Am I too controlling of my adult kids?

When kids grow up and leave the house, it can be so hard to know just how involved we should be in their lives. We don't want to be "helicopter parents" to grown adults, but we also don't want to completely give up on trying to protect them from harm and help them make good choices. So how can we as parents support our kids' mental, emotional, and physical health, while also letting them spread their wings and leave the nest? Lisa chats with fellow moms, Carrie Ann Rhodes, Jeanette Bennett, and Amy Hackworth about their experiences.

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Changing the Face of Ballet

Steven Melendez was introduced to ballet as a child living in a homeless shelter. After an international ballet career—during which he tried to downplay his past—he now works to welcome more kids with backgrounds like his into the ballet studio and onto the world's finest stages. The documentary "Lift" chronicles his journey.

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Caregiver Burnout

You wake up at 4 a.m. freezing cold, trembling, and with a feeling of despair. What's happening here? Caregiver burnout can look different for everyone, ranging from quiet chronic fatigue, to drastic health declines, as the physical, mental and emotional toll of caregiving reaches critical mass. In this episode, three caregivers (Mishka Sibert, Susanne White, and Rach Wilson) share their unique experiences of burnout while caring for a sibling, parents, or children, as well as how they coped and recovered their wellbeing. Lisa explores their journeys with glass child syndrome, nominal aphasia, nervous system dysregulation, and the intense exhaustion that so often accompanies a the caregiving role. Teepa Snow shares the signs that a caregiver is experiencing burnout, and how to identify these red flags even when burnout can look so different from one person to another.

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Why Do We Insist on Proper English — and What Does That Say About Us?

What's that one thing about how people speak English that gets on your nerves? When people say “like” a lot? Or say “literally” when they mean “figuratively”? We all have language pet peeves, and we may even be willing to admit that we judge people who break the rules. After all, how we talk matters. Why do we insist on proper English — and what does that say about us?

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Rumi and the Sheikh

This week we visit the tomb of Sufi mystic Rumi, who is one of the most popular poets the world over. We explore the relationship between Islam and Sufism, as well as the influence of Rumi on Muslims everywhere, not just Turkey. We speak with scholar Kevin Blankinship about Rumi's life and poetry and we visit with Sheikh Ahmet Sami Kuçuk in Konya, the city where Rumi settled over 800 years ago. We'll also observe the dervishes in their whirling trance. All up next on this episode of In Good Faith.

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Am I pushing my teenager too hard?

With a teenager at home, it can always feel like you're doing something wrong as a parent. You're asking too many questions, you're enforcing too many rules, you aren't involved enough or offering the support that they need. It can be a particularly complicated stage of parenting. So how can we know when we should "helicopter" parent our kids and establish more boundaries, and when should we back off and let them make their own choices, mistakes and all? Lisa talks with Jennifer Johnson, Emily Spencer, and Colleen Harker in the episode of The Council of Moms to find out.

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Going Blind With Vigor and Aplomb

Andrew Leland figured out he was going blind when he began stumbling in the dark as a teenager. Using the then-nascent internet, he diagnosed himself with retinitis pigmentosa, a condition which has caused his sight to gradually degrade from the outside in. Far from being the tragedy he expected, his blindness has simply become part of everyday life—bringing with it surprising humor and unexpected beauty.

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Doing More Than Saying “Let me know how I can help!”

It's a phrase that is all too familiar to every caregiver. Some well-meaning person, in an attempt to show their support, will say, "Let me know what I can for you!" While on the surface it may seem like a helpful thing to say, for the caregiver, this phrase is often just a superficial act that only serves to increase the amount of stress on their already-full plate. So what SHOULD someone do when they want to support the overwhelmed caregiver in their life? In this episode of The Lisa Show's episode on caregiving, Lisa talks with caregivers in several walks of life, as well as experts David Schenk and Suzanne Degges-White, to figure out the best ways to offer relief.

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Utah Governor Spencer Cox Learns to Disagree Better

Our “Stick With It” series on the Top of Mind podcast continues with several stories from Utah Governor Spencer Cox about staying open and curious during intense political disagreements. As the new chair of the National Governors Association, Cox has made “Disagree Better” his signature initiative for the year. In this podcast episode, the Republican Governor of Utah explains how engaging with political opponents (including President Joe Biden) in a civil manner has led to better outcomes for his state. He also shares the story of a time when he fell short and went viral for calling members of Congress “imbeciles.” It got him a lot of praise supporters, but Cox quickly apologized and committed to do better. The “Disagree Better” initiative aims to use the unique influence of state governors to encourage healthier approaches to conflict in American politics and public life.

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Ottomans and the Imam

In this episode, we explore Islam in Turkey, a country that is now 97% Muslim, but for over a millennium was pre-dominantly Christian. We'll discuss how that transition took place, well into the rule of the Ottomans, with Professor Christine Isom-Verhaaren, and we'll meet a former Imam, Cemil Usta, who founded an afterschool program to teach girls how to recite the Koran. That recitation is like a performance, almost a song, and we'll hear Cemil Usta recite a section of the Koran as well.

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