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Jul 2 • 21:27
Helping our kids opt into connection with - me!
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Helping our kids opt into connection with - me!

July 2, 2024 • 21:27 • Greta Eskridge

Todays episode is all me. This one really is The Greta Eskridge Podcast! I like to have these episodes every month or so, where I get to catch up with you and share whatever is on my heart and mind at the time. Today Im sharing thoughts on why it is so imperative for us to help our kids not just opt out of social media, gaming, and hours spent on a screen, but to opt into real life! That means opting into real life experiences and real life relationships and real life connections with the world and the people who live here. I share some sobering idea, but also encouragement that this isnt as difficult as we might think. 

 

Im also sharing something exciting for you all, my podcast community! For the month of July and August I am inviting you to join me in an online cook club, reading my book Adventuring Together. If you have already read the book, you can join, or if youre picking it up for the first time, you can join too. Well spend the month of July reading the book and then you can join me for a live book club meeting where well chat and you guys can ask questions and it will be a great time! Ill also be sharing one of my most favorite talks, The Connecting Power of Adventure online for the first time. And my podcast listeners will have the opportunity to see that too. To take advantage of these opportunities Im inviting you to join me on Substack. If you arent a Substack reader yet, its simply an online platform where writers like me can share our work and create a community with our readers. You can visit my website or my Instagram feed for all the details. I know were going to have a lot of fun, and be motivated and inspired to cultivate lasting connection with our kids and this beautiful world we live in! 

 

Important links from todays episode here: 

My favorite herbal blend of tea for sun tea here (I also like to add 2 or 3 bags of decaf black tea to the brew to make it a little stronger)  

Find my website and all the book club info here 

Find my book, Adventuring Together, here 

For more adventurous, connecting ideas, see my childrens book here 

Follow me on Instagram here 

See Erin Loechners book, The Opt Out Family, here 

 

 

Some favorite quotes from todays episode: 

*In order to help our kids opt out of social media, video games, endless screen time, and even pornography use, we have to offer them something better! Greta Eskridge 

*The algorithms are designed to make us want to stay on the screen, to scroll, and to watch for hours. So, we have to offer our kids something better! Greta Eskridge 

* If our only goal is to check a lot of adventures or activities off the list with our kids, but were not using those things to build, and cultivate connection with them, then were all missing out. Greta Eskridge 

*Adventure is the vehicle, but connection is the goal. Greta Eskridge 

* If we consistently offer our kids the opportunity to experience the real world with the people they love to be with, theyll want to choose that over the false connection, and even the false experiences offered through technology. Greta Eskridge 

*If people can just have an amazing virtual experience, why would they want to go through the effort, expense and bother of having a real one? Why would they want to have real life friendships, or real life relationships when they can have that with an image on a screen? This is the danger of satisfying your desires in a made up world, where life is easy and you expend no physical or emotional energy. Greta Eskridge 

*It is critical we create an appetite for real adventure and real experiences and real connection with the world and with its people in our kids! They need to experience struggle and hard work and being emotionally connected to others. There is so much at stake here. Greta Eskridge 

*It imperative that I not only pursue real life connection with my kids, but also teach them how to recognize it and to pursue it themselves. Greta Eskridge 

*This is more than just a list of things to do with your kids this summer. This is an invitation to you to begin creating connection and relationship with your kids that will stand the test of time. Greta Eskridge 

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We're living in a time filled with distraction and disconnection from the things that matter most. Things like faith, family, friendship, and childhood innocence feel harder and harder to hold onto. But I believe a joyful, connected life is possible with Jesus's help because he offers us life to the full! It's time to open our eyes to the wonder God has put all around us, so join me each week on The Greta Eskridge Podcast as some of my favorite friends and I explore ways to create connection in our families and chase joy through both the peaks and valleys of parenting and life.
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May 13 • 44:51
What Nature and Gods Word Teach Us About Rest with Eryn Lynum →

My guest today is Eryn Lynum: master naturalist, author, bible teacher, home schooling mom, and podcast host. Friends, shes incredible! And this episode with her is just so fun! We had the best time talking about nature and seeing God at work there. 

