Moving Beyond Strict Parenting: Balancing Boundaries and Connection | Ep. 285
Jan 26, 2026
Strong on correction but struggling to connect? In this third episode of the “Don’t Stay Stuck” series, host Stacy Bellward and Certified Parent Coach Katie Wetsell take on a challenge many who value strict parenting face: how to soften without losing structure? If you value obedience but want warmer relationships with your kids, this episode offers hope and practical next steps.
Key Takeaways:
Understanding the God-given strengths of parents who lean toward the top of the Connected Families Framework™
Rethinking immediate obedience
Living out loud and setting an example for your children
Pitfalls of high-demand and low-compassion parenting
Practical tools for getting unstuck and finding balance in your parenting
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!
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Guest Bio:
Katie Wetsell has always had a calling on her heart to care for children. She has worked as a pediatric oncology nurse and pediatric nurse practitioner. After experiencing the benefits of parent coaching through Connected Families, Katie later resigned from nursing and became a Certified Parent Coach. She and her husband have four children (three boys and a girl) through birth and adoption. Katie is also trained in SPACE treatment to help parents learn how to support their children struggling with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders. You can learn more about Katie at parentwithhope.org, and on Facebook @parentwithhopecoach and Instagram @parentwithhopecoach.
Culturally-Sensitive Biblical Parenting Resources. Is This a Thing?
Jul 22, 2025
Five years ago, Connected Families had certified parent coaches in just one country. Today? Connected Families is collaborating with CF Certified Parent Coaches in 20 countries and across four continents to provide culturally-sensitive biblical parenting resources.
As Chad Hayenga reflected on our podcast, “In the early years, we did not know how the Connected Families Framework would translate into other languages or cultures.” What has become wonderfully clear is that the Connected Families Framework is a culturally sensitive parenting tool, and God is using it to bless families from many languages and cultures.
The numbers tell an amazing story of God’s faithfulness:
2020: 5 coaches in the US, 140 families supported
2025: 100+ certified coaches across 20 countries, 1,400+ families supported
We’re witnessing God’s love transcend both language barriers and cultural boundaries, creating a truly global community of families experiencing God’s grace and truth. Come along with us as we journey across the globe to see what God is doing through some of our amazing Certified Parent Coaches.
*Note: Interested in having a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach come to speak at your church or gathering? Check out our newly renovated Workshop Speaker page to learn more. As you will learn in this blog post, we now have coaches and speakers available worldwide!*
Culturally-sensitive parenting resources across the globe
Africa
Ethiopia: Getu Melkamu works for Compassion International in Ethiopia. Getu recently led a Connected Families workshop for 450 Christian ministry workers, equipping them to ensure that all children can feel safe, loved, called & capable, and responsible.
Europe
Finland: Whether it’s workshops, coaching, or online courses, Mari Cerny finds great joy in prayerfully translating Connected Families resources into Finnish. Communities are eagerly awaiting this transformative content in their native language. When parents’ understanding of God as the ultimate Parent becomes clear—through experiencing His compassion, grace, patience, and abundant mercy—it creates deep healing and provides the foundation from which all other parenting tools flow with genuine power.
Co-Founders, Jim & Lynne Jackson, with the Cernys in Finland.Co-Founder Lynne Jackson with Mari Cerny. The Framework translated into Finnish!
United Kingdom: Ruth Wharton is based in Malvern, Worcestershire. She is the first Connected Families Certified Coach in the UK. Ruth works part-time for a local charity that supports people with autism, and is a mother of five. For twelve years, she worked alongside her husband, looking after 60 teenage boys in an English boarding school. It was then that they first discovered Connected Families.
“There are not enough words to say what Connected Families has done for my family and my relationship with God” -coaching client in the UK
Watch the video below to hear from Ruth in her own words.
Asia
Philippines: Connected Families Certified Parent Coach, Samantha (Thammie) Sy, and her husband, Dennis (a pastor), live in Manila, Philippines. They have a deep influence in adoption and foster care ministry in their community. Thammie was looking for a tool to help disciple parents and families in her church and broader community in a more gospel-centered and science-informed way, and with a biblical lens. Then she discovered Connected Families. Recently God opened a door for her to present the Connected Families Framework from metro Manila and beyond and launch a coaching group with parents of kids from toddlers to teens! She says, “I believe that when parents encounter the Gospel in how they raise their children, generations will be changed.”
Samantha Sy presenting a workshop for 250 people together with Co-Founder Lynne Jackson in the Philippines.
North America
Canada: Steve Bourque lives in Sarnia, ON, Canada, with his wife and 3 children and is a former children’s and family pastor at his church. He is a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach and also works for Family Life Canada. (Family Life Canada is also a Ministry Partner* with Connected Families! Here is what he has witnessed:
A surprising aspect of coaching is how parents come seeking practical answers but leave with profound hope and a sense of grace. One dad, despite family upheaval, used his coaching sessions to write a two-page parenting vision statement that included six transformed belief statements. He shifted from “I feel like a failed parent and husband” to “God qualifies me to be a husband and parent and views me through the lens and blood of Jesus, not through my failures.” This demonstrates how bringing parental burdens to Jesus transforms our perspective and shifts focus to His greater purpose.
