Shows / The Parent Pivot Podcast
The Parent Pivot Podcast
We are Steve and Julia Cummings and we are empty nesters who desire to maintain healthy relationship with our adult children. We have found that something needs to change in us, the parent, when our child becomes an adult. We need to ”pivot” from parenting, to partnering. What does that look like? When do I say something and when do I not? Why won’t they listen to me? We address these questions and host more in a real, raw an vulnerable way in real time. Tune in each week as we help you become…
Episodes
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast" - Be a Better Version of Yourself
Ever hang up the phone with one of your grown kids and think, “Well, I did it again. They called to tell me about their day, and I gave them three things they…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast" - Holidays, Traditions and Change: How Do We Navigate This Season?
The holidays are coming—and sometimes family expectations arrive before the invitations! How do we make room for connection when traditions and plans begin to…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast" - Having Hard Conversations with Your Adult Child
The pivot from Parent to Partner goes more smoothly when we "keep our mouths shut and the welcome mat out" - the main theme of Jim Burns' book and The Parent…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of the Parent Pivot Podcast" - Becoming a Champion Partner to Your Adult Child(ren)
In the Cummings' kitchen is a wooden plaque that says, "Simplify." We often get overwhelmed in life trying to balance, juggle, and learn new things. Don't you…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Loving Your Adult Children Without Controlling Them: Interview with Dr. Gary Chapman
Your kids are grown. You love them deeply. So why does staying close sometimes feel so hard? Join Steve and Julia for a special Parent Pivot Podcast with Dr…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of the Parent Pivot Podcast" - Looking Deeper Inside Ourselves to Becoming a Great Partner to Our Adult Kids
Whether we realize it or not, or even BELIEVE it, shame can affect our relationships with our adult children. It seeks to destroy our identity as a parent and…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
“Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast” — When Your Adult Child Struggles, Did You Fail?
“Where did we go wrong?” Ever asked that question while watching your adult child struggle? You taught them. Prayed for them. Did your best. And still, their…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Influence Is Earned, Not Demanded: Interview with Catherine Hickem
On today’s Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia sit down with author and parenting expert Catherine Hickem for a powerful conversation about one of the…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
When Helping Becomes Rescuing
When your adult child is hurting, everything in you wants to step in. Fix it. Solve it. Make the pain go away. But what if the most loving thing you can do is……
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast" - The Gold Standard
Every family has a “gold standard”—a picture of how life should go, how our children should respond, and what the right choices should look like. But what…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
The Buck Stops Here: Breaking Generational Cycles With Your Adult Kids
You probably inherited more from your parents than your eye color, your laugh, or your last name. Some of us inherited patterns. Control. Criticism. Shame…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"The Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast" - Why is This Taking SO Long? - The Emerging Adult
This week on The Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast, we’re going back to an episode every parent of an emerging adult needs to hear: “Why is This Taking SO…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
“Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast” — Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing: Your Marriage
When your kids were growing up, so much of life revolved around them. School. Sports. Schedules. Problems. Decisions. Launching them into adulthood. And then…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast" - Be a Better Version of Yourself"
This week on The Parent Pivot Podcast, we’re reaching back into the archives for one of our favorite conversations: “Be a Better Version of Yourself.” As…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
When Mamma Bear Takes Over
What happens when concern for your adult child crosses the line into control? In this episode of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Julia shares how one worried text to…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast" - 31 Words That Will Change Your Family Trajectory for Generations
What if one of the greatest gift you could give your adult child isn’t advice, correction, or another solution—but your blessing? “The Lord bless you and keep…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast" - Multi-Generational Family Living Part 2: Interview with Jon & Cheri Talbert
This week on The Parent Pivot Podcast, we’re continuing our conversation with our long-time friends, Jon and Cherie Talbert, on Multi-Generational Family…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast" - Multi-Generational Family Living Part 1: Interview with Jon & Cheri Talbert
This week on The Parent Pivot Podcast, we’re going back to one of our favorite conversations with our long-time friends, Jon and Cherie Talbert on…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast" - Their Perception is Their Reality
Grandbaby #7 is arriving and Steve and Julia will be back next week with new content. Please enjoy this "Best of" episode. It's bound to happen. Your adult…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
When Disagreement Becomes Disconnection
Have you ever found yourself stuck in a disagreement with your adult child? Maybe it's about parenting, career choices, relationships, faith, or simply how…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
When You Let Them Go: How Releasing Your Adult Child Can Strengthen Your Relationship
What happens when you stop holding on and start trusting God with your adult child? In this special episode of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia sit…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
The Courage to Release: Pivoting with Adult Children in an Anxious World. Interview with Seth Barnes
What happens when parents stop trying to protect their adult children from every risk and start trusting God with their future? This week on The Parent Pivot…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast" - Summer is Here!
There comes a time when you have to take a step back from life for a bit and take a deep breath. Life gets crazy fast, doesn't it? It's all about balance…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
The Boy You're Worried About Isn't Finished Yet
What if the young man you’re worried about is still becoming who he was created to be? In this deeply personal episode of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast" - Cultivating Emotional Maturity
Pivoting is not easy. It never is. You have to be intentional to change your trajectory. When it comes to pivoting from being a parent to a partner, we need to…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
“You Won’t Be Fine” — The Fear Behind Letting Go
Mother’s Day can bring up a lot more than flowers and brunch reservations. For many moms of adult children… it brings disappointment, loneliness, fear, and the…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
The Hardest Pivot: Loving Your Adult Children Without Losing Yourself - Interview with Dr Kathy Koch
What do you do when your relationship with your adult child isn’t what you hoped it would be? In this powerful episode of The Parent Pivot Podcast, we sit down…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
“I Didn’t Know What I Didn’t Know": Letting Go of Parenting Regret
What do you do when you look back on your parenting and wish you had done something differently? In this deeply honest episode of The Parent Pivot Podcast…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
“You’re Not Helping: Why Your Adult Child Needs You to Let Them Fail”
What if the way you’re trying to help is actually hurting your relationship with your adult child? In this episode of The Parent Pivot Podcast, Steve and Julia…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast" - When Your Adult Child is Hurting: What NOT to Do
What do you do when your adult child is already carrying something heavy… and everything in you wants to correct, fix, or pile on? In this episode of the "Best…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
When Your Adult Child Gets Engaged: Where Do You Step In… and Step Back?
Your child just got engaged. You’re excited… maybe emotional… maybe even a little anxious. Because suddenly—you’re not in control anymore. There are new…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Seen, Not Controlled: The Secret to Staying Close to Your Adult Child - Interview with Miriam Groom
Most parents don’t lose connection with their adult children because they stopped loving them. They lose connection because they won’t stop trying to control…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast:" Comedy, Empty Nesting and Ecclesiastes - Interview with Comedian Jeff Allen
Being an empty nester doesn't have to be a sad season of life. It CAN be a hoot! Just ask comedian Jeff Allen. On this "Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast,"…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Grandparents vs. No-Screen Parenting: How to Have the Conversation
What happens when grandparents want to help… but they’re running out of energy? In today’s episode of The Parent Pivot Podcast, we tackle a real-life tension…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast" - How to Thrive After Your Kids Leave Home: Interview with Jill Savage
The season of becoming a new empty nester is finally here. As author and speaker, Jill Savage says, "It can be either a time of 'boo-hoo' or "WOO-HOO!" You…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
The “Angry” Daughter-in-Law — Or Is She Just Alone?
What if the “difficult” daughter-in-law in your family… isn’t angry at all? What if she’s just alone? In this week’s episode of The Parent Pivot Podcast, we…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
When Generosity Backfires: Tough Love, Adult Kids & Going "Full Miyagi"
What do you do when your adult child costs you a boatload of money? A wrecked car. A bailout. Another “can you help me just this once?” As parents, we want to…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Bite Your Tongue: When Your Adult Child Parents Differently Than You Would
What do you do when your adult child starts parenting in ways you completely disagree with? Maybe it’s gentle parenting. Maybe it’s food rules. Bedtime…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of the Parent Pivot Podcast" - Interview with Gill Tillmann
Let's face it . . . not only is there NOT instructions handed to new parents by the doctor explaining "what to do" when you leave the hospital and take your…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Repair Work Starts with Looking in the Mirror
Looking back at raising your kids brings both joys and sorrows. Often times we see how we could have done things better - or maybe how we messed up. On this…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Partners of Prodigals, This One's for You!: Interview with Dr. James Banks
On the next Parent Pivot Podcast, Dr. James Banks joins us with a story every parent needs to hear. He opens up about his son Geoff — a bright, likable kid who…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"My Adult Child Won't Speak to Me!" - Interview with Dr. Ken Canfield and Dr. Michelle Watson-Canfield
One of the pains of our hearts is when we hear from our listeners that their is a broken relationship with an adult child. Maybe they have cut-off all…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast: Musings of an Adult Child: Interview with Steve & Julia Cummings
If you've ever wanted to be a "fly on the wall" of a real-life, real-time, intimate conversation with pivoting partners and their adult child - this is the…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
For 2026 - Take the 30,000 Foot View!
A new year has begun—and so has a new season of The Parent Pivot Podcast. After a season of loss, reflection, and hard conversations, we are back with a…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast: "Mammas, Don't Let Your Sons Grow Up . . . NOT!”
Pivoting from "Mamma parent" to "Mamma partner" can be one of the toughest things you'll ever have to do - especially if you have an adult son. On this Best of…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast: What to Do With Your Kids Stuff When They Move On
It happens to all of us at some time. Our kids become adults. Leave home. Get married. And all their stuff from childhood remains in our basements and garages…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast" - Being Generous to Our Adult Children: How Much is Too Much?
One dynamic that comes into play as we pivot from being a parent to a partner is: What is the balance between financially helping our adult child(ren) - and…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast: Becoming a Champion Partner to Your Adult Child
In the Cummings' kitchen is a wooden plaque that says, "Simplify." We often get overwhelmed in life trying to balance, juggle, and learn new things. Don't you…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast: 31 Words That Will Change Your Family Trajectory for Generations
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Gratitude, Connection, and the Power of Choosing Peace.
This Thanksgiving, families gather, memories surface, and… so do the opinions. On this week’s episode of The Parent Pivot Podcast, we’re leaning into the heart…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast - Hot Tip #44 to a Deeper Relationship with Your Adult Child: Speak Life
Pivoting from parent to partner isn't easy. It's a road of what seems like constant change. But! . . . the intentional effort you put in, will reap a stronger…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Legacy Starts Now: What Will You Pass On?
On this episode of The Parent Pivot Podcast, we're talking about the legacy you’ll one day leave—and how to be intentional about it now. As parents, we don’t…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Beware of the Caution Flag!
Whether it’s hours of Fox News, CNN, or scrolling through heated headlines, constant news consumption can shape our attitudes, heighten emotions, and…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
When Celebrating An Adult Child Goes Sideways
It’s easy to brag about one of your adult kids — especially when you’re proud of who they’ve become. But what happens when your other kids feel overlooked or…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Best of The Parent Pivot Podcast - Holidays, Traditions and Change: How Do We Navigate This Season?
The holidays are here and can be a LOT of stress as we try to negotiate the plans to be made when our adult kids are married. What do you do when you have…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
The Silent Treatment Isn’t a Strategy
Are you sighing instead of speaking? Dropping “harmless” hints instead of having the hard conversations? This week on The Parent Pivot Podcast we're unpacking…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
Finding Joy in Your Adult Kids
Raising kids was one adventure — but parenting adult children brings a whole new set of challenges… and blessings. In this week’s episode of The Parent Pivot…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
The Adult "Golden" Child and Being a Good Partner to All Your Kids
We impact our kids in so many ways as we raise them, and often without without knowing it, we can end up favoring one child over another. Quite frankly, it can…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"Best of" The Parent Pivot Podcast: When Your Adult Child Cuts Off Relationship
If your adult child has cut you out of his or her life—whether for a long or short time—it is a gut-wrenching experience. It often provokes deep feelings of…
- The Parent Pivot Podcast
"To Engage? or NOT To Engage? THAT is the Question"
With the national news event of the past week that occurred in Utah, how can we as "pivoting partners" to our adult kids navigate this issue and still maintain…