The MAVEN Parent Podcast

How should you respond when your child bites, hits, or refuses to apologize? Is your child really “good inside”? Popular parenting expert Dr. Becky Kennedy (and many other gentle parenting gurus) would say so. But while much of today’s parenting advice sounds compassionate and appealing, it doesn’t actually line up with reality. In this episode, Brett and Erin take a closer look at popular parenting expert Dr. Becky Kennedy’s advice on child behavior, human nature, and teaching kids to apologize. And more importantly, analyze if it aligns with what Scripture teaches about the human heart. Watch the clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqnhSZCl0PM Does Gentle Parenting work? Here’s our free ebook: https://equip.maventruth.com/gentle-parenting-ebook San Antonio! You don’t want to miss out on the MAVEN Conference THIS WEEKEND: https://www.mavenconferences.com/sanantonio MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

Why do so many kids who grow up in the church walk away from the faith? And is there anything Christian parents can actually do about it? There are no guarantees, but too often the church disciples kids’ hearts while neglecting their minds, leaving them unprepared for the challenges waiting for them after they leave home. In this episode, Brett and Erin share how a college philosophy professor nearly dismantled Brett’s faith and lay out a practical three-stage plan for discipling your kids’ minds, from toddlerhood all the way through high school.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Have-Enough-Faith-Atheist/dp/1433580756

The New City Catechism: https://newcitycatechism.com/

Send your student on a MAVEN Open Enrollment Immersive Experience: https://maventruth.com/open-enrollment/

Join us at the 2026 MAVEN Conference in San Antonio on November 7: https://www.mavenconferences.com

MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

What is the purpose of dating? Most Christian parents know what they don’t want for their kids when it comes to love, sex, and relationships, but struggle to explain what God does want and why. And with stories like the Cornell Seven case all over our kids’ social media feeds, the culture is more than happy to answer that question for them. In this episode, Brett and Erin build a biblical framework for dating from God’s original design in Genesis and share the practical boundaries they’ve used with their own kids to guide them toward healthy, God-honoring relationships.

Listen to our series on helping your kids navigate dating:
Helping Your Kids Navigate the Wonderful World of Dating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPXKcnVPsMM
5 Conversations You Should Have With Your Teens Before They Date: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dG4sfmLjpE
What Boundaries Should Parents Set for Teens and Dating?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYohNhcIdzY

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People make truth claims all day long. This is true, that's a lie, that's false. Ask them to actually define the word and most of them have nothing.

MAVEN recently hosted a C.S. Lewis Symposium in Southern California with Dr. Jerry Root — Lewis scholar, longtime Wheaton College professor, and a man with a deeply pastoral heart. In this session, Jerry makes the case that truth is simpler to define than we think and far more costly to abandon than we realize. There's a relativist, a blue cow on a piano, a sitcom romance that teaches logical fallacies better than any textbook, and an idea Jerry calls the biggest one Lewis ever had.

Want to hear Jerry in person? He's speaking at the 2026 MAVEN Conference in San Antonio on November 7! Register here: https://www.mavenconferences.com

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Imagine a field trip permission slip that listed the side effects: anxiety, suicidal ideation, obesity, shortened attention span. You'd never sign it. But that's the trip we've sent an entire generation of kids on, and the results are in. In this episode, Brett and Erin talk with Arlene Pellicane, author of The Great Tech Reset: Reclaiming Real Life for Christian Families. Arlene lays out what she calls the A-B-C-D harms of a screen-based childhood, starting with anxiety, and explains why the problem isn't only bad content.

GET THE BOOK FREE: Summit Ministries is giving away copies of The Great Tech Reset while supplies last: https://techresetbook.com

More from Arlene Pellicane: https://arlenepellicane.com/

Watch her free film, Screen Kids: In Their Own Words: https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/film

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt: https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/book

Download the MAVEN smartphone contract: https://equip.maventruth.com/sign-up

Get the free Navigating a World of Screens course: https://equip.maventruth.com/navigating-a-world-of-screens

MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

Is Islam a religion of peace? It's one of the most common claims in our culture, especially after a terrorist attack. But what do Islam's own sources actually say?

