Pornography exposure is happening younger and more often than most parents realize, and it’s affecting both boys and girls. In this episode, Karen and Erin Mashaw are joined by returning guest Kristen Jenson, author of Good Pictures, Bad Pictures, for a practical conversation about what to do when your child has been exposed to pornography.

If you’ve been avoiding this awkward conversation, today’s discussion will motivate you and equip you to help your child navigate this topic.

Episode Recap:

• We want our kids to have a plan to reject pornography when they see it (1:30)
• Parents underestimate kids’ negative online exposure (3:30)
• Your kid is not bad because they are curious about sex (6:00)
• Girls’ exposure to pornography is often through literature (8:10)
• Take time to compose yourself before responding (13:50)
• Don’t blame yourself (18:00)
• These conversations help arm our kids against the influence of porn (22:00)
• Your child deserves to be prepared (27:00)

Scripture:
Psalm 119:9 (NIV) "How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word."

Discussion Questions: 

1. What emotions come up when you think about having conversations about pornography with your children?
2. What practical steps has your family taken to create open communication around technology and online safety?
3. What would it look like for your home to be a safe place for difficult conversations?

Resources:

• Register for the SOAR Conference today. 
• Become a WT+ Insider today! boaw.mom/insider
• Pick up a copy of Good Pictures Bad Pictures or Good Pictures, Bad Pictures Guide for Girls
• Arm yourself with free anti-pornography resources at Defend Young Minds
• Connect with Kristen online: 
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DefendYM/
  • Instagram: @defendyoungminds
  • X: @defendYM
  • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/defend-young-minds

Want More of This Conversation?
During Wire Talk+, Kristen explains what's happening in a child's brain after pornography exposure, why these images can become "sticky," and how parents can help prevent repeated viewing from becoming a long-term struggle.

Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

Summer doesn't have to be packed with fancy vacations or elaborate plans to be memorable. In this episode, Karen and Emily share simple, practical ways to add more laughter, spontaneity, and fun to your family's everyday moments. From DQ runs to dance-party cleanups, we hope this episode gives you some ideas and encourages you to let go of the pressure and just enjoy your kids this summer!

Episode Recap:

• We’re talking about creating fun this summer with your kids (2:02)
• Does summer feel daunting or fun to you? (4:35)
• Fun isn’t trivial, it creates connection (9:53)
• It’s okay to let your kids be bored (12:10)
• Ask yourself, “is there a FUN way to do this?” (18:33)
• Fun is the antidote to anxiety! (20:57)
• I’m a blue, what if “fun mom” is just not my personality? (22:38)
• Nothing is ever enough for my kids (26:22)
• My kids are always bored, no matter what I do (27:11) 

Scripture:

Proverbs 17:22 (NIV) "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

Discussion Questions: 

1. What are some of your favorite summer memories from childhood?
2. Which ideas from this episode for adding fun into everyday life could you try with your family this week?
3. Do you feel pressure to create a "perfect" summer for your kids? How might that expectation be stealing joy from your family?
4. How does your temperament influence the way you approach fun and play with your children?

Resources:

• Register for the SOAR Conference today. 
• Become a WT+ Insider today! boaw.mom/insider
• Pick up a pack of conversation starters to add some fun to family dinner

Want More of This Conversation?
During Wire Talk +, Karen and Emily dive into how temperament affects the way moms experience and create fun at home. They also discuss why cultivating joy and laughter in your home matters in the long run.

Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

Summer brings more snacks, more messes, and more opportunities to teach our kids valuable life skills! Today Karen and Emily are talking about why building a strong work ethic starts at home and why moms should avoid overfunctioning for their children, plus Karen gives practical ideas to teach age-appropriate responsibility. We hope this conversation will encourage you to play the long game this summer as you prepare your kids for real life!

Episode Recap:

• You don’t have to be the one cleaning all the messes this summer (1:50)
• Helping around the house instills confidence in kids (3:15)
• We want to raise contributors, not consumers (5:00)
• Teach your children to go the extra mile (8:10)
• What are good kids' chores at each stage of development? (12:00)
• How do you handle kids who push back on doing chores? (18:50)

Scripture:

Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV) "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Discussion Questions: 

1. How were chores and household responsibilities handled in your home growing up? Are you mimicking that environment or handling the workload differently in your own home? 
2. Are there areas where you might be "over-functioning" for your children? What is one responsibility you could begin transferring to them this summer?
3. Which age-appropriate chore or life skill would be most beneficial for your child to learn right now? What would the training phase look like?

Resources:

• Register for the SOAR Conference today. 
• Become a WT+ Insider today! boaw.mom/insider

Want More of This Conversation?
During Wire Talk+, Karen and Emily get real about how chores work in Emily’s houses and Karen demonstrates how to fold a fitted sheet! Don’t sleep on becoming an Insider - learn today!

Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

Summer is a perfect time to help our kids learn to look beyond themselves. In this episode, Karen and Emily share simple, practical ways families can serve together, whether that’s visiting a nursing home, helping with food recovery, serving on a mission trip, or just paying attention to the needs around you. We hope this conversation encourages you to start small, think intentionally, and discover how serving others can grow your family's faith this summer!

Episode Recap:

• Snack time strategies for summer (2:00)
• Serving with your kids can feel daunting (3:52)
• Start small wherever you are (5:36)
• Organizations like Lighthouse have opportunities for your whole family (13:17)
• When you open your eyes, you’ll start to see opportunities everywhere (15:55)
• Pray and ask God to show you ways to give back with your kids this summer (18:00)

Scripture: Philippians 2:3–4 (NIV)
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

Discussion Questions: 

1. What opportunities already exist in your community for your family to serve together?
2. What keeps your family from serving more often, and what’s one small step you could take this summer?
3. Karen talks about how serving helps us get outside our own "bubble." Where might God be inviting your family to lift your eyes beyond your bubble this summer?

Resources:

• Register for the SOAR Conference today. 
• Second Helpings Atlanta
• Lighthouse Family Retreats
• Become a WT+ Insider today! boaw.mom/insider

Want More of This Conversation?
During Wire Talk+, Karen shares a personal story about taking Abby on a mission trip to China when she was just 9 years old - you never know how God is going to use your kids in service! 

Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

We’re kicking off a brand-new summer series today! All month long, we’ll be talking about how to make the most of the new rhythm summer brings to your home. In this episode, we’re talking about simple, practical ways moms can grow spiritually alongside their kids. We hope this conversation encourages you that you don’t have to do this perfectly to take meaningful steps of growth toward Jesus together as a family.

Episode Recap:

• Whether you look forward to summer or dread it, try to enjoy it! (2:00)
• You do not have to entertain your child all summer long (4:14)
• Which kind of summer mom are you? (7:15)
• You want your kids to see Jesus shining through you to your kids (11:35)
• Let your kids see your real struggles (appropriately) (14:00)
• Pray BIG with your kids (17:00)
• Walk your kids through unanswered prayers when you are praying together (20:31)
• Model humility and repentance (22:00)
• What does this look like at different ages? (25:30)

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:6-7(NIV)
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Discussion Questions: 

1. Which part of this conversation felt most challenging to you: praying big, modeling repentance, letting your kids see your struggles, or something else?
2. Which one of these do you feel like you’re already doing? 
3. How can you create small, intentional spiritual rhythms in your home this summer without putting pressure on yourself to “do it perfectly”?
4. What is one practical step you could take this week to help your kids see authentic faith lived out in everyday life?

Resources:

• Pick up a copy of Karen’s devotional to read this summer
• Register for the SOAR Conference today. 
• Snag How to Teach Your Kids the Bible and work through it with your kids this summer! 
• Become a WT+ Insider today! boaw.mom/insider

Want More of This Conversation?
During Wire Talk+, Karen and Emily answer listener questions about kids pushing back against going to church and asking big questions about God.

Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

As we wrap up our Mothers of the Bible series, we’re looking at one of the most complicated and heartbreaking stories in Scripture: Bathsheba. Her life was marked by loss, pain, shame, and circumstances she never would have chosen, yet God was still at work redeeming her story. In this episode, Karen and Emily talk about how our worst moments do not define us, how God meets us in brokenness, and why it’s never too late for redemption.

Episode Recap:

• Soar is coming up in September - join us and see Karen live! (4:00)
• What we know of Bathsheba’s story begins with David’s lust (6:54)
• Bathsheba becomes the mother of Solomon (11:12)
• Bathsheba was not in control of what was happening to her (12:35)
• God is in the business of redemption (14:00)
• Our worst days or seasons do not define our identity (16:00)
• No one is too far gone for God to use in His story (18:19)
• Do not let Satan convince you that you are unworthy (19:20)

Scripture: Matthew 1:6 (NIV)
“David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife…”

Discussion Questions: 

1. Have you ever felt defined by a mistake or painful season in your life?
2. What parts of Bathsheba’s story stand out to you the most, why?
3. Is there an area of your life where you struggle to believe God can bring redemption?
4. What does it practically look like to separate your identity from your past?

Resources:

• Register for the SOAR Conference today. 
• Snag How to Teach Your Kids the Bible and work through it with your kids this summer! 
• Become a WT+ Insider today! boaw.mom/insider

Want More of This Conversation?
During Wire Talk+, Karen and Emily share a family story that illustrates the importance of bringing our sin into the light and allowing Christ to redeem our past.

Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

Naomi’s story is one of grief and disappointment, but ultimately, it’s about redemption. Today on Wire Talk, Karen and Emily continue our Mothers of the Bible series by looking at how God was working behind the scenes even when Naomi felt abandoned and bitter. If you’re walking through loss, broken relationships, or a season that feels nothing like the life you imagined, we hope this look at the life of Naomi reminds you that God is not absent and He is still writing your story.

Episode Recap:

• This week we’re looking at Naomi’s story (1:26)
• When this story begins, Naomi is living through one crisis after another (3:00)
• Naomi’s outlook on her future was bleak (7:30)
• God works to weave a thread of redemption through Naomi’s life (13:42)
• God never abandons us even when it feels like He has (15:33)
• We are not writing our own stories (18:19)

Scripture: 
Ruth 4:14 (NASB) “Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel.”

Discussion Questions: 

1. Have you ever gone through a season where disappointment or grief changed the way you viewed your life or even God?
2. Are there losses or disappointments you’ve tried to “move past” without honestly grieving them?
3. Is there a story you’re currently telling yourself that may not actually be true? (“God has forgotten me,” “Things will never change,” etc.)
4. Which truth from Naomi’s story do you most need to hold onto right now:

• It’s okay to grieve
• Your perspective isn’t always accurate
• God is still writing your story

Resources:

• Register for the SOAR Conference today. 
• Become a WT+ Insider today! boaw.mom/insider
• Snag How to Teach Your Kids the Bible and work through it with your kids this summer! 

Want More of This Conversation?
During Wire Talk+, Karen shares more personally about seasons in her own life that didn’t turn out the way she expected and how God redeemed her disappointment.

Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

Today we’re continuing our Mothers of the Bible series by looking at Hannah’s story in 1 Samuel. Hannah was a woman who longed for a child and wrestled with seasons of waiting and disappointment. Listen as Karen teaches through this story, reminding us that God invites us to trust Him, even when our prayers feel unanswered. If you’ve ever waited on God for something close to your heart, we hope you are encouraged to persevere today.

Episode Recap:

• This week we’re looking at Hannah’s story (0:43)
• Don’t miss the BOAW birthday party after the Soar Conference this year! (2:30)
• Hannah is where, “...for this child I have prayed.” comes from (5:00)
• Hannah had dealt with infertility for years (7:00)
• Your pain may be different from Hannah’s but we can learn from her response (11:03)
• Hannah and Jochebed both had hearts that were surrendered to the Lord (12:40)
• Hannah recognized that it was the Lord who made her strong (16:00) 
• Like sheep, we need to follow first (17:28)
• We must continually remind ourselves that God is good (19:06)

Scripture: 1 Samuel 2:1-2 (NIV) 
“Then Hannah prayed and said:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
    in the Lord my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
    for I delight in your deliverance.

“There is no one holy like the Lord;
    there is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.”

Discussion Questions: 

1. What is something in your life that feels like a “waiting season” right now?
2. How do you typically respond when God doesn’t answer a prayer in your timing?
3. What would it look like to surrender that situation fully to God, like Hannah did?
4. Where are you tempted to compare your life to others, and how is that affecting your heart?
5. How can you remind yourself daily that “God is good” even when life feels hard?
6. Practically speaking, what does it look like for you to let God be your strength instead of trying to do it all yourself?

Resources:

• Register for the SOAR Conference today. 
• Become a WT+ Insider today! boaw.mom/insider
• Pick up Karen’s Prayer Journal in the BOAW Store

Want More of This Conversation?

Insiders will hear Karen share a personal story of a season of waiting in her own life and what God taught her through it. Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

This week, we kick off our month of celebrating moms with a new series: “Mothers of the Bible.” Today we’re looking at the life of Jochebed, a woman who faced unimaginable fear and made an unthinkable choice to save her son. Through her story, Karen and Emily unpack what it looks like to do our best for our kids and trust God with the rest. If you’ve ever struggled to let go, this conversation will meet you right where you are. 

Episode Recap:

• We’re kicking off a new series by looking at the lives of some mothers in the Bible (0:49)
• Jochebed was Moses’ mom (2:00)
• She did everything in her power to keep Moses alive (4:10)
• God enabled Jochebed to nurse Moses after his adoption by Pharoah’s daughter (8:00)
• Jochebed did everything she could and left the rest up to God (9:50)
• Jochebed was not Moses’ savior (10:20)
• Only God can reach our children’s hearts (10:55)
• Let go of your need to be a perfect parent (11:35) 
• Children are a blessing - try not to hoard the blessing (15:05)

Scripture: Psalm 56:3 (NIV) “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”

Discussion Questions: 

1. Where in your parenting are you trying to “be the savior” instead of trusting God?
2. What does it look like practically to “open your hands” and give your children back to God each day?
3. How can you balance doing your part as a parent while still surrendering outcomes to the Lord?
4. In what ways might striving for “perfect parenting” be keeping you from trusting God more deeply?

Resources:

• Register for the SOAR Conference today. 
• Become a WT+ Insider today! boaw.mom/insider
• Pick up Karen’s Prayer Journal in the BOAW Store

Want More of This Conversation?
In Wire Talk+, Karen and Emily go deeper into real-life parenting moments, sharing honest stories about when letting go has been hardest for them and how they navigated situations they couldn’t fix for their kids.

Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

Are you trusting your mom gut or Googling yourself into anxiety?

In this episode, pediatrician Dr. Laura Bleekrode shares wisdom from nearly 40 years of experience to help moms cut through the noise and parent with confidence. We talk about how social media and constant information can erode your instincts and how to get back to trusting yourself. You’ll be reminded that you know your child better than anyone and that matters!

Episode Recap:

• Dr. Bleekrode is a mom of 8 who owns a pediatric practice and has been practicing medicine for 36 years (1:11)
• How does Dr. Bleekrode “do it all”?  (4:36)
• What are you seeing in today’s families that moms didn’t face 20 years ago? (6:15)
• Our “social networks” used to be personal (6:30)
• God gave mom’s intuition for a reason! (8:53)
• What symptoms require immediate medical or psychological attention? (12:13)
• My toddler is not sleeping for hours at a time, multiple times a month (15:55)
• What does a healthy sleep routine look like for a toddler? (20:06) 
• Have you noticed parents trying to control all outcomes for their children? (27:20)
• How does your faith shape the way you counsel your patients? (28:13)

Scripture:
Isaiah 26:3 (NIV) "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

Discussion Questions: 

1. When you feel anxious about your child, where do you tend to turn first; your friends, your instincts, or Google?
2. Can you think of a time your “mom gut” was right? What helped you trust it (or ignore it)?
3. What outside influences (social media, advice, comparison) tend to shake your confidence as a mom?
4. How can you create stronger, real-life support systems instead of relying on online answers?
5. What is one area where you can release perfection and trust God more in your parenting this week?

Resources:

• Become a WT+ Insider today! boaw.mom/insider
• Pick up Karen’s Prayer Journal in the BOAW Store

Want More of This Conversation?
WT+ Insiders will hear Dr. Bleekrode share 4 things she wishes all her patients knew!

Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.

May can feel overwhelming for moms, filled with endless events, expectations, and emotional moments.Today Karen offers practical wisdom to help you navigate the busyness without losing your joy (or your mind.) From setting realistic expectations to prioritizing what truly matters, this conversation is full of encouragement.

Episode Recap:

• May is just December with sunscreen! (0:30)
• May feels chaotic with elementary schoolers - how do I get through? (4:40)
• Sit down with your high schooler and help them prioritize (9:10)
• Don’t be a wet blanket on your high schooler’s parade (10:15)
• Working mom here struggling with school events - help!  (11:15)
• This season has me emotionally up and down with my Senior(14:35) 

Scripture:
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV) “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

Discussion Questions: 

1. What part of May feels the most overwhelming for you right now?
2. Are you trying to attend everything? What might you need to let go of?
3. How can you involve your kids in deciding what matters most this month?
4. Where are you feeling guilt, and is it justified or self-imposed?
5. What is one small way you can slow down and enjoy this season?

Resources:

• Become a WT+ Insider today! boaw.mom/insider
• Pick up Karen’s Prayer Journal in the BOAW Store

Want More of This Conversation?
In the extended WT+ conversation, Karen and Emily get even more practical. Karen shares her system for breaking down exactly how to prioritize without feeling overwhelmed or stretched too thin. If you’re craving less stress and more clarity this month, don’t miss this part of the conversation!

Head HERE and join us for the full conversation.