In this heartfelt episode, each daughter shared how “mom guilt” has uniquely shown up in their motherhood journey. 

Macy opened up about her tendency to feel like she should be punished for both the things she does and doesn’t do as a mom. Mollie described mom guilt as a constant feeling of inadequacy, and McKenzie expressed her desire to be an excellent mom, friend, and follower of Jesus—yet often feeling she falls short in every area. 

Suz reflected on her decades of motherhood and how guilt can stem from moments when our responses fall short—when kids get hurt, when we regret decisions, or when peace is replaced by self-doubt. 

The conversation turned encouraging as the women shared what helps them shift out of guilt. Mollie talked about slowing down at bedtime and bringing more Scripture into family rhythms. Macy vulnerably shared how God met her in the guilt she felt during her first trimester sickness, redeeming those hard moments. Kenzie offered a beautiful mindset shift: instead of starting each day with “100%” and losing points, what if we start at “0” and see every moment with God as a win? 

They ended by reflecting on 2 Corinthians 12:9—how God's power is made perfect in weakness—and encouraged listeners to see guilt not as a barrier, but as a doorway into deeper relationship with God. 

Podcast Resources:

Next month, our seventh child, Cade, graduates — and with that, we officially wrap up over three decades of parenting. As we step into this next season of becoming almost-empty nesters, we’ve been reflecting on the journey that brought us here… and why Crazy Cool Family exists in the first place. 

In our early years, we (Don and Suzanne) felt like we had no idea how to "win" at parenting. Don reflected on how living with five women he had to learn how to lead with relationship, not just rules. Suz realized she often responded without grace — not because she didn’t want to do better, but because she didn’t know how. 

We both desperately wanted someone to hand us a playbook — something that told us the "right move" for each season. So we went looking. What we found is that while information is everywhere, wisdom is harder to find. 

That’s why Crazy Cool Family is different. We don't just give parenting tips — we give you the core concepts that make relationships strong and families thrive. We help you “learn how to play the game,” not just survive the day. 

in 2023, a trusted friend suggested we start sharing those core concepts daily — just little drips of encouragement and truth. That’s how Practical Parenting was born: our daily email is designed to help parents absorb these life-giving ideas over time. 

And now, we’re excited to introduce our next step: 
🎉 The Playbook — launching May 4th! 🎉 

Here’s what it is: 

We believe God is using this to equip parents everywhere — not just with answers, but with the insight and tools to build the family they've always dreamed of. 

Because you don’t need to parent alone. And you definitely don’t need to guess. 

The Playbook is here. Let’s build Crazy Cool Families — together. 

Podcast Resources:

In today’s episode, we’re talking about what we’ve learned through the years raising littles, middles, and bigs — and how to parent each age with purpose and grace. We're calling this theme “Crazy Cool Family This,” where we unpack key parenting concepts and make them practical for your season of life. Through it all, one thing remains true: your kids are wired to love you, and you don’t have to get everything right. That truth gives so much freedom! 

Don shares that his favorite stage is the middles — elementary and middle school years — because of their simple, honest view of the world and their fun personalities. Suz loves something unique about each stage. Littles bring endless snuggles and curiosity; middles ask questions that show they’re beginning to think for themselves; and Bigs — well, they give you the privilege of transitioning from parent to friend as they step into independence. For her, watching kids become who they’re meant to be is a deep joy. 

Each stage also has its challenges. Littles have big emotions and limited communication, which means it takes a lot of energy and grace to parent them well. Middles are growing fast, discovering their identity, and stepping into a world of activities and relationships — it’s a crucial time for fathers to speak identity over their kids. And when it comes to Bigs, the hardest part is letting go — resisting the urge to overprotect and instead allowing them to fail, grow, and build confidence through mistakes. 

The overall message? Enjoy every season. Parenting goes by fast, and each age brings its own beauty and struggle. If we approach it with intentionality and relationship at the center, we’ll build strong connections that last far beyond childhood. 

Podcast Resources:

We are excited to talk about this because we feel like we prioritized connections within our family and we believe it is the most important thing you can invest in - connections within family are THE MOST IMPORTANT!

Here are the talking points: 

Making it PRACTICAL: Crazy Cool Connection 

Each week we will aim to give you a CCC – A Crazy Cool.... C word – lol! It’s to sum all the info from this podcast up and package in a way you can activate.  

Today’s CCC is a Crazy Cool CONNECTION. If you want to see transformation in your family- start with connection. Pick 1 practical we shared from the podcast and do it!  

Based on the age of your kids, your CCC may be different for each kid OR it may be one big change you need to make within your entire family. Here are a few examples:  

Podcast Resources:

Easter is one of the MOST important holidays within our faith and we have NEVER done a podcast on it. We’ve almost made 300 episodes and looking through them, this is the first time we’ve set aside space to talk about Easter – so let’s dive in. 

The goal of today's podcast is to help your family have the BEST Easter EVER. 

Here are a few points we discuss: 

Making it PRACTICAL: Crazy Cool Change 

Each week we will aim to give you a CCC – A Crazy Cool.... C word – lol! It’s to sum all the info from this podcast up and package in a way you can activate.  

Today’s CCC is a Crazy Cool CHANGE. If you want to see transformation in your family- start with changing one thing you did last year around this time. Choose/Pick 1 practical we shared from the podcast and do it!  

Based on the age of your kids, your CCC may be different for each kid OR it may be one big change you need to make within your entire family. Here are a few examples:  

Join our Practical Parenting Daily Email and be the first to get the Easter Deep Dive on April 13th!

Podcast Resources:

Mollie joins the podcast to talk about an insight God has been giving her about control vs. being in charge. 

Mollie, a mother of two boys, and the oldest Manning kid - reflects on a thought-provoking question she received from her church: "Where are you allowing the Holy Spirit to be in charge in your life?"

She shares that she loves to be in charge, a trait shaped by being the oldest in the Manning Fam. Mollie is used to taking the lead and often finds comfort in knowing the vision and direction of where she is going. This strong inclination toward control can sometimes clash with the idea of surrendering to God’s will.

Highlights from the podcast:

Crazy Cool Challenge: Make a list of things Holy Spirit wants you to release to Him AND what He wants you to own/carry. Ask God what gifts He has given you and to wash them clean, AND to give them back to use for HIS glory!! 

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

Podcast Resources:

In this episode of the Crazy Cool Family podcast, Don welcomes Marcus Warner, the president of Deeper Walk International and a renowned expert on family dynamics and discipleship. The conversation dives deep into Marcus's transformative FISH discipleship methodology, which stands for Freedom, Identity, Spirit, and Heart-Focused Community. This framework offers a practical and spiritual approach to nurturing strong, meaningful connections within families and with God. 

Throughout the episode, Marcus explores how parents can use the FISH methodology not only to strengthen their own relationship with God but also to guide and nurture their children’s spiritual journeys. He emphasizes that building a deep sense of identity—both in ourselves and in our children—is central to the process. The conversation unveils how parents can create a supportive environment where attachment takes priority over behavior, ensuring that children feel seen, loved, and secure. 

Rather than focusing solely on correcting behaviors, Marcus stresses the importance of fostering emotional and spiritual attachment as the foundation for lasting growth. The discussion jumps between the roles of the parent as both a disciple and a discipler, offering valuable insights for parents seeking to lead by example while also guiding their children in their own faith development. 

This engaging episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to strengthen their family's spiritual health, offering practical strategies and profound wisdom to cultivate a lasting, heart-centered connection with both God and each other. 

Podcast Resources:

In Season 7 of our podcast, we are taking time to give practical parenting tips in our episodes. We are using the term, "Crazy Cool Parent This" because choosing to parent God's way is often crazy AND turns out cool. 

Sometimes we go deep into a specific topic and sometimes (like today) we like to throw random questions at Don and Suz and see what they think/how they would parent the situation. 

Share this episode with a friend and keep listening for more Q&A episodes this season! 

Got a question and need help? Email us at podcast@crazycoolfamilycom and maybe your questions will show up in a future episode! 

Podcast Resources:

In this podcast Suzanne, Macy, and Mckenzie explore the topic of Emotional Intelligence and how to Crazy Cool Family emotions. If emotions feel challenging to you, or if they are taking over your home -  you are in the right place!  

In the podcast we walk through a define emotional intelligence as the ability to recognize, understand, and deal skillfully with one's own emotions and the emotions of others. 

We then explore the misconception of “bad” feelings and walk through what six of these emotions may be telling us if we gave them a listen. If you find sadness, anxiety, fear, jealousy, disappointment or anger in your home this is for you!

Our hope in the podcast is to partner with you as parents to create Crazy Cool Character in your kiddos by training them in how to navigate their emotions from toddlers to teenagers. We share a lot of practical ways to meet kids of all ages in their current emotional state. Give it a listen!

Podcast Resources:

Spring break is coming up and we want to start the conversation about how to invest in your kids over their break. In today's episode, we discuss how parents can make the most of the time with their kids and how to invest in them at every age. 

What does it look like to have CRAZY COOL CONNECTION with your kids this Spring Break?

Podcast Resources: