204. Helping Your Kids Navigate Dating: A Christian Parent’s Guide to Healthy Relationships with Monica Swanson

Click Here for Your Teaching Textbooks Free Trial What do you do when your teenager wants to start dating?What if they’re already dating—and you’re not sure you love the relationship they’re in?What if you have preteens? How do you talk to your kids about attraction, boundaries, healthy relationships, heartbreak, and ultimately marriage without making them feel like you’re completely out of touch with their world?These are conversations so many parents find themselves navigating, and honestly, they aren’t always easy.Today I’m talking with someone I’m especially excited to have back on the show: Monica Swanson. Monica is the author of Boy Mom, Raising Amazing, and Becoming Homeschoolers, and she hosts the Monica Swanson Podcast. She and her husband, Dr. Dave, have raised their four sons on the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii, so we have that fun Hawaii connection as well.Monica is passionate about helping parents apply biblical wisdom to family life and encouraging moms to live whole and healthy lives. She is an author and podcaster after my own heart. This is actually Monica’s second time on Elevating Motherhood. Monica was one of my very first author interviews when this podcast was just getting started. So it was really special to reconnect with her for this conversation.Today we’re getting practical about helping our kids navigate dating from a biblical perspective—how to guide them toward healthy friendships and relationships, how to communicate with them, what to do when you have concerns about someone they’re dating, and how to help them understand dating as something we pursue when we’re ready to find a spouse.And if your kids aren’t dating yet, don’t tune this one out. The conversations you have before they start dating can make a tremendous difference in how they navigate relationships when the time comes.God’s ways are always best. And helping our kids understand that—while also giving them practical wisdom for navigating real relationships—is one of the most important conversations we can have with them.Monica also has a character training course coming out this Fall! I trust Monica’s parenting wisdom so much and am really looking forward to the course for my own family. Be sure to check today’s show notes for the link to that course (which includes even more dating insights!). Please Visit Today’s Sponsor: Teaching TextbooksWe completely switched up the way we’re doing math, and we’re now using Teaching Textbooks—and it has been a game changer. It has freed up so much time in our homeschool day, and honestly, it has helped me overcome some of my own insecurities as a homeschool mom when it comes to teaching math. My kids are learning at a much faster pace and our homeschool and my relationships with my kids are better for it. I love that my kids can work independently, get immediate feedback, and still have a highly effective math education without me feeling like I have to carry the entire weight of teaching everything. If you’re looking for a stress-free, effective math solution for your homeschool, I highly recommend trying Teaching Textbooks. They offer a free trial, and you can access that free trial using the link in the show notes. Full Show Notes at: www.elevatingmotherhood.comPlease Visit Today’s Sponsors: www.elevatingmotherhood.com/sponsorsLori Beth’s IG: @loribethauldridgeMonica’s IG: @monicaswanson_ Monica’s Website: www.monicaswanson.comEdited & Mixed by: Jordan Tallon