This Week&apos;s Episode:One-on-one dates with our younger kids can be a great time to be together and to teach them the mechanics of how to go on a date when they get to that stage of life. This week, Rachael breaks down a recent date she took with one of our kids, including what he learned, what she enjoyed, and how much farting there ended up being...Since we are talking about teaching our kids to date, the Stat of the Week is about how people use dating apps and which apps are most popular.Thank you so much for listening! We&apos;d love it if you took a moment to subscribe and rate/review the podcast in whichever app you choose to listen. And, as always if you have a friend who may be encouraged by this conversation, don&apos;t hesitate to share the podcast with them.

Growing Up With Kids :: A Funny Parenting Podcast

Taking Your Kids on Practice Dates #093

This Week&apos;s Episode:We are talking about toxic positivity again, but this time inside our marriages. We look at how passivity and "equanimity" (if we even use that word correctly) can make your spouse feel crazy.This conversation covers wives inviting their husbands to communicate their feelings in order to fight the  isolation, loneliness and feelings of confusion wives often feel. We encourage husbands to start from a place of legitimizing wives&apos; feelings even if they aren&apos;t packaged right.On the lighter side, we also introduce horse and froggy and talk about how much baking soda is being used to fight smells in our house right now. The Stat of the Week is about stay-at-home-dad trends since the 1970s.Thank you so much for listening! We&apos;d love it if you took a moment to subscribe and rate/review the podcast in whichever app you choose to listen. And, as always if you have a friend who may be encouraged by this conversation, don&apos;t hesitate to share the podcast with them.

Toxic Positivity in Marriage #092

This Week&apos;s Episode:We are back! Again...After a longer-than-expected layoff, we are back to talk about toxic positivity in our parenting--how we sometimes rush over our kids&apos; feelings in an attempt to make them "feel better." If we are being honest, it is often about us wanting to feel better without really acknowledging our kids&apos; hurt / pain / disappointment / fear and just sitting with them in it.We also talk about how David remains an idiot in countless ways, and why he needs to trim his eyebrow(s).The Stat of the Week is about how much less time married parents are spending together...alone.Thank you so much for listening! We&apos;d love it if you took a moment to subscribe and rate/review the podcast in whichever app you choose to listen. And, as always if you have a friend who may be encouraged by this conversation, don&apos;t hesitate to share the podcast with them.

Toxic Positivity in Parenting #091

This Week&apos;s Episode:After a couple months off we are back to talk about how mom&apos;s can focus on being the mom they want to be, not the mom they think they are supposed to be.Our discussion is inspired by "Yes Day," and the way that moms and dads can often see and think about parenting differently. We might have different eyes, and often mom&apos;s feel more pressure (internally and externally) to "do everything in parenting right."It is important to be grounded in order to feel freedom to enjoy time with our kids. We all feel judged and guilty, no matter how disciplined or loose we are as parents. So, how do moms and dads work together to find more freedom, enjoyment, and connection with their kids?The Stat of the Week is about the pandemic&apos;s impact on young adults living with their parents.Thank you so much for listening! We&apos;d love it if you took a moment to subscribe and rate/review the podcast in whichever app you choose to listen. And, as always if you have a friend who may be encouraged by this conversation, don&apos;t hesitate to share the podcast with them.

Mom, Embrace the Mom You Want to Be Not the One You Think You Should Be #90

Thank you so much for listening! We&apos;d love it if you took a moment to subscribe and rate/review the podcast in whichever app you choose to listen. And, if you have a friend who may be encouraged by this conversation, don&apos;t hesitate to share the podcast with them.This Week&apos;s Episode:We come back to the issue of parenting guilt every few months...I guess because it is front of mind (and heart) for us. Maybe you can relate.This week we are unpacking why we shouldn&apos;t feel so much guilt about how our kids spend their time during the summer. We remind ourselves about a few things:The summer doesn&apos;t have to be perfect.We don&apos;t have to curate a world of perfect adventures.It is ok--no, it is good--for our kids to be bored.It is normal to want space from our kids sometimes. They don&apos;t need a 24-hour a day cruise director.We should stop emotionally beating ourselves up over all of this.The Stat of the Week is about the "changes" in how teens spend their time during the summer. 

