Our Nuclear Family - Parenting Ideas for an Explosive World

Parenting is busy. It is hard. It is full of the potential for worry and anxiety. As parents, we will always worry about our children, and we should - to an extent. To keep our stress level at an acceptable level, we have a phrase we often use to remind ourselves of which worries are worth stressing over right now. Check out this episode to hear for yourselves! We appreciate the support of our lis...

People who are confident are more likely to have better pay, get treated with greater respect, and develop better resiliency. These are just a few reasons why we want to cultivate confidence in our kids. The question is whether it is possible and - if so - how to do it. You can support us financially by clicking here: OurNuclearFam is a parenting encouragement podcast (buymeacoffee.com) Find us on...

After our dog passed away, Kathryn and I were determined not to have any more pets, not even fish. It just did not fit our current life circumstances. But that changed when our sweet oldest daughter made a persuasive argument for getting guinea pigs. Even though we gave in, we did so on our own terms. Tune in to see what that means! To support us financially, check out our Buy Me A Coffee page! Ou...

We're back! And this is no April Fool's Joke! Our Nuclear Family needed some time to figure out our spaces in a new house with new routines and a new teenager. With so much turnover happening, we realized a need for systems and structures was necessary for us to have our house function the way we want it to. Today, we are discussing the importance of having systems that lead to success....

Do you feel the pressure of trying to squeeze every ounce of good energy out of summer or give your kids the perfect, memorable vacation this year? After all, we only get about 18 summers with our kids, right? We have to make it count! If you are wondering how to have a perfect summer, listen to this episode; you won't regret it! Follow us on Instagram @our.nuclear.family or online at  Our Nu...

We are often looking for balance in life: a balanced diet, work-life balance, etc. so it would follow that we would seek balance in our parenting. But is that really what we want? Or is there something better? That's what this discussion is about. If you have questions or would like to send us a message, you can find us on Instagram @Our. Nuclear. Family or online at  Our Nuclear Family | Par...

A couple years ago, we started a plan to teach our kids about money. On this episode we answer some frequently asked questions and also bring in some experts: our kids! We are incredibly grateful to everyone who supports financially! If you would like to join the team, please visit OurNuclearFam is a parenting encouragement podcast (buymeacoffee.com) If you have questions, please reach out to us o...

Some of our most frequently asked questions are about our kids and their allowance so we are re-releasing our season 1 episode talking about how we help our kids understand the value of things and the ideas of spending, saving, and giving. If you would like to donate to our cause, please click here:  OurNuclearFam is a parenting encouragement podcast (buymeacoffee.com) To get in touch with us, you...

Is parenting fun? Is it supposed to be? On this episode, we discuss what makes it difficult to enjoy parenting and how we can reframe these challenges into opportunities to experience the joy kids bring. If you have questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you! Reach out to us on Instagram @our.nuclear.family or online at Our Nuclear Family | Parenting Podcast (mkditson.wixsite.com) To s...

Kids come out of the womb demanding our attention, and their need for it seems to never stop. On this episode, Matthew and Kathryn discuss the very real struggle of trying to determine the right amount and -- even more importantly -- the right kind of attention our kids need to thrive. Support us with a small financial donation by clicking here:  OurNuclearFam is a parenting encouragement podcast...

A sibling relationship is one of the most enduring relationships in our lives and hopefully one of the most rewarding, too. In this episode, we discuss what supporting siblings has looked like in our house in the past and what it could look like as our kids get older. The Andy Stanley podcast episode we mentioned can be found here: Andy Stanley | January 2023: Creating Vision for Parenting with Sa...

As soon as we hit stop on our last episode, we had more thoughts to get out. From bedtime routines to exercising and more, we discuss the importance of self-care in our lives, and especially the importance of modeling it for our kids. As always, if you have questions or comments, you can find us on Instagram @our.nuclear.family or visit us on our website: Our Nuclear Family | Parenting Podcast (mk...

We all need sleep, adults and kids alike--but getting kids to fall asleep can be tricky! We definitely do not have all the answers, and each circumstance is different, but this episode is about us discussing what has worked for our kids and will hopefully spark some ideas that can be incorporated into other bedtime routines as well. As always, if you have questions or comments, you can find us on...

As adults we know the value of apologies and forgiveness -- even if we don't always feel like doing it. We do, however, want our kids to experience the freedom that comes from learning these crucial life skills. So, do we force them to say the words? How do we teach apology and forgiveness? The podcast referenced in this episode can be found here:  The science of healthy relationships with Jo...

While the traditional time for New Year's Resolutions may have come and gone, there is always time to set our intention, especially as it comes to parenting. Instead of resolutions, we find it helpful to focus on a single word or phrase to guide us. In this episode, we share our "word" for 2023, talk about what it means to us, and hopefully provide listeners with an idea or two to f...

There are many times we have seen other peoples' kids act a certain way and think, "My kids will NEVER do that." There are just as many times we have looked at other parents acting a certain way and think, "I will NEVER do that." And of course, there are many MANY times we find our kids or ourselves acting in a way we never thought possible. The chances for these opportuni...

The Christmas Season is upon us once again, and if you are like us, there is so much fun to be had that it can feel overwhelming and even suck some of the joy out of the most wonderful time of the year. To avoid that, we are being intentional about discussing our priorities for the season, filling out our must-do list, and checking it twice. The planner Kathryn references from The Minimal Mom is f...

Parenting is HARD. There are so many difficult challenges that come again and again, and it is exhausting to have to say the same things or do the same things over and over. BUT, we have good news: the hard work does pay off. One day, we will be able to look back and see how far we have come and that our kids are becoming the wonderful kids we'd hoped they would. If you'd like to partner...

Our family's first dog, Romeo, passed away after 14 years. In this episode, we talk about helping our kids walk through their grief while also processing our own grief. This is definitely not prescriptive as everybody's grief is different, but hopefully this conversation provides another perspective for those unfortunate moments for when grief is part of life. To support Our Nuclear Fami...

Despite sayings such as "Curiosity killed the cat," our culture highly values curiosity and openness. These traits are essential in learning, innovation, and imagination, but answering our kids' "Why?" questions all the time can be exhausting. On this episode, we discuss how we work to cultivate a culture of curiosity in a way that doesn't leave us totally fried. Want...

Kids can have big, irrational fears, and because they are irrational, it can be hard for us as parents to know how best to help. On this episode, Kathryn and Matthew talk about some different strategies they have tried and how sometimes acknowledging the fear is the best path toward courage. If you would like to support us financially, you can do so for as little as the cost of a cup of coffee by...

We are not parenting experts; in fact, we do not even always agree on the best thing to do when parenting our own kids! On this episode, we invite you in on a recent parenting disagreement that happened over one of our kids not wanting to try a bite of zucchini. Have a listen and see who's side you're on! If you're feeling like we could use a pick-me-up, click here to buy us a cup o...

On our last episode, we talked about how important it is to know our Parenting "Why." This episode is a follow-up to that where we dive deeper into what it looks like when our kids ask us, "Why?" and what we do when we don't have the time or the right words to explain it. We love putting out this content for you and we pay for all of it ourselves. If you'd like to say...

Simon Sinek's popular book  Start With Why is not just good business advice; it's good for life and especially good in parenting. It can help us prioritize our schedules, identify why we are feeling frustrated, and grow deeper relationships with our children. Listen in as we discuss how to find and share our parenting Why. We love sharing this content with you and gladly pay for all of t...

In our media-crazed adult world, us parents are continuously thinking about our kids and their media consumption. Should they have an electronic device? What parental controls do we need? How much time should we let them spend playing video games? What about social media? In this episode, Matthew and Kathryn give their initial thoughts on these questions and more. If you enjoy Our Nuclear Family a...