#46 Kari Kampakis [Love Her Well]

Kari Kampakis joins me to talk about raising our teenage daughters. Kari is the mom of four girls, has written books for teen girls and has recently released a book for the moms of teenage girls called Love Her Well. On the show today Kari and I talk about the struggle between nurturing the mother/daughter relationship and directing and correcting our girls as a parent. Kari says it's possible to do both, but it has to be "rooted in love." We talk about choosing our words carefully and how the timing of those words matter too. Kari shares a story about not saying what was on her mind in order to preserve a good moment she was having with her daughter. Sometimes it okay to save the correction for later. Kari tells us that admitting to our kids when we're wrong can be a game changer in our relationship. They see so much "perfect" in our culture. It's important for them to know that we're not perfect and that's why we need a savior. Kari and I talk about connecting and having fun with our daughters and that we need to keep extending the invitation to our girls and that some of the best times and deepest conversations happen spontaneously, and they're not fancy at all. Kari says that our identity as moms is not tied to the decisions our kids are making. We are parenting without guarantees. But God created us "to parent with a spirit of strength and not defeat." Kari lives in Birmingham, Alabama. Her books for teen girls, 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know and Liked: Whose Approval Are You Living For?, have been used across the country by youth and church groups. Kari's work has been featured on the TODAY Show, TODAY Parents, Yahoo! News, EWTN, Proverbs 31, and more.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Love Her Well: 10 Ways to Find Joy and Connection with Your Teenage Daughter The Teenage Brain The Girl Mom Podcast   KARI'S FAVORITE 5 Apple AirPods Barefoot Dreams Blanket Chocolate Chip Cookies Fairhope, Alabama This Is Us   CONNECT WITH KARI Instagram | Facebook | Website   CONNECT WITH GIRLS TALKING LIFE Show Notes for this Episode | Instagram | Facebook   LISTENER SURVEY I want to know about YOU!   SUPPORT THE SHOW Pure Haven is the maker of fresh, safe, personal and home care products. Their mission is to educate consumers about pure, safe, alternative personal care choices that empower people to live the healthiest lifestyle possible. Their products are 100% free of toxins. Guaranteed.  Go to purehaven.com/girlstalkinglife to shop their whole line and check out these limited release cranberry pomegranate products! (available through September 30, 2020, or while supplies last) Use the code 272171 to support the show during the month of September.