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June 25, 2025 16 mins

Reach out to me here!

Forget picture-perfect parenting and curated social media feeds—this raw, honest exploration of raising tiny humans will have you nodding, laughing, and maybe even breathing a sigh of relief. We're diving into what truly matters in the wild adventure of parenting, and spoiler alert: it's not about having it all figured out.

Drawing from ancient wisdom in Deuteronomy, we uncover how being intentional in everyday moments—"when you sit at home and when you walk along the road"—creates the foundation for meaningful connection with our kids. Those spontaneous car conversations, midnight questions, and random moments waiting for the microwave to beep? They're not interruptions to parenting; they're where the real magic happens.

We tackle the soul-crushing comparison trap that makes us feel like failures when we see those seemingly perfect families on social media. While you're celebrating getting your kid to wear pants to the grocery store, someone else's child is apparently speaking three languages and volunteering at animal shelters on weekends. But here's the truth: those Instagram-perfect parents aren't posting their aisle 7 meltdowns or bathroom hiding sessions. Your messy, beautiful family journey is exactly as it should be.

Perhaps most surprisingly, we explore the unexpected power of "Dad Joke Theology"—how corny humor and terrible puns create moments of connection that often open doors to deeper conversations. When we're willing to be silly and vulnerable with our children, we create safe spaces where they feel comfortable sharing what really matters.

Join us for this refreshingly honest conversation about showing up imperfectly but consistently for the little people who need us most. Because at the end of the day, your kids don't need you to compete with anyone else's version of good parenting—they just need you, present and loving, in all your flawed, faithful glory.

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey there, beautiful people, welcome back to the
Faithful Fox.
I'm your host, the one and onlyJuice man, and today we're
diving into something that'lleither make you laugh, cry or
hide in your closet with a bagof chips.
We are talking about parenting,and before you hit skip because
you think it's going to be someperfect Pinterest parent

(00:21):
telling you how to meal preporganic quinoa while teaching
your toddler Mandarin no, we'rekeeping it real.
Today, this is for all of usjust trying to figure out how to
raise tiny humans withoutcompletely losing our minds in
the process.
So grab your coffee, your chaosand maybe some noise-canceling

(00:43):
headphones if the kids are home,because we're about to get into
it.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
The faithful fox, I'm so happy you made it.
I'm just in your host and I'mso glad we're acquainted.
We're praising your name andthe way that he's taken away our
sin.
Yeah, your words give me graceand you're here in this place.

(01:11):
I've been blinded by your holylight.
Give me blessings from abovewhen I broadcast.
Welcome to the Faithful FoxPodcast.
Welcome to the Faithful FoxPodcast.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
Alright family, let's be honest, for a hot second.
Parenting is wild, right, likeone day you're a functioning
adult who can remember where youput your keys and the next day
you're explaining to afour-year-old why they can't
wear their Batman costume tograndma's funeral, while
simultaneously trying to figureout what that smell is.
And here's the thing Somewherebetween the diaper blowouts and

(01:54):
the teenage eye rolls, we'resupposed to be raising these
little people into decent humanbeings.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
No pressure right.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
Well, today I stumbled across this verse in
Deuteronomy and stick with mehere, whether you're deeply
religious or just curious, it'sgot some surprisingly practical
wisdom.
Deuteronomy, chapter 6, verses6 through 7, says these
commandments that I give youtoday are to be on your hearts,

(02:23):
impress them on your children,talk about them when you sit at
home and when you walk along theroad, when you lie down and
when you get up.
Now, at first glance you mightthink this is just about
religious stuff, but check it.
This is actually ancient wisdomabout being intentional with

(02:43):
our kids in the everyday moments.
It's not about having it allfigured out or being the perfect
parent.
It's about showing upconsistently in the small stuff.
So today we're going to explorewhat it looks like to parent
with intention, without theguilt trip and with a healthy
dose of reality, because, let'sbe real, most of our parenting

(03:07):
happens between grocery storemeltdowns and bedtime
negotiations.
Anyway, speaking of everydaymoments, let's jump into our
first segment.
This is Everyday Miracles.
Okay.
So when that verse talks aboutimpressing values on our kids,
you know, when you sit at homeand when you walk along the road

(03:30):
, it's basically saying themagic happens in the mundane
stuff.
Like, think about it.
When do kids actually open up?
Is it during your perfectlyplanned family meeting at 7pm
onm on a Tuesday?
No, bro, it's when you're stuckin traffic and your 8-year-old
randomly asks why people aremean to each other, or when

(04:00):
you're folding laundry and yourteenager actually puts down
their phone for 30 seconds totell you about their day.
I used to think good parentingmeant having these deep,
meaningful conversations whilewe're all gathered around the
table looking like a stockfamily photo.
You know everyone's smiling,the lighting's perfect, nobody's
complaining about thevegetables.
But real talk.
Some of my most meaningfulhypothetical conversations with

(04:23):
kids happened during theweirdest times, like explaining
kindness while you're bothwaiting for the microwave to
finish heating up leftover pizza, or talking about perseverance
when you're both trying tountangle Christmas lights in
July, because apparently that'swhen you decided to be
productive.
To be productive.

