Skip to main content
WifeSavers Podcast

WifeSavers Podcast

By Ramona Zabriskie

Ramona Zabriskie, multi-award-winning author, celebrated marriage mentor and global educator, founder of Wife for Life University and the WifeSavers Education Membership, answers real-wife questions alongside her husband of 40+ years, Dale Zabriskie. Their entertaining conversations about the challenges and intricacies of the marriage relationship are full of actual experience and powerful, proven advice. Thousands of wives in over 70 countries are learning how to better resolve their worries and more lovingly relate to their husbands with thrilling results. Email the show at wifesavers.org
Available on
Apple Podcasts Logo
Castbox Logo
Google Podcasts Logo
Overcast Logo
Pocket Casts Logo
PodBean Logo
RadioPublic Logo
Spotify Logo
Currently playing episode

Ep 17: Forgiveness in Marriage

WifeSavers PodcastDec 26, 2018

00:00
55:46
Ep 55: So Tired and Going Crazy: 4 Steps to Less Stress and More Peace

Ep 55: So Tired and Going Crazy: 4 Steps to Less Stress and More Peace

We all battle anxiety, overwhelm, weariness, discouragement, and worry: a bundle of emotions that comes with being human, especially a female human.  

In spite of our blessings and good fortune, it is our tendency as wives and mothers to wish for more, to strive for better, to push too hard, and to blame all the inner turmoil either on people and pressures outside of ourselves OR on our own deficits. The result is an oppressive cycle of stress. 

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, So Tired and Going Crazy: 4 Steps to Less Stress and More Peace, multi-award-winning author and global marriage educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, discuss their approach to reclaiming sanity: staying even-keeled, loving, and productive in spite of worldly or family demands, chaos, or troubles. 

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “I feel anxious and I see so much that needs to be done in every area: my physical health, my marriage, my family, my house and yard, myself… I have a vision of what life can be, not perfect but more peaceful, joyful, calm… I just feel like I need time to myself to think, work, pray, exercise, create order in our home. Instead, I feel like the on-call doctor in the ER (with a side job as a taxi driver). HELP! AUGHH!!!” 

⇒ Listen and learn a step-by-step roadmap for achieving more peace in your life and relationship. 

KEY TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE: 

  • The 4 steps to greater inner peace, even serenity 
  • How to use the 3 “Shhh’s” to remove yourself from the fray by tapping down environmental expectations 
  • The daily practice that will help you rise above the fray and set your intention 
  • Ways to achieve regular respite, shutting down or refocusing energy How to use these approaches as a springboard to reengage with vigor 
  • Why individual inner peace is so crucial to a successful marriage 

“I rely heavily on everything they share and am so grateful for their deep wisdom and experience! Such a great example of a healthy, beautiful relationship and conversation. I feel like I’m in their living room just listening to them talk.” ✮✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener 

RELATED EPISODES: 

  • WS Podcast Ep 10: How Do I Find Balance: A Woman’s Greatest Challenge  
  • WS Podcast Ep 7: Feeling Burned Out After Too Much Stress 
  • WS Podcast Ep 44: How to Keep Calm and Carry On 
  • WS by Ramona on YouTube: Conversations on Finding Balance Conversation 

⇒ Use these resources to learn more from Ramona on this and other subjects related to your womanhood and relationships: 

✅ Read Ramona’s new edition of the multi-award-winning book, WIFE FOR LIFE: THE POWER TO SUCCEED IN MARRIAGE | Amazon 

✅  Sign up for Ramona’s FREE Weekly Mentor Letter full of loving support and helpful instruction 

✅ Get Ramona’s FREE ebook: “5 Lies We Tell Brides and The 5 Truths That Save Wives“ 

✅ Join Ramona’s FREE live Masterclass “Understanding Your Husbands and Sons” 

✅ Join Ramona’s FREE live Masterclass “True Desire, Real Romance” 

✅ Ramona’s personal development and marriage success program: WifeSavers Course and Community

Jul 01, 202249:16
Ep 54: Creating A Fantastic Summer for the Whole Family - Including YOU

Ep 54: Creating A Fantastic Summer for the Whole Family - Including YOU

Summer is a season ripe with possibilities. Will your family’s summer be full of sunshine, swims, and strawberries? Or boredom, disarray, and family tension? As a wife and mother, you’d like to keep things productive and in control at home from day to day, but you also want the family to enjoy a bit more freedom individually while making happy summer memories together. How will you do that? Blue skies and warm temperatures aren’t enough.
In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, Creating A Fantastic Summer for the Whole Family - Including YOU, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, share their tactics and history for making the most of the summer months to reset and refresh not only the kids, but yourself and your marriage.
THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “I really want this summer to be less stressful than the rest of the year for me and my kids but I don’t want everything to go to pot. Ideas please.”
⇒ Listen and learn how to combine a little inquiry, a little creativity, and a bit of pre-planning to make ALL the difference for ALL the family this summer!
KEY TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE:

How to turn your entire summer into a “celebration”
Five themes to organize and build your plans around
Five things you need to be doing right NOW to make it happen
More than a dozen practical strategies to make sure that YOU TOO are having “the best summer ever”.

“Ramona is my hero! I love your positivity and optimism. Whenever my husband and children are driving me nuts, and I want to run away, I go for a long walk and listen to your podcast and get some perspective and jump back in with renewed energy. Thank you! ✮✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener
RELATED EPISODES:

Ep 29: Creating or Saving Your Family Vacation
Ep 24: Tech and Relationships: Part 2, Husband and Kids
Ep 14: Dealing With Extended Family, Especially Thru the Holidays

Use these resources to learn more from Ramona on this and other subjects related to your womanhood and relationships:
✅ Read Ramona’s new edition of the multi-award-winning book, WIFE FOR LIFE: THE POWER TO SUCCEED IN MARRIAGE | Amazon
✅ Sign up for Ramona’s FREE Weekly Mentor Letter full of loving support and helpful instruction
✅ Get Ramona’s FREE ebook: “5 Lies We Tell Brides and The 5 Truths That Save Wives“
✅ Join Ramona’s FREE live Masterclass “Understanding Your Husbands and Sons”
✅ Join Ramona’s FREE live Masterclass “True Desire, Real Romance”
✅ Ramona’s personal development and marriage success program: WifeSavers Course and Community
Jun 01, 202257:33
Ep 53: Dads and Daughters: Helping Them Bond

Ep 53: Dads and Daughters: Helping Them Bond

Lucky little girls are daddy’s darling, but when the teen years hit, that special relationship can take a hit, sometimes throwing the whole family off balance. Not only does the resulting dynamic have a definitive impact on a young woman’s sense of esteem and behavior in the present, but a father can also leave an indelible imprint on his daughter’s future including her self-worth, career success, earning potential, and relationships with men going forward: even for the rest of her life.

In this episode, multi-award-winning author and global marriage educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, answer a wife who can sense how important the father-daughter bond is, especially for her teen girls, and wonders (in the face of a lot of conflicts at home) what she can do as a wife and a mother to help her husband and girls tone it down and better connect.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “My husband and teen daughters are constantly at odds, and I’m constantly in the middle. What can I do to get him to understand their feelings, and get them to show him more respect? Help. This is wearing me out.”

KEY TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Why adolescence is such an awkward time for fathers and daughters
  • What behaviors are to be expected and what behaviors are worrisome
  • The “Prime Directive” in raising teen girls
  • Eight eye-opening strategies (P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W) that will create more bonding between your husband and daughters
  • WHY his connection is so important to her and WHAT should remain most important between them

“Ramona and Dale share spot-on advice and cutting-edge scientific knowledge that will help smooth the rough bumps in relationships. Their years of experience and grand marriage shine thru in an unscripted way. This has been my favorite podcast for years! And now my husband will join in to listen. Thanks, Ramona and Dale for becoming part of our family!” ✮✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener

RELATED EPISODES:

Use these resources to learn more from Ramona on this and other subjects related to your womanhood and relationships:

✅ Read Ramona’s new edition of the multi-award-winning book, WIFE FOR LIFE: THE POWER TO SUCCEED IN MARRIAGE | Amazon

✅  Sign up for Ramona's FREE Weekly Mentor Letter full of loving support and helpful instruction

✅ Get Ramona’s FREE ebook: "5 Lies We Tell Brides and The 5 Truths That Save Wives"

✅ Join Ramona's FREE live Masterclass “Understanding Your Husbands and Sons”:

✅ Join Ramona’s FREE live Masterclass “True Desire, Real Romance

✅ Ramona’s personal development and marriage success program: WifeSavers Course and Community

Mar 29, 202201:07:52
Ep 52: Why So Many of Us Can't Stop Watching Hallmark Movies

Ep 52: Why So Many of Us Can't Stop Watching Hallmark Movies

Are you one of those Hallmark movie junkies? I have friends who go whole-hog, plopping down on the couch, propping up their feet, showing off those fuzzy socks that say “Leave Me Alone, I’m watching Hallmark movies”! Catch that plural “Hallmark movie(s)”. You can never “eat” just one! Why are those darn things so addictive, and a little contagious even? You may have been wondering just that, even as you can't help rewatching your favorite storylines, romances, and characters.

In this lighthearted episode, multi-award-winning author and global marriage educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her daughter, Hannah, a member of Team WifeSavers, try to solve the riddle about what our penchant for predictable romances, reveal about us as women.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: "Help! Why can't I stop watching Hallmark movies, especially at Christmas?"

KEY TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Defining the essence of our womanly desires and longings
  • The seven reasons we keep coming back for more from Hallmark
  • What makes us happy as women, more than anything else
  • The belief we treasure about how the universe relates to us
  • What (or who) gives us life, especially in hard times and moments of decision
  • The one idea that inspires us with hope
  • How these stories strengthen our sense of self and desire for balance
  • What beauty, magic, and celebration does for us
  • The allure of repetitive representation of these principles

”If you are looking for a podcast that is uplifting and will help you better understand, be more respectful of, and better utilize men's and women's wonderfully unique, complimentary, and essential roles -- then this podcast is for you! It's time happily and very well spent!"  ✮✭✭✭✭ Apple Podcasts listener

RELATED EPISODES:

EP 50: How To Be a Better Husband (Four secrets your husband needs to know to make you happy)

EP 18: If You Want to Transform Your Marriage, Focus on This (the one attitude and action that will have the most effect)

EP 21: Romance and Desire That Last (the secrets to keeping the fire alive)

Come celebrate Ramona's birthday and the release of the new edition of her book, Wife for Life: The Power to Succeed in Marriage, at her RAMONA'S BIRTHDAY BOOK LAUNCH BASH on January 27th at 10am PT!

