Orthodox Christian Parenting

One of you is strict, the other is more relaxed, and the kids are watching you sort it out in real time. In this episode, we revisit a favorite conversation with Cindy and Paul Karos about the Middle Way, the Orthodox practice of finding the path between two extremes. They explain how spouses who disagree can learn from each other, share a plan for scaling back an overloaded family calendar and offer practical advice on how to decide which shows are worth your kids' attention.

Listen to the full episode.

Episode Recap:

• Today we're talking with Cindy and Paul Karos about the Middle Way. (0:00)
• What is the Middle Way, and why do the church fathers teach it as a tool? (1:01)
• If humility is the middle, what do the two extremes look like? (2:30)
• Is the Middle Way just for the virtues, or does it apply to everyday areas of life like sports and screen time? (4:01)
• What false summits does the world tell us to chase, and why aren't they the goal? (5:55)
• What are the two extremes on entertainment, and what does the middle look like? (8:59)
• What do we do when we realize we've overcommitted as a family? (9:50)
• Hiba in Pennsylvania asks: How do we find the Middle Way together when one of us leans stricter and the other more relaxed? (12:06)

Resources:

•  Follow and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify or YouTube
• Explore the full library of Faithtree Resources
• Download the free Discussion Guide
• Share your feedback on our Listener Survey 
• Donate to support the podcast 

If you believe that being a Christian means a clean house, well-behaved kids and mostly happy feelings, this week's episode with Dr. Philip Mamalakis may come as a relief. We're counting down to the launch of season three by revisiting some of the most practical moments from our archives, and this conversation is one of our favorites. Dr. Mamalakis explains why peace isn't the absence of chaos, shares why our kids need a peaceful mother more than a spotless home and reminds us that naming our guilt out loud can loosen its grip.

Listen to the full episode.

Episode Recap:

• Today we're talking with Dr. Philip Mamalakis about how to stay peaceful when life at home feels chaotic. (0:00)
• How do we stay focused on the sacredness of parenting in the middle of chaos? (1:25)
• What's a practical way to let go of wanting an Instagram-worthy home? (3:16)
• Can our kids have both a clean house and a peaceful mother? (5:25)
• How do we deal with the guilt and shame of feeling like we're failing everyone? (7:27)
• Why can't we heal from what we can't see? (10:35)
• What does Christ's peace look like on a night when nothing is going right? (11:49)
• How can a broken washing machine become part of our path to the kingdom of God? (12:40)

Resources:

• Follow and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify or YouTube
• Explore the full library of Faithtree Resources
• Download the free Discussion Guide
• Share your feedback on our Listener Survey 
• Donate to support the podcast 

If you've ever sat across from a doctor and heard news you weren't prepared for, you know how quickly your world can come apart. This week we're revisiting some of the most meaningful moments from our conversation with Elias and Joy Hajjar, whose daughter needed her first heart surgery at a week old and a transplant years later. They tell the story of a priest who came to pray over her in the middle of the night, explain what it looks like to show up well for a family in crisis and offer encouragement to any parent sitting in a hospital room today.

Listen to the full episode.

Episode Recap:

• Today we're talking with Elias and Joy Hajjar about loving a child through a medical crisis. (0:00)
• What did the doctors tell you the first night of Rosie's life? (0:57)
• What was it like to see your newborn after her first heart surgery? (2:03)
• How do you keep going when nothing in your life has prepared you for this? (3:58)
• What words got you through that first week? (4:59)
• Tell us about the night in the ICU when a priest came to pray over Rosie. (5:45)
• What happened when you reached out to your donor's family? (8:51)
• What was it like to meet the family whose son saved Rosie's life? (11:23)
• What do you want to say to a parent sitting in a hospital room right now? (15:52)

Resources:

•  Follow and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify or YouTube
• Explore the full library of Faithtree Resources
• Download the free Discussion Guide
• Share your feedback on our Listener Survey 
• Donate to support the podcast 

Ask most people what school is for, and they'll say it's about getting into a good college and landing a well-paying job. But Liz Caddow, founder and head of school at Trinity Classical Academy, says school is really about who our children are becoming. In these highlights from our full conversation with her, she shares the advice she now gives mothers of teenage sons, explains how education forms the whole child—heart, mind and soul—and reflects on what our children lose when we step in to rescue them.

Listen to the full episode.

Episode Recap:

• Today we're talking with Liz Caddow about why school is about more than what our children are learning. (0:00)
• What does it mean to think of education as formation? (0:54)
• What is virtue, and what does it have to do with schooling? (3:03)
• What advice does Liz give parents of junior high and high school boys? (5:11)
• What does it look like for a dad to take the lead with his son? (6:20)
• Why is it so hard to let our children fail? (6:55)

Resources:

•  Follow and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify or YouTube
• Explore the full library of Faithtree Resources
• Download the free Discussion Guide
• Share your feedback on our Listener Survey 
• Donate to support the podcast 

If you've ever apologized to your spouse in front of your kids, you've taught them something about forgiveness no lecture ever could. This week's episode revisits some of the best parts of our full conversation with Paul and Karen Kinan, who joined us to talk about how a strong marriage helps kids learn to love God and each other. They explain why the love between a husband and wife outweighs a lot of parenting mistakes, share what they'd change about their Sundays if they could go back, and reflect on what happens in a home when kindness gets offered before it's felt.

Listen to the full episode.

Episode Recap:

• Today we’re talking with Paul and Karen Kinan about what your marriage teaches your children. (0:00)
• How do the friends you spend time with change the way you see your spouse? (1:23)
• What happens in a marriage when one person serves the other without being asked? (3:03)
• How do children learn strength and gentleness from watching their parents? (5:12)
• Why is loving your spouse one of the most important things you can do for your kids? (5:52)
• What if you don't feel like being kind to the person you're irritated with? (6:33)
• Why does apologizing first take more strength than standing your ground? (8:08)
• What does it look like to apologize when you know you were right? (10:01)
• What would Paul change about his family's Sundays if he could go back? (10:48)
• How do you help a child who doesn't want to be in church? (13:45)

Resources: 

• Follow and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify or YouTube
• Explore the full library of Faithtree Resources
• Download the free Discussion Guide
• Share your feedback on our Listener Survey 
• Donate to support the podcast

If you've ever struggled to keep a wiggly four-year-old quiet during the Anaphora, you know how easily our sense of success as parents can get tangled up with how our kids behave. This week's episode revisits some of the best moments from our full conversation with Dr. Philip Mamalakis, who joined us to talk about what success really looks like for Orthodox Christian parents. He walks through how to handle a meltdown in church without losing your peace, why asking questions works better than lecturing, and how modeling our own mistakes as parents might be one of the best gifts we can give our kids.

Listen to the full episode.

Episode Recap:

• Today we're talking with Dr. Philip Mamalakis about what success really looks like for Orthodox Christian parents. (0:00)
• What's the real win for us as Orthodox Christian parents? (0:52)
• What does long-term success look like for our children? (2:13)
• How do we stay peaceful when our own kids are the ones melting down in church? (5:10)
• Why does asking questions work better than lecturing? (7:32)
• How can modeling our own mistakes prepare our kids for adulthood? (8:58)

Resources:

•  Follow and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify or YouTube
• Explore the full library of Faithtree Resources
• Download the free Discussion Guide
• Share your feedback on our Listener Survey 
• Donate to support the podcast 

If you've ever snapped at your child over nothing and then watched their face fall, you know how much damage one harsh word can do. This week's episode revisits some of the best moments from our full conversation with Father Stephen Muse, who joined us to talk about repentance. He tells a personal story about repairing a hard moment with his grandson, walks through how fear can quietly take over a household, and explains how our own children often help us heal the exiled parts of ourselves. 

Listen to the full episode.

Episode Recap:

• Today we're talking with Father Stephen Muse about repentance, fear, and healing within our families. (0:00)
• What does it look like to repent to your own child after a moment of harshness? (0:44)
• How does fear take hold of our inner life, and how do we keep it in its place? (3:09)
• George in Michigan asks: How do we repent of patterns we didn't choose but still carry into our parenting? (5:21)

Resources:

•  Follow and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify or YouTube
• Explore the full library of Faithtree Resources
• Download the free Discussion Guide
• Share your feedback on our Listener Survey 
• Donate to support the podcast 

If you've got a teenager, you know how quickly the college search can take over: the rankings, the essays, the pressure to get into the "right" school. But what if this season is really a chance to help your child discern who God is calling them to be? In this episode, we talk with Christopher Chiakulas, a high school counselor and the founder of Orthodox Christian College Counseling, about walking through the college search with faith at the center. He shares the framework he created to guide Orthodox families, offers practical ways to keep your child connected to a parish while away at school, and reminds us that the goal is never a brag-worthy acceptance letter—it’s raising a child who stays rooted in Christ. Download this week's free Discussion Guide here.

