20 Years From Now: What You'll Wish You Focused On As a Parent (w/ Sally Lemos, MS, LPC)

About this episode

The episode discusses the long-term impact of parenting choices and emphasizes the importance of connection and emotional health over traditional performance metrics.

What if you could fast-forward 20 years and discover what really mattered in parenting…and what didn't? In this rich and encouraging conversation, Elizabeth sits down with her mother, Diane, and our dear friend and mentor, Sally Lemos, to reflect on the lessons they've learned through decades of parenting, faith, healing, and growth. Together, we talk about the pressures parents face in an age of endless information, the fear of getting it wrong, and the anxiety many carry about their children's future. Sally and Diane share what they once thought mattered most — things like keeping a perfect home, focusing on performance, and emphasizing behavior — and why they now believe connection, humility, and relationship are far more important. We also explore the importance of emotional health, repair after mistakes, raising resilient kids, and creating a safe space where our children can bring their whole selves. Finally, we discuss what it looks like to parent adult children, break unhealthy generational patterns, and continue trusting God through the power of prayer. If you're looking for wisdom, perspective, and hope for your parenting journey, this conversation is for you. Scripture…

People in this episode

Host: Elizabeth

Guests: Diane, Sally Lemos

Topics covered

• parenting
• emotional health
• connection
• faith
• resilience
• generational patterns

Keywords

• parenting
• connection
• emotional health
• resilience
• faith
• generational patterns

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Deuteronomy 7:9-12, 2 Chronicles 19-20, Was Parenting Always This Hard… Or Are We Just Failing?, Generations, Leaving and Cleaving, 6 Ways to Honor Your Parents

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