Dates, Mates and Babies with the Vallottons

Mystery gets marketed as romance, but what if it’s actually the thing exhausting a relationship? In this episode, hosts Jason and Lauren Vallotton explore marriage advice that goes beyond surface-level communication tips and gets into something more foundational: God’s design for marriage and the roles that create emotional safety. When couples are hurting, they often want to debate who’s right and who’s wrong. Jason and Lauren start somewhere else: understanding what the marriage is built on. Together, they unpack the core needs they see again and again, especially for wives: feeling safe, seen, and known. They discuss why clarity in dating matters, how steady pursuit builds trust, and why unpredictability at home can leave a woman feeling guarded. From hormones to household rhythms, they explore emotional safety as a practical foundation for intimacy, connection, and a home that feels warm instead of tense. They also discuss how a healthy, present father can support a mother’s well-being and help shape a healthier family culture. Jason and Lauren then address a drift that affects many couples: after marriage, a man “wins” the relationship and shifts his focus toward work success, leaving his wife carrying the emotional load for the marriage and the kids. They explore how this shift can fuel resentment, undermine respect and safety, and leave both spouses disconnected. Whether listeners are dating, married, or rebuilding trust, this conversation offers an invitation to bring greater intention to the foundation of their relationship. Subscribe for more conversations on relational health, share this episode with a friend who cares about marriage, and leave a review to help more couples find the show. A question to consider this week: What’s one small way to bring more clarity and safety into the home? Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. More about how our stories shared help us learn and grow. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

The most dangerous expectations are the ones that look holy, harmless, and “just motivating” until real life hits. We sit down with a message Lauren shares with a room full of moms and put language to a pain so many of us carry: the gap between the motherhood we imagined and the motherhood we are actually living. She calls it the idol of ideal, and it shows up when a good dream quietly becomes the thing we need in order to feel safe, steady, and okay. We talk about how pressure exposes who we are under stress, why parenting can trigger control, perfectionism, and overfunctioning, and how that revelation does not need to become shame. It can be information that helps us grow. You’ll hear practical Christian parenting wisdom for real homes, including three lifelines that keep us from spiraling: asking wise people for input, receiving honest feedback, and asking for tangible help because motherhood was never meant to be done alone. Lauren also shares parts of her story through blended family chaos, infertility, miscarriage, and the heart shift from striving to contending. The takeaway is not to stop wanting good things for your marriage, your kids, or your future. It’s to stop asking those things to be your source of life, and to learn surrender of the how while keeping your desires honest and open before God. Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. More about how our stories shared help us learn and grow. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

What happens when life doesn't turn out the way you imagined? How do you navigate disappointment without allowing it to turn into bitterness, resentment, or hopelessness? In this episode of Dates, Mates & Babies , Jason and Lauren Vallotton explore the gap between expectation and reality—and why it's possible to be genuinely grateful for your life while still grieving parts of it. Together, they unpack how unprocessed disappointment impacts marriage, parenting, and relationships, and share practical ways to move forward with emotional health and renewed hope. In this episode, Jason and Lauren discuss: Why disappointment is a normal part of life. How unmet expectations can turn into resentment and cynicism. The importance of naming and grieving what didn't happen. Challenging the stories we tell ourselves when life doesn't go as planned. Learning to release what we can't control without giving up hope. Finding beauty in the life we're actually living. The takeaway: You can grieve the life you thought you'd have without missing the beauty of the life you're living. Lauren's new memoir, Past the Picket Fence , explores these themes of dreaming, becoming, and letting go. Available now on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

It’s been a minute. 😂 After a few months away from the podcast, Jason and Lauren Vallotton are back behind the microphones—and there was no way they were going to let this week pass without recording an episode. Because Lauren wrote a book. 😭 Past the Picket Fence: A Memoir for Life in the Messy Middle released Tuesday, September 29, 2026. In this episode, Jason and Lauren talk about how a book Lauren dreamed about writing for years finally became real, what the process has looked like behind the scenes, and why the story ultimately became about something much bigger than accomplishing a dream. Longtime Dates, Mates & Babies listeners will recognize pieces of the story: marriage, becoming a stepmom, infertility and waiting, babies, losing Lauren’s mom, changing expectations, faith, surrender, and learning to trust God when life doesn’t follow the plan. At its heart, Past the Picket Fence is for anyone learning to love the life they’re actually living without pretending they never wanted the one they pictured. Jason and Lauren also talk about what it has been like to bring such a personal story into the world, why launch day matters especially for an independently published book, and how listeners can help send it out. Past the Picket Fence released September 29, 2026. Grab your copy here ! Follow Lauren on Instagram: @lvallotton More soon! Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

