Connected Families Podcast Connected Families
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- Kids & Family
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Parent with confidence. Lead with grace.
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Holy Week Activities to Nurture Faith in Kids of All Ages
In this episode, Stacy Bellward (podcast host) and Katie Wetsell (Connected Families Certified Parent Coach) offer insights on how to engage children in the Easter story, emphasizing the Resurrection’s significance through traditions and conversation. They provide age-appropriate scripts for explaining Jesus’ sacrifice and suggest inclusive activities like the Resurrection Sunday Rock Hunt to make the concepts of sin and redemption tangible for kids. The key message is that Easter traditions, when intertwined with faith, can deepen everyone’s understanding and foster a sense of community and belonging.
Mentioned in this podcast:
* Resurrection Sunday Rock Hunt Guide – Free, downloadable PDF provides a step-by-step guide to a meaningful family activity that helps children understand the significance of Easter.
* John 14:1-3
* Romans 3:23
Previous episodes featuring Certified Connected Families Parent Coach, Katie Wetsell
* Ep 165 | Tame Your Temper: Calming Strategies for Parents
* Ep 99 | How Can I Identify Anxiety in My Child?
* Ep 124 | Empowering Your Differently Wired Child
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting.
Bridge the Gap! Donate to Connected Families by March 31st to make a meaningful impact for families in the coming year!
Guest Bio:
Katie Wetsell is the Connected Families 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 families 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, and you can find her on social media @parentwithhopecoach.
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Bonus: Supporting Grieving Families in Your Community
Join us for this special bonus episode where Stacy invites community members and ministry leaders to explore the delicate and important topic of supporting children and families in times of grief. Stacy is joined by Cindy Wilson, Connected Families Partnership Program Manager, and Stacey Rodenbeck, who shares her personal experience with grief. Together, they offer practical advice and compassionate insights to help ministry leaders (and everyone else) approach these difficult situations with confidence and care.
Mentioned in this podcast:
* Ep 169 | How to Navigate Grief in Children
* Partnership Program – Sign up for a Discovery Session to find out more!
* My Child’s Loved One Died; What Should I Do Now?
Was this episode helpful? Consider sharing it with a ministry leader in your life!
Bridge the Gap! Donate to Connected Families by March 31st to make a meaningful impact for families in the coming year!
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting.
Guest Bio:
Cindy Wilson, PhD., CFLE, is a Certified Connected Families Parent Coach and a Certified Family Life Educator with 20+ years in ministry and academia. She helps churches and other organizations integrate the Connected Families Framework into their communities. Cindy lives in Florida with her husband of 31 years. They have three adult children, one son-in-law, one grandson, and a farm full of animals. Cindy’s specialties include leading parenting workshops on the Connected Families Framework and other topics, training children’s ministry volunteers, helping churches integrate trauma-informed practices into their ministries, and organizing church-based foster care ministries. You can find out more at http://www.familylifesolutions.org.
Stacey Rodenbeck is the widowed mother of Susan (almost 5) and Chris (3.5). The Rodenbecks live in Central Arkansas, where Stacey is employed as an Associate Professor of Biology at Harding University. Since the death of her husband in 2020, Stacey has focused on developing a robust relationship with her children that positions the three of them to operate as a team. They enjoy cooking and baking together as a family, reading aloud, and hiking, and they have recently delved into playing board games together. (Candyland is the family favorite right now!) Stacey is thankful to God for the new mercies of each new morning as she seeks to guide her children and fully embrace the people God created them to be.
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Learn more about the Framework
Want to dig deeper into Connected Families’ Parenting Framework? Get our FREE ebook, 4 Messages Every Child Longs to Hear. -
How to Navigate Grief in Children
Children experience grief in all different forms. If you’re walking through grief with your kids, tune in to this grace-filled chat with our guest, Stacey Rodenbeck. Stacey, a widowed mother of two young children, shares her personal experience of grief and how she has used the Connected Families Framework to navigate parenting while grieving. The conversation covers the unique circumstances of parenting grieving children, the importance of safety and connection, and the role of coaching and accountability in parenting. Stacey’s story and insights provide valuable guidance for parents who are navigating grief while raising their children.
