While we may have a handle on sports, school, and encouraging our kids' talents, lots of moms and dads figure the spiritual/moral development of their kids will happen naturally. This may be because of our own upbringing or feeling unequipped to take charge in this arena. Our guest is a children's minister with 15+ years' experience in guiding children preschool through grade 6. She runs through her top to-do's for families wanting to make God an active part of their lives.
Mar 07, 2022•48 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Monsters under the bed, a dark room, separation: all common childhood fears that are developmentally appropriate for certain ages. We break down fears by age, how to combat them, how to address childhood fears, and what we can do as parents to help our kids through an emotion that can seem overwhelming.
Feb 28, 2022•56 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Every pregnancy has a 1 in 250 chance of identical twins. What's it like to carry, deliver, and raise TWO at once? In this episode, we talk to two moms of twin girls: ages 7 and 20 and walk through their twin experiences. As hard as it might be, there's lots of added sweetness and blessings to being a twin mom!
Feb 21, 2022•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 8
Happy heart day! We're sharing some of our favorite family valentine traditions and memories in this episode. Candy hearts and shoebox crafts, anyone? Also, we take a look at what we're celebrating: what's love really mean? How do we communicate this to our kids, especially when they start showing interest in the bf/gf dynamic?
Feb 14, 2022•35 min•Season 3Ep. 7
In addition to their OB and pediatrician, many moms have started to see the benefits of chiropractic visits--and not just when their kid has a collision on the soccer field. In this episode, we talk to pediatric and prenatal specialist, Dr. Marilyn Jackson of Milestone Family Chiropractic, who talks us through the effect of chiropractic care on your nervous system, health, and well-being. Who doesn't want a fully-functioning nervous system, especially in children whose brains are developing like...
Feb 07, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Anger is such a dynamite emotion, it can startle us and activate our defensiveness, even against our own children. It's hard not to take personally! In this episode, we peel back the onion and look at some causes of anger in children, how to react (and not react), and how to help kids identify what's really going on underneath that volcano!
Jan 31, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In this final episode of the 3-part Kids & Food series, we talk about SNACKS and the Golden Rule of food: it should be a joy, not a stressor. If we change our language about food (good food vs. bad) and our approach to the table, it's a win-win for parents & kids.
Jan 24, 2022•33 min•Season 3Ep. 4
How come French kids have no problem eating veggies & anything else their parents eat? Join us for part 2 of our series as we compare food cultures with Karen LeBillon's book, French Kids Eat Everything. Do you have a picky eater? Issues at mealtime? This series is for you!
Jan 17, 2022•39 min•Season 3Ep. 3
One of the most frequent complaints pediatricians hear is "I can't get my kid to eat!" Typically, parents are talking about their 2-3 year old, but often it's older kids, too. In this 3-part series, we take a peek at a different culture--one that doesn't seem to have this problem--and see what they're doing to de-stress and simplify food issues with kids.
Jan 10, 2022•49 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Many parents report feeling inadequate in guiding their kids in spiritual matters. How can we lead our kids to maturity there just like we do in academics, sports, and social areas? Our guest, Jason Houser, is a husband & father AND a singer, songwriter, and founder of Seeds Family Worship ministry. Join us for a fun conversation as we talk about making room for God in your family.
Jan 03, 2022•46 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Are you a planner or does the thought of setting goals give you hives? In this episode, we go through an easy way to set some short term and long term goals using a simple 1-10 scale. It covers seven key areas: Faith, Fun, Friends, Finances, Fellowship, Fitness, and Family. Make this the year for progress! Baby steps count!
Dec 27, 2021•31 min•Season 2Ep. 26
Every now and then, it's a good idea to check in with your marriage and see how its engine is running. All marriages could do with a good tune up from time to time, no matter how many years you've been together. We run down 10 areas where you may or may not want to do some maintenance. Nobody can do all of them at once--just pick a couple at a time and see if the road feels smoother.
Dec 20, 2021•41 min•Season 2Ep. 25
In this episode, we're joined by two of the best dads we know--our husbands! We get them talking about four important ways fathers strengthen the family and their kids in particular. Spoiler alert: there are wayyy more than just four ways! This podcast will give you some great conversation starters for moms and dads and will give dads some concrete tips for investing in those relationships.
Dec 13, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 24
What's one thing we can teach our children that will teach them humility, grace, compassion AND be glue for their future relationships? Apologizing and asking for forgiveness may be a struggle, but it's vital to our health and a key to harmonious relationships. What's it look like? How do we do it completely so the recipient feels we mean it? This episode dives in!
Dec 06, 2021•44 min•Season 2Ep. 23
Prayer is giving our attention to God where we talk to God and also listen to Him. The conversations our children have with God can be the sweetest! And they're often insightful and honest, leading us to grow in our own spiritual relationship. What are some ways we can teach our kids to pray and how can we model it? With two special guests, who have tried and tested various prayers with their kids, we explore what a culture of prayer in a home can look like.
Nov 29, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 22
In most families in America, it's MOM who shoulders most of the load, especially when it comes to kids and household chores. It's 2021, yet in this respect, many of us seem stuck in the 50's. Why is that? What can we do to share the burden? Eve Rodsky's book FAIR PLAY gives some GREAT suggestions on how to change our script and lessen the overwhelm that many (most??) moms experience.
