The Whole Person Parenting Podcast

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Whole Person Parenting , Presley and Valeri explore the interdependent stage of parenting, a season of learning how to stay connected while allowing our children the space to develop their own identities, make decisions, and take greater responsibility for their lives. Together, they discuss the challenges and opportunities of parenting teenagers, the importance...

Send us Fan Mail Parenting is a journey of becoming—not just for our children, but for us as parents, too. In this episode of Whole Person Parenting , Val and Presley are back together as they continue their series, Becoming a Parent , exploring the interpretative stage of parenthood. As parents, we are continually called to interpret and reinterpret who we are as our children grow and change. At...

Send us Fan Mail How much do we actually influence our kids? Spoiler alert: probably more than we realize! In this episode of Becoming a Parent , Val and Jaime talk about the big (and sometimes overwhelming) responsibility of shaping the people God has entrusted to us. Our kids are ambassadors for our family! But at the end of the day, our goal isn’t just to raise kids who represent our family wel...

Send us Fan Mail What does it actually look like to parent with authority? In this episode, Val and her husband, Jaime, talk about the Authority Stage of Parenting, one of the stages Ellen Galinsky describes in her work on the stages of parenthood. Val and Jaime look back on their own parenting experience and share what it was like to set boundaries, make the tough calls, and guide their kids whil...

Send us Fan Mail What allows us to develop a relationship with our child—and what can get in the way? In infancy, becoming a parent is also the beginning of getting to know a very real, very individual child. It’s a time of discovery: learning who this little person is, while also discovering who we are as their parent. But that process doesn’t always unfold the way we imagined. Before our baby ar...

Send us Fan Mail We all begin the journey of parenthood with dreams. We imagine who our child will be, what they’ll love, how they’ll grow, and perhaps even the kind of relationship we’ll share. But eventually, every parent encounters the beautiful and sometimes difficult reality that the child we imagined is not quite the child we’ve been given. In this episode of Becoming A Parent , we explore t...

Send us Fan Mail Becoming a parent is more than bringing a baby home—it's the beginning of becoming someone new. In this kickoff episode, we're introducing a brand-new series exploring the six stages of parenting and how our role as parents grows and changes right alongside our children. Valerie shares her own story of becoming a parent—the expectations, the surprises, the ways God has s...

Send us Fan Mail Every parent has moments they're proud of... and moments they'd rather pretend never happened. In this episode, we're sharing stories of fails, victories, and the moments that have kept us humble (and laughing). We're also unpacking the idealized self —the imaginary parent who never loses their cool, always says the right thing, and never makes any mistakes. As...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we're talking about the "dirty lens" we all carry into parenting—the thoughts and assumptions that color how we see our kids and ourselves. Stress has a funny way of smudging the glass. Suddenly your curious toddler looks "defiant," your emotional tween seems "dramatic," and you're convinced you're failing at this whole...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Val and Presley discuss the "summer cure"—that noticeable shift when children seem happier, more relaxed, and more like themselves once school is out and summer routines take over. From extra sunshine and outdoor play to less pressure and more freedom, we'll explore why summer can have such a positive impact on a child's mental and emotional we...

Send us Fan Mail As parents, we all want our children to see others the way God does, but how do we teach them to notice differences without fear, discomfort, or judgment? In this episode, we explore how diversity reflects God's creativity and design, and why helping our children recognize and appreciate differences is an important part of their spiritual and relational growth. From navigatin...

Send us Fan Mail In our newest and final episode in our series on development, we explore one of the most unexpected transitions in parenting: navigating life as parents of adult children. Together, we discuss the spiritual, relational, and psychological shifts that happen as our role changes from managing and guiding to supporting, trusting, and remaining connected in new ways. We talk honestly a...