(04:47):
The beautiful thing is, kidsdon't need us to have it all
together for these moments tomatter.
They just need us to be presentLike actually present, not
scrolling through our phones ormentally planning tomorrow's
to-do list.
And here's what's wild.
Sometimes the smallest momentsmake the biggest impact.
Maybe it's the way you handleit when someone cuts you off in

(05:08):
traffic.
Maybe it's how you treat thecashier when they're having a
rough day.
Your kids are watching andthey're learning what matters to
you, not from your lectures,but from your everyday choices.
The verse says to talk aboutwhat's important.
You know when you lie down andwhen you get up, basically all

(05:30):
the time.
But it's not about beingpreachy or perfect.
It's about weaving your valuesinto regular life teaching
gratitude while you're makingbreakfast, showing compassion
when the neighbor's dog getsinto your trash again.
Because, let's be honest, ourkids are going to learn more

(05:51):
from watching us handle life'scurveballs than from any
perfectly planned teachablemoment we try to create.
And speaking of not beingperfect, let's talk about
something that makes all of usfeel like we're failing.
This is the comparison trap.

Speaker 2 (06:08):
Same, same, but different, but still same.

Speaker 1 (06:15):
Oh man, can we just have a moment of silence for
everyone who's ever looked atsocial media and felt like they
were completely bombing at thisparenting thing?
Thank you, because, seriously,social media has turned
parenting into some kind ofOlympic sport where everyone
else seems to be winning goldmedals while you're still trying

(06:38):
to figure out which end of thejavelin to hold eating, because
your kid ate a vegetable withouta 40-minute negotiation.
And then you scroll throughInstagram and see someone's post
about their five-year-old whoapparently speaks three
languages, plays the violin andvolunteers at the animal shelter

(07:01):
on weekends.
Meanwhile, your biggestparenting win today was
convincing your kid that, yes,they do need to wear pants to
the grocery store.
Like congratulations, yousuccessfully maintained basic
public decency standards.
That's parent of the yearmaterial right there.

(07:22):
But here's the thing and thisties back to our verse about
being intentional in everydaymoments, comparison is the enemy
of good parenting, and everydaymoments, comparison is the
enemy of good parenting.
When we are constantlymeasuring ourselves against
other families, we miss what'sactually happening in our own
lives, that ancient wisdom aboutimpressing values on your kids.

(07:43):
When you walk along the road,that's your road, not the
Pinterest family's road, notyour sister-in-law's perfectly
organized road with the matchingluggage and the kids who never
fight in the backseat.
Your road might be messy, itmight include drive-thru dinners
and cartoons for breakfast andbedtime stories that get

(08:07):
interrupted because someoneneeds to potty for the third
time in ten minutes.
But guess what?
That's still your road, and themoments that matter can happen
there too.
Besides, you know what thoseperfect social media families
aren't posting the meltdown inaisle 7 because someone wanted

(08:27):
Froot Loops instead of Cheerios.
The 2am anxiety session becausetheir teenager is making
questionable choices.
The day they hid in thebathroom for five minutes just
to think their own thoughts.
The comparison trap makes usthink that good parenting looks
a certain way Like we need tohave themed birthday parties and

(08:51):
homemade organic snacks andkids who say please and thank
you without being reminded 47times.
But maybe good parenting issimpler than that.
Maybe it's showing upconsistently, even on your worst
days.
Maybe it's admitting when youmess up.
Maybe it's loving your kidsthrough their worst moments and

(09:16):
teaching them that they're worthsticking around for, even when
they're being absolutelyimpossible, because, at the end
of the day, your kids don't needyou to be the parent from
someone else's Instagram feed.
They need you to be theirparent, flaws and all showing up
in your everyday moments withintention and love.

(09:38):
And since we're talking aboutshowing up authentically, let me
share something that mightsound ridiculous but actually
works.
This is dad joke theology.
Okay, okay, hear me out on thisone.

