The Faithful Fox Podcast
'The Faithful Fox' delivers spiritual wisdom with a side of unfiltered humor as the Jooseman tackles faith, life, and everything in between – because being holy doesn't mean you can't be hilarious
The Faithful Fox Podcast
Episode 11: Present, NOT Perfect!
Forget picture-perfect parenting and curated social media feeds—this raw, honest exploration of raising tiny humans will have you nodding, laughing, and maybe even breathing a sigh of relief. We're diving into what truly matters in the wild adventure of parenting, and spoiler alert: it's not about having it all figured out.
Drawing from ancient wisdom in Deuteronomy, we uncover how being intentional in everyday moments—"when you sit at home and when you walk along the road"—creates the foundation for meaningful connection with our kids. Those spontaneous car conversations, midnight questions, and random moments waiting for the microwave to beep? They're not interruptions to parenting; they're where the real magic happens.
We tackle the soul-crushing comparison trap that makes us feel like failures when we see those seemingly perfect families on social media. While you're celebrating getting your kid to wear pants to the grocery store, someone else's child is apparently speaking three languages and volunteering at animal shelters on weekends. But here's the truth: those Instagram-perfect parents aren't posting their aisle 7 meltdowns or bathroom hiding sessions. Your messy, beautiful family journey is exactly as it should be.
Perhaps most surprisingly, we explore the unexpected power of "Dad Joke Theology"—how corny humor and terrible puns create moments of connection that often open doors to deeper conversations. When we're willing to be silly and vulnerable with our children, we create safe spaces where they feel comfortable sharing what really matters.
Join us for this refreshingly honest conversation about showing up imperfectly but consistently for the little people who need us most. Because at the end of the day, your kids don't need you to compete with anyone else's version of good parenting—they just need you, present and loving, in all your flawed, faithful glory.
Hey there, beautiful people, welcome back to the Faithful Fox. I'm your host, the one and only Juice man, and today we're diving into something that'll either make you laugh, cry or hide in your closet with a bag of chips. We are talking about parenting, and before you hit skip because you think it's going to be some perfect Pinterest parent telling you how to meal prep organic quinoa while teaching your toddler Mandarin no, we're keeping it real. Today, this is for all of us just trying to figure out how to raise tiny humans without completely losing our minds in the process. So grab your coffee, your chaos and maybe some noise-canceling headphones if the kids are home, because we're about to get into it.
Speaker 2:The faithful fox, I'm so happy you made it. I'm just in your host and I'm so glad we're acquainted. We're praising your name and the way that he's taken away our sin. Yeah, your words give me grace and you're here in this place. I've been blinded by your holy light. Give me blessings from above when I broadcast. Welcome to the Faithful Fox Podcast. Welcome to the Faithful Fox Podcast.
Speaker 1:Alright family, let's be honest, for a hot second. Parenting is wild, right, like one day you're a functioning adult who can remember where you put your keys and the next day you're explaining to a four-year-old why they can't wear their Batman costume to grandma's funeral, while simultaneously trying to figure out what that smell is. And here's the thing Somewhere between the diaper blowouts and the teenage eye rolls, we're supposed to be raising these little people into decent human beings.
Speaker 2:No pressure right.
Speaker 1:Well, today I stumbled across this verse in Deuteronomy and stick with me here, whether you're deeply religious or just curious, it's got some surprisingly practical wisdom. Deuteronomy, chapter 6, verses 6 through 7, says these commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts, impress them on your children, talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Now, at first glance you might think this is just about religious stuff, but check it. This is actually ancient wisdom about being intentional with our kids in the everyday moments. It's not about having it all figured out or being the perfect parent. It's about showing up consistently in the small stuff. So today we're going to explore what it looks like to parent with intention, without the guilt trip and with a healthy dose of reality, because, let's be real, most of our parenting happens between grocery store meltdowns and bedtime negotiations. Anyway, speaking of everyday moments, let's jump into our first segment. This is Everyday Miracles. Okay. So when that verse talks about impressing values on our kids, you know, when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, it's basically saying the magic happens in the mundane stuff. Like, think about it. When do kids actually open up? Is it during your perfectly planned family meeting at 7pm onm on a Tuesday? No, bro, it's when you're stuck in traffic and your 8-year-old randomly asks why people are mean to each other, or when you're folding laundry and your teenager actually puts down their phone for 30 seconds to tell you about their day.
