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

With a little intentionality, we can develop character in our kids’ throughout the natural rhythms of our days. Whether your kids are toddlers or teenagers, this episode will equip you with some great tools for practical character development!  Today I am pulling from chapters 9 and 10 of my book, Raising Amazing: Bringing up Kids Who Love God, Like Their Family, and Do the Dishes Without Being As...

Happy Christmas week everyone! 🎄Join my husband Dave and I for a fun and hopefully helpful “date-night” style conversation! Dave and I are sharing wisdom we have gleaned over 28 Christmases together, most with a house full of boys...Some important “do’s” as well as a few “don’t”’s! Hopefully a few will be encouraging reminders and a few will make you laugh. 🥰 We hope some of you can listen toget...

One of the most important and challenging jobs we have as parents is that of disciplining our kids. Most of us wish it weren’t necessary (and a lot of parents today mostly ignore it!) but I have learned that good discipline is one of the greatest keys to raising amazing kids! Back when my oldest sons (now 24 and 22 years old) were very young, I read a book that challenged and inspired me in how to...

As moms we want to fill the holidays with all kinds of magic and meaning for our families. We want to celebrate Advent, bless our kids with good food, special gifts, and then come out of it all with great memories, right? Yet, all of our best intentions often lead to a lot of overwhelm and frustration. (it’s not just me, is it?) If you feel any of that, today’s episode is just what you need!  I am...

I am so happy to be back with another monthly podcast covering highlights from my book, Raising Amazing: Bringing up Kids Who Love God, Like Their Family, and Do the Dishes Without Being Asked!  Today we get to cover Chapter Eight:  All about the importance of saying YES…and NO…to our kids. This is one of my personal favorite chapters/topics and I think it holds the key to some of the game-changin...

Happy Thanksgiving week! Today I am sharing a very real, laughter-infused episode with my two youngest sons, Luke and Levi. Though it is a replay from 2 years ago, it’s still a listener favorite. Invite your kids to join as Luke and Levi answer a few questions, share what they are grateful for, and keep it all very real. Basically, this offers a sneak peek (listen) into our home during a holiday w...

Head’s Up: This may be the most important thing you listen to before your holiday gatherings this year! I am so excited to share this conversation with Brant Hansen – radio show and podcast host, author, and truly amazing (/self-proclaimed quirky) man, with all of you! It turns out giving up your “right” to be offended can be one of the most freeing, healthy, simplifying, relaxing, refreshing, str...

While no one goes into a marriage imagining it will ever end, we know that divorce is a reality for approximately half of Americans. And while I will always be pro-marriage and encourage those of you in difficult marriages to seek help and fight to save your marriage, I know that sometimes there are no other options than divorce. Today’s guest, Brandi Wilson, knows the pain of divorce. In today’s...

Public school parents, this episode will be a huge inspiration to you! Terry Ann Kelly is with us to talk about how God is working in the public school system through Students Standing Strong (S3). These are student-led Clubs held in public schools all across the nation which are completely legal and opening the door for amazing ministry opportunity in our public schools.  Terry Ann is the Preside...

I am so happy to be back with another monthly podcast episode covering highlights from my book, Raising Amazing: Bringing up Kids Who Love God, Like Their Family, and Do the Dishes Without Being Asked! Today we get to cover Chapter Seven: How we can make our homes the hub -- a welcoming place for our kids…and their friends.  Many of us have always imagined having a home that our kids love to be in...

Max Lucado, America’s bestselling inspirational author, has always been a dream podcast guest of mine. I started reading Max’s books back in the 90’s when my faith journey was just beginning, and I’ve always admired his winsome ability to bring deep theological truths down to earth.  In this interview I also found him to be incredibly warm, funny, and conversational.  We talk about his brand new b...

Emily Jensen, cofounder of the wildly popular Risen Motherhood, joins us today to talk about the very relatable experience of...feeling weak. 😌Whether we are in the midst of big hard things (a child with a disability, marriage or financial stress, etc.) or we’re just staring at the laundry pile in front of us, we have times of feeling overwhelmed, undisciplined, or just not very good at life.  Em...

If you’ve had moments when your words have gotten the better of you (who hasn’t?) then this episode will encourage, challenge, and inspire you! Sarah Molitor -- best known for her darling 6-boy + 1 girl family on her super popular @modernfarmhousefamily Instagram account – is with us to share her honest journey learning to use her words for good. I loved getting to know Sarah, and I think you will...

I am so happy to be back with another monthly podcast covering highlights from my book, Raising Amazing: Bringing up Kids Who Love God, Like Their Family, and Do the Dishes Without Being Asked! Today we get to cover Chapter Six: All about the importance of surrounding your kids with helpful influences…and protecting them from bad ones! There is no denying: We all become like the company we keep. Y...

How would you respond if one of your kids told you they wanted to drop out of college and become a YouTuber? In case that topic has already come up in your home (or if, like me, you have just wondered how in the world you’d respond if it did!) today’s episode will give you a ton of insight…wand encouragement! My son Levi is a huge fan of the YouTube Golf sensation (and brand) “GoodGood Golf.” (Goo...

People all over the world have been shocked and saddened by the tragic fire that recently destroyed the iconic town of Lahaina, on Maui. This is the deadliest fire in US history to date, and there is a long road ahead of healing and rebuilding. Yet, in the midst of all of the news, blaming, and politics, I think it is helpful to hear from real families who have been affected by the fire. And I hap...

Welcome to my first ever “Coffee Date” Podcast episode! (Hopefully not the last!) If you’ve been around long, you might know how much I love a good coffee date with a friend. I’ve done many virtual coffee dates on my blog and via weekly emails (You can sign up for those at monicaswanson.com/subscribe) but today I hope you can join me on the podcast for some really exciting announcements, updates,...

I am so happy to be back with another monthly podcast covering highlights from my book, Raising Amazing: Bringing up Kids Who Love God, Like Their Family, and Do the Dishes Without Being Asked! Today we get to cover Chapter Five: All about offering your kids a secure foundation through a healthy marriage. Most of us would agree that building a strong, healthy, and lasting marriage is one of the mo...

Are you a worrier? Do your kids worry too? Sissy Goff, best-selling author and child-therapist (for over 30 years) wants to help parents overcome their tendency to worry. Because: worry is contagious – and an anxious, worry-prone parent is likely to raise kids who also worry.   Fortunately, Sissy has good news. She has help for uncovering the roots of anxiety and suggestions for processing your an...

We were made for people. Yet, most of us are living a dangerously lonely life. In fact, loneliness is perhaps the least talked-about epidemic in our culture today. Justin Whitmel Earley, lawyer, #boydad, and one of my favorite authors is here to share a cure for this loneliness problem. This is a conversation I hope some men can tune into as well as us ladies! Drawing from his brand new (amazing)...

By now you probably know that I consider parenting and family life some of the highest privileges on earth; it is Kingdom work. Yet, often in our season of raising kids, we tend to “lose ourselves”, right? I hear from women who don’t remember what they used to enjoy before kids… “Did I have any hobbies?...What do I like to do/eat, etc?” As these Moms prepare for their kids to launch, they can begi...

It’s back-to-school season, and whether your kids go to school, are homeschooled, or do some combination of the two, change is in the air! This transition can be more stressful on all of us than we anticipate, and it’s easy to feel caught off guard in the midst of it all. Taking the time to be intentional as a family can make a world of difference!   In today’s episode I am offering 3 simple steps...

I am so happy to be back with another monthly podcast covering highlights from my book, Raising Amazing: Bringing up Kids Who Love God, Like Their Family, and Do the Dishes Without Being Asked!  Today we get to cover Chapter Four: The Most Important Thing. This is all about making faith your highest priority.   While every chapter of this book is important, I believe this topic truly is…the most i...

Gather your kids and join Josiah and I for part III of my summer Proverbs mini-series! The Book of Proverbs is packed full of wisdom and has incredibly practical help for all the things kids (and adults) face today. I am so excited to share this 3rd and final episode of my summer mini-series as Josiah (turning 24 on the day this episode releases!) brings everything together with an insightful look...

Gather your kids and join Jonah and I for part II of my summer Proverbs series! The Book of Proverbs is packed full of wisdom and has incredibly practical help for all of the things kids (and adults) face today. The Swanson boys have all grown up reading a lot of Proverbs and it has shaped them into the (wise) young men they are today. In today’s episode, Jonah (22) joins us teach us a bit more ab...