Celebrate Kids Podcast with Dr. Kathy

In this episode of the Celebrate Kids Podcast, Dr. Kathy Koch and Wayne Stender explore how a parent's work can shape a child's understanding of learning and the future. They discuss why kids need to know more than what their parents do for a living; they need to see how adults make decisions, solve problems, serve others, and connect work to calling. Parents will be encouraged to talk openly about vocation and see that a job is not their identity, but it can be an important way to provide and live out God given purpose.

In this episode of the Celebrate Kids Podcast, Dr. Kathy Koch and Wayne Stender explore how social media and the desire to fit in can slowly shape a teenager's identity. They discuss why family values, honest conversations, service, and calling out a child's God given strengths can give kids something stronger than the approval of the crowd. Parents will be encouraged to help their children recognize who they are becoming and build an identity rooted in purpose and who God created them to be.

In this episode of the Celebrate Kids Podcast, Dr. Kathy Koch and Wayne Stender explore how artificial intelligence may be reshaping the way kids understand friendship and intimacy. They discuss the danger of relationships that offer companionship without friction or reciprocity, and why children need real people to discover who they are and how relationships work. Parents will be encouraged to create shared experiences, ask meaningful questions, spend unhurried time together, and help kids develop relational skills that can only grow through knowing and being known by others.

In this episode of the Celebrate Kids Podcast, Dr. Kathy Koch and Wayne Stender explore why sadness is a normal human emotion and how adults can respond when a child seems persistently down or hopeless. They discuss noticing behavioral changes, helping kids build emotional vocabulary, resisting the urge to quickly fix or spiritualize their pain, and creating homes where children feel seen, wanted, and able to talk. Parents and caring adults will be encouraged to offer steady presence and attentive support that helps bruised kids begin to heal.

As AI "friends" become more common, what are our kids really learning about friendship? In this episode, Dr. Kathy Koch and Wayne Stender unpack Meta's new chatbot update and explore how true friendships form character, resilience, and faith. Learn how to help your kids value real people over artificial connection—and why Jesus' definition of friendship changes everything.

When does helping someone cross the line from compassion into condescension? In this episode, Dr. Kathy Koch and Wayne Stender unpack a viral Supreme Court moment that raises tough questions about empathy, equality, and how we treat others. Learn how to teach your kids the difference between pity and Christ-like compassion—and how true love restores dignity instead of diminishing it.

Dr. Kathy recently visited Princeton Minnesota and conducted a two day parent training at New Life Church. We brought some of the questions we fielded after her teaching to the podcast to encourage you. If you'd like to bring Dr. Kathy to your church, school, or community for parent training, visit www.celebratekids.com

How do we talk to our kids about the hard things they see in the news without overwhelming them? In this episode, Dr. Kathy Koch and Wayne Stender explore how parents can help children process violence, fear, and brokenness with truth and hope. Learn how creativity, compassion, and Christ-centered security can become release valves for kids' anxiety in a world that often feels heavy.

Our kids are tired, but not just from sports or school. In this episode of the Celebrate Kids Podcast, Dr. Kathy and Wayne Stender unpack how smartphones are quietly stealing sleep, peace, and purpose from our children. Learn how constant connection leads to exhaustion and anxiety, and how reclaiming rest can restore focus, joy, and faith in your home.

In this episode of the Celebrate Kids Podcast, Dr. Kathy Koch and Wayne Stender explore the growing use of weight loss medications in children and the deeper questions parents should consider about health, habits, identity, and emotional well being. They discuss how food can become connected to loneliness, stress, family patterns, and self worth, and why treating weight alone may miss what is happening underneath. Parents will be encouraged to seek wise medical support, look for patterns, build healthier family rhythms, and help kids understand that their value is rooted in who God created them to be not in what the scale says.

When was the last time you looked around a room full of kids and saw every face lit—not by screens—but by conversation and curiosity? Across the country, more schools are going device-free, and something amazing is happening: kids are becoming more attentive, more engaged, and more confident. In this episode of the Celebrate Kids Podcast , Dr. Kathy and Wayne Stender unpack what's really going on when we unplug. Dr. Kathy explains that technology, while useful, can condition children to expect life to be easy—and when challenges come, they give up too soon. True resilience, she says, comes from facing real-life challenges, learning through struggle, and being guided by caring mentors and teachers. Wayne and Dr. Kathy share stories of classrooms that have banned devices and rediscovered the joy of eye contact, laughter, and deep discussion. They also dive into how screens affect the brain, why "teachers teach—devices don't," and how parents can intentionally awaken their kids' natural strengths—the 8 Great Smarts —by engaging them offline. Together, they remind parents that resilience isn't about perfection—it's about being teachable, humble, and ready to grow. Through stories from Scripture (like Apollos in Acts 18) and insights from today's classrooms, this episode will inspire you to see device-free living not as deprivation—but as an invitation to rediscover the fullness of life God designed for your family.

In this episode of Facing the Dark , Wayne Stender and Dr. Kathy Koch tackle a question many parents quietly wrestle with: Can we really afford to raise kids in today's world? Drawing from both research and real-life experience, they unpack the financial realities of family life and explore what it means to trust God's calling over cultural caution. Dr. Kathy emphasizes that parenting isn't just a financial decision, it's a spiritual one. She encourages parents to seek the Lord's guidance when considering children, to embrace sacrifice with joy, and to celebrate kids as image bearers, not economic burdens. Together, Wayne and Dr. Kathy connect these themes to the book of Haggai, reminding listeners that delaying obedience for financial security often leads to spiritual emptiness. Parenting, they say, is sacred temple work—raising the next generation to reflect God's glory in the world.

In this episode of The Celebrate Kids Podcast, the daily episode Facing the Dark , Wayne Stender and Dr. Kathy Koch explore new research on parenting benchmarks and trends, especially the growing movement of "cycle-breaking parenting" among Gen Z moms and dads. Together, they unpack what it means to parent with both wisdom and grace, moving beyond negative family patterns without shaming past generations. Dr. Kathy shares practical insights on being unified as parents, balancing correction with encouragement, and raising kids who know their God-given strengths. Wayne connects these themes to Ezekiel 18, showing how Scripture reminds us that every generation can step into fresh mercies and new beginnings.

In this episode of the Celebrate Kids podcast, Dr. Kathy delves into the recent National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) report, often referred to as the nation's report card. The findings reveal that high school seniors are experiencing a significant decline in math and reading skills, with scores reaching historic lows. 12th graders have recorded the weakest performance since the assessment began. Dr. Kathy raises important questions about whether current educational assessments are outdated, considering the advancements in technology such as computers and AI that have emerged since the assessment's inception in 1992. The discussion prompts listeners to reflect on the effectiveness of traditional educational standards in today's rapidly evolving world.

In this episode of the Celebrate Kids Podcast, Dr. Kathy Koch and Wayne Stender explore why knowing the right answer on a test is not the same as being ready to use that knowledge in real life. Using driver's education as an example, they discuss how experience, practice, character, and different learning strengths all contribute to genuine competence. Parents will be encouraged to look beyond conventional measures of success and teach their children in ways that help them become capable and confident in the situations they will actually face.

In this episode of the Celebrate Kids Podcast, Dr. Kathy Koch and Wayne Stender explore concerns that young people may be losing some of the cognitive strength earlier generations developed through reading, sustained attention, memorization, challenge, and real world relationships. They discuss how screens may be crowding out activities that build deeper thinking and why parents still have tremendous influence at home. Parents will be encouraged to read with their kids, value learning over grades, create meaningful challenges, invest relationally, and help children believe that their future, and the wisdom they can bring to it, matters.

In this episode of the Celebrate Kids Podcast, Dr. Kathy Koch and Wayne Stender explore why so many Americans are dissatisfied with education while often feeling better about their own children's schools. They discuss the difference between simply delivering information and actually developing critical thinking, curiosity, wisdom, and readiness for life. Parents will be encouraged to look closely at what their own kids are experiencing, ask better questions about learning, stay involved with teachers and schools, and remember that education should help children do more than know facts; it should help them understand and wisely engage the world around them.

In this episode of the Celebrate Kids Podcast, Dr. Kathy Koch and Wayne Stender address the growing threat of sextortion and why kids who are exploited online often stay silent out of shame or fear. They discuss the importance of keeping phones out of bedrooms and preparing ahead of time for how parents will respond if a child comes to them in crisis. Parents will be encouraged to build relationships marked by calm, trust, presence, and grace so their kids know that no mistake or manipulation has to be carried alone.

In this episode of the Celebrate Kids podcast, host Wayne Stender and Dr. Kathy emphasize the critical roles boys and young men need to embody as sages, explorers, servants, warriors, and husbands. The discussion is sparked by recent events, including the assassination of their friend Charlie Kirk, and touches on the perceived crisis among young men exacerbated by the COVID pandemic and cultural shifts. Dr. Kathy advocates for a holistic understanding of masculinity that balances strength with servitude, aiming to inspire resilience and growth in the younger generation. Tune in to explore these vital themes and learn how we can support boys in their development.

In this episode of the Celebrate Kids podcast, Dr. Kathy delves into the challenges faced by today's youth, who often grapple with the pressures of hyperproductivity and the quest for perfection. She emphasizes the importance of helping children build their identity in Christ rather than solely focusing on their achievements. The discussion highlights the need for parents to recognize and celebrate their children's qualities, such as loyalty and confidence, and to be mindful of the potential dark places that the pursuit of being the best can lead both teens and parents. With insights from researchers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Dr. Kathy explores how we can guide our kids through the complexities of modern life while nurturing their spiritual and emotional well-being. Join us as we learn how to support our children in thriving amidst the pressures of their generation.