Are you taking care of your marriage while you’re taking care of everything else? Marriage & family therapist Jan Talon shares practical, faith-rooted strategies to stay connected as spouses while raising kids—without burning out. From her “hot date hat” reminder to the DNA Way of communicating, Jan shows how tiny daily kindnesses, clear desires, and right-sized skills can move your home from family crazy to family calm.
Watch now and share with a couple who needs encouragement.
Episode link: https://youtu.be/v_4bow_0TE0
What you’ll learn:
• Why the first five years of parenting can create long-term cracks—and how to prevent them
• The “hot date hat” (and why marriage comes before parenting)
• The D’s that erode connection—and how to replace them with small daily kindnesses
• Defining your family desires (1 month to 30 years) so you “go where you look”
• The DNA Way of communication and 8 essential family skills
• Faith as a tested source of wisdom (and how to apply it with grace)
About Jan Talon: Jan is a wife, mom, grandma, and marriage & family therapist with ~40 years of experience helping couples and parents build calm, connected homes. Her program “Family Crazy to Family Calm” and 100+ short podcasts (with printable tools) help families apply skills in real life.
Chapters / Timestamps:
00:00 Are you caring for your marriage?
00:31 Welcome & intro
01:02 Jan’s story: mom, grandma, therapist
05:12 Marriage before parenting: the “hot date hat”
07:15 Why early parenting years crack marriages
09:09 The D’s that drain connection (and what to do)
11:02 The epoxy glue analogy: keep mixing together
12:20 Kindness as daily connection fuel
13:26 Different parenting styles—start with desires
14:12 Define your family future (1 month → 30 years)
15:46 The DNA Way + 8 essential family skills
16:43 Parenting to the child’s personality & stage
18:52 Slow decisions beat reactive discipline
21:01 Celebrating courageous choices (parent story)
22:56 Faith as tested wisdom vs. social media noise
24:36 How a first session with Jan works
26:21 Resources: Family Crazy to Family Calm, podcasts, printables
28:28 Final encouragement: care for your marriage before crisis
30:26 Thanks & close
Jan@UsAndKids.com
Check out other episodes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfjLKUSlq5k&list=PLf7Uc6zi2pF84gvmFQuz5DbIUWgtQxU3v
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