Raising Boys & Girls

Raising Boys & Girls

Welcome to the Raising Boys and Girls Podcast with Sissy Goff, David Thomas, and Melissa Trevathan. In each episode of this podcast, we’ll share some of what we’re learning in the work we do with kids and families on a daily basis at Daystar Counseling Ministries. Our goal is to help you care for the kids in your life with a little more understanding, a little more practical help, and a whole lot of hope. So pull up a chair and join us on this journey of raising boys and girls. Connect with us at raisingboysandgirls.com.

Episodes

January 22, 2026 32 mins
Sissy Goff and David Thomas welcome Devon Kuntzman, founder of Transforming Toddlerhood, for a practical conversation about what toddlers need most right now. Devon reframes challenging toddler behavior as communication—not defiance—explaining how immature brain development, limited language, and sensory overload shape big emotions. She encourages parents to focus on co-regulation, connection, and skill-building rather than punishm...
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This episode emphasizes that kids grow emotionally strong through five key needs: healthy boredom that creates space for creativity and self-direction, agency that helps them feel capable and in control within boundaries, opportunities to experience discomfort so they learn they can handle hard feelings, fortitude built by sticking with challenges over time, and parents who trust their own instincts rather than outsourcing confiden...
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Sissy Goff and David Thomas explore the powerful, research-backed role of play in reducing anxiety, building resilience, and strengthening family connection. They unpack why unstructured play has declined, how play shapes kids’ brains and emotional health, and why adults need play just as much as kids do. The conversation offers five practical ways to bring play back into everyday family life—without pressure or perfection—and culm...
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Sissy Goff and David Thomas sit down with journalist and author Leland Vittert to talk about his memoir Born Lucky and the profound impact his father had on his life growing up with autism. Leland shares candid stories of adversity, resilience, and learning to navigate a world that wasn’t built for him—highlighting how character, hard work, and perseverance are formed not by removing hardship, but by walking through it with steady ...
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Sissy Goff and David Thomas kick off a new series by exploring five things kids need most socially right now. Drawing from decades of counseling experience and current research, they unpack why today’s kids are struggling with civility, empathy, reciprocity, belonging, and real-time social practice. They discuss how screens, cultural tone, and isolation are shaping kids’ relationships—and offer practical, doable ways parents can he...
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In this episode, Dr. Gary Chapman joins Sissy Goff and David Thomas to explore what kids need most right now: feeling deeply and consistently loved. Drawing from decades of counseling families and his work with the Five Love Languages, Dr. Chapman explains how children uniquely receive love, how parents can identify a child’s primary love language, and why behavior is often a signal that a child’s “love tank” is running low. The co...
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Sissy Goff and David Thomas talk with Justin Whitmel Earley about his new book The Body Teaches the Soul and how our everyday physical habits—like breathing, sleep, movement, and technology use—quietly shape our spiritual lives and parenting. Justin shares how burnout and anxiety led him to discover that lasting change comes not from trying harder, but from practicing small, embodied habits that help us respond with patience, prese...
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In this warm and super-practical holiday episode, Sissy and David share 10 grounding tips to help families navigate Christmas with more connection and less overwhelm. They normalize the big feelings kids—and parents—experience this time of year, offer simple tools like previewing plans, using calm-down kits and code words, practicing gratitude, and building gentle rhythms instead of rigid schedules. They also speak tenderly to fami...
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Sissy and David reflect on the meaningful conversations and listener feedback from their Enneagram parenting journey, offering a quick, hope-filled recap of each number’s core parenting strengths and how to support kids of every type. They remind us there’s no “right” way to parent—only the unique goodness each number brings—share a few favorite resources for further learning, and close with a tender benediction for parents doing t...
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In this rich and hope-filled conversation, Sissy and David are joined by beloved friends and Enneagram teachers Jill Phillips and Hunter Mobley to explore how the Enneagram can help parents show up with more grace, humility, and curiosity. Together, they unpack how understanding motivations—not just behaviors—can transform parenting, reduce reactivity, and deepen connection. Hunter shares insights from his book Letting Go, Finding ...
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Hillary Rector and Andy Gullahorn share an honest, thoughtful look at what it’s like to move through the world—and parent—as Enneagram Nines. They discuss the genuine ease, adaptability, and steady presence that come naturally to them, along with the quieter struggles: delayed emotions, difficulty voicing desires, and the instinct to “smooth the ice” for everyone around them. Their stories highlight both the gentleness and complexi...
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In this episode, Sissy and David dive into Enneagram Nines—their calming presence, deep empathy, and quiet, steady love that makes home feel like a safe place for kids’ big feelings. They also gently name the harder parts for Nines: avoiding conflict, losing their voice, procrastination, and numbing out, especially in parenting. You’ll hear practical ways Nine parents can use their voice, follow through with boundaries, stay presen...
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In this Enneagram 8 episode, Sissy and David sit down with longtime friends (and parents of six young adults between them) Amy Fenton and Brian Camp. They share how their “eightness” showed up early—taking charge in childhood, pushing back on authority, and feeling fiercely independent—and how those same traits now benefit their kids through strength, decisiveness, advocacy, and protection that help children feel deeply safe and su...
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Sissy and David explore the bold, protective world of Enneagram 8s, celebrating their fierce loyalty, honesty, and justice‑driven strength while also naming common struggles like intensity, difficulty showing vulnerability, and quick reactions. They offer practical guidance for eight parents and caregivers—soften tone, stay calm, practice vulnerability and repair—and ideas to help eight kids use their power for good, feel respected...
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Author and therapist Niro Feliciano joins Sissy and David to talk about her new book, All Is Calm-ish, and how we can find contentment and calm in the middle of a busy, often overwhelming holiday season. She shares simple, doable practices—like five minutes of stillness, tiny wellness habits, and choosing connection over perfection—and opens up about writing the book during a heavy season in her own family, walking with her daughte...
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In this episode, Sissy and David sit down with Enneagram Sevens Mary Killett and Aaron Weber, who share how their natural optimism, humor, and energy shape their lives at Daystar and at home. They talk about the joy of being wired for positivity, the pressure to always be “on,” and the growth that comes with learning to slow down, feel hard things, and meet people with presence instead of quick reframing. They also offer a glimpse ...
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In this episode, Sissy and David turn their attention to Enneagram Sevens—the Enthusiasts, Optimists, and Adventurers who bring joy, imagination, and energy to the world. They explore the unique strengths Sevens offer their families, like creativity, flexibility, and a contagious zest for life, as well as the struggles they face with avoiding pain, overscheduling, and following through. You’ll also hear practical encouragement for ...
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In this episode, Sissy and David sit down with two beloved Enneagram Sixes: longtime Daystar founder and leader Melissa Trevathan and Daystar counselor Allye Gray. They explore how differently Sixes can look—phobic and counterphobic—and how both expressions are driven by the same core issues of fear, loyalty, and a deep desire for safety and goodness. Allye shares candidly about being a “phobic” Six: an inner world full of what-if...
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​​Sissy and David celebrate the strengths of Enneagram Sixes—their loyalty, courage, diligence, and care for the common good—while naming the real challenges of worst-case thinking, indecision, and hypervigilance. They offer practical ideas for Six parents (trust your gut, build steady routines, model bravery “even when you feel afraid”) and simple ways to support a child who might be a Six (reassure safety, give age-appropriate ch...
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Enneagram 5 parents Lauren Rupley and Kris Plunkett talk curiosity, intentionality, and energy management in family life. They describe how fives’ love of learning, patient problem-solving, and reflective nature become strengths—sparking great questions, thoughtful rhythms, and delight in kids’ unique wiring. They also name common struggles: over-researching instead of trusting intuition, scarce-energy mindsets, stepping back to o...
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