(09:58):
I know it sounds ridiculous,but sometimes the corniest
moments create the bestconnections with your kids.
Like, hypothetically speaking,let's say, you're at the dinner
table and your kid's complainingabout their food and you drop
this gem why don't eggs telljokes?

(10:18):
Because they'd crack each otherup and your kid groans and
rolls their eyes so hard theypractically see their own brain.
But then and this is the magicpart they start giggling despite
themselves.
That moment, right there,that's connection.

(10:39):
That's you being present andbringing lightness to an
ordinary moment.
That verse about talking to yourkids when you sit at home.
Sometimes that conversationstarts with the world's worst
pun.
See, here's what I think, andthis might be a hot take, but
humor is actually one of themost powerful ways to pass on

(11:02):
values, not because the jokesthemselves are profound, but
because laughter createsconnection, and connection
creates trust, and trust createsopportunities for real
conversations, opportunities forreal conversations.
Now, I'm not saying your dadjokes are going to solve world
peace or anything.

(11:22):
Trust me, some of them are sobad they might actually create
new problems.
Like dad, please stop talking.
Might become a regular phrasein your household.
But think about it.
When you're willing to be alittle ridiculous, a little
vulnerable, a little silly withyour kids, you're showing them

(11:43):
that it's okay to not takeyourself too seriously.
You're modeling joy in simplethings.
You're creating an atmospherewhere it's safe to be imperfect
and sometimes, after theterrible joke and the eye rolls
and the giggles, your kid mightactually open up about something

(12:04):
that's bothering them, becauseyou've created a moment of
lightness in their day andsuddenly they feel safe enough
to share the heavy stuff too.
Like maybe you're drivingsomewhere and traffic's terrible
.
Like maybe you're drivingsomewhere and traffic's terrible
and instead of gettingfrustrated, you break out with
why don't scientists trust atoms?

(12:25):
Because they make up everything.
And suddenly the mood in thecar shifts from stressed to
silly.
Or maybe you're teenagershaving a rough day and you text
them something completelyridiculous like what do you call

(12:45):
a fake noodle An impasta?
And they text back with thatcrying, laughing emoji and
suddenly you've opened a doorfor them to tell you what's
really going on.
I think sometimes we get sofocused on having meaningful
conversations with our kids thatwe forget connection often

(13:06):
starts with just enjoying eachother's company, and if that
means subjecting your family toquestionable wordplay, well, hey
, that's a sacrifice that I'mwilling to make, because, at the
end of the day, your kidsaren't going to remember every
deep life lesson you tried toteach them, but they might
remember that their parent wasthe kind of person who could

(13:28):
make them laugh on a Tuesdayafternoon for absolutely no
reason at all.
And honestly, in a world thatcan feel pretty heavy sometimes,
being someone who bringslightness and joy to your kids'
everyday moments, that's notjust good parenting, that's a
gift.
You know, as we wrap up today,I keep coming back to that verse

(13:51):
from Deuteronomy Talk aboutthem when you sit at home and
when you walk along the road,when you lie down and when you
get up home, and when you walkalong the road when you lie down
and when you get up.
The more I think about it, themore I realize it's not really
about having all the answers orbeing the perfect parent.
It's about being intentionallypresent in the small moments

(14:12):
that make up our kids' lives,whether that's finding everyday
miracles in mundane moments,refusing to get trapped in
comparisons or just beingwilling to be a little silly.
Together, it's all aboutshowing up consistently,
authentically, with love.

(14:33):
Maybe that's enough, maybethat's actually everything.
So here's what I want you toremember as you go about your
week your kids don't need you tobe perfect, they don't need you

(14:59):
to have it all figured out.
They don't need you to competewith anyone else's version of
good parenting.
They just need you to show upIn the grocery store line, in
the bedroom routine, in the carride conversations and the quiet

(15:20):
moments before sleep, in thelaughter and the tears and
everything in between, becausethe truth is, you're already
exactly the parent your kidsneed Not perfect but present.
Not flawless but faithful.
Not because you do everythingright, but because you keep

(15:44):
showing up with love and inthose everyday moments when
you're walking along the road ofyour real, imperfect, beautiful
life together.
That's where the magic happens,that's where love takes root,
that's where families are built.
That's where families are built.

(16:10):
Thank you so much for spendingsome time with me today.
I'm grateful you're here andI'm grateful for the chance to
encourage you in this wild,wonderful adventure of raising
the next generation.
You're doing better than youthink you are.
Peace out, fam.
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