Moms carry a lot on their shoulders from meal planning to sports shuttling, boo-boo kissing to homework prodding. What would happen in the home if mom didn't do all the things? 

In this Mother's Day episode, Arlene brings a message to make moms laugh and hopefully make them feel wildly appreciated. But she'll also share the dangers of being a helicopter mom and doing too much for your kids.

You'll hear personal stories of how she has seen her kids grow up - and what has worked to make them truly ready for life. No matter your parenting style, if you're married or single, this episode will remind you what's most important in your family.  This message was originally recorded at Bonita Valley Community Church in San Diego. 

1:30 What would actually happen if mom didn’t show up? 

5:20 Why your son needs you to step back - kids learn to problem solve in your absence

7:40 Launching adults requires less rescuing 

8:50 The link between helicopter parents and socially anxious kids 

11:30  Stop asking social media for advice - ask the generation ahead of you instead

13:33 What does the Bible say about launching kids into adulthood? 

18:30 What to do if your child says he doesn’t want to go to school

20:00 When Ethan broke his leg in kindergarten - and how it taught Arlene to let go 

23:30 I don’t want to carpool with that kid! 

25:30 What is your highest goal as a parent? 

29:50 Raising kids in Digital Babylon - what that means and what's at stake 

32:00 A special word for the single mom - you're not alone 

 

More Resources from Arlene Pellicane:

SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get the checklist, 7 Warning Signs of Screen Overuse.

Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier.

Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook

Go to Arlene's YouTube Channel

How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email [email protected]

Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE)

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Kristen Jenson, founder of Defend Young Minds and author of the bestselling Good Pictures, Bad Pictures series, joins Arlene to talk about her newest book written specifically for girls. She unpacks why girls are more vulnerable to pornography than most parents realize and how early, calm conversations are the most powerful protection a parent can give. This episode will give you the tools needed to understand and approach this topic with your kids without fear or shame. 

 

4:37 Pornography isn't just video — romance novels count too

7:43 Navigating wanting to protect your child's innocence

10:48 Keeping your daughter stay safe, smart, and confident

16:45 How to explain objectification to an 8-year-old

20:42 The thinking brain vs. the feeling brain explained

26:04 What to do if your daughter has already been exposed to pornography

 

Learn more about Kristen A. Jenson of Defend Young Minds and the book, Good Pictures Bad Pictures Guide for Girls: www.defendyoungminds.com/books

My kid saw porn - now what?  https://www.defendyoungminds.com/help-heal

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DefendYM/

Instagram: @defendyoungminds

X: @defendYM

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/defend-young-minds/

 

More Resources from Arlene Pellicane:

SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get the checklist, 7 Warning Signs of Screen Overuse.

Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier.

Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook

Go to Arlene's YouTube Channel

How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email [email protected]

Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE)

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Kristy Graham (Billy Graham's granddaughter-in-law) has a front row seat to what God is doing around the world. She's the podcast host of On the Ground with Samaritan's Purse. Maybe you've packed a shoebox with Operation Christmas Child to send the Gospel and gifts to children around the world. How can we raise kids who give generously at Christmas AND as a way of life?  

You'll hear about families who travel for the first time to get life-saving heart surgeries for their kids (for free!). And about women who have been rescued from poverty, abuse and war in Kenya at Amani ya Juu through the work of Samaritan's Purse. 

Kristy opens up about what it's like to grow up Graham for her kids, and the beautiful legacy of faithfulness she has experienced. But this doesn't mean her life is problem free. Like many of us, her kids have struggled with sickness. You'll find hope and encouragement from a fellow mom in the trenches. In this episode, Arlene and Kristy talk about: 

2:30 Life saving surgeries for kids (Children’s Heart Project) 

5:45 The power of generosity and how it reflects the gospel 

9:10 I didn’t want my kids to become resentful about ministry 

11:00 When we don’t have the answers about our children’s illnesses 

13:44 More than healing, I want you to want the Healer 

15:35 Amani ya Juu in Kenya (what it does for refugees)

20:15 What if we could be more like Ingrid (the Ingrid Effect)?

21:30 How a shoebox is changing families by giving gifts to kids 

24:41 What is like having Billy Graham as a grandfather? 

 

Learn more about Samaritan’s Purse: https://samaritanspurse.org/

On the Ground with Samaritan’s Purse Podcast:  https://ontheground.samaritanspurse.org/home

Follow on Instagram @onthegroundSP

 

More Resources from Arlene Pellicane:

SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get the checklist, 7 Warning Signs of Screen Overuse.

Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier.

Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook

Go to Arlene's YouTube Channel

How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email [email protected]

Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE)

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

They're back!  Beloved counselors and bestselling authors David Thomas and Sissy Goff join Arlene to talk about their new book, Capable: How to Teach Your Kids Strengths, Skills, and Strategies to Build Resilience. After 30+ years of counseling, they're sounding the alarm on a generation of kids who are increasingly averse to risk, effort, and discomfort.

