In this reflective episode, Kristi Bush discusses the challenges and wins of 2025, emphasizing the importance of intentionality and self-care. She introduces the concept of 'stewardship' as her guiding principle for 2026, encouraging listeners to consider how they care for their health, families, and communities. The conversation highlights the need for present, grounded adults in the lives of children and the significance of embracing imperfections in parenting and personal growth.

Takeaways

• This year was both absolutely amazing and incredibly challenging.
• Choosing a word for the year helps focus intentions.
• Healing is not linear; it involves ups and downs.
• Intentional work sharpens impact rather than shrinking it.
• We need present parents, not perfect ones.
• Stewarding health means not pushing beyond limits.
• Consider what you are entrusted with and how to steward it.
• Stewardship encourages moving from reaction to responsibility.
• Reflecting on the past year can reveal personal growth.

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In this episode of Protect Our Kids, Kristi Bush discusses the importance of preparing for the holiday season, particularly regarding children's new devices and social media. She emphasizes the need for parents to set up devices with appropriate settings, establish clear boundaries, educate children about online privacy and safety, and encourage open communication. Kristi also highlights the significance of modeling healthy technology use as parents, ensuring that children are guided effectively in their digital lives.

takeaways

• There's a big holiday coming up, Christmas, in a couple weeks.
• Before giving kids devices, set the necessary settings.
• Establish boundaries and guidelines for device usage.
• Educate kids about online privacy and safety.
• Encourage open communication about technology use.
• Model healthy technology use for your kids.
• Setting boundaries can alleviate stress for parents and kids.
• Discuss screen time limits with your children.
• Teach kids to be nice online and avoid cyberbullying.
• It's important to have thoughtful discussions before giving devices.

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In this episode of Protect Our Kids, Kristi gets honest and very clear about how the words we use as adults are shaping our children’s world. From classrooms to Congress, name-calling and intimidation have become far too normal, and our kids are watching every second of it.

Kristi explores what happens when cruelty becomes entertainment, how online bullying mirrors the behavior modeled by adults, and why “locker room talk” is never harmless. Backed by research and years of experience working with kids and families, this episode is a powerful reminder: words can wound, words can heal, and the examples we set matter more than ever.

Have we taught our kids that they always have to have an answer..... even when they don’t really know why?

In this episode, Kristi gets curious about something she noticed while listening to Mel Robbins talk about artificial intelligence: AI is programmed to always respond. Even if the answer isn’t true. It “hallucinates” to sound confident. And it made her wonder… do we do that to our children?

What happens when a child says, “I don’t know,” and we push for more? Do we accidentally teach them to make something up just to calm the moment ...to “hallucinate” a reason to make us feel better?

Through research, reflection, and honest conversation, Kristi explores how parents and educators can create space for “I don’t know” without fear or shame — and why that space might be exactly where curiosity, trust, and real connection begin.

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In this episode of Protect Our Kids, Kristi Bush discusses the critical difference between punitive and restorative language when communicating with children. She emphasizes the importance of using language that fosters understanding and growth rather than fear and punishment. Through various examples, she illustrates how restorative language can help children learn from their mistakes and build trust, while also acknowledging the necessary role of punitive language in certain situations. The conversation highlights the need for a balanced approach to parenting that encourages open communication and emotional regulation.

In this episode of Protect Our Kids, Kristi Bush explores how social media has turned us into witnesses of every global tragedy, heartbreak, and crisis... all before we finish our morning coffee. Drawing from neuroscience, parenting insight, and decades of experience, she explains why neither adults nor kids are built to absorb this constant emotional load, how it impacts mental health, and what we can do to help children set healthy emotional and digital boundaries.

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Remember those Driver’s Ed videos? Supposed to teach us to drive safe, but really they were just low-budget horror films with cars. Did it work? Nope. We walked out of class, grabbed our keys, and tested the laws of physics on the way home. Driver’s Ed: scaring us straight since never.

Scare tactics have never worked on teens. They may find the movies interesting (as we did) or the "scary" stories about online interesting...but it never seems to be an effective way to get kids to stop what they are doing. However, giving them tools they can rely on in the moment is proven to be incredibly effective.

In this episode Kristi not only takes you down drivers ed memory lane, but also discusses the tools we can teach our kids to help protect them online. This includes using the three no's. An easy, actionable way for kids to set protective boundaries.

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In this episode, Kristi challenges the idea that all teens are lonely in today’s digital world. While research highlights serious concerns about youth isolation and the role of social media, it’s just as important to recognize the nuance: not every teen is struggling. Some are finding meaningful connections online, building resilience, and even thriving.

We’ll explore:

• Why the media focuses on extreme loneliness.

• The risks of using “all-encompassing” language about kids.

• Real stories of teens who are finding support and identity through online communities.

• How parents and professionals can hold both truths—that loneliness is real for many, but not universal.

This conversation is about balance, hope, and better ways to support our kids in a digital age.

www.knbcommunications.com