Connected Families Podcast

Ready to start a small group this Fall? Explore Connected Families small groups here.

The best parenting support often comes from something simple: walking alongside one another instead of carrying the hard moments on our own.

That’s the heart of today’s conversation, as host Stacy Bellward sits down with Dr. Cindy Wilson (Director of Education, Equipping, and Research) and Lori Menekheim (Ministry Partnership Manager) to explore why growing in community makes such a difference. Whether you’re a parent craving encouragement, a friend wanting to gather a few neighbors, or a church leader hoping to support families well, there’s something here for you.

Much of that community can grow through Connected Families small groups, and Cindy and Lori make the case for why this Fall is the time to start one. Along the way, they share their own journeys, share a story of one group’s transformation, and practical answers about the courses, registration, and the support leaders receive. 

And if the thought of leading makes you nervous, they have good news: perfection isn’t the point. Transparency and a willingness to grow together are. As Fall approaches, consider whether God might be nudging you to gather a few parents and grow in grace, wisdom, and confidence together. Listen to the full episode for the encouragement and next steps to get started.

Key Takeaways:

Growth happens best in community, and walking alongside other parents builds wisdom, peace, and confidence on the hard days

You don’t have to be an expert to lead. Your honest, imperfect moments are often what free others to grow

Practical tips for starting a group of your own, from choosing a course to the support leaders receive from Connected Families

Mentioned in this Podcast: 

Connected Families Small Groups

Connected Families Certified Parent Coach Training Program

Ministry Partnership Program

Virtual Small Groups Hosted by CF Coaches

The Table Monthly Giving Program

cf community Membership

Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!

Guest Bio:

Cindy Wilson is a CF-Certified Parent Coach and a Certified Family Life Educator with 20+ years in children & family ministry and academia. As Director of Education, Equipping, and Research for CF, she helps churches, schools, and other organizations use CF resources to equip and support families in their community. She is also helping collect data to show the impact of CF resources on parents and families. Cindy lives in Florida with her husband of over 30 years. She has three adult children, one son-in-law, four grandchildren, and a farm full of animals.

Lori Menikheim is a wife, mom of two strong-willed teenage girls, and Kids Ministry leader with over 15 years of experience. She is CF’s new Ministry Partnership Program Director, where she helps churches, schools, and other Christian organizations use CF resources to equip and support parents in their communities. When she discovered Connected Families, she finally found the language, tools, and hope to parent well and lead ministry well. Now she loves connecting with parents and ministry leaders who want to partner with God in reaching the next generation. 

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families







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Have you ever felt like your child just doesn’t care about their bad grades on their report card, no matter how much you push, remind, or worry? In this audioblog, adapted from two of our blog posts, guest host Chad Hayenga closes out our four-week back-to-school series with one of the most freeing questions a parent can ask: “Whose problem is it, really?” Discover why pushing harder often backfires, how the 4 messages of the Connected Families Framework™ can break the anxiety-nagging cycle, and how to trade the role of manager for the hopeful role of mentor. 

Key Takeaways:

Discover the “anxiety-nagging cycle” 

Learn how the 4 messages of the Connected Families Framework can breathe life back into a relationship strained by report-card tension

Learn one simple question to ask yourself to free yourself to become your child’s encourager instead of manager

Mentioned in this Podcast: 

Blog Post – Your Child’s Grades Don’t Matter (To You)

Blog Post – Whose Problem Is It? Teaching Kids Responsibility

Ep. 311 – Toddler Separation Anxiety: Why Does My Toddler Cry at Drop-Off?

Connected Families Parenting Coaching

The Table Monthly Giving Program

Matthew 12:34

Philippians 3:3-4

Galatians 6:7

Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

“I hate you!” When those words fly on the ride home after school, it’s easy to feel stuck. In this back-to-school season mini episode, host Stacy Bellward pulls back the curtain on a live cf community group coaching call, where Certified Parent Coaches Katie Johnson and Pam Bjerke work through one of the most common back-to-school challenges parents face. Get a taste of how walking a real parenting question through the Connected Families Framework™ can shift your whole perspective.

Key Takeaways:

Why your child’s behavior is a message, not the whole story. 

How to model and offer language that honors others while staying true to how your child really feels. 

What changes when you meet a hard moment with empathy and curiosity before correction.

