Extraordinary Parenting Episodes

This episode focuses on how to raise emotionally resilient children by avoiding common parenting habits that unintentionally undermine trust, confidence, and connection. Drawing from their experience raising seven kids, Rachel and Greg share what they never do—like using sarcasm, harsh discipline, or ignoring small issues—in order to foster a positive, emotionally safe environment. Through small, consistent choices, parents can nurture emotional maturity and equip their children with the coping skills needed to handle life’s challenges. Whether you're parenting toddlers or teens, this episode offers practical tools for building a resilient and thriving family culture.

This episode explores the deep connection between marriage and parenting and a meaningful life, challenging the modern notion that these roles lead to unhappiness and should be avoided. Drawing from personal experience and cultural trends, Rachel and Greg argue that while family life is undeniably hard, its challenges are what shape growth, purpose, and long-term fulfillment. Rather than pursuing comfort or ease, they encourage listeners to see marriage and parenting as skills—ones that, when developed intentionally, lead to stronger relationships and a richer, more rewarding life. It’s not about avoiding the struggle—it’s about learning to grow through it.

In this episode, Greg and Rachel Denning highlight the importance of Emotional Awareness in transforming family dynamics and improving parenting. They explore why changing our emotional state can feel unnatural and difficult, and how to make those changes authentically rather than masking our true feelings. Through practical tools like gratitude, thought awareness, and physical movement, they show how cultivating emotional awareness helps us understand the root of our emotions, shift our energy, and foster more genuine, positive interactions—especially with our children.

In this powerful episode, we delve into the concept of EXTREME Gratitude — a mindset that can shift the way we experience life's challenges and blessings. Join us as we reflect on the fragility of life and howtragedy can serve as a stark reminder to cherish every precious moment with our children. From personal stories of heartache and near-loss to practical advice for cultivating a deeper sense of appreciation, this episode encourages parents to embrace gratitude over frustration. Learn how ...

In this episode, hosts Greg and Rachel Denning dive into the vital concept of taking control of family life and prioritizing family values over societal norms. They encourage listeners to refuse to participate in the pressure to conform to mainstream expectations and instead focus on building a life centered around personal and family growth, self-and-family improvement, and family connection. Greg and Rachel discuss how fostering a strong, purposeful family unit starts with the individual’s com...

In this episode of the Extraordinary Family Life podcast, Greg and Rachel Denning share powerful new year motivation for parents seeking to inspire and guide their children. They discuss the importance of setting goals, embracing discomfort, and preparing kids to face life’s challenges with resilience. By modeling adaptability and growth, parents can foster a supportive environment where their children learn to thrive, not just listen. The Dennings emphasize that identity transformation—shifting...

In this episode of the Extraordinary Family Life podcast, hosts Greg and Rachel Denning dive into practical strategies for managing resistant children and helping them develop positive routines and habits. If your child struggles with resistance or has difficulty adjusting to structure, this episode is for you. Greg and Rachel explore how small changes in family dynamics—like improving self-awareness, fostering emotional connections, and creating flexible routines—can make a significant differen...

In this episode of the Extraordinary Family Life podcast, hosts Greg and Rachel Denning explore the challenges parents face when encouraging their children to practice musical instruments, emphasizing the role of music in promoting lifelong learning and brain development. They tackle the common struggle of balancing practice with enjoyment, and share strategies to foster a love for music while building skills. One participant from their 28-Day Challenge asks, “How do you address problems with...

In this episode of the Extraordinary Family Life podcast, hosts Greg and Rachel Denning delve into the complexities of the parenting journey, emphasizing the critical nuances that can shape vastly different outcomes for children. They explore the delicate balance between control and freedom, advocating for a parenting style that allows children to make their own decisions within a safe, supportive environment. The Dennings share invaluable insights on teaching decision-making skills, the importa...

In today's digital age, managing tech boundaries with older teens and young adults can be a delicate balancing act. On this episode of The Extraordinary Family Life Podcast, Rachel and Greg Denning dive deep into strategies for maintaining healthy tech boundaries and encouraging digital minimalism, especially with phones and devices. They share practical tips for parents seeking to help their teens thrive in a tech-saturated world while fostering meaningful offline activities, like hobbies and f...

In this episode of the Extraordinary Family Life podcast, hosts Greg and Rachel Denning share powerful insights on Proactive Parenting, revealing how to raise kids who develop into responsible, confident teens—teens you not only want to spend time with, but who genuinely want to be with you as well. For the first time ever, Greg and Rachel are joined by special guests Brian and Sam, two seasoned parents who offer fresh perspectives and practical advice on navigating the parenting journey. Tog...

