Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

"The task now for believers is to form our own families even more deeply in the love of God, and to rebuild a healthy marriage culture, one marriage at a time, from the debris of today's decision." - Archbishop Chaput

The Supreme Court's decision to strike down the bans on same-sex marriage in many ways was no surprise. The Judeo-Christian values that have supported our culture for so long have been eroding since the 1930s. In this podcast, we share our reflections on this decision and what this means for our families going forward. We need to renew and strengthen the meaning and value of Catholic marriage so we can be a light in the darkness.

"All it requires is that you be a man, a real man, which means a man of courage, perseverance, and integrity. You were made a man for a reason. You were made a man to be strong, long husband and father. So listen to your instincts and do what's right. Be a hero." - Dr. Meg Meeker

Fatherhood is devalued, underappreciated, and desperately needed in our society. Why is fatherhood so important? Why is it so hard for men to be good fathers? In this podcast, we discuss how our relationship with God the Father is the key to embracing who we are as parents. In addition, every man has a role as priest, prophet, and king in his family. Let's talk about what that means so every man can come to a deeper understanding of his role as a father.

Show Notes:

• Dr. Meg Meeker: What only a dad can give
• Great short film from David Henrie: Catch

I love playing with preschoolers. They make me feel so powerful!

Family game night is quickly becoming lost in our technological age, but it is an extremely valuable pastime for families with many benefits. Not only can board games bring people together, but they also exercise our brains and people skills while having fun! Listen in as we discuss why we play games with our family, the types of games to play, and some obstacles we have encountered with our kids.

What are your top three family games, games you played when you were growing up or games you play now?

"There are no such thing as stupid questions - only stupid people." (but not you all!)

All of you out there have helped to make this a lot of fun for us, and we love to hear from you! We have gotten so many encouraging comments from our listeners, but also some really great questions. In this episode, we decided to take some time to answer some of the questions we have gotten from all of you out there, so this is a very eclectic podcast! Some of the topics we cover include sleeping situations, dealing with kids who don't want to ask forgiveness, reading suggestions for newly married couples, family routines, and more. Thank you to all who sent in questions: keep them coming, so we can address them in future podcasts!

Show Notes: here are some resources and podcasts we mentioned:

• Exceptional Marriages The ministry & show of Dr. Greg Popcak
• Our podcast on Love Languages and the 5 Love Languages book
• Our podcast on Family Meals
• Our podcast on Sibling Conflict
• Theology of the Body for Teens
• Our podcast on Preparing for Adolescence
• Family Prayer (special links: Book on Devotion to the Sacred Heart and Ceremony for Enthronement of the Sacred Heart)

Life was so much easier when Apple and Blackberry were just fruits.

Changes in technology happen rapidly, and kids are usually way ahead of their parents on the newest app, social media, or website. It is hard, or even impossible, for parents to keep up! Some parents choose to keep their children away from all screens, and though sometimes we envy these people, this isn't the route that we have chosen. The reality is that techology is here to stay, and as parents, we need to prepare our children to become responsible adults who can function in this world with self-control and discernment. There's no easy answer, but we can offer some encouragement and perspective!