Mentioned in this podcast:
* Isaiah 43:1-3
* Blog post: My Child’s Loved One Died; What Do I Do Now?
* Transform Bedtime Struggles Into Nighttime Snuggles ebook
Was this conversation helpful to you? Share it with a friend, and rate and review the show on your favorite listening platform!
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting.
Bridge the Gap! Donate to Connected Families by March 31st to make a meaningful impact for families in the coming year!
Guest Bio:
Stacey Rodenbeck is the widowed mother of Susan (almost 5) and Chris (3.5). The Rodenbecks live in Central Arkansas, where Stacey is employed as an Associate Professor of Biology at Harding University. Since the death of her husband in 2020, Stacey has focused on developing a robust relationship with her children that positions the three of them to operate as a team. They enjoy cooking and baking together as a family, reading aloud, and hiking, and they have recently delved into playing board games together. (Candyland is the family favorite right now!) Stacey is thankful to God for the new mercies of each new morning as she seeks to guide her children and fully embrace the people God created them to be.
.stk-nzj0uxq{background-image:url(https://connectedfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/iStock-1073040070-2-compressed-scaled.jpg) !important}.stk-nzj0uxq-container{background-color:transparent !important}.stk-nzj0uxq-container:before{background-color:transparent !important}
.stk-x42nvrx .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:44px !important;color:#f7eb9f !important}@media screen and (max-width:1023px){.stk-x42nvrx .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:44px !important}}Transform Bedtime Struggles into Nighttime Snuggles
.stk-gs1awtb .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:44px !important;color:#f7eb9f !important}@media screen and (max-width:1023px){.stk-gs1awtb .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:44px !important}}Transform Bedtime Struggles into Nighttime Snuggles
.stk-4pg7k6e .stk-block-text__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-8,#ffffff) !important}If bedtime feels like a battle zone, it’s time to change. This short and FREE ebook empowers you to transform the bedtime routine. -
Questions & Doubts: When Your Child’s Faith Is Uncertain
If your child has serious doubts or has walked away from their faith, it can be scary. Together with parent coaches Bonnie Williams and Chad Hayenga, we explore parenting through a child’s spiritual doubts or unbelief. Chad and Bonnie share the importance of fostering open dialogue through thoughtful questions and building a foundation of connection, emotional safety, and unconditional love. Tune in to this heartfelt discussion to equip yourself with the knowledge and encouragement needed to support your child’s faith journey, acknowledging that their doubts or unbelief can be an essential part of developing a resilient and personal faith.
(Note: The use of “they/them” language is related to privacy, not identity.)
Mentioned in this podcast:
* Connected Families Partnership Program
* Parent Coach Certification Program
* Power of Questions online course
* Ephesians 3:18-19
* Luke 15:17
* Bridge the Gap – Donate to support Connected Families today!
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting.
Guest Bio:
Bonnie Williams has a Master of Education in Special Education and is a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach. She is a wife and the mother of 3 young adults. Bonnie has supported students with learning and behavior challenges for over 25 years, specializing in working with parents with children ages 3 to 15. Helping families apply the Connected Families Framework is what Bonnie is passionate about. By doing this they can learn new strategies to grow in wisdom and help lead them in having peaceful, grace-filled homes. You can reach her by email at newpathways65@gmail.com.
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.stk-nbpfn29 .stk-block-heading__text{color:#FFFFFF !important}Less arguing. More wisdom.
.stk-jykfxz5 .stk-block-text__text{color:#FFFFFF !important}That’s what you get with the Power of Questions online course.
.stk-71u1ptm .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:50px !important}@media screen and (max-width:1023px){.stk-71u1ptm .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:50px !important}}$38
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Kids’ Arguments: Establish Peace with 4 Steps
If your kids’ bickering ever drives you bonkers, you’ll want to hear this fresh perspective with our guest and certified parent coach, Megan Thorp. Stacy and Megan unpack the Connected Families’ approach to transform kids’ arguments into opportunities to build lifelong skills. You’ll learn the four-step process to help bring peace to your home and guide your kids toward true reconciliation.
Mentioned in this podcast:
* Calming for Parents Free PDF
* Calming for Kids Free PDF
* Connected Families Certified Parent Coaches
* The Peace Process Diagram
* Ep 140 | Restoring Relationships: Empowering Kids to Want to Reconcile and Heal
* Ep 110 | Why “Calm Down!” Doesn’t Work
* Sibling Conflict online course
* Power of Questions online course
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting.
Your donation fuels our work! Make a donation to Connected Families today.
Guest Bio:
Megan is a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach as well as an instructor for coaches in training. She and her husband have been married for 18 years and have 3 kids. Megan loves to come alongside parents to help them gain confidence and equip them to lead their families. She is passionate about parents creating an environment in their home where everyone feels valued and connected and equipping parents with skills to build a relationship with their kids that will last long after they leave home. Seeing misbehavior and especially sibling conflict as a golden opportunity to show Christ’s love and disciple her kids has been a game changer for her in her parenting. You can connect with her for coaching at meganlthorp@gmail.com.
.stk-cbm8tca{background-image:url(https://connectedfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pexels-ekaterina-bolovtsova-6978928.jpg) !important}.stk-cbm8tca:before{background-color:#000000 !important;opacity:0.4 !important}
.stk-78w6osk .stk-block-heading__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-2,#98c1d9) !important}Do you want more peace at home?
.stk-v7af3tf .stk-block-text__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-8,#ffffff) !important}And for your kids to enjoy each other?
.stk-78fp6s1 .stk-block-text__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-8,#ffffff) !important}And to reconcile when they hurt each other?
.stk-yc61wfu .stk-block-heading__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-8,#ffffff) !important}If peace is your goal, take the Sibling Conflict online course.
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Supporting Your Teen with Empathy and Connection
Dive into the trials and triumphs of parenting teens with CF Certified Parent Coaches, Katie Wetsell and Julia Rupp and our host, Stacy Bellward. They examine teen anxiety, independence, and the art of calm communication. They also unpack ways to stay available and connected through teen struggles, especially with a sensitive or intense child. We know this conversation will encourage you to parent your teens with wisdom and hope. (Note: Stories are shared with permission from their teens, and the use of “they/them” language is related to privacy, not identity.)
Mentioned in this podcast:
* Carlie Dorsey, OT and Owner of Motorvate Kids in Murrell’s Inlet, SC
* Calming Strategies For Parents PDF
* Sensitive & Intense Kids online course – 30% off!
* Ep 153: A Circle Of Support: What Can a Mentor Do for a Child?
* Ephesians 6:4
* Romans 5:8
Research cited by Katie Wetsell:
* When is Parental Monitoring Effective?
* Parenting Styles or Practices? Parenting, Sympathy, and Prosocial Behaviors Among Adolescents
* The role of relatedness: Applying a developmental-relational view of compassion in adolescence
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting.
Did you find this episode helpful? Share it with a friend! Or take a minute to rate and review our show.
Your donation fuels our work! Donate to Connected Families today.
Guest Bio:
Julia Rupp is a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach and lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children. They experienced a significant breakthrough in their parenting while partnering with a Connected Families coach and utilizing the parenting Framework. Because of the incredible impact that Connected Families made in their lives, Julia now desires to walk alongside other families and equip them with perspective and tools so that they might experience that same change and restored hope. Whether you are struggling with toddler meltdowns or teenage rebellion, she would love to encourage you. You can find her at Always Hope Parent Coaching.
Katie Wetsell is the Connected Families online course moderator. She is also a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach, pediatric nurse,
Customer Reviews
Help that was NEEDED
I couldn’t raise my twins without the help of this podcast!
Love this content
I come to Connected Families podcasts over and over again - have found every message to have at least one thing to take away or consider as I navigate the challenges of parenting and other relationships. Love the scripture based content and am so grateful to have found this ministry!
Must-have
This podcast is a must-have for whoever is struggling to be a godly parents but have no godly model.