Top Episodes

In this unique episode, I'm discussing how to motivate your teen and sharing a coaching session from my 28-Day Challenge because Greg is currently trekking to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro with four of our teens and a group of 18 other people. In this coaching session (recorded live) we answer questions from members of the group such as: my husband says he feels I don't respect him because the house isn't clean when he gets home. What do I do about it? my spouse won't share financial information wi...

"I am wondering if I can expect more from my kids than I expect from husband ? He has ADHD so he "gets distracted" easily and spends hours a day looking at news stories with his phone. Can I expect my teens to go on a phone diet [aka device fast] even though my husband is a poor role model ? My husband hates nagging, I realized early in our marriage, and we have argued many times in the past about me wanting to expect more of him . Tired of arguing, I got to the point of leaving him alone. Howev...

In this episode, Greg Denning explains why so many people feel both Inspired and Depressed at the same time—motivated by what’s possible, yet stuck by hidden threats to personal safety. Through Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, he reveals how emotional instability, toxic language, fear, lack of meaning, unhealthy environments, and misplaced attachment to things quietly drain confidence and momentum. Greg shows that when these deeper safety needs go unmet, inspiration turns into frustration and overwhelm—but restoring emotional, mental, relational, and spiritual safety allows inspiration to become action and lasting growth.

First, let us start by explaining what we're NOT saying in this episode. EVERY family should not homeschool. But *most* families should (we explain what that means). And NO, homeschooling does not automatically guarantee certain outcomes. There will still be TONS of work and intentional effort involved to produce the desired results. However, if you have an elevated vision of what you want your family life and legacy (and children's education) to be like: deep, connected relationships lifelong l...

As we begin the New Year and pursuing new goals, this timely episode shares a real-life *happening now* obstacle to pursuing our dream (to buy a chateau in France) -- getting stuck and stranded in Casablanca, Morocco. We walk through WHY obstacles and roadblocks to your dreams happen , what to do about them, how to handle them in-the-moment, and most importantly, how to overcome them so you can continue pursuing your goals and dreams. If you've ever set a big goal and failed to achieve it -- or ...

As we record this we're sitting in an Airbnb in Tangier, Morocco , living yet *another* of our family's dreams -- to road trip from Portugal to Morocco. Before this trip is over we'll travel from our home base in Portugal to the Sahara Desert in Morocco, having visited Ronda, Grenada, and Cordoba, in Spain, and Tangier, Chefchouen (the Blue City), Fes, Volubilis ancient ruins, Meknes, Casablanca, Marrakesh, Ait Ben Haddou and Zagora. We'll spend New Year's Eve beneath the stars of the desert wit...

RESOURCES: Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey. How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids) Rachel’s ⁠⁠ Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms⁠⁠ Greg's ⁠⁠Recommended Reading List for Parents & Youth⁠⁠ Follow us on Instagram: ⁠@worldschoolfamily⁠ or ⁠@greg.denning⁠ Don’t miss out on the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method class! Get Rachel's ⁠⁠ Family...

"What would I actually do if I spent more time with my wife and kids? What does that look like? " "I went on a getaway with my husband and I was bored . I couldn't wait to get back to the kids." "I've been going on more dates with my husband (because of the 28-Day Challenge) but we're not enjoying them . He doesn't like to do what I do, and I don't like doing what he does." "My husband and I went away and it was amazing, but I hated returning to the kids who just fight and quarrel every day." "I...

Do you want to develop a parenting style and family culture that nurtures instilling values through individual autonomy INSTEAD of through parental control? Parents face many challenges -- and the temptation to control their children -- when they are overly attached to specific outcomes for their family. Greg and Rachel emphasize the importance of letting go of control and cultivating an environment that encourages children to make their own choices and paradoxically is better at actually creati...

Are your kids picky eaters? Are you concerned about their short and long-term health because of a lack of nutrition? Then listen to this episode where we discuss the importance -- and strategies -- for instilling good dietary habits in children and overcoming pickiness. To begin, Greg and Rachel shed light on the significance of food choices and the impact it has on a family's well-being. They emphasize the role of parents in setting a positive example and creating an environment where children ...

Would you love to know how to EFFECTIVELY & correctily discipline your kids? (There is a wrong and right way.) Would you like to be able to discipline without the drama, yelling, punishing, or nagging, AND do it in a way that strengthens your relationship with your child in the short and long term? Sound too good to be true? Trust us, it's actually possible. In this episode, we share not only our personal experience raising and disciplining our 7 children -- but also what we've learned by workin...

We cover a LOT of things in this episode as we discuss, examine, and analyze things that have been on our minds during the last week and as we ask each other WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD?? We're not talking about conspiracy theories... but actual conspiracies. Stay with us here... these aren't crazy ideas that we've come up with from our imaginations... ...these are actual, proven things that are happening and we're just asking the questions: What does that actually mean? Where will this actuall...

