As part of our Best of The Christian Parenting Podcast series, we’re revisiting some of our most helpful and encouraging conversations for families.

In a culture that often encourages entitlement, many parents wonder how to raise kids who are grateful, responsible, and grounded in strong character.

In this episode, Monica Swanson joins the conversation to talk about practical ways parents can push back against entitlement at home. We discuss the importance of teaching responsibility, giving kids opportunities to work hard, and helping them develop a genuine heart of gratitude.

Monica is an author, speaker, and host of The Monica Swanson Podcast, where she shares practical wisdom on raising kids with faith, character, and resilience.

Connect with Monica

MonicaSwanson.com

Instagram

Resources Mentioned

Character training course

Raising Prayerful Kids book

Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World

Moms, Dads, and Grads Gift Guide

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The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

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As part of our Best of The Christian Parenting Podcast series, we’re revisiting some of our most helpful and encouraging conversations for families.

Raising emotionally healthy kids often begins with doing our own work as parents. When we address our own wounds and learn to set healthy boundaries, we create a stronger foundation for our children.

In this episode, Melanie Shankle shares insights on generational patterns, emotional healing, and the impact relationships can have on young girls. We also talk about how parents can help their kids navigate friendship challenges, like mean-girl culture, while modeling emotional health at home.

Melanie is a bestselling author, speaker, and host of The Big Boo Cast. Her book Here Be Dragons explores the importance of healing, boundaries, and building healthier relationships.

Connect with Melanie:

The Big Mama Blog

The Big Boo Cast podcast

Instagram

Here be Dragons book

Resources mentioned:

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Open a LearningRX center

The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

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As part of our Best of The Christian Parenting Podcast series, we’re revisiting some of our most helpful and encouraging conversations for families.

Discipling our kids to know, love, and follow Jesus is one of the most important callings of Christian parenting, but it can also feel complex and uncertain.

In this episode, Sarah Holmstrom shares wisdom on what discipleship can look like in everyday family life. We talk about how to approach discipleship with kids who have different personalities, what daily faith formation can look like at home, and why praying for our children truly matters.

Sarah and Steph also share personal experiences from their years of ministry encouraging families to make prayer and spiritual growth a natural part of the rhythms of home life.

Sarah serves alongside Steph in the ministry Raising Prayerful Kids, and they co-authored the book of the same name, helping parents nurture a culture of prayer in their homes.

Connect with Sarah:

Website: www.raisingprayerfulkids.com

Social media:

@sarahmholmstrom

@raisingprayerfulkids

Resources mentioned:

Raising Prayerful Kids book

Get the digital Discipleship Simplified guide

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The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

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As part of our Best of The Christian Parenting Podcast series, we’re revisiting some of our most helpful and encouraging conversations for families.

Many parents feel the pressure to control outcomes, do everything perfectly, and make sure their kids turn out “right.” But the Christian life, and parenting within it, is ultimately a journey of trusting God.

In this episode, Ruth Chou Simons shares encouragement for parents who want to root their lives and families more deeply in God’s character. We talk about why following Jesus often feels like a pilgrimage, how time in God’s Word shapes our hearts, and why releasing control and striving can open the door to deeper faith.

Ruth is a bestselling author, artist, speaker, and mom of six boys. Her book Pilgrim: 25 Ways God’s Character Leads Us Onward explores how understanding who God is helps guide us forward in faith and everyday life.

Connect With Ruth

• @ruthchousimons
• @gracelaced
• www.gracelaced.com
• https://pilgrimbook.com/

Resources mentioned:

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The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

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As part of our Best of The Christian Parenting Podcast series, we’re revisiting some of our most helpful and encouraging conversations for families.

Raising kids in the Christian faith often means balancing many priorities, family life, church involvement, and helping children build their own relationship with God.

In this episode, Lisa Clark shares practical encouragement for parents who want to make faith a natural part of everyday life. We talk about partnering with the church, helping kids prioritize time with God, and why nurturing your own faith is an essential part of guiding your children.

Lisa is a mom and grandmother, co-host of the podcasts Raising Sinners and Wonder, and the author of My Time with God, a devotional created with First15 to help kids develop a daily rhythm of spending time with the Lord.

Connect with Lisa:

• @LisaEClark
• Lisaclarkspeaks.com
• Raising Sinners
• Wonder

Resources mentioned:

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Open a LearningRX center

Get your copy of My Time With God today!

The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

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As part of our Best of The Christian Parenting Podcast series, we’re revisiting some of our most helpful and encouraging conversations for families.

One of our most important callings as parents is discipling our kids in the Christian faith. To do that well, we need to understand what we believe, why we believe it, and be familiar with God’s Word.

In this episode, Jen Wilkin and J.T. English join me to talk about the relationship between Bible study and theology and why both matter as we raise the next generation of believers. Together we discuss how understanding theology strengthens our faith, why Bible literacy matters for parents and kids alike, and how these two practices work together to shape a lifelong walk with God.

Jen and J.T., who co-authored You Are a Theologian, also share practical encouragement for discipling kids in different seasons of parenting and helping them grow in their understanding of God.

Connect with Jen 

• https://www.jenwilkin.net/
• @jenwilkin
• @knowingfaithpodcast

Connect with J.T.

• @jtenglish
• @knowingfaithpodcast

 

Links and resources mentioned:

You Are A Theologian book

http://newcitycatechism.com/

https://www.tinytheologians.shop/

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Open a LearningRX center

Lives of Faith and Grace series

The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

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Hey friends,

What if discipling your kids didn’t feel heavy… but actually felt joyful again?

I don’t know about you, but sometimes the pressure to “do it right” as a Christian parent can slowly steal the fun and freedom out of faith. What starts as a beautiful calling can start to feel like another thing on the list. And that’s exactly why this conversation felt so refreshing.

