Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

Screens are part of our world and they are here to stay. TV, computers, smartphones, tablets are all around us and becoming an essential element in our everyday lives. Though many would like to demonize these devices, the reality is that they are amoral - not good nor bad. It is our job as parents to help our children learn to use these screens in a way that is beneficial for their physical, social, and emotional development. Screens are a big issue for parents and a complex one. In this podcast, we discuss navigating this topic with our kids and why limiting screens is it actually more of a challenge for parents than for children.

"Their performance might be high in gaming and internet information processing, but what about performance in low-tech activities such as building relationships? Parenting? Achieving greatness at anything, from sports to music to business?" ~Amy and Evelyn Guttmann

Links:

• What Screen Time and Screen Media Do To Your Child's Brain and Sensory Processing Ability
• American Academy of Pediatrics: Media Use by Children
• Previous Messy Parenting episode on Kids and Technology

"Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Ps 37:4

Making decisions is a stressful and sometimes difficult task for most of us, especially when you are a parent. Deciding where to live, what job to take, or how to educate your children are probably three of the most important decisions you will make. How can you know what God wants? How can you discern what is best for you and for your family? In this podcast, we discuss things to consider when you have to make a big decision. God wants to bless you. Just seek His face, stay close to Him, and don't stress out!

Resources:

• • Fr. Mike Scanlan's What Does God Want
  • TV Show with Fr. Timothy Gallagher on Discovering God's Will
  • Related podcast: MP 033: Educational Choice

We are all looking for the perfect gift. What gift is more treasured than our Lord? Many of you deeply desire for your children to know Christ in a special way this Christmas. In this video broadcast, we encourage you to first receive from the Lord, because we can't give what we don't have ourselves. In order to celebrate Christmas, use this time to seek reconciliation and give generously what you have been given. We can very simply honor the birth of our Lord through the very gift of ourselves to others.

This is our fourth Advent broadcast and would love to hear your reaction. By signing up for our email newsletter we will also send you links for a great Christmas album that your family will enjoy. At the end of this is a sample with our daughters singing the Angel Gabriel.

Related episodes:

• Holidays with In-laws and Out-laws
• Forgiveness
• Family Prayer
• Busyness

Make Advent a time to renew your family's faith life with scripture.

This the audio version from the Advent video series from Messy Parenting. Our hope with this series is to help you make Jesus Christ the King of your family and unleash God's power in your parenting. This is the second of the four part series.

This week we focus on "Making the Word of God Flesh in Your Home". In 20 minutes we share 3 ways to make scripture come alive this Advent (and throughout the year).

"Seven days without prayer makes one weak."

The days between Thanksgiving and Christmas are full of many tasks, which are fun and beautiful, but also may take our eyes off of the One we need most at this time. Making room for prayer in our busy schedules isn't just something that is important during Advent, but is an essential part of parenting and living as a Catholic in this crazy world. In this podcast, we take some time to define WHY we should pray, HOW you can pray, and, most importantly, WHEN you can pray.

Why should we parents pray?

1. Out of justice, because God deserves your prayer 2. To gain inner peace and take time to slow down 3. To refocus on the meaning of life and remember what matters most 4. To receive grace and strength for your day 5. To seek His blessing, provision, and protection for your family 6. To listen to God and receive His wisdom for your life 7. To allow God to love you. Gaze upon Him and let the Lord gaze upon you.