In this episode, Brett and Erin continue their conversation with Alan Shlemon of Stand to Reason. Christians follow Jesus, and Muslims follow Muhammad, so Alan takes us to the three sources Muslims look to for how to live: the Quran, the hadith, and the sunnah (the life of Muhammad). He explains why he thinks the better question is "Is violent jihad a valid Islamic doctrine?" He also explains why most Muslims you'll meet are peaceful even though, in his view, the doctrine is legitimate.

If you haven't yet, start with part one of our conversation with Alan: https://linktw.in/qtcxbm

Resources mentioned in this episode: The Ambassador's Guide to Islam by Alan Shlemon: https://store.str.org/purchase/the-ambassadors-guide-to-islam

More from Alan Shlemon at Stand to Reason: https://www.str.org/alan-shlemon

Answering Jihad by Nabeel Qureshi: https://www.amazon.com/Answering-Jihad-Better-Way-Forward/dp/0310531381

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi: https://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Allah-Finding-Jesus-Christianity/dp/0310092647

Still the Best Hope by Dennis Prager: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Best-Hope-American-Triumph/dp/0061985139

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Most Christians know a few things about Islam—the Quran, Allah, whatever they've picked up from the news—but not enough to put the pieces together. So when someone says "Muslims and Christians worship the same God," they're not sure how to answer.

In this episode, Brett and Erin sit down with Alan Shlemon of Stand to Reason, a longtime friend and colleague, for a ground-level introduction to Islam. Alan walks through the three things that matter most in any conversation with a Muslim—who God is, who Jesus is, and how salvation works—and explains why the Islamic doctrine of tawhid makes the Trinity not just wrong but blasphemous, why the Quran actually says more about Jesus than about Muhammad, and how the five pillars fit into a system where your good deeds are weighed against your bad ones.

Get Alan's booklet The Ambassador's Guide to Islam and more resources at Stand to Reason: https://www.str.org/

Register for the C.S. Lewis Symposium: https://www.mavenconferences.com/cslewissymposium

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Abdu Murray grew up in a devout Shia Muslim home where faith wasn't one activity among many—it was identity, family, and daily life woven together. He was confident enough in it to spend years challenging Christians on their own beliefs, and winning. Then came a nine-year investigation into Islam and Christianity that led him to Christ, at real cost to the family and community that raised him.

In this episode, Brett and Erin sit down with Abdu, president of Embrace the Truth and author of Fake ID, to hear that story from the beginning: the home that formed him, the objections he pressed against Christians, the evidence that eventually broke through, and what it cost him to walk away.

They pull out what Christian parents can learn from it—why Muslim families are often better at forming identity than we are, the two questions our kids are least prepared to answer (Who is God? and Why trust the Bible?), why conversion asks far more of a person than we usually admit, and how to teach our kids about Islam in a way that treats Muslims as image-bearers rather than opponents.

Listen to our first conversation with Abdu on AI and identity: https://linktw.in/rKcxDZ

Learn more about Abdu's ministry Embrace the Truth here: https://embracethetruth.org/

Register for the C.S. Lewis Symposium: https://www.mavenconferences.com/cslewissymposium

MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

AI is changing the world and developing faster than we can track. But what if the biggest danger isn't what AI can do, but what it reveals about what we believe about reality and what it means to be human?

In this episode, Brett and Erin sit down with Abdu Murray, president of Embrace Truth and author of Fake ID, to unpack the convergence of artificial intelligence and identity ideology, why he argues that both are accelerating a reality collapse in our culture, and what this means for Christian parents who are trying to disciple the next generation.

Purchase Abdu's book here: https://embracethetruth.org/fake-id/

Get the parent reader guide for Abdu's book here: https://embracethetruth.org/fake-id-resources-sign-up-form/

Learn more about Abdu's ministry Embrace the Truth here: https://embracethetruth.org/

Register for the C.S. Lewis Symposium: https://www.mavenconferences.com/cslewissymposium

MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

What do you actually do when your kids don’t listen? We talk a lot on this podcast about setting boundaries, holding kids accountable, and discipline but what do those strategies actually look like in the nitty gritty of real life with real kids? What do you do when your child ignores you, hits a sibling, speaks disrespectfully, or refuses to do their chores? In this episode, Brett and Erin get incredibly practical by walking you through real-life discipline scenarios and explaining how Christian parents can move from biblical principles to concrete action.

Learn more about why Gentle Parenting isn't an effective way to parent: https://equip.maventruth.com/gentle-parenting-ebook

Register for the C.S. Lewis Symposium: https://www.mavenconferences.com/cslewissymposium

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What does it mean to be male or female? And why does it matter? Our culture is notoriously confused about sex, gender, and identity. How can Christians cut through the confusion to communicate the truth with both Biblical clarity and compassion? In this episode, Erin exposes three lies shaping culture's conversation about gender and explores how the beauty and goodness of God's design for men and women goes beyond stereotypes.

Register for the C.S. Lewis Symposium: https://www.mavenconferences.com/cslewissymposium

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Is youth sports slowly becoming the center of your family's life?

In this episode, Brett and Erin take a hard look at the growing “sports cult” in American culture and how parents can get sucked in without even realizing. From year-round teams and rising costs to Sunday games, early specialization, and the pressure to chase college scholarships, youth sports can easily move from being a good thing in a child's life to becoming the thing that dictates the family's priorities.

But this isn't an argument against sports. Sports teaches kids teamwork, discipline, and perseverance. The question is: Have we allowed a good thing to become an idol?

Brett and Erin share their own experiences navigating youth sports with their kids and offer practical ways parents can set healthy boundaries, resist the pressure to specialize, protect family and church priorities, and keep sports in their proper place.

Read the report on youth sports: https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/family-savings/what-families-are-really-spending-to-keep-kids-in-sports

Register for the C.S. Lewis Symposium: https://www.mavenconferences.com/cslewissymposium

MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

Is making life easier for your kids actually making their life harder?

In this episode, Brett and Erin explain why they intentionally made their own kids struggle...and why they don't regret it. From chores and earning money to facing consequences and doing hard things, they share practical ways they helped their kids build resilience, confidence, and character, in a culture that encourages parents to remove every obstacle from their kids' lives.

Watch the opening video: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1754917668871800/?fs=e&mibextid=wwXIfr&fs=e

Register for the C.S. Lewis Symposium: https://www.mavenconferences.com/cslewissymposium

MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

Today's kids have more information than any generation in history but they struggle to pay attention, think deeply, and engage with truth. Why? In this episode, Brett and Erin sit down with Dr. Matt Burford, founder of Tactical Faith, to explore the hidden cost of the attention economy and what it's doing to our kids' minds. Together, they build a practical framework for how parents can address the attention crisis in our young people, helping them to wrestle with big ideas and cultivate wisdom instead of mere information.

Check out Tactical Faith: https://tacticalfaith.com/

Looking for a reading list for kids of all ages? https://jasonmbaxter.substack.com/p/how-to-get-your-kids-to-fall-in-love

Register for the C.S. Lewis Symposium: https://www.mavenconferences.com/cslewissymposium

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"There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it." It's one of the best opening lines in children's literature—and it introduces one of C.S. Lewis's brattiest characters. In this episode, Brett and Erin explore the parenting lessons hidden in C.S. Lewis's unforgettable character, Eustace Scrubb, from "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader." What does Lewis's initial description of Eustace teach children about having good vs bad character? What clues does he give about the family that shaped him? And what can Christian parents—and their kids—learn from Eustace's remarkable redemption?

Listen to our recent episode on reading and literature: https://linktw.in/qHGugW

Register for the C.S. Lewis Symposium: https://www.mavenconferences.com/cslewissymposium

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Brett and Erin took their grandkids to see Toy Story 5 recently and wow! Pixar's latest film may have unintentionally created one of the most realistic portrayals of modern parenting yet. An eight-year-old gets her first tablet even though her parents aren't sure they're making the right decision, and within hours, technology has replaced play. Sound familiar?

In this episode, they unpack where the parents went wrong in Toy Story 5 and discuss how Christian parents can navigate technology with wisdom and courage.

