Beyond Good Intentions With Kristen Duke

Ralphie has spent the last several years doing intensive research on positive parenting, and now shares her knowledge with parents thirsty for the information.  My two favorite parts of our conversation were when I asked how we know if our kids are "entitled" and I LOVED her answer. Another part I loved was when she spoke about making the SWITCH to positive parenting when her oldest was 10, which tells me...we don't have to have it all figured out from the beginning! I loved talking about family cultures, and so many other tidbits. After you listen, I hope you'll share in the continued discussion on my Instagram @CapturingJoy.KristenDuke Be sure to also check out Ralphie at @SimplyOnPurpose.  As always the full show notes with links will be at the Beyond Good Intentions homepage on KristenDuke.com Make sure you check out the details at the end of the episode about the content we are running the next week!

As with all of my interviews, we talked about EVERYTHING parenting, but the overarching thought I had when I finished my interview with Brooke is that I need to take charge of the technology: in my home, and be an advocate for my kids in their schools.  Brooke is a successful writer and shares often on her website BrookeRomney.com and recently had an article published in The Washington Post titled, "U.S. Students need a cell phone detox." During our convo, I felt grateful for the new phone rule at my kids middle school, and happy for her that her advocacy made a difference in her kids school. Don't be afraid to go in and talk to the administrators if you don't like what's going on!  Please hop on over to Instagram and share your insights, thoughts, questions, "ah-ha" moments! @CapturingJoy.KristenDuke is where we will be chatting!  You can also leave a review on iTunes if you love this podcast, share it with your friends, have a parenting podcast CLUB discussion! The more you chat about what you want to do, t

Jason is a father to 7, co-parenting with 3 households. He wears many hats, including hosting his own podcast. We chat about when he interviewed me, as well as his other jobs, mainly as father. "Adjust while staying SOLID to core principles." This is the insight I really loved when Jason described parenting teens. Flexibility, all parents have to have it! Sometimes, you have to go deeper than "because I said so." Explaining the WHY you feel so passionately is important not just in a co-parenting situation, but important in life anyway, if we want our kids to really understand WHY we have the rules that we have.  Of course we talked about technology, including phones in a cupboard, UNPLUGGING, and turning off Notifications. A few favorite quotes from our chat: Begin with the end in mind. Are you helping the problem or adding to the problem? There's no situation so bad that complaining about it won't make it worse.  Men often have the same self doubt struggles as women, but will exhibit different behaviors to

I'm so delighted to have Becky Higgins on the podcast, sharing how she grew up and raising her family now.  Becky has a fabulous enthusiasm for life, that I believe is contagious, and it shines through in our conversation. She is a working mom who has built an empire out of her passion for helping others to cultivate a good life and record it. I've admired her for a long time (as you'll hear right from the start) and having this chat with her made me love her even more. I just know you'll feel the same.  We talked about her growing up in a small town, what her parents did that built her self esteem, and choosing friends in high school. I also had so many questions about her thoughts on being a working mom, something I've grappled with myself throughout my life, and even touched on how she met her husband, which I then told her about my 30 chapter love story I've typed out. Favorite quotes: "Kindness Always Wins" "The purpose of the task is to strengthen the relationship." "If you don't have something nice to

You asked, we deliver, love hearing from more teens! Katie just graduated from high school, and as she embarks on college life, she reflects back on how she was able to cultivate a great relationship with her parents, which I think is excellent insight for any parent out there!  From social media to choosing friends to the birds and the bee's talk with her parents, we cover the whole gamut, and I know that both teens and adults will love what she has to say.  Here are a few of my favorite quotes from our chat: "No amount of validation on social media will measure up to what happens in the real world." "Seek to understand before you're understood." "Hearing adults challenges brings me hope, it's a success story, because they made it through!" "Teens: Cultivate self confidence." Please head on over to Instagram: @CapturingJoy.KristenDuke to give Katie some love and tell her your favorite parts of the discussion.  You can also head on over to the Beyond Good Intentions home page to see pictures of Katie from the

I am so delighted that Jenny agreed to do an interview with me for this podcast: Beyond Good Intentions. She shares incredible stories about creative mothering through hard times, and now being a traveling grandmother. When she told me about making matching clothes for her kids for family pictures, she became my newest soul sister! She had no way of knowing how much I love taking family pictures, but I just loved this about her. Head to her podcast full show notes on my website KristenDuke.com  If you are new to this podcast, I encourage you to scroll through the other titles, and also read the summaries. Choosing to sum up a life in just a few words for a title has proven to be VERY challenging for me!  I truly believe there is something for everyone in each episode.  To see pictures and full show notes of this interview, head here: Jenny Doan Interview.  Our conversation was filled with so many fabulous nuggets, here are just a few to look forward to when you listen: How she dealt with kids fighting Her s

