Brave Parenting

By Brave ParentingSociety & Culture Parenting Kids & Family

Brave Parenting episodes

November 04 Ep. 246: Your BFF Alexa
Amazon’s Alexa has changed dramatically from the simple voice-controlled AI assistant it was when families welcomed it into their homes a decade ago. With Alexa+, Amazon has transformed Alexa into a generative AI chatbot capable of ongoing conversations, remembering personal details, adopting different personalities, offering advice, and removing any friction that would keep families from the smooth and easy life they deserve.
In this episode, Kelly examines what this means for children. With Alexa+ being more relational, parents must consider whether the convenience “she” offers is worth the risk of displacing important human interactions. Kelly also covers three truths that parents must consider: Alexa cannot provide wisdom, Alexa cannot be a friend, but Alexa CAN contribute to a child’s formation. Practical Guard and Guide recommendations are offered for families using Alexa.
Articles referenced:
The Secret Origins of Amazon Alexa
Spell Assembly (TikTok)
When AI is a Member of the Family
Pew Research: Americans and AI 2026
Examining Voice Assistants in the Context of Children’s Speech
Alexa Got an A.I. Brain Transplant. How Smart Is It Now?
Amazon is set to supercharge Alexa with generative AI
Top features you can try on Alexa+
You Can Now Customize how Alexa+ Responds With New Personality Styles
Amazon Kids+
Everything you need to know about Explore with Alexa, Amazon’s new conversational feature for kids
PSA: Do not let your kids “hang out” with Alexa+ (Reddit)
Echo Kids Devices Are the Ultimate Bedtime Companion: Amazon Kids+ Launches Sleep Studio
Amazon’s new Alexa+ brings AI-powered ‘Explore’ and ‘Stories’ features for kids
Common Sense Media: Talk, Trust, and Tradeoffs: How and Why Teens Use AI Companions
Common Sense Media: AI Use by Tweens and Teens 2026
Scripture referenced:
Deuteronomy 6:7
Proverbs 1:7
Proverbs 17:17
Proverbs 27:9
Proverbs 27:5-6
Proverbs 16:8
Proverbs 17:9
Probers 18:2
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Genesis 2:18
Philippians 2:3-4
Mark 10:45

Get your copy of the STUDENT Study Guide today!
Need a kids-safe phone? Pinwheel is our favorite!
Book a Speaking Event!!
Buy the UPDATED book: Managing Media Creating Character (2024 Revised & Updated). Also available on Audible.
Get Kelly’s new Study Guide & Workbook, with video teachings for small groups.
Check out our brand new Brave Parenting Merch
Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s happening without social media – a win for everyone!
58 min
October 28 Ep. 245: Access is Not Ownership – The Subscription Economy & Its Impact on Kids
We all have “subscription fatigue” these days, but beneath all those monthly fees lies the realization that we are paying for access and actually own nothing. In this episode, Kelly dives into the subscription economy – everything from streaming movies and music to renting software, digital books, and video games. Without knowing it, the subscription economy is changing the way families think about possessions, limits, and responsibility. When everything is instant and virtually unlimited, natural opportunities to develop desired character are gone.
Thinking biblically about this cultural norm requires that we understand the difference between materialism, consumerism, and faithful stewardship. This may mean canceling a few subscriptions, but ultimately it’s about intentionally raising children to be good stewards of what God entrusts to them.
Articles referenced:
DVDs are the new vinyl records: Why Gen Z is embracing physical media
Digital Media Monitor
Apple Media Terms
Amazon Kindle Terms of Service
Sony: Physical Disc Production ending in January 2028
Scripture referenced:
Genesis 1:1
Psalm 24:1
Isaiah 44:24
John 1:3
Colossians 1:16
Revelation 4:11
Luke 12:15
1 Timothy 6:6-7
Ephesians 2:10
Buy the book: Managing Media Creating Character. Also available on Audible.
NEW!! The Managing Media Creating Character STUDENT Study Guide!
Get your copy of the STUDENT Study Guide today!
Need a kids-safe phone? Pinwheel is our favorite!
Book a Speaking Event!!
Get Kelly’s new Study Guide & Workbook, with video teachings for small groups.
Check out our brand new Brave Parenting Merch
Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s happening without social media – a win for everyone!
41 min
October 21 Ep. 244: Should Christians Parents Allow Scary-Horror Movies?
For many Christian parents, horror movies or even just less graphic movies that are scary can be difficult to navigate. Are kids finding pleasure in the evil and gore? Are there any benefits other than entertainment? Will this movie put ideas or images into my kid’s mind that won’t leave and that stir up fear?
In this episode, Kelly explores why people enjoy being scared, how frightening media affects children, and why not all scary stories share the same moral category. Some forms of horror make evil, human suffering, and gore the entertainment, while others present darkness only to reveal courage, justice, truth, sacrifice, and redemption. Using the Word of God, parents can apply a framework to evaluate scary / horror content with faithful and biblical discernment. It is possible to encounter evil in a story without enjoying or celebrating it. What questions can we ask ourselves to determine what a particular horror movie asks us to do with the evil and darkness it portrays?
Articles referenced:
(Why) Do You Like Scary Movies? A Review of the Empirical Research on Psychological Responses to Horror Films
Should I let my child watch scary movies?
My 11-year-old loves to watch horror videos on YouTube, should I be concerned?
Scripture referenced:
2 Corinthians 6:14
Romans 12:9
Psalm 101:3
Psalm 119:37
1 Corinthians 10:23
Isaiah 5:20
REGISTER FOR THE OCTOBER 22 WEBINAR: Video Games: Enemy or Ally of Learning
NEW!! The Managing Media Creating Character STUDENT Study Guide!
Get your copy of the STUDENT Study Guide today!
Need a kids-safe phone? Pinwheel is our favorite!
Book a Speaking Event!!
Buy the UPDATED book: Managing Media Creating Character (2024 Revised & Updated). Also available on Audible.
Get Kelly’s new Study Guide & Workbook, with video teachings for small groups.
Check out our brand new Brave Parenting Merch
Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s happening without social media – a win for everyone!
36 min
October 14 Ep. 243: Grand Theft Auto VI – The Insanity Explained
Grand Theft Auto is already one of the most successful video games ever. And now, the extraordinarily anticipated GTA VI is set to finally launch on November 19th. It’s poised to become one of the biggest entertainment events in history. This gives parents an opportunity to consider the media we consume and allow our children to consume.
In this episode, Kelly explains the history and cultural phenomenon of Grand Theft Auto, what players actually experience in the game, and why parents cannot default to a standard “no violent video games.” The world of GTA is one of crime, sex, drugs, alcohol, profanity, and yes, violence. Children, teens, young adults, and parents will want to play this game even knowing it is saturated with all that God calls evil. Christians have a moral responsibility to consider that although all things are permissible, not all things are beneficial (1 Cor. 10:23).
Articles referenced:
Rockstar Games: GTA VI
Soldiers Incentiized to Reenlist With Time Off to Play Grand Theft Auto VI
A Lot of People Are Seemingly Taking Time Off Work to Play GTA 6. Are You?
Guinness World Records: Fastest Entertainment Property to Gross $1 Billion
Guinness World Records: GTA IV First Look Becomes Most Viewed Videogame Trailer in 24 Hours
ESRB Rating: Grand Theft Auto VI
GTA 6 – 22 WILD Facts Most Players DON’T Know
APA Reaffirms Position on Violent Video Games and Violent Behavior
GTA 6 has “detailed decapitation,” and cocaine can be “snorted directly” from your hand, says UK ratings board
Scripture referenced:
Philippians 4:8
Isaiah 5:20
Proverbs 4:23
Romans 12:2
1 John 2:15-17
1 Corinthians 6:12, 10:23

REGISTER FOR THE OCTOBER WEBINAR: Video Games: Enemy or Ally of Learning
NEW!! The Managing Media Creating Character STUDENT Study Guide!
Get your copy of the STUDENT Study Guide today!
Need a kids-safe phone? Pinwheel is our favorite!
Book a Speaking Event!!
Buy the UPDATED book: Managing Media Creating Character (2024 Revised & Updated). Also available on Audible.
Get Kelly’s new Study Guide & Workbook, with video teachings for small groups.
Check out our brand new Brave Parenting Merch
Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s happening without social media – a win for everyone!
