083: Parenting Teens, the Mental Load, & Passing on Faith w/ Kristen Howerton

By and large, evangelical culture defines Christianity by what we don’t do. This gets passed on to our kids until they begin to define themselves not by what they love, but by what they abstain from. In reality, it’s a beautiful thing when we raise our kids by teaching them what we do; what we love and fight for.  Kristen Howerton is a blogger, podcaster, and author who is on a mission to do just that. In her new book, Rage Against the Minivan, she tells her personal parenting story and helps parents understand that there is no “right” way to raise kids. Kristen is also a licensed marriage and family therapist and a mother to 4 children by birth and adoption.  In this episode, we talk about the unique difficulty of parenting teens, why women often bear the mental load in their families, and how moms can authentically pass on their faith. Show Highlights: Kristen’s faith evolution experience and how she expressed that publicly. The lack of resources nowadays for parenting teenagers. How to love our teenage children as they journey towards adulthood. Responding to our children by empathizing with the feelings instead of the conviction. The mental load women take on and how to excavate and stop reinforcing that message. How Kristen’s spiritual baggage plays into her parenting.   Links (affiliates included): Kristen Howerton’s website: https://www.kristenhowerton.com Kristen Howerton’s book, Rage Against the Minivan: https://amzn.to/2ZzyIVY Mental load: https://www.workingmother.com/this-comic-perfectly-explains-mental-load-working-mothers-bear New York Times Interview with Jon Stewart - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/06/15/magazine/jon-stewart-interview.html Parenting Forward Conference Sessions - https://www.parentingforwardconference.com/2019-sessions Join us at the Parenting Forward Patreon Team - https://www.patreon.com/cindywangbrandt Parenting Forward, the Book - https://amzn.to/2GB6eDB3   *** EPISODE CREDITS: If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com