Do you allow your kids to participate in sleepovers? I’m personally not a fan of blanket directives because each family is unique. You have to make a decision about what is best for your family based on the pros and cons of having sleepovers.
I was recently on Fox 35 Orlando to talk about the pros and cons of sleepovers. It’s hard to have an in-depth discussion on a topic like this in four minutes, so I’d like to dig in a little deeper here on the podcast with you.
Did you go to sleepovers when you were a kid? If you did, what happened at those sleepovers? There was likely a lot of talking about other people, eating sugar, and staying up all night. Maybe you did things you probably shouldn’t do along the way. Maybe your experiences make you say never to sleepovers. Maybe you had great experiences with sleepovers that you want your kids to have as well.
Pros of Sleepovers
Here are some pros of participating in sleepovers:
Social development in an unstructured, relaxed environment
Cultivation of independence in your child
Creation of defining, lasting memories and friendships
Space to learn to make good decisions and problem solve
Building trust with parents and friends
Cons of Sleepovers
What about the cons of sleepovers? There are downsides such as:
Possibility for bullying
Shattering of trust
Inappropriate behavior
Exposure to drugs and alcohol
Sleep deprivation and its results or consequences
Disruption of routines
Exclusion of some children
Is There a Middle Ground on Sleepovers for Your Family?
Before you choose to take an always-or-never stance on sleepovers, I challenge you to think outside the box and see if there’s another path that might work for your family. It’s important to know your children. It’s critical to have good communication. If you choose to allow or host sleepovers, know and communicate what you expect of your kids and those participating.
In the Albers’ family, we were generally not pro going to other homes for sleepovers. Some of this had to do with our family size and dynamics. I couldn’t have five kids running to five different places. Because my kids’ extracurricular activities, we were also often busy on the weekends making a Friday night sleepover difficult to participate in those activities the rest of the weekend. We built a life that was busy or full to meet the goals and needs of our family. Sleepovers didn’t naturally fit into that plan for us most of the time.
Here are some additional things to consider to help you decide if sleepovers are good for your family:
Why are you opposed to or hesitant to let your child attend sleepovers?
Is there a legitimate concern for your child?
Is this is a declaration that your friends have made?
Did you have a bad experience with sleepovers?
Do you know everybody who will be there?
Will the parents be home?
How many kids are expected to attend?
Is this a party or a time to hang out with close friends?
Ask your child why they want to go.
Ask questions to gauge whether your kid can stand up to peer pressure and awkward situations.
Open, honest communication is the key to all of this. Be sure to take the time to explain the responsibility and the dangers that come with sleepovers, wherever your family decides to land on the subject.
Join me in the next episode where we will dive a little deeper into the topic of hosting sleepovers!
Do you have a prodigal child? Are you desperate to guide your prodigal home? Laine Lawson Craft has lived this story with her three children. Now she’s committed to sharing their testimony and showing parents how to fight the spiritual battle to guide their prodigals back home again.
In this episode, Laine and I talk about:
How your kids are being attacked for their destiny
The number one thing that a parent (or anyone can do) for a child
What is a prodigal?
Staying in the game with your adult kids
How guiding your prodigal home is a long-term commitment
Dealing with discouragement
How to handle backsliding
How one touch of God can change everything
About Laine Lawson Craft
Laine is dauntlessly committed to guiding parents of teens and young adults to win back their prodigal children.
She partners with prodigal parents so that they find a proven battle plan and strategies to guide them to know that they are not in a war with their child but in a war with the enemy trying to destroy them; they will learn how to have authority over the battles, and how to pray for victory for their prodigal.
With over fifteen years of working with amazing people with similar hurts and spiritual warfare and guiding them to achieve remarkable success, her mission and commitment are to give you insights and revelations into how the darkness of our world operates, build your hope, and give tried-and-true tools and applications that will bring your prodigal home.
Her path to writing this life-transforming battle plan became clear after she fought hell for her children, and her family was healed and won.
Laine is an award-winning, best-selling author, popular media host, and in-demand speaker.
She has been married to Steve, her husband, for over thirty-five years, and she loves spending time with her two sons, only daughter, daughter-in-love, and son-in-love.
New York Times Bestselling author Larry Loftis is back on the show to talk about the story behind his newest novel. In this spy thriller, Larry tells the story of the life of Corrie ten Boom. Many of us are familiar with the story from The Hiding Place but that is maybe about ten percent of the story of Corrie’s life. There’s so much more to tell as Larry learned in his research. It’s a story of extraordinary forgiveness.
Larry and I talk about
Why and how Larry chose Corrie ten Boom as the main character for this spy thriller
The research went into Corrie’s life that went into this book
The role of Corrie’s father in her life
Corrie’s extraordinary forgiveness towards those who seem unforgivable
Will Larry’s books be made into movies?
How Larry’s books portray remarkable women
and more!
Be sure to pick up a copy of The Watchmaker’s Daughter and share it with your family!
About Larry Loftis
Larry Loftis is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and international bestselling author of the nonfiction spy thrillers THE PRINCESS SPY: The True Story of World War II Spy Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones; CODE NAME: LISE: The True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII’s Most Highly Decorated Spy; and INTO THE LION’S MOUTH: The True Story of Dusko Popov—World War II Spy, Patriot, and the Real-Life Inspiration for James Bond. His fourth book, THE WATCHMAKER’S DAUGHTER: The True Story of World War II Heroine Corrie ten Boom, will be released by HarperCollins on March 7, 2023.
A two-time winner of the Florida Book Award, his books have been translated into numerous languages and can be found in Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Italy, Serbia, Czech Republic, Taiwan, India, Australia, New Zealand, and throughout the UK.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Larry was an AV-rated corporate attorney and adjunct professor of law. His academic legal works have been published in the National Law Journal, Florida Bar Journal, and the law reviews of the University of Florida, University of Georgia, and Suffolk University. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida, where he served on the Law Review as the Senior Executive Editor and Senior Articles Editor.
I want to take a moment to talk about God’s faithfulness. The Equipped To Be Podcast has reached a major milestone. With this episode and the transition to Season 3, we have marked three years of episodes! There were ups and downs along the way, but I’m so excited to have shared this journey with you!
The Equipped To Be Podcast launched in February 2020 right before the world was turned upside down by the pandemic. I couldn’t have done this without the team who works with me to get these episodes out to you each week. We wouldn’t still be on the air without you, the listeners, or our partners and sponsors. It’s such a testament to God’s faithfulness.
Equipped To Be isn’t just about one topic. We talk about things spanning the spectrum from parenting to education to faith and so much more because it’s all about helping you know and understand that you’re equipped to be a doer of God’s word. You have a calling and a purpose.
Many thanks also go to the guests who’ve been on the show. (See a list of some notable episodes below.) I also owe a shout-out to Libsyn, my host, who supported me and gave me guidance along the way.
This podcast started because Amanda Pelser from The Pelsers Media was sitting in my office and talking about starting the podcast. I didn’t have the technical skills to pull this off, but Amanda said she’d help me. She and her husband, Josh, have been with me from the beginning of this podcast!
Many days, I would come into the studio and just pray, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” I’d script it out or make some notes and then hit record. Then Amanda would clean and polish it and deliver it to you. Every step of the way, you were in mind because we don’t want to waste your time. It’s too precious and too valuable.
When God tells you to start something, just start. Start ugly as a book from a friend of mine says in its title. Start with what you have. Do the best you can. Go and grow as God leads. This is what we’ve done with Equipped To Be. We’ve added features over time like images and show notes and we continue to add value as God gives us the tools and resources to do so.
Would you take a moment and help us out? Your support means the world to us!
Join our email list using the box below
Leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc
Subscribe to the Equipped To Be podcast in your favorite podcast app
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(Links to a few top directories are at the end of this post for you.)
I can’t tell you what’s coming next. I’ve been in a very difficult season. I’ve had to strip away many things in my life and ask the Lord what He wants me to add back in. I do know that I have some exciting guests lined up to share stories that will help you in your journey. Back in 2020, I didn’t know if we’d last more than six months, but here we are, still bringing you encouragement. Thank you for listening. This is your milestone as much as it is ours.
Do you feel like you’re not doing enough for your kids? Does it seem like everyone is doing this mom life better than you? This is mom guilt! Let’s talk today about how to deal with mom guilt.
Defining Mom Guilt
I want to let you know that mom guilt isn’t a new thing. When my kids were young, we didn’t use that term, but this pervasive feeling that we’re not doing enough as women and moms is not new. What is new is the culture of social media that becomes entangled with the expectations of moms. Mom guilt is this feeling of being inadequate. You doubt yourself. You are living your life one way but see another mom doing things another way and become unsure of yourself. You think that the other mom is doing this mom thing better or the right way.
The Root of Mom Guilt
At the root of mom guilt is comparison. Scripture tells us not to compare ourselves to others. We need to keep our eyes focused on running our own races. We are each raising kids in different circumstances and environments. We each parent from different backgrounds and experiences from our childhoods. Maybe you made some bad decisions in the past that cause you to question everything you do now in your parenting. In any case, you have a race to run that is different from the mom next to you.
Steps to Deal with Mom Guilt
The first step to overcoming mom guilt is to give it to the Lord. We have to separate guilt from true conviction that comes from the Lord. Determine with prayer and consulting Scripture if this feeling is from God or a trusted source being used to point out something God wants you to see. Or is this something external meant to derail you? As much as I don’t like the phrase at times, there is value in stepping back and saying, “You do you” if your heart is in the right place seeking after God’s word and will.
Next, evaluate where this mom guilt is coming from. Is it a societal expectation? Consider the people and places where you spend your time or give your attention. Do your friends have a similar mindset to you? What about their biblical convictions or family cultural desires? Put your time and energy into the relationships and spaces that will encourage and support you in following God’s will for your parenting and life.
I challenge you to be a light in the midst of another mom’s guilt. Lift that burden off the mom’s around you. Affirm your mom friends and encourage them today!
How do you manage boredom? Boredom plagues us all at one time or another. No one is immune to it. Boredom is often a sign that you’re tired of the same things over and over, even if you like routine. But, boredom is actually a good thing. It means that you have time and margin in your day to stop and think. Boredom means you have the space for creativity, innovation, and adventure rather than a robotic existence.
3 Steps to Managing Boredom
Identify the Boredom
First, identify boredom for what it is. Even those of us who love routine and order get tired of the same thing over and over again. We get sick of mindless actions and repetitive tasks. The routines are good and part of living a productive life, but we also need the space to dream and problem-solve. Sometimes boredom is a result of feeling stuck and needing a change.
Reframe Your Thoughts
Next, you need to reframe your thoughts. So much is being said about mindfulness these days. Be careful of what you allow to come into your mind and occupy space. What are you dwelling on? Focus on gratitude whatever the season or situation you’re in right now.
Find Ways to Redirect Bored Kids (and Adults!)
How can you redirect your children (or yourself!) when boredom sets in? Try some of these suggestions for managing boredom:
Do something out of the ordinary
Play with an old toy in a new way
Listen to an audiobook
Watch video tutorials
Do something physical and active
Find a way to do something faster
Create a challenge for yourself
Find a way to be more efficient or effective
Make a gratitude list
Connect with someone
Flip the schedule around
Some of your kids would be changing things up every day if given the chance and others freak out when you mess with their routine. Find a balance in your days of routine and adventure. Remember: that there isn’t anything wrong with being bored. Use that boredom and discontentment to show your kids how to be innovators and grateful people.
