{"id":303712,"date":"2015-10-21T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-10-21T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/mean-moms-make-them-work\/"},"modified":"2015-10-21T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2015-10-21T15:00:00","slug":"mean-moms-make-them-work","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/mean-moms-make-them-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Mean Moms Make Them Work"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>guest: Joanne Kraft | Series: Mean Mom&#8217;s Guide to Raising Great Kids | Feel like your kids need something productive to do? Then you just might be a mean mom! Joanne Kraft, author of &#8220;The Mean Mom&#8217;s Guide to Raising Great Kids,&#8221; talks about the benefits of having the kids help out at home. Not only do chores teach good work habits, Joanne explains, but they also teach kids how to serve others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Joanne Kraft, author of &#8220;The Mean Moms Guide to Raising Great Kids,&#8221; talks about the benefits of having the kids help out at home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2015-10-21.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"25.4M","filesize_raw":"26630355","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2852,2838],"tags":[5077,5224,5842,5840,4164,5841],"podcast_series":[8106],"cwp_profile":[3209],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-303712","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-discipline","category-mothers","tag-character-development","tag-chores","tag-do-hard-things","tag-mean-moms","tag-saying-no","tag-strict-parenting","podcast_series-mean-moms-guide-to-raising-great-kids","cwp_profile-joanne-kraft","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/303712\/mean-moms-make-them-work","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/303712\/mean-moms-make-them-work","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"0S2LN15BUT\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/mean-moms-make-them-work\/\">Mean Moms Make Them Work<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/mean-moms-make-them-work\/embed\/#?secret=0S2LN15BUT\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Mean Moms Make Them Work&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"0S2LN15BUT\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Joanne Kraft, author of \"The Mean Moms Guide to Raising Great Kids,\" talks about the benefits of having the kids help out at home.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2015-10-21.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>If you make your kids do chores, and if you withhold privileges unless they get the chores done, they probably think you\u2019re a mean mom. Joanne Kraft says, \u201cYou\u2019re not.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Chores are just a segue into adulthood. Chores don\u2019t just teach good work habits \/ chores teach servanthood. You know, if you want to raise a leader, you teach your child that there is no job beneath them. If you want to raise a child to be an adult that people respect, there\u2019s nothing they can\u2019t do, work-wise, around the house. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Wednesday, October 21<sup>st<\/sup>. Our host is the President of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine. If you\u2019ve been getting a little soft, as a mom \/ a little lax, we\u2019re going to see if we can motivate you to be a little meaner today. Stay tuned. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, with Barbara\u2014was Barbara a mean mom?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Oh, yes. [Laughter]\u00a0 She had me helping her\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014be a reinforced mean mom. She held\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Who was meaner?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014high standards. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Who was meaner at the house\u2014you or Barbara?\u00a0 Who was the marshmallow, and who was the meanie?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I\u2019ll tell you what she would say. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Okay. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>She would say that she was the mean mom, and I was the party daddy. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I would come home from work, and I was the fun daddy. She struggled, at points\u2014kind of resenting it\u2014because there she was\u2014from 7:30\/8:00 in the morning until 5:00\/5:30\/6:00 at night, most days during the week, holding up the troops\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014and taking them through the daily routine. Here, I\u2019d walk through the door: \u201cHere\u2019s the hero!\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u201cHere\u2019s Daddy!\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u201cHe\u2019s got all kinds of fun ideas taking place.\u201d\u00a0 Let\u2019s ask our guest what her kids would say. Joanne Kraft joins us again on <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWelcome back. Were you the recognized mean mom, and was Paul the party daddy?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>You know, it\u2019s strange\u2014in our family, I was the marshmallow mom; and my husband was the mean mom \/ he was the mean\u2014but he\u2019s also the fun guy. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Well, Joanne has written a book called <em>The Mean Mom\u2019s Guide to Raising Great Kids<\/em>. I just want to talk about some issues that just take the courage away from moms and dads. Here\u2019s what I want to talk about: I want to talk about chores, the busyness of children and of parents. I want to talk about sibling rivalry, and I want to discuss manners\u2014that fossilized, prehistoric concept of respecting other human beings. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, let\u2019s go, first of all, to the subject of chores\u2014speaking of moms being the ones who call kids to toe the line. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>You\u2019re probably talking about my chapter, \u201cMean Mom\u2019s Make Them Work.\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s an invaluable lesson. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s hard for me to understand, sometimes, when I meet somebody that says, \u201cHey, I am exhausted at parenting.\u201d\u00a0 I do understand\u2014it\u2019s an exhausting job. What I don\u2019t understand is: \u201cYou have teenaged kids at home,\u201d\u2014that I don\u2019t understand because I don\u2019t think it\u2019s wrong or evil\u2014it\u2019s not mean at all to make your kids work around the house. That\u2019s not mean at all. As a matter of fact, we don\u2019t only just make our kids work, we make any kids that are caught in our trap in our house work. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe had an incredible, young man visit us a couple of weeks ago. He stayed for a week\u2014and he\u2019s a teenager\u2014great kid! Every morning, guess what?\u00a0 We\u2019re cleaning. We\u2019re cleaning up the house. I like to tell my kids: \u201cYou know what?\u00a0 You give me 90 minutes; I\u2019ll give you 8 hours. You want to go out and play with your friends? Just give me 90 minutes of your time.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019ll take as long as or as short as you allow it to take; but you can make it fun. I put music on. Our family is competitive \/ we love to compete: \u201cCan you clean this up in two songs but clean it well?\u201d\u00a0 They get the bathrooms or\u2014you know?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>4:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>There are a lot of good reasons why kids need to learn the responsibility of doing chores. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Chores are just a segue into adulthood. Chores don\u2019t just teach good work habits \/ chores teach servanthood. If you want to raise a leader, you teach your child that there is no job beneath them. It\u2019s bigger than just helping around the house, and it\u2019s those little things that matter. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>It is bigger than helping around the house because you\u2019ve got an acre lot that you live on in Nashville; right?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Out in the country a little bit?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>And who cuts the grass?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>[Laughter] Well, my husband has a riding lawn mower. So, now, we fight over it; but before that\u2014we just got that recently. So that acre you\u2019re talking about\u2014our kids had to take turns with a push mower on an acre lot. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>A push\u2014you\u2019re not talking about a motorized\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Well, it was motorized, Dennis\u2014but we\u2019re Americans\u2014so it was hard. [Laughter]\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>On an acre?\u00a0 You\u2019re talking an acre of\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014with a 20-[foot] deck\u2014I mean, that\u2019s a long job!\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>At the time, three of our kids were living at home with us. Our oldest had moved out. Our number two son\u2014our oldest, at the time\u2014he was in college. Our youngest two kids got together, and they told their brother: \u201cHey, you know what?\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to do the lawn. I know you\u2019re studying.\u201d\u00a0 So, they took it upon themselves\u2014which those moments are golden for a parent; you know?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes; right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>What would you say to the parent who can\u2019t get their kids to do chores?\u00a0 I mean, I\u2019ll tell you\u2014I got mugged with our boys about taking the garbage can up to the top of the street and pushing it up there. I mean, they did their best to control me. I never did it; but I had a friend whose son did that to him. So, the friend took the garbage can and put it in his room. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>In the kid\u2019s room?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>In the kid\u2019s room for a week. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Wow!\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>He lived with the stench of the garbage\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>I like him. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014that\u2019s a great idea; isn\u2019t it?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Well, I did put a garbage sack on one of my son\u2019s beds once\u2014not the whole garbage can\u2014but I did. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>6:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI actually took a picture because that\u2019s what you do these days; but\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Evidence. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It\u2019s evidence for a lawsuit later. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Yes. You have to work alongside them for one. I mean, you can\u2019t sit on the couch and bark orders\u2014there is no respect in that. You have to show them and model how it\u2019s done. But you know what?\u00a0 To those parents, I\u2019d say: \u201cYou know what?\u00a0 Just try a little harder. If you\u2019re consistent and continue to encourage them, it does matter.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThere is a family that lives near our house\u2014I interviewed her for the book. She was part of <em>The Strictest<\/em>\u2014it was show on CMT, I think\u2014called <em>The Strictest Families in America<\/em>\u2014or\u2014\u2026<em>Parents in America<\/em>. The show was\u2014the people would have kids \/ wayward kids come stay with them. She talks about chores\u2014this is a farm family\u2014this is an incredible family, where I live. She said: \u201cYou just do chores, as a family. There\u2019s not a choice\u2014you just work \/ you do those things. You don\u2019t have a sedentary life.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s something you really get used to because I think most of us want to go turn on the TV\u2014you know\u2014walk in the house. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>So, you\u2019ve been a single parent mom. If you were talking to a mom\u2014who is a single parent, and she\u2019s got a 16-year-old son, who is now bigger than she is, who just says, \u201cI\u2019m not going to do that,\u201d\u2014what would you tell her?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Mostly, those moms say to me, \u201cI don\u2019t have any power anymore.\u201d I\u2019d say, \u201cYou hold more cards than you think.\u201d\u00a0 As far as discipline\u2014which, in the Bible, discipline means correction \/ you\u2019re teaching them. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>That\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>You\u2019re teaching a child\u2014that\u2019s discipline. It\u2019s a disciple of adulthood. I would say, \u201cWell, if that\u2019s the case, then, I would have to make life uncomfortable for him as well.\u201d\u00a0 You don\u2019t want to get to that point, but you do. That means you take away any technology. I\u2019ve had parents ask: \u201cWhat do I do?\u00a0 They are on Facebook<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>.\u201d\u00a0 Well, maybe, you have to turn off the Internet in your house. Being a parent means you sacrifice, and it is hard work. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>And when the child says: \u201cIf you do that, I\u2019m just going to go stay with Bill. I\u2019m moving out of here. I\u2019m going to go be on my own.\u201d\u00a0 They start to threaten the relationship\u2014they say, \u201cI hate you,\u201d\u2014I mean, you know the games that the kids will play. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>8:00<\/strong><br><br><strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Well, I\u2019ll tell you this\u2014having a police background\u2014if they threaten that the police are going to get involved, I promise you the police want you to parent. So, those threats fall on deaf ears because you\u2019ll have a big blow up. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOur oldest son got like that his senior year. We had that moment, and he was under age. We had that meeting of the minds and said, \u201cHey, this is how it goes,\u201d\u2014you know?\u00a0 He was frustrated with us. We said, \u201cWell, if you don\u2019t like it\u2026.\u201d\u00a0 And he went to his friend\u2019s house. We eventually went back\u2014we went and picked him up because\u2014\u201cYou know what? You\u2019re not an adult. We\u2019re still liable for you.\u201d So, we brought him home. I\u2019ll tell you\u2014it really is a perseverance thing because, now, he is doing so great. I think, as parents, a lot of times we think: \u201cThis is it. It\u2019s not going to get any better. They are always going to be like this.\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s a lie\u2014that\u2019s not true. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And teenagers bluff. They\u2019ll bluff you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And what you, as a parent, need to be is the parent. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>That\u2019s right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And what I told our kids\u2014Barbara did as well: \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cIf you like the freedom \/ the growing freedom you get, as a teenager, you\u2019re going to enjoy more of it if you\u2019re responsible around the house to carry your fair share of the responsibilities; but if you don\u2019t carry the responsibilities\u2014I\u2019m sorry\u2014you\u2019re not getting more freedom.\u201d\u00a0 <br>\u00a0\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Absolutely. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And sometimes, that stings them. Let\u2019s talk about something else that\u2019s kind of a lost art today\u2014manners. How did you teach your children manners and which ones were important for your family?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>I <em>love<\/em> this chapter on modeling honor because it\u2019s teaching your kids respect. Manners are just kind of like the elementary lesson to teaching respect to your children. I was raised by somebody in the military. So, respect was something that I learned at a very young age. I watched my father model this\u2014whether it was thanking a solider or somebody in uniform, whether it was buying him lunch or dinner, saying, \u201cThank you for your service.\u201d\u00a0 Those things stick with kids, and I watched my dad do that with police officers. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know I like to say that: \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cRespect flies a flag, and honor sheds a tear.\u201d\u00a0 Honor blossoms from respect. Actually, there is a Scripture that I love about this\u2014it\u2019s Proverbs 15:33\u2014it\u2019s: \u201cThe fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.\u201d\u00a0 So, the fear of the Lord is that respect\u2014that\u2019s that holy respect that we have. Then, the instruction is us teaching our kids the respect\u2014and that could be anything from picking up plates at somebody\u2019s house. Maybe, you cleared the table for your company or the people you are staying with. When we go to somebody\u2019s house, my kids get up to help. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt blows my mind\u2014and even in the church\u2014I don\u2019t understand this, and forgive me, but\u2014when you have a big potluck at church, and all of a sudden, older women \/ elderly women are cleaning up because that\u2019s all they\u2019ve ever done. Well, why aren\u2019t the youth groups enlisted to be taught servanthood?\u00a0 You know, Jesus washed the feet of His disciples before He was crucified. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhy don\u2019t we start teaching that servanthood and say, \u201cKids, this is what we do\u201d?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>This really works out best if you start really early because the five-year-olds don\u2019t push back on manners\u2014you can make a game out of manners with kids. It\u2019s when you\u2019ve been lax about this\u2014now, they are 13, and you say: \u201cYou say, \u2018Yes, sir.\u2019\u00a0 You say, \u2018No, sir.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 They go, \u201cWhy?\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Yes. It could just be a monthly visit to your soup kitchen because see\u2014here\u2019s the thing\u2014when you start having your kids come alongside you, when you\u2019re serving, people notice that. Adults love to see kids \/ respectful kids serving. They\u2019ll start to feed into your kids, and that encourages your children because someone else will say: \u201cYou know what?\u00a0 Thank you, son.\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s big because it\u2019s no longer you pushing it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I remember\u2014when we had children that were growing up and beginning to be old enough to appreciate manners, especially at the table, Barbara became convicted that\u2014about the only place we ever went out to eat was a fast-food restaurant like Chick-fil-A<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> or Wendy\u2019s<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> or McDonald\u2019s<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tShe goes, \u201cYou know, we just need to take a week and learn the manners around the table\u2014where you put the knife, and the fork, and the spoon, and how you place the napkin in your lap, and how the men help the ladies be seated.\u201d\u00a0 And she said, \u201cAfter we\u2019ve learned the lessons, we\u2019ll go out to a restaurant that is considerably nicer than a fast-food restaurant.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe kids got into that, and we had a good time doing that. They learned some things, I think, about what you just talked about\u2014about servanthood. That\u2019s the core of manners\u2014it says: \u201cMy life for your life. I want to pull the chair back and honor you \/ helping you be seated, as a woman, because God made you in His image. As a man, I\u2019m supposed to serve you.\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s something your kids need to catch from you, as an adult. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Just because you write books about these things doesn\u2019t mean that your family is perfect, by any sense of the imagination. We were out at dinner. Our son, Samuel\u2014he was younger, and he was still in the learning manners phase. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe waitress was going by him\u2014and he was probably about seven, at the time\u2014and he yelled, \u201cHey!\u201d He wanted the ketchup: \u201cHey!\u00a0 Hey!\u201d\u00a0 I said: \u201cSon, you don\u2019t yell, \u2018Hey.\u2019\u00a0 You say, \u2018Excuse me\u2019 or \u2018Pardon me.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tA few minutes later: \u201cHey!\u201d again to this poor waitress, who is working so incredibly hard. I said: \u201cSamuel, okay, here is the deal for the rest of the dinner. You now need to\u2014anytime you want to talk with your siblings or us, you need to say, \u2018Excuse me,\u2019 or \u2018Pardon me.\u2019\u00a0 We\u2019re going to practice this.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWell, his siblings had a blast trying to draw him into conversation\u2014I\u2019ll tell you that. But it\u2019s just being ready, at the time. It\u2019s not shaming your child, but it is, right at the moment, saying: \u201cHey, let\u2019s address this. How can we teach you this?\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>And I just have to tell people\u2014when we walked in, and said, \u201cHi,\u201d to you, right before we sat down to do these radio interviews, you said, \u201cHello, Mr. Lepine.\u201d I thought, \u201cOh, I\u2019m not that much older than\u2026\u201d\u2014well, okay, maybe. Anyway\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>She also addressed me as \u201cSir.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>14:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI was going to say, \u201cCan you train Bob?\u201d\u00a0 [Laughter]\u00a0 I mean, it\u2019s not happened in\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>I\u2019m beyond\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014almost 23 years. It\u2019s\u2014yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>This is just a part of your character to show respect. It\u2019s something that was trained into you, and it\u2019s just how you understand life is supposed to work. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>We tell our kids: \u201cYou can never be too polite. You can never be too polite.\u201d\u00a0 Or when our kids are arguing, \u201cTry to out-nice the other one.\u201d\u00a0 No one is ever going to get mad\u2014and if somebody does get mad that you call them \u201cSir,\u201d or \u201cMa\u2019am,\u201d or \u201cThank you,\u201d or \u201cMrs.\u201d or \u201cMr.\u201d or use their name\u2014there are still teachers I have today\u2014I\u2019m pushing 50\u2014I wouldn\u2019t call by their first name. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Sure. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>It doesn\u2019t feel right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Okay, let\u2019s talk about the flipside of being nice. Let\u2019s discuss sibling rivalry. You had four children. Sometimes, nice dissolves into competition to children getting back at each other\u2014hurting one another. You have any real core lessons that you learned that you want to pass onto other mean moms about resolving sibling rivalry?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>\u201cSibling Rivalry\u201d was a fun chapter to write\u2014not because kids\u2019 arguing is fun, at all; but it also allowed me to research even more what makes them tick. When you\u2019re busy, you are not thinking about this kind of stuff\u2014the psychology of why your kids are arguing\u2014but it kind of speaks in terms of: \u201cYou know, it might be that they are competitive. It might be that there\u2019s a new baby. Guess what?\u00a0 Big brother\/big sister is possessive. They are basically fighting with the younger child. That\u2019s their way of saying, \u2018I\u2019m the big man on campus.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 So, it\u2019s easier to understand those reasons. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe other thing that I need to remember\u2014with my own kids\u2014and I have to share this story: My youngest two\u2014who, at the time, were probably 13 and 15, at the time\u2014we\u2019d just moved into our new home. They were fighting \/ they were arguing. We had just built this home. My husband was away on a trip. All of a sudden, I hear a crash. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWell, our two youngest were acting like they were at a Van Halen after-party in the hotel room\u2014[Laughter]\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014except they do not know how to play instruments. They had busted one of the doors in the bathroom because they pushed each other, arguing about who was going to put the toilet paper roll on the toilet paper that day. When they came down the stairs\u2014I\u2019ll tell you\u2014it really is a lesson on: \u201cDo you respond, or do you react?\u00a0 Which do you do?\u201d\u00a0 They were probably frightened because I heard the crash. I could\u2014I did pray this time, \u201cDear Lord, help me not to kill them before they walk down the stairs.\u201d\u00a0 When they came downstairs, I was prepared. They looked at me, and shared what happened, and sat down. That is when I used chores. See, all of these chapters kind of intermingle\u2014I used chores\u2014that was their hard work. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I remember, as our boys used to wrestle in their bedroom up above the kitchen, there was a light that was right in the middle of our kitchen that used to dance\u2014just kind of bounced a little bit like a mild earthquake. You just wondered, \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cAt what point will there be a blood-curdling scream?