It's LIVE, it's FREE, and it's super INTERACTIVE; you'll have lots of opportunity to talk to Ramona and to ask her your relationship questions directly! Door prizes for everyone! PLUS, we'll be drawing a winner from our contest for 4-free months of WifeSavers Course and Community! 

SAVE YOUR SEAT NOW

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mWN3PkfeRQeTz2YqILpOzw

Jan 02, 202250:45
Ep 51: The Best of the WifeSavers Podcast: How to Get (and Give!) More Appreciation in Your Marriage

Ep 51: The Best of the WifeSavers Podcast: How to Get (and Give!) More Appreciation in Your Marriage

Do you feel UN (or under!) appreciated? Does your husband seem impassive, unaware, or inconsistent in his notice of all you are and all you do? Disappointment, disconnect, or disrespect is often the direct result of feeling taken for granted.

In this episode, multi-award-winning author and global marriage educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, answer a wife who knows her relationship and her family could be improved by more frequent expressions of thankfulness, but who doesn’t know how to motivate or inspire her husband to comprehend the obvious: she and the family need and deserve his appreciation. Listen and learn how to create a culture of gratitude in your marriage.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “My husband and I are having difficult times because our relationship is missing this important phrase: thank you. How can I help my husband practice this more? Thank you!”

KEY TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Why hearing “thank you” is so important to a woman
  • The common ways spouses fail to appreciate one another
  • How “appreciation” is different than saying “thank you”
  • Detecting his nonverbal demonstrations of appreciation
  • How to ask for more verbal expressions
  • The impact of her appreciation on him
  • He wants her appreciation for this one thing most of all
  • Creating a culture beyond “thank you” and “appreciation”

“I LOVE that the podcasts are a discussion with Ramona’s husband because it provides such a great example of a healthy, beautiful relationship and conversation. Plus they are so fun to listen to!” ✮✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener

RELATED EPISODES:

Nov 22, 202101:02:44
Ep 50: How to Be a Better Husband: Four Secrets Your Husband Needs To Know To Make You Happy

Ep 50: How to Be a Better Husband: Four Secrets Your Husband Needs To Know To Make You Happy

We talk a lot on the WifeSavers Podcast about the influential power a woman has in her marriage, which is true. However, it is also true what researchers have found about the man in a relationship: husbands have the power to make or break that union.

In this 50th episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, How to Be a Better Husband: Four Secrets Your Husband Needs to Know to Make You Happy, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, share with a middle-aged but newly-wed husband and wife what they have learned about his role in the success of their marriage.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “I want to know if you and your hubby will just share with my hubby your good advice for marriage. We are not young but we still don’t know everything.”

Listen and learn how husbands can choose to view and respond to a wife's womanhood and individuality in such a way that it satisfies her heart: motivating her to do her very best by him.

Key Topics:

  • Why a man’s actions are the key variable that determines whether a relationship succeeds or fails
  • Why it is a challenge for most men to navigate the complexities of marriage
  • How that complexity can be simplified
  • First Secret: What she needs to consistently feel from him
  • Second Secret: What she needs to consistently hear from him
  • Third Secret: What she needs to consistently know about him
  • Fourth Secret: What she needs him to consistently do for her
  • How his actions can soothe the fears all women wrestle with
  • What he can look forward to when he tries his best to do well by her

“This has been my favorite podcast for years! And now my husband will join in to listen. Thanks, Ramona and Dale for becoming a part of our family and all the help you've given us!" ✮✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener

Related episodes:

Ep 35: The Seven Secrets to a Successful Marriage (attitudes that both spouses would do well to cultivate)

Ep 31: Romance and Desire That Last (how to reignite the flame and keep it hot)

Ep 18: To Transform Your Marriage, Focus on This (the key to taking your marriage to a new level of closeness)

You’ll want to combine this episode with Ramona and Dale's acclaimed 6 part audio course: "Conversations on Physical Intimacy for Wives and Their Husbands" at wifesavers.org/conversations

Nov 05, 202157:28
EP 49: How To Avoid Disrespect When You're Displeased (and why you want to try)

EP 49: How To Avoid Disrespect When You're Displeased (and why you want to try)

We all talk on occasion about how unfair or unkind our spouse is to us, but how often do we consider our own slip-ups that way? It’s worth a few minutes of honest introspection (say the length of this podcast) because the reality is...IF your spouse not seeing things your way, or acquiescing to your point of view, or not changing their behavior out of love and concern for you and you’re getting emotional about it, you can bet that the way you are communicating with them is having the opposite effect. Certain approaches, disrespectful approaches, only dampen or damage your spouse’s desire to love you or to be loved BY you.

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, How to Avoid Disrespect When You’re Displeased  (and Why You Want To Try), multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, show a demoralized wife how easily and how often she may be slipping into disrespect and how she can use alternative wording and attitudes to more effectively communicate with her husband.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “My husband says I’m too critical but I don’t see it. What is he seeing that I’m not?”

Listen and learn how the things we say and how we say them, though they may seem logical and fair to us, may actually qualify as toxic, blame-oriented, or manipulative to some degree, and how it's possible to inspire openness, connection, and genuine change, instead of shame, defensiveness, and anger.

Key Topics:

  1. What respect vs disrespect breeds in a relationship
  2. The markers of disrespectful vs. respectful communication
  3. The two most important attitudes to incorporate into all your communication
  4. Four common approaches to conversation that never work out well
  5. Your actual motivation vs. what you’re telling yourself
  6. How to reset your heart so your approach is more genuine and congruent
  7. How to specifically reframe your message so that you actually make things better

“This is my favorite podcast. So much truth and wisdom shared in every episode! I feel like I’m sitting with them in their living room and we’re old friends! ✮✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener

Related episodes:

Ep 25: He Doesn’t Really Listen: How To Communicate So He’ll Care (soliciting his engagement in an effective way)

Ep 11: Turning Negative Communication to the Positive (pleasant persuasion vs forcefulness in everyday exchanges)

Ep 16: Seeing Eye to Eye: What To Do When You Don’t (getting to a solution on a matter you disagree on)

Ep 12: His Criticism Hurts: What To Do When Your Husband is Unfair or Unkind (differentiating b/t the different types of criticism and optimal responses to each type)

✅ You’ll want to combine this episode with Ramona’s FREE live Masterclass: “Understanding Your Husbands and Sons”: https://wifesavers.org/masterclass

Sep 03, 202149:56
Ep 48: Understanding and Helping Teen Boys - Part 2

Ep 48: Understanding and Helping Teen Boys - Part 2

With a teen boy in the house, family life can feel like a roller coaster ride. Unaware of the real causes and optimal responses, it’s easy for mom and dad to lose their cool and their perspective. The husband-wife relationship can be negatively affected at that point, which won’t help anyone--especially your teen.

In this episode, the second of two on the subject, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, discusses with her husband, Dale, what parents and other adults can do to help adolescent boys successfully navigate the rocky (or rocking) bridge into adulthood without compromising other primary relationships, especially your marriage.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “A few weeks ago my son and husband had it out. I mean they were yelling in each other's faces and pushing each other and I was so scared. It really upset me and my husband told me, at a later time in confidence, that it was the worst day in his life.”

Listen and learn how parenting or working with a young man can be much less puzzling or frustrating and far more rewarding when you understand how best to live with and love him through adolescence.

Key Topics:

  • How your characterization of your teen and your relationship with him is key
  • Why shaming or shutting him down is a big mistake
  • How to get beyond his mask to the real, core issues
  • The importance and the impact of his relationship with Dad
  • The kind of experiences and challenges you want to help facilitate for him
  • What he needs to be shown by you and how
  • How to balance your relationship with your teen with the other primary relationship in your life

“Thank you Ramona and Dale for another packed-with-golden tips podcast! One of the delights of my day for sure!” ✮✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener

Related episodes:

Tech and Relationships Part 2: Husband and Sons

Helping Your Husband Bond With the Kids

When He’s Overwhelmed By Family Life

✅ You’ll want to combine this episode with Ramona’s FREE live Masterclass: “Understanding Your Husbands and Sons": https://wifesavers.org/masterclass

Jul 01, 202101:04:04
Ep 47: Understanding and Helping Teen Boys - Part 1

Ep 47: Understanding and Helping Teen Boys - Part 1

Are you in the middle of a “boy crisis”? You are, actually, whether you know it or not. The “boy crisis” may be up-close and personal to the parent of a teen or young adult male, but the rest of us are being affected as well. We all have a vested interest in the challenges our boys are experiencing today, and in helping them launch confidently and responsibly into a complex world.

In this episode, the first of two on the subject, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, discusses with her husband, Dale, what adolescent boys are up against during a stage of development that is ripe with change and tension and who, exactly, holds the key to their success.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “I am worried about my son and my husband's dynamic at times. My son is very intelligent and is so much an independent person, even at 14, that there seems to be much conflict between the two most important males in my life. This bothers me. What is happening and what can I do?”

Listen and learn what is going on inside that head, heart, and body of his, and what you can do to help the males in your life successfully navigate the turbulence kicked up during the teen and young adult years.

NOTE: You’ll want to combine listening to this episode with attending Ramona Zabriskie’s LIVE masterclass, Understanding Your Husband and Sons: wifesavers.org/masterclass.

Key Topics:

  • Major changes in teen brain structure and circuitry
  • Common behavioral concerns explained by those changes
  • Why young men experience intense feelings and how they process emotion
  • The impact of his behaviors on important relationships
  • How pecking order and belonging influence his world
  • Why our society produces plenty of boys but very few men
  • The one question that haunts every boy, and the one person who can answer it

“I rely heavily on everything they share and am grateful for their deep wisdom and experience!” ✮✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener

Related episodes:

Episode 24: Tech and Relationships Part 2: Husband and Sons

Episode 1: Helping Your Husband Bond With the Kids

Episode 28: When He’s Overwhelmed By Family Life

Jun 23, 202101:05:27
Ep 46: What To Do When He Works Too Much

Ep 46: What To Do When He Works Too Much

Working excessively for a brief or limited period of time may occasionally be necessary, but if it’s one spouse’s defacto year after year, divorce, infidelity, or a health crisis is practically inevitable.

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, What To Do When He Works Too Much, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 43+ years, Dale, discuss what to do when one spouse is spending so much time on work, the other feels undesirable, neglected, or resentful.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “Basically, my husband works too hard. We’ve talked about it many times, but whenever he agrees to try and make things better, it doesn’t last more than a week or two and then he’s right back to work. I can’t help feeling sad and a little insecure, honestly. Help!”

Key points in the podcast:

  • The balance between accommodating his career and her needs
  • A 16-point self-evaluation: “You may be a workaholic if…”
  • The reasons a person feels compelled to overwork
  • The three dangers in being married to a workaholic
  • The things a neglected spouse should absolutely not do
  • 5 things the neglected spouse should do
  • Communicating concerns effectively to the workaholic
  • 6 actions and 6 boundaries you can both agree to
  • How to know if your solutions will actually work and stick

“They are so so fun to listen to! I feel like I’m in their living room just listening to them talk. I love the male perspective from Dale. Thank you for a life-giving podcast! ✮✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcast listener

Related episodes:

Episode 32: Not Enough Time for Quality Couple Time

Episode 26: When He’s Traveling for Business

Episode 24: Tech and Relationships: Husband and Kids

Episode 2: Getting Your Husband To Prioritize Your Needs Too

Feb 26, 202101:05:46
Ep 45: Creating Happy Holidays in Spite of 2020 (or a Grinchy Husband)

Ep 45: Creating Happy Holidays in Spite of 2020 (or a Grinchy Husband)

It’s no secret that 2020 has changed almost everything, including the way we’re approaching the holidays. Wives and mothers are feeling apprehensive about what’s ahead this month. Is it even possible to follow through on your traditions and to orchestrate a season of memories for the family this year? On top of all that, what if your husband’s attitude is turning out to be more “Grinch” than “Santa” after all the stress?

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, Creating Happy Holidays in Spite of 2020 (or a Grinchy Husband), multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her team of expert wives offer some concrete strategies to an overwhelmed mom looking for a little support.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: I feel creating family memories falls on me: Christmas prep, fun outings. He doesn't participate or only grumpily. What can I do?

Listen and learn how to recruit the engagement you need from him to make this holiday season one that will fill your heart--without overwhelming his.

Key Topics:

  • Why you may be meeting some resistance to your best-laid holiday plans
  • Appreciating the differences in how you and your husband approach the holidays
  • Dealing with trauma and crisis near the holidays
  • A simple method to help you sort through and prioritize expectations
  • How to word and time your request for his engagement and support
  • Creating your own personal happy holiday
  • The comparisons (to be wary of) that can mar your holiday joy

“With WifeSavers advice, I save my sanity and make time and energy to fill my own happy bucket being creative and learning!” ✭✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener

Related episodes:

When He’s Overwhelmed By Family Life

Dealing with Extended Family Over the Holidays

How To Help Your Husband With His Emotions During the Crisis

Dec 08, 202059:22
Ep 44: How to Keep Calm and Carry On

Ep 44: How to Keep Calm and Carry On

Who hasn’t had a sleepless night or two lately? The world is getting more and more frantic, more and more frenetic, and yet and somehow, in the midst of so much we cannot control, wives and mothers are supposed to take care of business as usual.

If you’re feeling rudderless or disconnected these days, hounded by a constant sense of anxiety and distress, you’re not alone. Women everywhere are dealing with record-high levels of stress as they worry over their family’s health, finances, and future. And you know that a nervous undercurrent like that hurts not only your own heart but disrupts (and even damages) the relationships you count on most, including your marriage.

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, How to Keep Calm and Carry On, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband, Dale, help a wife who is feeling especially anxious and fearful over current events in the world.

Listen and learn how to replace stress with a steady calm that restores creativity and productivity in your life. Feel empowered and prepared for whatever comes next!

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “I feel like I’m wasting my life right now. My anxiety over what’s going to happen the rest of this year is overwhelming and I’m spinning my wheels. Going crazy. Help.”

Key Topics:

  • How “triangulation” can steady emotions and ready us for action
  • Two powerful means of putting current events into context
  • What we should be preparing for during uncertain times
  • What “rehearsing” means and how it mitigates fear
  • Five immediately actionable tactics for de-escalating anxiety
  • The four powerful benefits of prayer or meditation

“A gift to all marriages. So grateful for these people and wisdom!!!” ✮✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener

Related episodes:

Don’t Let a Crisis Sink Your Marriage

Feeling Burnt Out After Too Much Stress

How To Help Your Husband With His Emotions During the Crisis

Nov 06, 202055:19
Ep 43: Talking Politics in Marriage

Ep 43: Talking Politics in Marriage

Struggling to convince your loved one that your political perspective is the right one? Or is he expecting you to come around to his way of seeing things? Do your discussions turn into debates that leave you feeling frustrated, even alienated from one another? Maybe you’ve decided to stuff your opinion just to avoid the conflict.


In a world where countries and communities are being torn apart by the political divide, how do you keep your own relationship tight and intact? Will your marriage withstand the pressure? Is it possible to live and work together from opposite sides of the fence?


In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, Talking Politics in Marriage, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband, Dale, help a wife who is worried that political divisiveness is affecting her marriage.


Listen and learn how to keep political issues from turning into marriage issues.


THROW ME A WIFESAVER: My husband and I have different political views. How should I handle this?


Key Topics:

  • Why you shouldn’t feel alone in this predicament
  • How today’s politics of personal destruction is invading relationships
  • How to relieve the pressure with a “politics-free zone”
  • 6 guidelines that will help replace heated debate with helpful dialogue
  • How  “relationship maintenance” can save a politically-mixed marriage or relationship
  • Practical advice from real political rivals who are happily married


“How I love this podcast!! The principles, examples, and how-to information that Ramona and Dale share help me every day as a wife and in all my relationships!” ✮✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener


Related episodes:

When Faith is an Issue in Your Marriage

His Criticism Hurts: What to Do When He’s Unkind or Unfair

Seeing Eye to Eye: What to Do When You Don’t

Aug 13, 202042:31
Ep 42: When Faith is an Issue in Your Marriage

Ep 42: When Faith is an Issue in Your Marriage

Is your husband uninterested (or less interested than you are) in spiritual matters? Are you wishing he’d step up and lead your family in religious practice? Perhaps he’s even expressing (or exhibiting) antagonism toward God or religion in general.

If you are a woman of faith, whatever your religion or personal practice, feeling disconnected from your husband on a spiritual plane is difficult. What do you do with your disappointment and loneliness? How can you reach or motivate him when you’re feeling frustrated and resentful?

Throw Me a WifeSaver: “We don't hold up on our spiritual traditions as much as we used to unless I lead the way. I feel like I carry most of the family unity and spiritual engagement. Why can’t he?”

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, When Faith is an Issue, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband, Dale, answer four different wives who are each despairing of their husband’s level of spiritual enthusiasm and commitment.

Listen and learn how to turn spiritual disparity to the positive and feel more peace in your home.

Key Topics:

  • Possible reasons for his lack of interest or leadership
  • Why pushing, pulling, hinting, or convicting him don’t work
  • The true test or measurement of his “spiritual leadership”
  • 4 things to consider that will help mitigate your frustration
  • Why his approach to spirituality may be different than yours
  • How his male fears plus your expectations play into his choices
  • Your best chance of winning him over
  • The Four “P’s”: solutions to the dilemma of spiritual disparity

“I am loving the overall philosophy Ramona and Dale have on marriage. They are so consistent in their message and everything feels digestible and succinct, something I like in a podcast. I am already seeing improvements in my relationship with my husband! ✮✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener

Related episodes:

When He’s Overwhelmed by Family Life

It’s Not Fair (but who’s keeping score)

Seeing Eye to Eye: What To Do When You Don’t

Jul 09, 202001:01:42
Ep 41: The Best of the WifeSavers Podcast: Turning Negative Communication With Your Husband to the Positive

Ep 41: The Best of the WifeSavers Podcast: Turning Negative Communication With Your Husband to the Positive

Are too many conversations with your husband leaving both of you feeling frustrated? It may be that what you are saying is being heard very differently than you intend.

Ramona and her husband, Dale, answer a wife who doesn’t mean to come across as negative and unloving but is afraid that’s exactly how she’s being received. Listen and learn how with a few tweaks in approach and wording a wife can completely alter the outcome of almost any conversation with her husband to the positive.

Throw Me a WifeSaver: “Sometimes when I respond negatively to things with my husband, I know right away that I've gone about it all wrong. I definitely don't want to handle things in an unloving way it just seems to come out in a burst of emotions sometimes before I even know how to package it in a more positive way. Any suggestions?”

The most listened to WifeSavers Podcast episode ever!

Key Topics:

  • Why his perceptions may be formed or based on the words and phrases you are using
  • Identifying seven characteristics of negative language that you may be unaware of
  • What actual messages you may be sending inadvertently
  • Mindset or paradigm shifts that will undergird permanent changes in your communication style
  • Three simple but powerful linguistic approaches that will lessen confusion and leave you both feeling better


"Love the practical applications Dale and Ramona describe and actually MODEL so well in their podcasts! I find it especially valuable hearing what a conversation SHOULD sound like -- much different than I hear in my life otherwise. I think of it like learning a foreign language! ✮✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener

Related episodes:

Wanting to Change the Boss Lady - In You!

He Doesn't Really Listen: How to Communicate So He'll Care

May 27, 202050:17
Ep. 40: When There’s No Place Other THAN Home, You Need More of THIS

Ep. 40: When There’s No Place Other THAN Home, You Need More of THIS

Is “there’s no place like home” getting tested in your home like never before? During current shelter-in orders—and with the days and weeks ahead still a big question mark—how will your family manage the strain on your relationships over the long haul? Bringing everything down to just four simple but powerful practices will make all the difference.

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, When There’s No Place Other THAN Home, You Need More of THIS, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, discuss how you and your family can feel happy with each other day after day, for as long as it takes, inside your own four walls.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “I’m the kind of person that will obey all the rules and not mind not going out. I’ve REALLY enjoyed being home for the past few weeks. But the truth is all the worry over the virus and groceries and toilet paper is starting to wear on me, and the kids are getting cabin fever and my husband is getting edgy. What can I do?”

Key points in this podcast:

  • What is required to “flatten” the “negativity curve”
  • What “shedding” is and how it calms and strengthens a family
  • The 4 vital dynamics you all need MORE of during this stressful time
  • How to combat “sameness”
  • Critical approaches to “too much” togetherness
  • The science of touch including the dangers of “skin hunger”
  • Strategies for increasing the primary hormones that alleviate stress
  • What children know and do that will help everyone in the family

“... a wonderful blend of insights and wisdom...perfect blend of fun and information. ✮✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener

Related episodes:

How to Help Your Husband With Emotions During the Crisis

Don’t Let a Crisis Sink Your Marriage

Apr 28, 202055:53
Ep 39: How to Help Your Husband With His Emotions During the Crisis

Ep 39: How to Help Your Husband With His Emotions During the Crisis

Couples everywhere are having to deal with financial strains, upended routines, extra parenting responsibilities, new expectations of one another, and worrisome health scares. Whether a husband is sheltering-in, or on the front lines, employed, or suddenly unemployed, there’s a good chance that his wife’s most tangible and immediate source of stress is her concern about how the global crisis is impacting her man directly.

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, How to Help Your Husband With His Emotions During the Crisis, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, delve into brain science and biology to understand how today’s atmosphere of intense anxiety may be affecting men, what a concerned partner can do alleviate her man’s tension, and the ways intelligent, proactive engagement between husband and wife mitigates negative repercussions on the family.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “How do I help my husband right now? He seems full of anxiety with the COVID crisis. I worry about what he is feeling inside as he tries to be strong for others, and I worry that the balance of positive to negative in our interactions is tipping in the wrong direction.”

Key points in this podcast:

  • What a wife may be feeling as a result of a husband’s behaviors under stress
  • Why the fallout from the global pandemic is hitting him so hard
  • How to interpret the “male mask”
  • Specific ways in which men deal with emotion differently than women
  • Why his emotional and problem-solving style can be as valid and as valued as hers
  • Seven approaches to gently drawing out her man’s inner thoughts and feelings
  • How to optimally treat his feelings once revealed so as to encourage future sharing
  • Why a woman’s self-care is key to her partner’s mental health and stability

Related episodes:

Don’t Let a Crisis Sink Your Marriage

Dealing With Your Spouse’s Depression Positively

When He’s Overwhelmed With Family Life

Seeing Eye to Eye: What To Do When You Don’t

Mar 31, 202001:07:34
Ep. 38: Don’t Let a Crisis Sink Your Marriage

Ep. 38: Don’t Let a Crisis Sink Your Marriage

Times of crisis are inevitable. Unexpected circumstances can feel like a sudden attack on your family’s status quo, interrupting plans and draining everyone’s energy. Whether your relationships with each other end up battered and crippled by the storm or deeper and stronger for the voyage  depends in large part on how you organize your response.

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, Don’t Let a Crisis Sink Your Marriage, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, discuss how a couple can avoid breaking on the shoals of a crisis by proactively navigating their family through fear and uncertainty.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “What are some helps for smoothing our relationship in times of crisis? Do you have a trauma kit/advice?!”

Key points in the podcast:

  • How a husband may initially react differently to a crisis than his wife
  • The 4 things every member of the family needs or craves during a crisis
  • An 8 step plan of action for the entire family during a crisis
  • The 5 “musts” to keep your marriage on an even keel
  • How to “reframe” intense or negative emotion
  • How a crisis can be the catalyst for strengthening family bonds and individual growth

“Ramona and Dale share such a unique, wonderful, refreshing, and definitely relevant blend of insights and wisdom gained from their experiences together. It’s a perfect blend of fun and information.” ✮✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcast listener

Related episodes:

Episode 37: Dealing With Your Spouse’s Depression Positively

Episode 11: Turning Negative Communication With Your Husband to the Positive

Episode 10: How Do I Find Balance? A Woman’s Greatest Challenge

Episode 7: Feeling Burned Out After Too Much Stress

Mar 06, 202001:00:29
Ep 37: How to Deal With Your Spouse’s Depression Positively

Ep 37: How to Deal With Your Spouse’s Depression Positively

When your partner is at their best, they are a positive energy source for you and the whole family: dreaming big, working hard, playing hard. But what happens if they lose that zest for life? What are you supposed to do with their ongoing detachment, despondency, anxiety, anger, or pessimism? Depression is an isolating illness that can negatively impact relationships and leave loved ones feeling helpless and afraid.

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, How to Deal With Your Spouse’s Depression Positively, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 42+ years, Dale, discuss how spouses can come together when that “intangible-something” called depression or anxiety interferes with their ability to work, play, and even love.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “My spouse suffers from negativity/depression. I love him, but how do I enjoy time with him & feel connected? How do I even bring up to him that I think he’s depressed? Help!”

Key points in the podcast:

  • The difference between depression, grief, and sadness
  • The physical manifestations of depression inside the brain
  • What depression and anxiety feel like to the person experiencing them
  • What it feels like to be their spouse and what is in the spouse’s control
  • The possible answers to “why won’t he talk to me?”
  • The 4-step approach to a conversation on the subject
  • How to explore and execute solutions together
  • Real-wife examples of effective coping strategies

“I love, love, LOVE listening to this podcast! This is truly a gift to better understand myself and help him better understand me! If you are looking for a podcast that is uplifting and that will help you better understand--then this podcast is for you! It’s time happily and very well spent! ✮✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcast listener

Related episodes:

Episode 28: When He’s Overwhelmed by Family Life

Episode 11: Turning Negative Communication With Your Husband to the Positive

Episode 7: Feeling Burned Out After Too Much Stress

Episode 10: How Do I Find Balance? A Woman’s Greatest Challenge

Feb 05, 202001:05:41
Ep 36: Conversations on Physical Intimacy

Ep 36: Conversations on Physical Intimacy

Feeling lonely or resentful or misunderstood when one or the other of you is reading messages into your physical relationship that are not intended? Have you tried to communicate with each other about sex, but your conversations turn out less than productive or helpful? Maybe you feel reticent to initiate or lead a discussion with your spouse because you don’t know how to begin or how to navigate issues involving sex. Or it may be that you’ve got a pretty good sex life, but you’ve always wondered if things could get even better!


A powerful physical relationship starts with open, honest communication with your spouse but the subject can be tricky to tackle for a myriad of reasons.


In this special episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, Conversations on Physical Intimacy, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, introduce their revolutionary yet natural, conversational approach to improving physical intimacy in marriage. Student reviews and experiences are interwoven throughout.


THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “My husband and I can’t seem to get on the same page in our sexual life. I want him to understand me, but he thinks I should be able to “just do it”. Any ideas on how to handle this better?”


Key points in the podcast:

  • Why understanding your partner in regards to your sexual relationship can be a challenge
  • How you can navigate sensitive or complex areas of discussion regarding sex
  • Why she can confuse and frustrate him when he’s trying to get close to her and to please her
  • How a man’s sexuality is actually more complex than the cliche’s lead on
  • How to talk together to keep the sexual relationship strong despite a demanding family life
  • The importance of emotional intimacy in physical intimacy and how communication affects both


“I love the tone. I love the honesty. I appreciate the lightness in spite of the depth of the topics! ✮✭✭✭✭” Podcast listener


Related episodes:

Ep 31: Romance and Desire That Last

Ep 25: He Doesn't Really Listen: How to Communicate So He'll Care

Ep 16: Seeing Eye to Eye: What To Do When You Don't

Jan 10, 202058:16
Ep 35: The Seven Secrets to an Amazing Marriage

Ep 35: The Seven Secrets to an Amazing Marriage

Are there a rock bed principles that can make or break a marriage? There are.

Internalizing a few key practices and attitudes can practically guarantee that you and your spouse will not just stay together, but stay in love. No matter your stage of life or state of marriage, you and your spouse can create a fully-vested romantic partnership by applying a seven-part formula to your relationship.

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, “The Seven Secrets to an Amazing Marriage”, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, share the seven foundational principles that they, and countless others, have depended on to build a thriving marriage.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “Life has been very beautiful for me. From almost being separated and now a wedding in the next three weeks...I want to know if you and your hubby will just share with me and my hubby good advice in marriage...We are not young but we still don’t know everything.” WifeSaver from Kenya

Key Points in this podcast:

  • The first principle that will make your marriage different and more powerful than any other kind of partnership
  • The second principle, which counters the fear of losing one another, of betrayal, abandonment, apathy, or neglect
  • The third principle, which counters feeling unsafe emotionally
  • A fourth principle, which overcomes loneliness, unfair judgment, and unnecessary conflict
  • The fifth principle that helps spouses avoid feeling overwhelmed, overused, or underappreciated
  • And the sixth powerful principle that can strengthen your relationship like nothing else

“The advice is top-notch but the best part is the discussion and humor! ✭✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcast listener

Related episode:

To Transform Your Marriage in 2019, Focus on This

Romance and Desire That Last

Do You Believe in Him? How To Show Him and Why You Want To

Creating Connection, Connection, and Compatibility Despite Your Differences

Dec 30, 201901:11:37
Ep 34: Dealing With Extended Family (especially through the holidays!)

Ep 34: Dealing With Extended Family (especially through the holidays!)

Do you ever struggle in your relationships with his family, or his with yours? Extended family dynamics can be tricky, especially during the intense togetherness and expectations that are often part of the holidays.

In this episode, a multi-award-winning author and global marriage mentor and educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband, Dale, speak from their 40+ years of experience in answering a wife who is worried about navigating upcoming decisions about (and encounters with) extended family.

This Week’s Question: “What if my husband and I have different ideas about what makes the perfect Christmas? My husband wants to stay home with just us and the children, and I want to be with all my extended family, and we go through this every year.”

Listen and learn how to plot a course and steer your husband and children through any extended family gathering so they feel content and secure throughout, and happy with the experience at the end.

Key Topics:

  • Compromise vs. Accommodating any time of year
  • Understanding his POV about your family and holiday wishes
  • What you should do first before discussing plans with your husband
  • The three things to prioritize when spending time with extended family during the holidays
  • Seven strategies for managing and making the best of time with extended family as a couple

"Real life, real trials, real success, real love. This is the real deal. ✭✭✭✭✭" WifeSavers Podcast iTunes/Apple Listener

RELATED EPISODES OF THE WIFESAVERS PODCAST:

When He's Overwhelmed With Family Life

Seeing Eye to Eye: What To Do When You Don't

How To Find Balance: A Woman's Greatest Challenge

Dec 11, 201957:03
Ep 33: Date Night or Bust! Why and How to Make It The Best Time All Week

Ep 33: Date Night or Bust! Why and How to Make It The Best Time All Week

What’s your excuse? Time? Money? Babysitters? Nothing interesting to do? There’s always a reason for married couples and parents to neglect or postpone the weekly concentrated couple time called “date night”. Even if it seems next to impossible to pull off, you’re probably still craving your spouse’s exclusive attention and would love a refreshing change of pace.

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, “Date Night or Bust! Why and How To Make It The Best Time All Week”, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, answer a wife who is trying to figure out how to manage a regular date night with her husband.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “Date night really isn't possible, as we have no one to watch our kids that we trust. We do escape to our room and lock the doors, and the kids are still home. Does that count?”

Listen and learn why it’s absolutely critical to prioritize the time, support, and resources you need to make married-dating a habit, and how to get low-to-no-cost, creative date-night suggestions!

Key Points in this podcast:

  • Why a change of environment and conversation has such an impact on a couple
  • What researchers have found out about our dependency on each other
  • What is actually created when a couple is free from the pull of all other relationships
  • Five super fun, super creative no-cost date-night ideas you can enjoy at home!
  • How to get a whole year’s worth of low-to-no-cost date ideas for FREE!


“Ramona and Dale are the best! I have learned so much from them! Their playful, loving example is incredible. ✭✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcast listener

Related episodes:

Ep 32: Not  Enough Time for Quality Time for Quality Couple Time

Ep 31: The Best of WifeSavers Podcast: Romance and Desire That Last

Ep 6: We Have Little in Common: Creating Companionship and Connection Despite Differences

Oct 31, 201951:51
Ep 32: Not Enough Time for Quality Couple Time

Ep 32: Not Enough Time for Quality Couple Time

Time is everything when it comes to relationships: shared experience, shared-story, shared presence. Are you and your husband struggling to fit so much into your schedules that there’s little time left over for just the two of you? What happens to a husband and wife who lose the opportunity to connect in a deep way on a regular—even frequent—basis?

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, “Not Enough Time for Quality Couple Time”, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, answer a wife who is worried that both she and her husband are suffering from the lack of exclusive and meaningful time together.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “We have 2 little boys, ages 4 and 2, and I am expecting twins in just a few weeks. My husband’s schedule is crazy as is, and we don’t get to spend much quality time together. I don’t blame him for being in this position, but I do want to do whatever I can to make sure we stay connected even at this crazy time! My love language is quality time, and that’s the hardest one to accomplish right now!”

Listen and learn how to squeeze in moments that count and create the breathing space your relationship needs to survive and thrive.

Key Points in this podcast:

  • Why the quantity and quality of couple interactions change after marriage
  • Gender-specific insecurities that are stirred up by the lack of regular connection
  • How his employment relates to his willingness to focus on their relationship
  • Three important reasons to prioritize quality time as a couple
  • How much quality time is required to succeed in marriage
  • Three ways a husband’s and wife’s definitions of “quality time” may differ
  • Several specific strategies for squeezing in satisfying time for one-on-one

“How I love this podcast!! The principles, examples, and how-to information that Ramona and Dale share help me every day as a wife and in all my relationships. I rely heavily on everything they share and am so grateful for their deep wisdom and experience!  ✭✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcast listener

Related episodes:

Ep 6: We Have Little in Common: Creating Companionship and Connection Despite Differences

Ep 7: Feeling Burned Out After Too Much Stress

Ep 10: How Do I Find Balance? A Woman’s Greatest Challenge

Oct 24, 201953:59
Ep 31: The Best of the WifeSavers Podcast: Romance and Desire That Last

Ep 31: The Best of the WifeSavers Podcast: Romance and Desire That Last

Feeling desired, even “wooed”, is the romantic high that that poetry, film, literature, and music have prepped us for all our lives, right? But how realistic is it to expect all the passion, mystery, and excitement to continue throughout a long lifetime together? Is it possible to create romance-on-demand at any age or any stage?

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, "The Best Of the WifeSavers Podcast: Romance and Desire That Last", multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, answer a wife who is longing for days past when she felt that her husband was attentive and amorous, drawn and devoted to her.

Throw Me a WifeSaver: “My husband was INCREDIBLE with me for so long...he was doting on me, loving on me, encouraging me. Now I don't feel that way, and I don't know how to fix it. What can I do? How do I bring romance back into my marriage?”

Listen and learn loving strategies that are more doable than cynics might think and more down-to-earth than romantics might expect!

  • Why “romance” is important to women
  • Our two great needs at odds in the quest for romance
  • How today’s expectations of marriage differ from the past
  • The definition of love vs. desire and why we want both
  • 3 dynamics that make us desire, or feel drawn toward, our spouse
  • 6 challenges that will bust complacency and cultivate excitement

"I love listening to the dynamic between Ramona and Dale and hope that my husband and I will be like them in 30 years!" ✭✭✭✭✭ ITunes/Apple listener (We’d so appreciate your review on Apple/iTunes or your favorite podcast platform!)

Sep 19, 201950:43
Ep 30: Leaving Him in Charge of the House and Kids

Ep 30: Leaving Him in Charge of the House and Kids

When work or fun pulls you away from home, do you worry about what you will happen with the house and family in your absence? Especially when your guy is left in charge? Do you get the feeling that your expectations are higher than his when it comes to childcare, housework, and generally filling your shoes? You’re probably hoping the kids get some quality time with Dad, but you also want everything to operate as usual and on schedule. How can you balance your concerns with respecting his prerogative to do things differently?

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, “Leaving Your Husband in Charge of the House and Kids”, multi-award-winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, answer a wife who is worried about how things at home are going to run (and turn out!) while she’s away.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “I have to go far away from home for a conference this weekend, which means my husband and kids will have to fend for themselves. Should I be worried?”

Listen and learn fun, helpful strategies that will set your husband and kids up for success so everyone (including you!) can enjoy your time away.

Key Points in this podcast:

  • Why you’re concerned and the impact of your fears
  • How to respectfully recruit his full engagement
  • Two questions to ask yourself that will set up the optimal outcome
  • The three pillars that will help you prepare, organize, and prioritize
  • How you will know the experience was a success for everyone so you feel free to do it again!

“This podcast is a secret treasure in the podcast world! So full of valuable information and real-life application. ✭✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcast listener

Related episodes:

Ep 27: Getting Him on Board With Best Parenting Practices

Ep 1: Helping Your Husband Bond With the Kids

Ep 19: Wars Over Chores: Recruiting His Help with the Housework

Sep 01, 201942:24
Ep 29: Creating (or Saving!) Your Family Vacation

Ep 29: Creating (or Saving!) Your Family Vacation

Are your carefully laid vacation plans falling short of expectations? After hours of research, deal shopping, and blog hopping are your getaway dreams turning into a family-fueled nightmare? How can you facilitate magical memories while keeping spirits high, bellies full, and sanity spared? What should you do when kids are bickering, Honey is snippy, and you are losing patience for your vacation before you even leave the house? Learning to shift your goals and gain a new perspective on the purpose of family getaways can turn inevitable travel trials into treasured memories.  


In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, “Creating (or Saving!) Your Family Vacation”, multi-award winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, share tried and true approaches for keeping your cool on a family getaway. 


THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “We took a trip this weekend as a family. Despite all my daily efforts leading up to the trip, there were moments when the kids were fighting, husband was frustrated and harsh and I was anxious as all get out!! How does this happen? Who flipped the switch?!! Is vacation really that disruptive to family life or is it just me? Please help me understand how to keep my WifeSavers foundation when we go on a family vacation!!”


Listen and learn why your focus for family travel may need to shift, how to get and keep everyone on the same team, and how to accomplish your goal of treasured family time with a family that loves one another better by the time you’re home again. 


Key Points in this podcast:

  • How to shift your focus from pure logistics
  • What to use as a guide and measuring stick for success
  • The way to manage disruption, stress, or chaos in the moment
  • Easy strategy for keeping yourself proactive and positive
  • How to keep relationships on the front burner
  • Specific approach to reflecting and re-setting each day


“What a husband and wife conversation should sound like. ✭✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcast listener


Related episodes:

Ep 27: Getting Him on Board With Best Parenting Practices

Ep 14: Dealing with Extended Family

Ep 10: How Do I Find Balance? A Woman’s Greatest Challenge

Ep 7: Feeling Burnt Out After Too Much Stress

Ep 1: Helping Your Husband Bond With the Kids

Jun 06, 201937:13
Ep 28: When He’s Overwhelmed by Family Life

Ep 28: When He’s Overwhelmed by Family Life

What do you do when your husband is too often grouchy or down at home? Is family life falling short of his expectations, or is he falling short of your expectations? Either way, it's challenging to your marriage, and to his relationship with the children. You want to share the joys of marriage with him but how can you be positive enough for both of you? How can you see things from his perspective when his struggle stokes your own worries?

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, “When Family Life Overwhelms Him”, multi-award winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, answer a wife who is tired of trying to cope with her husband’s negativity within the family.  

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “My husband has been struggling off & on with depression and anxiety. He is angry much of the time and struggles to cope with our kids as they overwhelm him. I find it exhausting to be constantly challenging the story he tells himself. This just makes parenting more difficult and it makes marriage hard for me. I would love any advice you might have!”

Listen and learn why your husband may be feeling anxious and depressed, why this naturally affects family life, and how to help him regain a sense of control, balance, and energy.

Key Points in this podcast:

  • Your dissimilar approaches to managing pain/emotion
  • How parenthood may be affecting him 
  • Possible causes for your anxiety over his anxiety
  • 5 ubiquitous male drives that underpin male fears
  • 4 “male masks” used to hide or postpone experiencing emotion
  • 5 common “male” fears that are stirred up by family life
  • Strategy for helping him regain a sense of balance, control, and energy

“I love listening to both Ramona and Dale interact and laugh with each other - it just makes me happy! Their podcasts model respectful and joyful interactions in marriage and reminds me to laugh more often, especially with my husband. ✭✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcast listener

Related episodes:

Ep 27: Getting Him on Board With Best Parenting Practices

Ep 22: Finding and Pursuing His Quest

Ep 16: His Criticism Hurts: What to do When Your Husband is Unkind or Unfair

Ep 1: Helping Your Husband Bond With the Kids

May 23, 201957:04
Ep 27: Getting Him on Board With Best Parenting Practices

Ep 27: Getting Him on Board With Best Parenting Practices

What do you do when your husband is counteracting your parenting style or you’re counteracting his? Especially in the heat of the moment? And how do you get him interested and enthused about your latest and greatest approaches to teaching or disciplining the kids? You want to be able to trust him as a father, but how can you when the two of you are not on the same page? Working as a parenting-team is critical to not only the kids’ upbringing but to the success of your marriage.  

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, “Getting Him On Board With Best Parenting Practices”, multi-award winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie, and her husband of 40+ years, Dale, answer a wife who is struggling to convince her husband that there’s a better way to parent their child.  

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “I've started employing a new parenting method which is in contrast to my husband's and I see my child responding beautifully to it. However, it'll take time for her meltdowns to reduce significantly. What should I do to get my husband to employ these positive parenting principles?” 

Listen and learn how to help your husband (and yourself!) feel more open-minded about different parenting styles and how to help him actually engage with you in an approach to parenting you can both feel good about. 

Key Points in this podcast: 

- Why raising the kids in a unified style is important to her 

- Possible causes for his apathy or antipathy to her approach or suggestions 

- The problems that are caused when you disagree about parenting 

- Seven common differences between mother/father approaches  

- Four critical things to avoid when you’re recruiting his interest and involvement  

- Four key things to do that will help inspire his enthusiasm and willingness 

“Ramona and Dale’s adorable witty banter back and forth puts a smile on my face! I love their positivity and vulnerability. They give amazing tips from both sides of a relationship and I’m loving applying their tips to my marriage! ✭✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcast listener 

Related episodes: 

Ep 25: He Doesn’t Really Listen: How to Communicate So He’ll Care 

Ep 16: Seeing Eye to Eye: What To Do When You Don’t 

Ep 1: Helping Your Husband Bond With the Kids

May 01, 201954:47
Ep 26: When He’s Traveling For Business

Ep 26: When He’s Traveling For Business

Are you dreading or resenting your spouse’s next business trip because it’ll be up to you to hold down the fort? Without a partner’s on-the-ground practical and emotional support, personal and family life can become overwhelming. Logistical complications as well as emotional and physical stresses take a toll on both husband and wife. You’d really just like to be together and get (or give!) help, reassurance, and hugs when they are needed most. 

In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, “When He’s Traveling For Business”, multi-award winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her traveling husband, Dale, answer a wife who is seriously worried about her spouse’s obligation to be away from home for work. 

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: “My husband is preparing to be several states away from home for two-week intervals (home for two, away for two) for the next 36 weeks. I’m not at all looking forward to this. When he talks about it I feel ‘walls’ blocking my thoughts, and all I know is how I feel about it.”

Listen and learn how to manage your road warrior’s absence in a way that will tone down the stress, spare your heart, and bring out the best in your relationship.

Key Points in this podcast:

- Appreciating your unique stresses while he’s away 

- Recognizing the pressures on him

- How to set up “safety nets” to protect you both

- Ways to involve him in family life despite his absence

- Strategies for keeping your relationship vibrant and relevant

- Strengthening your healthy independence

- How to make the most of your reunions

- The costs, benefits, and strategies of traveling together when possible

"I have really loved this podcast. The advice is top-notch but the best part is the humor and discussion back and forth between Ramona and Dale. I feel like they are the encouraging- parents and good example we all wish we had! ✭✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener

Related episodes:

- Episode 21: Romance and Desire That Last

- Episode 18: To Transform Your Marriage in 2019, Focus on This

- Episode 10: How Do I Find Balance? A Woman’s Greatest Challenge

- Episode 8: Do You Believe in Him? How To Show Him and Why You Want To
 

Apr 11, 201959:10
Ep 25: He Doesn’t Listen: How to Communicate So He’ll Care

Ep 25: He Doesn’t Listen: How to Communicate So He’ll Care

Everyone knows that a successful marriage depends in large part on how well a couple communicates with each other. What should be natural, easy conversation can become discouraging or frustrating though when a wife feels that her husband isn’t really paying attention to what she has to say. If this becomes a pattern of interrelating, she may assume the worst about him and the relationship.  


In this episode of the WifeSavers Podcast, “He Doesn’t Listen”, multi-award winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband, Dale, answer a wife who is frustrated with her husband’s lack of engagement when she’s trying to talk with him.  


THROW ME A WIFESAVER: I would say one of the biggest struggles we have is communication. Sometimes I feel like it’s difficult for us to talk about the simplest things. It gets very tiresome to me because I don’t even feel like I can make a suggestion or offer my opinion because, he doesn’t really listen. Or he starts to listen and then after a while he’ll check out or tune out. I’m definitely looking for better communication skills.”


Listen and learn the potential real reasons behind a husband’s distant demeanor, and how to improve your communication style so that he’s more likely to listen up!


Key Points in this podcast:

- The difference between casual and active listening

- Her POV: Five possible reasons you may think he’s not listening

- His POV: Eight explanations that are closer to the truth of it

- How your expectations and his attempts to listen get out of alignment

- Six strategies for optimizing his willingness to listen and engage

- How his listening skills can improve and mature as yours do


Related episodes:

- Episode 18: To Transform Your Marriage in 2019: Focus on This

- Episode 16: Seeing Eye to Eye: What To Do When You Don’t

- Episode 11: Turning Negative Communication With Your Husband to the Positive


"Great ideas you can easily implement. It’s a fun listen too! ✭✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener

Mar 26, 201948:15
Ep 24: Tech and Relationships Part 2: Husband and Kids

Ep 24: Tech and Relationships Part 2: Husband and Kids

The fun and functionality of our screens are creating a seamless interaction between us (the users) and the greater world. There’s a lot of good in that. But there’s also a lot to be aware of and concerned about. Are you or your husband and children becoming hyper-stimulated by virtual activity and in the process, becoming desensitized to one another? When parents and kids, husbands and wives, choose to immerse themselves in their devices instead of in one another, they’re experiencing what is aptly called “the great divide”.In the conclusion to this two-part series, multi-award winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband, Dale, complete their answer to a wife who is feeling increasingly estranged and neglected by a husband absorbed in his mobile devices and gaming.

THROW ME A WIFESAVER: How do the kids and I become more interesting than his cell phone? And what to do about hubby's video gaming in the evening downstairs when I want to spend time with him (especially a war game)?

Listen and learn how to get your spouse and kids to work together to create, and then support, a family tech and media plan.

Key Points in this podcast:

  • How a couple and a family can collaborate on solutions
  • Eight questions that will get the family thinking and talking
  • Five sample family media standards
  • Six sample family technology standards
  • Tactical musts to support personal and family cybersecurity
  • Tactical options to help protect your relationships and maintain the family plan
  • Five steps to proactively counter the negative aspects of today’s domineering media and online culture

Related episodes: 

"Ramona and Dale’s WifeSavers podcasts are so delightful, humorous, and full of golden information! ✭✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener

Mar 11, 201952:46
Ep 23: Tech and Relationships Part 1: You

Ep 23: Tech and Relationships Part 1: You

How has technology impacted your most important relationships? With all our compulsive “connecting”, many of us are actually “disconnecting” from the loved ones that are present, the ones who are depending on us in so many ways to “be there” for them. How do we embrace technology without losing ourselves or our closest relationships in the matrix?


Multi-award winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband, Dale, answer a wife who is feeling increasingly estranged and neglected by a husband absorbed in his mobile devices and gaming.


THROW ME A WIFESAVER: How do the kids and I become more interesting than his cell phone? And what to do about hubby's video gaming in the evening downstairs when I want to spend time with him (especially a war game)?


Listen and learn how a wife and mother can help manage and prioritize the health and well-being of herself, her marriage, and her family in a hyperconnected, tech-mediated world. Part one of a two-part series.

.

Key Points in this podcast:

- The “threats” posed to families by the overuse or misuse of technology

- Eight technology-induced addictions

- Six questions to help determine if there is an addiction at play

- Four uses of technology to evaluate your own dependence by

- Recognizing and avoiding technological narcissism

- The science behind our digital impulsiveness

- A simple way to determine whether to engage with tech or the people present in any given moment


Related episodes: 

Episode 18: To Transform Your Marriage in 2019: Focus on This

Episode 16: Seeing Eye to Eye: What To Do When You Don’t


"Full of experiences and wonderful advice that inspires me to become a better wife, which in return makes him a better husband. ✭✭✭✭✭” Apple Podcasts listener

Feb 28, 201953:53
Ep 22: Finding and Pursuing His Quest

Ep 22: Finding and Pursuing His Quest

Most men, once married, know they need to fill their pockets with more than love; they need to do something; to be somebody. He may be so focused and driven that he leaves the family in the dust. On the other hand, his career path may be more of a meandering stroll than a focused climb. Maybe he's too discouraged or too comfortable with the status quo? Or does it seem that one-too-many opportunities have passed him by?