Download the smartphone contract: https://equip.maventruth.com/sign-up

Get your free copy of the Navigating a World of Screens course: https://equip.maventruth.com/navigating-a-world-of-screens

MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

Kids today are reading less and scrolling more. They're being shaped by a digital world that trains them to expect constant stimulation. And at it's core, the decline of reading is a spiritual and cultural problem. In this episode, Brett and Erin sit down with Dr. Jason Baxter, the Director of the Center for Beauty and Culture at Benedictine College and author of Why Literature Matters, to explore how the Great Books shape the imagination, train the affections, and help form the kind of wisdom, attention, and character our kids need to flourish.

Read the study on education: https://cepr.harvard.edu/news/2026/05/why-us-test-scores-are-generation-long-decline

Read Dr. Baxter's books: https://www.jasonmbaxter.com/my-bookstore

Get the reading list: https://jasonmbaxter.substack.com/p/how-to-get-your-kids-to-fall-in-love

Read "Help! Where Do I Go From Here?" - https://substack.com/home/post/p-177828655

Learn more about Dr. Baxter: https://www.jasonmbaxter.com/

Are you proud to be an American? This week, we're celebrating 250 years of our nation! But nowadays, pride in America is hitting never-before-seen lows. In a culture where it's trendy to despise the United States, how can parents offer a counteracting narrative to our kids amid all the noise? Because if you don't intentionally shape your child's view of America, the culture will do it for you. In this episode, Brett and Erin talk with Jeannette Tulis, a homeschool mom and library and book enthusiast, about how you can use stories to teach kids about U.S. history and direct them towards a reasoned patriotism.

The poll: https://youtu.be/Cofbkllf0Jc?si=MpcFnOdbcuu8t_l5&t=156

Watch our episode on a Reasoned Patriotism: https://linktw.in/vpsipF

Jeannette's recommended book list: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gIICAbubHtCQvNkKtveI26OuZFC5iPmi/view

Download our new parenting ebook: https://equip.maventruth.com/gentle-parenting-ebook

Join us for LIVE Q&A on YouTube every 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 12 pm Pacific! https://www.youtube.com/@we_are_MAVEN

MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

Your kids are being discipled every day, but by who? Through social media feeds, classrooms, textbooks, influencers, and friends, they are constantly being confronted by competing worldview ideas. And many of the cultural conversations surrounding identity, truth, justice, and what it means to be human are shaped by the ideas behind "wokeness." In this episode, Brett and Erin sit down with Dr. Neil Shenvi and Dr. Pat Sawyer, authors of Post-Woke, to unpack the worldview behind many of today's cultural debates. Together, they explore how critical theory has influenced our culture, why these ideas continue to resonate with young people, and how parents can help their kids navigate them.

Read about the trans athlete mentioned at the beginning - https://abc7.com/post/jurupa-valley-transgender-athlete-ab-hernandez-wins-2-titles-cif-state-track-field-championships/19206586/

Pick up the book "Post-Woke" - https://a.co/d/04pxzEsC

Learn more about Neil Shenvi - https://shenviapologetics.com/

Learn more about Pat Sawyer - https://www.patsawyer.org/

Download our new parenting ebook: https://equip.maventruth.com/gentle-parenting-ebook

Join us for LIVE Q&A on YouTube every 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 12 pm Pacific! https://www.youtube.com/@we_are_MAVEN

MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/

Progressive Christianity is evolving. As deconstruction content spreads across social media, many students and young adults are encountering challenges to historic Christianity from voices that seem compassionate, relatable, and trustworthy—all delivered in 30-second, bite-sized clips. In this episode, Brett and Erin sit down with Alisa Childers to discuss how Progressive Christianity has adapted for a new generation, common red flags parents should watch for, and how Christians can help students navigate these ideas with confidence and discernment.

Get the student edition of “Another Gospel” - https://a.co/d/0aKvg2DH

Learn more about Alisa and her books: https://alisachilders.com/

Check out Alisa's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@alisachilders

Download our new parenting ebook: https://equip.maventruth.com/gentle-parenting-ebook

Join us for LIVE Q&A on YouTube every 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 12 pm Pacific! https://www.youtube.com/@we_are_MAVEN

MAVEN...is donor-supported...DONATE HERE: https://maventruth.com/donation/