It’s not everyday you get to interview someone that disconnected in an extreme way. Carlos Whittaker wanted to really test his attachment to his phone and learn from the power disconnecting. So he went to live in an Amish community, in a monastery, and then did life at home without a device. His lessons are so powerful about how to reconnect with the ones we love most.

When we recorded this episode, Carlos had just recently lost his father and was about to speak at his funeral. Many people have grown to love him on Carlos’ instagram account, and I have been so moved by the way Carlos cared for him through his final days. You won’t want to miss the parenting lesson he shares about his amazing father.

I’d love to challenge us today. Let’s practically think through our daily lives and how we can disconnect regularly so that we connect more intentionally with each child. Carlos offers several practical ideas on how to do that - even if your job requires you to be online.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How connection matters with our kids
• How to disconnect from devices and why
• How to connect with teens and their interests

Enjoy!

Courtney 

 

Chapters

(00:00) Navigating Parenting Challenges

(02:54) Caring for Aging Parents

(05:58) A Life-Changing Call

(08:58) The Journey to Reconnection

(11:55) Transformative Family Time

(15:00) Balancing Work and Life

(17:46) Detoxing from Digital Dependency

(20:09) Balancing Online Sharing and Family Life

(22:37) Curiosity as a Path to Empathy

(26:45) Connecting with Teens through Shared Interests

Connect with Pardon The Mess:

Christian Parenting

Pardon The Mess 

Courtney DeFeo

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Resources from today’s show:

• Connect with Carlos
• Carlos’ Podcast - Human School
• Carlos’ latest book - Reconnected
• A Million Tiny Moments 
• Dead Sea Squirrels
• Christian Parenting Easter bundle

Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

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