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The Paula Faris Show

The Paula Faris Show

Written by: That Sounds Fun Network
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Join Emmy-Award winning journalist, Founder of CARRY™ and America’s most curious mom, Paula Faris, as she and her frequent co-host, husband John, talk about the hottest topics that parents are talking about. This listener driven show tackles your big questions: "When to have the sex talk with my kid? Why are we fighting about the dishes again? How can I juggle work and life? Why are teenagers and toddlers so hard?" If you’re talking about it, Paula is talking about it in a real, relatable and authentic manner. Join Paula as she engages in a conversation style of no sugar coating, authenticity and keeping it real. She will have you laughing and learning. Life Happens. Let's Talk About It!That Sounds Fun Network Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Why The People You Love Are Allowed to Disappoint You

    Why The People You Love Are Allowed to Disappoint You
    Oct 27 2026
    We all have people we love who make choices we wouldn’t make. And often, our instinct is to step in to warn, fix, protect, or even save them from themselves. But where’s the line between loving someone well and trying to control the outcome? In the final episode of my month-long series about CONTROL with my good friend, NYT bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst, we’re talking about spouses, kids, adult children, parents and what happens when the people we love don’t do what we think they should. (Frustrating, right?) We get really honest about letting our kids make mistakes, the difference between encouraging someone and trying to change them, and what it looks like to stop carrying responsibility that was never ours. And Lysa shares one simple word that can be incredibly difficult to say when someone you love makes a choice you disagree with. This one hit close to home for me. ❤️ Let’s talk about it. Listen in to learn more: 3:26 — Stop Carrying Everyone Else’s Responsibilities 4:21 — Love Your Kids Without Controlling Their Choices 5:28 — Helping vs. Enabling: Know the Difference 6:18 — You Might Not Always Be Right 8:49 — Even Good People Will Disappoint You 9:33 — Set Boundaries Without Trying to Change Someone 11:05 — Give Your Kids Permission to Disappoint You 12:36 — The Power of Saying OK 14:00 — Let Adult Kids Own Their Consequences 18:41 — Adjust Your Expectations of Your Parents 23:58 — Get It Right While There’s Still Time In this episode, we are diving into disappointment in relationship, letting our kids make mistakes, the difference between encouraging someone and trying to change them, how to stop carrying responsibility that was never ours to bear, how to respond when someone you love makes a choice you disagree with, and how to reframe our desires when our parents disappoint us. LINKS and RESOURCES Connect with Paula on Instagram Paula’s Newsletter is on Substack!! THE CARRY ALL weekly newsletter is on Substack!! Paula’s Book: You Don’t Have To Carry It All Connect with Lysa on Instagram Lysa’s New Book: Making Peace with What I Can’t Control Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 mins
  • Are You Helping or Are You Controlling?

    Are You Helping or Are You Controlling?
    Oct 20 2026
    We all say the same thing: “I’m just trying to help.” But what if sometimes our helping is actually controlling? (slowly raising my hand, here) In Episode 3 of my month-long series about CONTROL with my good friend, NYT bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst, we’re putting this whole responsibility-vs.-control question to the test. I throw real-life scenarios at Lysa, from checking Find My Friends and reminding your kids about deadlines to researching literally everything you can to keep your family healthy, and she has to decide: responsible or controlling? We’re talking about the razor-thin line between caring and controlling, how our motivations can reveal more than we realize, and how stepping in to help might actually keep someone from taking responsibility. And yes, I may have gotten called out a few times. 😂 So… are you actually helping? Or are you trying to control the outcome? Let’s talk about it. Listen in to learn more: 0:03:00 Check Your Motive 0:05:15 Let Trust Grow With Evidence 0:09:55 One Reminder, Not a Campaign 0:10:42 Speak Once, Then Let Go 0:11:28 Care Without Curiosity 0:12:34 Share Ownership, Don’t Take Over 0:15:59 Practice Letting Go 0:16:29 Stop Feeding the What-Ifs 0:19:08 Be Preventive, Not All-Powerful Summary In this episode, we dive into the difference between helping and manipulation, with real-life examples of when responsibility becomes controlling behavior and how to recognize the signs of control. LINKS and RESOURCES: Connect with Paula on Instagram Paula’s Newsletter is on Substack!! THE CARRY ALL weekly newsletter is on Substack!! Paula’s Book: You Don’t Have To Carry It All Connect with Lysa on Instagram Lysa’s New Book: Making Peace with What I Can’t Control Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    26 mins
  • Why We Think Everything Depends On Us

    Why We Think Everything Depends On Us
    Oct 13 2026
    If I don’t do it, it won’t get done. Sound familiar? In Episode 2 of my month-long series about CONTROL with my good friend, NYT bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst, we’re talking about the crushing weight so many women carry: the belief that everything depends on us. Do our families even realize how much we’re carrying? And have we inadvertently trained them to expect us to carry it? We talk about the invisible labor of motherhood, our sky-high standards, and why we sometimes put in high effort for low impact. And Lysa challenges me to rethink something we all have: expectations. What if there’s a better way to think about them and what we ask of the people we love? Let’s talk about it. Listen in to learn more: 6:12 — Control’s Five P’s 8:06 — Let Consequences Teach Responsibility 11:24 — People Notice What’s Missing 14:04 — Boundaries Aren’t Control 18:22 — Trade Expectations for Desires 20:34 — Protect Your Most Important Standards 22:33 — Choose High Impact Over High Effort In this episode, we are digging into the invisible labor of motherhood, the mental load and societal expectations placed on women, why we try to control our circumstances and people we love, the importance of letting our kids experience the consequences of their choices, the difference between expectations and desires, how unmet expectations can lead to resentment, and ways to release pressure and guilt that come with motherhood. LINKS and RESOURCES: Connect with Paula on Instagram Paula’s Newsletter is on Substack!! THE CARRY ALL weekly newsletter is on Substack!! Paula’s Book: You Don’t Have To Carry It All Connect with Lysa on Instagram Lysa’s New Book: Making Peace with What I Can’t Control Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    31 mins
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