What if your child doesn't want to be capable, preferring convenience and entertainment instead? David and Sissy share practical tools from the book that will help you spark motivation and build resilient, capable kids (even when your kids are resistant). Whether your child is a toddler or a teenager, this episode will help you prepare your children for life and its challenges. This is such a needed conversation for today's family. 

 

2:14  What counselors are seeing after 30+ years: a generation avoiding discomfort

4:06  What to do with kids who say: "I don't want to be capable"

10:03  "Don't do for your kids what they can do for themselves"

10:41  Support vs. challenge equation: which one are you?

15:08  Trusting God and your own intuition over the apps

19:28  Screens, social anxiety, and the word "awkward"

21:34  "My job is not to make you happy — it's to develop your character"

25:10  Role-play: what to say when your kid refuses school, camp, or a new friend

28:09  Capable starts in the Costco cart

 

Connect with David & Sissy and get their book, Capable: How to Teach Your Kids Strengths, Skills, and Strategies to Build Resilience at raisingboysandgirls.com.

Instagram: @raisingboysandgirls and @sissygoff

More Resources from Arlene Pellicane:

SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get the checklist, 7 Warning Signs of Screen Overuse.

Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier.

Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook

Go to Arlene's YouTube Channel

How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email [email protected]

Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE)

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Contrary to what many say, most marriages aren't destroyed by parental wounds, unresolved anger, or a sinful past. 

Jim Ramos, founder of Men in the Arena, talks candidly with Arlene about his new book Guardrails: 10 Boundaries for an Unbreakable Marriage. They dive into practical wisdom for building a marriage that lasts, drawn from Jim's 34+ years of real-life experience. Jim has seen enough marriages crumble to know one thing: most of them didn't fail because of deep psychological wounds or unresolved trauma — they failed because of small, unwise decisions that compounded over time. Tune in for practical wisdom and ways to avoid these costly mistakes for marriages. 

2:08 Why Jim & Shannon created guardrails after 34 years

4:51 Navigating opposite-sex coworkers and professional boundaries

8:00 How to receive compliments without opening emotional doors

10:50 Guardrail #9: Always send gifts from us, never just from you

14:00 The story loop problem (King Solomon & the Queen of Sheba)

21:14 Guardrail #3: Staying emotionally connected 

24:07 Social media dangers: Jim's personal rules (150k followers, zero apps on his phone)

 

Get a copy of Jim's book, Guardrails: 10 Boundaries for an Unbreakable Marriage and find out more about his ministry at meninthearena.org.

More Resources from Arlene Pellicane:

SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get the checklist, 7 Warning Signs of Screen Overuse.

Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier.

Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook

Go to Arlene's YouTube Channel

How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email [email protected]

Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE)

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Author Addison Bevere joins Arlene to talk about what honest, un-performative prayer actually looks like — for you and your kids. He shares why humility is a parenting superpower, how to guide children toward "second innocence," and why your morning routine might be the most spiritually significant part of your day. Join us for a truly wisdom-filled conversation about prayer and Addison's new book, Words with God.

02:02 The difference between complaining about God vs. going to God in messy intimacy

03:07 Humility creates safety — modeling authentic faith for your kids

08:37 First innocence vs. second innocence — the real goal of protecting your kids

10:39 God won't always deliver you from a thing when that thing will ultimately deliver you to him

12:40 Prayer is about presence, not performance

15:21 Morning routines, brain science, and how God designed us as receptors

20:52 Addison's no-phone morning ritual — and the neuroscience behind it

25:02 "Smart mornings do not include smartphones"

31:49 Insomnia and surrender: how waking up differently changed everything

 

Grab a copy Addison's books: Words With God (book and prayer journal) 

Connect with Addison at rediscoverprayer.com. 

More Resources from Arlene Pellicane:

SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get the checklist, 7 Warning Signs of Screen Overuse.

Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier.

Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook

Go to Arlene's YouTube Channel

How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email [email protected]

Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE)

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Blending families isn't easy and you can feel alone in the struggle. But did you know there are several prominent step-families found in the Bible? 

Smart stepmom, author Laura Petherbridge offers heartfelt insights and solutions for navigating big emotions in complex homes. Her new book is Stepfamilies of the Bible: Timeless Wisdom for Blended Families. God's people have always included families with complex configurations, strained dynamics, and serious problems. The fact that complex, imperfect families have always been part of God's family is good news!  In today's conversation, you'll learn: 

3:00  53 percent of kids come from complex families, going between two homes 

9:00 When my dad got remarried and I got a step-mom...

