Category Foundation
“Go Away, I Want MOMMY!”
It’s a challenge to know how to respond when kids pick a favorite caregiver, regardless of whether it’s mom, dad, a grandparent, or even a daycare provider. It’s no surprise that the most common scenario is a young child who…
What Changed My Mind About Dad
Dear Connected Families family, I write to you today with a heavy, but hopeful, heart. The reason? My dad passed away on October 14th, and his funeral was October 25th. His passing was expected, but came much faster than we…
Youth Sports: Is It All Worth It?
Like many parents, I have a strong interest in athletics. I competed in four sports in high school and continued with track and field in college. My three kids have all competed in a variety of sports and to my…
Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart | Ep. 15
In this podcast, Jim Jackson interviews Stacy Bellward, online course moderator, in a fun and heartfelt conversation. (Find out what even got Jim a little teary!) You’ll get the real scoop on the Discipline That Connects with Your Child’s Heart…
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“I aimed for perfection as a mom and it just slayed me.”
Each year, Connected Families offers our online course Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart and hundreds of parents enroll and take the course. Nichole, a mom with six kids, was one of those parents. Here are excerpts from Nichole’s…
“I dealt with big behavior by trying to control it and shut it down.”
Connected Families often hears from parents about how our framework has transformed their parenting. The foundation for our framework is, “You are SAFE with me.” The following story is from a mom who had experienced trauma alongside her daughter, and…
What Does It Mean to Be an Emotionally Safe Parent? | Ep. 11
Being an emotionally safe parent is not about being soft or lenient. It’s also not suppressing our anxiety and frustration and trying to look calm when we discipline our kids. If we engage with a heart attitude of “What is…
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I Feel Overwhelmed and Hopeless | Ep. 3
Parenting is hard. It takes everything we have…and then some. What happens when we get to the point of feeling totally overwhelmed and hopeless? On this Connected Families Podcast episode, we discuss these overwhelmed feelings, pull them apart, and ask…
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“I will love you simply because you are my son.”
One of the things we love most at Connected Families is when parents contact us to tell us how our resources have made a positive impact in their parenting journey. Check out this letter from a dad (Royston)* living in…
Parent or Friend? Can You Be Both to Your Child?
“Kids don’t need us to be their friends, they need us to be their parents!” The dad huffed, frustrated that I had suggested his teen daughter might be seeing her mom and dad more as enemies than allies. So what…