Send us Fan Mail The teenage years can feel like a constant push and pull—one moment your child needs you deeply, the next they’re pushing for independence. In this episode, we explore what it looks like to stay close enough to truly know your teen—their struggles, pressures, and questions—without holding so tightly that you hinder their growth into autonomy. We talk about the delicate shift from...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever felt like your once-sweet child has suddenly become a strong-willed, independent, opinionated human who’s slowly taking over your house, you’re not wrong. The teen years can feel like a shift in power, a shift in connection, and honestly, sometimes a shift in sanity. But what if this “takeover” isn’t a problem to solve, but a process to understand? In this episode,...

Send us Fan Mail The tween years can feel like a quiet shift until suddenly, everything seems to be changing. In this episode, Presley and Val take a step back to look at what’s really going on beneath the surface of what is typically an awkward stage of development where your child is not the same little kid you've been raising, and not the teen you've been anticipating.  They're s...

Send us Fan Mail In this special episode, we step into the elementary years—a season full of growth, curiosity, and deepening relationships—with someone who knows it from every angle. Joined by our very first guest, a veteran educator, and our favorite elementary school principal!  Listen in we bring both professional wisdom and personal insight to the table. Together, we explore the elementary ye...

Send us Fan Mail Between toddlerhood and becoming a "big kid", something remarkable starts happening. Kids ages 4 to 6 are stretching in every direction. This stage of early childhood is full of imagination, big questions, and even bigger feelings. Children are learning how to navigate friendships, manage frustration, test their abilities, and understand the world God placed them in. In...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever noticed that toddlers seem wired to explore everything … and also completely unaware of danger at the exact same time? In this episode of Are We There Yet? , Presley and Val continue their look at the toddler years by stepping into the tension many parents feel: how do we honor our child’s God-given drive for exploration while also setting boundaries that keep them s...

Send us Fan Mail The toddler years are marked by curiosity, movement, and a relentless drive to explore—and Scripture gives us a surprisingly rich place to understand why. In this episode, Presley and Val discuss what it means to support exploration the way God supports us. By returning to the Garden of Eden, they consider how God created humans for curiosity, freedom, and discovery within relatio...

Send us Fan Mail The earliest years of a child’s life are not just about milestones—they’re about relationship . In this episode, Presley and Val explore how God designed infancy and early childhood as a season for deep relational formation between parents and children. From crying and comfort to play, presence, and protection, these early interactions shape a child’s sense of safety, trust, and b...

Send us Fan Mail Parenting often feels like a race toward the next milestone—or a desperate attempt to “fix” what isn’t working right now. In this introductory episode, we invite you to slow down and consider a different question: What if your child’s development is not a problem to solve, but a process God designed? In this episode, we lay the foundation for the entire "Are We There Yet?&quo...

Send us Fan Mail The holidays don’t just bring twinkly lights and cocoa—they also bring opinions . In Part 2 of our Christmas series, Presley and Val are talking about navigating the beautiful, complicated reality of extended family gatherings while staying rooted in the differentiated life God has uniquely called your family to live. From well-meaning comments about your parenting choices to subt...

Send us Fan Mail If “joy to the world” feels more like “stress to the parents” at your house, this episode is your Christmas lifeline. This is the first of our 2 holiday episodes looking at how to choose joy for yourself and your family.  In this episode, Presley and Val remember holiday traditions and consider how holidays are not always the joyous occasions we'd hoped for - oftentimes they&...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to The Whole Person Parenting Podcast! In today's we’re jumping into everyone's favorite toxic duo, perfectionism and the fear of failure—otherwise known as “Tuesday” for many parents. So grab your coffee, take a pause from the grind of life, and maybe hold off on tossing that glitter-covered craft your toddler made that you’ve been pretending you like. Toda...

Send us Fan Mail Presley has been reflecting on her own journey with the smart phone and social media as she's been reading a new book for one of her classes, and she's anxious to discuss it.  Listen in as Presley and Val discuss both the mental, relational, and spiritual aspects of our cultural departure from a play-based childhood and the challenges that parents face in this shift.  Be...