→ Prayer Calendar

It usually starts with a quick search. A tough parenting moment, a tired afternoon, or a question you just want answered fast. So you open your phone, type in a question, and suddenly you’re pulled into a world of parenting philosophies that all promise peace, connection, and better outcomes.

But what if some of those ideas are quietly pulling your heart in the wrong direction? In this conversation we gently but honestly explore the dangers of modern parenting trends, using “gentle parenting” as a lens. It’s a reminder that parenting isn’t about mastering a method, but about stewarding a heart: both yours and your child’s.

Episode Highlights

00:00 — Why parenting trends can be a slippery slope
06:00 — The pressure and fear modern parenting creates
12:00 — Parenting beyond behavior: focusing on the heart
16:00 — Control, fear, and trusting God with your child

Please send us your questions if you'd like to have them discussed on the podcast: [email protected]

The Mind of a Child is an early child development podcast that exists to encourage and equip parents to raise their kids to love God and love others. If you're looking for Biblical principles, practical parenting solutions, and science-backed research, our discussions are specifically tailored for you. Our hosts are Leslie Dudley Corbell and Diane Doucet Matthews, who each have a combined 50+ years of experience in the early child parenting space.

→ Prayer Calendar

There’s a moment every young mom hits (usually sometime around 2 AM) where exhaustion meets confusion, and the question quietly surfaces: “Am I doing this right?”

Sleep training can feel like one of the most overwhelming parts of early motherhood, especially when advice pulls you in opposite directions. In this episode, we slows things down and reframe everything through a grace-centered lens, reminding moms that the goal isn’t perfection, but peace, wisdom, and responsiveness to the child God has uniquely entrusted to them. 

Rather than offering a rigid formula, we'll gently walk you through a bigger picture: understanding your baby’s cues, embracing the natural rhythms of growth and change, and letting go of pressure to “get it right.”

Episode Highlights

00:00 — Life updates and why sleep training is worth revisiting
05:00 — What people really think about sleep training (and why it’s confusing)
15:00 — Learning your baby’s cues and building simple rhythms
20:00 — Why writing things down changes everything
30:00 — Handling disruptions: regressions, teething, and tough nights
40:00 — Encouragement, Scripture, and trusting God with your child

Please send us your questions if you'd like to have them discussed on the podcast: [email protected]

The Mind of a Child is an early child development podcast that exists to encourage and equip parents to raise their kids to love God and love others. If you're looking for Biblical principles, practical parenting solutions, and science-backed research, our discussions are specifically tailored for you. Our hosts are Leslie Dudley Corbell and Diane Doucet Matthews, who each have a combined 50+ years of experience in the early child parenting space.

→ Prayer Calendar

As a mom, you’re not just raising kids, you’re raising disciples. But what does that look like when your kids are still in diapers, asking why the sky is blue, or pushing back at bedtime? In this episode, we walk young Christian mothers through the sacred and practical work of discipling children in the everyday.

From creating daily rhythms of prayer and Bible reading to explaining big theological truths like the Trinity and salvation, this episode offers gentle guidance, real-life stories, and spiritual clarity for moms who want to build a gospel-centered home. Whether you’re new to your faith or just longing for encouragement, you’ll leave this episode with both a plan and a deeper sense of purpose in your motherhood.

Episode Highlights

[00:00] Introduction
[02:00] Question #1
[08:00] Question #2
[17:00] Question #3
[21:00] Question #4

Please send us your questions if you'd like to have them discussed on the podcast: [email protected]

The Mind of a Child is an early child development podcast that exists to encourage and equip parents to raise their kids to love God and love others. If you're looking for Biblical principles, practical parenting solutions, and science-backed research, our discussions are specifically tailored for you. Our hosts are Leslie Dudley Corbell and Diane Doucet Matthews, who each have a combined 50+ years of experience in the early child parenting space.

→ Prayer Calendar

Bringing a baby home is one of life’s most sacred transitions, and for young Christian mothers, it’s a season that comes with both tender anticipation and anxious questions. From installing car seats to preparing your heart for sleepless nights, the arrival of a new child mirrors the beauty of Advent: the waiting, the wondering, and the miraculous arrival of life and hope.