Multi-award winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband, Dale, explain how most men view their “work” or their quest for “a work” in a way that answers a wife who is baffled and even frightened by her husband’s direction in life. 


Throw Me a WifeSaver: “I don’t know what my husband’s quest is because I don’t think he knows, either. That’s a HUGE frustration in our marriage and it’s becoming a big problem. Any advice?”


Listen and learn how a worthy “quest” is defined for a man: a fulfilling dream, a rewarding pursuit that will help him mature into his best, most courageous, most loving self for the sake of the whole family.


Key Points:

- How a man’s work is related to his identity and self-respect

- Myths about achievement and career development

- The weighty considerations in a man’s mind regarding his work choice

- How to be a help in the process without creating stress

- The definition of a “quest”

- The single most important consideration in settling on a direction

- The four attributes of a worthy and effective “quest”


Related episodes:

Episode 8: Do You Believe in Him? How to Show Him and Why You Want To

Episode 9: How to Help Your Man When He’s Unsatisfied at Work


"These podcasts are life-changing! Absolutely love them. So inspiring! ✭✭✭✭✭” 

Feb 13, 201950:04
Ep 21: Romance and Desire That Last

Ep 21: Romance and Desire That Last

Feeling desired, even “wooed”, is the romantic high that that poetry, film, literature, and music have prepped women for all their lives. But how realistic is it to expect the passion, mystery, and excitement to continue throughout a lifelong marriage? Is it possible to create on-demand at any age or any stage? 


Multi-award winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband, Dale, answer a wife who is longing for days past when she felt that her husband was more drawn and devoted to her. 


Throw Me a WifeSaver: “My husband was INCREDIBLE with me for so long...he was doting on me, loving on me, encouraging me. Now I don't feel that way, and I don't know how to fix it. What can I do? How do I bring romance back into my marriage?”


Listen and learn how to re-ignite and sustain the amorous fun and fascination you used to feel in your relationship! The answers are more doable than cynics might think and more down-to-earth than romantics might expect!


Key Points:

- Why “romance” is important to women

- Our two great needs at odds in the quest for romance

- How today’s expectations of marriage differ from the past

- The definition of love vs. desire and why we want both

- 3 dynamics that make us desire, or feel drawn toward, our spouse

- 6 challenges that will bust complacency and cultivate excitement



"I love listening to the dynamic between Ramona and Dale and hope that my husband and I will be like them in 30 years!" ✭✭✭✭✭ iTunes/Apple listener


Feb 07, 201949:32
Ep 20: It's Not Fair! (but who's keeping score?)

Ep 20: It's Not Fair! (but who's keeping score?)

Life often feels unfair, especially at home, where every member of the family absolutely depends on every other member doing their part. When a husband or wife, in particular, is lacking or slacking, the other spouse can feel undue pressure. The result is frustration, overwhelm, and resentment.


Multi-award winning marriage author and educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband, Dale, answer a wife who is exasperated with her husband for not carrying his fair share of family life. 


Throw Me a WifeSaver: “I'm having a hard time changing my thinking to be super appreciative of my husband's (lack of) help around the house and kids...He is a good man but boy did he get lucky with me. I do SO MUCH that it's downright not fair. Do you have a mantra for me as I work through this?”


Listen and learn how to relieve the pressure on yourself and your marriage by incorporating a whole new approach to “fairness” in family life.


Key Points:

- Why “fairness” feels so important to us

- How a “matcher mentality” affects personal relationships

- 3 different ways to look at “fairness” in family life

- How to evaluate the effectiveness of your personal approach and philosophy

- 3 key skills or attitudes needed to achieve optimal “fairness”

- Examples of how to work together more effectively as a couple and family

Jan 24, 201944:17
Ep 19: Wars Over Chores: Recruiting His Help With the Housework

Ep 19: Wars Over Chores: Recruiting His Help With the Housework

 Who does the bulk of the housework in your house? Maintaining a home and managing a family is a big job optimally shared by all family members, including husband and wife. But what if your kids or husband don’t see it that way? How do you motivate them to help out, and to do it willingly and well? 


In this episode, multi-award-winning author and global marriage educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband, Dale, answer a wife who is feeling exasperated in her attempts to get her husband and sons more involved in the everyday care and operations of the house.


Throw Me a WifeSaver: “No matter my approach, I wake up most days wondering how and when I opened a bed and breakfast. While I truly and deeply love them and sincerely seek out ways to serve and honor my husband and family, I also need them to be contributing members. Any attempts I have tried to discuss this with my husband has failed miserably. How do I encourage my husband to contribute? How do I serve my husband and boys joyfully without creating the illusion that they are not expected to do their part in the family?” 


Listen and learn how you can most effectively persuade your children to do their chores and your spouse to take on more responsibility in the home.


Key Topics: 

- How you may be micromanaging and how it affects the family

- How spouses might perceive “home” differently

- The attitude that will change the environment in your home

- A specific approach to helping your kids “own” their chores and want to improve at them

- What your husband wants and needs from you regarding his help 

- “The Language of Respect”: a highly effective strategy for recruiting your husband’s help in a way that he will appreciate and be motivated by 

Jan 11, 201939:58
Ep 18: To Transform Your Marriage in 2019, Focus on This

Ep 18: To Transform Your Marriage in 2019, Focus on This

 

Looking for a New Years resolution that will improve your relationship? How about one that won’t bog down your “to-do” list; one that’s so simple, it’ll take only a few seconds here and there. That’s right, no matter what state your marriage is in, this concise, uncomplicated approach will not only immediately impact your feelings toward each other, but will also have major long-term repercussions for the positive.


In this episode, multi-award-winning author and global marriage educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband, Dale, answer a wife who, in her quest to improve her marriage, is curious to know where best to focus her limited time and energy.


Throw Me a WifeSaver: “What are some examples of things we can do with my time to improve my relationship with my husband? Would you recommend it be time spent with him or is time spend doing acts of service for him?”


Listen and learn what wives and husbands should focus most on if they want their relationship to thrive for a lifetime.


Key Topics:

- The magic in marriage researcher’s John Gottman’s “5 Magic Hours”

- Simple daily and weekly rituals used by couples in thriving marriages

- Why minor instantaneous interactions are so consequential

-The scientifically proven #1 most effective thing you can do for your r relationship

- Real examples of how to apply that approach

- A 3-second 3-question way to decide whether or not to use your smartphone in a given moment when you’re with your spouse 

- How your marriage can actually increase your time and energy


Free ebook: 5 Lies We Tell Brides and 5 Truths That Save Wives

Learn more about the WifeSavers Education Membership

Jan 03, 201937:51
Ep 17: Forgiveness in Marriage

Ep 17: Forgiveness in Marriage

Feeling frustrated and disappointed in your husband? Are his mistakes and shortcomings piling up? Or are you feeling bad about your own choices and behaviors? Everyone knows that saying or hearing “I’m sorry” can help, but actually extending or requesting real and lasting forgiveness is often the greatest challenge in marriage.


In this episode, multi-award-winning author and global marriage educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband, Dale, talk about how to get through or past ordinary or common offenses that have caused pain in your marriage.


Throw Me a WifeSaver: “Can you talk more about forgiveness?”


Listen and glean new insights into how forgiveness actually works and why it is worth the effort.

Key Topics:


- The signs and the downfalls of victimization
- The “advantages” to feeling “put upon”
- How focusing on vindication affects other relationships
- The psychological, physiological impact of victimization
- The 5 steps to replacing “put upon” with “powerful”
- What “everyday forgiveness” encompasses
- The  4 things forgiveness is not
- How the “how” of forgiveness is in the “why”
- The 3 popular “why’s” that don’t work and the only “why” that does
- A powerful statement to use that expresses forgiveness precisely
- The 3 steps or stages in restoring the relationship
- The only truly effective way to request forgiveness
- How forgiveness is possible and worth it

Dec 26, 201855:46
Ep 16: Seeing Eye to Eye: What to Do When You Don’t

Ep 16: Seeing Eye to Eye: What to Do When You Don’t

Is there an issue in your family or marriage that the two of just can’t see to agree on? One that you both feel strongly about? How will you ever get on the same page?

In this episode, multi-award-winning author and global marriage educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband, Dale, answer a wife who would like to resolve a real concern with her husband but is reticent to bring it up because she knows he’ll disagree with her.

Throw Me a WifeSaver: “What is the best way to have a conversation with my husband to try to work on and come to a compromise on a big issue on which we do not see eye to eye?”

Listen and learn how the two of you can productively navigate your way through the difficult conversations that focus on red-button issues.

Key Topics:

- How the “big” issues differ from natural, everyday conflict
- The specific approach proven by researchers to be the most effective
- Your top three objectives during a critical conversation - How to avoid taking responsibility for your partner’s emotion
- Ways to down-regulate defensiveness
- The 6 conversational stages that will guide you to a constructive conclusion - A natural, simplified approach to accomplishing those stages
- The hosts’ model of a conversation on a critical issue in their own marriage
- The real purpose of the exercise or how to measure success
Dec 14, 201856:36
Ep 15: The Mother-in-Law Relationship and How to Make It Better

Ep 15: The Mother-in-Law Relationship and How to Make It Better

What kind of relationship do you have with your mother-in-law? Is she a source of support for you and your family? Or of aggravation? How do the two of you go from feeling polite, distant, or competitive to warmth and friendship?

In this episode, multi-award-winning author and global marriage mentor and educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband, Dale, tackle this uniquely sensitive relationship in answering a wife who is unsure how to approach her husband’s mother, a woman she has a hard time being around, let alone connecting with.

Throw Me a WifeSaver! “The holidays are upon us and I would love to hear any wisdom you have with regard to dealing with mothers-in-law. We’ve been married for almost six years and this topic has come up many times in the past and has often created quite a big wedge between us in our marriage. I recognize that she doesn’t intend to hurt my feelings, but I need to develop some conflict strategies to learn how to deal with her. I’m more than open to any advice here.”

Listen and learn how to create (or improve upon!) a pleasant, productive relationship with your mother-in-law.

