School Of Awesome Sauce With Greg Denning

I received this excellent question in my Instagram DM "How do you decide which scientific research to listen to? Particularly when it comes to health-related topics like what is healthy to eat and what is not? It seems there is a pretty consistent message in science and research to avoid highly processed foods and sugar. But on the finer points with things such as seed oils, carnivore diet, intermittent fasting, coffee/tea etc. it seems that there is just as much research on the opposite side of the thing you and Greg believe. For example, I can find research from all kinds of researchers, scientists, and doctors saying that coffee/tea is either neutral or slightly beneficial while you and Greg believe it is unhealthy. And the same for how many vegetables/grains should be included in a diet. There is a lot of research saying you should be eating a wide variety of plant fiber. With all of the mix of information, I'm just wondering what your process is for deciding what to listen to or believe?"

This week's topic came from Rachel's recent experiences with their 13-year-old son who has been very motivated to help out around the house lately (because of very specific strategies, which she shares in this episode). AND she also received this question from her Family Systems & Charts community. "Hello there. I just started your chart system and we had our first meeting this week. It went well and I am finally seeing some good results. I have invested a lot of time in this. However, my 17-year-old daughter is not that motivated. What can I do?" In this episode, Greg and Rachel share super specific strategies that WORK, which they have used to raise their five teenagers (out of seven children). They'll explain how they have been able to inspire, motivate, and train their teens to WANT to help out around the house, work hard, and take responsibility -- all while maintaining and developing deep, lasting, positive relationships with their teens and now young adults. They expound on a

"Thanks for this episode. I wanted to get in touch to ask if you could share any advice for when your kids were younger and babies? I run a food business and recently had my first baby. I am struggling to manage the disparity between my big ambitions for my life and my reality. I want to be more capable... I want to take my business to the next level (which includes raising investment) I want to keep exercising and doing my favourite sports, I hate that my home is not organised and there is clutter around. I just don't know how to achieve all of this as I can't seem to find the time or the energy. Right now my partner is at home full time (looking for work) and is incredibly helpful both in the home and in caring for our daughter. But still I am not able to balance all of these things! The two that have slipped back are exercising and my home not being in great order and I'm barely keeping up at work. I sometimes would love to have a big family and you have really inspired me that this is p

"I'm writing to tell you both what an inspiration you've been to me over the last year! I've listened to almost all your podcasts and am working my way through the family systems and charts course. All your information is clear and practical, and it's made a huge difference in my level of overwhelm and what our family has been able to accomplish. My husband and I are taking our kids (age 13 & 11) to Europe for 3 months this August, and I was wondering if you would have any tips for travelling with teens and tweens. I'm curious about: How to find social opportunities and meet other families while travelling. I would love our kids to get out of the bubble of our small town and meet kids around the world! Any budgeting ideas for travelling Europe? Our kids are not homeschooled but I want to use this trip as an experiment in worldschooling/ homeschooling that we might continue when we get home. Any tips on introducing older kids to homeschooling would be appreciated. Would lov

As a follow-up question to a recent episode about helping your spouse 'show up' or invest in your extraordinary life, we were asked: "I love listening to your podcast. I'm a stay-at-home mom of four and I homeschool. I really wish I could live a little more extraordinarily as your family does, but alas, I have a spouse (who I of course love!) that doesn't feel the same. I desperately want to travel, but he doesn't. I long to do things a different way, but he doesn't. I like to read and listen to podcasts and all the like, but he doesn't. But honestly, my real question here was about myself. You said something on your recent episode that hit me where it hurts. It was about how much hard work it is (an extraordinary lifestyle) and how it's kind of laughable to you now what you used to consider 'hard work'. I'm slightly ashamed to admit this but I can't seem to handle much. I want to be a hard worker, but it seems like other people are able to handle so much

This much-needed episode addresses something we've been concerned about, thinking about, and researching for years regarding ADHD/ADD in adults and children. Based on our own experience (having at least 3 kids with ADHD, and at least one of us -- Greg

In this episode, Greg and Rachel Denning answer this question: "Wondering if you have advice for someone who has been trying to pour everything into life/marriage to make it extraordinary but the spouse is not showing up and 'being the man' as Greg has defined. If they try, they relapse or it seems like the bare minimum is done. It has been years of this and it feels like it’s holding us back from an extraordinary life. Wondering your thoughts on handling situations like that when it feels like you have tried everything and given it time." The truth is an extraordinary marriage requires work. But Greg and Rachel Denning tackle the all too common dilemma: what to do when one spouse is giving their all to make their marriage extraordinary, but the other isn't stepping up. They delve into the essence of a thriving marriage, emphasizing the power of daily choices and the need for 'extraordinary' effort (and why 'good' is not good enough). Greg and Rachel stress the importa

On Instagram, I saw a reel that stated "Myth: Sex is a need. Fact: Sex is a desire, not a need." "All of us can live without sex; we cannot live without water, food, or belonging." I had to disagree and responded: "It depends on how you define 'need'. For survival, no. For connection, bonding, and love -- yes, it's a need. Can you imagine if you're husband said, "You don't NEED me to talk to you. It's just a desire' and then went days, weeks, or months without talking because it's not a 'need'? You would feel pretty neglected. So if you want an extraordinary relationship then sex -- and talking -- are NEEDS.' While the argument may be true that 'needs' are ONLY things that we can't live without -- water, food, belonging -- it's inaccurate when we're talking about the surviving -- not to mention the THRIVING -- of our marriage relationship. Yes, people can live without sex. And talking. But an extraordinary marriage

A member of my 28-Day Challenge coaching program asked: "I'm curious: what do your kids do for work or how do they learn work ethic? Our oldest is almost 16 and starting a job this summer which is flexible (thank goodness) but as much as she and our family go places we are trying to make sure we're home for part of the summer so she can get hours at that job and earn some money! I know there are ways to earn outside a typical job: do you have a list of ideas for me? We considered selling some of her crafty works on Etsy and she's done babysitting jobs, but I don't see those online options really "paying off". When we consider doing yard work for others or house cleaning etc, I wonder how safe that is for her to go into homes alone... ...and I feel like our summers will be eaten up soon by our older kids trying to hold down jobs. My spouse feels it's so important for them to learn how to work for someone and they can work during the school year, but it would have to be a RE

"I wanted to know what you guys think about screen time... I stopped letting my son (6) watch but then we reintroduced it as my husband said that if it’s in a foreign language it can be beneficial exposure to the language... We limited it to an hour, but I feel like it is too stimulating and it affects his behaviour. It feels like that is all he can think about sometimes. I haven’t read much about it, but I think it’s not good for their brains it’s too addictive." A fantastic question and concern for all parents. In this episode, we dive into the complicated and real challenges facing us as parents -- and individuals -- as we seek to navigate new territory -- being the first people in the history of the world trying to raise children with so many screens. So how do we do it --effectively? What dangers are we facing? What opportunities? How young is 'too young' to let kids use screens? How much is 'too much' screen time? And how do we ensure, as parents and role models, that we are

It wasn't too long ago that I would have been hesitant to make such a bold statement -- that wokesim is a dangerous cult. That's because I have many beliefs that are in line with the underlying viewpoints, such as open-mindedness, acceptance, and tolerance. But after lots of study, research, and observation over the past year or two, and, being presented with multiple 'case studies' of woke ideology gone wrong... Plus combining that with books we've been reading such as Crime and Punishment, Anna Karenina, Brave New World, and The Psychology of Totalitarianism... We've come to discover that sometimes virtues can go to far and become vices. This is why we now feel passionate and confident about saying that 'wokeism is a cult that is destroying society'. Why a cult? ALL religions first began as cults, until they reached a tipping point in membership. But cult members share beliefs, practices, words, phrases, and ideologies with each other. They can identify one another by

In this unique episode, I'm sharing a coaching session from my ⁠28-Day Challenge⁠ because Greg is currently trekking to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro with four of our teens and a group of 18 other people. In this coaching session (recorded live) we answer questions from members of the group such as: my husband says he feels I don't respect him because the house isn't clean when he gets home. What do I do about it? my spouse won't share financial information with me and feels attacked whenever I ask for it. What do I do? how can I keep up the motivation my teen is feeling (especially after just returning from your AMAZING Morocco trip)? As we answer these questions (and more) we share powerful insights about: The Drama Triangle (and how to get out of it) The Transformational Triangle The Values Hierarchy (and why it's causing communication problems with your spouse) How to get and stay motivated on a daily basis Don't miss this powerful episode and a sneak peek into a live

"I am wondering if I can expect more from my kids than I expect from husband? He has ADHD so he "gets distracted" easily and spends hours a day looking at news stories with his phone. Can I expect my teens to go on a phone diet [aka device fast] even though my husband is a poor role model? My husband hates nagging, I realized early in our marriage, and we have argued many times in the past about me wanting to expect more of him. Tired of arguing, I got to the point of leaving him alone. However, my kids need to learn good habits so I wonder if I can do work with them despite my husband's negative habits?" A fantastic question to an all-too-common family problem. Can we expect our children to live to 'higher standards' than one of the parents in the family? That's what we address in the episode, using an example from our personal life, along with experiences working with clients. We also touch on why 'ADHD is a label that lies' and what's really going on instead

If you're like me, then there's probably been a time when you've felt like this: "...you're convincing me [to change my life]! And I know I have some development to do, but I start to feel so much lack sometimes when I listen to your episodes!

First, let us start by explaining what we're NOT saying in this episode. EVERY family should not homeschool. But *most* families should (we explain what that means). And NO, homeschooling does not automatically guarantee certain outcomes. There will still be TONS of work and intentional effort involved to produce the desired results. However, if you have an elevated vision of what you want your family life and legacy (and children's education) to be like: deep, connected relationships lifelong love of learning respect and admiration from your kids into their adulthood critical thinking skills parent influence over peer influence mental and emotional health and well-being personal leadership skills (time management, goal setting, project management, etc.) social leadership skills (the ability to have a meaningful conversation with anyone, anywhere) and much more... ...then homeschooling (or alternative schooling) may be the ONLY way to effectively achieve those extraordinary ends. The

As we begin the New Year and pursuing new goals, this timely episode shares a real-life *happening now* obstacle to pursuing our dream (to buy a chateau in France) -- getting stuck and stranded in Casablanca, Morocco. We walk through WHY obstacles and roadblocks to your dreams happen, what to do about them, how to handle them in-the-moment, and most importantly, how to overcome them so you can continue pursuing your goals and dreams. If you've ever set a big goal and failed to achieve it -- or became discouraged and disheartened, wondered if it's 'not meant to be' or if God didn't want you to have/do/achieve it -- this episode is for you! Listen now for encouragement, inspiration, and practical tactics. RESOURCES Interested in more information about investing in or being a part of our Chateau Project? Send an email to greg@gregdenning.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/extraordinary-family-life/message

As we record this we're sitting in an Airbnb in Tangier, Morocco, living yet *another* of our family's dreams -- to road trip from Portugal to Morocco. Before this trip is over we'll travel from our home base in Portugal to the Sahara Desert in Morocco, having visited Ronda, Grenada, and Cordoba, in Spain, and Tangier, Chefchouen (the Blue City), Fes, Volubilis ancient ruins, Meknes, Casablanca, Marrakesh, Ait Ben Haddou and Zagora. We'll spend New Year's Eve beneath the stars of the desert with a bonfire and a Berber band, eating tajine and sand bread as we discuss The Alchemist and what it means to 'Live Your Personal Legend.' But this is just the most recent family dream that we've made come true. Last Christmas we dog sledded in Norway, saw the Northern Lights, took a one-reindeer-open sleigh ride, and visited the Christmas markets before taking a train ride and Christmas cruise from Sweden to Finland. Then we backpacked through 15 countries before reaching Portugal. Befor

Before we had kids, we all had idealized visions of what we *thought* it would be like. For me, it included images of perfectly dressed and pressed children with clean faces sitting on a picnic blanket in the sunshine, enjoying a perfectly mannered meal together. But once we become a parent, we soon realize that those ideals are a far cry from reality. Instead, there are tears, tantrums, and sleepless nights. There are snotty noses and strong opinions. It's no wonder we're not enjoying being a parent as much as we thought we would. If you've ever felt like this -- and especially if you currently feel like this -- then make sure to listen to this episode. We'll share some pragmatic principles and practices -- from our experience raising seven children and working with thousands of parents and youth -- that can help you make your parenting journey so much more enjoyable. RESOURCES: Rachel's 28-Day Challenge and Family Charts & Systems for Moms Greg's Be the Man Coaching & Tribe

"What would I actually do if I spent more time with my wife and kids? What does that look like?" "I went on a getaway with my husband and I was bored. I couldn't wait to get back to the kids." "I've been going on more dates with my husband (because of the 28-Day Challenge) but we're not enjoying them. He doesn't like to do what I do, and I don't like doing what he does." "My husband and I went away and it was amazing, but I hated returning to the kids who just fight and quarrel every day." "I waited so long to become a mom and then it finally happened. But now I'm not enjoying it." We've heard questions like these -- and more -- over the past several weeks. People understand -- intellectually or philosophically -- that spending time with family is important. But emotionally, they don't always enjoy it. Or it feels like a chore -- or sometimes even torture. They would rather be doing something -- anything -- else, by themselves,

In this episode, hosts Greg and Rachel share insights into fostering a parenting style and family culture that nurtures instilling values through individual autonomy INSTEAD of through parental control. In part one, the discussion revolves around the challenges parents face -- and the temptation to control their children -- when overly attached to specific outcomes for their family. Greg and Rachel emphasize the importance of letting go of control and cultivating an environment that encourages children to make their own choices and paradoxically is better at actually creating the short- and long-term results and outcomes you want. The hosts delve into personal experiences, illustrating how they have successfully implemented these principles in their own family. Greg recounts his teenage years out on his own at a young age, highlighting the freedom he had to make good choices without strict parental control. The couple emphasizes the significance of setting an example as parents and creating an atmosphere wh