Getting engaged is exciting, but a healthy marriage starts long before the wedding day. In this episode, Jason and Lauren Vallotton unpack the conversations, decisions, and preparations that can help couples build a strong foundation before saying “I do.” From navigating family dynamics and wedding planning stress to discussing sex, finances, faith, and expectations, they share practical wisdom for engaged couples and the people who love them. They explore why community input matters, how premarital counseling can uncover blind spots, and why competency—not just chemistry—is essential for building a thriving marriage. They also discuss the importance of developing the emotional, spiritual, and practical capacity needed to carry the weight of the life you’re asking God to give you. Whether you’re engaged, dating seriously, or supporting someone who is, this episode offers helpful guidance for preparing for a marriage that’s built to last. In this episode: • The pre-engagement conversations every couple should have • Why community input is a gift, not a threat • Healthy ways to talk about sex before marriage • Keeping wedding planning from damaging your relationship • The value of premarital counseling and marriage assessments • Navigating expectations from parents and in-laws • Why it’s wise to spend money where you lack skills • What couples should focus on before the wedding day • Building confidence through competency and preparation • Developing the load-bearing capacity needed for marriage If you know someone who is engaged or preparing for marriage, send them this episode. Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. More about how our stories shared help us learn and grow. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

Jason and Lauren Vallotton sit down with their friend McKenzie Gibson, a labor and delivery nurse, to talk about something that doesn’t get discussed nearly enough: how to prepare not just for marriage, but for a full and meaningful life. In a culture that often treats singleness like a waiting room, McKenzie shares how she’s built a life marked by deep friendship, intentionality, hospitality, and purpose through her 20s and 30s. The conversation dives into the realities of burnout, nervous system overload, and the emotional toll of high-intensity work. McKenzie opens up about recognizing her limits, stepping into a sabbatical season, and why rest can sometimes be one of the wisest choices we make rather than a sign of failure. Together, they explore the importance of building rhythms that sustain your mental, emotional, and spiritual health long before marriage or parenting enters the picture. Jason, Lauren, and McKenzie also unpack the challenges many single adults feel inside marriage-centered communities and how to resist shrinking yourself while waiting for the next season. They talk about friendship as a calling, learning through proximity to healthy families, the power of intergenerational relationships, and why true hospitality is more about making room for people than creating a perfect environment. In this episode: • why preparing for a meaningful life matters as much as preparing for marriage • recognizing burnout, nervous system overload, and emotional exhaustion • how sabbaticals and rest can be acts of wisdom rather than quitting • friendship as purpose, not just convenience • learning about marriage and parenting through close community • what real hospitality looks like beyond hosting dinners • navigating singleness in a marriage-focused culture • building relationships across different ages and stages of life • practical ways to create deeper community and connection • why availability, feedback, and intentional presence matter so much Whether you’re single, dating, married, parenting, or somewhere in between, this conversation offers practical wisdom for building a life filled with healthy relationships, purpose, and connection. Share this episode with a friend, leave a review if it encouraged you, and let us know: what part of building a life you love feels hardest right now? Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. More about how our stories shared help us learn and grow. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

Episode Summary: In this episode, hosts Jason and Lauren Vallotton tackle one of the most misunderstood (and avoided) dynamics in relationships: confrontation. They challenge the idea that healthy relationships are conflict-free and instead cast a compelling vision for becoming people who confront quickly and lovingly. Because avoiding conflict doesn’t create peace—it creates fear and chaos. Through honest conversation and practical tools, Jason and Lauren unpack what confrontation actually is, why it feels so intimidating, and how learning to tell the truth with care can strengthen trust in marriage, parenting, friendships, and leadership. This episode is both a mindset shift and a how-to guide for navigating conflict in a way that leads to connection instead of division. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Why the healthiest relationships aren’t the ones without conflict—but the ones that handle it well How to reframe conflict as a leadership skill at home and in the workplace A clear definition of confrontation as proactive truth-telling, not punishment or control How avoiding issues or “keeping the peace” often leads to resentment and emotional escalation A real-life story revealing how “I’m fine” can mask a deeper fear of rejection How the “house fire” metaphor helps you identify and address conflict early Why starting soft matters—and how harsh beginnings often lead to painful endings How to lead with your own feelings and needs instead of accusations The importance of staying focused on one issue at a time to avoid emotional flooding Why emotional regulation is key before entering difficult conversations How to listen beneath the surface complaint to uncover deeper needs Practical ways to make repair attempts that de-escalate and restore connection Key Takeaway: Confrontation, when done well, isn’t something to fear—it’s one of the most powerful tools we have to build trust, intimacy, and emotional safety in every area of life. Join the Conversation: Have thoughts about this episode? We’d love to hear from you—share it and let us know what resonated. If you have topics you’d like Jason and Lauren to cover, or questions for an upcoming Q&A episode, you can email them at datesmatesbabies@gmail.com ! Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. More about how our stories shared help us learn and grow. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

In this episode, Jason and Lauren explore how real maturity isn’t about getting more of what you want, but learning to loosen your grip. From parenting and marriage to grief and becoming grandparents, they unpack how surrender shapes relational health, heals fear, and builds a legacy that lasts. Because at some point, growth looks less like striving… and more like letting go. In this episode, the Vallotton's talk about: the shift from becoming into surrender—and why it’s where maturity deepens how grief and becoming young grandparents reframed legacy and freedom why surrender isn’t a stage, but a lifelong invitation what parenting reveals about our natural tendency toward “mine” how maturity moves us from consuming to producing in relationships the role of surrender in marriage, and what it looks like daily how anxiety, control, and insecurity quietly sabotage connection what it means to surrender without losing your voice, needs, or boundaries why true surrender is costly—and not a carefree feeling At the end of the day, surrender isn’t about losing your life—it’s about becoming someone who can love well, live freely, and leave something meaningful behind. Closing question: What do you need to surrender? Resources: Lauren’s upcoming memoir Past the Picket Fence Join the list + read the prologue and first chapter: pastthepicketfence.com Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. More about how our stories shared help us learn and grow. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

In the last episode of Dates, Mates & Babies , Jason and Lauren talked about honoring the one who dared to dream. But dreaming is only the beginning. In this episode, they explore the next phase of the journey: becoming . The dream isn’t usually the problem—and the delay isn’t punishment. Often, the space between dreaming and fulfillment is where the real work happens. As Lauren says, “God cares less about giving you the dream quickly than forming you to carry it well.” Jason and Lauren discuss the gap between desire and capacity —how desire reveals what we want, but capacity determines what we can actually sustain. From marriage to motherhood to calling, many of the things we long for require emotional, relational, and spiritual maturity that takes time to develop. They unpack what becoming actually looks like in real life: conflict that exposes ego, responsibility that reveals control issues, feedback that surfaces insecurity, and hidden seasons where faithfulness grows without applause. As Jason shares, true maturity isn’t just about achievement—it’s about emotional regulation, humility, and consistency . The conversation also addresses common lies we believe during seasons of growth: that we’re behind, that detours mean we missed it, or that if something were meant to be it would come easily. Instead, Jason and Lauren invite listeners to see these seasons as intentional formation , not failure. They close with practical ways to build capacity—growing emotional resilience, staying faithful in hidden seasons, taking ownership of personal triggers, and learning to do small things consistently over time. Because becoming isn’t about striving to be impressive. It’s about growing sturdy enough to carry the life you once dreamed about . Resources: Lauren’s upcoming memoir Past the Picket Fence Join the list + read the prologue and first chapter: pastthepicketfence.com Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

Last week, Jason and Lauren named the disorientation so many women feel in their 30s — when life doesn’t look the way they imagined. This week, they gently trace the story back to where it began. Before there was disappointment… there was dreaming. Lauren reminds listeners that those early dreams weren’t foolish — they were sincere. They mattered. Instead of shaming the younger version of ourselves, maybe we honor her and ask what she was really longing for. In this episode, Jason and Lauren explore: Why dreaming is holy — how desire often introduces you to your design. How idealism in your 20s isn’t immaturity, but momentum. The subtle shift from “I hope” to “I deserve” when we wait or feel disappointed. How timelines and unspoken expectations can quietly become measuring sticks. The internal contracts we form: “By 30 I’ll be…” “My marriage will feel like…” You’ll walk away with practical tools to hold vision without clinging: Separate the essence from the packaging. Surrender the timeline, not the desire. Ask who you need to become to carry the dream well. This episode is tender, grounding, and hopeful — a reminder that the dreaming phase wasn’t wasted. It was forming you. Maybe your dream didn’t die. Maybe it grew up. Resources: Lauren’s upcoming memoir Past the Picket Fence Join the list + read the prologue and first chapter: pastthepicketfence.com Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

In this deeply honest episode, Jason and Lauren Vallotton talk about the quiet disorientation that can surface in your 30s — especially when life doesn’t look the way you thought it would. They open with a vulnerable admission: you can have the life you once prayed for… and still feel unsettled inside it. Lauren shares how her 30s revealed something unexpected — it wasn’t that she needed a better plan. She needed a different version of herself. Together, they explore how what feels like breakdown is often actually recalibration. This episode is for the woman who has checked the boxes, carried responsibility well, made thoughtful decisions… and still feels like something doesn’t quite fit. You are not failing. You are becoming. IN THIS EPISODE, THEY DISCUSS: The Disorientation No One Prepared You For | “This isn’t a breakdown. It’s a recalibration.” Jason and Lauren unpack the “picket fence” script many of us subconsciously follow — the belief that if we do X, life will look like Y. What happens when you do the right things… and it still doesn’t feel the way you expected? They talk about why this tension often surfaces in your 30s — when decisions carry weight, comparison gets louder, and responsibility leaves less room for fantasy. The Three Griefs Nobody Names | “Sometimes the pain isn’t your life… it’s the funeral of the life you expected.” Lauren gives language to three quiet griefs many women carry: The grief of the timeline — the life you thought would have happened by now The grief of identity — when the version of you that worked in your 20s doesn’t work anymore The grief of outcomes — when you did the “right things” and life still got hard Together, they gently ask the question many women haven’t stopped long enough to consider: What are you grieving that you’ve been calling “just stress”? This conversation is tender, grounding, and full of hope. Because sometimes what feels like disorientation isn’t failure — it’s reorientation. And letting go of the dream life might be the very thing that makes room for a truer one. If this episode resonates, share it with a friend who’s navigating her own season of becoming. Resources: Lauren’s upcoming memoir Past the Picket Fence Join the list + read the prologue and first chapter: pastthepicketfence.com Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

This episode is a live recording of Jason Vallotton’s message at Bethel Church on November 30, 2025—a raw, clarifying teaching on God’s Plan for Forming Men , shared in the context of the upcoming BraveCo Rite of Passage Event in Jacksonville February 28, 2026. God has a blueprint for forming men who carry strength, humility, and responsibility into their homes, marriages, and work. That blueprint is both simple and demanding— formed, filled, and finished —and it unfolds through the stages of calling, testing, equipping, and commissioning . In this message, Jason unpacks why being made from dust matters, why being filled with the Spirit is non-negotiable, and why testing isn’t punishment but refinement. Marriage becomes a mirror. Work becomes a training ground. Feedback becomes the tool that confronts ego head-on. Equipping looks like delayed gratification—showing up when you don’t feel like it, choosing peace over pride, and learning to carry responsibility without collapsing under it. Commissioning comes when failure is no longer hidden, but redeemed into testimony that helps other men walk free. The turning point is mentorship. Jesus didn’t say, “Follow me and figure it out.” He said, “Follow me, and I will make you.” Jason brings this home through the powerful rite-of-passage story of Caleb, a young man born with club feet who completed a brutal course because a tribe refused to let him walk alone. This is the heart behind BraveCo: men formed in community, forged through challenge, and released with clarity and purpose. This episode is a call to movement—not theory. You’ll hear a practical vision for how men can get connected, equipped, challenged, and sent, and why identity is forged best in brotherhood. Great men aren’t born. They’re built—together. Next Steps Subscribe so you don’t miss future conversations Share this episode with a man who needs brotherhood Leave a review to help others find the podcast And we’d love to hear from you: Where are you in the journey—calling, testing, equipping, or commissioning? Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. More about how our stories shared help us learn and grow. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

In this episode, Jason and Lauren Vallotton invite listeners into a practical and intentional conversation about preparing for the year ahead. As 2026 approaches, they challenge couples and families to move beyond vague hopes and instead position themselves to win through clarity, reflection, and aligned action. This episode is about slowing down long enough to ask the right questions—and taking ownership of what truly matters. In This Episode: • Why having a clear plan is essential for long-term success • How to assess whether you—and your family—are actually set up for success • The importance of defining a target before trying to hit it • Why reflection on the past year is a necessary step before planning the next one • How intentional, dedicated time with a spouse creates alignment and shared vision • Why time is the greatest investment families make—and the importance of knowing where it’s going • The value of shared calendars and shared expectations • How identifying the one thing to do this week can create meaningful momentum Key Questions Jason and Lauren Encourage Listeners to Ask: • Are we living reactively, or are we intentionally aiming at something? • Where is most of our time going—and does that reflect our priorities? • What kind of family culture are we building right now? • What is the one practical step that can be taken this week to move forward? Episode Takeaway: Jason and Lauren believe that success doesn’t happen accidentally—it’s the result of clarity, alignment, and intentional investment. This episode helps listeners reflect on where they’ve been, assess where they are, and take a meaningful step toward building a healthier, more connected 2026. Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

As 2025 comes to a close, Jay and Lauren sit down to reflect on a full and meaningful year—both personally and professionally. From holiday time with family, to celebrating their daughter’s engagement, to the launch of Lauren’s book, and the powerful impact of the BraveCo Rite of Passage event in Florida, this episode is an honest year-end update. They also share what listeners can expect from the podcast in the new year—how their focus is evolving, what they’re excited to explore, and the kinds of conversations they feel most called to lead in the season ahead. Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. More about how our stories shared help us learn and grow. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

This week’s episode is taken from the BraveCo podcast as the Vallotton’s believe the message is SO important for the Dates, Mates, & Babies audience too! From Jason on the BraveCo Podcast: THE BRAVECO RITE OF PASSAGE: https://www.braveco.org/riteofpassage As a pastor, counselor, and dad, I have watched so many young men stumble their way into manhood without a clear pathway. In this episode of the Brave Co Podcast, I break down the stages our sons move through and what it looks like to call them out of boyhood and into manhood with intention. From the “cop” phase with little kids, to mentoring teens, to coaching young men who are 18, 19, and 20 and still living at home, I share real stories from my own life and conversations I have with fathers all the time. I talk about how to shift from controlling your son’s every move to training him to make wise decisions, carry real responsibility, and discover his God-given purpose. You will hear how my dad prepared me for puberty, identity, and independence, why I had to start fighting my own battles, and how those milestones shaped me. Then I walk you through what to do when your son wants to stay at home as an adult, how to set clear expectations, and how to stop enabling him so he can grow into a man who produces more than he consumes. If you are a dad of a teenage or young adult son, this conversation will give you language, courage, and a practical roadmap. I also share why we created the BraveCo Rite of Passage, a 30-hour weekend where fathers and sons encounter God together, push their limits, and mark the moment a boy is called into manhood. Join us February 28 – March 1, 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida. Get all the details and grab your spot at braveco.org, and do not forget to subscribe, share this episode with another dad, and drop a comment with your biggest takeaway. Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. More about how our stories shared help us learn and grow. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

In this Q&A episode, Lauren and Jason tackle four raw and relatable listener questions that hit at the heart of modern relationships — from rebuilding trust to navigating intimacy, distance, and co-parenting. In this episode, they discuss: 💔 When words cut deep: A wife is struggling to heal after learning her husband once fantasized about other women. Though he’s showing empathy and doing the work, she can’t shake the fear of abandonment. Lauren and Jay unpack how to rebuild safety after emotional betrayal and what healing looks like when your partner’s change feels real — but your heart still hurts. 🌍 Long-distance love: What does it take to make a relationship thrive when you’re miles apart? The Vallottons share their best tips for staying connected across distance — from setting rhythms of communication to keeping emotional intimacy alive (even when FaceTime freezes mid-sentence). 🔥 When sex becomes a struggle: He thinks more sex will fix the problem; she feels pressured and disconnected. Lauren and Jason explore how couples can move from obligation to connection, and why true intimacy starts with emotional safety, not frequency. 👩‍👦 Co-parenting with disrespect: A single mom is raising her son alongside a dad who doesn’t treat her with respect. She’s worried about what her son is learning from their dynamic. The Vallottons discuss how to model dignity, set boundaries, and protect your child’s sense of honor — even when the other parent won’t play fair. Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. More about how our stories shared help us learn and grow. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

