Worry and stress can show up in every season of parenting—from the moment we first bring our newborn baby home from the hospital to the day they start preparing to head out into the world on their own. Over the years, we’ve felt the weight of countless uncertainties swirling through our minds as we raised our five children. Thoughts like:

When will my baby sleep through the night?
Are they hitting those developmental milestones on time?
Will they make good friends?
How will they adjust to going to school for the first time?

And on and on it goes. We know firsthand that sleepless nights in parenting don’t end with the baby years—as our children grow and change, we as parents must learn how to navigate new challenges right alongside them. Being concerned for our children and watching out for the dangers they can’t yet see themselves is a normal part of parenthood; however, healthy concern can quickly transform into unhealthy worry.

Our latest guest knows the destructive power of worry, and she is here to help us mark a path to peace. Laurie Davies is a speaker, lay counselor, and the author of an important new book, Emotional Hoarding: Letting Go of the Stuff That Keeps You Stuck.

In this episode, Laurie shares:

• Key differences between concern and worry
• Encouragement for parents in every season
• How to rely on God and release your worry
• And more!

We hope you enjoy this conversation!

Show Notes: https://growinghometogether.com/laurie-davies-129

A few weeks ago, we were sitting around the dinner table, enjoying a simple family meal together. But it felt like our son with ADHD spent less time in his chair and more time moving around the house. During the course of the meal, he got up for water, then the bathroom, then a spoon, then to grab something from his room…the list kept going! By the end, we had lost count of how many times he’d been in and out of his seat.

Moments like that remind us how often our expectations as parents don’t quite match the day-to-day reality of parenting a child who has ADHD. Getting out the door can feel like a challenge. Jackets and homework seem to disappear at the worst times. And some days, his room looks like a tornado passed through.

There are days when it feels like so much of our energy is spent trying to manage behavior that we don’t always get to slow down and simply enjoy who our son is.

If you’ve felt this too, please know you’re not alone. So many families are walking this same road, trying to better understand, support, and truly appreciate their child’s unique way of moving through the world.

Our guest today, Kirk Martin, has walked this journey himself as a parent to his son, Casey. Kirk is the founder of CelebrateCalm, where he equips parents and teachers with strategies that help decrease power struggles with children who are diagnosed with ADHD or autism.

In this episode, Kirk shares:

• Some of the benchmark behaviors of an ADHD child
• Creative ways to work with your child’s preferences
• Helpful strategies to support our children in the classroom
• And more!

We hope you enjoy this conversation!

Show Notes: https://growinghometogether.com/kirk-martin-128

As we’ve parented our five children through the years, we’ve held them when the tears wouldn’t stop flowing. We’ve listened as they questioned their worth, identity, and if the hard season they were walking through would ever end.

We have spent plenty of time in the waiting rooms of counselors and therapists when our children were struggling. And we’ve spent even more time in prayer when we just didn’t know what they needed or how to help.

If you are a parent, you’ve likely found yourself in a similar position at some point. You may even be questioning how you can support your teen with their mental health right now.

That’s why we are so grateful to welcome Kristen Hatton to the podcast to have this important conversation. Kristen is a counselor, author, mother of three young adult children, and host of the Redemptive Parenting podcast, where she equips parents with wisdom and hope. Kristen is also the author of a powerful new book, Parenting Ahead: Preparing Now for the Teen Years.

In this episode, Kristen shares:

• How family mealtime can have a powerful impact on our children’s mental health
• Three signs you should seek additional support for your teen
• Why we should offer support rather than solve problems
• And more!

We hope you enjoy this conversation!

Show Notes: https://growinghometogether.com/kristen-hatton-127/

In a “more is better” culture, how can women live lives that are balanced, not burned out? It’s easy to mistake a busy life for a meaningful one. Often, we don’t realize how exhausted we truly are until we reach a breaking point.

I’ve had my own season of burnout, juggling a job, volunteer roles, and homeschooling while Rob traveled extensively for work and we prepared for a cross-country move. When the boxes were finally unpacked, I looked around and found myself in a new life that was shockingly quiet. Out of that stillness, I gained a lot of perspective about roles, priorities, and peace.

As women, we care deeply for the close relationships in our lives. We want to love others well. We also want to give our best to the values and commitments that matter to us, whether that be a job, volunteer work, or homeschooling. How do we find the balance?

My guest today has wrestled through these questions as well. Kelsie Zarko is a wife, mom of two, and owner of the small business, Curate Social. We sat down for an honest, mom-to-mom conversation about seasons, roles, identity, and so much more. Kelsie shares powerful insight into how women end up burned out, and how we can find a different path when we stop striving and choose to live from a place of being deeply loved.

In this episode, Kelsie shares:

• Practical ideas for being intentional in relationships and priorities
• A helpful definition of self-care and how to pursue it
• Thoughts on how to live from identity, not performance
• And more!

I found this conversation so encouraging and I hope you do, too!

