Not the most uplifting way to start the new year, but this is a topic that we both have been wanting to talk about for months now. Every family will be touched by death at some point - whether it's a friend, a pet, or a close family member (which in our minds PETS fall into of course). But the task of talking about "death" with a child is a tricky one. Do you bring in a religious aspect? Do you sugarcoat it? Is it best to just rip off the band-aid and dive in? On this episode of Pick Your Battles, we share stories about recent deaths we have experienced in 2026 and how we talked about it with our kids.

We celebrated Atlas' birthday by taking a multi-family trip to Chicago, and BOY did we learn a lot. From schlepping 5 children ages 6 and under through the snowy streets of Chicago, through exhibits and tanks-gallore at the Shedd Aquarium, and in the halls for a giant hotel, we are all still recovering from this group trip!

TRIGGER WARNING

1 in 4 women suffer from infant and pregnancy loss and October is the month that honors those losses.

We welcome back our best friend and sister-in-law, Kelsey, to the show to talk about her journey with infertility, IUI, IVF, and ultimately losing her baby at 10 weeks pregnant. This is HER journey and HER feelings on how she and her husband Zak are navigating these times. We all hope that this allows people who are going through this season of life to know that you are not alone. And for those who have never experienced this kind of hurt and loss, there are unfortunately many in your life who are - so just be kind.

THIS IS A GOOD ONE Y'ALL.

It probably goes without saying that no two parents parent the same, and maybe they shouldn't, but at the end of the day, it's still hard. Especially when your kid COMPLETELY disregards your discipline, but when threatened with the thought of your husband or wife getting involved, flips like a pancake. (Spoiler alert, Wyatt does this to Dayna while we are recording so you can hear it firsthand...).

There is a never-ending list in our heads - things that need to get done every single day - and a lot of the time that list lives just in our brain. As this list then of course grows, it begins to add weight.

After sitting and chatting with Emily, from Raising Little Millionaires a few weeks ago- we instantly knew we needed a Part 2.

Our first episode with Emily was structured around teaching our children responsibility with money. This episode, we focus more on money for college, learn about 529 and more ways that we can prepare our children for the real world and real money.

We also answer questions that we sent in from YOU, our listeners!

Make sure you're following us on instagram and tiktok to stay up to date on our happening and new releases. @PickYourBattlesThePodcast

We have officially kicked off the 2025-2026 school year and we thought including Wyatt and Maesyn on the podcast would be a fun twist to the show! Truth be told, they really just liked to look at themselves on the computer while they were talking (so stay tuned for the social clips) but we are both excited to have a little bit of a break from these silly gooses!

Have a great year, y'all!

Do you give your child an allowance? Do they have chores they are expected to do and others they get paid for? Do they really understand the value of a dollar and how to make smart money decisions? We sit down with Emily Holthaus, founder of the social media account Raising Little Millionaires, where she gives amazing money advice for parents and kids of all ages!