Ask Alice

With the season of food and fullness upon us, in this episode of Ask Alice, she interviews Registered Dietitian and Professor, Dr. Melissa Powell, on ways that parents can help kids - and themselves - survive the season of sweets and stuffed. She explains the notion of mindfulness and intuitive eating, as opposed to the "anything goes" or "forbidden fruit" mentality. While Alice approaches the emotional component of holiday foods, Melissa provides insight on balancing food choices. She also encourages the notion of hospitality by teaching kids a spirit of gratitude and appreciating foods from other cultures and families.

Resources:

Children Just Like Me: A New Celebration of Children Around the World by DK

The Harvard Nutrition Source 

Melissa-Powell [at] utc.edu

Biblical Wisdom for Teenagers' Eating Habits by Melissa Powell 

While this episode of Ask Alice is geared toward younger children, the wisdom that her guest, Joel Busby, brings is applicable to kids of all ages. Alice and Joel discuss conveying the Gospel through everything from our beautiful world to discipline to allowing kids to appreciate silence. In his thoughtful and kind manner, Joel tackles the tough questions kids often ask such as "Why does God allow bad things to happen?" and "How do I know that my faith is right when my friends worship with other religions?"

Resources:

Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing by Sally-Lloyd Jones

How Great is Our God by Louie Giglio

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally-Lloyd Jones

In this episode, Alice is joined by Davis Lacey, a former youth pastor who now leads a young church plant in Ellijay, GA (Autumn Ridge Community Church). Drawing from personal experience, Davis shares how churches which take intergenerational integration seriously are great assets for family discipleship and growing faith in teenagers - even if those churches don't have formal "youth groups." Then, he and Alice dive into this week's questions, including, "Should I force my child to go to youth group?", "Is it OK for my child to attend another church's youth group?", "How can I support my child's youth leaders while respecting my child's space?", and more. 

Show notes: 

• Rooted's 3-Part "Church Planting as Youth Ministry" series of articles, available using the links at the top of article #3 (https://rootedministry.com/blog/church-planting-and-youth-ministry-three-steps-to-help-teenagers-serve-your-church/)
• Take you pick of other articles from Rooted's "Intergenerational Integration" tab. https://rootedministry.com/?tag=intergenerational-integration&post_types&author_id&s

In this episode of Ask Alice, Alice addresses what is, in her opinion, one of the most underserved populations among kids today: biological siblings in adoption homes. She interviews author, counselor, and mother of an adopted daughter Jennifer Phillips on the joys and trials of bringing an adopted child into the home. She discusses common issues that biological children experience during the adjustment stage, including their own trauma and feelings of displacement. Jennifer gently encourages parents to let go of the pressure to "do it right" and provides beautiful, gospel-filled language on explaining adoption to children.

Resources:

Social media handles: FB - Jennifer Phillips / Insta - @jennifer_leigh_phillips

Bringing Lucy Home by Jennifer Phillips

Hope When it's Hard by Jennifer Phillips

Unhitching from the Crazy Train: Finding Rest in a World You Can't Control by Julie Sparkman and Jennifer Phillips

In this episode of Ask Alice, Alice welcomes the hosts of another Rooted podcast you will want to subscribe to. The Rooted Parent Podcast, hosted by Cameron Cole and Anna Meade Harris, aims to equip and encourage parents as they disciple their children to lifelong faith in Jesus Christ. Rooted Parent is a part of the Rooted Family of Podcasts.

Resources:

The Rooted Parent Podcast

John chapter 4

In this episode of Ask Alice, Alice discusses the post-Mother's Day reality that often consumes our daily thoughts - mom guilt. She answers questions from our listeners but also uses her own mom-fail moment to discuss the dangerous, slippery slope that guilt leads to. She distinguishes between Mom-guilt and Mom-shame, and processes the idols that these can expose in our parenting. Using Gospel-centered truths, she illustrates how grace toward ourselves and other struggling moms can end the spiral of unhealthy lies. 

Resources:

14 Gospel Principles that can Radically Change Your Family by Paul David Tripp

"Surface Pressure" from Encanto by Lin-Manuel Miranda

In this episode of Ask Alice, Alice interviews editor and author Betsy Childs Howard on her newest children's book, Polly and the Screen Time Overload. The two discuss the updated recommendations for screen time use in children, as well as the differences in technology from a decade ago. In her gentle and humble way, Betsy provides excellent dialog opportunities for parents to have with kids on what Scripture says - without saying - on screen time usage and the necessary why's behind screen time boundaries.

Resources:

Polly and the Screen Time Overload by Betsy Childs Howard

Resources:

College Data point comparisons and rankings:

https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/

https://www.wsj.com/articles/college-rankings-list-2022-11632246093

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges

College Search Platforms

https://www.niche.com/

https://www.collegexpress.com

https://www.scoir.com/

https://www.naviance.com/

Resources:

The God Attachment by Clinton and Straub

Empowered to Connect - www.empoweredtoconnect.org

The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family by Karyn B. Purvis

The Connected Parent: Real-Life Strategies for Building Trust and Attachment by Karyn B. Purvis

Resources:

Raising a Strong Daughter in a Toxic Culture by Meg Meeker

Codependent No More by Melanie Beattie

Get Your Story Straight by Kristen Hatton