Stay ConnectedTHE podcast for parents with big dreams who want to create an EXTRAORDINARY lifestyle but feel stuck.
Greg and Rachel Denning are parents of 7 children whom they’ve traveled with to 60+ countries on 5 continents — all while homeschooling and building a multi-six-figure location independent biz.
Let them show you how to finally break through what’s holding you back so you can achieve your biggest dreams — even with a family!
Copyright: © Greg & Rachel Denning
"I'm feeling sooooo burnt out of motherhood... My kids are fighting so much. Last week we did a 'no fighting' challenge for 7 days. They did pretty well and each got a prize.
This week has been a total dumpster fire. I keep circling back to me. Making sure I am good, but I'm just not. I feel so drained at the end of my day after so much fighting. Any advice?"
Conflict is often seen as an unavoidable part of family life—whether it’s sibling rivalry, marital disagreements, or parenting struggles. But what if fighting isn’t natural, just common? In this episode, Greg and Rachel Denning challenge the belief that conflict is inevitable and share the deeper truth: fighting stems from unmet needs. They explore how going upstream to address the root causes of family tension leads to lasting peace and cooperation. Tune in to discover the Pyramid of Peace framework, the power of proactive parenting, and why intentional action—not just hoping for the best—is the key to a thriving family life.
Fighting is exhausting -- mentally, emotionally, and physically. It takes away from family and personal productivity and peace. How do we best handle it and put an end to it -- for good? And is it actually possible?
In this episode, we outline the strategies we use from the Pyramid of Peace to 'help things go right' in order to prevent problems and fighting AND how to 'fix what's gone wrong' when fighting actually occurs (which is rare when you spend 80-90% of your time and energy 'helping things go right'.)
We'll show you how to basically eliminate fighting in your family -- for good -- in a realistic approach that focuses on conflict resolution -- because conflicts will arise, but that doesn't mean they have to turn into fights.
If your kids fight at all, then you will want to listen to this insightful episode to understand WHY they are fighting and how to prevent it in a healthy, holistic way.
Resolving conflicts at home and in our families is the beginning of resolving conflicts in the world. Learn how to have more familial peace this week and gain tools for increasing peace in your communities.
Greg and Rachel dive deep into the topic of fighting—between siblings, in marriages, and within families. They emphasize that fighting is not a natural state, but rather a symptom of unmet needs. Using the Pyramid of Peace model, they explain why focusing on fixing what’s "gone wrong" is ineffective and how the real solution lies in helping things go right.
The episode covers:
Through personal stories, practical insights, and a passionate call to action, Greg and Rachel offer a mindset shift that empowers parents to build a peaceful, cooperative home—one where fighting is no longer the norm.
🎧 Tune in now to transform the way you approach family conflict and start fostering lasting harmony in your home.
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Become a Founding Member of our Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
Read our reviews here: https://podcast.extraordinaryfamilylife.com/reviews/
We received a great question from a mom which we answer in today’s episode.
Just a reminder — we love receiving questions. Feel free to ask us anything by visiting podcast.extraordinaryfamilylife.com where you can leave us a voice or text message.
This mom asked:
“I have a 13-year-old daughter. She gets homework from coop & every week it’s a battle. I remind her about her assignment- she says yes, I know… and gets mad at me every time I bring it up but then either doesn’t do it or is up late the night before it’s due. Wisdom - please!!!!”
This is a challenge that all of us have faced — likely more than once — as parents. And it’s something that can be extremely irritating and draining — mentally and emotionally.
So how can we reduce the battles, not just around homework, but chores and anything else our kids 'should' do — and ultimately, help our children to WANT to do the things they’re ‘supposed’ to do?
Because that’s the IDEAL — not just that our kids do what we ask them to, but that they learn to do things on their own because they WANT to do it.
If this is something you’ve ever struggled with as a parent — and wondered if there was a better way — then listen to this episode now.
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Become a Founding Member of our Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
Read our reviews here: https://podcast.extraordinaryfamilylife.com/reviews/
This topic is one that can be sensitive, so we want to handle it appropriately. As usual, the subject came up because of an activity in Greg’s online class for teens — Habits for a Successful Life — and a resulting email from a mom. (We love getting emails).