Mentioned in this Podcast: 

Join – cf community

Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart Online Course

Sensitive & Intense Kids Online Course

Pam Bjerke – Connected Families Certified Parent Coach

The Table Monthly Giving Program

Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!

Guest Bio:

As a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach, Pam Bjerke brings warmth, wisdom, and practical insight to every audience she serves. With experience speaking to diverse groups across the U.S., Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, she has led workshops and trainings for moms’ groups, adoptive and foster parents, trafficking survivors, schools, churches, teachers, and more, at both online and in-person events. Her goal is always the same: to offer grace-filled messages and actionable strategies grounded in the Connected Families Framework™ that participants can immediately apply at home or in the classroom. Pam is a licensed early childhood teacher and has training in TBRI, Conscious Discipline, and Interplay Play Therapy. She holds a certification in ARC Trauma Treatment for Children and Adolescents.

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

Those tearful drop-offs at preschool can leave any parent feeling shaken or unsure of what to do next. In this episode, host Stacy Bellward reads one of our most popular blog posts as an audioblog, exploring what’s really happening beneath the surface of separation anxiety. 

If you’ve ever navigated toddler separation anxiety, you’ll discover a new perspective on the hidden factors behind your child’s fears of drop-off, and how to help.

Key Takeaways:

Why crying at drop-off is often completely normal and can actually reflect healthy, solid attachment.

Learn how several hidden factors can feed your child’s fear of separation, and understanding them changes how you respond.

How a shift in your goal at drop-off can make all the difference

Discover how your child’s sensitivities can become a source of confidence, joy, and compassion.

Mentioned in this Podcast: 

Blog Post – Help! My Anxious Child Cries When Dropped Off At Daycare

Healthy Rhythms for Daily Life Online Course (also included in the cf community!) 

Ep. 310 – Parenting a Neurodivergent Child: How to Advocate at School

The Table Monthly Giving Program

James 1:5

Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

That sinking feeling when another teacher’s email arrives, listing everything your child did “wrong” again? If you’re parenting a neurodivergent child, you likely know this feeling well. 

In this replay episode, host Stacy Bellward talks with Connected Families parent coaches Marni Love and Taylor Irby, two moms who’ve walked this road themselves. Together they talk about what it looks like to advocate for your child with grace and confidence. Through their honest stories and practical wisdom, they explore how a diagnosis can open doors to help, how to partner genuinely with teachers, and how connection can carry families through the hard parts. 

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Why releasing the family you imagined and embracing the child in front of you changes everything

Practical strategies for setting your kids up to thrive at school

What to include on a one-page advocacy sheet that helps teachers truly see your child

How to build the support that your child needs, without doing it alone

Whether you’re new to advocacy or years into the journey, this conversation offers wisdom, peace, and real confidence for the road ahead.

Mentioned in this Podcast: 

Focus is Fertilizer

Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart Online Course

Grace & Truth for Moms Online Course

Sensitive & Intense Kids Online Course

Parent Coaching

ABC’s of Affirmation

Meet My Child Template

Episode 309 – Should I Homeschool? Discerning What’s Best For Your Family

Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!

Guest Bio:

Marni Love is a former public school teacher who has been a home educator for 16 years. She is a Homeschool Mentor, a Certified Connected Families Parent Coach, and an instructor for CF coaches-in-training. Marni enjoys spending time with her husband, Eric, and their three sons in the beautiful mountains and beaches of Northern California. Marni is available for coaching and speaking. You can connect with her through her website, marnilove.com. 

Taylor Irby is a mother to 5 kids, and she understands the struggles parents face. Every day she faces ADHD, autism, anxiety, developmental delays, and adoption trauma. She, too, has sat in the midst of challenges and searched the world for answers. Taylor read book after book and got excited over short-lived methods. That is when she hit the wall of desperation and sought parent coaching through Connected Families. Taylor ultimately became a coach through their training program to help others like her. She has seen transformation in her home by working with a framework that has changed not only her children’s behavior but their hearts as well. You are not alone on this parenting journey. There is hope, and you can enjoy your children, build that relationship you have wanted, and see behavior change. You can learn more about Taylor on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/taylor.irby.5 and Instagram @taylorirbycoaching 

Want to keep this conversation going?

Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families