In this broken world, building a strong family can seem out of reach. Your family doesn’t have to be perfect to be strong. Bestselling author Jessica Smartt shows us how to build a home where love and connection are every day occurrences. We're talking about her new book, Come on Home.  

On today's episode, you'll learn: 

5:25 The legacy we should want to leave for our kids 

7:40 How a close-knit family can change the world

11:30 The role of “taking-inventory” in your family

19:20 How making memories plays a special role in shaping your family 

23:35 How to make all of your children feel like the favorite

26:20 The fruit of delaying giving your children technology

Jessica Smartt is the author of Memory Making Mom and Let Them Be Kids, and today we’re talking about her new book, Come on Home. She’s wife to Todd and homeschooling mom of 3. Her family lives on twenty acres with her parents and her two sisters' families. That means there's a never-ending circus of kids, chickens, cats, and horses. 

Learn more about Jessica Smartt and her new book, Come on Home https://jessicasmartt.com/come-on-home

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. https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/film

Subscribe to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week". https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast?  Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show!  Email speaking @ arlenepellicane.com

Talking about sex can be awkward, shameful, embarrassing or painful. But what if it could be healing and hopeful? Dr. Juli Slattery is here to talk about God’s transformative love for every area of life, including our sexuality. We're talking about her new book, Surrendered Sexuality. On today's episode, you'll learn: 

3:30 We don’t talk about sexuality. What are we really missing? 

9:30 How to find wholeness and healing with your sexuality 

12:00 Practical ways to help disciple your child in their sexuality 

19:15 The problems with our mindset shift from viewing sex as procreational to recreational 

24:53 How we should think about sex from a biblical worldview 

27:43 Finding hope after sexual brokenness 

Dr. Juli Slattery is the president and cofounder of Authentic Intimacy, a ministry dedicated to reclaiming God’s design for sexuality. She hosts the Java with Juli podcast, and has written several books including her newest book, Surrendered Sexuality: How Knowing Jesus Changes Everything. She and her husband Mike have 3 grown sons. Before she began Authentic Intimacy, she served as the co-host of the Focus on the Family Broadcast.  

Learn more about Dr. Juli Slattery and her book, Surrendered Sexuality https://www.authenticintimacy.com/

Listen to the podcast, Java with Juli https://www.authenticintimacy.com/podcast/

Check out Arlene's book, Making Marriage Easier (listen to the first chapter, get free date night ideas and more)  makingmarriageeasier.com

Subscribe to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week." https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

Are you too young to be thinking about legacy? Hobby Lobby Founder David Green says we can all be planning to make a lasting eternal impact on the generations that follow. Legacy is created now, not only in the last decades of your life. David Green and Bill High have written a new book, The Legacy Life. On today's episode, you'll learn: 

2:40 Our legacy is not about money???

9:40 Why it's important for a family to start thinking generationally

14:50 What are we doing now to shape eternity?

19:30 How do we steward our money well (and not be consumed by it)

22:14 How to avoid crippling your own children financially

27:00 Being child-focused is not the same as being family-focused

David Green is the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby, which employs 50,000 people at 1,000 stores in 48 states.  His books include Leadership Not by the Book, and his new book co-authored with Bill High, The Legacy Life: Leading your family to make a difference for eternity. David and his wife Barbara and their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren all live in Oklahoma City. 

Bill High is CEO of Legacy Stone, a ministry dedicated to helping families thrive today and for generations to come. 

Learn more about David Green, Bill High and the book, The Legacy Life. https://legacystone.com/legacylife

Leave the legacy of a strong marriage. Get Arlene's free date night ideas and check out her book, Making Marriage Easier. https://makingmarriageeasier.com/

Subscribe to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week". https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

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. https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/film

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! Email speaking @ arlenepellicane.com

You're busy. I'm busy. Is there a way out of this rat race? You've heard advice on burnout and busyness, but probably not how author and mom Tara Sun explains it from her new book, Overbooked and Overwhelmed: How to keep up with God when you're just trying to keep up with life. 

On today's episode you'll learn:

3:55 How to NOT ignore warning signs God gives you 

8:32 Will this matter for eternity? 

12:00 Why “no” is the Christian cuss word

17:05 Steps you can take to better communicate with your spouse 

20:11 How to reclaim our attention from social media

Tara Sun is the host of the popular podcast Truth Talks with Tara, where she’s interviewed leaders like Sadie Robertson Huff and Levi Lusko. She is dedicated to helping you to know, love, and live God's Word in your everyday life. She's married to her high school sweetheart. Her new book is Overbooked and Overwhelmed: How to keep up with God when you’re just trying to keep up with life. 