Eryns love of nature and Gods word have taught her much about the importance of pursuing rest. But this learning actually began when Eryn was a young teen.   At the age of 14, Eryn learned that she had a potentially life-threatening disease that required rest to keep her alive. This started Eryn on a journey of learning to manage the stress and anxieties of life in a way that was healthy and holy.  

In this episode, Eryn talks about her new book, The Nature of Rest: What the Bible and Creation Teach Us About Sabbath Living, and how it is the story of all shes learned about rest from her own life journey, to studying creation and Gods word. Eryn is a joy to talk to. She is a wealth of fun and fascinating nature knowledge, as well as a wise guide to biblical living. I love this episode, and I know you will too! 

Be sure to get Eryns new book today! You can find it right here. 

 

Resources mentioned in this podcast: 

Find Eryns new book here 

Find Eryns first book here 

Find Eryns website here 

Find Eryns podcast here 

Find Eryn on Instagram here 

Find more about Awana programs for kids here 

The Greta Eskridge Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

May 6 • 59:08
Angel Qthe Kid Safe Browser Weve Been Waiting For with Josh Thurman →

Todays guest, Josh Thurman, has a pretty remarkable biofrom being a dad to 6 to a Navy Seal, hes one amazing guy. But one of the things hes very proud of and we can all be very grateful for, is his involvement as a co-founder in a brand-new company called Angel Q. 

Angel Q exists to keep kids safer online by using AI as a buffer and guide while kids are online. Unlike other browsers that have no built in safety features, and that are constantly serving up more and more content for kids, Angel Q curates a childs time online to not just keep them safe from problematic and dangerous content, but also to bring their time online to a natural end after a reasonable amount of time. 

This episode is full of a lot of really important information for parents to be aware of. From the predatory nature of the tech industry, the growing rates of depression for teen girls, and the ways AI can be used for good to keep our kids safe, even though that felt confusing to me at first. I came away from my first, and now my second, conversation with Josh feeling so incredibly impressed by what Angel Q is doing to protect my kids and yours.  

And listen to this! Angel Q has given my listeners the incredible opportunity to get an entire year subscription for free! Just use the code : FOUNDERSFREEYEAR 

This is a limited time offer so take advantage! I cant stress enough how important this tool could be for your family. 

 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Learn more about Angel Q here 

Sign up for Angel Q here  (dont forget to use the free code!) 

Learn more about Josh here 

Find Angel Q on Instagram here 

 

The Greta Eskridge Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Apr 29 • 37:16
The Best Potluck Dish, Favorite Books to Grow Your Childs Faith, 2 Reasons I Home School and more!with Greta Eskridge →

It's time for another episode where its just me and you chatting about all kinds of thingsfrom my favorite dish to bring to a potluck, the one of the most impactful books Ive ever read to my kids and all sorts of things in between! 

This is a fun and insightful episode, albeit kind of random. And I cant decide if my ability to talk about practically any subject at length is my superpower, or just one of my most annoying traits. If its the former, break it to my gently, OK? 

I hope youll get some helpful insight from this episode and be sure to check out the links below as I have included all the things mentioned in the episode. I know youll get a lot out of them. 

Last thing, please remember to order my new book, Its Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn, if you havent already. Or if you have read it, to leave a rating and review on Amazon. You can do that right here and it is wildly helpful when you do! 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Find Gretas favorite stove top espresso maker here 

Find Gretas favorite milk frother here 

Find copies of The Hiding place here (original version) here (young readers) and here (youngest readers)  

Find Instagram post about visiting Corrie ten Booms grave here 

Find my Home School 101 highlight here 

 

Find Greta: 

Find Gretas books here, here and here 

Find Greta on Instagram here 

The Greta Eskridge Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Apr 22 • 42:13
No, You Dont Have to be Afraid of the Teen Years with Abbie Halberstadt →

Home schooling mom of 10, podcaster, author of 2 beloved books and pickleball champion.  

One of the things I love about Abbie is that she is vocal about her how much she loves spending time with her teens. Like me, she really enjoys the teen years and has made it a bit of her personal mission to remind the mamas with littles that the goodness doesnt stop the moment their kids hit puberty. 

So in this episode Abbie and I talk about all things having teens. We talk about parenting with expectant hope. That means determining that well love our kids through their whole life, not just when they are cute and cuddly babies. We discuss ways to connect with our teens and how that starts by enjoying being with our kids when they are little and then continuing that as they grow. 

One of the things our kids will face as they grow up, and especially in the teen years is exposure to pornography. Abbie and I talk about how we can prepare our kids for growing up in a porn saturated world and also share with them about Gods good plan for sex. This part of our conversation was really helpful and honestly so powerful. I just know youll get a lot from it! And friends, if you are looking for more information on this topic, and still havent gotten my new book, Its Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn, this is your sign to get the book! Its time! Get your copy right here. 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Find the Parenting and Pornography video here 

 

Where to find Abbie: 

Find Abbies books here and here 

Find Abbies website here 

Find Abbies podcast here 

Find Abbie on Instagram here 

 

Apr 15 • 1:6:53
Filtering the Noise in a Loud World with Aubrey McGowan →

Friends! Have you gotten my new book Its Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn yet? If not, listen to todays guest give a review of the book at the end of the podcast and be inspired to get your copy right here today! 

I met todays guest, Aubrey McGowan, at a home school mom conference called Wild and Free! What a fun way to meet this guy. Aubrey and his wife Jen are tremendous musicians, and they have performed at many of the Wild and Free conferences I have been a part of. Aubrey is also creative in other ways: hes a passionate communicator and a gifted writer. 

In todays episode we are talking about Aubreys new book, Filter the Noise: how to Hear Gods Voice in a Culture of Chaos. 

We have so much noise in our life--the noise of the physical world, the noise of the digital world and the inner noisethose voices in our head that so often tell us things that arent true. 

Aubrey asks the question: what does Christ say to this?  

While the world tells us we always need more, Christ tells us He is enough. 

Aubrey shares with us the practice he outlines in the book that can help us filter the noise we dont want or need in this life. But Aubrey reminds us: The power is in Jesus, not in the practice 

This practice is a way to point people to Jesus 

Friends, this is a longer than usual episode, but when Aubrey gets fired up he brings the wisdom and the fire and I dont want to stop him! So sit down, grab a cup of coffee and be inspired by what Aubrey shares here. Lets go! 

 

Resources from this episode: 

Quote from Gordon Hempton: "We have an epidemic of extinction of quiet places in our world." 

Pray Psalm 23 every morning 

Find the book Gods Smuggler here 

Quote by Corrie ten Boom If the devil cant make you sin hell make you busy 

 

Where to find Aubrey: 

Find Aubreys book here 

Find Aubreys website here 

Find Aubrey on Instagram here 

Find Aubreys Family Field Guide ministry here 

Find Aubreys mens ministry Whetstone here 

Listen to Aubrey and Jens music here 

The Greta Eskridge Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

 

About the Host

Greta Eskridge

Greta Eskridge is a second-generation homeschooler, an author, a speaker, and a podcast host. Greta’s faith in God is the lens through which she sees the world.

Greta loves encouraging parents to pursue joyful, connected parenting. And she is passionate about helping families create connection in a disconnected world through things like purposeful adventures, online safety, and keeping their eyes wide open to wonder. Greta firmly believes that “joy is the serious business of heaven” and is on mission to chase joy through both the peaks and valleys of parenting and life.

Greta lives in sunny southern California with her artist husband, Aaron, and their four kids--1 young adult and 3 teens. Greta loves nature, books and coffee and her favorite place to be is on a hiking trail. 

More from Greta →