Nov 22, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Holidays can often come with a big ol' dose of "overwhelm." In this episode, we talk about what to keep and what to get rid of, how to have a workable holiday schedule, and what we can do to help our kids focus more outward and less inward. Plus, we let you in on some of our favorite family traditions that you can try for something new!
Nov 15, 2021•25 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Over 60% of families in America live in some type of blended family home. Kyleen Baptiste, a stepmom and family and child life therapist, talks honestly with us about what that can be like for the adults and the kids. Her faith-based approach to her own blended family experience is inspiring and hopeful, and the wisdom she shares with us in this episode is an encouragement to all families.
Nov 08, 2021•58 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Does giving our children lots of choices teach them to make good ones? Research has shown that decision fatigue affects all of us, and it might be more pronounced in children. What is actually happening psychologically when we give our kids abundant choices very early? This may be the answer to 90% of the behavior issues moms deal with at home.
Nov 01, 2021•39 min•Season 2Ep. 18
In any given day as a mom, our kids give us plenty of challenges, whether they're 3 or 13. If we take on all of them, everyone's overwhelmed and demoralized. If we ignore them all, things go south quickly. How do we decide which hills to die on? We lay out some ways to sift through the chaos.
Oct 25, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Expecting mothers have lots of birth options available today. In this episode, we talk with Sarah Perry, an experienced doula, about what a doula can offer before, during, and after childbirth. Why would an expecting mom consider using a doula? In this heartfelt and funny conversation, we compare and contrast birth stories of the past with the kinds of choices new moms now have.
Oct 18, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Pornography, Hyper-sexualized culture, & a worldview of Romance/Marriage. This episode tackles 3 thorny topics that, in our combined years of mom life, we've seen lots of parents struggle with, including in our own families. In our digitized, sex-saturated world, how can we guide our kids through the quicksand? We're all for empowering women, but today's definition of empowerment is inherently flawed. What's the Christian worldview and response?
Oct 11, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 15
We may tend to think kids will just absorb information about money and how to use it, but turns out parenst can teach some practical life skills parents from a suprisingly early age to help foster a positive and financially savvy approach to money. In this episode, we run through key concepts from saving to investing, allowances, generosity, and a whole range of topics for a good head start.
Oct 04, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Sibs are the only ones with us for the whole ride. The relationship may define us & form us more powerfully than any other. But even if siblings are best friends, there's often a lot of conflict and irritation that come with the territory. From Cain & Abel to the Jonas Brothers, siblngs are as old as time. What can parents do to solidify the bonds and minimize the tattling and arguing?
Sep 27, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 13
They Whine, I Wine. It's Wine O'Clock. Mommy's Sippy Cup. You've probably seen the memes, merchandising, and movies associated with what's now known as the "mommy wine culture." Samantha Perkins, author of Alive AF, One Anxious Mom's Journey to Becoming Alcohol Free, gets honest and real about her nightly chardonnays while parenting her two children under 5. This is a brave conversation we shouldn't shy away from. https://www.amazon.com/Alive-AF-Anxious-Journey-Becoming-ebook/dp/B08RF1LSMP https...
Sep 20, 2021•49 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Our special guest on this episode is Emma Goodwyn, who happens to be Renee's firstborn child. We chat about the arrival of Emma's own daughter and what it's like to watch your grown child have her own. In an honest and open conversation about being a new mom and a new grandparent, how their mother-daughter relationship changed, and how it's going so far, Renee & Emma keep it real.
Sep 13, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 11
What used to be noisy family chaos at dinnertime now becomes mom, dad, and the youngest blinking at each other over meatloaf. How do we navigate changing family dynamics as, one by one, the kids leave home? Is it ok to parent one child differently than their siblings? In this episode, we encourage moms to "finish strong," having perseverance in that home stretch toward the empty nest.
Sep 06, 2021•40 min•Season 2Ep. 10
According to author Hope Edelman, when new mothers are grieving their own mothers, the physical and psychological stress can be overwhelming: You're suddenly in the role of the person you need most—who's no longer there. If you become a mother after your own mother dies, you're mourning what might have been. On this episode, we talk with Danielle Cunningham and co-host Bonnie Blaylock, who both lost their mothers before they had children of their own, and how that changed the way they parent....
Aug 30, 2021•55 min•Season 2Ep. 9
School's back in session or soon will be for 2021, whatever that's going to look like. It can be hard to get back in the groove of schedules, homework, and bedtime. In this episode, we touch on some helpful areas where you can refocus to tackle that transition. Renee gives the homeschool perspective, and Bonnie looks at life when your kids are in public school.
Aug 23, 2021•43 min•Season 2Ep. 8
The sleep-deprived mom is a common trope we can probably all relate to. On this episode, we speak with Dr. Tiffany Rogers, a PhD in behavioral neuroscience and mom of three. She walks us through what the brain does while we're asleep (hint: it's not just shut off!) and why sleep for us and our children should be a priority.
Aug 16, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 7