31 min
October 07 Ep. 242: Meta’s Muse and The Promise of Personal Superintelligence
Meta’s new Muse AI is more than a chatbot – it’s an agent. Capable of managing your emails, scheduling appointments, making purchases, and managing your finances, this agent’s goal is to make your life better. More than that, Meta’s philosophy is to provide everyone with superintelligence to help each person achieve their individual goals.
In this episode, Kelly explains Meta’s new AI rollout of the agentic app and the forthcoming Muse Charm. Considering the broad and spiritual concerns surrounding the merging of our lives with machines, Kelly unpacks how Meta’s worldview and promises of personal superintelligence are opposed to Scripture and to what it means to be human. She offers parents practical ways to disciple kids through conversations surrounding Muse, and its “delightful” new charm.
Articles referenced:
Introducing Muse
Introducing Muse: The World’s First Personal AI Agent Built for Everyone
Everything We Announced at Meta Connect 2026
How We Designed Muse
Meta Muse Charm Kids Safety: Where Are Parental Controls?
Meta’s New AI “Muse Charm”: When the AI Companion Moves From the Phone To A New Type Of Digital Device
Meta is making a Tamagotchi-like AI companion for the AI era — meet the Muse Charm
Scripture referenced:
Genesis 3:1-6
Romans 12:2
1 Thessalonians 4:3
Philippians 2:6-8
John 6:38
John 8:50
2 Timothy 4:3-5

REGISTER FOR THE OCTOBER WEBINAR: Video Games: Enemy or Ally of Learning
NEW!! The Managing Media Creating Character STUDENT Study Guide!
Get your copy of the STUDENT Study Guide today!
Need a kids-safe phone? Pinwheel is our favorite!
Book a Speaking Event!!
Buy the UPDATED book: Managing Media Creating Character (2024 Revised & Updated). Also available on Audible.
Get Kelly’s new Study Guide & Workbook, with video teachings for small groups.
Check out our brand new Brave Parenting Merch
Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s happening without social media – a win for everyone!
34 min
October 02 Ep. 241: What Does ‘Restoring Childhood’ Look Like?
In his new book Restoring Childhood, evolutionary psychologist Peter Gray argues that declining childhood independence, excessive adult control, and achievement-driven education – not smartphones or social media – are responsible for the decline in youth mental health. While Gray rightly points to societal shifts that have led to the loss of childhood, including the responsibility parents must own, he misunderstands today’s online environment and how formative it is for children. He suggests that video games and social media are a way to restore childhood autonomy and independence.
In this episode, Kelly considers Gray’s argument through a biblical worldview while contending with the freedom children need and the freedom children can wrongly use to indulge the flesh. If we aren’t careful, autonomy becomes the ultimate goal. And without wisdom, autonomy produces chaos and recklessness.
Articles referenced:
Have We Destroyed Childhood?
What if it’s not the phones?
Penguin Random House: Restoring Childhood
Podcast 215: Are the Benefits of Smartphones for Kids Really Beneficial? (Part 1)
Scripture referenced:
Galatians 5:13
Galatians 5:7
Jeremiah 17:9
Proverbs 4:23
James 1:14-15
1 Corinthians 6:11-12
Proverbs 22:6
Proverbs 9:10
Romans 1:22
REGISTER FOR THE OCTOBER WEBINAR: Video Games: Enemy or Ally of Learning
NEW!! The Managing Media Creating Character STUDENT Study Guide!
Get your copy of the STUDENT Study Guide today!
Need a kids-safe phone? Pinwheel is our favorite!
Book a Speaking Event!!
Buy the UPDATED book: Managing Media Creating Character (2024 Revised & Updated). Also available on Audible.
Get Kelly’s new Study Guide & Workbook, with video teachings for small groups.
Check out our brand new Brave Parenting Merch
Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s happening without social media – a win for everyone!
47 min
September 23 Ep. 240: MrBeast, the Biblical Worldview, & the Worldview of Spectacle
MrBeast has mastered the YouTube algorithm, built a business empire, and used his influence to give away millions of dollars. But what is his content teaching children? What happens when generosity, spectacle, and the attention economy are mixed together? In this episode, Kelly examines MrBeast through a biblical worldview, exploring the attention economy, philanthropy as entertainment, and how much spectacle influences children. She also gives parents practical ways to guard their children’s YouTube use and guide them towards biblical discernment in the media they consume.
Articles referenced:
TIME: MrBeast on His Swift Rise on YouTube and Beyond
The Mozart of the attention economy: why MrBeast is the world’s biggest YouTube star
Good intent or just good content? Assessing MrBeast’s philanthropy
How To Succeed In MrBeast Production
The Diary of a CEO: MrBeast: If you want to be liked, don’t help people! I lost tens of millions on Beast Games…but I’m worth $1 Billion
New York Times DealBook – MrBeast on the Attention Economy
YouTube’s New Way to Support Teens
Scripture referenced:
Genesis 2:24
1 Thessalonians 4:1112
Matthew 6:1-4
Matthew 5:14-16
Mark 8:34-38
John 6:1-27
Romans 1:16
1 John 4:12
REGISTER FOR THE OCTOBER WEBINAR: Video Games: Enemy or Ally of Learning
NEW!! The Managing Media Creating Character STUDENT Study Guide!
An 8-week biblical study examining how character is impacted by media and technology. This is the study every youth group/student ministry needs to be doing!
Get your copy of the STUDENT Study Guide today!
Need a kids-safe phone? Pinwheel is our favorite!
Book a Speaking Event!!
Buy the UPDATED book: Managing Media Creating Character (2024 Revised & Updated). Also available on Audible.
Get Kelly’s new Study Guide & Workbook, with video teachings for small groups.
Check out our brand new Brave Parenting Merch
Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s happening without social media – a win for everyone!
57 min
September 16 Ep. 239: The Teenage “Tradwife” and a Biblical Worldview of Marriage
Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that teens have taken up the “tradwife” mantle and have begun building their personal brands and influencer content by adulterating the sanctity of marriage. Over the past month, there has been a whirlwind of commentary surrounding the teen tradwife trend – teens who’ve opted to get married early and share on social media how much they love marriage, submitting to their husbands, and not working. It’s obvious that teens absorb and assimiliate to much of the viral content they see on social media. Now, teens and young adults are creating content around traditional marriage values in order to be seen, gain followers, and go viral.
In today’s episode, Kelly explains the tradwife trend and the real motivation for capturing pieces of your marriage and posting them as content for public consumption. Kelly argues that the motivation is nothing more than performance aimed at gaining attention. Examining the most popular TikTok video (the video that “broke” the internet), it’s easy to see how this content can deceive young girls into thinking this is what marriage is (and not liking the social media portrayal) or to jump into a romanticized version of marriage because the influencers make it look so blissful. Either way, it’s not biblical. Kelly ends with emphasizing the biblical definition of marriage and calls women to step into teen girls’ lives, ask questions, and help shape a biblical understanding of the institution of marriage.
Articles referenced:
Teenagers are buying into the tradwife fantasy, literally and figuratively
Pew: 12th Grade Girls are Less Likely than Boys to Say They Want to Get Married Someday
TikTok: Ava Ahavat
What Does Coram Deo Mean?
Scripture referenced:
Genesis 2:24
1 Thessalonians 4:11
Matthew 6:1
Ephesians 5:22-23
Matthew 5:14-16
Proverbs 31
Revelation 19:7-9
1 Peter 3:3-4
Romans 12:2
NEW!! The Managing Media Creating Character STUDENT Study Guide!
An 8-week biblical study examining how character is impacted by media and technology. This is the study every youth group/student ministry needs to be doing!
Get your copy of the STUDENT Study Guide today!
Need a kids-safe phone? Pinwheel is our favorite!
Book a Speaking Event!!
Buy the UPDATED book: Managing Media Creating Character (2024 Revised & Updated). Also available on Audible.
Get Kelly’s new Study Guide & Workbook, with video teachings for small groups.
Check out our brand new Brave Parenting Merch
Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s happening without social media – a win for everyone!
47 min
September 09 Ep. 238: Astrology and the Biblical Worldview
Astrology has been around for thousands of years, but it’s seen a resurgence in the last decade thanks to social media. Today’s astrology is much deeper than pithy horoscopes – it’s about birth charts, planetary movements, and houses. Many astrology content creators use persuasive language that lures young people in, promising to help them understand who they really are and what their purpose is.
