Episodes

As you’re heading into some potentially stressful situations over the next few weeks (changing schedules, relatives who might judge your parenting, or not feeling connected to your kiddos) take some time and listen to this encouraging podcast we pulled out of the archives. (This podcast originally aired in 2015.) Jim and Lynne Jackson, co-founders of Connected Families, were interviewed by Heather MacFadyen of the Don’t Mom Alone podcast (formally God Centered Mom). While some of the scenarios ...

What do you do when your child gets angry? What causes anger issues in a child? When kids respond with angry, aggressive behavior, stress and fear are often the underlying emotions. Children who have experienced trauma often react with heightened fear responses. In this podcast episode, Jim and Lynne Jackson, co-founders of Connected Families, continue their conversation with Lisa Qualls about parenting kids from hard places. Lisa is the co-author, together with the late Dr. Karyn Purvis, of Th...

What do you do when your child gets angry? What causes anger issues in a child? When kids respond with angry, aggressive behavior, stress and fear are often the underlying emotions. Children who have experienced trauma often react with heightened fear responses. In this podcast episode, Jim and Lynne Jackson, co-founders of Connected Families, continue their conversation with Lisa Qualls about parenting kids from hard places. Lisa is the co-author, together with the late Dr. Karyn Purvis, of Th...

Are you parenting a child through adoption or foster care? Are you struggling with bonding to your child or their attachment to you? Your feelings of isolation and discouragement can be very real and overwhelming. As an adoptive parent, maybe you’ve experienced a heightened sense of grief as you search for answers in unfamiliar parenting territory. If you are looking for practical hope, you will find both solidarity and strategies here for your parenting journey. NOTE: Even if you are not pare...

Are you parenting a child through adoption or foster care? Are you struggling with bonding to your child or their attachment to you? Your feelings of isolation and discouragement can be very real and overwhelming. As an adoptive parent, maybe you’ve experienced a heightened sense of grief as you search for answers in unfamiliar parenting territory. If you are looking for practical hope, you will find both solidarity and strategies here for your parenting journey. NOTE: Even if you are not pare...

Are you scrambling to find clarity and help in your parenting? Are you struggling to find practical tools that bring lasting change? Do you wish you enjoyed your children more? Discover the power of connection and the hope of restoring a more peaceful relationship with your child! How one mom learned to enjoy her children Today’s guest is Emily, an alum of the Discipline That Connects with Your Child’s Heart online course. Emily and her husband have three boys. They experienced many of the typ...

Are you scrambling to find clarity and help in your parenting? Are you struggling to find practical tools that bring lasting change? Do you wish you enjoyed your children more? Discover the power of connection and the hope of restoring a more peaceful relationship with your child! How one mom learned to enjoy her children Today’s guest is Emily, an alum of the Discipline That Connects with Your Child’s Heart online course. Emily and her husband have three boys. They experienced many of the typ...

Feeling burned out at the end of the day? Does parenting (and discipline) leave you feeling overwhelmed and discouraged? If you are feeling “parenting burnout” there is help and hope. Perhaps you will identify with our guests today, Nate and Amanda. This couple joins us to discuss the burnout parents often face in the discipline process with their kids. What does parenting burnout look like? Like so many couples, Nate and Amanda were enthusiastic and confident before their children were born....

Feeling burned out at the end of the day? Does parenting (and discipline) leave you feeling overwhelmed and discouraged? If you are feeling “parenting burnout” there is help and hope. Perhaps you will identify with our guests today, Nate and Amanda. This couple joins us to discuss the burnout parents often face in the discipline process with their kids. What does parenting burnout look like? Like so many couples, Nate and Amanda were enthusiastic and confident before their children were born....

“My kids will never grow up to be responsible!” “I am a terrible parent, and my child and I will never get along!” Are you parenting from a place of fear? Even catastrophizing a situation? Do you find yourself replaying negative thoughts in your mind about yourself and your child? You are absolutely not alone! It’s easy to let fears about our parenting and our kids grip us and cause anxiety. Toxic beliefs can affect our own hearts, and the hearts of our children. These beliefs are like a record...

“My kids will never grow up to be responsible!” “I am a terrible parent, and my child and I will never get along!” Are you parenting from a place of fear? Even catastrophizing a situation? Do you find yourself replaying negative thoughts in your mind about yourself and your child? You are absolutely not alone! It’s easy to let fears about our parenting and our kids grip us and cause anxiety. Toxic beliefs can affect our own hearts, and the hearts of our children. These beliefs are like a record...

Are your kids scared of the world around them? How are you talking about anxiety with your kids these days? In current times coping is harder, and there seems to be more reasons to worry than usual. You may experience tension when your family gathers because everyone views what’s happening in our world through different lenses, and with different opinions. Relationships with some of the most important people in your lives seem at risk. It can be hard to talk about things that concern or upset ...

Are your kids scared of the world around them? How are you talking about anxiety with your kids these days? In current times coping is harder, and there seems to be more reasons to worry than usual. You may experience tension when your family gathers because everyone views what’s happening in our world through different lenses, and with different opinions. Relationships with some of the most important people in your lives seem at risk. It can be hard to talk about things that concern or upset ...

Mealtime battles, bedtime drama, homework struggles… Can you relate to these anxiety triggers in your home? Often there are deeper emotions under the surface, for both parents and children, that contribute to these conflicts. When we acknowledge and validate the emotions that drive our children’s anxiety, we can better equip them to self-regulate. Validating emotions also helps us avoid anxiety-producing power struggles. This equips us to approach these struggles in a way that empowers our chil...

Mealtime battles, bedtime drama, homework struggles… Can you relate to these anxiety triggers in your home? Often there are deeper emotions under the surface, for both parents and children, that contribute to these conflicts. When we acknowledge and validate the emotions that drive our children’s anxiety, we can better equip them to self-regulate. Validating emotions also helps us avoid anxiety-producing power struggles. This equips us to approach these struggles in a way that empowers our chil...

How do you teach your child not to be scared? Bedtime, meals, learning at home, performance anxiety, and separation anxiety can all be sources of anxiety for kids. This is especially true for kids who may be highly sensitive. Kids who struggle with anxiety are often more “on alert” than other children, and don’t always assess danger well. Kids who are anxious can also get their cues from parents. The more we try to create an environment that keeps kids out of a highly-alert state, the more sens...

How do you teach your child not to be scared? Bedtime, meals, learning at home, performance anxiety, and separation anxiety can all be sources of anxiety for kids. This is especially true for kids who may be highly sensitive. Kids who struggle with anxiety are often more “on alert” than other children, and don’t always assess danger well. Kids who are anxious can also get their cues from parents. The more we try to create an environment that keeps kids out of a highly-alert state, the more sens...

Do you feel like your child is afraid of everything? Where does anxiety come from in our kids? This is a huge struggle parents often face, especially when tensions are high in the world around us. A survey Connected Families conducted in spring of 2020 revealed that 70% of families in the CF community have reported elevated levels of anxiety in recent months. If you are experiencing this, you are not alone! Kids’ struggles and misbehavior can increase everyone’s anxiety and the tension in the ...

Do you feel like your child is afraid of everything? Where does anxiety come from in our kids? This is a huge struggle parents often face, especially when tensions are high in the world around us. A survey Connected Families conducted in spring of 2020 revealed that 70% of families in the CF community have reported elevated levels of anxiety in recent months. If you are experiencing this, you are not alone! Kids’ struggles and misbehavior can increase everyone’s anxiety and the tension in the ...

Have you ever heard an outrageous statement from your child? Outrageous statements come in all shapes and sizes and can often trigger disbelief or even outrage in parents. Perhaps that’s why they’re called outrageous statements! It’s tempting for us, as parents, to respond to these situations with immediate correction or a lecture. However, this may result in unhelpful arguments. Hard emotions are often underneath our kid’s outrageous statements. How can we respond with love, connection, and sa...

Have you ever heard an outrageous statement from your child? Outrageous statements come in all shapes and sizes and can often trigger disbelief or even outrage in parents. Perhaps that’s why they’re called outrageous statements! It’s tempting for us, as parents, to respond to these situations with immediate correction or a lecture. However, this may result in unhelpful arguments. Hard emotions are often underneath our kid’s outrageous statements. How can we respond with love, connection, and sa...

Are you feeling anxious about this summer? Summer can be a fantastic opportunity to connect with your kids, but it can also present new challenges. You want to have a great summer, but aren’t quite sure how to get there. Uncertainty and disappointment add an extra level of stress, especially with the new reality of cancelled activities and plans. In this podcast we will explore how to create a sense of teamwork in your family so summer is enjoyable for everyone. We, as parents, may also have o...

Are you feeling anxious about this summer? Summer can be a fantastic opportunity to connect with your kids, but it can also present new challenges. You want to have a great summer, but aren’t quite sure how to get there. Uncertainty and disappointment add an extra level of stress, especially with the new reality of cancelled activities and plans. In this podcast we will explore how to create a sense of teamwork in your family so summer is enjoyable for everyone. We, as parents, may also have o...

Does it seem like all you do is nag your kids? Are you frustrated because this is the sixth time you have asked your child to take out the garbage? Nagging and arguing can become the frustrating norm in many of families. Parents have good intentions. We want our kids to grow up to be responsible, right? Our fear and anxiety that our children will not grow up to be responsible adults can cause us to become controlling. This kind of projected negativity has the potential to affect our child’s ide...