Episode Recap:

• Today we're talking with Christopher Chiakulas about approaching the college search from a faith-first perspective. (0:00)
• When did you realize the college process looks a little different for Orthodox families? (2:02)
• What are the six P's you walk families through in your book? (3:33)
• How do we keep from tying our child's worth to where they attend school? (8:00)
• Why does being near a parish matter so much? (12:02)
• How can families lean on organizations like OCF and Crossroad Institute to build support before their kids ever set foot on campus? (14:39)
• How should families weigh a major against the cost of a school? (17:32)
• What does a genuine win actually look like at the end of the college search? (25:16)
• What can a family do if their child is already at a school with no nearby parish or OCF chapter? (29:45)
• What is one practical way to recalibrate when the whole process starts to feel overwhelming? (32:38)
• Daniel in Virginia asks: My son wants to attend a large secular school with no Orthodox parish or OCF chapter nearby. Am I wrong to push back? (34:00)
• Nadia in Tulsa asks: Every acceptance letter on social media makes me panic that we're behind. How can I protect my son's peace and my own? (38:25)
• Where can listeners learn more about Orthodox Christian College Counseling? (40:51)

Resources:

•  Follow and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify or YouTube
• Download this episode’s free Discussion Guide
• Download The Encounter app 
• Share your feedback on our Listener Survey 
• Explore the full library of Faithtree Resources
• Learn more about Orthodox Christian College Counseling
• Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF)
• CrossRoad Institute
• Donate to support the podcast 

Your kid asks to watch the show everyone else is watching, and you want to say yes. But should you? Paul and Cindy Karos understand the tension of that moment, and they're here to help. In this episode, they explore practical ways to guard your child's heart when the world walks through your front door without knocking. If you're tired of saying no, take heart. You don't need more rules—you just need a different approach. Download this week's free Discussion Guide here.

Episode Recap:

• Today we're talking with Paul and Cindy Karos about the daily decisions that help our kids grow into adults who can discern what is good, noble and lovely. (0:00)
• Is there a one-size-fits-all rulebook for parents, or is it different for every family? (2:16)
• Are there some things that are always off-limits, or is everything case-by-case? (4:26)
• What happens the day a kid leaves a rules-only home and the gate finally comes down? (10:49)
• Why is it important to ask open-ended questions after watching a show? (12:00)
• How do you teach a kid to recognize what's harmful without slipping into judging other families? (16:47)
• How much is a steady media diet forming our children? (20:26)
• What can families do instead of defaulting to screen time? (21:58)
• Which resources can help you vet a show or game before you press play? (26:21)
• How do you raise kids with genuine conviction rather than surface-level compliance? (30:42)
• Is it healthy to shield our kids from every disappointment, or does some struggle do them good? (33:03)

Resources:

•  Follow and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify or YouTube
• Download this episode’s free Discussion Guide
• Explore the full library of Faithtree Resources
• “Navigating the Digital Tsunami”
• Monthly Guides from Faithtree and Axis
• Get The Relationship Project
• Donate to support the podcast 

Can one parent—or even two—raise a faithful son alone? Father Jacob Saylor says no family was ever meant to. In this episode, he explains why boys need faithful men beyond their own father to show them Christ's version of masculinity, and how priests, godfathers, uncles and parish friends can help form the next generation. He also offers real encouragement to moms doing this without a father present in the home. Download this week's free Discussion Guide here.

Episode Recap:

• Today we’re talking with Father Jacob Saylor about the importance of surrounding our sons with holy men. 
• How do we help young men discover who God has created them to be? 
• What can we do to help young people encounter Christ? 
• How can single moms surround their sons with men to look up to?  
• How can we support our Church community without overstepping? 
• When should we encourage young people to talk to their priests?  
• What do parents need to know about handing down the faith? 
• What words of encouragement can you give to a mom who’s struggling with this? 
• What have you learned from your own mentoring relationships? 
• Can you share advice for a single parent who is co-parenting with someone outside the Church? 

Resources:

•  Follow and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify or YouTube
• Download this episode’s free Discussion Guide
• Explore the full library of Faithtree Resources
• Donate to support the podcast 
• Get the Lionheart Sessions
• Get the Foundations of Faith Cards
• Learn about Arizona Christian Academy