Watermark Audio: Parents' Channel

One of the most often overlooked aspects of family life is the role that “fun” plays in fostering an environment conducive to the important work of parenting and discipleship. Joy, laughter, and memory making are not just the “extra-curricular” activities of parenting. They are essential components of healthy family life and evidence of the Spirit’s work in and through you. In this session of DadU, we explore how dads can take the lead in establishing “fun” as a core value of the family as well as why this is such an important aspect of our discipleship of our children. To view resources on this podcast, visit: https://www.watermark.org/message/7165

Motherhood can be exhausting. There are a lot of places moms can try to find rest. At the Nest in Plano, Anne Clayton explains how what we seek leads to who we follow, which determines if we find true rest.

At the Nest on the Dallas campus, Elizabeth Tamlyn encourages moms to consider their daily time with God in a new way. She shares how to be restored and thrive rather than be exhausted and just survive.

At the Plano NEST, Jinger Lord shares lessons she learned on her own mothering journey. We all have seasons of parenting where our kids are “out-of-the-box” either due to their own struggles or due to ways that we let our expectations get in the way. She covers three things to remember: (1) The importance of knowing your child’s “box”; (2) That your “box” is not their “box”; (3) That our kids are all in God’s “box.” Moms on the panel discuss what they have learned from parenting their kids with specific struggles-ADHD, special needs, and the strong-willed child.

The psalmist wrote in Psalm 127, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” He then goes on to warn the reader that failing to remember this simple principle leads the laborer to sleeplessness and “eating the bread of anxious toil.” Sadly, “anxious toil” is often the best description of the typical parenting experience for the 21st century American family. In this session of DadU, we discuss how to fight against what is typical and fight for a family that is marked by trusting the heart of our Father, the Ultimate Builder of our homes. For more information, see [trusting the heart of your father](https://www.watermark.org/message/7076).

At the Nest on the Dallas campus, the Nest leadership team shared a wealth of ideas to help point your child to Christ during the Christmas season. And our Mentor Moms shared their wisdom and perspective of what they've learned over the years and how to stay focused during the busy Christmas season.

At the Plano NEST, Leslie Barry talks about how we can really make others feel valued, cared for, and known through our traditions. She gives 3 questions for you to ask yourself to help you determine this: 1) Are you building relationship in your tradition or walking through a dead ritual? 2) Does this fit my family? 3) What should I start/stop/keep? Evaluate your own traditions and then listen as a panel of moms discuss their traditions that make others feel valued, cared for, and known. Yes, you will get ALL the ideas!

In this session of DadU, Blake Holmes asks us to consider three hugely important questions: 1) What is prayer? 2) What do our prayers reveal? and 3) How then should we pray? Taking these things into consideration, Blake and a panel of dads then share some tools that have been helpful for growing in faithfulness as we pray for our families and disciple our children to develop this habit for themselves. For additional resources from this session, visit our blog for more information on [praying in faith](https://www.watermark.org/blog/pray-in-faith-dads)

At the Nest on the Dallas campus, Chrisey Billman encourages women to consider others and step into their stories to love them well, when they are going through a crisis or challenging circumstances.

How to love and support those who have experienced the death of a loved one. (GriefShare and Shift ministries with Julie Nicholson and Jill Cook)

How to love and support those going through Foster Care and/or Adoption. (Family Restoration ministry with Martha Canuteson and Kate Wallace)

How to love and support those who are experiencing infertility and/or miscarriages. (Shiloh ministry with Julie Fowler and Susie Littrell)

How to love and support families of children with special and additional needs. (Kaleidoscope ministry with Lyn Pollard)

Anxiety among children and teens is an increasingly prominent challenge within the American family today. How can we as Christian parents prepare ourselves and our children for this battle for peace and contentment in our homes? How can we help our children who may struggle with these issues and create an environment of security and authenticity that enables us to talk about it? Join us for an evening with the Watermark elders and their wives as we consider these questions and more to equip you for these crucial conversations. Whether you are a new parent, have children moving into the pre-teen life stage, or are about to launch your kids off to college, these conversations are for you.

Real life mothering is HARD, but if our priorities are in the right place, you can find life, and joy and peace in Him. At the Nest on the Plano Campus, Shelly Ahlemeier and Caitlin Clyde encourage moms to be purposeful with their priorities, avoid common mommy pitfalls, and to be careful about what treasures they chase.

From potty training to training wheels to table manners to driver’s education, the journey of parenting is one sprawling training ground after another. In all of those, there is no area of our child’s development more crucial than the maturing of their spiritual lives. At this month’s DadU, we will take a look at the key role we play as dads in training up our children in the “discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). We will seek to remove some of the mystery from spiritual discipleship and equip you with the tools necessary to help you to be faithful with your God-given role as the spiritual leader in your home. To view resources on this podcast, visit: https://www.watermark.org/message/6864

Whether you see your differences as a benefit or a hindrance, God can use them to bring balance and perspective to you and your family. It often depends on your attitude and approach. At the Nest on the Dallas campus, Holly Barnett and Casey Uphues encourage moms to consider their differences, as it relates to marriage and parenting.

Drawing from years of experience working in student ministries at Watermark, David Penuel (Director of Students) and Rebe Long (Women's Coordinator of Middle School Ministries) share insights of patterns they've seen in parenting from the kids who graduate the ministry and continue on with their faith into college and young adulthood. For more see https://www.watermark.org/blog/common-denominator

In this Nest Plano talk, Morgan walks us through a mother's role as Lifegiver. We look at being a Physical Lifegiver, Emotional Lifegiver, and Spiritual Lifegiver through three different filters: Created, Fallen, and Redeemed. We were CREATED to give life to our families in these roles, but the FALL has marred each of them and our sin keeps us from being the Lifegivers God intended. However, because of the redemption we have in Christ, we are able to live as REDEEMED Lifegivers in a fallen world. Be sure to download the handout to follow along with the chart!

At the Nest on the Dallas campus, Mandy Sisco encouraged moms to consider the bigger picture in their parenting. She shared suggestions and fun ideas to help motivate moms to gain perspective, understand purpose, and take aim at a plan.