Connected Families Podcast

Do you have a child who is wired differently? You’ve probably felt frustrated or discouraged at times about how to support your child through daily routines or going to school. It may be challenging to know what your child needs and offer that at the right time.   In today’s podcast, Katie Wetsell and Corrie Thetford (Connected Families Certified Parent Coaches) join Stacy Bellward (podcast host) for a conversation about empowering your uniquely and wonderfully wired child.     In this podcast, you’ll discover: How to evaluate what’s going on in your heart about your child. Do you need to “fix” your child? Or better understand your child?  The opportunity therapy presents for you to learn with your child and as well as keep the momentum from therapy going at home Ideas for supporting your child in a learning environment at school or home and how to help your child discover and accept what they need to be successful Ways to talk about and celebrate differences in your family How one 13-year-old has felt supported and empowered by his parents We hope that you have been encouraged by today’s podcast, and we look forward to getting to know you. Please check out our website, and don’t forget to reach out if you need help. It is a joy to walk with you as you parent your kids in God’s grace and truth! Mentioned in this podcast: Sensitive & Intense Kids online course – Register Now! Treasure Tree: Helping Kids Understand Their Personality by John Trent John 9:1-3 Ecclesiastes 3:11 Guest Bio: Corrie Thetford and her husband Alan have four children and are Connected Families Certified Parent Coaches as well as instructors for CF coaches-in-training. They are passionate about multiplying the gospel by helping families transform power struggles and conflicts into opportunities for gospel messages.   Katie Wetsell is our online course moderator. She is also a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach, pediatric nurse, and mom of four through birth and adoption. She is passionate about encouraging and empowering parents to love their family with confidence and connection. Building on her bedside experience, she has also been trained in SPACE treatment (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) to help parents support their children in overcoming anxiety. Her website is www.parentwithhope.org. Rylan Wetsell is Katie’s 13-year-old, bright, witty son who is overcoming the challenges associated with being differently wired to grow in wisdom and courage. He is an advocate, with his mom, for himself and others affected by stuttering, Tourette’s Syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and learning disabilities. Do you have a child with BIG feelings and BIG needs? The Sensitive & Intense Kids online course is a game changer. It’s for YOU. LEARN MORE Related PostsA Simple Way to Teach Kids PerseveranceAdvocating for Your Sensitive or Neurodiverse Child | Ep. 123Daily Sensory Rhythms To Bring Peace to Your Home | Ep 112How To Know If Your Child Needs a Diagnosis or Extra Support | Ep. 122

Maybe you’ve received a message from your child’s teacher about his behavior at school, or you want to set your child up for a good experience as she begins a new activity. Communicating with teachers, coaches, and other adults about how to support your sensitive or neurodiverse child may feel difficult to navigate, but thankfully other parents have also walked that journey and have some practical wisdom to share.     In today’s podcast, Marni Love (former public school teacher, home educator, and Connected Families Certified Parent Coach) and Taylor Irby (Connected Families Certified Parent Coach) join Stacy Bellward (podcast host) to share their experiences about advocating for a sensitive child.  Taylor and Marni offer practical ideas to empower you so your child can receive the support they need in any environment.    In this podcast, you’ll discover: that a diagnosis can unlock the doors to help you understand and advocate for your neurodiverse child how to flip the script of negative complaints from teachers and other adults to positive feedback ways to support your child in making and keeping friends how you can be firm and kind with other adults in order to help your child thrive (and keep your sanity!) how to create an advocacy sheet about your child for teachers (downloadable link) where to get a medical diagnosis and how that impacts an IEP/504 plan at school steps that can help you and your spouse get on the same page how to gather a professional team and personal support for the journey with your child We hope that you have been encouraged by today’s podcast, and we look forward to getting to know you. Please check out our website, and don’t forget to reach out if you need help. It is a joy to be able to walk with you as you parent your kids in God’s grace and truth! Mentioned in this podcast: Last week’s podcast: How To Know If Your Child Needs a Diagnosis or Extra Support | Episode 122 Advocacy page by Taylor Irby Sensitive & Intense online course – Register now!  Connected Families Parent Coaching ABC’s of Affirmation Focus is Fertilizer Guest Bios:  Marni Love is a former public school teacher and has been a home educator for the past 13 years.  She is a Homeschool Mentor and Certified Connected Families Parent Coach.  