Don't Mom Alone Podcast

It’s cliché until you have to live it - the grocery store crying infant or toddler tantrum. The hushed pleas or commands from embarrassed parents. The silent judgment of others. Crying or whining are often attempts at communication, but they cause a stress response in moms and it can feel easier to just hush the child than keep a boundary. From there it’s a quick hop, skip, and a jump to all the mom-guilt we can throw on our shoulders. No, we can’t keep your toddler from throwing inane tantrums or make your infant suddenly articulate, but we know someone who can help you approach these situations from a different perspective.  As a licensed Language of Listening parent coach, certified sleep consultant, and mom to 5 kids, Rachel Norman has experienced a lot of infant and toddler behavior. In this episode she teaches us how to validate our children’s feelings while holding our boundaries. Rachel helps us understand why managing and understanding our own stress response to whining and crying can be a valuable tool as we help our children learn to regulate their own emotions.  Connect with Rachel Norman:  Website:  https://amotherfarfromhome.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMotherFarFromHome?ref=hl  Twitter: @momfarfromhome  Instagram:  @amotherfarfromhome Links Mentioned:   If Mama Ain't Happy: Why Minding Healthy Boundaries Is Good for Your Whole Family (A Mother's Guide to Joy, Anxiety Relief, and Freedom from Depression, Stress, and Weariness. A Book of Hope for Moms.) by Rachel Norman   **Please note, this is a pre-order link. The book releases October 11, 2022.** Good and Angry: Exchanging Frustration for Character in You and Your Kids by Scott Turansky  It Didn’t Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle by Mark Wolynn  Do Over Principle Video  Quiet Time (Rest Time) for Toddlers: All You Need to Know A Mother Far From Home blog post Related Episodes: Fed is Best || New Baby Series Pt 1 :: Demetria Martin and Dr. Odom [Ep 342] Fed is Best || New Baby Series Pt 2 :: Dr. Bridget Young [Bonus] Shepherding Healthy Sleep Habits :: Jenn and Robin of Sleepy Cues [Ep 230] Featured Sponsors:  Ladder Life. Visit LadderLife.com/DMA today to see if you’re instantly approved. Gladskin. Enjoy 15% off plus free shipping on your first order at Gladskin.com/DMA.   Hello Fresh. Visit HelloFresh.com/DMA16 and use code DMA16 for 16 free meals across 7 boxes AND 3 free gifts!

What fear pops up in your parenting again and again? Maybe it’s, “how do I teach my kids that they can do hard things in a loving way?” or, “what if my kids make bad decisions?” or “what if I’m a bad mom?” These fears can feel overwhelming and that the answers to them are complicated.  My guest this week gives us an unexpected ally in overcoming the fears that grip us as moms - reading aloud. It sounds almost too simple, but author and mom of 7, Jennifer Pepito, shows us that the stories we share with our kids can help them navigate some of the tougher experiences with life. By exposing our kids to character building stories we can infuse them with perspective and thoughtfulness as they face life’s difficult situations. She also encourages us that forgiveness can be an avenue to freedom from fear in our lives and specifically our parenting.  TRIGGER WARNING: This episode briefly mentions suicide. If you or anyone you know are struggling with suicidal thoughts please reach out to someone you trust. You can call or text 988 anytime of day or night.  Connect with Jennifer Pepito:  Website:  https://www.thepeacefulpreschool.com  Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/peacefulpress/   Instagram:  @JenniferPepito Links Mentioned:   Mothering by the Book: The Power of Reading Aloud to Overcome Fear and Recapture Joy by Jennifer Pepito PREORDER BONUSES→Mothering by the Book: The Power of Reading Aloud to Overcome Fear and Recapture Joy by Jennifer Pepito Wild and Free Podcast  Books Mentioned: Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing  Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers  by Ralph Moody (book 1 of 8 in series) The Hiding Place  by Corrie Ten Boom Swiss Family Robinson  by Johann David Wyss James Herriot book series  The Little House 9 Volume Set (includes Little House on the Prairie) by Laura Ingalls Wilder Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John  All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor  The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright  Related Episodes: Recovering from Mom Burnout :: Nicole Zasowski [Ep 357] The Day Fear Died :: Courtney Smallbone [Ep 201] Practicing Faith Through Fear :: Dominique Young [Ep 295] Featured Sponsors:  Caraway. Non-Toxic cookware made modern. Get 10% off your next purchase at Carawayhome.com/DMA. Stitch Fix. For a limited time, get $20 off your first purchase at StitchFix.com/DMA  Outschool. Save $15 on your child’s first class at Outschool.com/DMA.

Doubt is a normal part of a growing faith. When the big questions come, you can navigate them with confidence.  Is it worth it to go to church? If God is loving, why would he allow bad stuff in the world? Did God really create me the way I am on purpose? Questions and exploration are rites of passage for the teenage years as each of us grapples (in varying degrees) to figure out who we are and where we want to go in life. With a near endless supply of voices, ideas, and influences from the internet and culture at large it can feel like our kids are in danger of being lost in a sea of information we have no control over.  But all is not lost! My guest this week, apologist and writer Mary Jo Sharp, encourages us to walk with our kids into the tunnel of doubt. She reminds us that contrary to what we might think, we really are still the biggest influencers on our child’s religious views and that the culture we create in our homes around self transformation and questioning can help our kids make their faith their own. By giving them a safe space to ask and discuss the big questions of life we will likely give ourselves a seat at their decision-making table.  Mary and her team create resources for parents and teens as they walk through doubt and faith finding at DarkroomFaith.com Connect with Mary Jo Sharp:  Website:  https://maryjosharp.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/confidentchristianity/  Instagram:  @MaryJoSharp Twitter: @MaryJoSharp Links Mentioned:   Darkroom Faith  Jane Eyre: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting by Karen Swallow Prior, Charlotte Brontë Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion by Rebecca McLaughlin 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin  "Unfiltered" a documentary on the Chosen App   Related Episodes: Practicing Faith Through Fear :: Dominique Young [Ep 295] Building Lasting Faith in Your Kids :: Dr. Kara Powell [Ep 290] Featured Sponsors:  Thrive Market. Get eighty dollars in free groceries! Go to ThriveMarket.com/DMA.  Gladskin. Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first order at Gladskin.com/DMA.  Indeed. Start hiring now with $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post at Indeed.com/DMA. 

Marriage is like riding a bike with no training wheels - you have to keep pedaling to stay up. There’s no easy downhill, no coasting. It’s worth it, but it’s work. Add a kid or a few in there with work and bills and activities and it’s easy for us to stop the pedaling of intentionality that builds a strong marriage.  My guest this week is Kimberly Beam Holmes and without God’s intervention and her parents’ commitment to do the hard work of repairing their broken marriage she wouldn’t be alive! Now she is committed to helping couples build strong relationships through the organization her father started, Marriage Helper. They are passionate about situations that feel hopeless and she encourages us that while growing a healthy marriage isn’t simplistic, there are simple places for us to start.  Connect with Kimberly Beam Holmes:  Website:  https://marriagehelper.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarriageHelper/  Instagram:  @marriagehelper  @kimberlybeamholmes TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marriagehelper  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/marriagehelper  Links Mentioned:    Concrete Conversations Cards    Related Episodes: Sinners Married to Sinners - How God Refines Us :: Cheryl Scruggs & Jae Carpenter [Ep 195] Habits of a Healthy Marriage :: Paul David Tripp [Ep 234] Featured Sponsors:  Rothys. Step up your shoes and accessories, get $20 off your first purchase at rothys.com/DMA. Thrive Causemetics. Now is a great time to try Thrive Causemetics for yourself! Get 15% off your first order when you visit thrivecausemetics.com/DMA.  

If you’re new here or even if you’ve been around a while, join us this week as I give you a glimpse into who I am, how Don’t Mom Alone came about, and where we’re headed as a show. We’ll talk through a listener story and some of my own healing journey I’ve walked through this summer. My hope is you’ll accept the invitation to “withness”. And, that you’ll join our team to help other moms not go it alone.  Links Mentioned:   DMA Podcast Club Info Redeeming Shame Through Community :: Dr. Curt Thompson [Ep 308] Related Episodes: Introducing the GCM Podcast Club — Carla Goodwin— Oct 2016 Answering Your Questions—Heather—Ep 276 Winning Together as Co-Laborers —Heather—Ep 367  Featured Sponsors:  Stitch Fix—Sign up today at StitchFix.com/DMA to get $20 off your first purchase. Limited time offer purchase within 2 days of signup.  HelloFresh-Go to HelloFresh.com/dma16 and use code dma16 for 16 free meals across 7 boxes AND 3 free gifts.

Media is all around us - movies, music, tv, online videos, reels, TikToks, and more. And, there are as many parenting strategies around media as there are types of media. How do we safeguard our kids around media in today’s culture? Spoiler Alert: We aren’t going to talk about what to watch per se, but rather how to watch.  In this episode I’ll talk about what it could look like for us to raise not just haphazard watchers but discerning media consumers. Of course, we should exercise wisdom with what our kids watch and listen to, but also, as moms we’re in the business of teaching men to fish.  Let’s teach our kids to become discerning viewers. I’ll give you some handlebars to foster discussions about movies or TV with your kids and to get them thinking about what they’re watching too. “We want our children to know the one good story so well that when they see Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Frodo, Anne of Green Gables, Ariel, and Sleeping Beauty they can recognize the strands of truth and deception in them.” (Karalee Reinke, in Ep 27).  “O Discerning Spirit,  Who alone judges all things rightly,  Now be present in my mind and active In my imagination as I prepare to engage  With the claims and questions of diverse cultures Incarnated in the stories that people tell.”  A Liturgy Before Consuming Media, Every Moment Holy by Douglas McKelvey Links Mentioned:   Feeding the Mouth That Bites You  by Kenneth Wilgus, PhD  VidAngel Filtering Service Minno PureFlix Related Episodes: Family Movie Moms :: Amanda White [Ep 27] Annie, Into the Woods, & Night at the Museum 3 :: Family Movie Moms [Ep 53] Summer Movie Edition :: (Inside Out, Tomorrowland) :: Family Movie  Moms [Ep 79] Mockingjay & Big Hero 6 :: Family Movie Moms [Ep 49] How to Train a Dragon 2 :: Family Movie Moms [Ep 31]  Movie Discussion Guides Meet the Robinsons :: Family Movie Discussion Guide Big Hero 6 :: Family Movie Discussion Guide Family Movie Discussion Guide : “Cars” (Pride & Humility of Lightning McQueen) “The LEGO Movie” Family Discussion Guide Frozen :: Family Movie Discussion Guide Using God’s Story to Analyze Movies Dolphin Tale 2 :: Family Movie Discussion Guide (& Review)  Featured Sponsors:  Caraway - Visit Carawayhome.com/DMA to take advantage of this limited time offer for 10% off your next purchase.  GladSkin -  Gladskin is offering listeners 15% off plus free shipping on your first order at gladskin.com/DMA.  Ladder - Go to LadderLife.com/dma today to see if you’re instantly approved.