I LOVE the mission that Tiffany and Keirstyn are on, and I'm so grateful they are willing to share their stories. They are out to bless the world, and free victims from broken-ness in relationship trauma. It's a brave journey they are taking, and I whole heartedly commend them! They want to help people become better, and I'm very happy to help spread their message with all of you. I believe in marriage, in working through issues, in forgiveness, but when it comes to abuse, I fully support the victims getting out. They talk about the shame, but they want the world to know that you don't have to be perfect to be loved.  These ladies talk a lot about what we can do NOW as we are raising our children, to help them feel their own individual worth, and I was EATING IT UP! "It's not enough that we are saying uplifting things to our kids, they have to say it to themselves."  I just hope and pray that the words of these ladies will bless others, and if you know someone that would benefit from hearing their stories, PL

Sherri shares right from the start that she has a passion for helping teenagers and young adults to find a path that will lead to fulfillment in life. She runs Imagine College Coaching, a website and services that helps guide her passion. She shares about growing up in a small East Texas town, in an area that was not prioritizing college/education, and she had to figure out a lot all on her own. She discusses the 4 points of balance, which are tools to get out of a pit. She also talks a lot about self motivation, and also the comparison game that comes from social media of not measuring up. "If you want to do something or be something, in America, there is a way to make it happen." "Parenting is the greatest privilege I've ever been given. Open communication is the most valuable. I want to be a safe place.  Share your failures and your kids will be more open to share theirs." "Give them salt and make them thirsty. Help kids to be thirsty to have a zest for life." We talked about a video I made that aligns wit

I knew before I recorded my conversation with Jennifer that it would go over my 1 hour intended goal for each episode. I've watched her raise her family for nearly 16 years, weather life's storms, and I knew she would have so many great things to share.  Her youngest of 6 kids just graduated high school, and she now also has 4 small grandchildren from her older kids, and she has so much wisdom and perspective. As you can see from the title, she is also a widow, and we discuss her husband passing away 8 years ago, and how she has parented before and after that time.  Yes, she is a widowed mom, but she is so much more than that. She talks about how her life's experiences have blessed her to be less judgemental and love more, and can't we all do that a little bit more? I loved hearing about her growing up in an unconventional parenting situation with a corporate working mom, cop dad, and full time Nanny Maria from across the boarder.  She is someone that I've always seen as an intentional mother, and to watch th

When I saw the picture on Krista's website that said, "World's Okay-est Mom" I fell in love. YES! I thought...it's OK to be OK! This ideal that we have to be the perfect parents is so disheartening, and to be OK MOST of the time, GREAT another percentage, and not so great sometimes is JUST RIGHT. Lets all give ourselves a break, can we?  Krista raises her family deep in the heart of New York City and tells about her 11 year old son taking the subway to school by himself...love it! As much as that terrifies me, being from the suburbs, that's their life and it works for them. I love hearing stories about how others raise their families in different environments, thriving.  Krista is also a life coach, and she talks about some parenting tools that I think benefits everyone, so list and share and head on over to Instagram @CapturingJoy.KristenDuke to share your highlights! Find Krista at her website: WhyAmIYelling.com and see her resources section. 

Last weekend, I had a girls weekend get together with some of my closest friends to usher in my 40th birthday. I thought it would be fun to put a microphone in the middle of all of us, round robin style, while we sat on the couch chatting about various questions late at night. They weren't so sure they were excited about this idea. I assured them these were light questions, meant to be fun, and I thought it WAS pretty FUN! We talked about favorite games, favorite meals, funny mom moments, things we DON'T do as a mom, what we hope our kids don't get into, what we'd do with no responsibility for a few days, dream family vacations, and some mom truths. Head over to the full show notes on my website KristenDuke.com in the Beyond Good Intentions section of my site, to see us in our pink pinstripe pajamas, and how we were sitting/arranged on the couch as we talked about these topics. I've also got a link to all of the family games we mentioned! Join the follow up discussion on Instagram: @CapturingJoy.KristenDuke L

I am thrilled about this episode. When I told my kids I was interviewing Hank Smith for the podcast, I was met with quite excited responses. They were kinda star struck, because they think he is a rockstar. He'll go into detail a little better about what he does in our chat, but he's basically a motivational speaker that travels around, encouraging youth and even adults to do good...be good...and even secrets to a happier life through humor and seriousness and then humor again. It is truly a talent, and we can't get enough of it in our family. He has the ability to make serious things funny for kids and turn it into real life discussions. Thought provoking and insightful. But if you're coming for this interview for comedy, I hope you won't be disappointed, but I really enjoyed all he had to share, the life behind the spiritual comedian. A peek into his world, why he does what he does, and how he is raising his family. He shares his thoughts on PATIENCE with kids, things take TIME. He also share a conversation

I interviewed my daughter and asked her all about middle school! Cliques, bullying, social media, friends, and she was candid about it all. With summertime, it's challenging to put out a podcast episode each week, but I'm committed to it! My daughter is the cutest, in that she volunteered me to interview her when she overheard me talking to my friend Shelley (episode #17) about what I should do this week when I had my interviewee postpone! I've planned to have my kids and other teens on to chat, but this just kick started it, and I hope you enjoy.  Give my daughter some love on instagram or in the reviews, I'm grateful for her willingness to share! @CapturingJoy.KristenDuke on Instagram to share your thoughts, ask questions, or favorite parts!

