The Monica Swanson Podcast - boy mom, build strong families, Biblical worldview, women’s wellness

In light of so many difficult and controversial news stories in 2020, I think you'll find this episode incredibly encouraging.  Nick Eicher and Brian Basham join me to talk about helping our tweens and teens navigate the news today. We cover news literacy, critical thinking, and Biblical discernment -- and how the brand new World Watch 10-minute Daily News Program can help!  Whether you homeschool...

If you've been around my site for long, you know I'm a big fan of boys in the sweet, awkward, hilarious middle school years!  As we continue on in this series celebrating all of the seasons of raising boys, I'm so happy to have Maggie John with me for this conversation!  Maggie is a Television host (!) as well as a two-boy momma who lives in Canada. One thing I love about this series is getting to...

It is such an honor to share this episode with all of you!  My first-born son, Josiah, joins me to celebrate the one-year birthday of the release of my book, Boy Mom, for one of my favorite interviews ever!  I let Josiah chose the topic for this episode and he did not hesitate to choose the topic of IMAGINATION!  Josiah's imagination played a huge role in his childhood, and still to this day, Josi...

This episode is for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the idea of a homeschooling your kids (whether you're already homeschooling or just thinking about it!)  My friend Jenn Bryant joins me, as we share the very good news: It doesn't have to be that hard!  You really can simplify your approach, and Jenn is sharing 7 ways to do that. It's easy to overcomplicate things, and I love Jenn's reminder to slo...

Jessica Smartt, author, speaker, and mom to 3 elementary-age kids (2 boys, 1 girl) joins us today to talk about the joys and challenges of raising elementary-age boys. Jessica's new book, Let Them be Kids, is one of my favorite books of 2020, and we get to talk about some highlights of the book, as well as the magic, mischief, and madness of raising little boys. We also touch on some of the challe...

My son Jonah is back with me to help me celebrate the announcement of my BRAND NEW CHARACTER TRAINING COURSE (doors to the Beta Group open July 15th!) and to share his own announcement that he is kicking off his own TRUTH FOR YOUTH PODCAST on July 18th!  Jonah and I dive into a fun chat, sharing some of the points from one of his first podcast episodes which is about "Problems Kids Face Today -- a...

I'm so excited to share this super fun conversation with Bethany Hamilton with you!  Bethany has been one of our family's greatest inspirations.  After losing her arm to a shark attack at age 13, Bethany went on to become one of the greatest female surfers in the world.  In this interview, I loved getting to know a grown up Bethany, who surfs better than ever, but is now also a wife and #BOYMOM to...

This episode is such a treat!  My friend, a mom to six, and dermatologist joins me to talk about all things skin care!  Heidi shares her best advice for adolescent skin, sunscreen, acne prevention and treatment, as well as anti-aging and more.  This is like a free visit to a dermatologist who has the time to talk to you about anything and everything!  Heidi has a long list of recommendations (most...

Join Wendy Speake and I as we chat over our favorite books for boys of all ages.  This is a conversation we've wanted to have for a long time, and I hope it offers you some new inspiration for reading with your boys this summer!  We cover some classics, some inspirational stories, a few great series, and more -- then, at the end we touch on favorite movies to inspire boys as well.  Hope you can gr...

Andrew Pudewa is the Director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW), and my boys have used his curriculum for over 10 years.  We are huge fans of Andrew's fun teaching style, quirky nature, and use of great vocabulary!  Andrew teaches and speaks all over the world, and in this interview I invite him to share from a specific teaching I heard that changed my approach to schooling (and par...

This episode is a dream come true for me.  Thunderstorm Artis has been a favorite young man of mine for years; ever since he brought my sons on board with him to lead worship for our local church youth group, I have been a fan of both his music and his heart.  In today's episode, Thunder shares his story of growing up as one of 11 children in a musical family, losing his Dad to a sudden heart atta...

Ruth Schwenk has walked through seasons of anxiety as she went through multiple miscarriages and her husband's cancer diagnoses.  But she has also learned that sometimes anxiety comes through more daily battles -- including the unknowns we all face due to the Coronavirus pandemic.  After all she has been through Ruth loves to encourage women to face their own anxious seasons with the loving help o...

