Crazy Cool Family

#205: Family Culture Made Simple: Think & Ask

My kids are....
I'm sure you could fill in the blanks with 1,000 different good (and bad) words to describe your kids. This week, we are diving into the Relational Discipline Culture Pillar (say that 5 times fast)! This episode is designed to help you start RETHINKING the way you do discipline.
In Episode 205, we take you through two of the seven discipline drivers.
Parents, meet the Seven Discipline Drivers:
Think before you act.
Ask forgiveness.
Act like the parent, not the child.
See things through the eyes of your child.
Consider natural consequences.
Life is in the why.
Let them make mistakes.
Driver #1: THINK before you act
Get past your first response to the best response.
Proverbs 29:11 says: “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.”
That’s what the concept, “think before you act,” is all about. Getting past how your flesh wants to respond to how your spirit wants to respond.
When faced with a discipline situation, we want a proactive response rather than a reactive response.
Driver #2: ASK Forgiveness
Forgiveness supernaturally softens hearts.
Proverbs 28:13 says, “Whoever conceals their sin does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”
God talks a lot in the Bible about hard hearts and soft hearts.
Ezekiel 36:26 says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
A heart of stone is hard and unforgiving. A heart of flesh is soft and pliable...kinda squishy!! We want to model a forgiving heart towards our kids. How do we do that? BY ASKING FORGIVENESS!
If you are wanting to RETHINK your discipline methods, then Episodes #204-208 are for you! Stick with us over the month of April as we unpack all seven of our discipline drivers. It's worth the investment!
Want MORE resources?
Join Basecamp Here!
Click here to watch the Culture Course in Basecamp
Other Resources!

#204 Family Culture Made Simple: Where to Start with Discipline?

What words come to mind when you hear the word “DISCIPLINE”?
As parents, we get the amazing opportunity to train our kids through every age. In this podcast, we are sharing our vision behind discipline. It’s not about control, it’s about freedom!
We believe God’s view of discipline is about freedom, responsibility, and self-control. His ways are always better than ours. Remember, the goal is freedom, but the strategy is relationships. When we are in depth of a relationship, we will see freedom come into our kids' lives.
Here are the 3 stages of Discipline discussed in this podcast:
Younger kids learn controlled obedience towards parents
Middle aged kids learn willing obedience towards parents
Older kids learn willing obedience towards GOD
Want to learn how to discipline your children God’s way?
This episode and the few to follow are designed with you in mind. Listen and share with a friend today!
Want MORE resources?
Join Basecamp Here!
Click here to watch the Culture Course in Basecamp
Other Resources!

#203: Family Culture Made Simple - Fill Your Home with Faith, not Fear

We are faithful parents, not fearful parents.
Creating a Safe Haven is complex and this week we are going to unpack a concept we believe is essential to creating a safe haven for your family.
Concept: Faith vs. Fear
Hebrews 11:1 says faith is “confidence is what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Faith can be hard to define but it is something we get to live out and show our kids every day. There are endless chances we get to practice faith over fear. Let’s dig deeper into faith and fear and understand a few key things about why they are important.
In this podcast, we unpack ways to cultivate culture in your home by choosing faith over fear. It sounds simple but it is something we, as parents, get to practice ENDLESS amounts of times throughout our kid's upbringing.
So, what are you waiting for?
Listen today and share with a friend who needs the challenge to be FAITHFUL over FEARFUL!
Want MORE resources?
Join Basecamp Here!
Click here to watch the Culture Course in Basecamp
Other Resources!

#202: Family Culture Made Simple: Safety in Questions (Feat. Lisa Johnson)

Do you know how to ask your kids the right questions?
We are diving back into our second culture pillar this week called Safe Haven. We have been talking about a lot of difference culture building topics but TODAY'S podcast will challenge and encourage you.
This week we have a special expert joining us Lisa Johnson. She is a family friend and professional psychiatrist. Her heart is for families to feel the freedom to ask for help.
We invited them Lisa to share her perspective on creating a safe haven for people through questions.
Here are some of the questions we discuss:
What are questions we can ask our kids to help them feel safe?
When they hide stuff from us, how do we approach talking to them about it?
If something traumatic or bad happens, how to we approach them and the situation?
What are things NOT TO DO when our child needs a safe place?
How do we make our home physically safe for our kids?
How do we make it emotionally safe?
Want MORE resources?
Join Basecamp Here!
Click here to watch the Culture Course in Basecamp
Other Resources!

#201: Family Culture Made Simple: Building Culture on Family Trips

When was the last time your family took a trip?
Trips and breaks during the school year are a great time to be intentional with family.
How do we think ahead and create intentional spaces for our family during these set aside breaks?
Culture is happening around us constantly. It is something we, as parents, have authority over. The culture in your home is being built whether you are doing it or not.
Think about the last trip your family went on... how was it?
What words would you use to describe the atmosphere of your family?
What about your heart?
Were you a stressed, rigid, exhausted parent? Were you kids avoiding conversations with you throughout the trip?
In this podcast, we answer these questions and more! If you want to plan a family trip AND build life-giving culture in your family - then this podcast it for you!
Want MORE resources?
Join Basecamp Here!
Click here to watch the Culture Course in Basecamp
Other Resources!

#200: Family Culture Made Simple - What is a Safe Haven?

What is a Safe Haven? Is Your Home Safe?
TWO MONTHS! We have already been in this series for 2 months. We hope you are learning about culture and how to cultivate it in your family over this last month.
This week we are stepping into a new piece of culture. Join us as we talk about our next pillar, Safe Haven.
"We want our home to be a SAFE HAVEN where we wash the world off our children so we can send them out energized and refreshed." - Suz
We want home to be a place they want to come to and a place we want to be as well. The #1 key to creating a safe haven in your home is to become a great listener. If you learn one thing from this course, it is to become a great listener.
Everything we talk about the rest of the way will relate back to listening.
James 1:19 says, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.
Our goal with our children throughout their lives is to show them how wonderful it is to follow God’s ways. By listening instead of lecturing, we are creating a safe haven environment, a trusting environment that allows us to best guide their lives.
Listen and share this podcast with a friend! It's worth the investment.
Want MORE resources?
Join Basecamp Here!
Click here to watch the Safe Haven course
Other Resources!

#199: Family Culture Made Simple - Identity is Foundational (Feat. John Stickl)

Identity is a HOT TOPIC word in today's culture and we are here to tell you...
God created identity and has specific TRUE things to say about you AND your children.
We are finishing up our first culture pillar this week with a guest, John Stickl.
John Stickl is lead pastor of Valley Creek Church. He is also an author who wrote Follow the Cloud. Most importantly, he is a mighty man of God, a loving husband, and an amazing, intentional father to his two kids.
We invited John onto today’s podcast because he deeply understands the power of encouragement and how it goes hand in hand with identity.
Questions We Discuss:
What is Kingdom identity?
As parents, do we have authority to tell our kids who they are?
How do we get our kids to believe God's identity for their life?
If parents would do one thing to help build identity in their kids, what one thing would you challenge them to do?
Why is identity especially valuable within family relationships?
Want MORE resources?
Buy Follow the Cloud by John Stickl
Resources from Valley Creek
Join Basecamp Here!
Click here to watch the Power of Encouragement course