\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u201cWhat point does that roof give way\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014\u201cand they come into the kitchen?\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Exactly. You wonder\u2014you know\u2014the thuds, as they got bigger, and became teenagers, and got stronger, and\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>And they cracked a door too; didn\u2019t they?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Oh, my goodness!\u00a0 Well, there is a door that still doesn\u2019t work in our house. I have a screw that I tried to find a way to get it back into the door sill so\u2014because they literally ripped the door off the hinges. Now, these are boys\/young men. I don\u2019t remember how we punished or what we taught in the midst of that. There is a bunch of this that is just unsavory\u2014I mean, it\u2019s just\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>But it speaks to parents. And I think the thing is\u2014it is transparency. You know what?\u00a0 Just because you may not do it well today, God\u2019s mercy is new tomorrow; and you have another chance. I\u2019m hoping that this book encourages parents that there is more time; you know?\u00a0 If you wake up the next day, you\u2019ve got time. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It\u2019s back to what you talked about around manners: \u201cTeach your children to respect the other person as made in the image of God.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>18:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well, I think one of the fundamental jobs of parenting is: \u201cYour kids are born self-focused\/self-centered\u2014it\u2019s all about them. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u201cYou\u2019ve got to teach them how to be others-centered rather than being self-centered. That\u2019s the overarching journey. First of all, you\u2019ve got to teach them to love, honor, respect God. It\u2019s the Great Commandment: \u2018Love God, love others.\u2019 That\u2019s not how they are naturally. It\u2019s a part of the job, as parents, to get them there.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Exactly. One last quick hit\u2014I want you to speak to mean moms about busyness. It seems, to me, moms today \/ families today are at red line as never before. We were busy because we had six kids; but it seems like there are multiple sports, multiple activities for multiple children. That spells, really, just a pressure-packed schedule that doesn\u2019t allow for really in-depth relationships. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Not at all. That was my first book, <em>Just Too Busy: Taking your Family on a Radical Sabbatical<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, I do understand that\u2014even I have remedial lessons in this over and over again. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI love what Beth Moore says about this\u2014she says: \u201cNo one can do a thousand things to the glory of God. In our vain attempt to do so, we stand to forfeit a precious thing.\u201d\u00a0 It is a reminder that we do need to slow down; you know?\u00a0 God\u2019s Word says it\u2014\u201cBe still and know that I am God.\u201d\u00a0 He made it a commandment\u2014on the Sabbath, we are to rest. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI heard a woman say once\u2014and I <em>love<\/em> this\u2014she said, \u201cJoanne, why do think God rested on the seventh day?\u201d\u00a0 I was really trying to think of the right answer. I wanted to be right, and I couldn\u2019t think of the answer. I thought, \u201cWell, it\u2019s not because He sleeps because the Lord doesn\u2019t sleep or slumber.\u201d\u00a0 She said, \u201cGod rested on the seventh day because, on the sixth day, he created man. On the seventh, He wanted to spend time with him.\u201d\u00a0 I thought: \u201cThat\u2019s it! I want to spend time with my family. I want to spend time with the Lord. I want this time to count.\u201d So, busyness\u2014it just is a stealer\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014John 10:10: \u201cThe enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy; but Jesus came to give us life abundant.\u201d\u00a0 That includes time. He says He can redeem our time. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHow I think it happens is this\u2014there are time-stealers in our day. First off, our time is stolen. What I mean by that is we give it up, without even thinking. We think we have to do this, that, or the other thing. Or it is peer pressure\u2014our friends are doing it\u2014so how could we\u2014\u201cSurely, we can\u2019t tell our kids not to do this. They\u2019ve got to be in the school play this year because Suzy\u2019s kids are in the school play.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWell, time-stealers\u2014and if you don\u2019t know where your time-stealer is, and you want to know where your time-stealer is\u2014where would somebody put a sticky note if they needed to get a hold of you in an emergency?\u00a0 I had a mom come up to me once. She said, \u201cJoanne, I asked my kids this question.