In this series about raising well-adjusted kids and better family stability , we're now diving into the 2nd level of the Extraordinary Family Life Pyramid -- Marriage! YOU are the foundation of your family life, followed by your MARRIAGE. Without strong INDIVIDUAL mental, emotional, spiritual, social, physical, and financial health you don't have the 'solid footing' necessary to raise well-adjusted kids. The same is true when it comes to your marriage. You and your spouse are providing the up-cl...

If you've been a parent long you know that parenting often feels like a series of problems to solve. This is accurate. So it only makes sense that if you become a better problem-solver, you will become a better parent. Continuing on the theme from the last episode about how to create family stability, we explain HOW to improve your problem-solving skills -- and how to do it without damaging relationships or becoming controlling and domineering. We also explain how to PREDICT and PREVENT problems...

"My kids are having a hard time adjusting to _______ (moving, traveling, homeschooling, divorce, death, etc). How can I help them?" We've received a question like this dozens of times over the years. Parents the world over wonder how they can create family stability, safety, and healing -- especially in today's mixed-up crazy world. Some claim stability comes from 'staying in one place' -- as one commenter on Instagram said, "Kids want stability, staying in one place, traditions, predictability,...

After nine months of traveling outside of the USA (to 17+ countries from Tromsø to Cairo), we return to take care of some things that will help us make a permanent transition to our home base in Portugal... But as usual, there are things that STAND OUT to us as we visit this country after an extended absence. In this episode, we share what those things are, and -- in the bigger picture -- why they are significant to our families, the nation, and the world as a whole. RESOURCES MENTIONED: - Wild ...

In this episode, we philosophize (are you surprised?) about observations we've been making for the past decade or more as we've read, studied, and traveled to 50+ countries. It's kind of like putting together a puzzle. You take one piece after another and see where they fit and little by little a picture begins to emerge. In this case, the picture that's forming shows the current state of the world and the impending disasters that seem to lurk around the bend. We expound on a few of them, get an...

In this very important episode, Greg and I discuss first-hand knowledge we have about the growing industry of human trafficking . We also talk about sexual abuse, how it happens, and how to protect your kids. If you think it doesn't happen in your neighborhood, church, or community -- think again! It is a REAL threat and it is EVERYWHERE . It's happened to us, too. What actions can you take to protect your family? That's what we cover in this episode, along with WHY and HOW human trafficking has...

We've never told any of our 7 children there is a Santa Clause or a Tooth Fairy. That's because we always wanted to be seen as people our children can believe and trust -- NO MATTER WHAT -- especially when it comes to discerning truth in the world and discovering what is real and what is not. And while it's not just about Santa Clause, this approach of ALWAYS speaking Truth is one of the key philosophies that has helped us to raise children, teens, and young adults who truly trust, believe, and ...

I (Rachel) cried today. It was because of the stress and pressure and overwhelm of 'all the things' I have to get done by a looming deadline, and it was sparked by the small irritations of family life. So Greg and I do what we usually do in a situation like this -- we sat down and psychoanalyzed WHY I was crying so we could process the 'emotional stacking' to help me get back to a positive state (and then recorded this episode 😁 ). But this isn't something I do only when I cry or feel overwhelme...

After posting reels on Instagram about our most recent 6-month trip to 17 countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa, I've had many people ask: "How do you even BEGIN planning a trip like that?" "What was your budget for this experience?" "How do you afford it?" In this episode, we walk through our process for dreaming, envisioning, and then executing BIG goals and dreams. It's the exact process we've used again and again to travel to 50+ countries on five continents with our 7 children for the past ...

"Do you have a podcast episode or advice somewhere where you talk about how you instilled a love of reading in your children ? As parents love reading and have read a lot to our children when they were young. Sometimes we still do now, but no matter which book we suggest, they hate reading , and it breaks my heart ." In this episode, we answer this question from a mom and share specific strategies -- and book recommendations -- for helping children of all ages learn to fall in LOVE with 'reading...

In Greg's work as a coach, he often hears something like this: "Yes I agree, but how do I talk to my spouse about that??? " Sometimes we're shocked that a spouse feels like they can't bring up a topic with their 'better half' -- even if it is a sensitive one. But then we remember that we used to be there too. And in this episode, we share a personal experience about a topic that was off-limits for about a decade or more... and how we worked through it. Eventually, we got to the point where we ca...

Greg received an email from a friend who said, " My son needs a life coach :) " His response was, " EVERYONE needs a life coach." The stigma is that only people with problems or those who 'can't figure it out' need a life coach. But the truth is, if you want to have a truly EXTRAORDINARY life, you NEED a coach. You understand this when it comes to learning the violin or tennis -- if you want to be good you get a coach. Yet somehow too many people don't connect it when it comes to parenting, marr...