Connected Families Podcast Connected Families

Perhaps your child always sits politely at the table and eats their Brussels sprouts, but for the rest of us, especially with a food-sensitive child or two, food struggles in families are real.















Today we talk to Emily Meade, RD, LD, a dietitian who wants to help us recapture some of the connection and joy that can happen in the kitchen and around the table. Emily discusses the importance of teaching children that their bodies are uniquely created by God, and she shares strategies for encouraging kids to try new foods without pressure. She also gives plenty of practical tips for meal planning and involving children in food prep to grow connection, wisdom, and life skills in the kitchen.







Mentioned in this podcast:









* FREE Energy Bites recipe you can make with your kids







* Healthy Rhythms mini course – Register today!







* 1 Corinthians 6:19-20









Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!







Your donation to Connected Families fuels our work. Make a donation to Connected Families today!







Help other parents find our podcast by leaving a quick review on your favorite listening platform.







Guest Bio:







Emily Meade is a wife and mama to three amazing kids, ages 6, 4, and 1-year-old. In addition to being home raising her children, Emily is also able to stay in practice as a Registered Dietitian doing one-on-one nutrition coaching part-time with a company called The Kôr Method. Emily enjoys cooking, gardening, staying active, serving at church, and spending time with her family.















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The Healthy Rhythms for Daily Life online courseis designed to help you break free from the chaos and establish predictable daily rhythms that work for your family. With thoughtful, Biblical insights and practical, science-based ideas, you’ll learn how to grow connection, wisdom, and health in your kids.

What if chores weren’t a constant struggle in your household? Join Connected Families Certified Parent Coaches Marni Love and Corrie Thetford as they discuss the Happiness Trifecta and how it can transform the way chores are done at your house. The Happiness Trifecta is a group of brain chemicals you can tap into to make chores more enjoyable for your kids. Corrie, Marni, and our host, Stacy Bellward, share many stories about being playful and working as a team to boost these chemicals in our kids’ brains. They also highlight the need to understand each child’s unique challenges and the importance of celebrating a job well done.















Mentioned in this podcast:









* Healthy Rhythms for Daily Life mini-course







* How Can I Identify Anxiety in My Child? | Ep. 99







* Advocating for Your Sensitive or Neurodiverse Child | Ep. 123







* Help! Homeschooling Is Overwhelming | Ep 93







* Empowering Your Differently Wired Child | Ep 124







* Ephesians 2:10







* Colossians 3:23-24









Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!







Your donation fuels our work. Make a donation to Connected Families today!







Take a moment to rate and review!







Guest Bio:







Marni Love is a former public school teacher who has been a home educator for 14 years. She is a Homeschool Mentor, a Certified Connected Families Parent Coach, and an instructor for CF coaches-in-training. Marni enjoys spending time with her husband, Eric, and their three sons in the beautiful mountains and beaches of Northern California. You can connect with her through her website, marnilove.com.







Corrie Thetford and her husband Alan have four children and are Connected Families Certified Parent Coaches as well as instructors for CF coaches-in-training. They are passionate about multiplying the gospel by helping families transform power struggles and conflicts into opportunities for gospel messages. You can find out more about them at buildingwisefamilies.com.















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If you’re struggling with screens and boundary setting with your kids, tune into this interview with Brittany and Kevin Hoffman. Their home has transformed as they’ve learned to ask questions, listen, and point to the bigger YES. If you’re not sure what it means to point to the bigger YES, this episode is for you.















Kevin and Brittany share how the Healthy Rhythms course shaped their approach to managing screen time for their five children and the ways they adjusted their own screen habits as a result. They also chat about how they use family meetings to explore the “bigger yes” with their kids. Kevin and Brittany acknowledge that managing screen time is an ongoing process that keeps evolving as kids get older, but their guiding principles stay the same.







Mentioned in this podcast:









* FREE Outdoor Activities PDF







* Healthy Rhythms mini-course







* Connected Families Week of Sharing – Find out how you can get involved!









Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!







Your donation fuels our work. Make a donation to Connected Families today!







Take a moment to rate and review and help other parents find the Connected Families Podcast!







Guest Bio:







Kevin and Brittany met in Vacation Bible School when they were three years old, started dating at fifteen, and have been married for thirteen years. They have five children (ages 10, 10, 8, 6, and 2), one of whom joined their family through foster care. Kevin is a trial attorney, and Brittany finds daily uses for her Master of Education while homeschooling. They are natives of New Jersey by birth and have been permanently transplanted to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where they attend Trinity Church. Connected Families has been a significant influence on their ever-evolving journey through parenting, which they define as the mission field of making disciples at home.















