Don't Mom Alone Podcast

Are we living in the most anxious generation ever? In this powerful and hope-filled conversation, Max Lucado joins us to talk about anxiety, mental health, and the unseen struggles so many kids and teens are facing today—and what parents can do about it.
With constant access to phones, social media, and nonstop information, anxiety often shows up sideways in our kids through anger, withdrawal, or fear. Max explains what’s happening in the brain, why anxiety feels like an alarm that never shuts off, and how parents can become a soft place to land when emotions run high.
We also talk about the importance of parents addressing anxiety in their own lives, how worry steals joy and peace, and why our presence (not perfection) is what God desires most. Max shares encouragement for praying parents, reminding us that Jesus never turned away a parent who asked for help for their child. Here is some of what we cover: 

Why today’s kids are facing unprecedented levels of anxiety

The physical and emotional toll of chronic worry

Why a parent’s physical presence matters more than we realize

Max Lucado’s personal faith journey and what God taught him about presence over performance

Connect with Max Lucado: 

Instagram: Max Lucado (@maxlucado)

Facebook: Max Lucado

Website: Max Lucado

Links Mentioned:  

Calm Thoughts for Kids: 90 devotions for Anxious Days 

Tame Your Thoughts: By Max Lucado

Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado

Hermie Series–Buzby and the Grumble Bees

**SIGN UP to Join Heather and Megan at Pro Love Saturday for Embrace Grace

Related Episodes:

Life Empowered by the Holy Spirit :: Max Lucado [Ep 381]

You Are Never Alone :: Max Lucado [Ep 298]

From Overwhelmed to Anchored: Replacing the Lies of Motherhood with God’s Truth :: Erica Gwynn [Ep 544]

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My friend and Sidetracked podcast co-host, Cynthia Yanof, joins me to discuss her new book, How’d I Miss That?
Cynthia shares hilarious and poignant stories about family and kids that help uncover deeper truths—reminding us that God has a plan, and there’s no formula for this parenting journey. We often stress over things that feel big at the moment, like preschool registration or making the “right” sports team, but what really matters is having an eternal perspective—focusing on who our kids are becoming at 25 and who we are becoming as parents. In this episode, we talk about:

How to pray audacious, faith-filled prayers over our kids

Trusting the process, even when it doesn’t make sense in the moment

Why not all friendships are meant for every season of parenting—and being intentional about your inner circle

And we wrap up with some fun hosting tips from Cynthia

Connect with Cynthia Yanof: 

Instagram: Cynthia Wilkinson Yanof (@cynthiayanof)

Website: Cynthia Yanof

Links Mentioned:  

How’d I Miss That?: By Cynthia Yanof

Sidetracked - Podcast - Apple Podcasts

Draw the Circle: By Mark Batterson

Pre-order Cynthia’s book and then fill out this form to join us LIVE on Jan 27th at 7:30 pm CST

Related Episodes:

The Goal Isn’t Happy Children :: Cynthia Yanof – Summer of Mentorship – Wk 6 [Ep 419]

The Unicorn That is Adult Friendship :: Cynthia Yanof – Summer of Mentorship – Wk 3 [Ep 416]

Raising Kids Who Can Stand Alone :: Cynthia Yanof -Summer of Mentorship-Wk 2 [Ep 415] 

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Moms, life throws us into so many conversations every day…

Talking with our kids, navigating our husband’s work party, connecting with other moms, or building our own friendship. All of these moments show who we are and how we communicate.

Today, Debra Fileta, counselor, author, and podcaster, joins me to share practical tips on how to communicate effectively with friends, family, and loved ones. In our tech-driven world, we’ve lost many opportunities for genuine connection, and often we don’t realize how we come across when meeting new people or entering a room full of strangers.

Debra shares insights from her new book, People Skills, to help us connect in deeper, more authentic ways. Here’s some of what we cover:

Relationships and people skills: The strength of your relationships depends on the skills you bring into them. 

Communication matters: In a tech-driven world, real-life interactions with tone, body language, and facial expressions are more important than ever. 

Understanding communication styles: Learn the four types—assertive, aggressive, passive, passive-aggressive—and how to navigate them. 

Practical tips for being a great conversationalist: Honor your story, honor theirs, and create space for give-and-take in relationships.

Connect with Debra Fileta: 

Instagram: Debra Fileta

Facebook:  Debra Fileta Truelovedates.com

Website:  Debra Fileta, M.A. LPC (@debrafileta)

Links Mentioned:  

Soul Care: By Debra Fileta

People Skills: By Debra Fileta

Talk To Me: The Debra Fileta Podcast

Related Episodes:

When Friendships Get Messy: Healing, Humor and Finding Your Chicken-Fried Women :: Melissa Radke [Ep 519]

Important Topics to Cover with Tweens and Teens about Manners, Technology and Friendship :: Lee Cordon [Ep 408]

Helping Our Kids Foster Friendships :: David Thomas and Sissy Goff [Ep 338]

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In this episode, author, podcaster, and speaker Mary DeMuth returns to share the inspiration behind her latest work, which spotlights overwhelmed women in the Bible—women whose stories have often been minimized or overlooked. From Mary the mother of Jesus to Hagar to the widow with two mites, these women model faith, resilience, and wholehearted trust in God.

We talk about how Christmas can be both beautiful and heavy. Mary opens up about her own seasons of overwhelm, from her water breaking on Christmas Eve to sleeping in a barn the week before Christmas. She reminds us that Mary, the mother of Jesus, lived through the deepest fears a mother can face, yet she remained faithful as a disciple. Here is some of what we cover: 

Why Christmas often heightens grief, trauma, and unmet longings

The consumerism of the holiday season vs. the simplicity of God with us

What Shalom really means: wholehearted, whole-bodied peace rooted in surrender

Jesus’ care for the overlooked, the aging, and the marginalized

The definition of “Whelm” which  refers to out-of-control stress,  “overwhelmed” is that same stress amplified beyond capacity

Connect with Mary DeMuth: 

Instagram: Mary DeMuth // Healing from Trauma (@marydemuth)

Facebook:  Mary DeMuth

Website:  Mary DeMuth

Links Mentioned:  

Nobody's Mother: By Sandra Glahn

90-Day Bible Reading Challenge: By Mary DeMuth

Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible: By Mary DeMuth

The Most Overlooked Women of the Bible: By Mary DeMuth

The Most Overwhelmed Women of the Bible: By Mary DeMuth

Podcast - Pray Every Day Mary DeMuth

Church Hurt Checklist

Related Episodes:

Building the Family You Never Had :: Mary DeMuth [Ep 156]

Nobody’s Mother :: Dr. Sandra Glahn [Ep 443]

From Overwhelmed to Anchored: Replacing the Lies of Motherhood with God’s Truth :: Erica Gwynn [Ep 544]

Featured Sponsors: 

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In today’s episode, I sit down with Marc Cameron, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, to explore one of the most influential (and often overlooked) elements of our emotional lives: attachment styles. Drawing from more than 80 years of research, Marc breaks down how our earliest experiences with our families shape the way we connect, communicate, handle conflict, and relate to the people closest to us well into adulthood.

This episode offers a compassionate and scientifically grounded roadmap for understanding yourself and the people you love. Whether you identify as avoidant, anxious, vacillating, disorganized, or relatively secure, you'll walk away with clarity, validation, and practical tools for building healthier patterns of connection. Here is some of what we cover: 

Why attachment styles are not personality traits, but relational survival strategies formed early in life

Why “secure” doesn’t mean perfect; it means the relationship feels predictable and safe most of the time

How attachment ruptures can be healed in adulthood through awareness and practice

Why the holidays amplify attachment triggers—family roles, old wounds and unresolved expectations

How to move toward secure attachment by learning emotional language, practicing repair, and using the comfort circle 

Connect with Marc Cameron: 

Instagram: How We Love (@howwelovebook)

Facebook:  How We Love

Website:  How We Love – Discover Your Love Style, Enhance Your Marriage

Links Mentioned:  

How We Love: By Milan and Kay Yerkovich

Understanding Your Attachment Style:By Marc Cameron

Love Style Quiz – How We Love

Freebies – How We Love

Related Episodes:

Building Healthy Relationships by Exploring Adult Attachment Patterns (Part 1) :: Charissa Lopez [Ep 498]

Building Healthy Relationships by Exploring Adult Attachment Patterns (Part 2) :: Charissa Lopez [Ep 499]

How to Align with Your Spouse in Parenting :: Dr. Kim Kimberling [Ep 491]

What Does my Child Need :: Amy and Jeff Olrick [Ep 480] SofM 2024

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