I'm so so excited to share the interview with my dear friend Laurie! She and I met in college, but I was actually friends with her husband FIRST. We may chat a little bit more about her love story than I normally would with others, because I was THERE for it! It's a great story!  Laurie grew up in a very small town on a Hawaiian Island with 2000 people, but is raising her family in Montana--how fun is that?? I loved hearing about her growing up years, and We also talked a lot about how she was a teenager bride, what her parents thought about that, and what they think NOW, after they've been married 19 years.  I'm grateful Laurie was willing to talk about Nuerofeedback Therapy as a treatment for Anxiety, because I really think others hearing this will find it helpful. I'm quite fascinated by it myself! Listen along to this episode to hear all about her life, parenting, and of course a discussion on electronics and social media with teens. She also shares about a late pregnancy mis-carriage, and how she and her

Jessica grew up working HARD in the theater her parents ran, and talked about how that has blessed her throughout her life, in working hard at whatever it is she is doing. Cleaning urinals and scrubbing gum off of theater chairs turned into flipping houses, starting a DJ karaoke business in college, and now running 150 Orthodontic offices all over the US, Smile Doctors.  Not only did the theater teach her hard work, but she says, "Confidence is built on stage, as well as being quick on your feet."  They've moved a few times, and she speaks of the resilience of kids, and the opportunity for growth when their family has moved. You gain more friendships and experiences. Living on their working ranch, she hopes to live completely sustained by it someday.  She speaks of her health challenges with Lupus, and how her kids have had to help take care of her at times.  Positivity is key in any ailment that you're dealing with. She talks about being "pro child" and not just go along with the norms, but listen to their n

Intuitive eating, I was thirsty for this conversation with Amy, and it couldn't have come at a better time in my parenting. Teaching children intuitive eating has been heavy on my mind in the past few years, and I just love everything Amy had to say! Coming from someone who has struggled with a binge eating disorder, she has a lot of really great insight on the topic.  My heart broke when Amy said that she cried to her mom in the 4th grade because she felt overweight, but looking back at that little girl, she wasn't at all, just different shaped. I hung on her every word as she told me what she would say right now to that little girl, an important perspective that I think every parent should hear. She spoke about a binge eating disorder, and how after therapy for it, she gained 100 pounds. She gave a lot of really great insight on teaching children intuitive eating, highlighting words she feels we should and shouldn't use. It's SUCH A TOUGH thing for adults to get under control, that intuitive eating, even ha

If you haven't heard me say this before, it's quite a challenge for me to figure out how to NAME each podcast interview. We talk for nearly a full hour, about the span of their ENTIRE life thus far, and I have to pick one little part out of it that is a big ATTENTION GRABBING or unique, even though we may only touch on that part for a bit of the conversation.  Yes, it's true, she lived in a tent for a time as a child, and on a macadamia nut farm in Hawaii, how fascinating is that??? She shares about her blended family, her parents divorce, and her teenage years where she caused her mom maybe a little grief.  She then shares about her business with her husband and how they made their first million before age 30. But of course the majority of our chat was about parenting. The utter heart wrenching decision as to when to STOP having kids, one I can completely relate to, and how she isn't sure if she is "done" yet.  She speaks about co-sleeping, getting her tubes tied, relying on inspiration, and blaming herself

I'm so delighted to have this interview with my 94 year old Grandpa Ball. I already chatted with my grandma in episode #12, and so many of you listeners wanted to hear from Grandpa after his cameo at the end! If you liked her story, you will surely love his as well. It's hard to know how to title an episode for someone, let alone someone who has lived 94 years. Since his childhood injury has shaped so much of his life, I thought it was a fitting title, but we talk about so much more! From him calling himself a "spoiled brat" as a child, losing a hero in a tragic way, being rejected from WWII, and then of course how he met my grandma and the words of warning his own mother gave him after meeting my grandma just once.  Though his memory seems to be most foggy about parenting his two girls, one of them my mom, I was pleasantly delighted to hear what he was most strict about.  In the end, he shares his heart about losing my mom nearly 3 years ago, a pain we both share.  If you loved this, please hop on over to In