\u201d\u00a0 She said: \u201cThey answered, \u2018Mom, if I needed to get a hold of you in an emergency, I\u2019d put a sticky note on the kitchen counter. If I needed to get a hold of Dad in case of an emergency, I\u2019d put it on the toilet seat.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, I\u2019ll tell you\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014that did make me laugh; but I thought: \u201cYou know what?\u00a0 If you want to know where that time-stealer is, where would that go?\u201d\u00a0 So, the enemy comes to steal, to kill\u2014once time is stolen, the joy is gone. I heard a quote that I loved: \u201cJoy is the flag that flies from the castle of my heart, proclaiming, \u2018The King is in residence here.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 I love that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I like that too. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Steals our time \/ kills our joy. The kill shot really is the destruction of our relationships. It starts with busyness\u2014it\u2019s a silent killer. We don\u2019t take it seriously. I know I didn\u2019t, and I want to do that. I want to be able to say, \u201cHey, no,\u201d to some things. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I think every mom listening\u2014and for that matter, every dad\/grandparent\u2014really started out the journey, wanting to be good, if not great, at being a parent. The nature of life is to wear you out and wear you down. What you\u2019ve done, Joanne, is\u2014I think you\u2019ve kind of lifted moms and dads out of the rut of the routine and have given them some courage to raise the next generation\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014which we need, as never before, today. And I just want to express my appreciation to you for that and want to encourage you to keep writing and keep growing. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well, and let\u2019s hope that, as a result of the conversation we\u2019ve had this week, there is a whole bunch of new, freshly-energized mean moms, who will get in the battle and love their kids with a kind of tough, tenacious \u201cI\u2019m not quitting, and I\u2019m not giving up on you,\u201d-kind of love. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to encourage listeners to get a copy of Joanne\u2019s book, called <em>The Mean Mom\u2019s Guide to Raising Great Kids<\/em>. You can order it from us, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com. Click the link in the upper left-hand corner of the screen that says, \u201cGO DEEPER.\u201d You can follow the link to order a copy of Joanne\u2019s book, <em>The Mean Mom\u2019s Guide to Raising Great Kids<\/em>. Or call, toll-free, to order\u20141-800-FL-TODAY\u20141-800-358-6329. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat\u2019s 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then, the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd Joanne, I know you had something else you wanted to say before we\u2019re done here?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Joanne: <\/strong>Well, I just find it no coincidence that I\u2019m here today. This week, actually\u2014it will be 15 years since my mom went to heaven. I guess what I want to do is encourage moms because, when my mom passed away, her funeral\u2014it was <em>packed<\/em> full of people. [Emotion in voice] There were so many people there that the fire department showed up and turned people away. I want to encourage moms because my mom wasn\u2019t a foreign dignitary, and my mom wasn\u2019t a political figurehead. She didn\u2019t have a ton of degrees after her name. My mom was a woman who loved, and she was a mom. That\u2019s what she was\u2014she was a mom. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd when that pastor got up and said\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014after the four of us had spoken about my mom and my dad got up\u2014he said, \u201cAnd her children rise up and call her blessed; and her husband also, and he praises her\u2026at the gates [Proverbs 31:28-31]\u201d\u00a0 I remember thinking, \u201cThat\u2019s what I want my legacy to be.\u201d\u00a0 So, one day, when my mom and I meet again in heaven, I know she\u2019s going to ask me: \u201cJoey, what did you do with the life God gave you?\u201d\u00a0 And I\u2019m going to say, \u201cMom, I was a mom.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd I want to encourage moms: \u201cNever ever ever think your job is little or unimportant because it is the most incredible, God-honoring ministry out there.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Indeed. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong><em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHelp for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2015 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/303712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=303712"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=303712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=303712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=303712"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=303712"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=303712"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=303712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}