The students took a self-assessment of multiple areas of life—mental, emotional, physical, etc. For the physical assessment, they held their breath, touched their toes, counted pushups, and measured ‘grabbable’ belly skin/fat. This is similar to BMI exams, which measure belly, triceps, and thigh fat.
One parent was concerned that grabbing the stomach brought “attention to this area of their body and was damaging to their confidence… As a certified personal trainer, it was strongly emphasized to never ask a client to assess the health of their bodies in this manner—it creates body shaming and sets a client up for failure.”
Some people do struggle with body image and obsess about minor skin they can grab around their middle. The world of Instagram convinces them they need to be twigs.
“As a mom, I’m trying to teach my kids to love their bodies. They don’t have to look like people on social media. What matters is being healthy and taking care of themselves by eating well and exercising—which they’re doing.”
We absolutely agree. Girls and boys should not be obsessing about their appearance or comparing themselves to others, especially photoshopped images online.
And yet, BMI and body fat do matter, because excess fat can lead to long-term health issues—heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and cancer. We need to know if our body fat is increasing or decreasing—not because we care about image, but because we care about health and wellness.
We must teach our children to accept this balance—a need to know without obsessing.
There’s more to this subject than just physical health. In our experience, any emotion, including shame and guilt about our bodies, points to deeper issues.
The truth is, no one can ‘shame’ you or make you feel anything. Emotions arise from within. If uncomfortable emotions surface, it’s an opportunity to practice self-awareness. Why do I feel this way? This helps develop internal congruence—becoming whole and resilient, no matter what others say or do.
This episode is the conversation we’ve had—and continue to have—with our own daughters (and sons). We discuss how each of us must get in tune with our bodies and let that guide us to our own unique level of health and fitness based on long-term goals and desires. Our bodies know what our ideal shape is meant to be, and they respond through biochemistry, emotions, and feedback loops.
If you’re concerned about today’s cultural messages around body image—but also wondering how to find a healthy balance—listen to this episode now.
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Enrollment is open for the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
Read our reviews here: https://podcast.extraordinaryfamilylife.com/reviews/
In our podcast episodes, we like to answer questions we’re asked or to discuss topics that impact — or fire — us up. Lately, we’ve been discussing together the most recent school shooting in the United States (and the resulting usual public discussion about the need for gun control).
As American citizens, we also have a unique viewpoint because of the near decade or more we’ve spent living outside of the United States (in more than 50 countries). It’s allowed us to gain a unique perspective of the problems plaguing nations — and to compare and contrast their similarities and differences.
School shootings are an almost uniquely U.S. problem. While violence and terrorism do occur in other countries — including genocide — a single shooter whose goal is to take out innocent lives (children) is a crime that is nearly exclusive to the United States.
What’s going on here? Why is it happening?
Of course, it makes complete logical sense at first glance to blame it on the guns. We did about nine years ago while living in Costa Rica — a country with no military and no guns. But as we’ve thought, discussed, analyzed, and researched further, we’ve come to believe that the problem — and solution — may include more gun control, but it's also far more complex than that. There is an "underlying cause to the underlying cause" of the problem, and until it's resolved things won't change -- even if all guns were magically removed from the nation.
Whether you're pro-2nd Amendment or pro-gun control, listen now to this interesting episode to add awareness and understanding to your viewpoint — a key step in having healthy dialogue and debate which are absolutely essential for creating change.
And perhaps gain insight into how each of us individually has contributed to the instability and terrifying challenges facing our nations and communities. Because as Alexander Solzhenitsyn, author of the Gulag Archipelago said:
“A society with unlimited rights is incapable of standing to adversity… A stable society is achieved not by balancing opposing forces but by conscious self-limitation [responsibility].”
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Enrollment is open for the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
Read our reviews here: https://podcast.extraordinaryfamilylife.com/reviews/
In this episode, it seems as though we start talking about one subject and end with another. Yet, they are connected.
We begin discussing how to deal with children who are ‘high spirited’ with minds of their own (which can sometimes be aggravating or embarrassing) and who grow up feeling ‘not good enough’ or as though there’s something wrong with them because of the constant correction they receive.
We also mention the ‘quiet’, ‘good’ kids that ‘go along to get along’ but who internally might be (unconsciously) building resentment to the arbitrary rules and restrictions of their parents (which often leads to some sort of rebellion or rejection of values when they become adults).
Both types of kids struggle because of the (often arbitrary) rules their parents and/or society have for them. Out of the best intentions, parents create rules for their family life so that children can be safe, they can have high standards and values, and some sort of order and control can be maintained. The rules are often communicated in a black-and-white way — we never eat in the living room, we never stand on the table, we never listen to pop music, we never swear, we never stay out past midnight, we never watch rated R movies, we never lie, etc.
But the reality is, this black-and-white approach has long-term detrimental consequences for your relationship with your child, their critical thinking skills, and their ability to make decisions. That’s because life is rarely black and white. There are variables, nuances, and levels to all parts of our reality.
We end the episode by expounding on how allowing your children to ‘talk back’ and to argue/debate with you in an effort to persuade you to their point of view is a GOOD thing. Your rules are NOT black and white and kids (as well as parents) often intuitively feel this, they just can’t articulate it.
This is where ‘parenting relativism’ is required. And while that sounds bad or dangerous to some, it is actually an effective approach that helps us help our children to navigate the complexities of the world around us and life in general.
At the outset, the approach we outline in this episode seems like more work and thought, and effort on your part. But in the long run — done well — it creates WAY better results because this parenting process develops the ability to think critically, to strategically analyze, to effectively make decisions, and to confront moral dilemmas. As a bonus, it increases the trust and respect your children have for you as their parents and creates stronger life-long relationships.
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Enrollment is open for the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
Read our reviews here: https://podcast.extraordinaryfamilylife.com/reviews/
In our work with couples and clients, we often come across marriages that are struggling. One of the MANY reasons this happens (or at least continues as an issue) is because of the husband’s inability or lack of skill in listening to his wife effectively in a way that she needs him to.
Just as women need to understand a man’s need and desire for sexual intimacy, he needs to understand her need for emotional intimacy. This is challenging because it is often communicated in a way that can be undesirable to men and can sometimes come off as complaining, whining, illogical, irrational, or incorrect.
This is something we’ve had to figure out in our own marriage — the best way for Greg to ‘listen’ in a way that produces the results we both want — deeper connection, more intimacy, vulnerability, and security in our relationship and with each other, with the freedom to express feelings that don’t always have to be taken as absolute facts.
(Of course, there are other things that Rachel’s had to figure out too in order to better meet her husband’s needs, but we’ve discussed those in previous episodes.)
Listening in this way can be challenging and complicated — it seems passive but is actually a very active process. When understood and done well it will transform your marriage relationship (and improve your sex life).
Of course, better communication will help in ALL relationships — including the workplace and your community. But listening to your wife in the way we outline in this episode is a whole other level that is very unique to this special relationship.
We’ll expound on emotional stacking, on the yin and yang of male/female relationships, why a woman will sometimes say the opposite of what she means, what she really wants you to do instead of ‘fixing’ her problems, how to get through the ugly crying without strangling her, and why all of this is okay and not something either side needs to be ashamed of or shy away from — because what lies on the other side is truly beautiful.
Learning to embrace the complexities of female emotion — and to understand that it’s an ocean that sometimes results in a storm — will help you to remain the lighthouse in that storm and will bring greater strength to each partner and to the relationship as a whole.
What results is a beautiful circle of intimacy that draws partners together mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically in an eternal loop of intellect, sentiment, passion, and desire — but only if both partners' unique needs are understood, addressed, and accepted.
This is a crucial part of the path to true INTIMACY — Into Me You See
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Enrollment is open for the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
Read our reviews here: https://podcast.extraordinaryfamilylife.com/reviews/
Every year on our birthdays and anniversaries we love to reminisce and ask ourselves, "Where were we celebrating last year? I wonder where we'll be next year?"
Last year we celebrated in Portugal while we were scouting out the country to see if it could be a place we wanted to make a permanent home base. (We did a podcast episode about it because it was so serendipitous.) We could have never guessed then that this year we would be celebrating 22 years together in Turkey on the Aegean Sea!
In this episode, we reminisce about the 15 different countries we've celebrated our anniversaries, as well as discuss the principles and strategies we've used to celebrate our marriage -- because your marriage SHOULD be celebrated as often as possible. It's worth doing something 'big', momentous, or festive on special days to make them memorable.
If you haven't done this as part of your marriage then it's time to make a change. Yes, we get it. It's not just about the one special day of the year. Every week you should be dating and every day you should be connecting. But you should also make your anniversary something extra special.
Listen to this episode to be inspired on WHY and how to level up your yearly 'honeymoon' trips with your spouse to celebrate your marriage and to reconnect as a man and woman in love.
If you feel like you can't do this because you can't afford it or can't leave your kids or ________, then you MUST listen to this episode now.
To fully level up your marriage in every aspect and to make it extraordinary, make sure to join our Extraordinary Marriage Masterclass. In the next 30 days, you can have a more Connected, Closer, Peaceful, and Passionate Marriage.
It REALLY is possible to create an extraordinary marriage with our 30-Day Step-by-Step Action Plan to an Extraordinary Marriage (with 22 training videos). Take your marriage from 'good' to 'extraordinary' by focusing on 5 simple strategies that anyone can do -- EVEN IF your spouse won't change!
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Enrollment is open for the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
Read our reviews here: https://podcast.extraordinaryfamilylife.com/reviews/
After episode #211 about What to Eat we received a lot of follow-up questions (thank you!) and were asked to do a follow up episode to clarify some things, such as:
If you had similar questions after listening to episode #211, then get them answered by listening to this episode now!
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Enrollment is open for the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
Thanks for all of the questions! They help us to have relevant conversations in these podcast episodes. If you have a question about anything in life or family, send them to support@extraordinaryfamilylife.com
This week’s question is related to full-time family travel vs. home base travel but the answer is relevant for all of us — it’s principle-based and applicable to every area of life. So if you’re not a full-time family traveler, you still need to listen to this episode because you’re likely experiencing something similar in one or more areas of your life.
Many of us think that balance means equal. But really, contrast — the yin and yang — is more accurate to how we develop. It’s why we have two hemispheres in our brain and it’s why we need ‘opposition’ in all things. It is how we find meaning and purpose in our life.
But the challenge is we sabotage ourselves. We don't want to let go of what we know to puruse something different, especially when we feel like what we have is 'right'. We want to stay with the familiar, we don’t want to ‘betray’ ourselves by ‘flip-flopping’ between ideas, beliefs, or lifestyles. We identify with this thing and it’s become a part of who we are, so if we change them or open our minds to something opposite, what will that do to our life, family, marriage, etc?
The truth is, we NEED to do that in order to become complete, whole, and fully developed. We NEED to explore the ‘other side’. That’s how we reach our full potential and become our full, complete selves. This is what we call ‘walking the labyrinth' — exploring every area of yourself, life, etc. in order to become fully whole and complete.
But it seems scary, risky, or even wrong and ‘inappropriate’ — yet it is psychologically, biologically, mentally, and physically accurate and demonstrably true. Try it out and see for yourself. You’ll find more benefits, power, development and reach more of your personal and family potential. Listen now to learn HOW.
Book mentioned:
See a photo of the labyrinth here.
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Enrollment is open for the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
In many of our episodes, we often reference food and its connection to behavior and emotion.
So it’s not surprising that we received this request:
“I would LOVE to hear an episode on food! YES it is confusing and hard to navigate! We've already made some good changes, but I'd love to hear your specific thoughts about how you implement this both at home and on the road. I'd also love to hear some scientific evidence from books but mainly how you guys apply it… especially when your kids when they are surrounded by all the not-so-good-foods of their peers...
And I got confused: Rachel said, in the same breath when talking about bad foods/chemicals, almond and soy milk, and then whole foods....meaning those milks are considered bad or good?!
I think your intention was that those milks are bad...I didn't know that!”
It’s true, I did mention in a previous episode that soy and almond milks are not good for you.
In this episode, I expound how and why we came to those — as well as other ‘shocking’ — conclusions about our definition of what’s healthy and what is not.
If you’ve ever wondered ‘what to eat’ and what is actually healthy, then you don’t want to miss this episode. At the very least it will provide some ‘food for thought’. 😁
RESOURCES:
Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.
How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)
Rachel’s Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms
Follow us on Instagram: @worldschoolfamily or @greg.denning
Enrollment is open for the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method!
Get Rachel's Family Systems & Charts
Join the Do More With Less Stress Workshop Series for busy moms
Join Greg’s 7-Day Challenge
JOIN GREG'S 90-DAY HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE!
Gather with us at the World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort in Portugal
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