Marni enjoys spending time with her husband, Eric, and their three sons in the beautiful mountains and beaches of Northern California.  You can connect with her through her website: marnilove.com Taylor Irby is a mother to 5 kids, and she understands the struggles parents face. Every day she faces ADHD, autism, anxiety, developmental delays, and adoption trauma. She, too, has sat in the midst of challenges and searched the world for answers. Taylor read book after book and got excited over methods that were short-lived. That is when she hit the wall of desperation and sought parent coaching through Connected Families. Taylor ultimately became a coach through their training program to help others like her. She has seen transformation in her home through working with a framework that not only has changed her children’s behavior but their hearts as well. You are not alone on this parenting journey. There is hope, and you can enjoy your children, build that relationship you have wanted and see behavior change. You can learn more about Taylor at taylorirbycoaching.com, and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/taylor.irby.5 and Instagram @taylorirbycoaching Does your child need help calming down? Would a free course presenting you 7 sensory strategies to calm your child be useful? If yes, take our FREE online course 7 Practical Calming Strategies for Kids. TELL ME MORE Related PostsHow To Know If Your Child Needs a Diagnosis or Extra Support | Ep. 122Is Your Child Exhausted and Cranky After School?Morning Sensory Dysregulation

Have you ever wondered, “What’s going on with my child? Is this ‘normal’ behavior, or is there something more going on?”  If you’ve asked these questions, you may be wondering if it’s worth seeking a diagnosis for your struggling child.  All children go through more challenging developmental seasons, but some children are wired differently altogether, also known as neurodiverse. These kids often benefit from the understanding and support of professionals.   In today’s episode, Stacy Bellward (podcast host) and Lynne Jackson (Connected Families Co-Founder) are joined by Mandy Cuda, MD. Listen in on a profound conversation to help parents navigate the choice to seek a diagnosis or support for a child who is struggling.   Through this conversation, you’ll learn: to reflect on your motivations for seeking a diagnosis how to know when to seek help and what to do if/when it is time how you can include your child in the process of seeking support and normalizing differences the power of your curiosity and observations over time to guide you that you know your child best that your child may have incredible potential masked in the struggle the importance of prioritizing sleep, activity, and nutrition to help find your child’s baseline current information about genetic and environmental impacts on neurodiversity about the complexity of overlapping diagnoses in neurodivergent people We hope that you have been encouraged by today’s podcast, and we look forward to getting to know you. Please check out our website, and don’t forget to reach out if you need help. It is a joy to be able to walk with you as you parent your kids in God’s grace and truth! Mentioned in this podcast: Submit your own Welcome for the CF podcast Psalm 139 Isaiah 40:25-31 Connected Families Certified Parent Coach Program Share the Connected Families Podcast with a friend 7 Calming Strategies free online course Guest Bio:  Dr. Amanda “Mandy” Cuda is a family physician and Connected Families Parent Coach-in-training. She lives in Washington with her husband, a military pediatric urologist, and four amazing kids. Her connection with Connected Families began more than 20 years ago when, as a new Wheaton college grad, she worked with Jim and Chad in Minnesota. She went on to earn her MD from the Uniformed Services University and an MPH from the University of Washington. She served in the military for most of her healthcare career but has also served in community primary care and virtual care delivery. Does your child need help calming down? Would a free course presenting you 7 sensory strategies to calm your child be useful? If yes, take our FREE online course 7 Practical Calming Strategies for Kids. TELL ME MORE Related Posts3 Unexpected Parenting Strategies to Help Your Highly Sensitive Child ThriveMorning Sensory DysregulationMy Child Freaks Out Easily | Ep. 106

If you’re reading this, you probably hope to bring more connection, grace, and unconditional love into your parenting this year. And maybe you’re wondering how you can get your whole family on the same page. The Connected Families Framework can help you become the parent you want to be, and teaching the principles to your kids might be simpler than you expect.     On today’s podcast, Jim and Lynne Jackson (co-founders of Connected Families) join Stacy Bellward (podcast host) to discuss ways parents can model and teach each principle of the Framework: Foundation, Connect, Coach, Correct. This podcast includes a downloadable, 5-session mini curriculum developed by Jim and Lynne to help teach the Framework to children in interactive and hands-on ways.   