#198: Family Culture Made Simple - Avoiding Anger

99% of parents struggle with anger....
“We think anger is blowing up at someone verbally or physically... but it can be through our glances, harsh tones, snide comments, or even sarcastic joking.” - Suz
If you choose anger often in you parenting, you are not alone. We believe anger is not inherently bad, but often used in the wrong way. The bottom line is anger, when not used right, creates disapproval. It exposes us as parents and ultimately shows that we (the parents) are reacting because we feel frustrated for simply not getting our way.
Psalm 37:8 says, “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it only leads to evil.”
Proverbs 29:22 says, “An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.”
Ecclesiastes 7:9 says, “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.”
The reason we resort to anger is because IT WORKS!
We use anger to get compliance BUT THERE IS A BETTER WAY
Anger is a short-term solution but it can create a wedge in the relationship in the long term. There is a time as a parent to be forceful and express anger but if we react in anger, it can create the wrong outcome in our relationships.
As parents, we need to get to the core of our anger and stop – and understand why we are angry in the first place.
“Anger is in the non-verbal. Kids read our non-verbal words more than they hear our words. When we express the wrong form of anger it hurts our kids.” - Suz
“Anger produces fear in our children. It also creates aggressiveness. Anger does not produce the fruits of righteousness we deeply want in our kids.” -Don
As parents, we have the best intention when it comes to correcting our kids. Anger is a form of correction we most likely learned it from our parents or authorities in our lives. In our homes, we need to become aware of the things that trigger us and cause us to choose anger over careful correction.
LIE: YOU CAN’T BE FIRM WITHOUT BEING ANGRY.
We hear parents say, “I have to get angry to get my kids to respond.” We thought the same thing for a long time!
Here is what we say to parents who feel this way:
You’re underestimating the intelligent of your child (oooff.... read that again..)
Give them a chance to respond to something other than anger
Calmly, present the consequence with firmness
Stop looking it as "you vs. them" but think of it as a game of gaining their obedience
Dissociate with anger and practice firmness and encouragement
Anger-triggering situations we discuss:
Kids fighting over toys
Your child lying to your face
Kids are screaming at you about not wanting to obey (or throwing a fit)
Kids are making you late for an event and moving in slow motion
Kids won’t go to sleep when you asked and keep asking for things
Practical ways to STOP responding in anger:
Stop reacting:
Take a deep breath,
Ask God for help and think about how you will intentionally correct.
For littles – get on their level and see their eyes (eyes are the window to the soul)
Ask for forgiveness. It heals angry outbursts.
Want MORE resources?
Join Basecamp Here!
Click here to watch the Power of Encouragement course

#197: Are Summer Camps for MY Family?

We are taking a small pause from our Family Culture Made Simple Series to talk about SUMMER CAMPS!
It's a hot topic in households this time of year.
Can we afford to send our kids to camp?
How do we know they will be safe?
What camp do we entrust our kids to for a whole week?
Can I send my kid for A WHOLE SUMMER (JK JK) 😏
Amy Lowe and Chris Witt join us from Win Shape Camps. They share the value of camp experience as a developing individual and as a a family unit. If you are considering camps this summer for your kids, or family - this podcast is worth the investment!
Want MORE resources?
Check out WinShape Camps Here!
Join Basecamp Here!
Click here to watch the Power of Encouragement courses

#196: Family Culture Made Simple - Correct Carefully

Are you a critical/harsh parent?
This week's episode hits on a culture pillar called Encouragement - specifically how to correct carefully. If your kids this you are harsh, critical, and correct too much, then this podcast is for you!
The 4 pillars of culture are:
The Power of Encouragement
Safe Haven
Relational Discipline
Unity
The 4 declarations are:
Encourage extravagantly and correct carefully
Become a listener
Move from parent control to self-control.
Celebrate differences and establish values
In this episode, we are zooming in on the second part of the first declaration – CORRECT CAREFULLY
Our goal for today is to share how you can correct in ways to help our children instead of hurt them.
2 Timothy 4:1-2: “I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.”
Remember, correction is good! That verse tells us to correct.
As parents, it is our job to correct. The book of Proverbs talks so much about correcting your child.
“Hear instruction/correction and be wise, and do not neglect it.” Proverbs 8:33“
...he who loves his son is diligent to correct him.” Proverbs 12:24“
For the Lord corrects him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.” Proverbs 3:12
As PARENTS, we correct carefully!
Want MORE resources?
Join Basecamp Here!
Click here to watch the Power of Encouragement courses