19 Oct 2026 05:15
When Kids Go Off Script :: Vela Tomba [Ep 595]
In The Prodigal’s Mother, author Vela Tomba, a mom of three adult children, helps moms navigate the challenges of parenting adult and young adult kids. Through her own 36-year journey of motherhood, she has learned the freedom and peace that come from letting go of the need to rescue, fix, and control our children’s lives. She encourages moms to stay in their own “hula hoop,” trust God, and discover joy even when their children’s stories look different than they imagined.
About This EpisodeWhat happens when your child’s life doesn’t follow the script you imagined? In this conversation, Vela shares how our expectations for our children can become idols, leading us to rescue, control, and tie our own peace to their choices. We talk about the heartbreak of having a prodigal child and how to trust God when your child’s choices take them down a different path than you hoped. Through releasing our grip, embracing the reality of our children’s stories, and trusting God to write His script, not ours, we can find peace, freedom, and joy even in the hardest seasons of motherhood.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Recognizing the expectations and “scripts” we create for our children
- How parenting can slip into codependency, rescuing, and control
- Learning to distinguish between harmful choices and simply different choices
- Staying in your own “hula hoop” and honoring your responsibilities
- Trusting God to speak to your children and guide their stories
- Bringing our heartbreak and disappointment to God so He can heal us
- How to support a mom who is struggling with her child: listen, love, and be present
- Shifting from telling our children’s stories to living our own
Finding joy and freedom through acceptance, surrender, and trust in God
- Website: VELA TOMBA
- Instagram: Vela Tomba (@velatomba)
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