#412 Meet Me In The Middle: Mother / Daughter Conversations with Sandra Stanley & Allie Stanley Cooney
This week, I’m so excited to welcome Sandra Stanley and her daughter, Allie Stanley Cooney, as our guests. Sandra, a familiar face on the show, is a dedicated foster parent, foster advocate, and co-author of the book Parenting: Getting It Right.
This time, Sandra is joined by her daughter, Allie, who has a Master’s in Christian Education and background in student ministry, to discuss their book Meet Me in the Middle: 8 Mother-Daughter Conversations about Life and Faith.
This book is such an incredible resource for those looking to strengthen their relationship with young girls in their lives. As a mom of a tween girl myself, this conversation was so insightful and encouraging. Moms, grandmas, sisters, dads, uncles, and mentors- there is something in this episode for you!
4:52 – Allie 101
- Georgia native, pastor family, youngest of 3
- Background in student ministry and Christian education
- Wife and mom
7:27 – Sandra 201
- Life as a grandmother
- Writing a book with Allie
- 36 years of marriage
8:26 – Writing a Book Together
- What led Sandra and Allie to write this book
- Having hard conversations ahead of time
- Setting your child up for success
15:24 – The Imperfect Path of Parenting
- Appreciating a parent’s love when you become a parent
- Making mistakes as a parent
- Allowing children to make mistakes in a safe environment
- The unique dynamic of a mother/daughter relationship
- Philippians 4:4-9 as a foundation for this book
28:16 – Meet Me In The Middle
- How this book is structured
- Identity and self-worth in middle and high school
- What we model matters
- Parenting in the age of social media
- Helping your children own their faith
48:17 – Final Thoughts
- Navigating big feelings with your children
- Getting your copy of Meet Me In The Middle
- Encouragement for moms and mentors
FEATURED QUOTES
“If we can bridge the gap between moms and daughters so that they can have some of the hard conversations ahead of time, before…. there’s conflict and tension…it is such a win when those hard times come.”
“We really wanted to structure it in a way that a grandmother or an aunt or a mentor could also pick it up and do this with the young lady in their life that they love and who is important to them.”
“You don’t have to change, you don’t have to pretend, you don’t have to give up hope, because Jesus did all of that on your behalf… You are enough and you are loved, and you are a child of God.”
“What we model matters, and it matters in the development of our children’s faith and how they view their Heavenly Father.”
Learn more about Sandra and Allie:
https://www.sandrastanley.com/meetmeinthemiddle
Get your copy of Meet Me in the Middle
Get your copy of Parenting: Getting It Right
Allie on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/alliekaycooney/?hl=en
Sandra on Instagram: