4.8 • 952 Ratings
🗓️ 5 May 2025
⏱️ 31 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Is it possible that sibling rivalry holds the key to teaching kids grace, empathy, and lasting family bonds? In this episode, author and third-time guest Justin Whitmel Earley returns to talk about his new children’s book, The Big Mess—a heartfelt story centered on sibling reconciliation and the value of family amidst everyday chaos. Justin shares what led him from writing for adults to crafting stories for kids, inspired by his love for parenting and the power of imagination. He offers practical insights on turning daily messes into moments of grace, building habits of forgiveness, and nurturing healthy sibling dynamics. Whether you're navigating screen time or sibling squabbles, this conversation is packed with wisdom for every parent looking to raise kids with empathy, creativity, and connection.
Note: I have listeners of all faith backgrounds that listen to the podcast. This episode is coming from a christian perspective so if that’s something that doesn’t fit what you’re looking for, check out the other episode that dropped this week or join me back here next Tuesday for a conversation that you don’t want to miss!
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Justin Whitmel Earley is a writer, speaker, and lawyer. He is the author of The Common Rule, Habits of the Household, and Made for People, though he spends most days running his business law practice. Through his writing and speaking, Justin empowers God’s people to thrive through life-giving habits that form them in the love of God and neighbor. He continually explores both how physical habits are more spiritual than we think and how spiritual habits are more physical than we think. He lives with his wife and four boys in Richmond, Virginia, spends a lot of time around fires and porches with friends, and is a part-owner of a local gym.
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0:00.0 | it's about helping parents see that in the midst of civil and conflict, reconciliation and |
0:06.0 | beautiful things can happen. And in the midst of a messy household, reconciliation and |
0:10.8 | beautiful things can happen. And for parents, too, that there's something greater than our plans |
0:14.7 | for how today was supposed to go or how the kitchen's supposed to look. And that is being present |
0:19.3 | and loving that child,, yeah, is making the |
0:21.8 | kitchen really messy, but is also ours to love. To some extent, parents need to learn to |
0:26.3 | tolerate some of the mess. Conflict and messiness is the norm, not the exception. When we |
0:33.7 | give them the screen just to keep them from fighting, we're robbing them of the ability to learn |
0:38.6 | to reconcile, to be resilient, to negotiate and work things out. It's the things that are difficult, |
0:44.8 | including human conflict, that actually make us stronger and more happy in the end. Like with |
0:49.0 | most of life, the path to the good stuff is through the hard stuff. |
0:53.9 | Is it possible that sibling rivalry holds the key to teaching kids grace, empathy, |
0:58.8 | and lasting family bonds? In this episode, author and third-time guest, Justin Whitmell |
1:04.1 | Early, returns to talk about his new children's book, The Big Mess, a heartfelt story centered |
1:09.0 | on sibling reconciliation and the value of family |
1:11.7 | amidst everyday chaos. Justin shares what led him from writing for adults to crafting stories for kids, |
1:17.4 | inspired by his love for parenting and the power of imagination. He offers practical insights |
1:22.5 | on turning daily messes into moments of grace, building habits of forgiveness, and nurturing healthy sibling |
1:28.4 | dynamics. Whether you're navigating screen time or sibling squabbles, this conversation is packed |
1:33.7 | with wisdom for every parent looking to raise kids with empathy, creativity, and connection. |
1:39.0 | I do want to give you a heads up that this episode will be coming from a Christian perspective, |
1:42.8 | but even if that's not where your spirituality aligns, there is so much rich advice to be taken away from this conversation. |
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