Raising Boys & Girls

Pastor and author Tyler Staton joins David Thomas for an honest conversation about prayer, parenting, and his journey through advanced-stage cancer. Tyler shares creative ways families can help children engage with prayer, including prayer jars and prayer trees, while reminding parents that prayer is not only about the words spoken between “Dear God” and “Amen,” but about who we become afterward. He reflects on learning to release control, live more fully present, and allow prayer to shape him into a more patient and playful father. Together, Tyler and David encourage parents to trust that God loves their children even more than they do and to find hope by noticing His presence and goodness in the middle of a complicated world.

Resources mentioned:

After Amen by Tyler Staton

TylerStaton.com

Bridgetown Church

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Sissy Goff and David Thomas share four things grieving children need most: conversation, community, consistency, and coping. They explain how honest, age-appropriate conversations can help children feel grounded, why safe adults and peers are essential, and how familiar routines and boundaries create security during seasons of change. They also offer practical coping strategies for navigating big emotions and remind parents that children do not need perfect answers. They need adults who will stay present, make room for their grief, and remind them that they are safe, seen, and loved.

Resources mentioned:

Helping Kids Through Grief by Sissy Goff

Daystar Counseling Ministries

. . . . . .

Sign up to receive the⁠ bi-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠monthly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share!

Order our new book, Capable, here!!

See our speaking dates, purchase books and check out our courses here.. . . . . .

If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Advertise With Us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ form.

CHRISTIAN HEALTHSHARE MINISTRIES: Take charge of your healthcare by visiting chministries.org/solution.

BOLL & BRANCH: Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at Bollandbranch.com/rbg⁠. Exclusions apply.

QUINCE: Go to ⁠Quince.com/rbg⁠ for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.

SEEDS: Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today. Plant your first seed and see what God can grow.

HEY POLO: Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to heypolo.com/raising or use code RAISING and get 70% off your first year!

HIYA: Visit hiyahealth.com/rbg for 50% off your first order.

OUR PLACE: Visit fromourplace.com/rbg and use code RBG for 10% off sitewide.
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Sissy and David are joined by author and speaker Toni Collier for an honest and hope-filled conversation about the power of community in helping kids and families navigate grief and hardship. Drawing from her family’s experience with divorce, Toni shares how accepting support from safe people strengthened both her and her children. Together, they discuss why resilience is built over time, how to help kids recognize safe relationships, and the importance of balancing bravery with rest. Toni also offers practical ideas for building meaningful community, inviting children to contribute through service, and stepping into kids’ worlds so they feel seen, connected, and capable.

Resources mentioned:

Don’t Try This Alone by Toni Collier

Brave Enough to Be Broken by Toni Collier

Broken Crayons Still Color by Toni Collier

Still Coloring with Toni Collier

. . . . . .

Sign up to receive the⁠ bi-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠monthly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share!

Order our new book, Capable, here!!

See our speaking dates, purchase books and check out our courses here.. . . . . .

If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Advertise With Us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ form.

CHRISTIAN HEALTHSHARE MINISTRIES: Take charge of your healthcare by visiting chministries.org/solution.

BOLL & BRANCH: Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at Bollandbranch.com/rbg⁠. Exclusions apply.

QUINCE: Go to ⁠Quince.com/rbg⁠ for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.

SEEDS: Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today. Plant your first seed and see what God can grow.

HEY POLO: Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to heypolo.com/raising or use code RAISING and get 70% off your first year!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grief looks different at every age, and understanding a child’s developmental stage can help parents recognize what they need most. Sissy Goff and David Thomas explore how grief may appear in babies and toddlers, preschoolers, elementary-age children, middle schoolers, and teenagers—from regression and separation anxiety to withdrawal, risk-taking, and unexpected emotional reactions. They offer practical guidance for providing stability, addressing guilt, creating opportunities for side-by-side conversations, and surrounding kids with trusted support. Above all, they remind parents that children don’t need perfect words—they need adults who notice, remain close, and continually reassure them, “I see you, I’m here, and you don’t have to go through this alone.”

Resources mentioned:

Helping Kids Through Grief by Sissy Goff

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s five experiences of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance from On Death and Dying

. . . . . .

Sign up to receive the⁠ bi-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠monthly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share!

Order our new book, Capable, here!!

See our speaking dates, purchase books and check out our courses here.. . . . . .

If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Advertise With Us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ form.

CHRISTIAN HEALTHSHARE MINISTRIES: Take charge of your healthcare by visiting chministries.org/solution.

BOLL & BRANCH: Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at Bollandbranch.com/rbg⁠. Exclusions apply.

QUINCE: Go to ⁠Quince.com/rbg⁠ for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.

SEEDS: Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today. Plant your first seed and see what God can grow.

HIYA: Visit hiyahealth.com/rbg for 50% off your first order.

OUR PLACE: Visit fromourplace.com/rbg and use code RBG for 10% off sitewide.

HEY POLO: Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to heypolo.com/raising or use code RAISING and get 70% off your first year!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Raising Boys and Girls, it features Sissy Goff and David Thomas in an in-person conversation with author and Duke professor Kate Bowler about her newest book, Joyful Anyway. Kate unpacks the difference between happiness (built from luck and circumstance) and joy (a surprising, embodied experience that can coexist with grief and hardship), drawing on her own journey through stage four cancer. She talks about letting go of the "professional happiness manager" role in parenting, how to be honest with kids about grief without burdening them, and how relinquishing control can open people up to deeper love and connection.

Resources mentioned:

Joyful Anyway by Kate Bowler

Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved by Kate Bowler

No Cure for Being Human: (And Other Truths I Need to Hear) by Kate Bowler

Good Enough: 40ish Devotionals for a Life of Imperfection by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie

The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler

The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

. . . . . .

Sign up to receive the⁠ bi-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠monthly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share!

Order our new book, Capable, here!!

See our speaking dates, purchase books and check out our courses here.. . . . . .

If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Advertise With Us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ form.

CHRISTIAN HEALTHSHARE MINISTRIES: Take charge of your healthcare by visiting chministries.org/solution.

BOLL & BRANCH: Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at Bollandbranch.com/rbg⁠. Exclusions apply.

QUINCE: Go to ⁠Quince.com/rbg⁠ for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns.

SEEDS: Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today. Plant your first seed and see what God can grow.

THE ABSORPTION COMPANY: Visit absorbmore.com and use code RBG for up to 35% off your first order.

HEY POLO: Protect your loved ones without spying on them. Go to heypolo.com/raising or use code RAISING and get 70% off your first year!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices