One of the most often overlooked aspects of family life is the role that “fun” plays in fostering an environment conducive to the important work of parenting and discipleship. Joy, laughter, and memory making are not just the “extra-curricular” activities of parenting. They are essential components of healthy family life and evidence of the Spirit’s work in and through you. In this session of DadU, we explore how dads can take the lead in establishing “fun” as a core value of the family as well as why this is such an important aspect of our discipleship of our children. To view resources on this podcast, visit: https://www.watermark.org/message/7165

Motherhood can be exhausting. There are a lot of places moms can try to find rest. At the Nest in Plano, Anne Clayton explains how what we seek leads to who we follow, which determines if we find true rest.

At the Nest on the Dallas campus, Elizabeth Tamlyn encourages moms to consider their daily time with God in a new way. She shares how to be restored and thrive rather than be exhausted and just survive.

At the Plano NEST, Jinger Lord shares lessons she learned on her own mothering journey. We all have seasons of parenting where our kids are “out-of-the-box” either due to their own struggles or due to ways that we let our expectations get in the way. She covers three things to remember: (1) The importance of knowing your child’s “box”; (2) That your “box” is not their “box”; (3) That our kids are all in God’s “box.” Moms on the panel discuss what they have learned from parenting their kids with specific struggles-ADHD, special needs, and the strong-willed child.

The psalmist wrote in Psalm 127, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” He then goes on to warn the reader that failing to remember this simple principle leads the laborer to sleeplessness and “eating the bread of anxious toil.” Sadly, “anxious toil” is often the best description of the typical parenting experience for the 21st century American family. In this session of DadU, we discuss how to fight against what is typical and fight for a family that is marked by trusting the heart of our Father, the Ultimate Builder of our homes. For more information, see [trusting the heart of your father](https://www.watermark.org/message/7076).

At the Nest on the Dallas campus, the Nest leadership team shared a wealth of ideas to help point your child to Christ during the Christmas season. And our Mentor Moms shared their wisdom and perspective of what they've learned over the years and how to stay focused during the busy Christmas season.

At the Plano NEST, Leslie Barry talks about how we can really make others feel valued, cared for, and known through our traditions. She gives 3 questions for you to ask yourself to help you determine this: 1) Are you building relationship in your tradition or walking through a dead ritual? 2) Does this fit my family? 3) What should I start/stop/keep? Evaluate your own traditions and then listen as a panel of moms discuss their traditions that make others feel valued, cared for, and known. Yes, you will get ALL the ideas!

In this session of DadU, Blake Holmes asks us to consider three hugely important questions: 1) What is prayer? 2) What do our prayers reveal? and 3) How then should we pray? Taking these things into consideration, Blake and a panel of dads then share some tools that have been helpful for growing in faithfulness as we pray for our families and disciple our children to develop this habit for themselves. For additional resources from this session, visit our blog for more information on [praying in faith](https://www.watermark.org/blog/pray-in-faith-dads)

How to love and support those going through Foster Care and/or Adoption. (Family Restoration ministry with Martha Canuteson and Kate Wallace)

How to love and support families of children with special and additional needs. (Kaleidoscope ministry with Lyn Pollard)