Empty nester wisdom with Love on the Spectrum's (Tanner's Mom!) Nicci Smith
Pardon the Mess with Scarlet Hiltibidal - Christian Motherhood, Biblical Parenting, Raising Christian Kids
Scarlet Hiltibidal and Christian Parenting
4.9 • 850 Ratings
🗓️ 5 June 2025
⏱️ 40 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
You all LOVED our series “Empty Nester Wisdom” from two years ago so we are bringing it back. Mentors have played such a vital role in my parenting journey. For the next two months, we are going to learn from other wise and godly moms that are just a season ahead of us. This series isn’t just for those entering the empty nest season - it’s for all moms and all stages. Get your journals ready for the next 9 weeks - they all offer some advice and encouragement worth keeping. And possibly bring a tissue box.
Have you all watched the amazing show “Love On The Spectrum?” If not, you need to add that to your watch list for the summer. It’s a romantic documentary series as people on the autism spectrum look for love and navigate the changing world of dating and relationships.
My guest today is Nicci Smith who is a mom, wife and fierce advocate of the autism community. Her son, Tanner, is one of the breakout stars of the show. Nicci is doing an amazing job of sharing her faith in her new found fame. In today’s episode, we hear from a seasoned mom of four grown kids and all that God has taught her along the way.
She is so honest about her faith and her doubts which is so refreshing. She is also honest about how long she wanted to fix the autism out of Tanner. She provided invaluable wisdom to let go of control sooner. And to enjoy the exact child God gave to each of us. She shared that she’s thankful God didn’t answer her prayers to take the autism away.
Join us for the next 9 weeks and don’t forget to grab a journal and take notes from these wise mommas. What a gift!
Enjoy!
Courtney
(10:49) Acceptance and Letting Go
(16:42) Trusting God's Plan for Our Children
(18:40) The Power of Maternal Instincts
(21:11) Navigating Sibling Dynamics in Special Needs Families
(22:00) Fostering Compassion and Understanding Among Siblings
(28:38) Transitioning to the Empty Nest Stage
(31:08) Faith and Trust in Parenting Journeys
Connect with Pardon The Mess:
Get your 2024-2025 prayer journal, A Life of Faith
Resources from today’s show:
Connect with Nicci
Connect with Tanner
Talk To Me, Sis podcast
Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Christian Parenting. Marriage is the foundation of our families. When our marriage is strong, |
| 0:13.0 | our families are strong. When our marriage is struggling, our families struggle to. We all know we |
| 0:18.3 | should prioritize our marriages. However, in the busyness of life, |
| 0:21.5 | it is so easy to push our marriages to the side and say we will focus on that later. |
| 0:26.2 | If you're feeling the nudge to invest in your marriage, Christian Parenting's newest digital |
| 0:30.3 | guide, Marriage Simplified, is the resource for you. Additionally, if you're struggling with |
| 0:35.3 | difficult conversations about divorce, blending families, in-laws, or single parenting, we cover those topics head on to. |
| 0:42.4 | Inside this guide, you will find our best and favorite podcast, videos, and articles on all things marriage. |
| 0:48.5 | You will also find conversation guides and discussion questions for your spouse and your kids. |
| 0:53.1 | The best part is, since this guide is digital, |
| 0:55.6 | you can download it straight to your phone or your computer and search through the resources |
| 0:59.9 | whenever you need. Marriage is far from simple. I can attest to that, and no guide can truly simplify it, |
| 1:06.0 | but we are so glad that you are taking the time to pour over these resources and strengthen the relationship |
| 1:11.8 | and family that God has blessed you with. You can go to cpgiv.org to download your copy for just |
| 1:17.7 | $5. That's the best of the best resources from top Christian parenting contributors for just |
| 1:22.9 | $5. Again, that's cpgiv.org. |
| 1:40.3 | Thank you. Again, that's cpgiv.org. Hey, friends, I'm Courtney Defeo, and I am the host of Part of the Mess, but I want to tell you about the episodes and the series that we have going on this summer. |
| 1:44.5 | It's one that we brought back from a couple years ago called Empty Nestor Wisdom, and you all loved it. And I get |
| 1:49.4 | why. There's not one mom out there that's like, no, I'm good. I don't need advice. Like, I love and |
| 1:55.3 | you love to learn from moms that are ahead of us one season. And so it doesn't matter if you've got little kids or whether you're walking into the empty nester season of your life, you can learn something from every |
| 2:05.2 | guest that's coming on the next nine weeks. And we're kicking it off this week with Nikki |
| 2:10.0 | Smith, who is Tanner's mom from Love on the Spectrum. So don't miss today and don't miss |
... |
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