Introducing Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo

How are you feeling today? It seems to be one filled with lots of anxiety and trepidation, for lots of us. We kept talking about what we most wanted to hear on Election Day, and so we recorded a podcast including just that! We’ve got a few parenting reminders on what it looks like to model all of these important milestones we’ve been talking about, some conversation starters to share with the kids you love AND the encouragement we needed today…and thought you might, too! Let’s continue to pray together for wisdom for our leaders and hope for our communities. And let’s keep thinking on that wise quote about being the change we want to see in the world. Grateful to be in it with you today, whatever your political affiliations are, and hope this episode brings you some needed encouragement and hope. Questions to ask the kids you love! If you were elected President, what would you want to do the first few days in office? What are some of the greatest needs in our world today? What kind of leader would you want to be? What would you want the new president to know is important for kids today?  If the old saying is “Be the change you want to see in the world,” how could you be a part of the change you want to see in the world?  In case you missed it, go back to Episode 218: Using Politics to Strengthen Your Family Connection with Michael and Melissa Wear. Episode 150: Practicing the Presence of God as a Family with Doug McKelvey . . . . . Grab a copy of Are My Kids on Track? to follow along with us through the season! Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Go behind the scenes and watch our podcast on YouTube! Download a copy of the Raising Boys and Girls Feelings Chart. Connect with David, Sissy, and Melissa at raisingboysandgirls.com. . . . . . If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our Advertise with us form. . . . . A special thank you to our sponsors: Wayfair: Don’t miss out on saving BIG with Wayfair this holiday. Head to Wayfair.com now to shop Wayfair’s Black Friday Deals. Hiya Health: We've worked out a special deal with Hiya for their best selling children's vitamin. Receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal you must go to hiyahealth.com/RBG. This deal is not available on their regular website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are thrilled to introduce you to two more of our amazing co-workers at Daystar Counseling who also happen to be dear friends! Allye Gray and Blair West are both thoughtful, wise, women who happen to be HIGHLY resourceful themselves! This week, they’re sharing ideas they use as therapists and ideas you can implement at home to help the kids you love develop the highly important muscle of resourcefulness. How Children Raise Parents: The Art of Listening to Your Family . . . . . Grab a copy of Are My Kids on Track? to follow along with us through the season! Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Go behind the scenes and watch our podcast on YouTube! Download a copy of the Raising Boys and Girls Feelings Chart. Connect with David, Sissy, and Melissa at raisingboysandgirls.com. . . . . . If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our Advertise with us form. . . . . A special thank you to our sponsors: Purity Woods is currently offering 17% off sitewide but we have an additional 10% discount for our listeners for a total savings of 27%! Go to puritywoods.com/RBG or enter code RBG at checkout for an additional 10% off your first order. KiwiCo: Get up to 50% off your first crate at kiwico.com, promo code RBG. Manukora: Head to manukora.com/RBG to get $25 off the Starter Kit, which comes with an MGO 850+ Manuka Honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jennifer Breheny Wallace is an award-winning journalist and author of the instant New York Times bestselling book Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic – and What We Can Do About It. Her forthcoming book Mattering in the Modern World: A Solution for the Crises of Our Time is based on five years of research and an original global mattering survey. Wallace is the founder of The Mattering Institute, whose mission is to create cultures of mattering in homes, workplaces, and communities, and co-founder of The Mattering Movement, a nonprofit whose mission is to create cultures of mattering in schools. We were thrilled to share a conversation recently with Jennifer and learn more about her important work and writing. We would highly recommend you grab a copy of her books. Never Enough continues to be so important as we raise kids to value character more than success, AND every one of us who loves a kid wants them to not only know but experience how much they matter. You’re going to want to take notes for this one. We’re so grateful for this rich conversation with our new friend, Jennifer B. Wallace. . . . . . Grab a copy of Are My Kids on Track? to follow along with us through the season! Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Go behind the scenes and watch our podcast on YouTube! Download a copy of the Raising Boys and Girls Feelings Chart. Connect with David, Sissy, and Melissa at raisingboysandgirls.com. . . . . . If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our Advertise with us form. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Raising Worry-Free Girls, Sissy defines anxiety as an overestimation of the problem and an underestimation of themselves. The same is true for boys. In 30 years of counseling kids, we have never seen kids struggle with the idea of resourcefulness like we do today. You all, we believe this conversation is crucial to helping the kids we love grow up into emotionally healthy adults. They need both the knowledge and the tools it takes to be resourceful. In today’s podcast, Sissy and David are talking about what we can do to help kids build this profoundly important muscle. Episode 168: Understanding the Differences Between Boys and Girls Grab a copy of Are My Kids on Track? to follow along with us through the season! . . . . . Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Go behind the scenes and watch our podcast on YouTube! Download a copy of the Raising Boys and Girls Feelings Chart. Connect with David, Sissy, and Melissa at raisingboysandgirls.com. . . . . . If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our Advertise with us form. A special thank you to our sponsors: Hiya Health: Receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal you must go to hiyahealth.com/RBG. This deal is not available on their regular website. Our Place: Go to fromourplace.com and enter my code RBG at checkout to receive 10% off sitewide. Our Place offers a 100 day trial with free shipping and returns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Y’all—this one is a PLEASE LISTEN episode. We have been really excited about this episode coming out at this time in our world since we got it scheduled. But after talking with our friends Michael and Melissa Wear, we believe this conversation is imperative for all of us… no matter our political affiliation. It has been said about Michael Wear, “Even as we find ourselves in a crisis of disillusionment, and even despair, about the state of American politics, Wear reminds us that we must hold fast to the belief that we can change our country and our world for the better. Each of us would do well to adopt at least a bit of Wear’s realistic hopefulness.” His wife speaks to the same kind of buoyant, practical hopefulness, which we all need in this season. We can’t wait for you to listen in on this one. The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life The Center of Christianity and Public Life Wear We Are Substack The Morning Five Mike's Taco Club . . . . . Grab a copy of Are My Kids on Track? to follow along with us through the season! Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Go behind the scenes and watch our podcast on YouTube! Download a copy of the Raising Boys and Girls Feelings Chart. Connect with David, Sissy, and Melissa at raisingboysandgirls.com. . . . . . If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our Advertise with us form. . . . . . A special thank you to our sponsors: Manukora: Head to manukora.com/RBG to get $25 off the Starter Kit, which comes with an MGO 850+ Manuka Honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook! KiwiCo: Get up to 50% off your first crate at kiwico.com, promo code RBG. Purity Woods is currently offering 17% off sitewide but we have an additional 10% discount for our listeners for a total savings of 27%! Go to puritywoods.com/RBG or enter code RBG at checkout for an additional 10% off your first order. Needed: Head over to thisisneeded.com and use code RBG for 20% off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How many of you have read one of Danielle Walker's fabulous cookbooks? Her newest is called Make It Easy, but she’s also got Against All Grain, Celebrations, Healthy in a Hurry, and her memoir, Food Saved Me. We know a lot of you are already cooking with her regularly. Well, we got to OFFICIALLY!!! AND, we got to make non-dairy QUESO! It was truly amazing! Make sure to not just download this episode, but watch it on Youtube to get the recipe and follow along. Danielle is so wise in terms of making cooking fun with kids and the difference healthy foods can make in the lives of the kids we love and ourselves! We can’t wait for you to listen to this one with the delightful Danielle Walker! Danielle's Substack Cheesy Nacho Sauce Recipe . . . . . Grab a copy of Are My Kids on Track? to follow along with us through the season! Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Go behind the scenes and watch our podcast on YouTube! Download a copy of the Raising Boys and Girls Feelings Chart. Connect with David, Sissy, and Melissa at raisingboysandgirls.com. . . . . . If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our Advertise with us form. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’ve got another amazing episode with some of our Daystar therapists. Have you listened to these yet? We are loving the episodes and so proud of our co-workers and dear friends! We can’t wait for you to meet and listen to Sherman Bucher and Shannon Flynn, as they talk about Practicing Empathy as a Family. So many great concepts and helpful, practical ideas to strengthen this very important muscle of empathy together!  1000 Hours Outside Dr. Hallowell If you enjoyed this episode today, check out this one below. Episode 98: Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Other Strategies to Help Kids with Anxiety Grab a copy of Are My Kids on Track? to follow along with us through the season! . . . . . Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Go behind the scenes and watch our podcast on YouTube! Download a copy of the Raising Boys and Girls Feelings Chart. Connect with David, Sissy, and Melissa at raisingboysandgirls.com. . . . . . If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our Advertise with us form. A special thank you to our sponsors: EveryPlate: Join EveryPlate today and pay only $2.99 per meal, PLUS get 50% off your first box, for all box sizes! Get this amazing deal by going to everyplate.com/podcast and entering code rbg299. Hiya Health: Receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal you must go to  hiyahealth.com/RBG. This deal is not available on their regular website. Nurture Life: head to NurtureLife.com and use code RBG for 55% off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re so grateful to be talking about empathy on the podcast this week. We believe the muscle of empathy is one that kids are struggling to develop more than ever before. In this episode, we talk about why and, even more importantly, what we can do about it. Empathy truly is a pre-requisite for healthy relationships. So, let’s all work together to help the kids we love grow in their awareness, love, and empathy for those around them, including and maybe even especially those that live under the same roof! . . . . . Romans 12:15-16 Grab a copy of Are My Kids on Track? to follow along with us through the season! . . . . . Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Go behind the scenes and watch our podcast on YouTube! Download a copy of the Raising Boys and Girls Feelings Chart. Connect with David, Sissy, and Melissa at raisingboysandgirls.com. . . . . . If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our Advertise with us form. A special thank you to our sponsors: Wayfair is your one-stop-holiday shop for everything on your to-do list this season. Head to https://tinyurl.com/RBGWayfair right now to get your home holiday ready.  KiwiCo: Get 50% off your first month on ANY crate line at kiwico.com with promo code RBG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We were so blessed (see what we did there?!) to have our new friends Madison Johnson and Logan Cain from CAIN with us on the podcast today! We got to talk about incorporating faith as a family and building strong sibling relationships. We believe you’re going to have as much fun listening to these two as we did getting to talk with them! IG: @caintheband I’m So Blessed the music video I'm So Blessed the children's book . . . . . Grab a copy of Are My Kids on Track? to follow along with us through the season! Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Go behind the scenes and watch our podcast on YouTube! Download a copy of the Raising Boys and Girls Feelings Chart. Connect with David, Sissy, and Melissa at raisingboysandgirls.com. . . . . . If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our Advertise with us form. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Okay, you all, this will go down in history as one of our VERY FAVORITE episodes of all time! We have long loved and admired the work of Dr. Wendy Mogel, who has written fabulous books such as The Blessing of a Skinned Knee, The Blessing of a B Minus, and Voice Lessons for Parents. But we maybe loved talking with her EVEN MORE! She is wise, discerning, honest and DELIGHTFUL! We can’t wait for you all to listen in on this conversation! . . . . . Grab a copy of Are My Kids on Track? to follow along with us through the season! Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Go behind the scenes and watch our podcast on YouTube! Download a copy of the Raising Boys and Girls Feelings Chart. Connect with David, Sissy, and Melissa at raisingboysandgirls.com. . . . . . If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our Advertise with us form. . . . . A special thank you to our sponsors: Our Place: Go to fromourplace.com and enter my code RBG at checkout to receive 10% off sitewide. Our Place offers a 100 day trial with free shipping and returns. Nurture Life: head to NurtureLife.com and use code RBG for 55% off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices