The Parenting Podcast

We won't be beside our children for every moment that shapes their day. But our influence doesn't end where our reach does. What stays with them when they move beyond us?IN THE CONVERSATION• The difference between giving our children a strong sense of who they are and burdening them with who we expect them to be.• How easily our own expectations can become weight our children carry—academically, socially, spiritually, or simply in trying to make us proud.• Giving our children permission to fail, learn, apologize, and begin again.• Learning what communicates love and significance to each individual child rather than assuming they all receive it the same way.• Why margin matters: sometimes what our children need from us before the day begins is less doing and more of our calm, available presence.• The unexpected gift of our own mistakes—and what children learn when they see humility, apology, forgiveness, and repair lived out in front of them.

Our children have whole parts of their lives we'll never witness. We can't follow them into those moments—but we can become the place they want to return with them.In the ConversationThe “invisible backpack” our children carry home from school, activities, friendships, and everyday lifeWhy connection—not simply information—changes the conversations we have with our childrenGood questions that help children open up without making them feel interrogatedWhy availability and timing matter, especially as children move into the teen yearsHow listening can get lost when we move too quickly into teaching, correcting, or fixingRecognizing the unexpected windows when children are ready to talk—and making room for themQuotes“The goal isn't information. What we need is connection.”“They really just want me to know them.”“You've lived a whole life that very easily no adult in your life could know about if you didn't share it.”“Sometimes the best gift we can give them is just listening.”“We can't make those moments happen. We can make room for them.”“Sometimes the most important thing we can give our children is the feeling that whatever they're carrying, they don't have to carry it alone.”

Public school, private school, homeschool—we can put a lot of weight on getting that choice right. But what if some of the things shaping our kids most have very little to do with where they go to school? As a new school year begins, we're bringing back a conversation that might help us look at what matters a little differently.IN THE CONVERSATION• The difference between parenting principles and the methods we choose to live them out• When our children's education and performance become tangled up with our own identity• What children notice about the way we respond to families who make different educational choices• Building connection in the small spaces of ordinary family life• Releasing children toward independence while remaining a safe place to come back to• Making room for grace, apologies, resets, and do-oversFROM THE CONVERSATION“I caught so much of my identity based on my choice of how I was educating my kids.”RELATED EPISODESThis conversation originally followed our three-part series with parents from different educational paths:Episode 134 — Parenting on the Public School Path: An Insider's LookEpisode 135 — Parenting on the Private School Path: An Insider's LookEpisode 136 — Parenting on the Homeschooling Path: An Insider's LookQuestions or thoughts? Email: contact@theparentingpodcast.com

Most of us spend more time getting ready for school than getting ready for the season we're about to live together. Sometimes one small, intentional change in an ordinary evening can quietly change the culture of a family.

Most parenting decisions don't feel life-changing. They feel ordinary. But what if some of the smallest choices we make every day are quietly shaping who our children are becoming? Sometimes the difference isn't finding the right answer—it's asking a better question.

Why has the idea of a “‘90s summer” struck such a chord with parents? Maybe we're not trying to bring back another decade. Maybe we're trying to hold onto something we don't want our children to miss.

Sometimes our first response as parents isn't wrong—it just comes too soon. We often speak or act before our children feel fully heard. What changes when our children no longer feel the need to edit themselves before they come to us?

Other people's opinions will always be there. The harder question is how much influence they'll have on your parenting. This conversation unpacks why those voices can feel so powerful and what helps us stand with greater confidence and clarity.

Most parents know the feeling. A look across the room. A raised eyebrow. A comment that li gers longer than it should. This conversation explores the pressure of parenting under the weight of other people's opinions.

The desire to get parenting right can be a gift. It can also become a weight we were never meant to carry. Somewhere along the way, caring deeply can begin to feel a lot like carrying everything.

We all want to grow as parents. The question is whether we're being shaped by wisdom—or by the pressure to become someone we think we're supposed to be.

