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MFP 339: Movies, kids, and imagination

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

Release Date: 06/30/2025

MFP 368: The Four Horsemen in Busy Marriages show art MFP 368: The Four Horsemen in Busy Marriages

Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

"Couples often ignore each other’s emotional needs out of mindlessness, not malice." - Dr. John Gottman   Summary Let's take an honest look at how communication breaks down in busy marriages and what you can do to stop it. Most couples don’t ignore each other out of malice, but out of exhaustion, distraction, and rushed daily life. In this episode, we unpack why communication is essential for growth and connection, and how unspoken assumptions quickly lead to misunderstandings. Drawing on Dr. John Gottman’s research, we break down the Four Horsemen of Communication - ...

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Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

“Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24 Summary In this episode, we talk about something every person longs for: belonging. At its heart, marriage is meant to be a place where you are chosen, known, and not easily walked away from. It’s a home base, the one relationship you freely choose, where staying matters more than being perfect. Belonging in marriage isn’t about constant agreement or effortless connection. It’s about knowing someone is still there when things are hard, awkward, or unfinished. Over time,...

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Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

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Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

"Let us begin again, for until now we have done nothing," - Saint Francis of Assisi Summary As a new year begins, many of us focus on where we fell short instead of how we’ve grown. In this episode, Mike and Alicia invite parents and couples to reflect on the past year by celebrating the gains—not just the gaps—and to recognize the common traps that keep us stuck, like doing too much, being too busy, comparing ourselves to others, or letting our loves get out of order. From there, they share five foundational ways to begin again and make this year better—not perfect, but better:...

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Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

Summary This episode revisits one of the most helpful and down-to-earth conversations on the Messy Family Podcast: Family Board Meeting 2.0. It starts with a simple but challenging idea. We put a lot of thought into our jobs, but when it comes to family life, many of us are just trying to keep up. Between work, kids’ schedules, and everyday stress, it’s easy to drift into survival mode. A Family Board Meeting is a chance to pause, breathe, and get back on the same page. It’s not about being perfect or fixing everything. It’s about choosing to lead your family with intention. The...

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Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

Summary What’s it really like growing up in a big family?   In this special Hernon kids takeover podcast, Mike and Alicia’s children gather around the mic to tell the honest, funny, and heartfelt story of their upbringing. From loud dinner tables and sibling fights to deep bonds, meaningful traditions, and moments of feeling unseen, the Hernon siblings share what shaped them—for better and for worse.   They talk openly about the challenges of a large family, how sibling relationships filled the gaps when parents were stretched thin, and why intentional traditions mattered more...

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Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

Your decisions may not always be perfect, but you can choose to make them together.   Summary In this week’s podcast, we dive into one of the most important truths for married couples: you will never make a perfect decision—but you can choose unity. Today’s culture urges us to optimize everything with hacks, experts, and AI, yet the real power in family life comes from spouses acting together. We share our own stories of big decisions—moves, career changes, even grad school—and how waiting for unity brought peace and strength to our home. Join us as we unpack how to stay united:...

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Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

“Hospitality and real community starts by inviting people into your messy home…”   Summary In this episode, Mike and Alicia sit down with best-selling Catholic author Emily Stimpson Chapman to talk about Advent, Storybook for young Catholics, and the beauty of simple hospitality. Emily shares the real, lived rhythms of Advent in her home—reminding parents that peace and prayerfulness grow best when traditions are tied to everyday routines and kept flexible, not burdensome.   Emily also introduces her newest work, The Story of All Stories, a beautifully crafted children’s...

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Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

“Learning how to trust God and let go of our fears, worries, and frustrations is the best way to model peace for our children.” — Dr. Gregory Bottaro   Summary This week on the Messy Family Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Greg Bottaro for a heartfelt and practical conversation every parent needs to hear. In this interview, Dr. Greg explains why kids are not naturally built to listen and why so many of us parents end up frustrated. His solution is simple and hopeful. Get clear on the rulebook you grew up with, compare it with your spouse’s, and build a shared one that gives your...

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Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family

"Baby Jesus was an amazing surprise to the world on Christmas morning, and gifts under the tree remind us of that wondrous gift each year." - Regina Doman Summary Mothers create the environment of the home by what we allow in our house, how we arrange our home, and where things are kept. We are teaching our children all the time, not just by what we say and do, but the home that we create for our families.  We communicate what we value and what we want our children to learn by the "stuff" in our home.  Moms have to be thoughtful and intentional about this.  Listen into this...

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"Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed." - G.K. Chesterton

 

Summary

Movies shape more than behavior — they form the imagination, the moral compass, and the heart. Catholic parents are not merely protecting innocence; they are cultivating virtue and wonder. In this episode, we explore how stories shape our children, how to choose wisely, and how to use movies as part of a rich Catholic family culture. Jesus used stories to teach. So do we.

 

Key Takeaways

 

Here are four filters that parents can use to decide what movies to watch with their children:  

  1. Content – Surface-level: language, nudity, violence, disrespect.

    • Different for every family. 

    • Talk about this with spouse

    • May change as the kids get older

  2. Context / Theme– 

    • Does it glorify sin, or does it show redemption?

    • Does this movie affirm the dignity of the human person?

    • What’s the movie saying about truth, identity, family, and faith?

    • Does it honor the sacrificial nature of love?

    • Does it support the family or undermine it?

    • Is faith treated with reverence, or ridicule?

  3. Beauty

    • Is it ugly?is does it nourish the soul and imagination?

    • Is this edifying? Does it educate, challenge, or cause me to grow and bear good fruit?

  4. Character Arc – Are the heroes virtuous? Are sinners redeemed?

  5. Remember: It's not enough to avoid what is harmful. We must actively seek what is holy, good, and true.

🧰 Trusted Tools for Parents:

  • IMDB parents guide - use this to search by adding your movie title
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26743210/parentalguide/

  • Common Sense Media — secular, but useful for content breakdowns.

  • MovieGuide — faith-based reviews of current films.

  • Catholic News Service Movie Reviews — Catholic perspective with theological commentary.

  • Your Own Conscience — Don’t ignore the check in your spirit as a parent.