Discipline: Helping Kids WANT to Behave
It can be really tricky to know how to get our kids to listen and obey. In today's episode, we discuss ways our parents helped us to "buy in" to the family legal system, how they implemented consequences, and what overall what discipline looked like in our home growing up. We also talk about ways we discipline in our own homes. After reflecting on all of this, we all agree on the key to discipline - connection!
What ways do you build connections and create environments where kids want to behave in your homes? Head over to Instagram and share with us!
Resources Mentioned:
- Saren's "Home Environment Assessment" to help you see what more you can do to set your kids up for good behavior
- Shawni's Blog Page About Mothering Tips She Loves
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Nov 1, 2022
10. Money: Joy in Earning, Giving, Saving, Spending
Teaching our kids to manage money well is vital! Come join our discussion as we share the way we were raised within the Eyre house money system, as well as ways we've tweaked things for our own families. We've also included a special audio guest appearance! We share snippets of our Dad, Richard Eyre, and his first home video describing the money system we grew up with.
How do you teach your kids about money management? Come share with us on Instagram!
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Oct 25, 2022
9. Parenting Teens
Today's episode focuses on the teen years! Saren, Shawni, and Saydi share experiences from their growing-up years, as well as things they're implementing in their own homes now. What do you tips do you have for the teen phase? Come share with us on Instagram!
Resources We Mentioned:
- How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk
- The Miracle of Mindfulness
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Oct 18, 2022
8. Sibling Relationships: Helping kids like each other ... eventually
We all want our kids to like each other, but, as Saydi put it in this week's episode, it can often feel like we're in a true arena with all of the fighting in our homes! During this episode, we list some of the things our parents did during our growing-up years that we think might have helped foster the friendships we have as adults. What things do you do in your home to help build sibling relationships? Come share with us on Instagram!
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Oct 11, 2022
7. Contribute: Instilling a Love for Giving Back
This week we continue our discussion about our family motto: broaden and contribute. Listen in as we talk about how our parents instilled a contributing-to-the-world mindset in our family growing up, and ways we're continuing that with our children. We want our kids to feel for others and feel empowered to know they can do something to make a difference. In what ways do you help your children contribute?
Listed below are movies & books we recommend to help your family develop a desire to contribute:
- Thirst
- Kisses from Katie
- The Promise of a Pencil
- Shawni's blog has a post discussing these books here
- The Good Lie
- Queen of Katwe
- The Blind Side
Listed below are organizations we recommend if you're looking for ways to contribute: - CharityVision (Check out Shawni's blog post here)
- Rising Star in India (blog post)
- OSSO, (blog post)
- Family Humanitarian (blog post)
- Choice Humanitarian
- Care for Life
Also, if you're interested in the toolkit…
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Oct 4, 2022
6. Broaden: Instilling a Love for Expanding Horizons
Growing up, our parents were passionate about broadening our minds - whether through travel, music and art, or setting goals. They encouraged us to push past our comfort zones and learn new things. They taught us that new people, places, and ideas are exciting!
In this week's episode, we explore how our parents instilled a thirst for learning and experiencing new things in us and also how we've chosen to implement the idea of broadening in our own homes. In what ways do you help broaden the knowledge and perspectives of your family? What can you add to your family life to encourage more broadening? Hop onto Instagram and let us know!
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Sep 27, 2022
5. Citizens of the World: Embracing "Different"
This week's topic is one dear to our hearts. Just as our parents did, we feel strongly about teaching our children to be citizens of the world - to love and accept differences! Join us as we talk about our adventures growing up in England, Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines. We also discuss ways to be a citizen of the world from home. The world is wonderful, and there's so much to learn and embrace. How do you plan to bring this into your home this week? Plan a trip? Eat at a different restaurant? Attend a class about a culture you don't know about? Have international night at the dinner table? There are so many options - we just need to get creative and intentional.
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Sep 20, 2022
4. Rituals: Deliberate Touchpoints
Today we look back on rituals we had as a family - some daily, some weekly, some not-so-consistent. We talk about morning rituals, dinner rituals, car rides, Sundays, and nighttime. Some of our family rituals were pretty common - scripture study, mommy/daddy dates, and reading books together. Some are a little quirky, like our dinner speeches, nighttime visits from The Monster Man, and our Sunday award ceremonies. Whatever the rituals, the point is that they created a space for connection. Even small things can make a big difference. They help kids feel bonded and feel like they're part of something bigger than themselves. What rituals do you have in your family?
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Sep 10, 2022
3. Oregon: A Little Bit Crazy
Today we discuss the summers we spent building a log cabin in the middle of nowhere. We laugh about the living conditions and the creative cooking as well as discussing how being pushed outside our comfort zones taught us important lessons and how doing something a little bit crazy created amazing memories and connections. What can you do to bring some discomfort and out-of-the box experiences into your family life?
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Sep 9, 2022
2. Bear Lake: Place-Based Family Bonding
Join us as we describe the fun history of our family's favorite place. We talk about the days of buckets for toilets and carrying rocks and how Bear Lake evolved into a beloved annual summer gathering spot for 50+ family members. Special places are an important part of building a strong family - whether that place is a bench near your house or a cabin by a lake. What places are special to your family?
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Sep 8, 2022
1. Intro: Join us in the Arena
Get to know the Eyre Sisters and what we hope to do with this podcast. We talk about where the name came from, introduce the unique way we were raised and how that has shaped us as parents, and give you a glimpse into the topics we'll be covering as we move forward.
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