*Click HERE to learn more about how your church or organization can become a Ministry Partner.*
Steve Bourque teaching a workshop in Canada.
The Spanish-speaking community is growing
Luisa Wendt was born in Colombia, South America, and brings a taste of South America to the United States! She currently lives in Iowa with her husband and is actively involved in the translation of Connected Families resources such as podcast episodes and blog posts into Spanish. Here is what she tells us:
One of my favorite moments of sharing the Connected Families framework is seeing the spark of hope ignite again in the faces of the parents who have been looking for ways to understand and relate better to their children. One Sunday, I was presenting a Discipline that Connects workshop to a few parents from Honduras, Mexico, and Panamá. Parents with kids as young as newborns and as old as 50. Because our kids are 6 and under, at the end of the workshops, I usually hear from young families about how the CF Framework will be so helpful as they continue to raise their kids. This Sunday, however, the first one to come to me was a 70-year-old mom who wanted to have a better relationship with her 50-year-old son.
I won’t forget her words:
“Thank you, Luisa, for assuring me that it is never too late to make things right, to try a do-over, and connect with my son. He may be fifty, but he will always be my child and though I do not know how much time I have left in this life, I want to stop pointing the finger at him hoping he will change and I will ask God to help me change by asking: ‘Lord, show me what is going on in me.’”
I left that workshop thanking God once again for the beauty, truth, and goodness shared by Connected Families.
As you can see from the stories above, God’s heart for families knows no boundaries! Whether it is through Ministry Partnerships or Certified Parent Coaches, the messages of “You are SAFE, You are LOVED, You are CALLED & CAPABLE, and You are RESPONSIBLE” are spreading exponentially. As we look toward the future, we’re filled with anticipation for how He will continue to expand Connected Families so more families can experience God’s grace and truth.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”Ephesians 3:20
Stories of Transformation… from “Fixing” to Connecting
May 27, 2024
We chat with Lindsay Fauver, a mom from the Connected Families community, about her parenting journey with a child who experiences anxiety, sensory challenges, and challenging behaviors. Lindsay shares how she has gained new understanding and tools to support her child and stay calm when her daughter escalates. She also emphasizes the persistence required to implement positive changes and the role of scripture in sustaining her. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with parenting, you’ll find plenty of hope and practical ideas in this interview with a mom who’s been there.
Lindsay Fauver is a photographer by trade and a theologian at heart. She is deeply passionate about participating with the great Artist as she works to build a foundation of “belonging and becoming” with her little people, clients, and students. Lindsay loves writing, peonies, Pilates, design, earrings, and anything by the water. She longs for the day when her story of surrender is told in its fullness by the One who will permanently wipe away her tears.
BONUS: Connected Families Future Plus A Story of Transformation
Dec 22, 2023
Listen as we wrap up 2023 with Jim Jackson and Anna Braasch chatting about Connected Families’ plans for 2024. Plus, Stacey Rodenbeck shares about the hope she’s found through the Framework.
In today’s bonus episode, Jim Jackson (Connected Families Co-Founder) and Anna Braasch (Connected Families Executive Director) join Stacy Bellward (podcast host) to share about Connected Families’ year-end goals and the plans for 2024. Stacy also interviews Stacey Rodenbeck, a mom from the Connected Families community, about her transformational journey with the Framework.
Stacey Rodenbeck is the widowed mother of Susan (almost 5) and Chris (3.5). The Rodenbecks live in Central Arkansas, where Stacey is employed as an Associate Professor of Biology at Harding University. Since the death of her husband in 2020, Stacey has focused on developing a robust relationship with her children that positions the three of them to operate as a team. They enjoy cooking and baking together as a family, reading aloud, and hiking, and they have recently delved into playing board games together. (Candyland is the family favorite right now!) Stacey is thankful to God for the new mercies of each new morning as she seeks to guide her children and fully embrace the people God created them to be.
“I can’t hear you!”
Aug 20, 2018
“I can’t hear you!! I can’t hear you!!”
You thought his misbehavior was frustrating, but when your child covers his ears and yells “I can’t hear you!” it sends your blood pressure through the roof!
We received this question from a parent, frustrated by this very situation: “How would you handle a child who puts his hands over his ears because he doesn’t want to hear when you are addressing his misbehavior or giving instructions?”
Sound familiar? Take a deep breath and 4 minutes to listen to what Jim and Lynne have to say about kids who refuse to listen by putting their hands over their ears.
What his actions are communicating. I don’t feel safe right now. It’s too hard for me to listen. I’m ashamed of what I did.
