Parenting for the Everyday

Did you know that youth sports is a 37-billion-dollar industry? How do you know when and to what level should your kids participate in sports? Should all kids play sports? What is my role as a parent? It’s such a complicated topic that we couldn’t do it in just one episode. In this three-part series, we sit with two professionals passionate about healthy and unhealthy interactions with sports and how they integrate into our faith, including a former D1 coach. 

Did you know that youth sports is a 37-billion-dollar industry? How do you know when and to what level should your kids participate in sports? Should all kids play sports? What is my role as a parent? It’s such a complicated topic that we couldn’t do it in just one episode. In this three-part series, we sit with two professionals passionate about healthy and unhealthy interactions with sports and how they integrate into our faith, including a former D1 coach. 

In this episode of Parenting for the Everyday, we are talking all about adoption—the good stuff, the messy stuff, and the in-between stuff. We break down misconceptions and discuss what God has to say about adoption. Even if we aren't called to adopt, what is our role? How do we support families who are or have adopted? We talk with several CCC staff who have adopted as they share their stories.

Postpartum is a term that probably everyone has heard before, but few can accurately define it. On this episode of Parenting for the Everyday, we sit down with nurse practitioner Kathryn Walker as she walks us through what postpartum is, what to expect, and what warning signs to look for when something isn’t right. This episode is helpful for anyone in this season, soon-to-be in this season, finished this season, or anyone who knows someone who might have a baby in the future.

Nobody wants to experience grief, yet we all have. Whatever the source: illness, death, or broken relationships, we want to talk about the messy side of grief. What does it look like to grieve healthily? How do we lead our children through grief? We are joined by Chelsey Martin, cancer survivor, wife, special needs mom, and adoptive/foster mom. Chelsey openly shares her grief as she mourns the life she thought she would live while inviting us into her story, including the loss of her son, Charlie. Chelsey shows all the sides of grief while she actively works to point her kids to a faithful Father. 

Grandparents are a special gift, but what does it look like to utilize them in parenting? In today’s conversation, we want to give parents and grandparents practical ways to invite grandparents to be more involved in their grandkids’ lives. We also discuss how broken relationships and grandparents can make our parenting journey harder. How can we move toward reconciliation? Why would we want to? We sit with two veteran and very intentional grandparents to get their take. 

It’s hard to make the transition from summer to the school year. We wanted to know how to prepare and equip our kids to do it well. In this episode, we sat with Kati Foster, a public school nurse, and Katey Cochran, a school counselor, to learn practical tips for us parents to begin at home to ensure our kids are ready to return to school.

Did you know that two-thirds of couples report that the quality of their relationship drops within three years of the birth of a child? We sat down with Micah and Jess Irwin, two people passionate about building strong and healthy marriages. We asked what happens when your spouse has a different parenting style or belief system. Why is it important to be on the same page, and how do you get there? Micah and Jess walk us through these answers as they share their own story navigating this complicated topic and give us practical tips on how to lean in where it matters.

Parenting can feel all-consuming at times. We sat down with Jimmy and Emily Kozy — parents to four kids and asked them to dissect one of the busiest parenting seasons. How do you not lose yourself in these moments? How do you know your capacity? Jimmy and Emily share their joys, challenges, and how they keep their family focused on kingdom living during those hectic seasons.

The most recent school shooting shattered our illusion of safety for our children. We invited CVCA administration Jason Spodnik and Dr. Matt Koons to discuss how to process fear as parents in a broken world. How do we keep our fears from crippling us as parents? Where is the line between walking in wisdom and responding in fear? We ask them to share their experiences as parents and school administrators to help us break down this challenging topic.