Get your FREE Family Activity Guide This 5-session activity guide will help you introduce your kids to the Connected Families Framework in a fun and inviting way! In this podcast, you’ll discover: practical ways to model each area of the Framework for your children how talking out loud about the whys of your parenting can serve as a powerful teacher to your children (and a source of accountability for you!)  ideas for strengthening the connection between your children and supporting their reconnection after conflict ways you can engage with scripture as a family and help your children learn to listen for what God may be teaching them how you can guide your family to value reconciliation in all relationships We hope that you have been encouraged by today’s podcast, and we look forward to getting to know you. Please check out our website, and don’t forget to reach out if you need help. It is a joy to be able to walk with you as you parent your kids in God’s grace and truth! Mentioned in this podcast: Teaching Kids the Framework PDF – 5-session mini curriculum  Connected Families Framework Podcast Episode 113: How to Pray With Your Child Ephesians 2:10 NIV and ESV CF Certified Parent Coaching Program Sensitive & Intense Kids online course (coming soon!) Affiliate Program Learn more about the Framework Want to dig deeper into Connected Families’ Parenting Framework? Get our FREE ebook, What Kids Need: 4 Messages That Build Identity. Related PostsConsequences vs Punishment: What’s the Difference?Introduce Your Kids to the Connected Families FrameworkUnconditional Love: 15 Reasons to Show Love-No-Matter-What to Your Kids

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash The Connected Families Podcast continues to encourage and equip parents all over the world. Did you know we recently exceeded 1 million listens? THANK YOU! As we head into another year of podcasting, we thought it would be fun to share our most listened-to podcast of 2022. If you have already enjoyed our top podcast, we are including links to the next four most popular podcasts of 2022. It’s time to pop in your headphones, grab a few baskets of laundry to fold or take the dog for a long walk. What podcast most encouraged you in 2022? Let us know! We’d love to hear from you! Our Top Podcast of 2022 Ep. 101: Does Attachment Style Matter? Your relationship with your child might feel “off,” but you’re not sure why. Could it be that the way you were parented impacts the way you parent? Your attachment style affects all your most important relationships – from spouse to children to close friends. So, what is “attachment style” anyway? And does attachment style really matter? On this episode, we welcome guests Milan and Kay Yerkovich, the authors of How We Love. Together we discuss how we bring the attachment style from our parents to our own relationships, especially to our kids.  Four more amazing podcasts from 2022 Ep. 100: Ending the Shame Cycle Are you hard on yourself as a parent? As a person? It’s so easy to get caught up in what feels like failure to us. We want so much to be good parents! Though it’s unintentional, we can project our own feelings of shame onto our kids. Then we feel even worse. Shame can be so destructive to us and to our relationships. What does ending the shame cycle look like? If you have ever felt stuck in this kind of a cycle, please listen to this podcast. In this milestone podcast (our 100th episode!) we talk about a prevalent and powerful concept that has resounded with our Connected Families community for nearly 20 years: Moving forward from shame to the freedom of living in God’s grace and truth. Ep. 102: How To Be a More Playful Parent Sometimes parenting can feel like one big list of things you have to get done. It can be so hard to switch gears from the many demands of being a parent to having a joyful and playful time with your children! Yet research shows that playfulness brings connection and communicates in a language that helps kids learn! This podcast, with guest Joy Wendling, has great ideas to help you: calm your child’s brain and yours, provide opportunities to teach skills, enable problem-solving capability, reach kids who are struggling, and communicate to your child, “I enjoy you!” Ep. 103: Should Dads Demand Respect? When our “respect buttons” get pushed, it’s tempting to grasp for control and command obedience. But in doing so, we might find ourselves sacrificing connection and true, heartfelt respect with our kids. You want to build connection and respect. So what can you do? How can you respond? This podcast is a heartfelt conversation about respect. When we engage with our kids in humility and curiosity instead of control, we model what respect looks like and safely earn their respect and trust. Treating our children with respect helps us diffuse a tense situation and paves the way for connection, conversation, and understanding. Ep 111: Coaching Kids to “Make It Right” Do you sometimes struggle to think of an appropriate consequence for your child’s misbehavior?  Or dole out punishment only to have your child refuse to accept the punishment? Sigh.  Offering consistent and effective discipline can feel like an ongoing and overwhelming challenge. Listen in as the conversation on this podcast explores the messages we send through discipline and how to coach children to be responsible for their actions. Share your contact info and we’ll send an email each week we release a new podcast.

Photo by Phillip Goldsberry on Unsplash Grandparents, we have something specifically for you today!  (If you’re a parent, listen and then consider sharing this episode with a grandparent in your life.) You long to build more connection into your relationships with your grandchildren or to be more supportive of your adult children as they learn to parent.  The Connected Families Framework can help you build connection and be the supportive grandparent you long to be.    In today’s episode, two Connected Families Certified Parent Coaches, Cindy Stonestreet (Grandmother and CRNA) and Dijea Young (Grandmother and homeschool mentor), join Stacy Bellward (podcast host) for an encouraging conversation. Cindy and Dijea share their hearts about the powerful impact the Connected Families Framework has had in their daily interactions with their grandchildren.   In this podcast, you’ll discover: it’s never too late to change your approach to discipline practical ways to infuse the interactions with both your adult children and grandchildren with safety, connection, and unconditional love   how you can respond to your grandchild’s meltdown or defiance with a fresh approach examples of how you can support and respect your adult children in their parenting  We hope that you have been encouraged by today’s podcast, and we look forward to getting to know you. Please check out our website, and don’t forget to reach out if you need help. It is a joy to be able to walk with you as you parent your kids in God’s grace and truth! Mentioned in this podcast: Connected Families Framework  Connected Families Parent Coaching Connected Families Certified Parent Coach Program Request a meeting with Connected Families Executive Director, Anna Braasch Give a year-end gift to Connected Families Guest Bios:  Cindy Stonestreet is a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach and grandmother of five lively grandchildren.  She has worked as a registered nurse for 39 years: 18 years in the NICU and 15 years as a CRNA at Women and Children’s Hospital.  She seeks to guide parents and grandparents to develop skills and wisdom in their children and grandchildren. Dijea Young has served children and families most of her adult life as a credentialed teacher, homeschool accrediting consultant, and now as a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach.  For 29 years, she home-educated her own 8 children and now enjoys her ever-growing number of grandchildren…Number 10 is expected any day! Spread the “aha” moments of grace Connected Families relies on your generosity so more families can experience “aha” moments of grace. DONATE & MAKE CHANGE TODAY!