How you can safely and lovingly talk to your child when he doesn’t want to hear you:
Start with empathy, instead of focusing on the correction. “Wow, it’s really hard isn’t it? You kinda had a rough time with your brother. Are you feeling sad about that?”
Engage his brain, by giving him some power in the situation. “Do you want to take some time to calm down before we talk?” “Do you want to talk first?” “Do you want me to sit down when we talk?”
If his hands still don’t move, talk to the hands. 🙂 “What are your hands telling me right now?”
When kids feel safe and loved, and we listen to what’s important to them, they are much more inclined to listen to us.
We love partnering with you and pray this recording was an encouragement in your parenting!
In this Q & A, Jim and Lynne take 4 minutes to respond to a question from a mom and dad regarding their son’s hurtful words to his siblings.
“Our son constantly criticizes and teases our daughters – and anyone else that he sees as weaker than himself. It hurts them. While we want to lovingly correct our son, we also want to show our daughters that we are for them and want to protect them. We find it hard to do both. What should we do?”
By addressing both sides of the situation (the culprit and the casualties of the criticism) Jim and Lynne empower siblings to move from the resentment of ridicule to the joy of relationship.
Discover the root of your son’s negativity. Refrain from criticizing your son. Instead, talk through the feelings that are driving him to criticize others. Help him to understand the natural impacts of his hurtful words.
Find ways to build connection between the kids by getting them on the same team. Some ideas might include doing a service project, cooking a favorite meal, etc. Then acknowledge (with thoughtful, specific observations and affirmation) that you noticed how well they worked together.
Strengthen the child who has been picked on. Come alongside and encourage her to advocate for herself. Give her words to say and then roleplay the interaction. Teach her to discern the truth from trash, and how not to give untrue things power.
WHAT-EVER!! Ideas for Responding to Sass With Class
Jul 11, 2018
You’ve seen it a hundred, maybe even a thousand times. Your child doesn’t like what you’ve said and responds with a head tilt, and eye roll, and the grand pronouncement, “What-EVER!!!!”
What do you do when this happens? The tendency is to shut it down, NOW! But your angry response communicates to your child that she is in control of your emotions. This gives her the “powerjolt” she needs to pull this behavior out again the next time she’s frustrated with you.
In this Q & A, Jim and Lynne take 7 minutes to respond to this question from a mom who is tired of her 8-year-old daughter’s sass. You’ll hear some quick pointers for how to respond with grace while keeping a child accountable for better behavior.
You’re SAFE with me: Stay calm as you take a deep breath. Your kids are not your report card.
You are LOVED even if you sass: Express empathy. “This is really hard, isn’t it? If it’s hard for me, I’m sure it’s hard for you.”
You are CAPABLE: Ask a question. “You don’t like how this is going. What would be a better way?”
We hope as you listen to this audio you are encouraged in your parenting! As you learn to follow these three steps to decrease the “sass-level” in your house, take joy in the small victories. We are here to help you in any way we can as you seek to grow your connected family.
The Four Strengths of Every Great Family
Jun 13, 2018
During this 20 minute podcast, Jim and Lynne share the Connected Families parenting framework, which focuses on building a strong parent-child relationship.
If you want to be encouraged and challenged in your parenting journey, listen in! We are SO EXCITED to partner with you as you lead your family with grace.
Create a foundation that grounds your child’s identity and purpose in Christ.
[2:20] Connect
Communicate love to your child so that they can’t miss it. “I LOVE you and ENJOY you!”
[3:20] Coach
Don’t wait for misbehaviors to build your child’s character; instead, create opportunities to help them gain wisdom and purpose.
Follow Jesus’ example of asking thoughtful questions.
[5:49] Correct
Change your focus from punishment to gentle reconciliation.
Effective discipline puts the responsibility on the child to make right what they did wrong.
[8:15] Discipline that Connects
The goal of discipline is not to manage your child’s behavior, but to shape their belief about themselves. Their behavior ultimately flows out of their identity. “I’m a problem” vs “I’m the solution”.
[10:17] Sibling Conflict / Peace Process
Helping kids to value reconciliation and the joy of their sibling relationship.
Giving parents compassion and coping mechanisms to help their sensitive child.
Instilling Identity and Character In Your Child
Sep 28, 2016
On Tuesday evening, September 20, Lynne spoke to a packed house at the Discipline That Connects book launch party about the most important messages that parents convey to their children in discipline. This four-level framework is the foundation of intentional, grace-filled parenting. Follow the link below to get a 10 minute audio clip of the message that Lynne shared with the crowd that evening. Listen to learn about building identity and why it is so biblical, and so crucial to character development in your child.
Powerful Strategies to Fill Your Parenting with Peace and Confidence [podcast]
Feb 26, 2016
Recently Jim and Lynne sat down with the folks over at the Positive Parenting podcast to talk about how to discipline in a way that actually connects with kids.
The full podcast is 30 minutes — Listen or download below:
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