Are you struggling with building family culture? Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in fostering a healthy environment where everyone thrives. This episode of The Extraordinary Family Life Podcast is a recorded live session of the 28-Day Challenge course ( https://courses.extraordinaryfamilylife.com/bundles/extraordinary-family-life-bundle ) where Greg and Rachel Denning share their insights on the importance of emotional awareness in building family culture. They highlight common issue...

In this compelling episode, Greg and Rachel Denning reveal a crucial insight: being a good person does not automatically make you a good parent. They argue that effective parenting requires a specific set of skills that can be learned and developed. Join them as they delve into how mastering these parenting skills will help you be a better parent and can drastically reduce discipline problems and create a more harmonious home environment. Greg and Rachel discuss the importance of shifting focus ...

Welcome to "Raising Teens Today," where Greg and Rachel Denning challenge the norms of parenting teens in today's world and give you strategies for thriving, not just surviving. The Dennings share personal anecdotes that unravel the joy and unexpected friendship that can blossom during the teenage phase and why your child's teenage years can be some of the best years of YOUR life! They emphasize the profound impact of early emotional connections and underscore the critical roles of sleep, nutrit...

If you're NOT a new parent, you still want to listen to this episode -- because it may help you to understand WHY you have the current relationship you do with your children and/or your spouse because of things that happened or did NOT happen during the baby and child-rearing phases! But this episode came in response to this question which we received: "My husband and I have been married for a little over two years and we are expecting our first baby in the Fall. We've both listened to and lo...

This week's question came from a member of Rachel's 28-Day Challenge who said: "I really struggle with trying to do everything. I feel like when I was doing the M1 (Marriage Level 1) Challenge my marriage was great. But I can't keep it up on that level while I'm trying to focus on my kids. And when I focus on my kids then my husband feels neglected. And if I take time for myself then I feel my kids and husband are being neglected. I feel that everyone needs me all the time and I can't be ther...

This week's topic came from Rachel's recent experiences with their 13-year-old son who has been very motivated to help out around the house lately (because of very specific strategies, which she shares in this episode). AND she also received this question from her Family Systems & Charts community. "Hello there. I just started your chart system and we had our first meeting this week. It went well and I am finally seeing some good results. I have invested a lot of time in this. However, my ...

As a follow-up question to a recent episode about helping your spouse 'show up' or invest in your extraordinary life, we were asked: "I love listening to your podcast. I'm a stay-at-home mom of four and I homeschool. I really wish I could live a little more extraordinarily as your family does, but alas, I have a spouse (who I of course love!) that doesn't feel the same. I desperately want to travel, but he doesn't. I long to do things a different way, but he doesn't. I like to read and listen t...

A member of my 28-Day Challenge coaching program asked: "I'm curious: what do your kids do for work or how do they learn work ethic? Our oldest is almost 16 and starting a job this summer which is flexible (thank goodness) but as much as she and our family go places we are trying to make sure we're home for part of the summer so she can get hours at that job and earn some money! I know there are ways to earn outside a typical job: do you have a list of ideas for me? We considered selling some...

"I wanted to know what you guys think about screen time... I stopped letting my son (6) watch but then we reintroduced it as my husband said that if it’s in a foreign language it can be beneficial exposure to the language... We limited it to an hour, but I feel like it is too stimulating and it affects his behaviour. It feels like that is all he can think about sometimes. I haven’t read much about it, but I think it’s not good for their brains it’s too addictive." A fantastic question and con...

In this unique episode, I'm discussing how to motivate your teen and sharing a coaching session from my 28-Day Challenge because Greg is currently trekking to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro with four of our teens and a group of 18 other people. In this coaching session (recorded live) we answer questions from members of the group such as: my husband says he feels I don't respect him because the house isn't clean when he gets home. What do I do about it? my spouse won't share financial info...

"I am wondering if I can expect more from my kids than I expect from husband? He has ADHD so he "gets distracted" easily and spends hours a day looking at news stories with his phone. Can I expect my teens to go on a phone diet [aka device fast] even though my husband is a poor role model? My husband hates nagging, I realized early in our marriage, and we have argued many times in the past about me wanting to expect more of him. Tired of arguing, I got to the point of leaving him alone. However,...

First, let us start by explaining what we're NOT saying in this episode. EVERY family should not homeschool. But *most* families should (we explain what that means). And NO, homeschooling does not automatically guarantee certain outcomes. There will still be TONS of work and intentional effort involved to produce the desired results. However, if you have an elevated vision of what you want your family life and legacy (and children's education) to be like: deep, connected relationships ...

RESOURCES: Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey. How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids) Rachel’s ⁠⁠Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms⁠⁠ Greg's ⁠⁠Recommended Reading List for Parents & Youth⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram: ⁠@worldschoolfamily⁠ or ⁠@greg.denning⁠ Don’t miss out on the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method class! Ge...