Are you looking forward to celebrating Christmas with family but dreading unsolicited advice from well-meaning relatives?  You are not alone.  Changes in your daily routines, travel, lack of sleep, and large gatherings set the stage for parenting challenges.  Sometimes these difficult situations may be scrutinized by other adults in your family. This may lead to comments or questions that don’t feel supportive.  Navigating family gatherings can be tricky! On today’s podcast, Chad Hayenga (Director of Education & Equipping) and Jenna Williams (Connected Families Certified Parent Coach) join Stacy Bellward (podcast host) for a conversation about navigating the holidays with relatives.  Specifically, how you can respond when grandparents or other family members criticize you (or your children).  Role-playing possible scenarios, Jenna and Chad bring humor and practical wisdom to you just in time for holiday gatherings. In this podcast, you’ll discover: proactive strategies to intentionally prepare your family for upcoming gatherings, including evaluating your own expectations, having conversations with your children, and even having conversations with grandparents about their expectations roleplays to help you navigate criticism, unhelpful comments, or harsh discipline by grandparents or other relatives that you can model humility and the value of connection to your parents and kids during holiday gatherings and difficult situations We hope that you have been encouraged by today’s podcast, and we look forward to getting to know you. Please check out our website, and don’t forget to reach out if you need help. It is a joy to walk with you as you parent your kids in God’s grace and truth! Mentioned in this podcast: Connected Families Parent Coaching Connected Families Certified Parent Coach Program Connected Families Framework Unsolicited Advice? 4 Ways to Respond (Connected Families PDF) Guest Bio: Jenna Williams and her husband, Sam, have been married for ten years. They live in Colorado Springs, CO, and have three amazing children ages 3-7.  Jenna is a registered nurse by trade and works in a postpartum unit.  She is also a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach and loves caring for and supporting families! Connected Families has been a true blessing for her and her family, and she is excited to share that blessing with others.  You can find her on Instagram: jennawilliams0411. Spread the “aha” moments of grace Connected Families relies on your generosity so more families can experience “aha” moments of grace. DONATE & MAKE CHANGE TODAY! Related PostsHealthy Conflict Resolution in Adult RelationshipsHow to Handle Unsolicited Parenting Advice from Family (4 Grace-Filled Tips)How to Stop Attention-Seeking Behavior Before It Starts

Today’s podcast is part two of a series on how the gospel informs the Connected Families Framework.  Part one explored the gospel in the first three layers of the Framework. Today’s conversation will unpack how the gospel is woven into the final level of the Framework: Correct: “You are RESPONSIBLE for your actions.”  Stacy Bellward (podcast host) is joined by Connected Families Co-Founders Jim and Lynne Jackson for a conversation that is rich with scripture and reflection. Together, they dig into the true goal of discipline as you seek to correct your children when they misbehave. In this podcast you’ll discover: how your approach to correction can have a powerful impact in-the-moment, and a lasting impact on your child’s openness to the Holy Spirit and discipleship to Christ ideas for modeling restoration and reconciliation in your home how the fruit of the Spirit can guide you to gently restore your child ways you can set the example of humility for your family that correction is ultimately about you becoming more like Jesus in a way that attracts your child to a life with Jesus We hope that you have been encouraged by today’s podcast, and we look forward to getting to know you. Please check out our website, and don’t forget to reach out if you need help. It is a joy to walk with you as you parent your kids in God’s grace and truth! The Gospel in Our Parenting, Part 1 | Ep. 107 Check out the first part of this podcast where we dig into how The Gospel informs the first three levels of the Framework. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN Mentioned in this podcast: The Gospel In Our Parenting, Part 1 – Episode 107 Sensitive & Intense Kids online course (Coming Soon!) Donate to Connected Families Request a meeting with CF Executive Director Romans 6:23 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 Galatians 6:1 Galatians 5:22-23 (Fruit of the Spirit) Hebrews 12:11 Matthew 5:23-24 Matthew 18 Acts 3:19 2 Corinthians 7:1 Learn more about the Framework Want to dig deeper into Connected Families’ Parenting Framework? Get our FREE ebook, What Kids Need: 4 Messages That Build Identity. Related PostsLegalism vs Grace: How to Let Go of Perfectionism & Grab Hold of GraceMy Child Doesn’t Care About ConsequencesThe Gospel in Our Parenting, Part 1 | Ep. 107

