Gotta Love Family Podcast

Mary Ann Johnson
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

Learn how to connect every day in simple and doable ways.

  1. Sep 27

    Five Principles of Power Series – Real Life Planning

    At a webinar on the Five Principles of Power, I gave the attendees an assignment to determine which of the principles they felt most resistant to. I received a hilarious email from an attendee. It was hilarious, but also sobering. The principle that caused her to cringe was planning ahead. In her email, she related all the ways that she was constantly interrupted and why planning anything was a disaster. After a conversation, she sent me this email: "I appreciated you addressing my hang-up with preparation. I felt much relieved and empowered after our talk. Thanks for helping me see through another set of eyes!" Join me today as I let you in on what I shared with this distressed mother. It will be life-changing because real-life planning isn't what you think!

  2. Sep 20

    Five Principles of Power Series – The Wizard of Oz Moment

    When my youngest daughter was getting married, we went announcement shopping. Shopping is not on my list of enjoyable activities! We stopped at a couple of places, choked on the prices, and then found the perfect thing. It was way out of our budget, but being crafty, we can do anything, sort of women, we decided we could recreate it ourselves. We headed to my sister's home for a second opinion. While we were talking about photos, my sister mentioned she thought people looked better in black and white photos. An animated conversation took place over her comment.  The enormity of seeing black and white move to brilliant color in the movie The Wizard of Oz surfaced. Join me as we explore how to move family activities from black and white to color and how doing so changes everything.

  3. Sep 13

    Practicing Calm — Holding the Chaos A Series Part 5

    Long ago, after a day that started at 7:00 in the morning and didn't end until 1:30 a.m. the next day, my daughter, Jodie, said, "Mom, it's probably a real blessing that you have the grandkids so much. It gives you lots of material for your writing." LOL We were preparing to teach a room full of sixth graders how to make gingerbread houses out of graham crackers. It took over ten hours of preparation. It was a gift to the kids for a fundraiser they'd put together to help with my granddaughter Maggie's therapy. However, a big project doesn't pause the rest of life. So how do you manage a day filled with children that doesn't end until the next morning and remain calm? Join me as I share what I did. It is doable for anyone!

  4. Sep 6

    Practicing Calm — What the Boys Taught Me - A Series: Part 4

    Many of us, without a plan, default to raised voices. We want calmer homes, but when the moment comes, we go straight to frustration and yelling because that's the response we're used to. Staying calm comes from knowing, ahead of time, how to respond when things are out of control or don't meet our expectations. Join me as I share two real-life stories that illustrate perfectly that staying calm requires a plan and that with a plan you can do it.

  5. Aug 30

    Practicing Calm — It's Better to Laugh Than to Cry – A Series: Part 3

    In today's podcast, I share two real-life examples that illustrate how important it is to laugh and find humor in hard situations. When you do, it can make all the difference. You will love the stories and I bet you will relate. Join me and learn more about the art of remaining calm when parenting.

  6. Aug 23

    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 whatever it was. His mother was using a calm voice, talking to him, holding him gently while he twisted and screamed, then leading him away. I could tell that many of the onlooking adults felt upset with her. Why wasn't she doing anything about this terrible tantrum? Why didn't she make him stop? That little boy was my grandson, and his mother is my daughter, Jodie. We were at a family reunion, and this wasn't his first outburst. He was three, that difficult age when a child is learning to control his impulses, to be patient, to wait. It's tough. Today I share how to manage better when others judge your parenting and how to stay true to your decision on how to parent. I will also teach you about the Time-In. An amazing idea for helping children manage big emotions better.

  7. Aug 16

    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 now. Right now, I'm caring for my 96-year-old mother, who has dementia, and I'm finding myself back in the same classroom I thought I'd left decades ago. The stories in this series are from long ago, mostly from the years when my children were small, or my grandchildren were underfoot. But I keep coming back to them, because the lessons in them are just as true today as they were then. I hope these stories feel less like advice from someone who's arrived, and more like company from someone still on the road with you. Staying calm isn't a skill you master once and keep forever. It's a practice. And you never know when life will hand you a new season that puts you right back in the classroom. I was reminded of that recently when I came across an old story from years ago, back when my grandchildren were small. It's a good reminder that the practice never really ends, and that's okay.  Join me as I share the story of the Honey Bucket and its powerful message on calm parenting.

  8. Aug 9

    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, even the boys. Of course, it makes a glorious mess. As we visited, she asked me about the value of this interest she was seeing in her kids, and it opened up a wonderful conversation. Today I will share some effective ideas on how to harness the joy of dressing up and learning in a family activity. They work for little kids and teens. They can be so family-connecting!

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Learn how to connect every day in simple and doable ways.

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