Raising Today's Kids: A Project STAND Podcast

How can we help our kids navigate a world where pornography is increasingly accessible? In this episode of Raising Today's Kids, Chelsea Winterholler sits down with Melissa Hackett, Executive Director of the Utah Coalition Against Pornography (UCAP), to discuss how families can approach pornography prevention with confidence, compassion, and hope. Together, they explore the importance of age-appropriate education, open communication, and connection, reminding parents that it's never too early or too late to start. No matter where your family is today, hope, help, and healing are possible.

In this episode, Erin Walker, Project STAND's Director of Public Policy, examines the growing body of evidence connecting pornography to individual harm, fractured relationships, and broader societal consequences. Drawing from her policy work, Erin explains how the pornography industry intersects with issues like exploitation, coercion, and demand dynamics—and why these concerns are increasingly being addressed at the legislative level. While addressing difficult realities, this is a hopeful conversation with practical encouragement for parents and compassion for those struggling with pornography. If you're raising kids in a digital world, this episode will give you perspective, reassurance, and a few things to think about.

In a world where digital distractions pull us apart, Grandpa Beck has built something refreshingly simple: games that bring people together. In this episode, he shares heartwarming stories of families, friends, and even strangers reconnecting around the table. You'll hear how his bestselling games were born, why play matters now more than ever, and his thoughtful advice for parents trying to build real connection in a screen-saturated world.

In the wake of tragedy that struck close to home, Brittany Homer was reminded how divided our world has become — and how much our kids need examples of peacemaking. In this episode, she shares three practical ways parents can raise peacemakers: 1 - Look inside, 2 - Teach kids intentionally, and 3 - See and create the good. We cannot control our children, but there's so much we can do to raise a generation of peacemakers!

Get ready to feel inspired as you listen to Lisa Frost share how her experiences as a teacher and a mom inspired her to found a nonprofit, with her husband, to protect kids from online exploitation. She shares how youth coalitions—students coming together to raise awareness and push back against Big Tech—are creating real change. You will learn what threats children face online, why youth voices matter, and how families can join the movement to safeguard the next generation. As Lisa says, "There is always hope!"

Why are rates of anxiety rising so rapidly? And what can parents do about it? In this episode, Bekah Schuler and Caleb Cottle from Cascade Programs tackle these and other tough questions. Their insights will leave you feeling inspired and ready to take on the challenges of parenting in our digital world.  

Sarah is the ultimate mom who gets things done. She saw what technology was doing to her kids, her community's kids, and the world's kids, so she jumped in and did something about it. Listen as she shares inspiring insights into what it takes to parent in our digital world. Her message is instructive, timely, and hopeful!  

Imagine a world where we can let our kids go online without worrying about what they might be exposed to. It sounds like a fairytale, but maybe it's not... While AI can be terrifying, it can also be an incredible tool for protecting our kids. AngelQ is the ultimate kid-first, super browser, using AI to create a safer, smarter internet for families. Listen in to learn more and then download AngelQ (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/angelq/id6741329177) and sign up for a whole year for FREE with code: FOUNDERSFREEYEAR 

Dr. Tim Rarick is a professor and the program director of Marriage and Family Studies at Brigham Young University-Idaho. He has worked with several organizations to promote and protect the family through public policy, research, and public scholarship, and has presented to a wide variety of audiences about fatherhood, family policy, pornography, sexual exploitation, technology, and many other family-related topics. In this episode he shares powerful research about the irreplaceable role of fathers.

A 17 year old young man named Jordan was a popular athlete at his high school. He loved his family. He got good grades. The night before he and his family were headed on a 2 week vacation to Florida he got a text from a "young woman" who supposedly knew some of his friends. They started talking and quickly it progressed into sharing pictures with each other. Listen as Jordan's father, John, tells the tragic outcome of what was actually a case of sextortion. John has devoted his life to helping parents avoid what he has so painfully had to experience. Show Notes