We all have hopes and dreams for our kids, but what if we are expecting too much? Could we be putting too much pressure on our kids to be perfect? Author and marriage coach Jill Savage joins us to talk about her book, No More Perfect Kids. Get ready to breathe a sigh of relief as we talk honestly about: 

2:37 Do you have the perfection infection?

9:00 How to appreciate your kids individually for who they are

13:57 Excellence is different than perfection 

20:07 How to fight perfection infection in yourself and your kids 

25:39 Managing expectations for your children

Jill Savage is an author of several books and international speaker who helps moms and marriages be the best they can be. She is the founder of Hearts at Home, a mother of five, and has been featured on KLOVE and Focus on the Family just to name a few places. She and her husband Mark serve as marriage coaches. 

Learn more about Jill Savage here: https://jillsavage.org/

Get Jill Savage's book, No More Perfect Kids https://www.amazon.com/No-More-Perfect-Kids-Love/dp/0802411525/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1487697432&sr=8-1&keywords=no+more+perfect+kids&linkCode=sl1&tag=jilsav0c-20&linkId=31a159c7ea4880717a7fce880161b282

Subscribe to Arlene's free email list and get your free Gratitude Workout for your home https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! [email protected]

Save the date: Arlene's next Parents Rising Conference in San Diego, September 6, 2025

What happens when you leave everything behind to sail around Africa with your three kids? Raeanne Newquist is here to talk about life on a Mercy Ship and seeing miracles firsthand. But you don't have to take a trip like this to support missions with your family. On today's show, you'll learn about: 

3:41 Trusting God with the next move 

6:20 How your kids can have a heart for the world 

9:10 Going through challenges as a mom doing ministry 

15:09 How we can involve our kids in reaching others for Christ 

19:30 What is Mercy Ships all about?  

27:40 How to trust God with hard decisions

Raeanne Newquist along with her husband and 3 children joined Mercy Ships in 2019. After leaving everything behind in Southern California, they boarded the Africa Mercy in Las Palmas and made their first sail down to Dakar, Senegal for their first field service. On board, Raeanne volunteered in the communications department and later in chaplaincy. Currently, Raeanne works in the Mercy Ships U.S. Marketing department. Raeanne is the host of the New Mercies podcast, is the voice of the Mercy Minute daily radio broadcast and serves as a staff writer.

Mercy Ships, founded in 1978, operates hospital ships that deliver free surgeries and other healthcare services to those with little access to safe medical care. Mercy Ships bases its work from its two hospital ships, the Africa Mercy®, which went into service in 2007, and the Global Mercy® — the world’s first purpose-built civilian hospital ship—which began serving African nations in 2022.

Find out more about Mercy Ships here https://www.mercyships.org/

To learn more about how you might serve on Mercy Ships, visit https://findyourplace.mercyships.org/immediate-needs/

Get your copy of Parents Rising here https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802416608/?tag=arlenpelli-20

Save the date: Arlene's next Parents Rising Conference in San Diego, September 6, 2025

Subscribe to Arlene's free email list where she shares what she is learning in her home for yours. https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! [email protected]

In the whirlwind of modern parenting, it can be easy to lose sight of what’s most important. It's time to get back on track to nurture authentic faith and relationship with God above all. Father of five, Barrett Johnson has a new book to help us, Disciple Them Like Jesus: Leading your kids the way Christ led the twelve. What can we learn from Jesus about connection, teaching, and modeling? You'll find out in today's conversation about: 

2:45 Why is parenting so exhausting nowadays?

6:10 Your main priority as a parent is…

12:30 How do you disciple a child? 

16:49 Noticing the little wins with your children  

22:20 How dads can uniquely step in  

28:00 How can we pass on a love of the Bible to our kids

Barrett Johnson is the founder of I.N.F.O. for Families (Imperfect and Normal Families Only), a nonprofit that helps parents have critical conversations with their kids and much more. He and his wife Jenifer lead marriage and parenting events across the country. They have five children and seven grandchildren.

