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Raising Boys with a Secure Identity {Podcast Episode #006 with Gwen Smith}

Hey friends!  Today I am sharing a podcast episode on a topic that I am super passionate about with a friend who I have so much respect for!   Gwen Smith joins me as we continue to go through the topics from my book — BOY MOM:  What Your Son Needs Most from You.  Gwen and I talk about the super important, yet often challenging task of raising sons with a secure identity.  I think you’ll be nodding along with so much of what we chat about…and I hope you end this episode encouraged.

I have been following Gwen’s podcast, Graceologie, for quite a while, and I just love her wisdom and fun, grace-filled episodes.  Gwen has 3 college- aged kids (2 boys and a girl!) and after learning a little about them, I just knew Gwen would have lots of experience and insight on this topic.  And indeed she did!! 

A few things Gwen and I touch on…

  • Supporting your athletic kids without making them think that their performance is where their value comes from.  (Hint: Gwen and I are both super competitive, and we confess this is not easy for us!)
  • A great book we have both read:  The Search For Significance: Seeing Your True Worth Through God’s Eyes  (and The Search for Significance Student Edition is great for kids!)
  • When Gwen’s son said the words we all relate to…  (I might have cried a little. 😉 )  — And how can we speak to that place in all of our children?
  •  Finish First: Winning Changes Everything — Another great read, by Scott Hamilton.  
  • Being careful to separate what our kids do from WHO they are… (so important!)
  • The importance of outside influences to help in shaping our kids’ identities. 
  • Technology, and the role of social media in our kids’ identity.  What Gwen’s sons have done about it.  (Awesome!)  And some of the Smith’s counter-cultural approaches (I love.)
  • My oldest son’s tool for navigating social media well:  The Instagram Five. 
  •  Shepherding a Child’s Heart  (a must-read for parents! :))

You can find the Boy Mom Podcast on all of the various podcast platforms…here are just a few of them:

iTunes (now called Apple Podcasts) 

Google Play

Spotify

Or listen right here below —

And a little more about Gwen…

GWEN SMITH is the author of several books including I Want It ALL and Broken Into Beautiful and is a cofounder of the conference and devotional ministry Girlfriends in God. Gwen speaks, leads worship, and eats potato chips at women’s events all over. As the host of the popular GRACEOLOGIE podcast, Gwen shares fun, faith-focused, grace-filled interview-style conversations filled with practical tips and honest discussions to encourage women in meaningful ways to live out and lean on the grace of Jesus in the midst of cluttered, messy days.
She and her husband, Brad, live in North Carolina and have three grown children who keep them on their toes and on their knees. Her passion is to help women know and trust God more, and she’d love to connect with you at GwenSmith.net or on Instagram where she’s @GwenSmithMusic. 
 
Hope you enjoyed!  Please spread the word about this podcast, and be sure to leave a rating or review wherever you listen!  (TRULY– That means so much to me!!)   I always welcome comments here as well, so feel free to leave a question or your thoughts below!
With Aloha, Monica

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One Comment

  1. Hi, new listener to the Boy Mom Podcast 😄 We are fellow homeschoolers too! In this episode, Gwen Smith mentions that she has a great list of read-aloud books for kids/boys. Any chance this is available? My kids are on the verge of independent reading, but we need some new material (that won’t let me fall asleep either 😕).
    Thanks!

    Reply