Don't Mom Alone Podcast

Discipline. It’s such an important part of parenting and so hard. But, we don’t have to be alone on the journey. Join me as I sit down with two moms of littles from my church, Meredith and Hailey. We chat about the common struggles and questions that come up in disciplining young kids.

Our kids) have the opportunity to be saved by grace through faith just like we were, not by works and not by good parenting. But, it’s the consistency of the love and the safety. And when you have that and they do confess faith then you have the Holy Spirit on your side to do the convicting.

What we chat about:

  • Discipline can be a struggle, but we’re not alone in this journey
  • Ask yourself, “Will it matter in 10 years?”
  • Focusing on making our children feel safe
  • The child that’s annoying you the most, you should hug the most even though it’s the opposite of your instinct
  • A lot of the anger that comes up in us as moms comes from unresolved issues in us, not just our kids’ behavior
  • Mommy Time, getting intentional focused time with each child
  • During the 0-5 ages, kids change so much it’s difficult to keep up with the huge developmental changes they are undergoing
  • Leaning into the Holy Spirit when we need to make a decision in parenting to avoid letting fear and insecurity win
  • It’s hard to know what the realistic expectations are for obedience at different ages
  • Don’t sabotage the good in pursuit of the great
  • Disciplining in public requires different tools, take steps to set your kids up to win
  • Your kids will be saved by grace through faith and not through perfect parenting
  • God’s kindness leads us to repentance, so we need to discipline with kindness as well
  • Grace for parenting changes when you add a new baby to your family

More Episodes on Discipline:

Links Mentioned:

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Direct download: GCMMeredithHaileyEp199.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am CDT

Staying up-to-date on social media can so easily turn into an hour of lost time scrolling on our phones that leaves us discontent and disconnected with the ones we love the most. It’s a struggle most of us deal with in this digital age we’re in, and I’ve brought in my friend Eryn Hall to give us practical tips and encouragement on how to do social media well.

My highlight reel is going to look different than someone else’s highlight reel and that’s how it should be. We need to accept that and rest in the Lord. The grace and goodness I have and my acceptance, my identity is found in him and not in someone else’s social media.

If limiting your own screen time is something you struggle with, check out the apps in the show notes below to start monitoring your time. Ask a friend or GCM podcast club member to check in with you for accountability. Let’s live our lives for God and for our families first, not just for the social media posts.

What we chat about:

  • How to do social media from a Godly worldview
  • Recognizing how social media makes us feel and doing a heart check
  • Learning to rest in God’s approval and not in the approval of social media
  • Stepping away and asking God, “Is this for me?” before responding to a place of potential jealousy
  • Paying attention to whether we are finding our identity in God or in social media
  • Boundaries we’ve put in place on social media
  • Not looking at social media first thing in the morning and starting our day off in prayer so we are secure in who God says we are
  • Healthy switches for spending your time on something other than social media
  • Staying present with your kids with boundaries on your device usage
  • Not immediately posting a picture of an event or activity and checking your “why” behind the photos and posts
  • Be sure of who you are and whose you are before you post
  • A cool story about how someone came to Jesus after reading God’s word on social media
  • Being digital evangelists and staying faithful to the message of who God is

Links Mentioned:

Direct download: GCMErynHallEp197.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am CDT

Life is full of decisions. We do our best to choose wisely and follow God’s lead. Sometimes God leads us in a different direction. It doesn’t always make “sense” in the moment.  And it definitely isn’t easy to share those changes with others.

It’s been over a year since we’ve given you a glimpse behind the scenes. In that time A LOT has happened in our world: new job, school shifts, adopting & “re-homing” a puppy. So I’m bringing my hubby Bruce back on the show to share one concept he’s used at work for years and he has helped me process the last year of change.

In this episode Bruce and I let you in on the thought process behind our life choices. Hoping this conversation will allow you grace to change your mind without the fear of what others think.

I reserve the right to change my mind and not have to explain it to you, but every person who hears about it wants to know the whole story. What I’ve found is people want to know the should. Every time I talk to a mom, they are feeling this pressure to get it all right, so then when they hear a story that doesn’t work out or where you changed your mind they are trying to analyze the rightness of it.

What we chat about:

  • What’s happened in the MacFadyen family in the past year
  • Bruce’s current business, Door Real Estate Brokerage
  • The mantra, “I always reserve the right to change my mind”
  • Making the decision to send one of our sons back to school after a semester of homeschooling
  • What happened with our dog
  • Giving yourself freedom to change your mind
  • Being gracious to others who change their minds
  • Why we need to give our kids and ourselves permission to make mistakes
  • Working to create an environment at home where it’s okay to change your mind and make mistakes
  • In all of the decisions in life it’s about balance and listening to God’s voice

Links Mentioned:

Direct download: GCMChangeMyMindEp196.mp3
Category:marriage -- posted at: 12:30am CDT

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