The Intentional Family

Episode Description: Building a School Without Losing Our Family Note: Andrew was recovering from a cold during this recording, so if his voice sounds a little rough, that's why! Launching a school sounds exciting—and it is—but behind every big dream is a reality that is often far messier, more exhausting, and more demanding than most people realize. In this episode, Andrew and Shannon pull b...

🎙️ Episode Description: The Lost Art of Healthy Childhood Movement, Screens, and the Humans We’re Forming Something about modern childhood feels different. Children are spending less time outdoors, less time moving, less time taking risks, and more time immersed in screens, algorithms, and constant stimulation. Anxiety is rising, attention spans are shrinking, and many parents are left wondering:...

Why Your Family Was Never Meant to Do This Alone Modern families are more connected than ever… and yet many parents have never felt more isolated. In this episode, Andrew and Shannon explore one of the most overlooked parts of intentional family life: community. From the pressure to “do it all ourselves” to the hidden ways culture, peers, algorithms, and environments shape our children, they unpac...

What Kind of Human Are We Forming? When most parents think about education, they think about grades, graduation, and future opportunities. But what if the deeper question isn’t “What school is best?” but rather: 👉 What kind of human is this environment forming my child to become? In this episode, Andrew and Shannon explore why educational choice is ultimately a conversation about values, formatio...

We all say we have values as a family—but are they actually shaping how we live? In this episode, Andrew and Shannon unpack the often abstract idea of values and bring it into the real, everyday moments of family life. From busy schedules and competing priorities to the quiet drift that happens when we stop paying attention, they explore how values are not just what we say matters—but what we actu...

Andrew and Shannon are back, diving into the intentional rhythms they’ve been building into their family—and the “why” behind them. In this episode, they unpack how simple, everyday practices can bring more purpose, connection, and formation into the flow of family life.

Are we raising kids to succeed in school—or to thrive in life? In this episode of The Intentional Family , Andrew and Shannon Haws unpack the hidden tension most parents feel but rarely name: the pull between living intentionally and simply drifting with culture. Through personal stories—including raising four young kids, navigating screen time, resisting helicopter parenting, and rethinking educa...

The Intentional Family is a podcast about rejecting default settings and building a family on purpose. Hosted by Andrew and Shannon Haws, founders of Acton Academy Victoria, this show follows their journey of creating a home culture shaped by faith, intentionality, and courage. In this first episode, get to know the hosts and hear more about their own journey of intentionality and how it filters i...