Today I’m joined by my friend Amanda Jass, and she brings such a grace-filled, life-giving perspective to what it looks like to disciple our kids in a way that feels natural, joyful, and deeply rooted in Jesus.

Here are four takeaways that I think will really stick with you:

• You can partner with the church without outsourcing discipleship, your home still matters most
• Faith doesn’t have to feel overwhelming when we make it simple, approachable, and part of everyday life
• Play, story, and imagination are essential, not extra, when it comes to kids understanding and loving Jesus
• You are not behind, small, consistent moments matter more than getting it “perfect”

This conversation is such a deep exhale. If you’ve ever felt like you’re not doing enough or you don’t even know where to start, I think this will remind you that God isn’t asking for perfection—just presence.

Amanda Joss is a children’s author, illustrator, and longtime kids ministry leader who is passionate about helping families make faith feel joyful and accessible. She is the creator of Adventures in the Friendly Forest, a 30-day storybook devotional that uses imaginative storytelling and biblical truth to help kids grow in their faith in a fun and meaningful way.

I’m cheering you on as you create a home where faith feels light, joyful, and lived out together.

With Love,

Steph

Resources Mentioned: 

Amanda’s Website

Amanda’s Instagram

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Christian Parenting

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The Hunt for the Kraken

Prefer video? This episode is on YouTube!

The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

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Have you ever felt busy all day long but still wondered if any of it really mattered?

This week’s episode is a little different and so special. I’m sharing a conversation from another Christian Parenting podcast, Pardon the Mess, hosted by the wonderful Courtney DeFeo. I first heard her interview with Elaine Franklin years ago, and honestly, it stuck with me in such a meaningful way. So when I saw them sit down together again, I knew I had to share it with you.

This conversation is all about time, but not in the way you might expect. It’s not about doing more or getting more organized. It’s about living with intention, clarity, and peace in the middle of full lives.

Here are four takeaways that really stood out:

• Why understanding your circle of care vs. circle of responsibility can completely shift how you spend your time
• The importance of defining your purpose and mission before building your schedule
• How margin isn’t lazy, it’s protective for your faith, your family, and your well-being
• Why creating a “to stop” list might be the most freeing productivity tool you’ve never tried

This episode is packed with practical wisdom, but more than that, it’s an invitation to step out of the hustle and into a more thoughtful, life-giving rhythm. If you’ve been feeling stretched thin or a little out of alignment, I think this one will really meet you right where you are.

Elaine Franklin is a speaker, coach, and author who helps individuals and families align their time and priorities with their God-given purpose. Through her teaching, she offers practical and biblical tools for creating margin, setting healthy boundaries, and living with intention in every season of life.

Resources Mentioned

Sign up for Morning Minute

Christian Parenting

Open a LearningRX center

The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

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Hey friends,

Have you ever felt like you’re trying to pass on faith to your kids while quietly wrestling with your own? If so, this episode is for you.

This week I’m joined by Kristin LaValley, writer, retreat host, and mom of five, who brings so much vulnerability and hope to the table. Kristin’s story is one many of us can relate to: growing up in the church, facing seasons of doubt and deconstruction, and learning how to build a gentler, deeper faith in the aftermath. Her wisdom is rooted in real experience, and she reminds us that asking questions doesn’t disqualify us, it invites us to know God more fully.

Here are just a few of the things we unpack in today’s conversation:

• Why fear-based faith doesn’t last, and how to replace it with something more rooted in love
• The difference between shame and conviction, especially when helping our kids process emotions
• How to give our children spiritual agency without disengaging from their discipleship
• What it means to be a non-anxious presence in the midst of theological tension

This one is tender, thoughtful, and full of grace. I hope it reminds you that God can hold both your faith and your questions.

Kristin LaValley is a writer, retreat leader, and mother of five living in New England. She helps women process faith, trauma, and spiritual transformation with honesty and hope. Her latest book, Growing Up Saved, is a heartfelt reflection on evangelical culture, mental health, and rebuilding faith after deconstruction.

(01:28) Transitioning from Homeschooling to Public School

(02:41) The Power of Writing in Healing

(05:19) Navigating Church Hurt and Parenting

(10:36) Giving Kids Agency in Their Faith

(20:38) Understanding Shame and Its Impact on Faith

(28:38) Kristen's Book and Closing Thoughts

Connect with Kristen

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Growing Up Saved book

Resources Mentioned

Christian Parenting resources

Sign up for Morning Minute

I Can Only Imagine 2 movie

Open a LearningRX center

Disciplines of Devotion series

Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!

The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

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Hi friends,

This week’s episode is a little different and really special. It's just me, Steph, reflecting on the past three years of hosting the Christian Parenting Podcast. As I look back on the many conversations I’ve had with incredible guests, a few themes have come up over and over again. And I wanted to take a moment to name them, reflect on them, and remind you (and myself!) that faithful parenting is not about doing everything perfectly, it's about showing up with humility, love, and trust in God.

In this solo episode, I share some of the truths that have encouraged me the most over the years:

• Relationship comes before instruction. Our kids don’t need a lecture, they need connection.
• Consistency matters more than intensity. One big moment doesn’t outweigh everyday faithfulness.
• Modeling an authentic faith makes a lasting impact. Your honesty and humility preach louder than perfection.
• You’re not responsible for the outcome. You’re invited to be faithful, present, and full of grace, and let God do the rest.

These reminders have shaped how I approach my own parenting and I hope they encourage you as you walk alongside your kids in faith, love, and truth.

With Love,

Steph

Resources Mentioned

Christian Parenting resources

Sign up for Morning Minute

I Can Only Imagine 2 movie

Raising Daughters

Open a LearningRX center

The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

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