Key Topics:

- Why this important relationship is worth the investment
- The specific fear that interferes in this relationship between women
- How the relationship may be impacted by stereotypes
- Understanding better her probable intentions and real desires
- Which of you bears the responsibility for improving things
- The three stages mothers and daughters-in-law must progress through and how
- Real examples of relationships that grew past misunderstanding and tension
- The three mantras that can change everything
Dec 05, 201859:09
Ep 14: Dealing With Extended Family (especially through the holidays!)

Ep 14: Dealing With Extended Family (especially through the holidays!)

Do you ever struggle in your relationships with his family, or his with yours? Extended family dynamics can be tricky, especially during the intense togetherness and expectations that are often part of the holidays. 

In this episode, multi award-winning author and global marriage mentor and educator, Ramona Zabriskie and her husband, Dale, speak from their 40+ years of experience in answering a wife who is worried about navigating upcoming decisions about, and encounters with, extended family. 

This Week’s Question: “What if my husband and I have different ideas about what makes the perfect Christmas? My husband wants to stay home with just us and the children, and I want to be with all my extended family, and we go through this every year.” 

Listen and learn how to plot a course and steer your husband and children through any extended family gathering so they feel content and secure throughout, and happy with the experience at the end. 

Key Topics: 

- Compromise vs. Accommodating any time of year 

- 
Understanding his POV about your family and holiday wishes
 

- What you should do first before discussing plans with your husband 


- The three things to prioritize when spending time with extended family during the holidays 

- 
Seven strategies for managing and making the best of time with extended family as a couple

Nov 28, 201853:11
Ep 13: He Never Says Thank You: How to Get (and Give) More Appreciation

Ep 13: He Never Says Thank You: How to Get (and Give) More Appreciation

Do you feel UN (or under!) appreciated? Does your husband seem impassive, unaware, or inconsistent in his notice of all you are and all you do? Disappointment, disconnect, or disrespect is often the direct result of feeling taken for granted.

In this episode, Ramona and Dale answer a wife who knows her relationship and her family could be improved by more frequent expressions of thankfulness, but who doesn’t know how to motivate or inspire her husband to comprehend the obvious: she and the family need and deserve his appreciation. Listen and learn how to create a culture of gratitude in your marriage.

Today’s WifeSavers Question: “My husband and I are having difficult times because our relationship is missing this important phrase: thank you. How I can I help my husband practice this more? Thank you!”

Key Topics:

- Why hearing “thank you” is so important to a woman
- The common ways spouses fail to appreciate one another
- How “appreciation” is different than saying “thank you”
- Detecting his nonverbal demonstrations of appreciation
- How to ask for more verbal expressions
- The impact of her appreciation on him
- He wants her appreciation for this one thing most of all
- Creating a culture beyond “thank you” and “appreciation”
Nov 21, 201858:22
Ep 12: His Criticism Hurts: What To Do When Your Husband is Unkind or Unfair

Ep 12: His Criticism Hurts: What To Do When Your Husband is Unkind or Unfair

Ever feel that your husband is too quick to express his disapproval, to point out your “mistakes”? Is his occasional or even chronic negativity towards you hurting the relationship?

Ramona and Dale answer a wife who suffers from a sense of bewilderment and betrayal every time her husband focuses on (what he perceives to be) her shortcomings. Listen and learn how a woman can negate or arrest his negativity by effectively discerning between—and optimally responding to—different types of criticism.

Today’s WifeSavers Question: “I often feel I am unappreciated and unfairly criticized by my spouse. When I have tried my best, and things are running smoothly in the household, I am still not measuring up in my husband's eyes. I know this because of what he says. Help.”

Key Topics:

- The three fears his criticism excites in her
- How his criticism violates three of her most essential needs or desires
- How to discern between the three types of criticism
- Ways she can respond effectively to each type of criticism, including
exact phrases
- Understanding and managing toxic or chronic criticism
- The six behaviors to avoid when addressing or responding to his
criticism
- Defining different forms of abuse
- Ten WifeSavers principles to keep in mind as she speaks her mind
Nov 14, 201801:13:25
Ep 11: Turning Negative Communication With Your Husband to the Positive

Ep 11: Turning Negative Communication With Your Husband to the Positive

Discouraged and frustrated by communications with your husband that leave both of you feeling miserable? It may be that your what you are saying is being heard very differently than you intend. Ramona and her husband, Dale, answer a wife who doesn’t mean to come across as negative and unloving but is afraid that’s exactly how she’s being received. Listen and learn how with a few tweaks in approach and wording a wife can completely alter the outcome of almost any conversation with her husband to the positive.

Today’s WifeSavers Question: “Sometimes when I respond negatively to things with my husband, I know right away that I've gone about it all wrong. I definitely don't want to handle things in an unloving way it just seems to come out in a burst of emotions sometimes before I even know how to package it in a more positive way. Any suggestions?”

Key Topics:

- Why his perceptions may be formed or based on the words and phrases you are using
- Identifying seven characteristics of negative language that you may be unaware of
- What actual messages you may be sending inadvertently
- Mindset or paradigm shifts that will undergird permanent changes in your communication style
- Three simple but powerful linguistic approaches that will lessen confusion and leave you both feeling better
Nov 07, 201849:44
Ep 10: How Do I Find Balance? A Woman’s Greatest Challenge

Ep 10: How Do I Find Balance? A Woman’s Greatest Challenge

Do you feel like the hub of a wheel and all the spokes are squeaking? Everyone and everything seems to need you right now, which means someone or something is being neglected: YOU especially. What would it take to feel more "balanced"? Ramona and her husband Dale answer a wife who is wearing out; spread so thin between competing responsibilities and relationships, she's afraid no one is getting "enough".

Today’s WifeSavers Question: “I find that often I just run out of time and energy to focus on anything. What can I do to help this problem lessen? How do I find balance?"

Listen and learn why a woman gets so easily "out of balance" and how she can realign herself and her relationships so that everyone feels more steady and satisfied.

Key Topics:

- The inherent gifts of womanhood that make her susceptible to overdoing
- False perceptions or definitions of "balance" that fuel frustration
- The exhausting struggle between a woman's two great needs or desires
- How an inner "hierarchy" can guide her choices
- What "responding" and "romancing" have to do with restoring balance
- Why a husband is uniquely positioned to help her balance
Oct 31, 201854:16
Ep 9: How to Help Your Man When He's Unsatisfied at Work

Ep 9: How to Help Your Man When He's Unsatisfied at Work

Has your man felt stalemated, unmotivated, or rudderless in his career? Have you seen him act depressed or anxious about his current job? Ramona and Dale, who have been there, answer a wife who is very worried for her husband because he’s so unhappy at work and because the strain is affecting their marriage.

Today’s WifeSavers Question: “My husband has been at a point for a while where he is unsatisfied with his job, but he doesn't have any clue what to do. Lately, it seems like he's become another person. He goes to work, comes home, and his time is mostly spent on his computer or his phone. I’m drowning in worry, fears, and insecurities. I feel like he's slipping further and further away. I’m afraid I'm not doing good enough as his wife and it's hard for me to keep control of my emotions. Help!”

Listen and learn what’s really going on inside for both of them and what a wife can do to help her husband out of the doldrums and moving towards his dreams again.

Key Topics:

- Where his anxiety and depression may be coming from
- Why he is withdrawing from her
- How the male brain deals with stress and emotion
- Why his behavior triggers worry and fear in her
- The potential impact of her understanding and involvement
- Four ways to get him energized and moving towards his dreams
Oct 16, 201850:55
Ep 8: Do You Believe in Him? How to Show Him and Why You Want To

Ep 8: Do You Believe in Him? How to Show Him and Why You Want To

Is your husband depressed, distant, aggravated, demoralized? It may be that he’s unsure you really trust or have faith in him. Ramona and her husband, Dale, answer a wife who has just discovered her husband has silently felt unsupported for years, and she’s eager to repair the damage. Listen and learn how a wife can restore her faith in her man and rekindle his love for her.

Today’s WifeSavers Question: “I discovered during a conference that my husband and I are attending, the thing my husband resents about me more than anything else...His notes read: "I forgive her for not believing in me." I need to understand how better to show that I believe in him. Where to start?”

Key Topics:

- What she may be doing inadvertently, that says to him that she doesn’t believe
- The six questions she has to answer to restore her faith in him
- What attitude will restore his trust in her
- The actions that will best demonstrate her belief in him
- The promising prognosis for their marriage
Oct 09, 201845:19
Ep 7: Feeling Burnt Out After Too Much Stress

Ep 7: Feeling Burnt Out After Too Much Stress

Ramona and her husband, Dale, answer a wife who in the aftermath of excessive and prolonged stress, is feeling used up and burnt out. Listen and learn how a woman can bring healthy energy back into her life without costly vacations, elaborate strategies, or wearing out loved ones in the process. Today’s WifeSavers Question: “I feel like the aloe plant that's been forgotten on the porch...Sometimes I wonder if all the care & attention in the world will be enough to resurrect that poor aloe/me!” Key Topics: • Why the search for happiness may be the wrong approach • Easy adaptions to bring joy into her life • The consequences of a women’s non-stop thinking and activity • Why we need regular doses of time alone and time with other women • What a husband can do to help, and the advantages to him • Approaches to self-education to restore worth and mental health • Approaches to finding new perspective through “inspiration” • The Key to avoiding depletion
Sep 26, 201852:36
Ep 6: We Have Little in Common: Creating Connection Despite Your Differences

Ep 6: We Have Little in Common: Creating Connection Despite Your Differences

In this episode, Ramona and Dale answer a wife who is struggling to connect with her man who she feels is her “opposite." Learn how a couple can find, create, or build intimacy despite different interests and approaches to life.

Today’s Question: “We have very different personalities and our perspectives are exact opposite based on our experiences… I have wondered is there a point to continue with not much in common? How do I remedy this?”

Key Topics:

- Why feeling disconnected is a crisis that needs addressing
- What a wife and husband could be “forgetting” or misunderstanding
- Whether or not “having similarities” will solve their problems
- The two actions will have the most impact on her feelings towards him
- The optimal use of time to foster connection
- The “circle” exercise to discovering or creating common interests
- How to become involved in each other’s sphere of interests
- The truth behind the premise that having nothing in common means you’re not compatible
Sep 19, 201843:09