Part 2 - Special One-Year Anniversary Episode: Karen Millsap Interviews Jenny Lisk

“Please don’t assume that your kid is just going to bounce back without any kind of support. Oftentimes I hear this notion that kids are resilient. It’s kind of conventional wisdom — and I think sometimes they are, and sometimes they’re not. And I think that the thing is to figure out, is your kid one who’s going to be resilient with a small amount of support, or do they need more support?”

— Jenny Lisk

Today we wind up our special two-part discussion for the one-year anniversary of the Widowed Parent Podcast. My friend Karen Millsap returns to once again interview me on my own show. I had so much fun talking with her and reflecting on how and why I started the podcast, and also thinking about some of the main lessons I’ve learned from my guests.

Some of the topics we discuss include:

• Why I decided to start the Widowed Parent Podcast;

• How I learned what I needed to do to start it;

• Getting over the question of ‘why me’ – why should I start this podcast;

• What’s been the most fun;

• What’s been the hardest;

• Why I took an August break from producing new episodes;

• What I’ve learned from my guests on the podcast; and

• What I’m looking forward to in the next year.

Many thanks to Karen for taking the mic again this week for Part 2 of our discussion, and helping me reflect on my journey through starting the Widowed Parent Podcast. I’m especially glad to be able to look back at some of the key things I’ve learned from my guests and share them with listeners. I hope you enjoy our discussion.

Links & resources for this episode

• Guest Host Karen Millsap: Web site, Instagram, TEDx talk

  Episodes of the Widowed Parent Podcast mentioned:

• Special one-year anniversary episode: Karen Millsap interviews Jenny Lisk - Part 1 (WPP045)

• Jessica Maitland Mayo and Micki Burns on programs and research at Judi's House (WPP043)

• Health, life, & grief coach Kendra Zierau (WPP001)

• Widowed parent & blogger Wendy Clough (WPP003)

• Buffy Peters and Sasha Mudlaff from Hamilton's Academy of Grief and Loss with advice for parents on children's grief - ENCORE EPISODE (WPP040)

• Dr. Lisa Damour on parenting teenage girls (WPP013)

• Austin Shoecraft on losing his dad at age 11 (WPP007)

• Karen Millsap on turning pain into purpose (WPP014)

• Therapist & parenting coach Tracey Biebel tackles listener questions on puberty & moms raising boys / dads raising girls (WPP006)

• Lane Pease from Kate’s Club on building resilience in kids after loss (WPP011)

• Vicki Jay from the National Alliance for Grieving Children (WPP042)

  Books mentioned:

• Finding Flow, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

• Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood, by Dr. Lisa Damour

  Organizations & others mentioned:

• Camp Widow / Soaring Spirits

• Camp Erin

• NAGC - find grief programs & organizations

• Judi’s House / CBEM

• Hamilton’s Academy of Grief and Loss - Resource library, Explaining Cremation to Children

• The Dinner Party

• Dorie Clark

More links for listeners

• Download: Kids & Grief: What You Need to Know

• Article: I’m a Widowed Mom: Here Are My 3 Tips for COVID-19 Widows

• Book: Widowed Parents Unite: 52 Tips to Get Through the First Year, from One Widowed Parent to Another

Thank you sponsors & partners:

Help Texts - Grief support text messaging service. Tips and support delivered all year long, personalized based on your loss. Listeners get $10 off: https://helptexts.com/jennylisk

BetterHelp - Talk with a licensed, professional therapist online. Get 10% off your first month: betterhelp.com/widowedparent

Support the show - Chip in at BuyMeACoffee.com

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