First responder spouses are some of the most strong and independent people I know. But sometimes what that means is we take on more than we can chew. And yes, I am speaking from experience. We all have those tired days or weeks so here is a reminder on why rest and relaxation for you and police wives is important. Tips to Insure Rest and Relaxation for Police Wives Be okay with pumping the breaks a bit. I am completely guilty of taking on more than I should. We have to be okay with slowing down our schedules or else nothing will change. You have the control to do that. Be Click for more
What Happens When Cops Don’t Talk
Law enforcement officers see more trauma than the average person. Over time, the trauma they see and experience builds or stacks on top of each other. It is vital that police officers find healthy ways to cope with the job and this includes talking about it. When cops don't talk, we can see a variety of symptoms regarding their physical and mental health. In today's episode I am joined by Susan Simons, President and Founder of Under the Shield, leading subject matter expert in First Responder Stress and Post Traumatic Stress Injury as well as a podcast host of Fight in Progress. Click for more
Support for First Responders and Military Families with Taya Kyle
First responder and military couples often have bigger asks of them compared to civilian couples. These careers ask more out of couples and families. But sadly, it can be hard to find support and resources for the tens of thousands of service families that need them. In today's episode I am joined by Taya Kyle. Taya Kyle is the widow of Chris Kyle-American Sniper, Executive Director of The Taya and Chris Kyle Foundation | Service Family Strong, New York Times Best Selling Author of American Wife, and a huge advocate for first responder and military families. Our community was so blessed to Click for more
Financial Preparedness for First Responders and their Families
First Responder families are used to having hard conversations regarding the job. But we don't always want to talk about finances and being prepared if an emergency were to happen. Talking about emergency funds and life insurance is not exactly "fun" for most people, but it really is a necessary conversation not just for everyone in life but especially first responder families. In today's episode, Courtney from Heroes Financial Coaching is joining us to talk about financial preparedness for first responders. Courtney is a veteran wife, police wife and momma to two toddlers. She knows Click for more
Building Resiliency in First Responders
First responders are just that- the ones that respond to danger, negativity and emergencies FIRST. They are the helpers in the world and constantly being exposed to heavy topics and experiences can take a toll. One way to combat the high exposure to negativity and emergencies is by building resiliency in first responders. This not only helps them process what they see on the job, but helps decrease burnout in first responders and spillover from the job. In today's podcast episode we brought on Kristen Jauregui as our guest. Kristen is a fellow police wife, dispatcher of 23 years, Click for more
3 Ways to Help Your Police Spouse When He/She Comes Off Shift
Today's episode is brought to you by Pictures on Gold. Pictures on Gold offers personalized police and firefighter jewelry like badge necklaces, earrings and more. Use this link to shop and use code PROUDPOLICEWIFE for $10 off. When your spouse works a dangerous job mixed with shift work, it is NORMAL to feel happy, excited, emotional or relieved when he/she comes home safely after shift. I remember many nights where our baby cried all night and I longed for the moment until my husband walked through that door so I could hand him the baby so I could get some sleep. Or the time I Click for more
My Spouse is Considering Leaving Law Enforcement. What Job Can He/She Do?
This episode is brought to you by The Taya and Chris Kyle Foundation | Service Family Strong. Through their tested curriculum, programs and support they help first responder couples and marriages. We hear a lot of talk lately about police officers leaving law enforcement or retiring early and moving on to another career. And can we really blame them? With society dehumanizing law enforcement, it makes their job even harder than it already is. So whether you (or your spouse) are ready to turn in the badge or you are just exploring your options, today's episode will give you some Click for more
How to Create a Bedtime Routine for Kids when your Spouse Works Night Shift
Today's episode is brought to you by Arrest My Vest. Arrest my vest has odor eliminating spray that instantly takes away smells from body armor, tactical gear, uniforms and more. Visit Arrest My Vest at www.arrestmyvest.com and use code THANKYOU (all one word) for 15% off. Welcome to Season 2 of The Proud Police Wife Podcast! We have some amazing guests this season. If you haven't already, be sure to check out all 16 episodes of Season 1 of the podcast for support and resources for police wife life. Today we are talking with fellow police wife Melissa about bedtime routines for Click for more
How to Create and Foster Routines as a Law Enforcement Family
With shift work and inconsistent schedules it can feel as if creating routines for your family are difficult. But I am here to tell you, that you probably already have routines that you may not be aware of. And you can absolutely create routines based on what YOU CAN CONTROL. If you focus on what you can control vs what you can't (like your spouse being held over at work or his/her schedule) then you set yourself up for success. Helpful Tips for Establishing Routines as a Law Enforcement Family: Individual routines vs. family routines While it is important to have routines as an Click for more
How to Take Back Your Digital Privacy for Law Enforcement Families with Pete James
Sadly, digital privacy for law enforcement officers and their families has become not a want but a need. All over the nation we seeing police officers being harassed, doxxed or targeted. One way that this is happening is by people having access to a law enforcement officer's private information like home address, phone number, and the names of their relatives. Because of this, the need to break the connection between a police officer's name and their personal information is incredibly high. However, with the high number of people search sites available at anyone's fingertips, removing your Click for more
Children of Law Enforcement: Q&A with a Daughter of a Police Officer
Children of law enforcement families face a unique set of challenges and experiences that many other kids may not understand. Because of that, my daughter was brave enough to come on to today's episode and allow me to ask her some questions about what her experience is like. She wanted to share in hopes of helping just one fellow or future child of law enforcement. While most of her experience is a positive one, I'll be honest and say this was a harder episode for us to get through than we both realized. One question left us both in tears and out of respect to her, I did not include it Click for more
How to Deal with People Who Are Anti-Police as a Law Enforcement Spouse/Couple
Sadly, coming across people who are anti-police and sometimes even friends and family who buy into this negative police rhetoric can happen. And for many in our community, it feels like it is happening more now than ever before. For that reason, so many couples, spouses and officers feel like they can not openly share their pride and support for law enforcement. Due to the current climate and widespread media negativity, law enforcement seems to be a hot button topic and very politically driven. Many like to dehumanize and demoralize law enforcement and lump every police officer into Click for more
What to Remember When You Feel Lonely as a Police Spouse
Years ago, I did not know that the loneliness I was experiencing was very normal. In fact, most police spouses experience loneliness, on some level, at some point. If you are finding yourself lonely and missing your spouse, then I want you to know, you are not alone. I am not so physically lonely now because I have little ones & lots of animals to occupy my time and company. However, I am now in the stage of my life where I can feel emotionally lonely if I do not allow myself to be intentional and make time for my husband and I to be together. Keeping your time protected, as a Click for more
How to Live a Purposeful Life Even During Hard Times with Zanna Wolfgang
If you are a police family member and ready to find encouragement for living your best life, then this is the episode for you. Joining me on the podcast today is Zanna Wolfgang. Zanna is a former police wife, founder of Honor the Brave and she has some new ventures that we are talking about today which share her passion for helping women live their lives purposefully even during hard times. It’s no secret that the past few years have obviously been hard for so many of us but in today’s episode we want to encourage people to not stay in that hard season of life. We want to use Click for more
The Best Resources and Support for Police Spouses All in One Place
If you haven't heard, The Police Wife Conference is coming back for it's 4th year! This is a virtual event that is happening April 25th-29th, 2022! If you are Looking for Resources and Support for Police Spouses, this is for you! 5 days, 10 expert speakers, talking about 10 different topics for law enforcement families. In a nutshell, the best resources and support for police spouses all packed in to one powerful week. Here are the details: The Fourth Annual Police Wife Conference is a week long, virtual event where you will have access to 10 experts speakers from Click for more
The Best Crowdfunding Platform for First Responders
Have you ever wanted to give money to a first responder fundraiser but hate all the unnecessary fees? Or maybe you can't trust the fundraiser being passed around because there are so many claiming to help the recipient? Joining me on today's episode is Robert Garland. Robert is a NYPD Detective and the Founder and CEO of Fund the First, a crowdfunding platform for first responders, military, teachers and more. So what makes Fund the First different than other fundraising platforms? First, let's talk about the why. Robert started Fund the First because a fellow police officer and Click for more
When You Feel Just Plain Tired as a Law Enforcement Spouse
Disclaimer: I am not a counselor or doctor. Do not take my story, opinion or what is shared in this episode as medical or professional advice. Raise your hand if over the past two years you have felt just plain tired as a law enforcement spouse. For some of us, it ends there. We are just tired. Mentally and physically tired from the rhetoric, the hate that law enforcement receive and from the impact the job has on our lives. For others, that tiredness turns into exhaustion and burnout. You can take a break, go on vacation or do a social media fast for a bit and feel better. Click for more
How to Take Control of Your Fear as a Police Wife
Fear as a police wife- this is a huge topic I get asked about all the time. Spouses want to know are their fears normal? Do other spouses have fear, too? How do you manage the fear? First, fear is normal. But fear is an emotion that will control you if you let it. It can consume you and only bring negativity if you don't find ways to redirect those emotions. So there is a fine line between having normal amounts of fear as a police wife in your life and letting those fears be in the front of your mind every single day. Sadly, I don't think this topic is not discussed enough. We hear Click for more
How to Best Prepare for the Unexpected as a Law Enforcement Family
This episode is brought to you by Blue Monarch Co. Blue Monarch Co. is a retired police owned and operated jewelry company that offers inspirational and subtle thin blue line pieces. Check out Blue Monarch Co. and use code HEART40 for 40% off your order or code BOGOHEART for buy one, get one free for any products in the heart collection. While talking about the dangers of the job is not an ideal conversation and one that many law enforcement families put off, it truly is one of necessity. No one truly wants to talk about how to prepare for the unexpected. Believe me, Click for more
How to Make Mental Wellness a Priority for Law Enforcement Spouses
This episode is brought to you by Charliemadison Originals. Charliemadison Originals is a military spouse-owned and operated small business that supports all first responders. They create meaningful everyday jewelry that keeps you connected to your first-responder hero and reminds you of those you cherish most. This is a topic that is really real and raw for me. A lot of emphasis as spouses is put on mental health for the officer in our life (and understandbly so) but what we don't always recognize is that we need to check on ourselves as well. As Click for more
How to Survive and Thrive in a Law Enforcement Marriage with Lena Rosenbloom
This episode is brought to you by Blue Monarch Co. Blue Monarch Co. is a retired police owned and operated jewelry company that offers inspirational and subtle thin blue ling pieces. Check out Blue Monarch Co. and use code BLUE20 for 20% off your purchase. Today Lena Rosenbloom from Badge Wives is joining us to talk about how to not only survive in your law enforcement marriage but how to thrive. Lena is a fellow police wife of many years, is a mental health professional, and is the President of Badge Wives located in Florida. So many times old statistics about Click for more
Tips on Parenting While Your Spouse Works Night Shift
This episode is brought to you by Arrest My Vest. Arrest my Vest provides odor-eliminating spray for vests, tactical gear, boots and more by eliminating odors on contact. Check out Arrest My Vest here and use code THANKYOU (all one word) for 15% off your purchase. Navigating night shift with kids can absolutely feel stressful, you are not alone there. My husband and I have 3 children and we've been through the newborn phase, toddler phase and now our kids are in elementary school. There are hard parts and easy parts about each of those phases of parenting. Trying to Click for more
Welcome to the Proud Police Wife Podcast! Let’s Get Started!
Are you married to a police officer, dating one, a family member, or supporter? Then welcome to the Proud Police Wife podcast where we are going to provide you with support, tips, and relatable experiences surrounding this lifestyle. Some topics will be funny while others may tug at your heartstrings. If you don’t know me, my name is Rebecca Lynn. I am a mother of 3, former teacher and police wife of 15 years. I own the blog Proud Police Wife, am the founder and host of the Annual Police Wife Conference which is a virtual conference held every April and author of two books. My newest Click for more
Being Married to a Police Officer: It’s Not Always Scary
Whether you are new to being married to a police officer, just dating one, a veteran spouse, or trying to figure out if this lifestyle is for you or not, it can sometimes feel scary. But I am here to tell you it doesn't have to be. Not all the time anyway. Are there aspects associated with a police officer's job that are worrisome? Yes, of course. But does your whole life need to be centered around doom and gloom? Absolutely, not, my friend! I know that conversations with friends and family, turning on the news and scrolling social media can bring unwanted thoughts and put you down a Click for more