Family Activities to Prepare for Easter

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Two therapists chat about the benefits of play and how to incorporate play therapy into your family’s routine. The end goal: More connection with your child and a more regulated child. It’s a win-win!







In this podcast episode, Lynne Jackson, occupational therapist and Co-Founder of Connected Families, interviews Marlee Thomson, a mental health therapist and Connected Families Certified Parent Coach. They discuss the brain science behind play and how it can develop connection and trust between you and your child. Marlee explains how you can incorporate “special playtime,” highlighting how your undivided attention and delight can nurture your child’s identity. Incorporating the Connected Families Framework every step of the way, Lynne and Marlee encourage you to begin this practice with the goal of being present rather than striving for perfection.



Mentioned in this podcast:




Free PDF from Marlee



Quote from parent coach Patty Wipfler, “Feelings that are felt fully are feelings that evaporate afterward.”



Psalm 147:11



Psalm 73:21-26



“Fix your face” podcast: Ep. 174 | Want to Connect with Your Teenager?



Sponsor a podcast episode this August! Email Adel at adel@connectedfamilies.org for more information.




Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!



Your donation fuels our work. Make a donation to Connected Families today!



Take a moment to rate and review!



Guest Bio:



Marlee Thomsen is an LCSWA who lives and works as a mental health therapist and Connected Families Certified Parent Coach in Durham, NC. She is working towards becoming a Registered Play Therapist and is growing in her love for play therapy. In particular, she is passionate about teaching parents play skills and walking through the Connected Families framework with them to enhance the parent-child relationship. Additionally, she has experienced the impact of the Connected Families framework in her own family as she raises two toddler boys alongside her husband.





How to Play with Kids Like a Therapist Would





We chat with Lindsay Fauver, a mom from the Connected Families community, about her parenting journey with a child who experiences anxiety, sensory challenges, and challenging behaviors. Lindsay shares how she has gained new understanding and tools to support her child and stay calm when her daughter escalates. She also emphasizes the persistence required to implement positive changes and the role of scripture in sustaining her. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with parenting, you’ll find plenty of hope and practical ideas in this interview with a mom who’s been there.







Mentioned in this podcast:




Are You Micromanaging Your Kids? Here’s How to Stop | Ep. 177



Authentic Community for Dads | Ep. 179



100 Truth Phrases PDF – a free resource



Grace & Truth for Moms online course



Connected Families Connection Questions (Campfire Questions)



Sensitive & Intense Kids online course



Parenting Coaching



Isaiah 30



James 1



Psalm 103:8



1 John 3:19




Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!



Your donation fuels our work. Make a donation to Connected Families today!



Take a moment to rate and review!



Guest Bio:



Lindsay Fauver is a photographer by trade and a theologian at heart. She is deeply passionate about participating with the great Artist as she works to build a foundation of “belonging and becoming” with her little people, clients, and students. Lindsay loves writing, peonies, Pilates, design, earrings, and anything by the water. She longs for the day when her story of surrender is told in its fullness by the One who will permanently wipe away her tears.







.stk-f7962e5-inner-blocks{justify-content:center !important}.stk-f7962e5{background-color:#FFFFFF !important;padding-top:0px !important;padding-right:0px !important;padding-bottom:0px !important;padding-left:0px !important}.stk-f7962e5:before{background-color:#FFFFFF !important}.stk-f7962e5 .stk-block-hero__content{min-height:500px !important}
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.stk-b0e3710{margin-bottom:0px !important}.stk-b0e3710 .stk-block-heading__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-4,#1e3f52) !important}Stop believing lies.



.stk-a3c2030 .stk-block-heading__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-1,#ee6c4d) !important}About you. Or your kids.



Learn to approach motherhood with grace and truth. Take the Grace & Truth for Moms small group course.




.stk-4bbb5be .stk-button{background:var(--theme-palette-color-1,#ee6c4d) !important}.stk-4bbb5be .stk-button:hover:after{background:var(--theme-palette-color-2,#98c1d9) !important;opacity:1 !important}.stk-4bbb5be .stk-button__inner-text{font-size:21px !important;color:var(--theme-palette-color-8,#ffffff) !important;font-weight:600 !important}@media screen and (max-width:1023px){.stk-4bbb5be .stk-button__inner-text{font-size:21px !important}}TELL ME MORE





Stories of Transformation… from “Fixing” to Connecting





In this meaningful conversation, we talk to dads Matt Norman (author and President & CEO of Norman & Associates) and Jim Jackson (Connected Families Co-Founder) about their experiences with authentic, vulnerable community. Matt shares his personal journey of seeking more meaningful connections while balancing the demands of marriage, parenting, and his career. He describes the evolution of his small group, which started as a way to socialize and study but grew into a space for supportive and sensitive sharing. Jim emphasizes the power of asking questions and genuinely seeking to understand others, rather than just offering opinions or advice. Both men reflect on the positive impact their authentic community has had on their personal growth, relationships, and even their children’s development.







Mentioned in this podcast:




Grace & Truth for Moms online course – register today!



Equimundo’s 2023 State of American Men survey data



Daniel 3



Galatians 6




Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!



We’re a listener-supported podcast. Make a donation to Connected Families today!



Don’t forget to take a moment to rate and review the podcast!



Guest Bio:



Matt Norman coaches and advises executives on how to build great people and culture. He is President & CEO of Norman & Associates, which offers custom coaching and consulting in the areas of talent strategy, personal effectiveness, planning, and goal alignment. Norman & Associates is also the largest North American provider of Dale Carnegie learning programs which help people improve how they communicate, lead, influence, and work together. He’s also the award-winning author of Four Patterns of Healthy People, and Lead with Influence: A Proven Process to Lead without Authority. Matt loves being a husband and father of three, enjoying shared activities like skiing, mountain biking, trail running, and music. You can find his articles on personal and organizational effectiveness at http://mattnorman.com.







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.stk-yb5hmwe{margin-bottom:0px !important}.stk-yb5hmwe .stk-block-heading__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-4,#1e3f52) !important}Stop believing lies.



.stk-0y01dhy .stk-block-heading__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-1,#ee6c4d) !important}About you. Or your kids.



Learn to approach motherhood with grace and truth. Take the Grace & Truth for Moms small group course.




.stk-64w2cpm .stk-button{background:var(--theme-palette-color-1,#ee6c4d) !important}.stk-64w2cpm .stk-button:hover:after{background:var(--theme-palette-color-2,#98c1d9) !important;opacity:1 !important}.stk-64w2cpm .stk-button__inner-text{font-size:21px !important;color:var(--theme-palette-color-8,#ffffff) !important;font-weight:600 !important}@media screen and (max-width:1023px){.stk-64w2cpm .stk-button__inner-text{font-size:21px !important}}TELL ME MORE









How Authentic Community Can Equip Parents to Thrive





What do you do when you disagree with your partner about how to parent? Perhaps it is even causing a rift in your family. You feel strongly about how to parent your kids but feel stuck on knowing how to encourage your co-parent to see things the way you do. 



You are not alone! It is a very common struggle for many parents. Whether you are single parenting with an ex-spouse, married, or caring for grandchildren, this can be an emotionally charged topic.



 



Tensions over different parenting styles and philosophies can create stress in your relationship with your co-parent and affect your kids, too. You and your partner may both have good intentions, but your parenting ideals and how to implement them might be different.



 In this podcast, we’re going to tackle this challenging topic. Stacy Bellward is joined by Jim and Lynne Jackson (Co-founders of Connected Families) to discuss their experience as parents with very different personalities. You’ll discover how Jim and Lynne navigated their parenting differences, and what kept them connected in the process.



You can create an atmosphere of safety and connection for your co-parent and your children by using the Connected Families Framework, asking curious questions, focusing on your own heart, and looking for the best in each other. Your family environment can be a place where everyone is safe to learn and grow in grace and empathy for one another.



In this podcast, you’ll learn:




the power of the Connected Families Framework in your relationship with your partner, or co-parent



questions you can ask your partner that invite conversation, connection, and openness instead of criticism



how to get to a nonjudgmental place where you can see your partner’s underlying strengths as a parent



offering grace and avoiding catastrophizing, knowing that God is working on behalf of your kids no matter the situation




Mentioned in this podcast:




Connected Families Framework



Discipline That Connects online course



Trash, Truth, Treasure (blog post)



Connected Families New Serenity Prayer (download)




Want to learn more?




What’s the Best Way to Handle Shared Parenting?



How to Parent Together When You’re Total Opposites








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.stk-5f8d87a{margin-bottom:0px !important}@media screen and (max-width:767px){.stk-5f8d87a-column{--stk-col-order-1:2 !important;--stk-col-order-2:1 !important}}
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.stk-01f6543 .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:35px !important;color:var(--theme-palette-color-4,#1e3f52) !important}@media screen and (max-width:1023px){.stk-01f6543 .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:35px !important}}You need consequences that work.



Because your kids aren’t perfect. Neither are you. That’s why you need a plan for discipling your kids in the hard moments.



.stk-a1e8c1b .stk-block-text__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-1,#ee6c4d) !important;font-weight:600 !important}Read the FREE ebook, Consequences That Actually Work.








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My Co-Parent Sees Things Differently





Listen in as we talk with Chad Hayenga (Connected Families Director of Education and Equipping) about parental anxiety and micromanagement, and how these can negatively impact your relationship with your child. Chad and Stacy (podcast host) discuss common scenarios that trigger anxiety in parents and the resulting cycle that can leave the child feeling discouraged and resentful. 







The conversation is filled with practical ideas for moving out of the cycle of anxiety and into new patterns of belief and ways of relating to your child. Whether your child is about to graduate from high school, or just starting to have responsibilities of his own, you’ll find wisdom and encouragement for today in this episode.



Mentioned in this podcast:




Sign up for our weekly Parenting Tips email



Grace & Truth for Moms online course



Are You Micromanaging Your Kids?



1 Peter 5:7



Philippians 4:6-8



100 Truth Phrases PDF




Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!



We are a listener-supported podcast. Donate to Connected Families today! Your donation fuels our work.



Did you find this episode helpful? Share it with a friend, or take a moment to rate and review!







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.stk-a3u2465 .stk-img-wrapper{width:100% !important;height:500px !important}@media screen and (max-width:767px){.stk-a3u2465 .stk-img-wrapper{height:300px !important}}




.stk-8wut6ao{align-self:center !important}.stk-8wut6ao-container{max-width:450px !important}
.stk-a1v4ubo{margin-bottom:0px !important}.stk-a1v4ubo .stk-block-heading__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-4,#1e3f52) !important}Stop believing lies.



.stk-do7r3e0 .stk-block-heading__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-1,#ee6c4d) !important}About you. Or your kids.



Learn to approach motherhood with grace and truth. Take the Grace & Truth for Moms small group course.




.stk-4ibn3py .stk-button{background:var(--theme-palette-color-1,#ee6c4d) !important}.stk-4ibn3py .stk-button:hover:after{background:var(--theme-palette-color-2,#98c1d9) !important;opacity:1 !important}.stk-4ibn3py .stk-button__inner-text{font-size:21px !important;color:var(--theme-palette-color-8,#ffffff) !important;font-weight:600 !important}@media screen and (max-width:1023px){.stk-4ibn3py .stk-button__inner-text{font-size:21px !important}}TELL ME MORE





Family Activities to Prepare for Easter

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