Crazy Cool Family

Don and Suzanne Manning
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  • Kids & Family

Want home to be your favorite place in the world? Want to see siblings get along like best friends? Want to send your kid off to college with hope instead of fear? At Crazy Cool Family, we can help you answer all of those questions with a resounding “YES!” We have one simple mission: To show parents how to create amazing families by building their lives around Jesus and helping their kids to do the same. In Matthew 22, Jesus tells us that what is most important in life is our relationship with God and our relationships with one another. We believe that families are our most important relationships and their strength will determine the strength of your family. You will Rethink the Way You Do Family when you see God’s incredible relational design for your families. God wants a Crazy Cool Family for you and we want to help you get there!

  1. 6d ago

    #348: Connection Along the Way

    What if the biggest moments of connection with your kids are happening in the smallest moments of your day?  In this episode of the Crazy Cool Family Podcast, Suzanne Manning and Macy Robinson talk about how to build meaningful connections with your kids in the middle of everyday life. From car rides and conversations in the kitchen to bedtime interruptions and helping with chores, these ordinary moments are powerful opportunities to help your children feel seen, known, loved, and secure in their identity.  Suzanne and Macy share four core truths about connection:  Little moments are __________.  __________ matters more than quantity.  Connection requires __________.  Interruptions are __________ to connect.  Listen to the full episode to discover all four truths and learn how to turn everyday moments into meaningful opportunities for connection, discipleship, and heart change.  You don't have to add more to your schedule or create elaborate experiences to build a strong relationship with your kids. You can start by being intentional with the moments already in front of you.  As you listen, you'll also get a practical challenge: identify five everyday connection points in your family's routine and discover simple ways to make those moments count.  Podcast Resources: Click here for everything Crazy Cool Family! Give us a review!

  2. Oct 14

    #347: Connection Over Performance

    School is a huge part of your child’s world—but it can also become a huge opportunity for connection. In Episode 347, Don and Suzanne talk about how parents can connect with their kids through school without becoming their homework police. Instead of focusing only on grades, assignments, and performance, learn how to get into your child’s world, use the in-between moments to connect, ask better questions, and pay attention to who your child is becoming.  Your child’s school experience is about so much more than a report card. It’s an opportunity to help them grow in wisdom, character, resilience, relationships, and faith—and for you to walk alongside them as they do.  Because you can pursue achievement without sacrificing connection. And when you have to choose, don’t sacrifice the connection. Podcast Resources: Click here for everything Crazy Cool Family! Give us a review!

  3. Sep 30

    #346: How to Turn Sick Days Into Connection Days

    Sick days are inevitable—but they can also become unexpected opportunities to connect with your kids. In this episode, Suzanne and McKenzie talk about how to slow down, nurture your child, and be intentional about connection when sickness hits your home. From meeting your child where they are physically and emotionally to helping them understand their bodies and inviting God into the process, you’ll discover how even the hardest sick days can become meaningful moments of connection. Because sometimes the moments our kids need us most are the moments that give us the greatest opportunity to love them well. Podcast Resources: Click here for everything Crazy Cool Family! Give us a review! Health Deep Dive - get your copy today!

  4. Sep 16

    Ep. 345: How to Connect with Your Kids Through Health

    What if your child’s health didn’t have to become another thing to nag them about—but instead became an opportunity to connect?  In this episode, Don and McKenzie talk about what it looks like to build healthy rhythms in your family through movement, food, sleep, and wellness. They share their own family experiences about the power of being an example instead of simply giving instructions, encouraging instead of nagging, and creating family values that help kids eventually take ownership of their health.   You’ll hear practical ideas for connecting with kids at every age, from celebrating what little kids’ bodies can do to inviting older kids into conversations about their own health goals. Most importantly, you’ll be encouraged to replace shame and control with curiosity, inspiration, connection, and a long-term goal of helping your kids move from parent control to self-control.  Podcast Resources: Click here for everything Crazy Cool Family! Give us a review! Health Deep Dive coming soon! Get ready:)

  5. Sep 2

    #344: Stop Parenting Past Your Kids—Start Connecting With Them

    Connection Is the Goal: How to Reconnect With Your Kids  What if connection—not perfect behavior, perfect routines, or perfect parenting—is the real goal?  In this episode, Suzanne and Macy kick off a new conversation about one of the things Crazy Cool Family cares about most: connection. They talk about why God designed us for connection, why our kids are wired to seek it from us, and how connection is the pathway through which we communicate love, security, identity, value, and hope.  They also get practical about what connection can look like in every season—from toddlers who want to crawl into your lap to teenagers who need you to enter their world, listen, laugh, and pursue them even when it isn't convenient.  You'll be encouraged to remember that quality matters more than quantity, consistency matters more than perfection, and it's never too late to rebuild a connection with your child. Whether your relationship feels strong or strained, there are simple ways to begin pursuing connection today.  Podcast Resources: Click here for everything Crazy Cool Family! Give us a review!

  6. Aug 19

    #243: The Phone in Your Hand Is Shaping Your Home

    How our technology habits shape our kids, our marriages, and the culture of our homes Our phones are incredible tools—but they make terrible masters. In this episode, Don and Suzanne Manning take an honest look at something almost every parent struggles with: our relationship with technology. This conversation isn't about creating guilt or giving you another list of rules for your kids. Instead, it's about raising the bar for ourselves as parents and asking an important question: Who—or what—is getting our attention? Our children are watching what we do, and our example is often more powerful than our instruction. When we continually reach for our phones while our kids are talking, we unintentionally communicate that whatever is happening on our screen is more important than they are. Don and Suzanne talk honestly about their own struggles with technology, practical guardrails they've tried, creating phone-free spaces and times, putting devices away during conversations and meals, and protecting connection in marriage. They also challenge parents to stop chasing perfection and instead find boundaries that actually work for their personality and family. Most importantly, this episode is an invitation to take back the ground technology may have taken in your home. Ask God what boundaries He wants you to put in place, then lead your family by example. Your kids don't need perfect parents. They need parents who are willing to join the fight—and choose connection over distraction. Podcast Resources: Click here for everything Crazy Cool Family! Give us a review!

  7. Aug 5

    #342: Transitions Build Culture

    Transitions happen all day long—getting out the door, moving from playtime to dinner, bedtime routines, or starting a new school year. While they may seem like small moments, they often become the biggest source of conflict in our homes.  In this episode, Don, Suzanne, and Madeline explore why transitions are so challenging for both parents and kids, and how these everyday moments can become opportunities to build connection instead of chaos. They share practical ways to reduce stress through simple structure, extra margin, and realistic expectations, while reminding parents that kids experience time differently than adults.  Most importantly, you'll discover how transitions can become powerful moments of discipleship. Rather than simply surviving the rush from one activity to the next, you can intentionally use these moments to encourage, celebrate, and strengthen your family's culture.  If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the daily rhythm of parenting, this episode is full of practical encouragement and simple changes that can make a big difference.  Podcast Resources: Click here for everything Crazy Cool Family! Give us a review!

  8. Jul 22

    #341: Are You Parenting Like a Referee or a Coach?

    When your kids are constantly arguing, it's easy to feel like your full-time job is breaking up fights, deciding who's right, and handing out consequences. Before long, parenting can start to feel less like leading a family and more like officiating a game.  But what if there was a better way?  In this episode, Don and Suzanne Manning introduce one of the most powerful mindset shifts for sibling relationships: move from being a referee to becoming a coach.  Referees react in the middle of the conflict. Coaches prepare their team before the conflict ever begins.  Instead of spending all your energy settling disputes, what if you invested that energy teaching your children how to honor one another, celebrate each other's victories, carry each other's burdens, and solve problems as teammates instead of opponents?  Drawing from over 30 years of parenting seven children, Don and Suzanne share practical coaching strategies that helped transform sibling rivalry into lifelong friendship. You'll learn how to create a culture of honor, praise the behaviors you want repeated, teach age-appropriate relationship skills, and intentionally build opportunities for your children to serve and invest in one another.  Most importantly, you'll discover that the conversations that shape your family rarely happen in the middle of a fight. They happen during bedtime, on car rides, over ice cream, and in the quiet moments when your children are ready to be coached.  The goal isn't simply to stop sibling fighting. It's to raise brothers and sisters who learn to cheer for each other, serve each other, and remain on the same team for life.  If you're tired of constantly playing referee, this episode will give you practical tools to become the coach your family needs.  Podcast Resources: Click here for everything Crazy Cool Family! Give us a review!

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About

Want home to be your favorite place in the world? Want to see siblings get along like best friends? Want to send your kid off to college with hope instead of fear? At Crazy Cool Family, we can help you answer all of those questions with a resounding “YES!” We have one simple mission: To show parents how to create amazing families by building their lives around Jesus and helping their kids to do the same. In Matthew 22, Jesus tells us that what is most important in life is our relationship with God and our relationships with one another. We believe that families are our most important relationships and their strength will determine the strength of your family. You will Rethink the Way You Do Family when you see God’s incredible relational design for your families. God wants a Crazy Cool Family for you and we want to help you get there!

Information

  • Creator
    Don and Suzanne Manning
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    348
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2022 Crazy Cool Family
  • Show Website
    Crazy Cool Family