Many Christians don’t know whether, or how, astrology fits into the biblical worldview. In today’s episode, Kelly explains the bible’s clear instructions surrounding the practice of astrology. For parents with teens whose fascination with astrology has become an obsession, the Word of God offers hope and help.
Articles referenced:
Generation Z Turn to Astrology to ‘Answer Life’s Big Questions’
Astrology Definition
TikTok is One Long Conversation With the Universe
30% of Americans Consult Astrology, Tarot Cards, or Fortune Tellers
The Pattern: Astrology
CHANI: Your Astrology Guide
Scripture cited:
Deuteronomy 18:9-14
Isaiah 47:13
Daniel 2:1-2, 10-11, 25-28
Psalm 19:1, 3
Romans 1:18-20, 22-25
Genesis 1:26-27
Psalm 139:13-16
James 1:5
Proverbs 2:6
Proverbs 9:10
Isaiah 8:19
Isaiah 46:9-10
Romans 8:28-39
Colossians 2:2-8
Acts 17:28
James 5:19
NEW!! The Managing Media Creating Character STUDENT Study Guide!
An 8-week biblical study examining how character is impacted by media and technology. This is the study every youth group/student ministry needs to be doing!
Get your copy of the STUDENT Study Guide today!
Need a kids-safe phone? Pinwheel is our favorite!
Book a Speaking Event!!
Buy the UPDATED book: Managing Media Creating Character (2024 Revised & Updated). Also available on Audible.
Get Kelly’s new Study Guide & Workbook, with video teachings for small groups.
Check out our brand new Brave Parenting Merch
Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s happening without social media – a win for everyone!
53 min
September 02 Ep. 237: TRUE CRIME and the Biblical Worldview
True Crime is the most popular form of entertainment right now. There is no shortage of podcasts, documentaries, shows, movies, books, Facebook groups, TikTok communities, and subreddits dedicated to True Crime. What causes people (mostly women) to be so intrigued and infatuated with true crime content? In this episode, Kelly explains the cultural phenomenon of True Crime entertainment and provides cautionary examples as to how the content distorts honest curiosity into something more debased.
Can Christians engage with True Crime? Is it okay for teens? Kelly examines Scripture in light of the modern distortions of attraction and fandom of convicted perpetrators. The goal is to help believers have a biblical framework for thinking about and engaging with True Crime.
Articles referenced:
True Crime Podcast Listeners Triple in Five Years
Best True Crime Podcasts of 2026
Why the True Crime Audience Is Predominantly Female
The Psychological Reasons Why People Cannot Stop Watching True Crime
The Crash Isn’t About Murder. It’s About TikTok.
Marc Jacobs is Down to Style ‘Trendsetter’ Luigi Mangione
Cult Following for Cameron Herrin on TikTok Wants Him to be Free
The Lindsay Clancy Conspiracy Theories Are Hiding a Darker Truth
Scripture referenced:
Romans 12:9
1 Kings 16-18, 21:1-25
2 Kings 9:30-37
1 Corinthians 3:16
Proverbs 4:23
Philippians 4:8
1 Corinthians 10:23
Ephesians 5:8, 10-11, 15-17
Mark 12:30-31
Matthew 28:19-20
NEW!! The Managing Media Creating Character STUDENT Study Guide!
An 8-week biblical study examining how character is impacted by media and technology. This is the study every youth group/student ministry needs to be doing!
Get your copy of the STUDENT Study Guide today!
Need a kids-safe phone? Pinwheel is our favorite!
Book a Speaking Event!!
Buy the UPDATED book: Managing Media Creating Character (2024 Revised & Updated). Also available on Audible.
Get Kelly’s new Study Guide & Workbook, with video teachings for small groups.
Check out our brand new Brave Parenting Merch
Sign up for the Brave Bullet Points newsletter! This helps us communicate what’s happening without social media – a win for everyone!
41 min

About Brave Parenting

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We are a network of brave parents who empower & equip others to intentionally develop & train children to have strong character & integrity. We believe brave parenting is doing the right…