Show Notes: https://growinghometogether.com/kelsie-zarko-126/

Every week, we hear from wives who are quietly carrying the weight of a husband’s alcohol addiction.

“I am hoping and praying that he gets healed and that his addiction doesn’t kill him.”

“I have anxiety. I have fear. I feel stuck.”

“Too many times I have felt hopeless and have wanted to be dead so I wouldn’t feel this pain.”

“Hopefully my marriage will turn out for God’s glory.”

These words reflect the deep pain many women experience behind closed doors. Loving someone who struggles with addiction can leave you exhausted, confused, and wondering where God is in the middle of it all.

That is why we are so grateful for today’s guest.

Julie Sanford is a wife and mom of three who never imagined she would one day be married to an alcoholic. After walking through the long and difficult road toward her husband’s sobriety, she now comes alongside other Christian wives facing similar battles. Julie is a recovery mentor and the host of the Married to Addiction podcast, where she offers practical tools and biblical encouragement for marriages impacted by addiction.

In this episode, Julie shares:

• Common misconceptions wives often believe about their husband’s alcohol addiction
• Why shifting from “fixing him” to caring for yourself is a crucial step toward healing
• The importance of understanding what addiction truly is, and what it is not
• And much more!

We hope this conversation brings clarity and hope to your heart!

Show Notes: growinghometogether.com/julie-sanford-125

We all know that anxiety can take a big toll on the person who is personally suffering from it. But what we don’t talk about as often is how anxiety can take a toll on a marriage. The truth is, this challenging mental condition can often cause fear, exhaustion, and a sense of isolation that leaves both spouses wondering how to support one another or stay connected.

If you and your spouse are navigating anxiety, this conversation with Dr. Michelle Bengtson offers encouragement and practical wisdom.

Dr. Bengtson is a clinical neuropsychologist who understands anxiety both professionally and personally. She has endured anxiety and depression herself, and her book, Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises, became an unexpected guide during her own season of fearful thoughts as she and her husband faced cancer and all the accompanying unknowns.

In this episode, Dr. Bengtson shares both clinical insight and spiritual wisdom to help couples navigate anxiety’s impact on their relationship. While anxiety can feel lonely and overwhelming for both partners, there is hope.

In this episode, Dr. Bengtson shares:

• How couples can draw closer to one another, even in the midst of anxiety
• Why presence matters more than perfection
• How to prevent compassion fatigue and caregiver burnout
• And much more!

We hope you enjoy this conversation!

Show Notes: growinghometogether.com/michelle-bengtson-124

*In this episode, we talk about abortion, pregnancy reduction, potential loss of an unborn baby, and infertility. If you have an aversion or are sensitive to any of these topics, we recommend skipping this episode.

How do we approach God with this?
Has my view of God changed because of this hardship?
Can I still trust God? Will I trust Him?
If this doesn’t go well, will I resent Him?

These are all questions that Mauricio and Christin Rosa faced when they received the news of a crisis in their pregnancy and learned that they were at risk of losing their unborn son. When doctors advised them to consider a “reduction” in their twin pregnancy, their hearts broke for their child and the hardships he would have to endure if he survived. But they held steadfast to their belief and trusted God with the outcome.

This story touches our hearts deeply, and we are so grateful that Mauricio and Christin were kind enough to share it with us personally on the The Growing Home Together Podcast. This courageous couple is here to encourage us and to speak about how that difficult season of life impacted their faith. Christin is a teacher, author, prayer leader, and pro-life advocate. She has written a powerful new book called Saving Nate: Choosing Life after a Devastating Prenatal Diagnosis.

In this episode, Mauricio and Christin share:

• The importance of guarding your heart against bitterness
• Encouragement for the “deep valleys” of life
• How to go to God with your worries
• And much more!

We hope you enjoy this conversation!

Show Notes: growinghometogether.com/mauricio-christin-rosa-123

As we settle into the heart of winter, the world outside our windows carries an unmistakable chill. Unfortunately, during this time of the year, many couples can start to feel like matters inside their household are growing cold, too. Did you know that January is also known as “divorce month” because a surge of separations occur around this time?

If this resonates with you, you may have felt the tension intensify in your relationship this past holiday season. Perhaps you felt miles apart from your spouse, and you are losing the hope or motivation to try to find your way back to one another again. If you are in a place of hurt or discouragement today, this episode is for you!

Our guest knows a thing or two about navigating the frigid seasons a marriage can encounter. Lindsey Maestas is a relationship expert, writer, speaker, and the creator of The Wife Project, an incredibly popular course that has impacted thousands of marriages. She is also the author of the amazing new book, Don’t Burn Your Own House Down, which guides readers on how to build a marriage that lasts.

In this episode, Lindsey shares:

• How the little moments can make a BIG difference
• Steps you can take today to restore your marriage
• How “tech interference” can create division
• And much more!

We hope you enjoy this conversation!

Show Notes: growinghometogether.com/lindsey-maestas-122