You spend years pouring your values into your children. Then one day they begin sorting through them for themselves. How do you hold onto what matters without letting go of each other?

Somewhere between good intentions and real life, a lot of parents end up feeling behind in this part of family life. This conversation pulls health back out of pressure and perfection and into something steadier, more realistic, and actually livable for everyday families.

Health and fitness can easily become tangled up with pressure, appearance, and performance — for parents and kids alike. This conversation pulls it back to something steadier: intentionality, sustainability, and the quiet ways families learn how to see themselves.Resources Mentioned: Mullins Performance and Fitness. And Crawford Personal Training 

Family life is full of moments that don't go the way we hoped they would — and so much of love is built in what happens next. This conversation starts with young moms raising little kids, but it reaches into something every parent recognizes: the long, imperfect, deeply human work of finding our way back to each other again.

Why can the smallest parenting decisions start feeling so big in the little-kid years? This honest conversation gets into the real-life pressure, questions, and tensions parents quietly carry every day.

Knowing what's healthy is one thing—living it out is another. This conversation makes that shift feel doable.

Everyone has an opinion about food—but what do you actually do with all of it? This conversation starts to bring it back to something simpler, steadier, and real.

Send us Fan MailThe things your kids care about may not make sense to you—but how you respond matters. This episode looks at how stepping into their world builds lasting connection.

Send us Fan MailThe world is talking to your kids—are you in that conversation too? We're starting something new to help you stay close right in the middle of it.

Send us Fan MailIt's easy to think traditions are about holidays or special moments, but they're often doing something deeper. This conversation looks at how the things we repeat as a family begin to form identity, connection, and that quiet sense of “us” over time.

Send us Fan MailI can walk into a moment with my kids already holding a picture of how it's supposed to go—and without even realizing it, I start pressing that onto them… and it quietly distorts what's actually happening between us.

Send us Fan MailWhen a moment doesn't go the way you pictured, it can quietly pull you away from the people right in front of you. This conversation names that shift—and what it looks like to come back to what actually matters.

Send a textSometimes the tension with our kids isn't about love or effort—it's about being in the wrong lane. In this episode, we explore a simple way of thinking about relationships that might change how you show up with your child tonight.

Send a textParenting doesn't follow a simple rulebook. In this conversation, we explore how recognizing the “lane” we're in with our children can change the way we connect, guide, and love them through every stage of our relationship.

Send a text When there's no margin left, even the life you love can feel tight. This conversation sits with that tension — and reminds you to stay steady in it.

Send a textWorking motherhood isn't about splitting yourself evenly. It's about learning to live well inside the tension.

Send us a textWorking motherhood carries a real and heavy load that's often unspoken. This conversation sits with the tensions, choices, and grace required along the way.

Send us a textSometimes you're giving everything you have as a parent and still not seeing much come back yet. This episode names that stretch and why it's part of loving over the long haul.

Send us a text Parenting doesn't happen in resets—it happens in motion. A thoughtful conversation about time, growth, and living well inside the everyday.

Send us a textThe calendar changed, but life didn't reset. Four women talk honestly about growth, pressure, and parenting without the illusion of starting over.

Send us a textSome of the most influential parts of family life don't stand out while we're building them. This episode looks at how traditions quietly hold families together—and why meaning matters more than appearance when deciding what we pass on.

Send us a textThe flood of parenting input hasn't slowed down—so how do you keep your footing? This episode explores how to sift through the noise, to name what matters, and to let steady voices speak louder than trends.

Send us a textIt's not that the parenting advice is wrong—it's the overload. Today we talk about what gets overlooked when everything demands attention and why the people who know us still shape us in ways information can't.

Send us a textChristie returns to explore what changes when your kids grow up—the awkward shifts, the grief you don't expect, and the quiet work of staying connected without managing their lives. A candid look at how the relationship evolves and how love grows with it.

Send us a textWhat happens when all your good intentions meet real life? Christie opens up about raising four daughters and learning that parenting isn't about perfect plans—it's about seeing the child in front of you.

Send us a textWe start out believing there's one right way to parent—that if we just do it well enough, our kids will turn out fine. But parenting keeps proving there isn't a formula. Instead, it's messy, humbling, and full of grace—for our kids and for ourselves.

Send us a textIn the age of streaming and earbuds, music is shaping our kids in ways we don't always see. A mom and music teacher joins us to talk about helping kids choose well, listen wisely, and stay connected through the noise.Resources mentioned: Soltani music.com

Send us a textMusic does more than fill the background—it shapes who our kids are becoming. In this episode, a mom and longtime music teacher shares what years of teaching have revealed about perseverance, confidence, and connection—and why the lessons behind the music might matter more than the notes themselves.Resources mentioned: Soltani music.com

Send us a textWhen love feels like a battle and boundaries feel impossible, you're not alone. Cheryl, Christie, and Kyla talk about the courage it takes to hold steady, stay kind, and keep your heart soft when the pushback comes. Because real love doesn't give up—it grows stronger in the tension.

Send us a textWe're going under the surface—past the “what” into the “why.” This conversation invites you to notice the motive behind your limits and help your kids act from love, truth, and real ownership instead of fear or guilt. Gentle, practical, and honest—something you can try at home tonight.

Send us a textWe're talking about the kind of boundaries that make home more connected: clear lines, calm voices, and letting outcomes do the teaching. From toddlers to teens—and for us as parents, too—if you've felt stuck between rescuing and resentment, this conversation offers a gentler way forward without losing closeness

Send us a textBoundaries aren't about control—they're about care. In this episode of The Parenting Podcast, Cheryl and Christie share their real-life struggles and growth with boundaries, exploring what it looks like to practice them with kids of all ages. From toddlers learning to treat toys with value, to teens learning responsibility and respect, boundaries help families show value, protect relationships, and cultivate freedom.

Send us a textWe're kicking off a new series on Boundaries with Kids. In this opening episode, Cheryl and Christie explore what boundaries really are, why they bring freedom instead of restriction, and how “This is me, this is not me” can transform family life.

Send us a textSummary You love your kids—but you're running on fumes. In this episode, we explore the quiet, cumulative exhaustion that parents often carry—and what to do when trying harder isn't helping.

Send us a textWhat does forgiveness really look like in family life? This episode explores the everyday moments—from toddler squabbles to teenage standoffs—where repair matters more than being right. If you've ever wondered how to teach it, model it, or live it out yourself, this one's for you.

Send us a textThe urge to rescue is strong—but the real growth comes when our kids carry the weight of their own choices. In this episode, we get real about what that looks like in everyday parenting—the tension, the mess, and the surprising freedom it brings.

Send us a textWhat if the real goal of parenting isn't raising children, but launching adults? On this episode, we explore the mindset shift of giving freedom and responsibility along the way—so your kids step into adulthood more prepared, connected, and confident.

Send us a textThe best reading lessons don't always come from a book. Sometimes they happen in the car, around the dinner table, or when you're laughing over a silly rhyme. In this episode, we'll explore how everyday moments can spark curiosity, confidence, and a love for reading that lasts a lifetime.Learn more about Leslie Whittington's tutoring work and resources at The Space to Learn: https://sites.google.com/view/thespacetolearn/home  

Send us a textReading isn't just about phonics and fluency—it's about imagination, identity, and how our kids connect with the world. In this episode, we talk with a seasoned educator about how reading shapes more than academics and why understanding your child's unique journey as a learner matters more than ever.

Send us a textNo matter where your kids go to school, the heart of parenting is the same. In this final episode of our series, we reflect on what unites us as parents—why it's time to link arms, not draw lines—and how our shared love, values, and intentionality matter more than the location.