Learn more about I.N.F.O. for Families here https://www.infoforfamilies.com/

Learn more about Barrett's new book, Disciple Them Like Jesus: Leading Your Kids the Way Christ Led the Twelve https://www.infoforfamilies.com/disciple-them-like-jesus

Get your copy of Parents Rising here https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802416608/?tag=arlenpelli-20

Save the date: Arlene's next Parents Rising Conference in San Diego, September 6, 2025 

Get your free "Reset Your Tech" tip sheet and more free resources from Arlene https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! [email protected]

Are you facing a crisis or challenge in your family? Suffering isn't anything we volunteer for. Today's guest Rachel Wojo knows what it's like to suffer profound losses and cry out to God in desperation. She shares how you can embrace the power of prayer in life's darkest moments with lessons of hope from her new book, Desperate Prayers. In today's conversation, you'll learn about: 

2:24 A mysterious envelope and an answered prayer 

9:45 How suffering can bear fruit 

12:25 Pain presents us with a choice, what will you choose?

17:52 If you want quick healing, start here 

20:30 I didn’t know how to move forward 

23:38 God is a God of second chances 

28:00 Our incredible adoption story

Rachel Wojo is an inspirational author, speaker, and podcaster. Through her biblical approach and personal life experiences, Rachel empowers women to discover strength and hope in everyday situations. Despite enduring the loss of her mother, father, and adult special needs daughter, Rachel remains resilient. She is crazy in love with her husband Matt and cherishes her six children on earth and two in heaven.  

Learn more about Rachel Wojo and her book Desperate Prayers. https://rachelwojo.com/desperateprayers/

Get Rachel's free When You Can't Pray Guide https://rachelwojo.com/freebie-2/

Get your copy of Parents Rising here https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802416608/?tag=arlenpelli-20

Save the date: Arlene's next Parents Rising Conference in San Diego, September 6, 2025
Get your free "Reset Your Tech" tip sheet and more free resources from Arlene https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe
Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! [email protected]

10:00 Why self-esteem didn’t deliver 

12:15 Kids find fulfillment when they discover this 

14:00 How to guide children to be respectful 

16:30 Which is most important: humility, respect or resiliency? 

18:00 A working definition of humility 

21:10 Train, don’t entertain 

23:30 When a teenager goes sideways 

25:00 My twins entered high school and I had a panic attack 

29:00 Instilling courage through trying 

32:00 Using persuasive pressure on kids 

Jill Garner is the founder of Manners of the Heart, a non-profit to re-awake respect in our society. She has been featured by Focus on the Family and FamilyLife Today. She is an accomplished speaker, advocate, and author.

Learn more about Jill Garner and her non-profit, Manners of the Heart https://mannersoftheheart.org/

Learn more about Jill Garner and her latest book, StrongHeart: Cultivating Humility, Respect, and Resiliency in Your Child. https://jillgarnercontent.org/books

Did you miss Reset Your Tech month? Go back to last month's episodes, and you can still get your free "Reset Your Tech" tip sheet https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

Coming September 6, 2025 - Arlene's next Parents Rising Conference in San Diego. Save the date! 

Get your copy of Parents Rising here https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802416608/?tag=arlenpelli-20

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! [email protected]

It's RESET YOUR TECH month! Get your free "Reset Your Tech" tip sheet https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

Kids and teens are being absorbed, entranced and harmed by technology use. Mental health problems are multiplying and there is no solution in sight. If we don't act, kids will be even more dependent on tech in the years ahead. What can we do to rescue this anxious generation? Arlene shares what you can do starting today to reverse the trend of harmful social media and gaming in your home. 

Commenting about the findings in Jonathan Haidt's important book, The Anxious Generation, Arlene addresses: 

5:00 Why is a rescue for our kids needed?

10:24 What does social media do to my child’s sleep and well-being? 

16:51 But I've heard about the benefits of social media for teens 

18:45 How to help your teen change social media use 

23:50 Why we overprotect our kids in the real world, and under protect them in the virtual world

Watch Arlene's free video Screen Kids: In Their Own Words about her kids going through high school without phones https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/film

Read Arlene's book Screen Kids (co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802422209/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0802422209&linkCode=as2&tag=arlenpelli-20&linkId=837f2447fde5b4a57b13b75b78236083

Get your free "Reset Your Tech" tip sheet https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! [email protected]

It's RESET YOUR TECH month! Get your free "Reset Your Tech" tip sheet https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

If you keep your kids off social media and video games, will you be ruining their childhood? With the pressure for teens to engage online, is it really a good idea for a parent to delay the smartphone? College student Evan Hempe says yes. After seeing his older brother crash and burn because of video games, Evan's mom Melanie Hempe (last week's podcast guest and founder of ScreenStrong) vowed to raise Evan and his twin brother differently. Evan shares why his phone-free childhood was a remarkable gift as we talk about: 

4:39 I was afraid of my older brother because of what the games did to him 

7:08 Having a “real” childhood 

14:37 There's such a difference between kids who grew up with phones and kids who didn’t 

17:08 How you can get your kids interested in hobbies other than video games 

22:04 The truth is social media is not essential for socializing

Evan Hempe is a student at Liberty University who has a wide range of interests such as piano and art. If you're at a major sports event at Liberty, you'll hear him on the mic welcoming the crowd and kicking off the game. He has spoken alongside his mom, Melanie Hempe, founder of ScreenStrong. 

Learn how to raise your child the ScreenStrong way at https://screenstrong.org/

Learn more about the Kids' Brains and Screens Student Course https://kidsbrainsandscreens.com/

Watch Arlene's free video Screen Kids: In Their Own Words about her kids also going through high school without phones https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/film

Read Arlene's book Screen Kids (co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802422209/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0802422209&linkCode=as2&tag=arlenpelli-20&linkId=837f2447fde5b4a57b13b75b78236083

Get your free "Reset Your Tech" tip sheet https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! [email protected]

It's RESET YOUR TECH month! Get your free "Reset Your Tech" tip sheet https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

Imagine if your son went from well-rounded and healthy to completely obsessed with video games. This story isn't unusual anymore. Melanie Hempe, mom and and founder of Screen Strong, shares how her oldest son was almost wrecked by video games and how he got his life back. You'll learn how to reverse screen addiction and also how to prevent it. Today you'll learn: 

2:13 I watched my child be addicted to video games 

7:07 You can choose the course of your child’s life 

13:18 There is a giant myth around your child’s social life

21:35 The best gift you can give your child

24:09 I’ve already given my teen social media, what do I do?

35:12 How the older sibling’s behavior will trickle down to the younger sibling

Melanie Hempe is a registered nurse and the founder of Screen Strong, a nonprofit committed to giving you the fastest way to resolve screen conflicts and build strong families. She is the host of the ScreenStrong Families podcast and has been featured in the WSJ, CBS, CNN, NPR and Psychology Today. She and her husband have four children. 

Learn more about Screen Strong https://screenstrong.org/

Learn more about the Kids' Brains and Screens Student Course https://kidsbrainsandscreens.com/

Read Arlene's book Screen Kids (co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802422209/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0802422209&linkCode=as2&tag=arlenpelli-20&linkId=837f2447fde5b4a57b13b75b78236083

Get your free "Reset Your Tech" tip sheet https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! [email protected]

It's RESET YOUR TECH month!

Get your free "Reset Your Tech" tip sheet at https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

Today's average teenager is spending hours on a phone, immersed in social media, entertainment, and gaming every day. The result has been a mental health epidemic. If normal isn't working, why not be a screen rebel? My daughter Noelle joins us today to talk about her journey through public high school in Southern California without a smartphone or social media. If your child says it's impossible to exist without a phone, you're about to find out it can actually be amazing. In today's conversation, you'll learn: 

3:18 Social interactions for your child are possible without having a smartphone???