What would it take for you to walk away from the most abundant time in your career? From a time that was not only full, but fun, rewarding, and productive?  My guest this week, Christy Wright did just that - walked away from a season of immense abundance in her career, not because of difficult situations but simply because God called her out of it. She says this call was so clear she came to a point where she feared disobedience more than the uncertainty of leaving her career. She followed God into a new season of freedom and work. It's like God called Christy in for a meeting to talk about rebranding - not to change who He had created her to be, but to change her everyday look and her assignments.  We've spent our summer talking through our unique "mom brands" and in our final week of Summer of Mentorship we're hitting on something that will happen to each of us as moms at one point or many - the need to rebrand. To leave behind what worked and was right for that specific time to embrace what God is saying is right for now. Ecclesiastes reminds us there is rhythm and seasons to life and we will walk through transitions in our work and home life. Christy encourages us to courageously cling to God's voice in those times and not let the fear of uncertainty keep us from the rebranding God is walking us through..    Discussion Questions: What stood out to you from the episode?  What current roles help shape your days?  Are you ok with you when you take away what you do? Or, how easily can you separate out who you are from what you do?  Have you gone through a “rebranding” as a mom? Either because of change in circumstance or because your routines weren’t serving you, or for another reason. What was difficult about that time? What was beneficial in that transition? Spend the last 10 minutes of your group time in silence praying and listening and ask God, “Is there anything I need to be freed from?” Connect with Christy Wright:  Website:  https://www.christy-wright.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialChristyWright  Instagram:  @ChristyBWright Links Mentioned:   Take Back Your Time : The Guilt-Free Guide to Life Balance by Christy Wright  How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids: A Practical Guide to Becoming a Calmer, Happier Parent by Carla Naumburg, PhD Related Episodes: Manage Your Life With Guilt-Free Confidence :: Christy Wright [Ep 192] Featured Sponsors:  Thrive Market. Join Thrive Market today and get $80 eighty dollars in free groceries! Go to ThriveMarket.com/DMA. Athletic Greens. Get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. Visit athleticgreens.com/DMA.  Indeed. Now with Indeed, businesses only pay for quality applications matching the sponsored job description. Visit Indeed.com/DMA to start hiring now.

Does your life look exactly like you want it to? All too often we come across what seems like the life that we want on someone else’s Instagram. You can dismiss those as the “highlight reels”, that is what they are, but sometimes the girl next door has what you want. What do you do then? How do you prep your kids for when they don’t get invited or when they feel like someone else has it better than them?  My guest this week, Karen Ehman, says, “Go find your old self.”  She’s not leading us on an existential journey into the past, but to those around us that need the love of Christ. She encourages us in a powerful way that when we are discouraged by someone who has it “better” than us to find someone who has it “worse” than us, not so we can feel good about something, but because there is a person who needs the love of Christ.  We’re taking time this summer (as usual) to be mentored by some experienced moms and benefit from their wisdom. I’m asking them about their “mom brands” and the unique families and assignments God has given them to help us embrace the specific and unique spot God has given each of us.  Discussion Questions: What stood out to you in this episode? Why?  Who is your “old self”? What was a particularly difficult time God brought you through that you could use as a connection point to love someone else?  When have you felt loved or seen by someone else in the midst of a difficult situation?  Thinking about Karen’s mom and how hard she has to work as a single mom, where in your life are you having to work hard? Which of your God-given assignments is either physically, or mentally, or spiritually challenging? Spend some time praying for these situations with your group.  When you think about loving others by inviting them into your life what limitations come to mind?  Who is a necessary person you can love tangibly this month? Brainstorm ideas with your group about simple ways to show Christ’s love. Connect with Karen Ehman:  Website:  https://karenehman.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialKarenEhman  Instagram:  @karenehman  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLbA_nXZ6HAhLGUL6KNhzRw  Links Mentioned:   Make Their Day: 101 Simple, Powerful Ways to Love Others Well by Karen Ehman Related Episodes: Changing the World for One :: Tara Clapper [Ep 70]  Ridiculous Faith :: Shelene Bryan [Ep 116] Featured Sponsors:  StitchFix: Sign up today at Stitchfix.com/DMA to get $20 off your first purchase.  HelloFresh: Go to HelloFresh.com/dma16 and use the code: dma16 for 16 free meals across 7 boxes AND 3 free gifts.  Thrive Causemetics: You can get 15% off your first order when you visit thrivecausemetics.com/DMA.   

Creating Family Culture :: Amber O’Neal Johnston [SOM Wk 4] You are creating a culture for your family, right now, whether or not you’re aware of it or intentional in it. Your words and actions reveal the functional values you have for your family. Is yours a culture of fun and laughter? Grace and second chances? Integrity and grit? It could be all of those and more, or something simpler - it is unique to your family! Whatever it is, if it isn’t intentionally cultivated it will be like a garden filled with weeds - growing, but haphazard. My guest this week is Amber O’Neal Johnston and one of the values that drives her family’s culture is that her kids would know they are seen and valued at home and in the world. And that other people are just as valuable too.  This, along with other values, drives the decisions they make about how they interact with the world around them, right down to the restaurants they eat at.  She challenges us to not only cultivate a family culture, but to grow as moms and people along the way. Her book, A Place to Belong: Celebrating Diversity and Kinship in the Home and Beyond is available now. We’re taking time this summer (as usual) to be mentored by some experienced moms and benefit from their wisdom. I’m asking them about their “mom brands” and the unique families and assignments God has given them to help us embrace the specific and unique spot God has given each of us.  Discussion Questions: What stood out to you from this episode?  What practices or resources have you used to expose your kids to other cultures?  Where has God called you to speak out in love when you’d prefer to remain silent? Spend time praying with your group for these circumstances. What is one value that you want to emphasize in your home?  Amber shared that she had to release her need to impress other moms in order for her kids to flourish - what expectation or ideal do you need to let go of so that your kids can flourish? How would being secure and confident in your family culture change your relationships with other moms or families?  Connect with Amber Johnston:  Website:  https://heritagemom.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeritageMomBlog  Instagram:  @heritagemomblog Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HeritageMomBlog/_created/  Links Mentioned:   A Place to Belong: Celebrating Diversity and Kinship in the Home and Beyond by Amber O’Neal Johnston  Things To Do List from the Heritage Mom Website Related Episodes: Finding Yourself in Motherhood :: Amber O’Neal Johnston [Ep 310] Featured Sponsors:  Athena Club. Get 20% off your first order at AthenaClub.com with promo code DMA. Rothy’s. Your new favorite shoes are waiting. Fet $20 off your first purchase at rothys.com/DMA.  Fabric. Protect your family with term life insurance now, in just 10 minutes. Apply today at MeetFabric.com/DMA.

“I don't have time for the things that God has not called me to.” My guest this week, Shontell Brewer, wisely speaks those words. She is a wife and mom of 5. She’s written a book on parenting and still things haven’t always gone the way she’s planned or wanted. But she has learned where to lean in and wait on the Lord. She’s learned that to be intentional as a mom or wife or teacher she’s got to cut out the “keeping up” with others, whether on social media or the mom down the street. And she’s learned that God hasn’t finished writing the story. Even if she can’t see to the end of all God’s workings in her kid’s lives, knowing His word and taking time to commune with Him have given her a firm foundation to stand on.  We’re taking time this summer (as usual) to be mentored by some experienced moms and benefit from their wisdom. I’m asking them about their “mom brands” and the unique families and assignments God has given them to help us embrace the specific and unique spot God has given each of us.  Discussion Questions: What stood out to you from the episode? Shontell encourages us to get on the same level as the person across from us to grow intentionality in our relationships - be it a spouse or child or friend. What relationship in your life needs this sort of attention? How can you meet that person right where they are?  How has God gifted you? Do you know?  Have you thought through what you want for your children, or what the goal of your parenting is? Keeping the tiny humans alive is big work, so no shame at all if you haven’t! If we’re working towards intentionality as moms, thinking through this question can help us cut activities or practices we don’t need and to make space for ones we do.   How do you measure your success as a parent?  What situation or circumstance would benefit from you processing with God before processing with a friend? Set aside time to do that this week.  Connect with Shontell Brewer:  Website:  http://shontellbrewer.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shontell.brewer  Instagram:  @shontellbrewer Twitter: @shontellbrewer   Links Mentioned:   Missionary Mom: Embracing the Mission Field Right Under Your Roof By Shontell Brewer  Cru’s Spiritual Gifts Assessment More info on Spiritual Gifts   Related Episodes: Parenting Small :: Shontell Brewer [Ep 140] Featured Sponsors:  Hello Fresh. Get up to 16 free meals and 3 free gifts at HelloFresh.com/DMA16 Caraway Home. Non-Toxic cookware made modern. Visit Carawayhome.com/DMA to take advantage of a limited-time offer for 10% off your next purchase.  Gladskin. Visit gladskin.com/DMA and get 15% off plus free shipping on your first order.