As 2022 winds down and we head into the holiday season, we have so much to be grateful for.   You’ve probably heard about the benefits of practicing gratitude, but do you know what goes on inside of your body when you experience gratitude?  The brain science and physiological impacts are fascinating.  So what exactly IS the impact of gratitude on the brain? In today’s episode, Dr. Troy Spurrill, DC (Founder & CEO, Synapse Center for Health & Healing) joins Stacy Bellward (podcast host) to discuss the positive impact that practicing gratitude can have on families. Dr. Troy draws on his experiences as a scientist, father, and follower of Jesus to explain how gratitude impacts your heart and health.    In this podcast you’ll discover: how giving and receiving gratitude build your brain the chemical difference between intentional gratitude and quick, robotic expressions the powerful connection between receiving God’s grace and gratitude aspects of daily life that block our ability to express and receive gratitude practical solutions to support kids (or adults) experiencing anxiety or despair  We hope that you have been encouraged by today’s podcast, and we look forward to getting to know you. Please check out our website, and don’t forget to reach out if you need help. It is a joy to be able to walk with you as you parent your kids in God’s grace and truth! Mentioned in this podcast: Connected Families 20th Anniversary Celebration Video Sensitive & Intense Kids: Navigating Challenges with Purpose & Hope (coming soon!) Synapse Center for Health & Healing 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  Join the Connected Families Donor Team  Guest Bio:  Dr. Troy Spurrill is the founder and CEO of Synapse Center for Health and Healing. He started Synapse over 26 years ago with a vision to bring an integrative approach to healthcare through functional medicine, making Synapse an internationally known center for true health. He received a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology from the University of Manitoba, and a Doctorate of Chiropractic from Northwestern Health Sciences University. He has extensive training in Functional Neurology, Nutrition, and Applied Kinesiology. Dr. Troy is an author and international lecturer on wellness and brain-based healing. Dr. Troy and his wife Christine have 10 children together. When he’s not at the clinic, Dr. Troy enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, and attending sporting events. Spread the “aha” moments of grace Connected Families relies on your generosity so more families can experience “aha” moments of grace. DONATE & MAKE CHANGE TODAY! Related PostsGive Your Family a THANKS-filled ThanksgivingQuestions to Put the THANKS Back in ThanksgivingThanksgiving GreetingsThe 3 Most Important (and Most Overlooked) Reasons to Be Thankful to God

Before you had children you may have held idealistic visions of what family life and parenting would be like someday.  For some parents, as their hopes and expectations meet the realities of daily life, they begin to feel disillusioned. Insecurities and anxiety around parenting may surface, and they may ask, “Am I enough? Am I the right parent for this child?” In today’s podcast, Stacy Bellward (podcast host) is joined by Taylor Irby (Connected Families Certified Parent Coach) for a conversation exploring how to move past our own expectations and into the security God has for us as parents.  Both Stacy and Taylor have children through birth as well as adoption.  In this podcast you’ll discover: messages you can use to challenge insecurities you experience in parenting ways control can show up in your behavior toward yourself and your children steps to help you move from anxiety and control to Truth in the moment what happens in our minds, hearts, and behavior when we trust that God is taking care of us We hope that you have been encouraged by today’s podcast, and we look forward to getting to know you. Please check out our website, and don’t forget to reach out if you need help. It is a joy to walk with you as you parent your kids in God’s grace and truth! Mentioned in this podcast: Episode 98 – Can you parent well when you’re anxious – Guest Taylor Irby  Connected Families Certified Parent Coach Connected Families Framework Sensitive & Intense Kids online course (Coming soon!) Slow, low, and listen  Romans 5:8 Guest Bio:  Taylor Irby is a mother to 5 kids, and she understands the struggles parents face. Every day she faces ADHD, autism, anxiety, developmental delays, and adoption trauma. She too has sat in the trenches and searched the world for answers. Taylor read book after book and got excited over methods that were short-lived. That is when she hit the wall of desperation and sought parent coaching through Connected Families. Taylor ultimately became a coach through their training program to help others like her. She has seen transformation in her home through working with a framework that not only has changed her children’s behavior but their hearts as well. You are not alone on this parenting journey. There is hope and you can enjoy your children, build that relationship you have wanted and see behavior change. You can learn more about Taylor at taylorirbycoaching.com, and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/taylor.irby.5 and Instagram @taylorirbycoaching