Connected Families Podcast

May is National Foster Care Month! For today’s episode, we’ve invited author Jamie Finn to help us discover how faith and foster care are deeply connected. Jamie Finn opens up about the surprising realities that reshaped her family’s mission. You’ll hear what truly sustains foster families through their hardest seasons. Listen in for practical wisdom that applies whether you foster yourself or simply want to love foster families well.

Key Takeaways:

Trauma reshapes the brain.

Regulated parents create safety for dysregulated children

Foster families thrive when their community refuses to look away

Following Jesus leads us toward discomfort, not away

Mentioned in this Podcast:

Ebook – What Kids Need: 4 Messages That Build Identity

https://www.instagram.com/fosterthefamilyblog/

https://www.fosterthefamily.org/

https://www.filledretreat.com/

https://www.filledtogether.com/

Book – Foster the Family by Jamie Finn

Book – Filled: 60 Devotions for the Foster Parent’s Heart by Jamie Finn

Book – God Loves Kids: A Gospel-Centered Book About Foster Care by Jamie Finn

Podcast – A Parenting Framework for Adoption and Fostering? Yes! | Ep. 157

Podcast – Parenting Adopted Children: Building Connection After Trauma | Ep. 272

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

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!

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents discover the show!

Guest Bio:

Jamie C. Finn is the author of the bestselling book, Foster the Family, as well as Filled: 60 Devotions for the Foster Parent’s Heart, and a new children’s book, God Loves Kids: A Gospel-Centered Book About Foster Care. She is the founder and President of Foster the Family and founder of the Filled Gathering. She uses her social media accounts to offer a glimpse into the real life of a foster parent and provide encouragement to tens of thousands of foster and adoptive parents. Jamie is the mother to 7 children through foster care, adoption, and birth. She lives in Sicklerville, New Jersey, with her husband, Alan.

© 2026 Connected Families

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.stk-85db8e2 .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:50px !important}@media screen and (max-width:999px){.stk-85db8e2 .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:50px !important}}@media screen and (max-width:689px){.stk-85db8e2 .stk-block-heading__text{font-size:30px !important}}4 simple messages.
1 simple framework.

.stk-837ad59 .stk-block-text__text{font-size:19px !important}@media screen and (max-width:999px){.stk-837ad59 .stk-block-text__text{font-size:19px !important}}Get the FREE ebook, and start your journey toward better, more connective discipline in your home.

Does your child often wake up with a grumpy morning attitude — cranky, overwhelmed, or melting down before the day even begins? You’re in the right place. In this audioblog episode, the final installment in our Sensitive & Intense Kids series, you’ll hear practical, sensory-smart strategies rooted in the Connected Families Framework™ for turning a grumpy morning into a calmer start for the whole family. You’ll walk away encouraged to meet your child with grace, compassion, and understanding, even on the hardest mornings.

Key Takeaways:

Morning meltdowns signal sensory overwhelm, not bad behavior.

Simple, playful ideas for how to help your child regulate in the morning

Ways to work with your child’s sensitivity and not against it.

Mentioned in this Podcast:

Blog Post – Morning Sensory Dysregulation’

Resource – 7 Practical Calming Strategies for Kids

Connected Families Certified Parent Coach Webinar – May 6!

Lamentations 3:22-23

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

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!

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents discover the show!

You’ve seen what the Connected Families Framework can do. What if you could bring that to other families?

Join us on May 6 at 12:30 pm CTS for a free one-hour informational webinar on becoming a CF Certified Parent Coach. No pressure. Just real information to help you take your next step.

Reserve your spot today!

Can’t make it live? A recording will be available through May 14.

© 2026 Connected Families

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.stk-89b7ede .stk-block-heading__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-6,#e4eff5) !important}Do you have a child with EXTRA needs?

.stk-3d5e289{margin-bottom:12px !important}.stk-3d5e289 .stk-block-text__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-8,#ffffff) !important}Parenting isn’t easy, but when you’ve got an extra INTENSE or SENSITIVE child with big feelings… it’s even harder.

.stk-15a45dc .stk-block-text__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-8,#ffffff) !important}The Sensitive and Intense Kids online course will equip you to parent well, even with these unique kiddos.

.stk-d7e1baf .stk-button{background:var(--theme-palette-color-1,#ee6c4d) !important}.stk-d7e1baf .stk-button:hover:after{background:var(--theme-palette-color-2,#98c1d9) !important;opacity:1 !important}.stk-d7e1baf .stk-button__inner-text{font-size:21px !important;font-weight:600 !important}@media screen and (max-width:999px){.stk-d7e1baf .stk-button__inner-text{font-size:21px !important}}LEARN MORE

Ever feel stuck when your child’s big emotions take over, and nothing seems to help? In this audioblog episode, host Stacy Bellward adapts one of our most-downloaded blogs for listeners: 50 Self-Regulation Activities to Empower Your Child to Calm. She’ll walk you through the essential difference between self-regulation and emotional regulation for kids. Learn practical sensory strategies, hear real family stories, and discover how to help your child move from meltdown to meaningful conversations. Whether you’re parenting a toddler or a teen, you’ll walk away with fresh confidence and a toolkit of calming activities you can start using today.

Key Takeaways:

Self-regulation calms the body; emotional regulation processes the feelings

Learn how movement helps to use up the fight or flight chemicals in the brain

Modeling calming strategies is a great first step before inviting your child to join

Learn tips for building self-regulation motivation in your child

Mentioned in this Podcast:

Blog Post – 50 Self-Regulation Activities to Empower Your Child to Calm

Sensitive & Intense Kids Online Course

Book – Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child by John Gottman

Book – Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

Proverbs 14:29

Psalm 131:2

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Proverbs 15:18

Anne Lane, PhD

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

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!

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents discover the show!

You’ve seen what the Connected Families Framework can do. What if you could bring that to other families?

Join us on May 6 at 12:30 pm CTS for a free one-hour informational webinar on becoming a CF Certified Parent Coach. No pressure. Just real information to help you take your next step.

Reserve your spot today!

Can’t make it live? A recording will be available through May 14.

© 2026 Connected Families

.stk-qnfcibr{margin-bottom:39px !important}.stk-qnfcibr-container{background-color:var(--theme-palette-color-4,#1e3f52) !important}.stk-qnfcibr-container:before{background-color:var(--theme-palette-color-4,#1e3f52) !important}.stk-qnfcibr-container:hover{box-shadow:0px 2px 20px rgba(153,153,153,0.2) !important}@media screen and (max-width:689px){.stk-qnfcibr .stk-block-card__image{width:100% !important;height:250px !important}}
.stk-w6friz3 .stk-block-heading__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-6,#e4eff5) !important}Do you have a child with EXTRA needs?

.stk-hbiiqum{margin-bottom:12px !important}.stk-hbiiqum .stk-block-text__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-8,#ffffff) !important}Parenting isn’t easy, but when you’ve got an extra INTENSE or SENSITIVE child with big feelings… it’s even harder.

.stk-yjxmm2p .stk-block-text__text{color:var(--theme-palette-color-8,#ffffff) !important}The Sensitive and Intense Kids online course will equip you to parent well, even with these unique kiddos.

.stk-zrn7xam .stk-button{background:var(--theme-palette-color-1,#ee6c4d) !important}.stk-zrn7xam .stk-button:hover:after{background:var(--theme-palette-color-2,#98c1d9) !important;opacity:1 !important}.stk-zrn7xam .stk-button__inner-text{font-size:21px !important;font-weight:600 !important}@media screen and (max-width:999px){.stk-zrn7xam .stk-button__inner-text{font-size:21px !important}}LEARN MORE

Does your child melt down over clothing tags, loud noises, or unexpected changes? You’re not alone, and you’re not failing as a parent. In this audioblog episode, Stacy continues our four-week series on sensitive and intense kids with a compassionate, research-informed look at what’s really happening beneath the surface of your highly sensitive kids and their big reactions. Learn how you can respond with grace, empathy, and confidence.

Key Takeaways:

Sensitivity is real, measurable, and valid

Curiosity opens doors empathy can walk through

Your calm presence regulates your child’s nervous system

Empathy reflects the heart of Jesus to your child

Intensity today can become purpose tomorrow

Mentioned in this Podcast:

Sensitive & Intense Kids Online Course

Episode 195 – Strengths and Weaknesses: What a Child’s Misbehavior Tells Us

Blog Post – 3 Unexpected Parenting Strategies to Help Your Highly Sensitive Child Thrive

Hebrews 4:15-16

Romans 8:31

Psalm 139:14

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

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!

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents discover the show!

You’ve seen what the Connected Families Framework can do. What if you could bring that to other families?

Join us on May 6 at 12:30 pm CTS for a free one-hour informational webinar on becoming a CF Certified Parent Coach. No pressure. Just real information to help you take your next step.

Reserve your spot today!

Can’t make it live? A recording will be available through May 14.

© 2026 Connected Families

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Take the course that was made for your family.

Got a child with extra big emotions? We get it. And we want to support and equip you. Raising an intense and sensitive child isn’t easy, but it can be filled with hope.

.stk-2a0ab1b .stk-button{background:var(--theme-palette-color-1,#ee6c4d) !important}.stk-2a0ab1b .stk-button:hover:after{background:var(--theme-palette-color-4,#1e3f52) !important;opacity:1 !important}.stk-2a0ab1b .stk-button__inner-text{font-size:21px !important;color:var(--theme-palette-color-8,#ffffff) !important;font-weight:600 !important}@media screen and (max-width:999px){.stk-2a0ab1b .stk-button__inner-text{font-size:21px !important}}LEARN MORE

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In this episode, we unpack the surprising reasons why some children experience the world more intensely than others, and why their big emotions are rarely about what they seem to be about. You’ll discover a reframe that just might change the way you see your child’s most challenging moments, including a simple but powerful analogy that explains why your child can hold it together all day and then completely fall apart the moment they walk through your door.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated, confused, or just desperate to understand what’s really going on beneath the surface of your child’s behavior, this episode offers the compassionate insight and practical perspective you’ve been looking for.

Key Takeaways:

Anxiety often hides behind anger.

Connection calms a stressed nervous system.

Small triggers carry big invisible weight

Compassion begins with understanding the “why”

Mentioned in this Podcast:

Sensitive & Intense Online Course

The Table Monthly Giving Program

Rocks in the Backpack Video

Rocks in the Backpack PDF

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

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!

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents discover the show!

Guest Bio:

Lynne Jackson is one of the Co-Founders of Connected Families. As a parent coach and mom of three intense kids herself, Lynne has walked alongside hundreds of parents, encouraging and bringing hope. She is also a research enthusiast and loves leaning into brain science to equip parents and caregivers better. Most importantly, as a follower of Christ, she brings biblical wisdom, abundant grace, and a “no shame” policy.

Lydia Rex is a registered nurse, wife, and mother of two, and has worked with families in many capacities throughout her career and personal life. She’s been a student of Connected Families since 2014 and continues to find it incredibly life-giving for her own family. Areas of her experience/special interest include foster care and adoption, attachment difficulties, developmental and learning disabilities, including FASD. She brings a trauma-informed perspective to the Connected Families Framework and the desire to see families find peace and healing even in the midst of challenges!

You’ve seen what the Connected Families Framework can do. What if you could bring that to other families?

Join us on May 6 at 12:30 pm CTS for a free one-hour informational webinar on becoming a CF Certified Parent Coach. No pressure. Just real information to help you take your next step.

Reserve your spot today!

Can’t make it live? A recording will be available through May 14.

© 2026 Connected Families

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Do you have a child with BIG feelings and BIG needs?

The Sensitive & Intense Kids online course is a game changer. It’s for YOU.

.stk-7a41d3e .stk-button-group{flex-direction:row !important;}@media screen and (max-width:999px){.stk-7a41d3e .stk-button-group{flex-direction:row !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:689px){.stk-7a41d3e .stk-button-group{flex-direction:row !important;}}
.stk-4080859 .stk-button{background:var(--theme-palette-color-1, #ee6c4d) !important;}.stk-4080859 .stk-button:hover:after{background:var(--theme-palette-color-2, #98c1d9) !important;opacity:1 !important;}.stk-4080859 .stk-button__inner-text{font-size:21px !important;font-weight:600 !important;}@media screen and (max-width:999px){.stk-4080859 .stk-button__inner-text{font-size:21px !important;}}LEARN MORE