14:15 When children feel they lost dad to the new stepmom/stepfamily 

18:00 When you feel offended by your step-kids 

22:15 If a child senses you look down on the other family, he will side with the other family as the underdog 

25:00 You don't see two women who hate each other more (Sarah and Hagar) 

Connect with Laura and get her book, Stepfamilies of the Bible at thesmartstepmom.com.

More Resources from Arlene Pellicane:

SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get the checklist, 7 Warning Signs of Screen Overuse.

Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier.

Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook

Go to Arlene's YouTube Channel

How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email [email protected]

Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE)

Learn more about Every Woman's Bible today by visiting: https://hubs.la/Q0427v7r0

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by clutter, today's expert Katy Joy Wells is here to help with steps you can implement today! 

She's helped more than 250,000 families take control of their homes by solving the real clutter problem--what's underneath it all? What if your clutter isn't just a mess problem — it's a heart problem?

Katy is the host of The Maximized Minimalist (5M downloads!) and author of Making Home Your Happy Place. She joins Arlene to unpack why traditional decluttering never sticks. Katy breaks down the 4 types of clutter, shares her CBT-rooted 4S Framework for letting go without the guilt, and draws a freeing distinction between clutter and everyday mess.

You'll also get to hear some of Katy's story and how her challenges led her to start decluttering. Let's learn together how to declutter without being overwhelmed by taking small, practical steps. 

2:07 The 4 types of clutter: the "clutter onion" framework

6:52 How to overcome scarcity and identity clutter 

10:59 Too many toys?

11:31 Set physical boundaries as your decluttering goal 

17:54 Katy's story and her shift to holistic decluttering 

22:05 Pull the weed by the root — why clutter comes back and how to stop it 

27:37 Navigating sentimental clutter & guilt clutter

 

Listen to Katy's podcast, The Maximized Minimalist, grab a copy of her new book, Making Home Your Happy Place, and connect with Katy on Instagram @katyjoywells.

More Resources from Arlene Pellicane:

SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get the checklist, 7 Warning Signs of Screen Overuse.

Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier.

Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook

Go to Arlene's YouTube Channel

How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email [email protected]

Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE)

Learn more about Every Woman's Bible today by visiting: https://hubs.la/Q0427v7r0

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If you've ever felt guilty for struggling with anxiety or have a child who wrestles with worry, this conversation is for you. Holley Gerth, Wall Street Journal bestselling author and counselor, is on the show to talk about her latest book, Prayers for Peace of Mind: Scripture and Encouragement for Days of Anxiety, Worry and Stress. 

Holley shares practical and compassionate tools for families navigating fear and worry, sharing on what God wants us to do with our anxieties, and what He really means when He says, "Do not fear."

3:27 How to turn your anxiety into excitement 

5:58 Emotions: great messengers, terrible bosses 

8:00 The real reason social media makes you anxious 

13:22 You are beloved-- anchor yourself in this truth 

16:30 Introverts, anxiety and the overstimulation connection 

23:41 How to signal to your kids that they are safe 

27:27 The prayer that carried Holley through her hardest season 

 

Connect with Holley Gerth and grab a free, 5-day excerpt of her book at holleygerth.com/peace. 

More Resources from Arlene Pellicane:

SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get the checklist, 7 Warning Signs of Screen Overuse.

Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier.

Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook

Go to Arlene's YouTube Channel

How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email [email protected]

Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE)

Learn more about Every Woman's Bible today by visiting: https://hubs.la/Q0427v7r0

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

With his signature whimsy and curiosity, bestselling author Bob Goff takes us on a journey with the Savior in his new book, A Journey with Jesus: An Interactive Guide Through the Holy Land. Bob shares what being in Israel and walking where Jesus walked taught him about wonder. You'll hear about Bob's adventures in the cockpit of an airplane, the tenacity of faithful friends, and the beauty of experiencing life in person (not just watching a screen).

2:39 The Power of Second Touches and Authenticity 

3:53 Making Bible Study Accessible for All

7:21 The Importance of Genuine Curiosity 

13:00 The Value of Lame Friends and What They Can Teach Us

18:06 Keeping Eyes Fixed on Jesus Amidst Challenges 

19:52 The Impact of Curiosity and Travel

Connect with Bob Goff and grab his book at bobgoff.com. 

More Resources from Arlene Pellicane:

SUBSCRIBE to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" and get the checklist, 7 Warning Signs of Screen Overuse. 

Check out Arlene's BOOKS including Parents Rising, Screen Kids, and Making Marriage Easier.

Follow Arlene on Instagram and/or Facebook

Go to Arlene's YouTube Channel

How did Arlene's kids adapt to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words.

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Want to invite Arlene to speak to your group? Email [email protected]

Not sure about a smartphone for your child? Check out the Gabb Wireless phone for kids and teens (use the promo code ARLENE)

Learn more about Every Woman's Bible today by visiting: https://hubs.la/Q0427v7r0

 

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.