Is a child an inconvenience or a blessing? Does having more kids actually make you happier? If so, why are adults in the West having LESS kids? Today, the Lagrones open up about the conflicting emotions of parenthood that move them both to tears. They end by discussing a controversial passage in the Bible that forever transformed their views of family life. This is a powerful episode you don't want to miss!

Book referenced: All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior

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Ben and Jessica do NOT recommend living off credit cards. But what are you supposed to do when there’s no other option? And how do you stop financial stress from dominating your mind and stealing the joy from your home? Today, you’ll hear step-by-step how the Lagrones ditched their credit cards and became debt-free (mostly). But first, they’ll share a more important part of their journey: how they found contentment even when money was tight. But this episode applies to every family no matter their financial state. In fact, Ben has a special challenge for the couples out there living in abundance. You won’t want to miss this highly practical yet deeply profound discussion about finding authentic financial freedom.

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Today, the Lagrones are continuing their discussion about crunchy life. Has crunchiness become too commercialized? Is it all just a conspiracy? How is it affecting this generation of parents (and their kids)? Why do so many crunchy people have “toxic personalities”? Join Ben and Jessica as they go to the dark side of crunchy life but eventually arrive at a conclusion that’s hopeful, empowering, and of course - balanced.

This series is inspired by the book, Really Very Crunchy: A Beginner's Guide to Removing Toxins from Your Life without Adding Them to Your Personality by Emily Morrow.

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The crunchy lifestyle is big, and as you’ll learn in this two-part series, it’s also big business. What are the benefits and drawbacks parents face when they try to live a more natural, holistic lifestyle? When does the desire to make healthier choices crossover into obsession? In this series, you’ll learn just how crunchy the Lagrones are and how they balance health with convenience.

This series is inspired by the book, Really Very Crunchy: A Beginner's Guide to Removing Toxins from Your Life without Adding Them to Your Personality by Emily Morrow.

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Anxiety in children and teens is on the rise. But get this: it’s also on the rise in parents as well. Are the two related? What if parents and kids are in a cycle of worry that’s just feeding off each other? Or what if we’re all talking about anxiety too much and we’re all just anxious about feeling anxious? In this episode, Ben and Jessica share their stories about anxiety, reflect on our fast-changing society, and talk about building a joyful home.

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Gentle parenting is a parenting style that emphasizes empathy, respect, and connection with children. Social media is full of influencers and “experts” explaining how to use loving and proactive techniques with kids rather than harsh or reactive ones. Sounds great, right? Well, the problem is that many promises of this movement don’t pan out or provide the balance children need. As Ben and Jessica find today, there are many respectable consequences from this movement but also some devastating ones that have emerged over time.

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The Lagrones have a wild story for you, today. It’s about the circumstances surrounding their lives when they had their third baby and why raising her looked differently than their other kids. On the surface, you might think this is about formula versus breastmilk. But that is FAR from what this episode is about. It’s about knowing when to endure but also knowing when to quit. It’s about making decisions as a united couple and shutting out the noises in your lives. Most importantly, it’s about finding peace in chaos. MEN: don’t think this is episode is just for women. If you want to learn to love your wife better, you need to understand her world (as Ben attempts to today). And this is a just a small glimpse into it. Welcome to the world of MOM SHAME.

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TAKE THE CHALLENGE: Share this episode with your spouse and be sure you both listen to it. Then, commit to the challenge we share in the episode for AT LEAST 14 days (30 days = even better). Email us (https://www.balancedfamilies.com/contact-us) and share how it’s impacted your marriage. We’ll select one lucky couple’s story to read aloud in a future episode and gift them a $100 “date night gift card”! More about this episode:

They say opposites attract, but that wasn’t the case when Ben and Jessica began dating. They were both stubborn, opinionated, and relentlessly passionate. Even as they got married and started a family, it felt like every discussion turned into “intense fellowship” or needless criticism of one another. This constant friction put their marriage on a path towards constant cynicism and disappointment, even if their covenant remained strong. Everything changed when Ben had an idea for a 30-day challenge. Today, you’ll hear their individual versions of the story. While they still can’t agree on when this story took place (hilariously), they both agree it was massively transformative on a personal level and changed the trajectory of their marriage forever. 

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Become an informed, inspired, and confident parent through our courses, live events, and vibrant online community: https://www.balancedfamilies.com/

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Welcome to our podcast! This episode is about how we became content creators in 2020, started a business, and began what we’ve coined the “Balance Families Movement.” We hope you’ll join it! We’ll also reflect on how polarized our world has become and how it affects us as parents. The number of decisions we have to make puts our brains on overdrive and the amount of information and opinions out there is just overwhelming. Today, we'll share some of the hard-earned secrets we've found as a couple to maintain joy amidst the grind of family life.

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Become an informed, inspired, and confident parent through our courses, live events, and vibrant online community: https://www.balancedfamilies.com/

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Launching January 7, 2025! The Balanced Family podcast is a heartfelt talk about building a family in a polarized, stressed-out world. Ben and Jessica Lagrone, former teachers and parents of three, share their experiences and insights in a way that's relatable, entertaining, and inspiring. They're all about being intentional and talking about the stuff that matters. It’s the perfect blend of deep yet down-to-earth - like sitting down with good friends you can laugh with but also talk about the important things. Pull up a seat and listen in as they try to find more balance in their marriage, parenting, and perspectives.

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Support the show

Become an informed, inspired, and confident parent through our courses, live events, and vibrant online community: https://www.balancedfamilies.com/

Start a FREE Trial by May 11 to enter our $1,000 Mother's Day Giveaway!