8:24 Why social media is so dangerous

15:17 How your kids can find friends that respect them, even if they don’t have social media 

17:17 What happens if I tell my kids they can’t have phones?

21:15 Do not be afraid to protect your kids from addictive technology 

24:32 Finding connection in God, not social media 

29:04 Seeing the fruit of honoring your parents

Noelle Pellicane is a high school graduate who thrived without a cell phone or social media. She excelled in school, taking five Advanced Placement exams her senior year and being awarded the sportsmanship award and #1 singles player in tennis. She is currently studying mechanical engineering at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. She has a smartphone now but has opted out of social media. She enjoys using her phone to call her mom.

Want to know the secret sauce? Read my book Screen Kids, co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802422209/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0802422209&linkCode=as2&tag=arlenpelli-20&linkId=837f2447fde5b4a57b13b75b78236083

Learn more about Summit Student Conference (Biblical worldview conference Noelle recommends) https://www.summit.org/programs/student-conferences/

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! [email protected]

More Resources for Your Family:

Get your free "Reset Your Tech" tip sheet at https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

Are you 100 percent thrilled with how your family uses technology? 

If you say no, then welcome to the club! This month's theme is RESET YOUR TECH. Get your free "Reset Your Tech" tip sheet at https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

If your kids opted out of having a smartphone, social media and video games, would they be better or worse off? Imagine saying goodbye to parental controls, fights, and time limits. Today's guest Erin Loechner is the author of The Opt-Out Family: How to Give Your Kids What Technology Can't. As you can imagine, I love this book! Today's we're going to talk about: 

3:00 What an “opt-out” family looks like

5:00 Why is social media so dangerous for children?

10:43 What the algorithm of social media does

14:10 The burden of social media on girls

21:00 Does having a smartphone truly help your child in their social life?

23:30 How can we “opt-in” to other things as we “opt-out” of social media? 

27:10 The main concerns with AI

29:45 Why easier is not better

Erin Loechner is a former social media influencer who walked away from a million fans to live a low-tech lifestyle and is now teaching others to do the same. She's been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, the Today Show. Erin is the founder of the global tech-free movement the Opt-Out Family.

Learn more about Erin Loechner and her new book (which is launching with no social media of her own), The Opt Out Family: How to Give Your Kids What Technology Can't. https://www.optoutfamily.com/

Learn how to dumb down your smartphone https://www.optoutfamily.com/tip/

Read Arlene's book Screen Kids (co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802422209/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0802422209&linkCode=as2&tag=arlenpelli-20&linkId=837f2447fde5b4a57b13b75b78236083

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! [email protected]

Get your free "Reset Your Tech" tip sheet at https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe

Our kids aren't growing up in a culture that supports following Jesus. Yet kids and teens are spiritually curious. How can we reach the spiritual curious with the good news of Jesus? How can we help our kids engage their friends about faith? Mark Matlock, senior fellow at Barna, is here to explain the culture we live in and why spiritual openness is on the rise. Sharing from his book, Faith for the Curious, you'll learn: 

2:05 What does it really mean to be curious?

8:30 How do we give space for curiosity and still give our kids guidance?

13:05 How to have essential conversations with your kids when they are curious about the “wrong” things 

18:36 Living in Digital Babylon 

21:28 Helping our kids reach their spiritually curious friends 

26:48 How to create opportunities to talk about faith using curiosity

Mark Matlock is an author, senior fellow at Barna, the founder of WisdomWorks, and currently serves as the Executive Director of Urbana for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Mark's books include Faith for Exiles, and today we're talking about his new book, Faith for the Curious. 

Learn more about Mark Matlock and his book Faith for the Curious on his website. https://markmatlock.com/

Have a question for Arlene to address on the podcast? Please email Arlene your questions and the topics you want covered on the show! [email protected]

More Resources for Your Family:

Subscribe to Arlene's free email list where she shares what she is learning in her home for yours. https://www.happyhomeuniversity.com/subscribe