Connected Families Podcast

What if the behaviors that frustrate you most aren’t choices your child is making at all? Fidgeting, chewing on shirt sleeves, big reactions to small demands: sometimes there’s more happening beneath the surface than we realize.

In this episode, host Stacy Bellward and guest co-host Lydia Rex welcome Jess Muehlher, founder of Delta Genesis, for a hope-filled conversation about the brain-body connection behind many of the challenges parents face. Jess shares the story that changed the direction of her career and explains how retained primitive reflexes can shape a child’s regulation, learning, and connection.

Whether your child has a diagnosis, you’re working through intense challenges every day, or you simply sense your child is wired a little differently, this conversation offers fresh understanding, deeper grace, and real hope for the road ahead.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn the hidden reflex behind big reactions
• Discover what’s really driving your child’s behavior
• Find grace when discipline isn’t “working”

Mentioned in this Podcast:

• Genesis 1:27
• Deuteronomy 31:6
• Hebrews 4:15
• Genesis 12:2
• The Table Monthly Giving Program
• Delta Genesis
• Delta Genesis Instagram
• Connected Families Framework™
• Ep. 222 – Retained Primitive Reflexes: Understanding and Supporting Your Child’s Development

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

Guest Bio:

Jess is the founder of Delta Genesis, a virtual neurodevelopmental program serving nearly 1,000 families globally. Delta works with kids navigating ADHD, autism, anxiety, sensory processing differences, OCD, PDA, and other neurodevelopmental challenges. The program is built around a paradigm called temporal summation, which means addressing multiple brain systems simultaneously rather than one piece at a time. The result is a parent-led, medication-free approach that gets at the root of why kids are struggling. Most of the families who find Delta have already tried therapy, OT, speech, or behavioral approaches and are looking for what’s been missing.

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

What happens when a parenting resource changes your family so deeply that you want every parent you know to experience it too? In this episode, guest host Chad Hayenga sits down with Joe Dewey, the new president of Connected Families, and Laura Way, manager of The Table, for a hope-filled look at what’s ahead.

Joe shares why he said yes to leading the ministry and offers a first glimpse of the new resources taking shape, including support for passing faith to the next generation, content for dads, and guidance for the questions today’s parents are facing. Laura shares the heart behind The Table, a growing community of families who have experienced transformation through this work and know they are blessed to be a blessing.

Whether you’re a longtime listener or just discovering Connected Families, this conversation invites you to see where the ministry is headed and how your family’s story might become part of another family’s transformation.

Key Takeaways:

• Discover where Connected Families is headed next
• Get a first look at upcoming parenting resources
• Learn how monthly partners help transform families
• Find ways your family’s story can bless others

Mentioned in this Podcast:

• The Table Monthly Giving Program
• cf community
• The Connected Families FrameworkTM
• Certified Parent Coaching Program
• Connected Families Partnership Program
• Connected Families Research Initiative – Biblically Grounded and Research-Informed: What That Actually Means
• Ep. 323 – Christian Parenting, Small Wins, and Hope for What’s Next

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

Guest Bio:

Joe Dewey is the new President of Connected Families and a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach. He has a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and has served in full-time ministry with Cru in Leader Development and Human Resources since 2010. He has been a certified life coach since 2017. These experiences, and more, have molded him into a leader who leads with solutions. Whether in ministry or parenting, he finds clarity amid complexity, providing win-win solutions.

Laura Way felt like she was drowning as a young mom overseas. She thinks that God provided Connected Families for her when she needed it most. She’s thrilled to be on the team, offering hope & help to others! Laura and her husband live in Florida with their two elementary-aged daughters. In her free time, Laura loves to read in her hammock or have coffee with friends.

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

What does it look like when a family’s whole trajectory begins to change? For the Dewey family, it hasn’t looked like perfection. It has looked like grace, growth, and small wins worth celebrating. Joe and his wife, Courtney, have spent years practicing the Connected Families Framework™ in their busy, homeschooling, “beautifully messy” home. Now Joe is stepping in as the new president of Connected Families. In this episode, host Stacy Bellward joins Joe and founders Jim and Lynne Jackson for a personal conversation about Christian parenting, ministry, everyday faith, and the hope that how we love our kids today can shape our families for generations.

Key Takeaways:

• Find hope in small wins by hearing how one busy family celebrates everyday moments of growth
• Discover what it looks like to pass on a legacy with trust, humility, and grace, a model you can carry into your own family
• Meet Joe Dewey and his family
• Discover Joe’s vision for reaching more families with the Connected Families Framework and learn how to be part of what’s next

Mentioned in this Podcast:

• The Table Monthly Giving Program
• The Celebration Highlight Video
• YouTube – Jim and Lynne Jackson: 24 Years of Christ-Centered Parenting Ministry
• YouTube – Screens On, Dishes Undone: A Grace-Based Parenting Role Play
• Hebrews 13:7
• Ephesians 3:20
• 2 Corinthians 5:14
• Ep. 320 – Jim and Lynne Jackson: 24 Years of Christ-Centered Parenting Ministry
• Ep. 321 – Screens On, Dishes Undone: A Grace-Based Parenting Role Play
• Ep. 322 – Parenting Stress: New Research on What Actually Lowers It
• Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart online course
• Connected Families Certified Parent Coaching
• Connected Families Partnership Program

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

Guest Bio:

Jim and Lynne Jackson are the Founders Emeritus of Connected Families in Plymouth, MN. With over 50 combined years of professionally helping families and a love for working in the church, Jim and Lynne have brought reliable, God-centered, research-based parenting resources to families since 2002.

Joe Dewey is the new President of Connected Families and a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach. He has a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and has served in full-time ministry with Cru in Leader Development and Human Resources since 2010. He has been a certified life coach since 2017. These experiences, and more, have molded him into a leader who leads with solutions. Whether in ministry or parenting, he finds clarity amid complexity, providing win-win solutions.

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

For more than twenty years, Connected Families has heard countless stories: parenting stress decreased, the angry household that got gentler, the relationship that came back to life. Beautiful stories, all of them. But a problem remained: stories aren’t data.

In this episode, Stacy Bellward welcomes back Dr. Cindy Wilson, Connected Families Director of Education, Equipping and Research, to share results from the ministry’s first official research study on the Connected Families Framework™ and the Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart online course. Partnering with an independent research team at Florida State University, Cindy’s team asked 50 parents questions to uncover what actually changed in their homes.

If you’re in a hard parenting season and wondering whether the inward-first work is worth it, this conversation offers both encouragement and evidence.

Key Takeaways:

• Discover what 50 parents reported changed in their homes after completing the Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart online course
• Learn the real difference between “research-informed” and “evidence-based” and why that distinction opens doors for Connected Families to reach more families
• Why parents’ inward-first growth is the starting point for generational transformation

Mentioned in this Podcast:

• Proverbs 15:1
• Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart online course
• Book – Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart
• The Connected Families Framework
• cf community
• Certified Parent Coaching

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

Guest Bio:

Cindy Wilson is a CF-Certified Parent Coach and a Certified Family Life Educator with 20+ years in children & family ministry and academia. As Director of Education, Equipping, and Research for CF, she helps churches, schools, and other organizations use CF resources to equip and support families in their community. She is also helping collect data to show the impact of CF resources on parents and families. Cindy lives in Florida with her husband of over 30 years. She has three adult children, one son-in-law, four grandchildren, and a farm full of animals.

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

Not sure where to start?

Many parents begin with Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart, a course that introduces the Connected Families Framework and the foundation for everything that follows.

Explore this course

In part two of our conversation, Jim and Lynne Jackson sit down with Stacy Bellward and Chad Hayenga to name what they hope remains true about the grace-based parenting ministry, Connected Families, for decades to come.

Along the way, listen as they unpack why grace impacts a child’s heart, walk through a live role-play of a screens-and-chores moment most of us know too well, and show what it looks like to invite restoration. You don’t want to miss it!

Key Takeaways:

• You’ll discover why grace changes a child’s heart
• Gain practical shifts toward restorative consequences, rooted in the gospel pattern of making right what was made wrong
• You’ll walk away with one reframed question that changes everyday interactions

Mentioned in this Podcast:

• Luke 15:1
• 1 Thessalonians 2:8
• Ephesians 1:3
• 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
• Ephesians 3:20
• Galatians 5:16-25
• Ep. 320 – Jim and Lynne Jackson: 24 Years of Christ-Centered Parenting Ministry
• 4 Messages of the Connected Families Framework (Included in the Free Learning Library)
• YouTube – Old People Acting Like Kids
• Connected Families Blog
• Grace and Truth for Moms online course
• Sibling Conflict online course
• Ebook – Transform Bedtime Struggles
• Sensitive and Intense Kids online course
• cf community
• The Table Monthly Giving Program

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

Guest Bio:

Jim and Lynne Jackson are the Co-Founders of Connected Families in Plymouth, MN. With over 50 combined years of professionally helping families and a love for working in the church, Jim and Lynne have brought reliable, God-centered, research-based parenting resources to families since 2002.

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

Not sure where to start?

Many parents begin with Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart, a course that introduces the Connected Families Framework and the foundation for everything that follows.

Explore this course

Join us at our Celebration honoring Jim and Lynne Jackson at 7 pm (CST) on Thursday, September 24th, 2026. We’d love to have you with us!

An occupational therapist and a youth worker walked into a basement with a few ideas about parenting and three kids willing to run the camera. Twenty-four years later, the Connected Families Framework™ has reached homes in 22 countries.

In this first episode of a two-part series, Stacy Bellward sits down with co-founders Jim and Lynne Jackson, along with Director of Development Chad Hayenga, to mark a significant season for Connected Families. After more than two years of prayerful succession planning, Jim and Lynne are stepping back from day-to-day responsibilities and moving into the role of founders emeritus. It is a handing off to the next generation, done with care.

They speak candidly about what it takes to release something you have poured your life into, share an honest update on Lynne’s health journey, and trace how a message born in a Minnesota basement started translating across cultures no one expected. You’ll also hear the essence of the Framework, in their own words.

Key Takeaways:

• Discover why parenting change starts in your heart, not in a new technique.
• Find relief if you’re tired of parenting advice that only adds to your to-do list.
• Learn the one simple idea to hold onto when you can’t remember the whole Framework.
• Take hope that God can use ordinary, unqualified people right where you are.

Mentioned in this Podcast:

• Matthew 23:26
• Ephesians 1
• 1 Thessalonians 2:8
• 2 Corinthians 5:14
• 1 Corinthians 1:27
• Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart online course
• Parent Coaching Certification Program
• Entitlement Fix online course
• cf community
• The Table Monthly Giving Program
• Lynne’s CaringBridge page

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

Guest Bio:

Jim and Lynne Jackson are the Co-Founders of Connected Families in Plymouth, MN. With over 50 combined years of professionally helping families and a love for working in the church, Jim and Lynne have brought reliable, God-centered, research-based parenting resources to families since 2002.

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

What happens when the parenting approach you were told God requires doesn’t match the child God gave you?

It’s a question a lot of Christian parents inwardly carry, and it’s named out loud in this episode. Host Stacy Bellward sits down with Certified Parent Coaches Katie Johnson and Lyssa Stoyko to walk through the Connected Families Framework™ layer by layer. You’ll hear one family’s story of real change, plus two role-play scenarios that show what a different response sounds like in an ordinary moment at home.

Stay to the end. This episode closes with a tribute to Jim and Lynne Jackson as they step into their new roles as Founders Emeritus.

Key Takeaways:

• Why obedience-first parenting leaves some families stuck, and where to go from there
• What’s happening underneath your child’s anger, and how to respond to it
• What the same hard moment sounds like before and after the Framework, through two role-plays
• Practical tools from the Coach and Correct levels of the Connected Families Framework

Mentioned in this Podcast:

• Connected Families Framework
• Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart online course
• cf community
• Upcoming Events with Lyssa Stoyko
• Leave a Review – Apple Podcasts or Spotify
• Isaiah 42:3
• Philippians 1:6
• Ephesians 4:22-24
• 2 Corinthians 10:5
• James 1:27

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

Guest Bio:

Lyssa Stoyko – As a foster and adoptive mom, Bible teacher, and Connected Families Certified Parent Coach, Lyssa Stoyko understands the beauty and complexity of raising children from hard places. She helps parents use a gospel-centered, brain and trauma-informed approach to strengthen connection and grow in grace-filled parenting. Lyssa also hosts the “Moms Take Ten” podcast, encouraging moms to know God more deeply in the midst of motherhood. She is passionate about helping moms discover that parenting is less about knowing it all and more about knowing Jesus. She lives in Illinois with her husband, three children, and puppy.

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

Not sure where to start?

Many parents begin with Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart, a course that introduces the Connected Families Framework and the foundation for everything that follows.

Explore this course

Three months, nearly 500 parents! One space where the questions get honest fast. In this 11-minute celebration episode, Stacy Bellward sits down with Certified Parent Coach and cf community moderator Katie Johnson to share what has happened since the cf community opened in June. They walk through what’s inside and read real comments from members seeing their interactions with their kids change.

If you have been walking through Connected Families content on your own, join us inside the cf community. God grows people in community, and this is what that looks like in 2026.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn about what’s inside the cf community
• Discover why community changes what content alone cannot.
• Hear the growth in members’ own words

Mentioned in this Podcast:

• cf community
• Psalm 16:3
• The Table Monthly Giving Program

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

Guest Bio:

As a former teacher-turned-homeschool mom with a sensitive & intense child, Katie Johnson came to Connected Families at the end of her rope. As a CF coach and cf community moderator, she now helps struggling families adopt a whole-Bible, whole-brain approach for Christ-centered transformation. She loves providing practical tools to help families apply the CF framework to their unique situations. Katie lives in Madison, WI, with her husband, three young kids, a dog, and three chickens. Katie holds a Master’s in Education and has a special passion for supporting families with toddlers.

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

Join the cf community

New Course Now Available: Find Confidence in Crisis Today!

If you have an angry child whose aggressive behaviors keep surfacing, it can be hard to know how to respond with both steadiness and care. In part two of this conversation, guest host Chad Hayenga is joined again by Connected Families coaches Lydia Rex and Katie Wetsell to offer practical support for parents navigating these kinds of behaviors.

They explore how a thoughtful plan can help you respond rather than react. This includes inviting trusted supporters into your family’s care, recognizing early signs of stress, and adjusting for the right level of engagement. You’ll hear why calming your child’s nervous system comes before teaching, why practicing skills during low-stress moments matters, and how celebrating small signs of growth builds hope over time.

If aggression is a frequent challenge in your home, the new Confidence in Crisis: Navigating Aggressive Behaviors mini-course was created to support you. For $28, Lydia and Katie guide you through a practical, faith-filled process that integrates the Connected Families Framework™, Trust-Based Relational Intervention®, and Nonviolent Resistance. You’ll create a personalized safety plan, learn research-informed strategies for difficult moments, and gain confidence that God can meet your family with grace and wisdom through hard things.

Key Takeaways:

• Why inviting trusted supporters into your child’s growth can bring care, accountability, and connection
• Learn about the four levels of engagement
• Why practicing a plan in low-stress moments prepares your family for harder ones
• How noticing and affirming even small steps of growth can strengthen new skills over time

Mentioned in this Podcast:

• Confidence in Crisis online course NEW!
• Connected Families Parent Coaching
• ABC’s of Affirmation – Blog Post – Are You Unintentionally Encouraging Bad Behavior? Here’s How to Switch That
• The Table Monthly Giving Program
• Galatians 6:9
• Psalm 46:1

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

Guest Bio:

Lydia Rex is the Director of Family Support for Bien Aimé (bee-ehn eh-MAY) Farm, where she works with families who have adopted children. She is a registered nurse, Connected Families certified parent coach, Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) practitioner, and co-hosted the Sensitive and Intense Kids online course with Lynne Jackson. No stranger to the challenges of the parenting journey, Lydia offers empathy, encouragement, and a deep commitment to walking alongside parents through the Connected Families Framework. It’s her joy to see God’s grace healing the hearts of parents and children. Lydia, her husband Kyle, and their two kids live in Minnesota, where they enjoy homeschooling, outdoor activities, and reading lots of books. You can learn more about Lydia’s work at Bien Aimé Farm and get in touch at http://bienaimefarm.org.

Katie Wetsell has always had a calling on her heart to care for children. She has worked as a pediatric oncology nurse and pediatric nurse practitioner. After experiencing the benefits of parent coaching through Connected Families, Katie later resigned from nursing and became a Certified Parent Coach. She and her husband have four children (three boys and a girl) through birth and adoption. Katie is also trained in SPACE, an adaptation of Nonviolent Resistance, that helps parents learn how to support their children struggling with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders. You can learn more about Katie at http://www.parentwithhope.org/, and on Facebook @parentwithhopecoach and Instagram @parentwithhopecoach.

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

When big behaviors feel scary, you have real hope.

In this mini-course, you’ll be equipped to handle aggressive behaviors with grace, confidence, and wisdom.

Using practical, evidence-based tools alongside the Connected Families Framework™, you’ll come away with a personalized safety plan and the deep reassurance that God has equipped you for this.

Get Equipped Today

New Course Now Available: Find Confidence in Crisis Today!

When a child’s aggressive behavior fills your home, it can stir up intense feelings in you, too. In this mini-episode, Stacy Bellward, and Certified Parent Coaches Katie Johnson and Amy Nyvall offer a grace-filled starting point for parents facing intense emotional moments at home.

Hear a hopeful perspective on what may be happening beneath a child’s anger. You’ll also find practical ways to prepare your own heart and body so you can bring greater calm, connection, and wisdom into difficult moments. Listen for practical encouragement rooted in God’s grace and the Connected Families Framework™.

Key Takeaways:

• How to identify your own physical signs of stress
• How empathy can build safety and connection before correction
• Why small micro shifts in your response can shape a difficult moment
• Encouragement for looking beneath your child’s aggressive anger

Mentioned in this Podcast:

• cf community
• Confidence in Crisis: Navigating Aggressive Behaviors online course
• Proverbs 18:10
• The Table Monthly Giving Program

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

Guest Bio:

Amy Nyvall is a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach who lives near Portland, Oregon, where she homeschools her kids ages 14,11, and 9 and leads a vibrant Charlotte Mason Education Community and Co-op. Contact Amy at amynyvall@gmail.com or learn more about her here. Amy is available for coaching and speaking on the Connected Families Framework. You can even find her contributing to events on the CF Community in Mighty so you can interact with her there too.

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

When big behaviors feel scary, you have real hope.

In this mini-course, you’ll be equipped to handle aggressive behaviors with grace, confidence, and wisdom.

Using practical, evidence-based tools alongside the Connected Families Framework™, you’ll come away with a personalized safety plan and the deep reassurance that God has equipped you for this.

Get Equipped Today

New Course Now Available: Find Confidence in Crisis Today!

When your child hits you, kicks you, or says something that takes your breath away, and a single thought takes over: I have to make this stop. In this honest conversation, host Chad Hayenga sits down with coaches Lydia Rex and Katie Wetsell to explore what’s really happening beneath a child’s aggressive behavior, and why the goal isn’t to fix it magically, but to become the steady, faith-filled presence your child needs in their hardest moments. What they share might just change the way you show up on the car ride home.

If this conversation hits home for you, there’s a next step made for exactly this.

Lydia and Katie built a brand-new mini course, Confidence in the Crisis: Navigating Aggressive Behaviors, for parents who feel shaken by their child’s big behaviors. For just $28, they walk alongside you, weaving the Connected Families Framework™ together with Trust-Based Relational Intervention® and Nonviolent Resistance into one practical, faith-filled experience. You’ll leave with a personalized safety plan for your family, evidence-based strategies you can use right away, and deeper trust that God has equipped you for this very moment. With a plan, what once felt unsettling can become an opportunity to anchor your family in faith and grow closer through the hard things.

Key Takeaways:

• What aggression really is, and the deeper emotions often driving it
• The physical and brain-body factors parents often overlook: sleep, nutrition, neurodivergence, pain, and more
• Why the Connected Families Framework still applies, even when bigger struggles are at play
• How to move from “I have to make this behavior stop” to “God has equipped me for this moment”

Mentioned in this Podcast:

• Confidence in Crisis online course NEW!
• 2 Timothy 1:7
• Malachi 4:2
• Psalm 4:4
• Blog Post – Why Is My Child So Angry? The #1 Unexpected Reason & Practical Steps to Take
• The Table Monthly Giving Program

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

Guest Bio:

Lydia Rex is the Director of Family Support for Bien Aimé (bee-ehn eh-MAY) Farm, where she works with families who have adopted children. She is a registered nurse, Connected Families certified parent coach, Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) practitioner, and co-hosted the Sensitive and Intense Kids online course with Lynne Jackson. No stranger to the challenges of the parenting journey, Lydia offers empathy, encouragement, and a deep commitment to walking alongside parents through the Connected Families Framework. It’s her joy to see God’s grace healing the hearts of parents and children. Lydia, her husband Kyle, and their two kids live in Minnesota, where they enjoy homeschooling, outdoor activities, and reading lots of books. You can learn more about Lydia’s work at Bien Aimé Farm and get in touch at http://bienaimefarm.org.

Katie Wetsell has always had a calling on her heart to care for children. She has worked as a pediatric oncology nurse and pediatric nurse practitioner. After experiencing the benefits of parent coaching through Connected Families, Katie later resigned from nursing and became a Certified Parent Coach. She and her husband have four children (three boys and a girl) through birth and adoption. Katie is also trained in SPACE, an adaptation of Non Violent Resistance, that helps parents learn how to support their children struggling with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders. You can learn more about Katie at http://www.parentwithhope.org/, and on Facebook @parentwithhopecoach and Instagram @parentwithhopecoach.

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

When big behaviors feel scary, you have real hope.

In this mini-course, you’ll be equipped to handle aggressive behaviors with grace, confidence, and wisdom.

Using practical, evidence-based tools alongside the Connected Families Framework™, you’ll come away with a personalized safety plan and the deep reassurance that God has equipped you for this.

Get Equipped Today

Ready to start a small group this Fall? Explore Connected Families small groups here.

The best parenting support often comes from something simple: walking alongside one another instead of carrying the hard moments on our own.

That’s the heart of today’s conversation, as host Stacy Bellward sits down with Dr. Cindy Wilson (Director of Education, Equipping, and Research) and Lori Menekheim (Ministry Partnership Manager) to explore why growing in community makes such a difference. Whether you’re a parent craving encouragement, a friend wanting to gather a few neighbors, or a church leader hoping to support families well, there’s something here for you.

Much of that community can grow through Connected Families small groups, and Cindy and Lori make the case for why this Fall is the time to start one. Along the way, they share their own journeys, share a story of one group’s transformation, and practical answers about the courses, registration, and the support leaders receive.

And if the thought of leading makes you nervous, they have good news: perfection isn’t the point. Transparency and a willingness to grow together are. As Fall approaches, consider whether God might be nudging you to gather a few parents and grow in grace, wisdom, and confidence together. Listen to the full episode for the encouragement and next steps to get started.

Key Takeaways:

• Growth happens best in community, and walking alongside other parents builds wisdom, peace, and confidence on the hard days
• You don’t have to be an expert to lead. Your honest, imperfect moments are often what free others to grow
• Practical tips for starting a group of your own, from choosing a course to the support leaders receive from Connected Families

Mentioned in this Podcast:

• Connected Families Small Groups
• Connected Families Certified Parent Coach Training Program
• Ministry Partnership Program
• Virtual Small Groups Hosted by CF Coaches
• The Table Monthly Giving Program
• cf community Membership

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

Guest Bio:

Cindy Wilson is a CF-Certified Parent Coach and a Certified Family Life Educator with 20+ years in children & family ministry and academia. As Director of Education, Equipping, and Research for CF, she helps churches, schools, and other organizations use CF resources to equip and support families in their community. She is also helping collect data to show the impact of CF resources on parents and families. Cindy lives in Florida with her husband of over 30 years. She has three adult children, one son-in-law, four grandchildren, and a farm full of animals.

Lori Menikheim is a wife, mom of two strong-willed teenage girls, and Kids Ministry leader with over 15 years of experience. She is CF’s new Ministry Partnership Program Director, where she helps churches, schools, and other Christian organizations use CF resources to equip and support parents in their communities. When she discovered Connected Families, she finally found the language, tools, and hope to parent well and lead ministry well. Now she loves connecting with parents and ministry leaders who want to partner with God in reaching the next generation.

Want to keep this conversation going?

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👉 Join the cf community today

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This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

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Have you ever felt like your child just doesn’t care about their bad grades on their report card, no matter how much you push, remind, or worry? In this audioblog, adapted from two of our blog posts, guest host Chad Hayenga closes out our four-week back-to-school series with one of the most freeing questions a parent can ask: “Whose problem is it, really?” Discover why pushing harder often backfires, how the 4 messages of the Connected Families Framework™ can break the anxiety-nagging cycle, and how to trade the role of manager for the hopeful role of mentor.

Key Takeaways:

• Discover the “anxiety-nagging cycle”
• Learn how the 4 messages of the Connected Families Framework can breathe life back into a relationship strained by report-card tension
• Learn one simple question to ask yourself to free yourself to become your child’s encourager instead of manager

Mentioned in this Podcast:

• Blog Post – Your Child’s Grades Don’t Matter (To You)
• Blog Post – Whose Problem Is It? Teaching Kids Responsibility
• Ep. 311 – Toddler Separation Anxiety: Why Does My Toddler Cry at Drop-Off?
• Connected Families Parenting Coaching
• The Table Monthly Giving Program
• Matthew 12:34
• Philippians 3:3-4
• Galatians 6:7

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

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

"I hate you!" When those words fly on the ride home after school, it's easy to feel stuck. In this back-to-school season mini episode, host Stacy Bellward pulls back the curtain on a live cf community group coaching call, where Certified Parent Coaches Katie Johnson and Pam Bjerke work through one of the most common back-to-school challenges parents face. Get a taste of how walking a real parenting question through the Connected Families Framework™ can shift your whole perspective.

Key Takeaways:

Why your child's behavior is a message, not the whole story.

How to model and offer language that honors others while staying true to how your child really feels.

What changes when you meet a hard moment with empathy and curiosity before correction.

Mentioned in this Podcast:

Join - cf community

Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart Online Course

Sensitive & Intense Kids Online Course

Pam Bjerke - Connected Families Certified Parent Coach

The Table Monthly Giving Program

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

Guest Bio:

As a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach, Pam Bjerke brings warmth, wisdom, and practical insight to every audience she serves. With experience speaking to diverse groups across the U.S., Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, she has led workshops and trainings for moms' groups, adoptive and foster parents, trafficking survivors, schools, churches, teachers, and more, at both online and in-person events. Her goal is always the same: to offer grace-filled messages and actionable strategies grounded in the Connected Families Framework™ that participants can immediately apply at home or in the classroom. Pam is a licensed early childhood teacher and has training in TBRI, Conscious Discipline, and Interplay Play Therapy. She holds a certification in ARC Trauma Treatment for Children and Adolescents.

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

Those tearful drop-offs at preschool can leave any parent feeling shaken or unsure of what to do next. In this episode, host Stacy Bellward reads one of our most popular blog posts as an audioblog, exploring what's really happening beneath the surface of separation anxiety.

If you’ve ever navigated toddler separation anxiety, you’ll discover a new perspective on the hidden factors behind your child’s fears of drop-off, and how to help.

Key Takeaways:

Why crying at drop-off is often completely normal and can actually reflect healthy, solid attachment.

Learn how several hidden factors can feed your child's fear of separation, and understanding them changes how you respond.

How a shift in your goal at drop-off can make all the difference

Discover how your child's sensitivities can become a source of confidence, joy, and compassion.

Mentioned in this Podcast:

Blog Post - Help! My Anxious Child Cries When Dropped Off At Daycare

Healthy Rhythms for Daily Life Online Course (also included in the cf community!)

Ep. 310 - Parenting a Neurodivergent Child: How to Advocate at School

The Table Monthly Giving Program

James 1:5

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

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

That sinking feeling when another teacher's email arrives, listing everything your child did "wrong" again? If you’re parenting a neurodivergent child, you likely know this feeling well.

In this replay episode, host Stacy Bellward talks with Connected Families parent coaches Marni Love and Taylor Irby, two moms who've walked this road themselves. Together they talk about what it looks like to advocate for your child with grace and confidence. Through their honest stories and practical wisdom, they explore how a diagnosis can open doors to help, how to partner genuinely with teachers, and how connection can carry families through the hard parts.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Why releasing the family you imagined and embracing the child in front of you changes everything

Practical strategies for setting your kids up to thrive at school

What to include on a one-page advocacy sheet that helps teachers truly see your child

How to build the support that your child needs, without doing it alone

Whether you're new to advocacy or years into the journey, this conversation offers wisdom, peace, and real confidence for the road ahead.

Mentioned in this Podcast:

Focus is Fertilizer

Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart Online Course

Grace & Truth for Moms Online Course

Sensitive & Intense Kids Online Course

Parent Coaching

ABC’s of Affirmation

Meet My Child Template

Episode 309 - Should I Homeschool? Discerning What's Best For Your Family

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

Guest Bio:

Marni Love is a former public school teacher who has been a home educator for 16 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. Marni is available for coaching and speaking. You can connect with her through her website, marnilove.com.

Taylor Irby is a mother to 5 kids, and she understands the struggles parents face. Every day she faces ADHD, autism, anxiety, developmental delays, and adoption trauma. She, too, has sat in the midst of challenges and searched the world for answers. Taylor read book after book and got excited over short-lived methods. That is when she hit the wall of desperation and sought parent coaching through Connected Families. Taylor ultimately became a coach through their training program to help others like her. She has seen transformation in her home by working with a framework that has changed not only her children’s behavior but their hearts as well. You are not alone on this parenting journey. There is hope, and you can enjoy your children, build that relationship you have wanted, and see behavior change. You can learn more about Taylor on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/taylor.irby.5 and Instagram @taylorirbycoaching

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

Asking yourself, "Should I homeschool," this school year? It's a weighty question—and one you don't have to answer on your own. In this episode, host Stacy Bellward is joined by two Connected Families Certified Parent Coaches and seasoned homeschooling moms, Marni Love and Amy Nyvall, who bring 16+ years of combined experience to this conversation.

Rather than handing out a one-size-fits-all answer, Marni and Amy walk through the decision using the Connected Families Framework™. They tackle real questions submitted by the cf community and help you discern what’s best for your family!

Key Takeaways:

The decision starts with you, not the curriculum.

Your educational gaps aren't a disqualifier. Every parent (and every school) has them.

Motivation is built, not demanded.

Your child isn't your report card. Homeschooling doesn't make you a better parent, and a hard day doesn't define you

Mentioned in this Podcast:

Romans 8:39

The Connected Families Framework

Sensitive & Intense Kids Online Course

cf community

Homeschool Discipline Online Course

Connected Families Certified Parent Coaches

The Table Monthly Giving Program

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

Guest Bio:

Marni Love is a former public school teacher who has been a home educator for 16 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. Marni is available for coaching and speaking. You can connect with her through her website, marnilove.com.

Amy Nyvall is a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach who lives near Portland, Oregon, where she homeschools her kids ages 14,11, and 9 and leads a vibrant Charlotte Mason Education Community and Co-op. Contact Amy at amynyvall@gmail.com or learn more about her here. Amy is available for coaching and speaking on the Connected Families Framework. You can even find her contributing to events on the CF Community in Mighty so you can interact with here there too.

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

We were never meant to walk the parenting journey alone. In this heartwarming and eye-opening episode, host Cindy Wilson (Director of Education, Equipping, and Research at Connected Families) sits down with Crystal Wilson, the Director of Global Fundraising Strategy at Compassion International. Together, they explore the universal heartbeat of motherhood and the essential, life-giving power of Christian community.

If lonely motherhood has been weighing on you, and you're longing to build deeper, more authentic relationships right where you are, this conversation offers a beautiful reminder of how God wired us for connection, grace, and mutual support.

Key Takeaways:

Discover the universal heart of parenthood from mothers around the world

Learn practical steps to overcome isolation

Discover powerful stories of how local churches worldwide are partnering with organizations to bring joy

Mentioned in this Podcast:

Acts 2

Galatians 6:2

Matthew 16:18

Compassion International

Compassion’s Survival Program

Connected Families Ministry Partnership Program

The Table Monthly Giving Program

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

Guest Bio:

Crystal Wilson is a dynamic leader whose life purpose is to serve the world's most vulnerable by connecting them with life-changing resources. She currently serves as Director of Global Fundraising Strategy at Compassion International, leading global and multicultural fundraising strategies fueled by her faith, entrepreneurial mindset, and passion for Christ. A graduate of the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Crystal spent 15 years in the automotive industry leading high-performing PR and marketing teams for major brands including Cadillac, Lincoln, and Nissan. Licensed to preach the gospel at age 24, she launched and led a young adult ministry for over five years under her father, Rev. Dr. David L. Roberson, Senior Pastor of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, and also served as Director of Children's Church at Life Changers International Church. She is a co-founder of THRIVE!, Compassion's Employee Resource Group that supports and empowers working mothers. Above all, Crystal's most treasured roles are wife to Cameron Wilson and mom to Cameron Ray (14) and Christian David (11).

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

As a self-described sensitive and intense mom raising two sensitive and intense daughters, Laura Way, Content Manager at Connected Families, wraps up our summertime conflict series with a powerful tool we use called Slow, Low, & Listen, which also applies easily when you have kids fighting in the next room!

Drawing from Scripture, brain science, and her own kitchen-floor moments with her seven-year-old, Laura unpacks why our nervous systems get so easily hijacked by our children's big emotions and offers a practical, grace-filled path forward. You'll learn how slowing down, getting low, and listening can transform the way you enter into your kids' hard moments.

Whether you're navigating sibling conflict, meltdowns, or daily chaos, this episode offers wisdom and tools to help you respond with the grace-filled presence you long to bring to your parenting.

Key Takeaways:

Why your calm has to come first—and how to find it when your child's emotions feel overwhelming

The brain science behind why a screaming child can trigger the same response as real danger

What "Slow, Low, Listen" actually looks like in real life (with Laura's honest, in-the-moment examples)

How to move from reacting at your child to responding with your child

Mentioned in this Podcast:

Blog Post - How to Break Habits of Harshness: Try Slow, Low, & Listen

James 1:19–20

John 8:1-11

Sibling Conflict Online Course

cf community

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

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

Bickering. The escalating voices in the next room make you wonder whether to referee or run the other way. If sibling conflict has become the soundtrack of your home, you are so not alone, and this episode is for you!

In week two of our Summertime Conflict series, host Stacy Bellward unpacks the heart of sibling squabbles and offers a refreshing reframe: those arguments happening between your kids right now? As a Christian parent, you have golden opportunities to raise lifelong peacemakers under your own roof.

Whether you’re parenting toddlers or teens locked in a week-long standoff, you’ll walk away with wisdom, hope, and tangible tools to pursue peace in your family. Listen in!

Key Takeaways:

Gain insight into when to step into your kids’ squabbles

From questions to role-playing, discover practical ways to enter into the heat of the moment with your kids

How learning true reconciliation points us to Christ

Our Episode Sponsor

Today’s episode is brought to you by David Richter, owner of SimpleCFO and author of Profit First for Real Estate Investing. We’re grateful for David’s sponsorship, which helps make these conversations possible for families everywhere. You can find more information on his website https://simplecfo.com/.

Mentioned in this Podcast:

Ephesians 4:32

Matthew 5:9

Sibling Conflict Online Course

cf community

Episode 305 – Helping Siblings Make Up After A “Fight”

Trash, Truth, Treasure Online Course

Calming Strategies PDF

The Table Monthly Giving Program

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

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families