🎉 Exciting News! 🎉 We are celebrating a special milestone episode of “Equipped To Be”! Today is a day of gratefulness as we mark our 200th episode. Can you believe it? What an incredible journey it has been!
What an incredible journey it has been, and we wanted to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to you, our valued listener, as we celebrate with you.
Reflecting on the Journey to 200 Episodes:
As I sit back and reflect on the past 200 episodes, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for your unwavering support and engagement. Your feedback and encouragement have been the driving force behind bringing you content week after week.
A Heartfelt Thank You:
I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to you for being an integral part of the “Equipped To Be” community. Whether through your emails, reviews, or social media interactions, your presence has made this podcast what it is today. We wouldn’t have reached this incredible milestone without you.
Popular ETB Podcasts
It’s hard to pick a sampling of popular podcasts, but here are a few. Head over to conniealbers.com for all 200 shows.
As we celebrate this significant milestone, we’re also looking ahead with excitement. We have exciting plans for the future of “Equipped To Be.” Rest assured, I’ll continue bringing you timely, relevant, thought-provoking conversations, expert insights, and real-life stories that encourage and equip you on your journey.
We invite you to celebrate this moment with us and share your thoughts on social media using the hashtag #EquippedToBe200.
I do this podcast to serve you. Thank you for being part of this amazing journey.
If you find this podcast helpful, please subscribe and leave a review. It’s a great way to support the show and only takes a few seconds.
Have a Question or Want to Book Connie to Speak?
Do you have a question or prayer request? Please let me know. Contact Connie here.
Are you looking for a speaker in 2024 or 2025? I have a few speaking dates open. If you would like me to speak at your next event, please contact me at [email protected].
Parents, it’s time to transition from a knowledge-based to a question-based education. In the past, knowledge was deemed paramount— the more information one possessed, the better. However, with the advent of AI, the educational landscape has shifted. Now, our children must acquire the skills to swiftly locate information and master the art of asking insightful questions.
Joining me for this crucial discussion is my friend, Jonathan Brush. Together, we will delve into topics such as measuring recall, nurturing curiosity, and honing the ability to pose thought-provoking questions.
The era where stuffing your head with knowledge held great value is now a thing of the past. Simply reading vast amounts of information used to be the pathway to improvement. However, the dynamics of learning have shifted, and our children require a fresh approach to swiftly acquiring knowledge. It’s crucial to instill in them the significance of asking the right questions and understanding that failure is not a final setback.
While learning remains a vital aspect, the focus has changed to the ability to promptly access the necessary information.
I’m curious to hear about the strategies you’re using to prepare your children for the future. How are you guiding them in embracing the importance of asking thought-provoking questions and navigating through the learning process with resilience?
About Jonathan Brush
Jonathan Brush is the President and CEO of Unbound, a project based higher education company. Unbound prepares high school students for the real world and offers a complete alternative to traditional college, combining education with real-life experiences and comprehensive leadership training. Jonathan speaks at events and conferences around the country about family, young adults, and education. He and his wife have eight children and live in the middle of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, which, in their opinion, is the best place on earth.
What should you do when your child sees images or watches videos that are not appropriate? How can we help kids learn what healthy relationships are? During this episode, Barb Winters joins me for an honest conversation about kids and relationships. We can help children turn away from inappropriate images and cultivate healthy relationships.
Kids and Relationship
Some kids willingly visit sites that aren’t good for them out of natural curiosity. Sometimes, they are shown images from a friend or others. But, mom and dad, there is a way to guide your child, teach them why they need to avoid future exposure, and how to help them be accountable because they know you love them.
Barb mentions a few steps during our conversation: Pray. Pause. Think. Talk.
It’s okay to take time to process your emotions and feelings so you can think logically about the information that is presented to you.
Affirm to your child you love them.
Be patient with your child and yourself.
Explain to them that you want to safeguard them from something that isn’t healthy for them.
Remember, working through topics that deal with sexuality takes time.
What Can Help
Use parental controls. Parental controls can’t stop a child, but it will make accessing online sites more difficult.
We need to sit down with our kids and talk about what they saw and how they gained access to the images or videos. This takes a degree of honesty and transparency between you and your child.
Listen without interrupting. It shows children you do care about what they see and how it can negatively impact their future. Your child needs to be heard and it will help you understand their thinking. But that doesn’t mean it will be easy; it will take effort not to hear them out. If it’s too much information or you don’t feel it is wise to hash through all the details, then don’t. The point is to gain understanding so you know how to proceed.
Relational Fallout
Kids often don’t think about the fallout of looking at graphic images or videos that are sexual in nature. That’s where you come in. We teach our children about all manner of topics, and we know it takes more than one conversation. But if we don’t discuss healthy relationships on a regular basis our kids will suffer.
Here are a few ways our kids can be impacted:
~A compulsion to keep watching or looking at images that are detrimental to their well-being.
~From a bond with screens instead of with humans.
~ Struggle to bond with others in intimate relationships.
~Behavior and beliefs are negatively shaped by societal and peer pressure.
We want our kids to understand God designed humans and His creation is beautiful. They also need to know how to protect themselves from damaging future relationships because they didn’t know better.
I encourage you to check out Barb’s book to learn more.
About Barb Winters
Barb Winters is the mom of a recovered pornography addict, a certified Sexual Risk Avoidance Specialist, and founder of Hopeful Mom: Supporting Parents in an Online World, where she offers encouragement and practical advice to parents and leaders. Barb equips students to make healthy choices and empowers parents to aid their children.
