Equipped To Be with Connie Albers: Christian Parenting, Homeschooling, and Family Life

This episode is sponsored by BJU Press Homeschool. Visit bjupresshomeschool.com for trusted educational resources from a biblical worldview.   I recently had the pleasure of meeting Raymond Arroyo, a New York Times bestselling author and Fox News contributor, at the 2023 National Religious Broadcasters Convention. He agreed to sit down and have a conversation with me for the podcast. There were so...

This episode is sponsored by BJU Press Homeschool. Visit bjupresshomeschool.com for trusted educational resources from a biblical worldview.   Tasks. Work. Chores. Whatever you call them, there are things that need to be done in your home and frankly, no one really wants to have to do them. Since the magic fairy isn't going to be arriving anytime soon to handle these things, we as parents have to...

This episode is sponsored by BJU Press Homeschool. Visit bjupresshomeschool.com for trusted educational resources from a biblical worldview.   I'm often asked these types of questions as I travel and speak to parents around the country and internationally: How do you raise godly kids? How do you raise kids that love Jesus? How do you raise kids who don't walk away from the church?    There's no fo...

This episode is sponsored by BJU Press Homeschool. Visit bjupresshomeschool.com for trusted educational resources from a biblical worldview.   Some extreme examples have been recorded and posted online of parents behaving badly at kids' sporting events recently in central Florida. In response, Fox 35 Orlando asked me to speak about parents who lack self-control. I love doing these segments, but th...

This episode is sponsored by BJU Press Homeschool. Visit  bjupresshomeschool.com  for trusted educational resources from a biblical worldview.   One of my purposes here with the Equipped To Be Podcast is to help you build stronger relationships with your children as you launch them into adulthood. In this episode, I dive into the differences between correction and criticism. I share biblical insig...

I had the pleasure recently to talk with David Closson, the Director of the Center for Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council. I've known David for many, many years. He shares with me the sobering statistics regarding the gap between those who say that they are living a Biblical worldview and how their beliefs actually line up with a Biblical worldview. There's a larger gap than you might e...

A news outlet recently asked me to talk about the boom in homeschooling. Why is there such a surge of parents choosing to homeschool their kids? I'm a little surprised they couldn't see the answer based on the news they are reporting. My kids are grown and having kids of their own, but I'm even more passionate about homeschooling now than I was years ago when I was homeschooling my own kids. It's...

I was recently asked to do a news segment responding to a story about how a twelve-year-old and their friend snuck out of the house and drove four hundred miles to meet up with someone they'd met online. Sadly the age for children engaging in risky and dangerous behavior online is trending younger and younger. As a parent, how can you keep your kids safe online? What do you do when you find that y...

When I met Rachael Adams a few years ago at a podcasting conference, I was so intrigued by her kindness and her authenticity. We connected again at another conference last year and I was so excited to hear about the book she had coming out. Rachael has such a heart for women in their search for significance and purpose. I'm excited to introduce her to you!   In this episode, Rachael and I discuss...

The other day I was back in the Fox 35 Orlando studios to talk on air about another parenting topic. This time we were discussing kids and credit cards. Of course, a 3-5 minute morning TV segment gives little time to dig into the issue, so in this episode, I'm unpacking more of the conversations that need to be had and what to consider when your kid wants a credit card or debit card.   Let's dive...

I met Ana Bagnuoli many years ago at a homeschooling conference in Florida. Together with her husband, they began serving the Hispanic community and talking about homeschooling. The ministry has grown to the point that they now have a homeschooling conference for Spanish-speaking homeschoolers. Ana has such a passion for homeschooling in the Hispanic community and I'm so excited to introduce you t...

In the last episode, we discussed the pros and cons of sleepovers . Rather than making a blanket decision, I encouraged you to look deeper into the goals of your family and how sleepovers can fit or do not fit into those plans. This week I want to dig deeper into hosting sleepovers. What should you ask the host family? What can you do as the host home for a sleepover?   Read the full show notes wi...

Do you allow your kids to participate in sleepovers? I'm personally not a fan of blanket directives because each family is unique. You have to make a decision about what is best for your family based on the pros and cons of having sleepovers.   I was recently on Fox 35 Orlando to talk about the pros and cons of sleepovers. It's hard to have an in-depth discussion on a topic like this in four minut...

Do you have a prodigal child? Are you desperate to guide your prodigal home? Laine Lawson Craft has lived this story with her three children. Now she's committed to sharing their testimony and showing parents how to fight the spiritual battle to guide their prodigals back home again.   In this episode, Laine and I talk about what a prodigal is, backsliding, staying in the game with your adult kids...

New York Times Bestselling author Larry Loftis is back on the show to talk about the story behind his newest novel. In this spy thriller, Larry tells the story of the life of Corrie ten Boom. Many of us are familiar with the story from The Hiding Place but that is maybe about ten percent of the story of Corrie's life. There's so much more to tell as Larry learned in his research. It's a story of e...

Do you have kids who resist your instructions? You tell them to do something and they don't do it. You beg. You lecture. You try to explain why. But, they don't do what you say or they simply ignore you. Why do children resist instructions?   In this episode, we're digging into why children resist instructions. There are five reasons you might be experiencing this resistance. Let's dig into them!...

I want to take a moment to talk about God's faithfulness. The Equipped To Be Podcast has reached a major milestone. With this episode and the transition to Season 3, we have marked three years of episodes! There were ups and downs along the way, but I'm so excited to have shared this journey with you!   Equipped To Be began in February 2020 right before the pandemic turned our world upside down. A...

Mom guilt is this pervasive feeling that you're not doing this mom thing right. Even when you think things are going well, you see another mom doing something differently and think she must be right and I am now wrong.    In this episode, I want to talk with you more about what mom guilt is and some steps for dealing with it. Read the full show notes with links here:  https://conniealbers.com/mom-...

How do you manage boredom? Boredom plagues us all at one time or another. No one is immune to it. Boredom is often a sign that you're tired of the same things over and over, even if you like routine. But, boredom is actually a good thing. It means that you have time and margin in your day to stop and think. Boredom means you have the space for creativity, innovation, and adventure rather than a ro...

I've known Erin Warren from Feasting on Truth for many years online. I recently had a chance to finally meet her in person at a women's conference. Erin has a passion for God's word that I think you'll hear in this conversation about life, ministry, and the work she's doing.   In this episode, Erin Warren and I talk about a lot of things including: Learning about God through her husband's chronic...

Have you heard about OpenAI? It's all over the news right now and kids are learning to use this platform to their advantage. It is so easy to use OpenAI to cheat. As parents, we need to look at how to curb cheating with OpenAI.   Let's talk about what OpenAI is, why kids cheat, and three things you can do as a parent about cheating with OpenAI (or any lack of integrity).   Love this episode? Pleas...

When members of the family live in close proximity and spend a lot of time together, there is bound to be tension in relationships at times. As a parent, you can see those nudges, unkind words, and rolled eyes. You can feel that tension between siblings. You can feel the distance that is growing between the siblings in your family. How do you mend fractured sibling relationships?   My husband and...

When you set goals, do you set goals for and with your kids?   In this episode, I want to talk with you about how you can help your kids set and keep goals. I have gathered together some general goal-setting advice as well as ways to support your kids in their goals. I also have a list of examples of goals that kids can set and achieve.   Read the full show notes here: https://conniealbers.com/kid...

I spend time every year journaling and reflecting on the previous year. I have mixed feelings going into 2023, but I want to see this new year in the way that God wants me to see it. What if we chose to ask God to change us when we encounter challenges and struggles instead of focusing so much on changing others around us?   Read the full show notes with links at https://conniealbers.com/asking-go...

Our family has a wonderful announcement to share with the world! My son recently won an Emmy for cinematography for his part in a documentary called Challenge Accepted about a young girl named Faith-Christina. Every child is different, but I want to share with you some ways in which we went about raising a creative child who went on to win an Emmy.   This is the beginning of a series of episodes a...