Learn more about Tara's podcast, Truth Talks with Tara https://www.tarasunministries.com/podcast

Learn more about Tara Sun's book, Overbooked and Overwhelmed. https://www.thomasnelson.com/p/overbooked-and-overwhelmed/

Need more reasons to put the pause on social media? Read Arlene's book Screen Kids https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/books or get the video course. https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/course

Subscribe to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week." https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

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. https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/film

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! Email speaking @arlenepellicane.com

Our kids and teens are hearing loud messages about gender, and it can be terribly confusing. Social media has glamorized and normalized things like same sex attraction. How can parents equip their kids with truth and love in this secular culture? Trusted voice Dr. Kathy Koch is here to help us raise kids who are confident in their gender, knowing we are all wonderfully created by God. 

On today's episode, you'll learn: 

2:15 Why are we talking about gender?

3:55 What parents are unaware of about social media 

9:40 Dangerous misconceptions that your kids may have

11:50 What to do if your child wants to change their gender 

15:23 How to advise a friend who’s struggling with gender 

21:54 What does an AI chatbot say about gender? 

27:50 The connections between a parent and a child matter! 

30:51 A few warning signs that your child is struggling

Dr. Kathy Koch is the Founder and CEO of Celebrate Kids, Inc. and a respected voice on child development and biblical parenting. Her many books include Screens and Teens, 8 Great Smarts, and her newest book written with Dr. Jeff Myers, Raising Gender-Confident Kids: Helping Kids Embrace Their God-Given Design.  

Learn more about Dr. Kathy Koch and the book, Raising Gender-Confident Kids http://celebratekids.com/

Need more reasons to put the pause on social media?  Read Arlene's book Screen Kids or get the video course

https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/books

https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/course

Subscribe to Arlene's newsletter "What I'm Learning This Week" https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

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. https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/film

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast?  Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show!  Email speaking @arlenepellicane.com

Is it possible to delay social media for your teen, even your teen girl? My daughter Lucy and I are asking another mom/daughter duo about this. Today’s guests are comedian Kerri Pomarolli and her daughter Lucy. Two moms, two Lucys with no social media. It's going to be a fun ride. This month, we're kicking out harmful tech. On today's show, you'll learn: 

3:28 The option that not many parents are aware of when raising their kids

8:52 From a teen’s perspective: The difference between life with or without social media

11:45 Won't my child feel left out without social media?

17:55 How time looks different with a phone in hand 

21:40 How to help our girls not to have the “celebrity mentality”

Kerri Pomarolli grew up performing at a young age. Her first comedy gig was at the world-famous Hollywood Improv. Although she performed in front of a very secular crowd, she was the only performer asked to return.  Kerri is a nationally headlining stand up comedian who has worked with everyone from Jay Leno, Jerry Lewis, and Candace Cameron Bure. She's been on the Tonight Show 29 times, and she's also an author (Mom's Night Out) and screenwriter (Hallmark Channel). 

Learn more about Kerri Pomarolli at her website https://www.kerripom.com/

Need more reasons to put the pause on social media?  Read Arlene's book Screen Kids or get the video course

https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/books

https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/course

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. https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/film

Distracted on dates with your spouse? Get free date night ideas whether you have 15 minutes or one hour, small group questions for Making Marriage Easier and more

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast?  Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show!  Email speaking @ arlenepellicane.com

How addicted is your son or daughter to video games? Today’s guest Ian McCready is a former video game addict who understands the lure of gaming. He’s found a way to redeem his time from technology (you and your kids can too). 

This month we're kicking out the tech! We want to keep the tech that's helping us, but kick out the tech that’s hurting our families. On today's episode, you'll learn: 

2:20 What’s wrong with video games?

6:36 How God spared Ian from the game 

11:53 I can game while babysitting my child… right? 

16:25 Getting your loved one on board with a hold on video games

21:27 What to do when time on video games competes with time with family 

Ian McCready was crushing it in video games, but gaming was also crushing him. He was gaming 12-14 hours a day. Based on his own experience, he founded the nonprofit Selfctrl which focuses on helping people build self control and be set free from video game addiction. His teaching has been vetted by numerous addiction specialists and marriage & family therapists. He and his wife have two kids and live in Arkansas.

Learn more about Ian McCready and the many resources available to you at Selfctrl https://selfctrl.com/

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. https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/film

Distracted on dates with your spouse? Get free date night ideas whether you have 15 minutes or one hour, small group questions for Making Marriage Easier and more

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast?  Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! Email speaking @ arlenepellicane.com

We know smartphones can be really harmful to kids and teens, but what can we do about it? Clare Morell brings a practical guide to freeing kids and teens from smartphones as we kick out the tech this month. Social media and addictive video games are not safe for kids, no matter what tech companies promise. In today's episode, you'll find out:

2:15 What no one would guess about social media

6:10 TikTok is digital fentanyl???

10:00 Why parental controls are a myth

14:27 The simplest solution to this complex tech problem

21:35 Why your child is LESS safe with a phone 

25:30 What parents don’t see about “harmless” apps like Roblox

28:45 Why parents need to support phone-free schools

34:50 How the tech exit is especially important as Christians 

Clare Morell is a trailblazing mama who is a policy analyst at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. She is the director of its Technology and Human Flourishing Project. Her work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Newsweek, National Review, and The Washington Times. She and her family live out their Tech Exit life together in Washington DC.  

Learn more about Clare Morell and her book, The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones https://thetechexit.com/

https://claremorell.substack.com/

How have Arlene's kids adapted to not having phones, video games or social media? Watch the free video, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words. https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/film

Distracted on dates with your spouse? Get free date night ideas whether you have 15 minutes or one hour, small group questions for Making Marriage Easier and more

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast?  Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! Email speaking @ arlenepellicane.com

Are you 100 percent thrilled with how your family uses technology? 

If you say no, then welcome to the club!

If your kids opted out of having a smartphone, social media and video games, would they be better or worse off? Imagine saying goodbye to parental controls, fights, and time limits. Today's guest Erin Loechner is the author of The Opt-Out Family: How to Give Your Kids What Technology Can't. As you can imagine, I love this book! Today's we're going to talk about: 

3:00 What an “opt-out” family looks like

5:00 Why is social media so dangerous for children?

10:43 What the algorithm of social media does

14:10 The burden of social media on girls

21:00 Does having a smartphone truly help your child in their social life?

23:30 How can we “opt-in” to other things as we “opt-out” of social media? 

27:10 The main concerns with AI

29:45 Why easier is not better

Erin Loechner is a former social media influencer who walked away from a million fans to live a low-tech lifestyle and is now teaching others to do the same. She's been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, the Today Show. Erin is the founder of the global tech-free movement the Opt-Out Family.

Learn more about Erin Loechner and her book (which launched with no social media of her own), The Opt Out Family: How to Give Your Kids What Technology Can't. https://www.optoutfamily.com/

Learn how to dumb down your smartphone https://www.optoutfamily.com/tip/

Read Arlene's book Screen Kids (co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802422209/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0802422209&linkCode=as2&tag=arlenpelli-20&linkId=837f2447fde5b4a57b13b75b78236083

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! [email protected]

Are your kids going to be all right? Is your job secure? Will your marriage get better? We live in an age marked by worry and anxiety for adults and kids. Many who wrestle with anxiety know the Bible calls them to trust God, but how does that actually work? Pastor and author Jonny Ardavanis invites us to open God's Word for answers. In this conversation about his book, Consider the Lilies, you'll learn:  
3:30 I had a front row seat to teen anxiety as a camp director 

5:25 If you’re a parent, this is what you need to know

7:00 Even if your child doesn’t suffer from anxiety, he or she lives in a performance stressful culture 

8:30 How can we protect the minds of our kids? 

10:45 One of the main schemes of Satan is to make sin look normal and righteousness seem strange

15:00 Every worry is an invitation to get closer to God 

17:10 What’s the difference between a good godly concern and an ungodly worry? 

20:00 We were told our daughter had a syndrome with strokes and seizures

24:00 When your kids have sports injuries 

27:55 God allows you to go through trials because…

Jonny Ardavanis is the pastor of Stonebridge Bible Church in Franklin, TN. He’s the founder and president of Dial In Ministries serving the next generation. He has served as camp director at Hume Lake Christian Camps and as a dean at The Master’s College. He and his wife have two young daughters. Today, we're talking about his book, Consider the Lilies: Finding Perfect Peace in the Character of God. 

Learn more about Dial In Ministries
https://dialinministries.org/

Get Jonny's book, Consider the Lilies
https://www.amazon.com/Consider-Lilies-Finding-Perfect-Character/dp/0310368243/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yBlnH-e3bSsBJoLo-Hv3vz_bwdX2IgWB9ezQ8PNYtkaw7ElP9_sLVDpE9it02M9F.-mnpeyrtjwUwqjpImQmTFaHlktyPYWQe-SMuf20w318&qid=1722298799&sr=1-1&ref=dialinministries.org

Subscribe to Arlene's free email list
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Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! [email protected]

Save the date: Arlene's next Parents Rising Conference in San Diego, September 6, 2025