This episode is for anyone who either has a child with special needs, or knows someone who does. (pretty sure that is everyone!) This topic was born out of my own desire to be a better friend; to not let my lack of knowledge or awkwardness get in the way of better supporting my friends who have kids with special needs.  I'm pretty sure I am not not alone in all of this, and I'm so grateful Sandra...

Jen McDonald, author, host of Milspousematters podcast and super encourager to all women (especially military spouses and anyone doing the hard work of parenting mostly on their own) joins me for this awesome episode.  I loved talking to Jen, and appreciate all of her hard-earned wisdom and refreshing perspective.  I know you'll love her too!  Jen is giving away two copies of her book, "You are no...

For every weary mom (and student) out there, this list of 27 ways to finish the school year strong will be a huge encouragement.  Robert Bortins, CEO of Classical Conversations, joins us to cheer us to the finish line.  Robert was the oldest of four boys, and his mom was developing Classical Conversations homeschool curriculum while he was growing up.  Now Robert is all grown up and the CEO of Cla...

Hey Friends!  Happy Mother's Day week!  This week I am sharing a short reading from one of my favorite chapters of Boy Mom (I might cry a little, oops) and some reminders to help you savor this sweet occasion.  Also, I have an announcement to share, AND a GIVEAWAY!!  Be SURE to check out show notes at: www.monicaswanson.com/podcast and for this episode:   www.monicaswanson.com/episode-53   Privacy...

This episode just scratches the surface on so many questions I've been saving...Let me know if you love it, and we'll do more of these!  Today I tackle the story of how our family started homeschooling, what we love about it, and tips for inspiring boys to read.  I talk about boys' need for adventure, and how you can help meet that need -- outside or in!  I answer a question from a mom who is relu...

I'm so happy to have Kristen Welch on with me to talk about her experience going from being a mom-blogger, to a world changer.  After a 2010 trip to Kenya with Compassion International, Kristen's world was rocked, and she hasn't looked back since.  In her recent book, Made to Move Mountains, Kristen talks about the various mountains we face -- the mountains we dream of climbing, as well as those w...

Marriage is an awesome gift from God, but it can also be really challenging.  When we are in the thick of raising kids, marriage can feel even more stressful.  Today's guest, Ashley Willis understands this well.  She is a mom to four boys, and alongside her husband, Dave, she writes and speaks all over the country about marriage and parenting!  Ashley and Dave are authentic, funny, and super encou...

My sons Josiah (20) and Luke (16) join me for this special Easter episode.  When kids are raised in a Christian home, sometimes they hesitate to share their personal testimonies.  They might feel like they've "always been Christians" because they've heard about God or gone to church since they were young.  My boys join me to share that even though they were raised in a Christian home, they each ha...

September McCarthy, homeschool Mom to 10 kids (yes, 10!) joins me to share from her wisdom and experience.  September has a huge heart for family, and she is such an encouragement to me as a homeschool mom.  In today's conversation, September shares life-giving perspectives as well as some of the simple methods she uses to make her day run smoothly.  In light of the Coronavirus and most people cur...

My son Jonah has worked incredibly hard to pursue his college dream.  In today's episode Jonah shares what he did as a high school student to put himself in the best situation possible to get accepted to his dream college, and even more -- to receive an honors scholarship to that college.  We talk about the things Jonah thinks matter most in high school (I promise I didn't tell him what to say! )...

Today's episode is especially timely in light of so much unrest in the world due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.  Anjuli Paschall (Pastor's wife and mom to 5, as well as the founder of the Moms we Love Club on Instagram) joins us to discuss the topic from her new book, Stay.  Stay is an invitation to sit with God at the table of your soul...to resist the urge to run, avoid, or ignore the hard parts o...

In this episode we are talking about finding that thing...or those things, that "fuel our souls"...The hobbies, passions, work or play that light us up and keep us going when the days are long.  During the busy season of motherhood it is easy to neglect the things that used to make us come to life, and today's guest, Stefanie Gass, is here to inspire us all to return to those things -- or find som...

If you only listen to one episode of the Boy Mom Podcast, I hope it is this one!  Kristen Jenson, author of the best-selling book, Good Pictures Bad Pictures, is with me to talk about the importance of teaching our kids about pornography, BEFORE they stumble upon it.  We live in a world where our kids WILL eventually see "bad pictures" and it is up to us to equip them with the tools to respond wel...