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

When you have a baby, there is unimaginable joy. It's hard to understand how much a mom or dad loves their child. But, we have to be careful to not put conditions on that love as they grow older. There are hindrances that can pop up to giving your kids unconditional love.     In this episode, I'm discussing four hindrances that could prevent you from giving your kids unconditional love and giving...

My father-in-law is an architect. Years ago, when my kids were little, I was in his office looking at the artwork on the walls. It was a collection of buildings that he had designed. One, in particular, caught my eye. It was a building designed on the side of a mountain with metal posts going into the ground. As I talked to him about it, I learned about foundations and what it takes to know how to...

Did you get a parenting manual when your child was handed to you? Sometimes it feels like it would have been easier if we had been given a guide or some 3-step formula when they were born. Instead, you're searching the internet for quick tips and hacks to get you through the current parenting struggle. Sometimes the picture gets blurry... but God is not done with the story!   Maybe you're currentl...

The purpose when I started writing Parenting Beyond the Rules was to talk about the principles that we're trying to instill into our kids as we're raising them: Discipline, kindness, sharing, honesty, trustworthiness, etc. But, it is so easy to get confused and think that this parenting thing is all about the rules. If you break a rule, then here's the consequence. It is so much more than that!  ...

I've made mistakes in my parenting journey. Plenty of mistakes! I didn't do it all right and I don't have all of the answers. If I were to go back and start this process all over again, I would just make different mistakes because imperfect parents can't parent perfectly. And your kids are imperfect too. In this series of podcast episodes centered on the themes from my book Parenting Beyond the Ru...

Our minds are powerful. Sometimes our thoughts run away from us. We find ourselves falling into destructive self-talk and negativity. This mindset not only affects us personally, but we end up bringing this baggage into our marriage and parenting. How can you overcome toxic thinking?   Alicia Michelle joins me to talk about mindset, toxic thinking, and how to use science and the Bible together to...

Sometimes it can be hard to be and to love where you are. It is so tempting to try to speed up time and pass over sticky, messy seasons. We want to rush through suffering and pain. But, there are lessons to be learned and relationships to be built in these seasons. Somer Colbert joins me in this episode to talk about these things and how to love where you are.   About Somer Colbert Somer Colbert i...

Do you smile in your homeschool and in your family life? Raising your kids, homeschooling, and developing relationships are all hard work. Sometimes you lose your smile... You're not alone in this journey! Todd Wilson from The Smiling Homeschooler wants to see you have joy and smile.   In this episode, Todd had me laughing as we talked about having joy in homeschooling, dads taking responsibility...

Translating between languages can be tricky. Sometimes one word just can't encompass all of the nuances of meaning or one words contains the concepts of two words from another language. When translated into French from English, delight is one of these complicated words. In the French language and culture, you can't separate the idea of delight from deliciousness. This means that God is both deligh...

We tend to have relationships based on what was modeled for us as children. That's the first place we learn about relationships. As parents, we have the opportunity to change the negative patterns and teach our children about nurturing relationships and how to navigate the subtle nuances of relationships.   In this episode, I had the opportunity to talk with my friends Blythe Daniel and her mom, D...

Navigating grief is not easy. I've endured several seasons of loss in the last few years, so I know this firsthand. My guest on this episode is sadly well-acquainted with grief but has turned her story into one that serves and encourages others as they navigate grief.   Danita Jenae has learned to navigate grief by holding both joy and sorrow in the same breath as a military widow who was already...

Are you biting your nails a little more than usual lately? Are you flat-out irritated or angry about what you see happening around you? I'm right there with you! We're living in a woke world. So, what should you do?     Whether it's Disney, Florida Governor DeSantis signing the law to prevent early elementary-aged children from being taught about gender, or Will Smith and Chris Rock's "slap heard...

Are you a sunrise or a sunset person? Do you like rising early to start the day and ponder what is ahead of you as the sun comes up? Or do you prefer to sit and consider what happened in your day as the sun goes down? Every day there's a beautiful rhythm and repetition to our days. But, what are the benefits of repetition? Why do we need these rhythms to our days?   Whether is it the story your ch...

You can't ignore conflict and have that conflict just disappear. You also can't resolve conflict by addressing it straight up. Working out conflicts is a complex process. Let's talk through some ways that you can better handle conflict resolution, whether the person on the other side is your child, your spouse, your friend, or your coworker. The goal is to resolve conflict to restore relationships...

It used to be that college kids were the ones who would walk away from their faith. Now, it's teens leaving the Church. It is kids aged 15-17 who are are the ones walking away at an alarming rate. This is rooted in the pandemic and the deeming of churches as non-essential.    Did you know that 16.5% of people don't believe in good and evil? I guess this could explain all of the hostility, rudeness...

I've been at the National Religious Broadcasters conference this past week. My experiences there made me think about people and how they pitch themselves to others. There's a time and a place for pitching yourself, such as in a job interview. But, I think as Christians, we have to be careful of constantly self-inflating or making sure that people around us know how great or wonderful or accomplish...

I've been doing a lot of research about technology and how it affects our families and our kids. Since the beginning of the pandemic, online usage, especially social media, has risen 50% or more. But, I've said many times, technology is not the problem! It's the usage of technology that is the problem. It's how we are using it and how often we are using it. How can you manage device use when your...

The CDC recently released new developmental milestone markers for children. This new guidance sadly shows that our children have been developmentally delayed and emotionally hindered during the pandemic. Young children are taking longer to get to their first steps, to smile for the first time, and to wave goodbye. All of our lives have been interrupted in the last two years, but the fallout is sho...

Yvette Hampton from Schoolhouse Rocked and her family have an incredible story of following God. God called them to sell their home, buy an RV, leave California, and create a documentary about homeschooling. Yvette shares how the perfect author of our lives does amazing work when we trust Him and allow Him to do His work. He is a faithful God!   This is a fascinating Abraham-type story that you ha...

It's been a long road for this podcast, but I've stayed the course. The Equipped To Be podcast began just a few weeks before COVID hit and the world went into lockdown. I knew we were supposed to be doing this podcast. People had been asking me for a podcast for years. And so in February of 2020 we prepared and then went live at the end of that month. That was almost two years ago! And now, here w...

When I talk to teens, I hear this time and time again. Teens want to be heard, but they feel like their parents are not listening. Parents tell me that their teen doesn't talk to them. Your teen has few true choices at this point in their life. You are choosing where they live and where they go to school. Their choices in food and clothes are likely limited by budget or other restrictions. They ar...

it all done? If you look at the Proverbs 31 woman and think that you'll never measure up, I want to remind you that story is a picture of this woman's whole life, not a snapshot of a 24-hour day! You can build the life, the credentials, and the tools needed to fulfill what God has called you to do. And you have to discipline your mind to get there.   Listen in as I share some practical advice for...

I was reviewing some data recently for a project that will soon lead to another book. As I analyzed that data, it made me think about excellence. I pondered what it means to live a life of excellence. What are God's standards? Excellence is important in education, in your parenting, and in your business. Whatever your task is today, excellence in that task is of utmost importance!   Listen in as I...

What's in a name? You could call it leaving a legacy or building a heritage, but are you casting a vision to your kids for what you want your family to be? Are you building a family name that has lasting meaning to your kids? What do you want your kids to say about your family after they've left the nest? You can start making changes now and cast that vision to your kids of who you want your famil...

A new year always brings some kind of change that must be embraced. And there have been so many changes in these last couple of years of disruption! Maybe you're homeschooling or distance learning now, but you weren't last year. Maybe you're still working from home or maybe you're transitioning back to the office. How do you adapt to these changes? Are you holding on to the One who can help you be...