Parenting with Spirit

When you're a kid, dads seem full of wisdom and advice. As you grow up, you come to understand the advice in new ways and with new meanings. To celebrate father's day, Whitney and Dave dive into the great advice they've gotten and give some great advice for dads out there everywhere!

No parent wants to raise an unkind person. So, what can you do to prevent your child from growing up to be a bully. Dave and Whitney unpack building healthy boundaries, teaching kindness, and avoiding raising bullies. Most of all, we talk about what to do if your child is the victim of a bully. 

Kids explore the world through play. In this episode, Whitney and Dave dig into specific games you can play with your toddler that modify behavior, build trust, establish rules, and learn social skills. 

April is National Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention. Parents share an incredibly important role, not just in the lives of their own children, but in strengthening the safety net for other kids and families. The only way to prevent child abuse is to talk about it so that we all recognize the signs and know what to do when a kid is in trouble. It is also essential that parents build good self-care for themselves so that they are better able to deal with the stress of raising kids without resulting to physical or emotional abuse under the guise of "punishment and discipline." Join us for a special episode of Parenting wiht Spirit

Once upon a time, parents weren't concerned about nampy-pampy things like self-esteem and building your child up. Whitney and Dave break down how and why smart parents are intentional about building their kids' self-esteem so that they grow up to knowing what they are worth. Check it out if you want to learn: What is self-esteem and why does it matter? How does your (parents') self-esteem influence their kids? What can you do to build your child's self-esteem as they grow up? Join us! 

As your kids grow up, they will begin to ask their own questions about faith and, sometimes, may lose their faith. Pastor Dave walks us through what parents can do when their children lose faith.

The hardest thing a parent has to do sometimes is to hurt to heal. I'm not talking about spanking your kids. What do you do when a medical procedure results in pain, fear, and shock. Whitney and Dave unpack the importance of letting your child have some autonomy over their bodies and why it's important to give your little's some power - especially after they've had it taken away. Let's use a bad medical visit to learn more about when it's necessary to force your child to do something that hurts or scares them and when it's important to let them have some say in what happens next. 

It happens, right? You buy your kid a nice thing and say, "Now don't take it to school, because it might get stolen." Then, what do they do? They take it to school! Yikes! Let's unpack what happened when Whitney's daughter's AirPods were stolen just a few weeks after Christmas and all the things we learned. The stuff doesn't matter as much as she doesThere's a time for "I told you so" (and this is not it)Using a negative experience as an opportunity for emotional growth and maturity (and maybe some compassion)

The thing is that parents are, in fact, human. We are full of our own weird baggage and our own fears. Like all people, most parents have some form of "sacred cow." Whether it is living in a certain school district, driving a certain car, or giving your kids those things that you never had and always wanted, it can be easy for parents to put too much emphasis on the "what" and never the "why." In this episode, Whitney and Dave break down sacred cows and how they impact your kids, your life, and your relationships. 

What does it mean to spoil a child? Do they go moldy and smelly? Whitney and Dave unpack "spoiled" behaviors and how parents can encourage or discourage behaviors and some practical guides to not spoiling your kids. 

Has this ever happened to you? You take the kids somewhere special or you make a big special holiday and you have high expecations. Your goal: the best time ever! We are all going to be happy and everything is going to be okay as long as this [trip, holiday, vacation, experience, etc] is perfect.Then, of course, things don't go perfectly. Someone gets sick or bored or starts to bicker and before you know it you are the crazy parent screaming at their kids in the middle of Disney World because you spent thousands of dollars to come to the happiest place on Earth and everyone is still fighting! Dave talks to us about his family vacation to Disney Land and how they made it a magical family trip. We talk about what we learned and how we can make the holidays a truly special, magical time for your whole family. 

Whitney and Dave reframe what it means to control your kids and how you can manage your kids in healthy ways that allow them to grow while giving them the support they need to go up confident, strong, and healthy. 

It is easy to get busy and forget how much your kids need your approval and support. Whitney and Dave talk about their go-to phrases that your kids need to hear you say that will help them develop resilience, build their self-esteem, and strengthen your relationship. 

Every parent has heard someone say, "Oh, they're cute now, but wait until they are teenagers." In this episode Pastor Dave and Whitney talk about how raising teenagers starts with compassion and empathy when they are little. We discuss how brain development during the teenage years can make it hard for your teen to keep up with your expectations. Finally, we talk about how we can't raise our kids the way we were raised because the world in which we were raised no longer exists. 

Resilience is your child's shield against adversity and trauma. In this episode, Whitney and Dave talk about resilience - what is it and how can you help develop resilience in your kids! 

Dave and Whitney talk about the tips and tricks they figured out along the way to keep peace in the house with little ones. In this episode you'll learn: How to say "no" without getting a hissy fitHow to keep the lines of communication openHow to teach your kids to have good manners and good behavior without threatsHow to build good self-esteem and confidence! Check it out! 

Failure is inevitable. No one ever gets it right all the time. We all lose patience. We all lash out. That's okay! This episode, Whitney and Dave talk about their #parentingfails, what they learned and how they turned it into the best moments. 

Obstacles and failure are two of the greatest teachers for your kids if you are willing to help walk them through it. In this episode, Whitney and Dave walk you through 4 steps of helping your kids deal with obstacles in life that will create a "muscle memory" for resilience as they grow up. Own the emotionsWhat is the cause?What are your options?How can I help you? These steps will help your kids deal with challenges and anxiety as they grow up. Plus, you empower them to solve their own problems! 

Dealing with death is one of the hardest things for kids to understand. All too often, parents sweep the hard conversations under the rug leaving their kids "holding the bag" of emotions and grief without the support they need. Here is a practical approach to helping your kids deal with death, loss, suicide, and grief. http://www.myparentingwithspirit.com

Give yourself a breath. Here are some practical tools you can use that will help you be more successful as a parent. 

Everything we do, we must do with intention. Here are things that will help you parent intentionally to be more successful. 

Whitney Springston is a full-time mother of three with a full-time career working in a nonprofit. We talk about the challenges of balancing taking care of yourself as a mom and dealing with the negativity of your choices - no matter what you choose. Whitney became a mom at 20. Being so young, she balanced getting her degree while taking care of 2 babies under 3. Now, 10 years later, she explores the pressure women experience when it comes to deciding how, if, and when they want to raise their kids and some strategies for taking good care of yourself. 

Pastor Dave talks about fatherhood in 2020 and the importance of "showing up" emotionally for your kids and challenging traditional gender roles. The Good-Bad Dad is the guy who diverts the big decisions to mom or who is willing to provide financially but doesn't know how to show up emotionally. Pastor Dave talks to dads about how to change the conversation with their kids and deepen the relationship. 

No parent intends to abuse their children. Yet, without an intentional plan about how you are going to deal with discipline in your home, it can be a slippery slope between punishing your kids and causing serious long-term damage. In this episode, we will unpack how many well-meaning parents use old-school methods for keeping their kids in line and give you strategies to do it better. If you need help or suspect abuse, make sure to report it at the National Child Abuse Hotline at https://www.childhelp.org/hotline/. 

Whitney and Pastor Dave talk about how the pursuit of perfection holds parents back and creates toxicity in the relationship between parents and kids.