In this episode, we explore how to practically prepare for the birth of a baby while also preparing spiritually for the birth of Christ. With a blend of light-hearted stories, honest reflections, and deep biblical encouragement, we guide young mothers through everything from nesting and deep cleaning to pondering the promises of God, offering peace for your mind and rest for your soul in the middle of new beginnings.

Episode Highlights

[00:00] The First Christmas
[10:00] Mary's Response
[15:00] Advent Pillars
[19:00] Practical ways to prepare your home

Please send us your questions if you'd like to have them discussed on the podcast: [email protected]

The Mind of a Child is an early child development podcast that exists to encourage and equip parents to raise their kids to love God and love others. If you're looking for Biblical principles, practical parenting solutions, and science-backed research, our discussions are specifically tailored for you. Our hosts are Leslie Dudley Corbell and Diane Doucet Matthews, who each have a combined 50+ years of experience in the early child parenting space.

→ Prayer Calendar

Advent isn’t just a season, it’s an invitation. For young mothers navigating the emotional weight and expectations of Christmas, it can feel like a tug-of-war between culture and calling. But what if Advent was less about performing and more about pausing? Less about buying and more about beholding?

In this episode, we offer a powerful reminder that Advent is for the overwhelmed mom, the tired heart, and the home that longs to center its rhythms on Christ. Through personal stories, biblical reflections, and practical ideas, we'll walk alongside you as mentors, inviting you to reclaim this sacred season as one filled with joy, hope, peace, love, and deep rest in Christ.

Episode Highlights

[00:00:00] Why we need Advent
[00:06:00] The Advent wreath
[00:15:00] How hope shapes the season
[00:19:00] How to practically pass Advent truths to your children

Please send us your questions if you'd like to have them discussed on the podcast: [email protected]

The Mind of a Child is an early child development podcast that exists to encourage and equip parents to raise their kids to love God and love others. If you're looking for Biblical principles, practical parenting solutions, and science-backed research, our discussions are specifically tailored for you. Our hosts are Leslie Dudley Corbell and Diane Doucet Matthews, who each have a combined 50+ years of experience in the early child parenting space.

→ Prayer Calendar

Thanksgiving can be beautiful, but it can also be overstimulating, emotional, and flat-out exhausting for young moms trying to hold it all together. Between managing kids’ routines, preparing meals, and navigating extended family, it’s easy to lose sight of what the day is truly about: gratitude and remembrance.

In this episode, we share biblical encouragement, family-tested traditions, and gentle reminders that can help re-center your heart during the holiday season. You’ll laugh, nod in recognition, and walk away with simple, grace-filled tools to make Thanksgiving meaningful for you and your children.

Episode Highlights

[00:00] Thanksgiving Trivia
[07:00] Tradition Making
[11:00] Meeting New People
[21:00] Schedules

Please send us your questions if you'd like to have them discussed on the podcast: [email protected]

The Mind of a Child is an early child development podcast that exists to encourage and equip parents to raise their kids to love God and love others. If you're looking for Biblical principles, practical parenting solutions, and science-backed research, our discussions are specifically tailored for you. Our hosts are Leslie Dudley Corbell and Diane Doucet Matthews, who each have a combined 50+ years of experience in the early child parenting space.

→ Prayer Calendar
→ Read 'Valley of Vision'

As a young mom, it can be easy to get swept up in the daily grind of changing diapers, managing meltdowns, cooking meals, and trying to stay spiritually anchored. But what if the secret to renewed strength, perspective, and peace is something as simple and profound as gratitude?

In today's episode, we invite young Christian mothers to rediscover the joy and discipline of giving thanks. With Scripture, personal stories, and tips, we walk through practical ways to cultivate a heart of gratitude in your family in the mundane and messy moments of motherhood. From morning routines to dinnertime conversations, we hope this episode leaves you feeling encouraged, seen, and spiritually nourished.

Episode Highlights

[00:00] Thanksgiving & Gratitude
[06:00] Morning Routines
[14:00] Biblical examples of Thanksgiving

Please send us your questions if you'd like to have them discussed on the podcast: [email protected]

The Mind of a Child is an early child development podcast that exists to encourage and equip parents to raise their kids to love God and love others. If you're looking for Biblical principles, practical parenting solutions, and science-backed research, our discussions are specifically tailored for you. Our hosts are Leslie Dudley Corbell and Diane Doucet Matthews, who each have a combined 50+ years of experience in the early child parenting space.

→ Prayer Calendar
→ Read 'Emotionally Healthy Spirituality'

Feelings (or emotions): the internet is full of recommendations and tips about them. Within all the noise, there are some dangerous lies that young mothers can slip into if we're not careful. In this episode, we tackle some 7 of the most common lies about feelings and what Scripture says in response.

1. My feelings are right → Jeremiah 17:9, Ps. 139:23-24
2. My feelings are sinful → Ephesians 4:29
3. My feelings are my guide → Proverbs 3:5-6, Jonah
4. My feelings are unique to me → Hebrews 2:17, 4:14-16
5. I can't help the way I feel → Isaiah 26:3
6. You must affirm my feelings → Proverbs 11:14, 15:22
7. I don't have the qualifications to counsel my child in their feelings → Isaiah 9:6

Episode Highlights

[00:00] Why "feelings" are such a hot topic in our culture
[02:00] The 7 Lies
[20:00] Practical Takeaways 

Please send us your questions if you'd like to have them discussed on the podcast: [email protected]

The Mind of a Child is an early child development podcast that exists to encourage and equip parents to raise their kids to love God and love others. If you're looking for Biblical principles, practical parenting solutions, and science-backed research, our discussions are specifically tailored for you. Our hosts are Leslie Dudley Corbell and Diane Doucet Matthews, who each have a combined 50+ years of experience in the early child parenting space.

→ Prayer Calendar

Motherhood is a gift but it can also come with a fair bit of struggles. In this episode, we tackle some of the most common and challenging questions that come up: from building genuine friendships, to navigating busyness and overstimulation, to healing from mom anger and much much more.

Whether you're a first time mom or a seasoned vet, this episode is full of encouragement for young mothers who want some support and encouragement.

Episode Highlights

[00:00] Introduction
[09:30] Reason, Season, & Life Friends
[17:00] Mom Anger

Please send us your questions if you'd like to have them discussed on the podcast: [email protected]

The Mind of a Child is an early child development podcast that exists to encourage and equip parents to raise their kids to love God and love others. If you're looking for Biblical principles, practical parenting solutions, and science-backed research, our discussions are specifically tailored for you. Our hosts are Leslie Dudley Corbell and Diane Doucet Matthews, who each have a combined 50+ years of experience in the early child parenting space.

→ Prayer Calendar

Bringing home a new baby is a beautiful, sacred moment. But for young mothers, it can also come with questions, guilt, and unexpected emotions, especially when there’s already a toddler or preschooler at home. In this episode, we offer wisdom for moms navigating the transition from one child to two (or more). We share practical ways to prepare your older child, introduce the baby, manage regressions, balance new demands, and maintain connection in this holy and hard season.

Whether you're weeks away from delivery or in the thick of newborn life, this episode is full of encouragement for mothers who want to parent with love, wisdom, and peace.

Episode Highlights

[00:00] Introduction: Preparing
[10:30] Meal Trains & Visitors
[15:00] Aggression & Regression
[20:00] Grocery "retreats"

Please send us your questions if you'd like to have them discussed on the podcast: [email protected]

The Mind of a Child is an early child development podcast that exists to encourage and equip parents to raise their kids to love God and love others. If you're looking for Biblical principles, practical parenting solutions, and science-backed research, our discussions are specifically tailored for you. Our hosts are Leslie Dudley Corbell and Diane Doucet Matthews, who each have a combined 50+ years of experience in the early child parenting space.