What happens when you let your kids play outside? Letting kids play outside is vital to a healthy childhood! Ginny Yurich, founder of 1000 Hours Outside, created an online movement that is changing families forever: challenging people to let their kids play 1000 hours outside every year. This simple act of going outside can dramatically improve your relationship with your kids, reduce your screen time, and enjoy motherhood.
The idea stemmed from Ginny figuring out how to overcome her own feelings of inadequacy as a mom. Connie and Ginny discuss the benefits of outside time, parenting books, and the scientific benefits of prioritizing outdoor time for your kids. Save your kids by letting them play outside.
Why Kids Need to Play Outside
It helps children learn to be problem solvers.
Allows children to develop social skills.
Reduces screen time because they run out of time.
Learning to Love Motherhood
Let go of your expectations of what your day should be.
Invite a friend and their kids to join you for a day of play.
Accept the child you have, not the perfect child you thought you’d have.
What Caused us to Drift Away from Playing Outside
Parents sign their children up for too many short programs.
Shift in culture and family structure.
Not understanding the value of being outside.
As parents, getting kids to play outside and leave their devices inside does not have to be a challenge. We simply fill their days playing outside. The benefits of shifting to more outdoor time can change your outlook and build problem-solving skills in your children.
About Ginny Yurich
Ginny Yurich is a homeschooling mother of five and founder of 1000 Hours Outside, a global movement designed to reclaim childhood. Yurich teaches parents the importance of outdoor play for their children. Overwhelmed parents can move beyond their exhaustion to experience relief, joy, connection, respite, and delight as they learn to embrace the creativity of old-fashioned play—all while raising children who are better prepared for their future.
In a techno-driven world, parents can use all the help they can get when it comes to protecting their children from the online world. Today, John DeGiralamo joins me on Equipped To Be. Together, we offer “Tips for Parents to Protect Your Child.”
Understanding the Dangerous
Building trust and fostering open communication with your child.
Creating a safe space for them to share their online experiences.
The significance of having ongoing conversations about responsible online behavior.
Privacy and Security Measures
The importance of strong, unique passwords.
Educating children on the risks of sharing personal information.
Implementing privacy settings on social media accounts.
Staying Informed
Keeping up with the latest online trends and threats.
Resources for parents to stay informed and engaged.
Being proactive in adapting to changes in the digital landscape.
As parents, navigating the digital world alongside your children is a challenging yet crucial responsibility. By staying informed, fostering open communication, and implementing practical strategies, you can create a safe and supportive online environment for your child. Join us in our mission to empower parents and protect the next generation in the vast landscape of the internet. notes content
About John DeGirolamo
John DiGirolamo is a critically acclaimed author, speaker, and anti-human trafficking advocate and is a member of the Christian Authors Network and Christian Indie Publishing Association. He is the Board President of Bringing our Valley Hope, a nonprofit located in Chaffe County, CO, whose objective is to end human trafficking in central Colorado through education.
As we stand on the cusp of a new year, it’s the perfect moment to reflect, reset, and reimagine the future. In today’s episode of Setting Family Goals, we’re delving into a topic that’s not just about resolutions but about building the very fabric of our lives – “How to Set Family Goals.”
Whether you’re a seasoned goal-setter or someone exploring this concept for the first time, join me on a journey where I share how you can set meaningful, achievable, and heartwarming goals for your family. From fostering stronger connections to creating a shared vision, you’ll learn insights and inspiration to help guide you through the process.
With the new year fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about setting family goals to strengthen your family.
Setting Family Goals can be overwhelming for many families, but it doesn’t have to be. How can we approach this process so that each member of the family is on the same page? While it can seem daunting with the right approach, it can actually be quite manageable and rewarding.
I like to begin by looking back on the past year and identifying three positive things that happened during the year, plus a few additional things to consider.
Reflect on the Past Year
Reflect on the lessons you learned from the previous year can help you better understand how you overcame struggles or what you learned from them.
Take stock of accomplishments and challenges.
Consider what worked well and what didn’t.
Identify areas for improvement or change.
Did you use your gifts and strengths properly?
After reflection, setting clear and specific goals is important. These goals should be realistic and aligned with your values and aspirations.
Set Clear and Specific Goals
How do we make goals specific and measurable?
Look at each role you play: wife, husband, partner, mother, daughter, career woman, and write down one thing you want to work on for each of these. Why do I say only one from each role? Well, we have to keep our goals manageable.
Make the goals relevant to your family. Stop following other people’s paths. Your family. Your values, Your path.
Avoid falling into the trap of thinking you can fit more into a day than is possible.
Evaluate where you are spending your time.
Break Goals Down into Actionable Steps
Divide goals into small, manageable tasks.
Establish a timeline and set deadlines for each step.
Determine the resources and support needed to accomplish each task.
Monitor Your Progress
As much as we want to set our goals and move forward, we must stay focused and monitor our progress because setbacks happen. Here are three ways to make sure your family is going in the right direction:
Regularly track your progress.
Celebrate milestones and achievements along the way.
Be flexible and willing to adjust if necessary.
I know these may seem basic, but if you pause to reflect, set clear goals, break them into small parts, and monitor your progress, your family will step into a new year with a goal everyone can aim for.
Note: Don’t forget self-care. You can’t pour from an empty pitcher. You have to carve out some time to do something you enjoy that’s just for you. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it does have to be intentional. What gets scheduled gets done.
