MFP 345: The Tech Exit with Clare Morell
Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family
Release Date: 08/11/2025
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 - ...
info_outline
MFP 367: The Need for Belonging in Marriage
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,...
info_outline
MFP 366: God is Love
Messy Family Podcast : Catholic Conversations on Marriage and Family
"Love of neighbor is a path that leads to the encounter with God… closing our eyes to our neighbour also blinds us to God." - Pope Benedict XVI, God is Love Summary We begin with Love because marriage flows from our deepest identity and relationships, not just spousal dynamics. Created in the image of a loving, Triune God, we must first ask who God is and who we are in His eyes. Our relationship with God and with ourselves forms the foundation for loving others. Pope Benedict XVI’s God Is Love reveals that eros and agape are inseparable dimensions of love: we are made to give and...
info_outline
MFP 365: Five Ways to Begin Again
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:...
info_outline
MFP 364: Live Intentionally in 2026
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...
info_outline
MFP 363: Growing Up Hernon - What it's like in a large, loud, loving family
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...
info_outline
MFP 362: Choosing to Be Wrong Together, Over Being Right Alone
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:...
info_outline
MFP 361: The Story of All Stories: Catholic Parenting & Hospitality with Emily Stimpson Chapman
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...
info_outline
MFP 360: Don't be Afraid of Screwing Up Your Kids (because you already are!)
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...
info_outline
MFP 359: How to Choose Toys for Christmas
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...
info_outline“If we want our children to be happy and successful, if we want them to reach their highest potential in self-transcendence, then the most important thing we can do is replace screens with activities that turn their focus outward.” —Clare Morell
Summary
It’s no secret that addictive digital technologies like smartphones and social media apps are harming a generation of kids socially, mentally, and even physically. But a workable solution seems elusive. After all, don’t kids need phones, and won’t they be vulnerable or socially isolated without them? In this interview with Clare Morell, author of The Tech Exit, we discuss the lies parents have been sold about parental controls, screen-time limits, and even the effectiveness of screens in the classroom. There is another way! If you need a shot in the arm to make the break from tech, listen in and see how digital technology is anything but necessary for children to live happy, healthy, and socially full lives.
Key Takeaways
-
Putting limits on something immediately implies harm. Why are we choosing to expose our children to something that is harmful?
-
Dopamine that is released when a child uses screens affects the brain like a drug and produces cravings, not satisfaction.
-
Since screens have been in our schools, math and reading scores have hit an all time low.
-
Replace screen time with responsibilities and tasks, as well as hobbies and play.
-
Screens make us all feel like we don’t need other people. It decreases community inherently,
-
Life is not about being constantly amused and entertained. We all need time for reflection, activity, and boredom.
Couple Discussion Questions
-
Are we happy with the screen time use in our home right now? Are we happy with our own screen time? How can we be better?
-
How have screens affected our family life? What do we want to change about this?
Resources
-
Messy Family Guide to Tech: https://messyfamilyproject.org/guide/screens-your-child/