Got Guilt? Fighting Summertime Parenting Shame #089

Thank you so much for listening! We&apos;d love it if you took a moment to subscribe and rate/review the podcast in whichever app you choose to listen. And, if you have a friend who may be encouraged by this conversation, don&apos;t hesitate to share the podcast with them.This Week&apos;s Episode:Full of practical tips for making the most (and easiest) of summer activities--be it the pool, beach, hiking or whatever. [Bonus: David gets angry about bad, one-dimensional parenting advice on social media.)The Stat of the Week is also pool-inspired and covers some swimming statistics like how many 18-29 year old Americans own a hot tub or pool and what percentage of people pee in the pool (it&apos;s higher than it should be and probably lower than it actually is)!We mention a lot of different items in this episode. Here are links to a few of our favorites:Speedo mesh bagsTurkish beach towelWet dry bagSunscreens:  Blue Lizard spray and lotionSmall first aid kitBeach cup holderYeti CoozieYeti Hopper coolerLarge Ziploc containersMom bagsScout beach bagScout Rocket Pocket bagBOGG bag

Summer Tips for Easier Fun at the Pool, Beach, or Wherever #088

This Week&apos;s Episode:Have you ever felt like you just can&apos;t be enough...enough at work, enough at home, enough in your marriage, enough with your kids, enough in your friendships???Of course you have...we all have.This week we are lamenting a little, encouraging each other a lot, and hopefully providing some home and encouragement for you too!The Stat of the Week is about the potential pandemic-induced Baby Bust and how many kids mothers are having these days versus the past).Thank you so much for listening! We&apos;d love it if you took a moment to subscribe and rate/review the podcast in whichever app you choose to listen. And, as always if you have a friend who may be encouraged by this conversation, don&apos;t hesitate to share the podcast with them.

Never Enough: That (Untrue) Feeling We All Have #087

This Week&apos;s Episode:We are reminding ourselves how to interact with our kids when they are being surly--no matter what age.Be emotionally engaged, but appropriately distanced.Don&apos;t expect our kids to be adults.Use humor (wisely).Listen with true curiosity.Communicate clearly.Catch your kids doing "good" things, and provide descriptive, specific praise.The Stat of the Week is inspired by our sadness about Bill & Melinda Gates&apos; divorce announcement and is all about divorce statistics.Thank you so much for listening! We&apos;d love it if you took a moment to subscribe and rate/review the podcast in whichever app you choose to listen. And, as always if you have a friend who may be encouraged by this conversation, don&apos;t hesitate to share the podcast with them.Also, you can follow us on:Instagram: growingupwithkidspodcastFacebook: @growingupwithkidspodcastTwitter: @DavidGrowUp and @RachaelGrowUp

Dealing with Surly Kids of All Ages #086

This Week&apos;s Episode:Maybe you and your spouse have never fought. But, we have. So, we are dissecting some of our recent ones--how they look, how each of us reacts, what we do to resolve them. And, we take a trip down memory lane to diagnose in which ways we have improved at fighting.This episode will make you laugh at us, but hopefully it will also encourage you that your fights are normal. Not only that, fighting gives the opportunity for reconciliation and for use to teach our kids about unconditional love.The Stat of the Week covers the fears of returning to normal that many people have as the pandemic (hopefully) winds down. But, don&apos;t fear; our brains will adapt back to post-pandemic life.Thank you so much for listening! We&apos;d love it if you took a moment to subscribe and rate/review the podcast in whichever app you choose to listen. And, as always if you have a friend who may be encouraged by this conversation, don&apos;t hesitate to share the podcast with them.Also, you can follow us on:Instagram: growingupwithkidspodcastFacebook: @growingupwithkidspodcastTwitter: @DavidGrowUp and @RachaelGrowUp

What Fights Look Like in Our Marriage #085

This Week&apos;s Episode:We are talking about the benefits of old technologies (e.g., newspapers, answering machines and record players), as well as the positives of modern technology. This is not an episode just griping about "kids these days," but is a discussion related to how we mix the modern and the slightly less modern to find good balance and set our kids up well to succeed in relationships and life.The Stat of the Week is an interesting study on why older people complain about how younger generations are lacking today. Thank you so much for listening! We&apos;d love it if you took a moment to subscribe and rate/review the podcast in whichever app you choose to listen. And, as always if you have a friend who may be encouraged by this conversation, don&apos;t hesitate to share the podcast with them.Also, you can follow us on:Instagram: growingupwithkidspodcastFacebook: @growingupwithkidspodcastTwitter: @DavidGrowUp and @RachaelGrowUp

Kids These Days: Analog vs. Digital Experiences #084

This Week&apos;s Episode:This week we are sharing some of our losses, some sweet moments with our kids, and some thoughts on the challenges of certain ages--specifically age 4. Kids are growing in independence, but still so very needy. They can be stubborn (can&apos;t we all). And, they want to do things on their own and that can...Take. So. Much. Time.The Stat of the Week is about the the ages when children are the most difficult. Is it age 4 or age 4 or age 8? [Spoiler: We think it is age 4.]Thank you so much for listening! We&apos;d love it if you took a moment to subscribe and rate/review the podcast in whichever app you choose to listen. And, as always if you have a friend who may be encouraged by this conversation, don&apos;t hesitate to share the podcast with them.Also, you can follow us on:Instagram: growingupwithkidspodcastFacebook: @growingupwithkidspodcastTwitter: @DavidGrowUp and @RachaelGrowUp

Some of the Hardest Years: The "F You" 4's #083

This Week&apos;s EpisodeIt&apos;s Spring Break, so we are bringing back one of our most popular episodes. It was recorded pre-pandemic, so keep that in mind as you listen...________________________________________________________________________Enjoying your spouse seems like an obvious thing to do, but it isn&apos;t always as easy as we&apos;d think or like. This week we cover 6.5 ideas on how to increase your level of "likitude" with your spouse. Here&apos;s a quick preview:      1. Carve out time together.      2. Being seen & heard.      3. Be curious and genuinely interested in activities your spouse prefers (that you don&apos;t).      4. Have a "mutual" sense of humor.      5. Recognize & respect different needs for interaction & introversion.      6. Get out of your normal context.      7. Seek out friends who see (and remind you of) the good in your spouse.The Stat of the Week is about leisure time activities and time spent caring for children from the American Time Survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).Thank you so much for listening! We&apos;d love it if you took a moment to subscribe and rate/review the podcast in whichever app you choose to listen. And, as always if you have a friend who may be encouraged by this conversation, don&apos;t hesitate to share the podcast with them.Also, you can follow us on:Instagram: growingupwithkidspodcastFacebook: @growingupwithkidspodcastTwitter: @DavidGrowUp and @RachaelGrowUp

Enjoying Your Spouse: Ideas for Liking Each Other More #082 (Best of Episode)

This Week&apos;s Episode:We are planning on a more active summer and fall--God willing--so we are refreshing our family mission statement to make sure we stay aligned amidst the busyness.This can be a fun and relatively easy way to provide our family with direction, see and name our kids&apos; strengths, and celebrate both the communal (our family) and the individual (each child). A mission statement helps our kids feel like they are part of something, and it communicates that "this is what it means to be part of this family."A few things to keep in mind: You don&apos;t have to be perfect (like the von Trapps).Keep it simple. Don&apos;t follow our example; we tend to overcomplicate things like this.Make it fun. (We added a campfire and S&apos;mores.)Involve the kids.Ask them to name the good and the bad--there are no bad answers.Don&apos;t be offended when they do talk about the bad. What an awesome opportunity to hear them and love them.Plus, a few funny stories about David&apos;s awkward interaction with a stick and how dogs mark their territory (unfortunately, in our rugs sometimes).The Stat of the Week is about the pandemic&apos;s Baby Bust.Thank you so much for listening! We&apos;d love it if you took a moment to subscribe and rate/review the podcast in whichever app you choose to listen. And, as always if you have a friend who may be encouraged by this conversation, don&apos;t hesitate to share the podcast with them.Also, you can follow us on:Instagram: growingupwithkidspodcastFacebook: @growingupwithkidspodcastTwitter: @DavidGrowUp and @RachaelGrowUp

Make an Easy & Simple Family Mission Statement #081

This Week&apos;s Episode:The babysitters here!After covering a few funny stories about babysitter quirks we experienced over the years, we discuss a few pointers on finding babysitters and setting your kids up for success: prioritizing dates when you have small kids, finding great babysitters through referrals, setting clear expectations, informing the sitter of any individual kids&apos; quirks, and the power and joy of loosening boundaries.The Stat of the Week covers the average cost of a babysitter (in 2021, 2020 and 2019).Thank you so much for listening! We&apos;d love it if you took a moment to subscribe and rate/review the podcast in whichever app you choose to listen. And, as always if you have a friend who may be encouraged by this conversation, don&apos;t hesitate to share the podcast with them.Also, you can follow us on:Instagram: growingupwithkidspodcastFacebook: @growingupwithkidspodcastTwitter: @DavidGrowUp and @RachaelGrowUp

Babysitters: Funny Stories About Finding a Good One vs. Finding Marshmallows Everywhere #080

Action Item: Put courage into someone you love and who trusts you. Go tell them they are doing a great job as a parent and/or spouse during a very difficult time.Thank you so much for listening! We&apos;d love it if you took a moment to subscribe and rate/review the podcast in whichever app you choose to listen. And, as always if you have a friend who may be encouraged by this conversation, don&apos;t hesitate to share the podcast with them.Also, you can follow us on:Instagram: growingupwithkidspodcastFacebook: @growingupwithkidspodcastTwitter: @DavidGrowUp and @RachaelGrowUpThis Week&apos;s Episode:Nearly half of the people you walk by on any given day during the pandemic is wrestling with anxiety and/or depressive disorder. You may relate. At times, we certainly can. We have been feeling an increase in anxiety over the past few weeks. There is light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, but there are still many challenges at work, in our homes, with our kids&apos; school that have not yet returned to normal. This is creating increased levels of anxiety and guilt, which we unpack in this week&apos;s shorter-than-normal episode.The Stat of the Week is about the pandemic&apos;s impact on anxiety among adolescents and adults. Rachael also rails on a movie we haven&apos;t even watched yet.

Anxiety and Parenting Guilt #079

A lively conversation on the joys and challenges of parenting and marriage. A dose of humor, humility, honesty and creative solutions for normal people who want to be amazing parents and spouses.