In this episode, Lauren and Jason sit down to talk about what it really looks like to lead your family well while carrying leadership responsibilities in ministry, business, and life. Whether you’re parenting toddlers or launching teens, this conversation will help you build a home that’s healthy, connected, and grounded in vision. They share what they learned from blending their family and why the long game of parenting matters so much. Together, the Vallottons unpack the Three C’s that have shaped their own family: 1️⃣ Culture — Build belonging through identity. Every family has a culture. Are you building yours on purpose? Learn how to establish a shared language that gives your kids identity and belonging. 2️⃣ Consistency — Play the long game. Family is formed through repetition, not reaction. Discover how small, faithful rhythms create stability and character over time — even when you can’t see the fruit yet. 3️⃣ Capacity — Lead from health, not hustle. Your home doesn’t need your title; it needs your presence. Jason and Lauren share how they’ve learned to create space for rest, connection, and emotional honesty so their home stays full of life — not burnout. Enjoy! Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. More about how our stories shared help us learn and grow. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

Blending a family isn’t just about making schedules work or learning each other’s habits. It’s about entering into an already-formed culture — one that existed before you. For the stepparent, that often means grieving what you imagined family life would look like, while choosing to restrain yourself from immediately reshaping the environment into “yours.” In this episode, Jason and Lauren Vallotton talk candidly about: Why grief is a normal and healthy part of the step-parenting journey The tension between honoring the existing family culture and slowly helping build a new one The unspoken expectations that every stepparent carries — and what to do with them Why building a new “normal” takes years (Ron Deal says seven, and it often feels true!) Encouragement for couples to stay connected in the long process of blending If you’re in the thick of a blended family dynamic, you are not crazy and you are not alone. Healing, belonging, and love can grow in the middle of the mess — but it takes time, patience, and a lot of grace. Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. More about how our stories shared help us learn and grow. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

Jason and Lauren have big news to share—their first grandbaby has arrived! 🎉 In this special family update episode, they reflect on the joy of this new season, the surprises of grandparenting while still raising their own 5- and 3-year-old, and what it means to live out relational health across generations. Together, they unpack: 🌿 The uniqueness of navigating multiple family “layers” at once—parenting littles, supporting adult children, and stepping into grandparenthood 🎄 How conversations around holidays like Christmas shift when legacy and generational traditions come into play 👵🏼 The role of grandparents in relational health—offering support without overstepping, helping without hovering 👶 What’s different about parenting littles versus grandparenting (and how both roles sharpen each other) ❤️ Navigating relationships with adult kids as they step into parenthood, and why cheering them on matters more than critiquing 🌈 The emotional mix of joy, nostalgia, and gratitude in life’s transition seasons The Vallottons remind listeners that family is never static—it’s always growing and reshaping. Whether you’re raising littles, sending teens into the world, or welcoming grandkids, relational health comes down to connection, presence, and legacy. Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. More about how our stories shared help us learn and grow. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org

What do you do when staying in your marriage feels unsafe, but separation feels like it might be the end of everything you hoped for? Separation is one of the most raw and tender topics couples face—and for many, it carries fear, shame, and deep confusion. In this episode, pastors and coaches Jason and Lauren Vallotton respond to two courageous listener questions about separation in marriage. With compassion and faith-filled honesty, they explore how to discern when separation is a protective step, what questions to ask in the midst of uncertainty, and how to hold covenant and safety together without feeling trapped by either. They discuss: Why separation does not equal failure—and how it can be a tool for safety and clarity. The key questions to ask when considering reconciliation: Is there sustained change? Is safety being rebuilt? Am I experiencing peace or manipulation? How to navigate the tension between covenant and crisis, especially when abuse or repeated betrayal is present. Why God values safety and mental health as much as marriage covenant. The importance of community, accountability, and long-term fruit when walking through separation. Practical pathways forward, whether toward reconciliation or a different future, always anchored in hope and healing. Jason and Lauren remind listeners that separation is not the end of the story. If you’re walking through a season of uncertainty or pain in your marriage, this episode will bring perspective, permission, and pastoral care. Introduces memoir, sends to Amazon for purchase. More about how our stories shared help us learn and grow. Patreon If you've enjoyed this podcast, would you consider financially supporting the show? Every donation, big and small, helps the Vallottons continue to prioritize making this content for you. Click this link to support ! Thank you! For information on the Marriage Intensive and other resources, go to jasonandlaurenvallotton.com ! Connect with Lauren: Past the Picket Fence Instagram Facebook Connect with Jason: Jay’s Instagram Jay’s Facebook BraveCo Instagram www.braveco.org