Helping Families Flourish, Part 3 of 3

Today we're wrapping up our collaboration between the Vernacular Podcast Network and The Center for Public Justice (CPJ). What's this partnership all about? You can read (and hear!) more in Part 1, but the gist of it is that we’re teaming up with the people behind the Families Valued initiative to talk about the struggles that modern families face and to learn how we can better support families through private enterprise, charitable initiatives, and public policy.

In this final episode, we chat about leisure as the basis of culture, paid parental leave and current legislatie efforts to achieve it nationwide, the importance of unplugging, and principles for crafting policy and corporate rules to protect families.

For more information, reach out to us at head to Vernacular Podcast or visit familiesvalued.org. To support us, visit patreon.com/vernacular.

We'd love to hear what you think of this episode!

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Outro music: Heroine Queen by Hallows

Helping Families Flourish, Part 2 of 3

Today we're continuing our collaboration between the Vernacular Podcast Network and The Center for Public Justice (CPJ).  What's this partnership all about? You can read (and hear!) more in Part 1, but the gist of it is that we’re teaming up with the people behind the Families Valued initiative to talk about the struggles that modern families face and to learn how we can better support families through private enterprise, charitable initiatives, and public policy.

In this second episode in our three-part series, we sit down with Rachel Anderson, Resident Fellow of CPJ and the director of Families Valued. We talk with Rachel about the sources of stress for today's families, including the shift from home-based economies to economy-driven homes, parents working outside of the home, and our loss of work's proper place in our lives. 

For more information, reach out to us at zacandsally@vernacularpodcast.com, head to<u>vernacularpodcast.com</u>, or visit  familiesvalued.org. To support us, visit patreon.com/vernacular

Our music: Laugh and Cry” (intro); “Heroine Queen” (outro)

Helping Families Flourish, Part 1: a VPN/CPJ Collaboration!

Today on Vernacular, we are announcing (and launching) a three episode collaboration with the Center for Public Justice. 

The Center for Public Justice (or CPJ) describes itself as “an independent, nonpartisan organization devoted to policy research and civic education. Working outside the familiar categories of right and left, conservative and liberal, CPJ seeks to help citizens and public officeholders achieve justice.” Last year, CPJ launched the Families Valued initiative, a project that promotes organizational and public policies that better support family life and respect the family responsibilities of all workers.

In this collaboration between The Vernacular Podcast Network and The Center for Public Justice, we’re teaming up with the people behind the Families Valued initiative to talk about the struggles that modern families face and to learn how we can better support families through private enterprise, charitable initiatives, and public policy.

Supporting today’s families is a bipartisan imperative.According to 2018 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans are waiting longer than ever to get married, yet delaying marriage has done nothing to drive down divorce rates. As marriage rates have declined over the past three decades, divorce rates have steadily risen. And while marriages face challenges of permanence, married couples are having fewer children. In a 2013 survey by Pew, only 49% of people listed “having kids” as a main reason for getting married; a summer 2018 Pew survey found that 71% of parents under 50described themselves as “not likely” to have kids or more kids.

And yet, despite these symptoms of pressure, today’s families overwhelmingly describe family as the primary source of meaning in their life. In a 2017 survey, 69% of adults listed family as a source of meaning in their life--more than double the amount of the next highest answer--career. This is why it’s important for us to find ways to support families. We shouldn’t have an economy that makes it necessary for 82% of parents to work outside of the home. We shouldn’t have to fight for paid parental leave at a majority of private companies. And we shouldn’t make quality healthcare a luxury that parents can’t afford for their children. We need churches, employers, community organizations, courts, and legislatures to support the family at all stages of life. And that’s why we’re happy to announce this collaboration with CPJ’s Families Valued initiative.

For more information or to join the discussion, reach out to us at zacandsally@vernacularpodcast.com, head tovernacularpodcast.com, or visit  familiesvalued.org

Our music: “Laugh and Cry” by The Mini Vandals (intro); “Heroine Queen” by Hallows (outro)

dealing with difficult people

In an appropriate sequel to our Valentine's Day marriage episode, today we're talking about how to better deal with difficult people. In less than twenty minutes, we talk through four big ideas to help you love the people who give you the hardest time in life: 

1. Process externally but not publicly

2. Embrace the humanness of the other

3. Communicate clearly and set boundaries

4. Keep forgiveness front and center

Let us know what you think: Instagram | Twitter | Email

Also: don't miss our sister podcast The Popped Cast, which you can find on AnchorApple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

two peas in a pod(cast): marriage and being human

In this Valentine's Day edition, we answer a listener question from our parenting episode and dive into how marriage can and should enrich our lives and make us more fully human. We talk about how marriage cultivates virtues like patience, self-control, grace, and love, and offer a few suggestions on how you can help your spouse cultivate these virtues. 

We talked about Andrew Peterson's Dancing in the Minefieldsin this episode.

Let us know what you think: Instagram | Twitter | Email

Also: don't miss our sister podcast The Popped Cast, which you can find on AnchorApple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

how our kids make us more human: a conversation on parenting

Here's to parents everywhere. In this episode we tackle the difficult topic of parenting from our limited experience as the parents of three young children. How do our kids make us more human? What do we have to learn from them? How do they help us practice the virtues? What can young parents resolve to do when the start every day anew? If you, like us, are "in the trenches" with young children, know that we are right there with you! If you're an older parent, share some wisdom with us that we can pass on to listeners. 

Let us know what you think: Instagram | Twitter | Email

Also: don't miss our sister podcast The Popped Cast, which you can find on AnchorApple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

more human in 2019: hospitality, books, job searching, counseling, and priorities

We're back for 2019! After a two month hiatus for parental leave, we're back with a discussion on some things that on our mind as we begin the new year. We talk about hospitality goals, books we want to read (and why everyone should read more), work-life synergy, and going to therapy. We'll be back soon with more episodes and are working hard on a great lineup of content for this year! 

Let us know what you think: Instagram | Twitter | Email

Also: don't miss our sister podcast The Popped Cast, which you can find on AnchorApple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.