Connected Families Podcast

If you’re here, your parenting goal is likely to have a connected family. But what do you do when you have a child who is pulling away from you? A child who does not seem to want connection?  Feelings of disconnection from a child can be painful and challenging for a parent. Even in the most “connected” families, this can happen. You are not alone.  In today’s podcast, Chad Hayenga (Connected Fami...

Prayer is a meaningful faith practice that you probably want to pass on to your kids, but teaching your kids to pray may feel overwhelming. You may feel unsure how to answer your kid’s questions about prayer or how to incorporate regular prayer times with them into your daily life. In today’s podcast, Stephanie Thurling (author and co-founder of Raising Prayerful Kids ) joins Stacy Bellward (podca...

Your child is done with school (or preschool) for the day and instead of relaxing, you’re now navigating meltdown after meltdown.  Why do the strategies that worked with one child fall flat with another?  Do you find yourself wondering, “Will it always be this way?” In today’s podcast, Lynne Jackson (Occupational Therapist and Connected Families Co-Founder), and Amy Nyvall (seasoned mom...

Do you sometimes struggle to think of an appropriate consequence for your child’s misbehavior?  Or dole out punishment only to have your child refuse to accept the punishment? Sigh.  Offering consistent and effective discipline can feel like an ongoing and overwhelming challenge.  In today’s episode, Chad Hayenga (Connected Families Director of Education & Equipping), and Katie...

In today’s episode, Corrie and Alan Thetford (founders of Building Wise Families and Connected Families Certified Parent Coaches ) join Stacy Bellward (podcast host) to discuss how to help our children want to calm down when they are experiencing big emotions. The conversation explores what’s going on in us as parents when we try to make our child calm down, the role of empathy in supporting our c...

“Why are you so mad all the time?” Do you ever hear this from your child? You probably don’t intend to look mad. You may not even be aware of your furrowed brow or irritated expression. And it’s especially hard to keep your cool in the heat of the moment when your child pushes your buttons. But what message does your expression send to your child? Sure, you could try to put on a happy face and for...

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 aro...

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...

“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 m...

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, f...

.stk-e5359fc{margin-bottom:19px !important} 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...

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 a...

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 Framewo...

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...

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...

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 emo...

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 feeli...

“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...

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 t...

Sometimes we get anxious about our kids’ challenges and focus more on their behavior, which can cause further strain on the relationship. Consider this: What we see on the surface in our kids and teens doesn’t always reflect what’s really going on in their hearts. Today’s episode is a special and unique conversation. Join Jim Jackson (Co-Founder of Connected Families) as he interviews Michelle Liv...

On today’s podcast, Stacy Bellward (podcast host) is joined by Jim and Lynne Jackson (Connected Families Co-Founders) to address how parents handle their own anger, and how we can model this in a healthy way to our kids. We discuss brain science relating to anger, a biblical perspective and, as always, practical tools to help you and your kids. You can learn an approach to anger that leaves shame...

Do you feel overwhelmed as a homeschool parent? Many parents in the Connected Families community homeschool. That number has grown even more since 2020. Homeschooling can bring some unique parenting challenges! From sibling conflict to curriculum choices to intense learning needs, how do you stay connected to your kids, accomplish schoolwork, and maintain sanity? (Even if you are not currently hom...

Building a connected marriage is hard work and it doesn’t always come easily. You want to bring better alignment between you and your spouse and create an environment of love, grace, and emotional safety. But you also might feel stuck in a cycle of negative thinking about your spouse or your marriage. Or maybe you are struggling to find a way to navigate disagreements. Connecting in your marriage...

How do you parent your child who is now an adult ? What does parenting look like when your child is preparing to launch into adulthood, living away from home, or getting married? You want to remain connected and continue to build trust, but it can also feel scary to watch your adult children make bigger decisions that might have bigger consequences. You wonder if you did enough, if you taught them...

What do you think of when you hear the word discipline? Maybe it’s just to get your child to behave. Or bring peace to the chaos and gain some control as a parent. This is a totally natural parenting impulse! But what if there is a powerful new perspective for parenting to consider? A different way of viewing your parenting goals during moments of misbehavior that will open the door to connection...