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Two grandmothers, Dijea Young and Cindy Stonestreet (who also happen to be Connected Families Certified Parent Coaches) chat about the role of play in grandparenting and how they’re learning to be great grandmothers. Cindy and Dijea share personal stories about respecting their adult children’s parenting decisions and finding common ground, even in challenging relationships. They emphasize the power of intentional, joyful play in communicating love to their grandchildren and share examples of coaching grandchildren through conflicts. If you know a grandparent who would love to build more connection with their children and grandchildren, consider sharing this conversation with them.















Mentioned in this podcast:









* Parenting Reminders Bundle







* Deuteronomy 4:9









Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!







Your donation fuels our work. Make a donation to Connected Families today!







Take a moment to rate and review!







Guest Bio:







Dijea Young is a teacher, mother of eight, and grandma. For over 35 years, she has served children and families in a variety of roles. Now as a Certified Parent Coach, she combines her professional training and personal experience to help parents and grandparents nurture relationships across generations. For more information about Dijea or her services, visit www.Room4HopeCoaching.com or email Room4HopeCoaching@gmail.com







Cindy Stonestreet, a grandmother of five, ages 3-8, has been involved with Connected Families for five years. As a result of seeking a Christ-centered and better way to discipline, she took the Discipline that Connects course, followed by parent coaching, and is a Certified Parent Coach. Cindy and her husband, Steve, are blessed to have full days, 2-3 times a week, with their grandkids. Cindy’s desire is to continually grow, little by little, as she implements the Connected Families Framework with her children, their spouses, and her grandkids. They live in Charleston, West Virginia, where Cindy is a full-time CRNA at Women and Children’s Hospital.















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Chris Coursey, author of 4 Habits of Raising Joy-Filled Kids, joins us to discuss why joyful kids are joyful and what you can do.















Do you feel like you’re often focused on problems and operating out of fear of what may happen? Chris explains how joy can give families the strength to navigate difficulties and overcome fear. He shares a personal story of overcoming fear-based parenting and unpacks the first habit of raising joy-filled kids: attunement. Chris emphasizes that taking care of yourself nurtures your joy and directly benefits the entire family. Listen in and learn how to grow joy in your home!







Mentioned in this podcast:









* We’d love to hear from you! Send the podcast a birthday greeting.







* Free PDF – Child Led Play and the Framework







* 4 Habits of Joy-Filled Kids book







* Parenting Reminders Bundle – CF stickers, word art, and a magnet









Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting.







Your donation fuels our work. Make a donation to Connected Families today!







Take a moment to rate and review!







Guest Bio:







For over 30 years, Chris has been developing and practicing brain-based solutions to train people, families, and communities to make relationships work. Chris started his career specializing in severe trauma and abuse and also pastored a small congregation in Michigan for several years. Chris is a published author with over ten books in print, including The Joy Switch. He co-authored his most recent book, The 4 Habits of Joy-Filled People.







Chris enjoys spending time with his wife, Jen, and their two sons, Matthew and Andrew. In addition to studying, writing, jogging, and exercising, he enjoys the outdoors and is one of the rare people who actually likes the snow in Michigan.







Website: https://thrivetoday.org/Podcast: https://thrivetoday.buzzsprout.com/The 4 Habits Books: https://thrivetoday.org/4-habits-series/















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Today, we talk with Joy Wendling, Connected Families Certified Parent Coach and founder of Created to Play, about helping kids come to love God wholeheartedly. Faith can sometimes feel serious or heady, but God is also the God of play, and He created children to learn best through play. Stacy and Joy discuss the significance of modeling a joyful faith. Together, they share ideas for making God relatable through play with your kids. They emphasize how to bring God into everyday moments and ways to use scripture to gently guide and encourage your kids.















Mentioned in this podcast:









* Parenting Reminder Bundle – Get Yours Today!







* Podcast Episode 102, “How to Be a More Playful Parent” with Joy Wendling







* Deuteronomy 6







* Psalm 16:11







* Zephaniah 3:17







* John 10:10









Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!







Your donation fuels our work. Make a donation to Connected Families today!







Take a moment to rate and review!







Guest Bio:







Enthusiastic. Passionate. Profound. Joy Wendling is a family pastor, writer, speaker, podcaster, certified parent coach, and founder of Created to Play. She has over 20 years of experience in children, youth, and family ministry and a Master’s degree in Youth, Family, and Culture from Fuller Theological Seminary. Her idea of relaxing is gazing at the mountains from her island home with an ice-cold Diet Coke and a good book. Joy lives in the Pacific Northwest and enjoys laughing and playing with her five daughters and husband. Get to know her better at createdtoplay.com and on her Playfully Faithful Parenting podcast.















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