Episodes

Is it sin when my child misbehaves? Or is there something else going on under the surface? What is gentle parenting? What is biblical parenting? This topic is definitely making the rounds right now on social media, in churches, and in our homes. It can be overwhelming and confusing. What is true? What does the Bible really say about all of this? If you are struggling with all the controversy around this topic, you are in good company with so many other parents, and you will not want to miss this...

What difference does the gospel make in our lives? In our parenting? The message of God’s love communicates the unconditional truth that each of us has been made in the image of God. Our connection with Jesus brings hope and transformation to every area of our lives. The love and grace of God is the source of everything we do at Connected Families. One of the things that sets us apart is that we work to make scripture practical for parents. The Bible is our sure foundation and the first resour...

What difference does the gospel make in our lives? In our parenting? The message of God’s love communicates the unconditional truth that each of us has been made in the image of God. Our connection with Jesus brings hope and transformation to every area of our lives. The love and grace of God is the source of everything we do at Connected Families. One of the things that sets us apart is that we work to make scripture practical for parents. The Bible is our sure foundation and the first resour...

“These clothes are itchy!” “I can’t eat this, it’s mushy!” Meltdowns at bedtime. High energy at mealtime. Lots of big feelings about everything! There is usually at least one child like this in every family! If your child freaks out easily and you can relate, it is very possible that you are parenting a sensitive and intense child. What do we mean by sensitive and intense? It’s not an official medical term or a diagnosis. It’s simply a descriptive way to guide how we look at the kiddos that bec...

“These clothes are itchy!” “I can’t eat this, it’s mushy!” Meltdowns at bedtime. High energy at mealtime. Lots of big feelings about everything! There is usually at least one child like this in every family! If your child freaks out easily and you can relate, it is very possible that you are parenting a sensitive and intense child. What do we mean by sensitive and intense? It’s not an official medical term or a diagnosis. It’s simply a descriptive way to guide how we look at the kiddos that bec...

Not all families who have been formed through adoption have experienced what is discussed on this podcast. Regardless of how your family was formed, or the challenges you have in your home, there is a wide range of experiences when it comes to compassion fatigue. If you’re struggling to feel joy and hope in your relationship with your child you might be feeling compassion fatigue. Especially if, for a variety of reasons, your child needs extra care and support. You love your child so much, but ...

Not all families who have been formed through adoption have experienced what is discussed on this podcast. Regardless of how your family was formed, or the challenges you have in your home, there is a wide range of experiences when it comes to compassion fatigue. If you’re struggling to feel joy and hope in your relationship with your child you might be feeling compassion fatigue. Especially if, for a variety of reasons, your child needs extra care and support. You love your child so much, but ...

Do you sometimes worry about your child who is a rule follower? Wait, what?! Don’t we want kids who follow the rules? Parents often express their concerns about their defiant child. But rule-following? That doesn’t seem like a bad thing! And yet, we would suggest that these types of children come with their own set of challenges. Compliance can be viewed on a scale, from healthy to unhealthy. A child who is “easy” may actually be emotionally unhealthy and struggling to “speak the truth in love...

Do you sometimes worry about your child who is a rule follower? Wait, what?! Don’t we want kids who follow the rules? Parents often express their concerns about their defiant child. But rule-following? That doesn’t seem like a bad thing! And yet, we would suggest that these types of children come with their own set of challenges. Compliance can be viewed on a scale, from healthy to unhealthy. A child who is “easy” may actually be emotionally unhealthy and struggling to “speak the truth in love...

Should dads demand respect? Maybe this sounds familiar: “No, I don’t want to!” “This is dumb, you’re unfair!” “Who cares if my homework isn’t done?!” Hey dads, have you experienced this kind of pushback from your kids? It can push ALL your buttons when your child is disrespectful. This can make it especially hard to keep calm and respond with calm authority. Although this is a struggle for almost all parents, it seems to be an especially challenging scenario for dads. When our “respect butt...

Should dads demand respect? Maybe this sounds familiar: “No, I don’t want to!” “This is dumb, you’re unfair!” “Who cares if my homework isn’t done?!” Hey dads, have you experienced this kind of pushback from your kids? It can push ALL your buttons when your child is disrespectful. This can make it especially hard to keep calm and respond with calm authority. Although this is a struggle for almost all parents, it seems to be an especially challenging scenario for dads. When our “respect butt...

Sometimes parenting can feel like one big list of things you have to get done. It can be so hard to switch gears from the many demands of being a parent to having joyful and playful time with your kiddos! Yet research shows that playfulness brings connection and communicates in a language that helps kids learn! Playful parenting is an important part of every level of the Connected Families Framework. Intentional parent/child play can: calm your child’s brain and yours provide opportunities t...