Speaker 1:I used to think good parenting meant having these deep, meaningful conversations while we're all gathered around the table looking like a stock family photo. You know everyone's smiling, the lighting's perfect, nobody's complaining about the vegetables. But real talk. Some of my most meaningful hypothetical conversations with kids happened during the weirdest times, like explaining kindness while you're both waiting for the microwave to finish heating up leftover pizza, or talking about perseverance when you're both trying to untangle Christmas lights in July, because apparently that's when you decided to be productive. To be productive.
Speaker 1:The beautiful thing is, kids don't need us to have it all together for these moments to matter. They just need us to be present Like actually present, not scrolling through our phones or mentally planning tomorrow's to-do list. And here's what's wild. Sometimes the smallest moments make the biggest impact. Maybe it's the way you handle it when someone cuts you off in traffic. Maybe it's how you treat the cashier when they're having a rough day. Your kids are watching and they're learning what matters to you, not from your lectures, but from your everyday choices.
Speaker 1:The verse says to talk about what's important. You know when you lie down and when you get up, basically all the time. But it's not about being preachy or perfect. It's about weaving your values into regular life teaching gratitude while you're making breakfast, showing compassion when the neighbor's dog gets into your trash again. Because, let's be honest, our kids are going to learn more from watching us handle life's curveballs than from any perfectly planned teachable moment we try to create. And speaking of not being perfect, let's talk about something that makes all of us feel like we're failing. This is the comparison trap.
Speaker 2:Same, same, but different, but still same.
Speaker 1:Oh man, can we just have a moment of silence for everyone who's ever looked at social media and felt like they were completely bombing at this parenting thing? Thank you, because, seriously, social media has turned parenting into some kind of Olympic sport where everyone else seems to be winning gold medals while you're still trying to figure out which end of the javelin to hold eating, because your kid ate a vegetable without a 40-minute negotiation. And then you scroll through Instagram and see someone's post about their five-year-old who apparently speaks three languages, plays the violin and volunteers at the animal shelter on weekends. Meanwhile, your biggest parenting win today was convincing your kid that, yes, they do need to wear pants to the grocery store. Like congratulations, you successfully maintained basic public decency standards. That's parent of the year material right there.
Speaker 1:But here's the thing and this ties back to our verse about being intentional in everyday moments, comparison is the enemy of good parenting, and everyday moments, comparison is the enemy of good parenting. When we are constantly measuring ourselves against other families, we miss what's actually happening in our own lives, that ancient wisdom about impressing values on your kids. When you walk along the road, that's your road, not the Pinterest family's road, not your sister-in-law's perfectly organized road with the matching luggage and the kids who never fight in the backseat. Your road might be messy, it might include drive-thru dinners and cartoons for breakfast and bedtime stories that get interrupted because someone needs to potty for the third time in ten minutes. But guess what? That's still your road, and the moments that matter can happen there too. Besides, you know what those perfect social media families aren't posting the meltdown in aisle 7 because someone wanted Froot Loops instead of Cheerios. The 2am anxiety session because their teenager is making questionable choices. The day they hid in the bathroom for five minutes just to think their own thoughts. The comparison trap makes us think that good parenting looks a certain way Like we need to have themed birthday parties and homemade organic snacks and kids who say please and thank you without being reminded 47 times.
Speaker 1:But maybe good parenting is simpler than that. Maybe it's showing up consistently, even on your worst days. Maybe it's admitting when you mess up. Maybe it's loving your kids through their worst moments and teaching them that they're worth sticking around for, even when they're being absolutely impossible, because, at the end of the day, your kids don't need you to be the parent from someone else's Instagram feed. They need you to be their parent, flaws and all showing up in your everyday moments with intention and love. And since we're talking about showing up authentically, let me share something that might sound ridiculous but actually works.
Speaker 1:This is dad joke theology. Okay, okay, hear me out on this one. I know it sounds ridiculous, but sometimes the corniest moments create the best connections with your kids. Like, hypothetically speaking, let's say, you're at the dinner table and your kid's complaining about their food and you drop this gem why don't eggs tell jokes? Because they'd crack each other up and your kid groans and rolls their eyes so hard they practically see their own brain. But then and this is the magic part they start giggling despite themselves. That moment, right there, that's connection. That's you being present and bringing lightness to an ordinary moment.
Speaker 1:That verse about talking to your kids when you sit at home. Sometimes that conversation starts with the world's worst pun. See, here's what I think, and this might be a hot take, but humor is actually one of the most powerful ways to pass on values, not because the jokes themselves are profound, but because laughter creates connection, and connection creates trust, and trust creates opportunities for real conversations, opportunities for real conversations. Now, I'm not saying your dad jokes are going to solve world peace or anything. Trust me, some of them are so bad they might actually create new problems. Like dad, please stop talking. Might become a regular phrase in your household. But think about it. When you're willing to be a little ridiculous, a little vulnerable, a little silly with your kids, you're showing them that it's okay to not take yourself too seriously. You're modeling joy in simple things. You're creating an atmosphere where it's safe to be imperfect and sometimes, after the terrible joke and the eye rolls and the giggles, your kid might actually open up about something that's bothering them, because you've created a moment of lightness in their day and suddenly they feel safe enough to share the heavy stuff too. Like maybe you're driving somewhere and traffic's terrible. Like maybe you're driving somewhere and traffic's terrible and instead of getting frustrated, you break out with why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything. And suddenly the mood in the car shifts from stressed to silly. Or maybe you're teenagers having a rough day and you text them something completely ridiculous like what do you call a fake noodle An impasta? And they text back with that crying, laughing emoji and suddenly you've opened a door for them to tell you what's really going on.
Speaker 1:I think sometimes we get so focused on having meaningful conversations with our kids that we forget connection often starts with just enjoying each other's company, and if that means subjecting your family to questionable wordplay, well, hey, that's a sacrifice that I'm willing to make, because, at the end of the day, your kids aren't going to remember every deep life lesson you tried to teach them, but they might remember that their parent was the kind of person who could make them laugh on a Tuesday afternoon for absolutely no reason at all. And honestly, in a world that can feel pretty heavy sometimes, being someone who brings lightness and joy to your kids' everyday moments, that's not just good parenting, that's a gift. You know, as we wrap up today, I keep coming back to that verse from Deuteronomy Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up home, and when you walk along the road when you lie down and when you get up.
Speaker 1:The more I think about it, the more I realize it's not really about having all the answers or being the perfect parent. It's about being intentionally present in the small moments that make up our kids' lives, whether that's finding everyday miracles in mundane moments, refusing to get trapped in comparisons or just being willing to be a little silly. Together, it's all about showing up consistently, authentically, with love. Maybe that's enough, maybe that's actually everything. So here's what I want you to remember as you go about your week your kids don't need you to be perfect, they don't need you to have it all figured out. They don't need you to compete with anyone else's version of good parenting. They just need you to show up In the grocery store line, in the bedroom routine, in the car ride conversations and the quiet moments before sleep, in the laughter and the tears and everything in between, because the truth is, you're already exactly the parent your kids need Not perfect but present.
Speaker 1:Not flawless but faithful. Not because you do everything right, but because you keep showing up with love and in those everyday moments when you're walking along the road of your real, imperfect, beautiful life together. That's where the magic happens, that's where love takes root, that's where families are built. That's where families are built. Thank you so much for spending some time with me today. I'm grateful you're here and I'm grateful for the chance to encourage you in this wild, wonderful adventure of raising the next generation. You're doing better than you think you are. Peace out, fam.