Sometimes parenting can feel like one big list of things you have to get done. It can be so hard to switch gears from the many demands of being a parent to having joyful and playful time with your kiddos! Yet research shows that playfulness brings connection and communicates in a language that helps kids learn! Playful parenting is an important part of every level of the Connected Families Framework. Intentional parent/child play can: calm your child’s brain and yours provide opportunities t...

Your relationship with your child might feel “off,” but you’re not sure why. Could it be that the way you were parented impacts the way you parent? Your attachment style affects all your most important relationships – from spouse to children to close friends. So, what is “attachment style” anyway? And does attachment style really matter? Attachment tends to be a buzzword in parenting circles. Attachment Theory comes from scientific research about different ways that children securely bond (or ...

Your relationship with your child might feel “off,” but you’re not sure why. Could it be that the way you were parented impacts the way you parent? Your attachment style affects all your most important relationships – from spouse to children to close friends. So, what is “attachment style” anyway? And does attachment style really matter? Attachment tends to be a buzzword in parenting circles. Attachment Theory comes from scientific research about different ways that children securely bond (or ...

Are you hard on yourself as a parent? As a person? It’s so easy to get caught up in what feels like failure to us. We want so much to be good parents! Though it’s unintentional, we can project our own feelings of shame onto our kids. Then we feel even worse. Shame can be so destructive to us and to our relationships. What does ending the shame cycle look like? If you have ever felt stuck in this kind of a cycle, please listen to this podcast. In this milestone podcast (our 100th episode!) we ta...

Are you hard on yourself as a parent? As a person? It’s so easy to get caught up in what feels like failure to us. We want so much to be good parents! Though it’s unintentional, we can project our own feelings of shame onto our kids. Then we feel even worse. Shame can be so destructive to us and to our relationships. What does ending the shame cycle look like? If you have ever felt stuck in this kind of a cycle, please listen to this podcast. In this milestone podcast (our 100th episode!) we ta...

Do you have a child who struggles with anxiety? It can be really hard to know how to help them! Anxiety can be a powerless feeling for both kids and adults. Kids especially do not have all the same tools or brain development as adults to know how to manage it well. They need help. Add to this challenge that sometimes anxiety doesn’t even look like anxiety. Anxiety can be masked by a variety of emotions and behaviors. It can even present itself as defiance! What do you do then? As a parent, your...

Do you have a child who struggles with anxiety? It can be really hard to know how to help them! Anxiety can be a powerless feeling for both kids and adults. Kids especially do not have all the same tools or brain development as adults to know how to manage it well. They need help. Add to this challenge that sometimes anxiety doesn’t even look like anxiety. Anxiety can be masked by a variety of emotions and behaviors. It can even present itself as defiance! What do you do then? As a parent, your...

You can feel the rising tension in your shoulders and the knots in your stomach again. So much going on around you, and inside you. There is no shortage of things to feel anxious about in our world right now! Current data reveals a huge spike in anxiety in recent years, for both parents and kids. We all face anxiety at some point and it can cause a range of emotions, from mild frustration to feeling really helpless. But can you parent well when you’re anxious? Anxiety can show up in big ways in...

You can feel the rising tension in your shoulders and the knots in your stomach again. So much going on around you, and inside you. There is no shortage of things to feel anxious about in our world right now! Current data reveals a huge spike in anxiety in recent years, for both parents and kids. We all face anxiety at some point and it can cause a range of emotions, from mild frustration to feeling really helpless. But can you parent well when you’re anxious? Anxiety can show up in big ways in...

“He called me stupid!” “She said she doesn’t want to play with me!” It’s so hard when your child comes to you feeling hurt by someone else’s words. Words matter. And they hurt! You want to comfort your kids and protect them from bullying and being hurt again, but unfortunately, that isn’t realistic. How can you teach your child to navigate life when kids say things that are mean? Or when there may be bullying involved? The truth is, we (both our kids and we as parents) are bombarded with all ki...

“He called me stupid!” “She said she doesn’t want to play with me!” It’s so hard when your child comes to you feeling hurt by someone else’s words. Words matter. And they hurt! You want to comfort your kids and protect them from bullying and being hurt again, but unfortunately, that isn’t realistic. How can you teach your child to navigate life when kids say things that are mean? Or when there may be bullying involved? The truth is, we (both our kids and we as parents) are bombarded with all ki...

What does the Bible really say about parenting? Is there such a thing as a Doctrine of Grace in Parenting? As Christian parents, we depend on the Bible as a necessary guide to help us understand God’s direction in both discipling and disciplining our kids. And yet, there’s not a significant number of verses in the Bible that give specific parenting instructions. What we do know is that the Bible tells us that God calls us to love our children the way He loves us, to live out the Fruit of the Sp...