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Ep.82: Raising a Messy Family: Michael and Alicia Hernan on Parenting, Faith, and Modern Challenges

Curiously Catholic

Meet the dynamic duo behind the Messy Family Project as they discuss the realities of raising a large Catholic family in the modern world. In this episode, Michael and Alicia Hernan share hard-won wisdom, authentic stories, and practical advice on parenthood and faith. The Hernans’ journey of having 10 kids and 10 grandchildren, and how family shapes faith The challenges and growth from parenting young children to adults Parenting in the digital age: screens, technology, and protecting real relationships The importance of community, learning from others, and avoiding online parenting pitfalls How to build virtue and positive behaviours in children through realistic expectations and modeling 00:00 Growing up in large families 06:25 Value of sibling relationships 14:22 Balancing faith and family life 21:16 Thoughts on the traditional wife 23:38 Trad wife expectations and frustrations 31:03 Balancing technology and family life 33:59 Concerns about kids and technology 42:06 Teaching kids to take turns 44:12 Parenting through teen transitions Messy Family Project, parenting, Catholic family, Michael Hernan, Alicia Hernan, large families, raising children, virtue, faith, technology, social media, community, gentle parenting, family life, marriage, New Zealand, Catholic conference, generational wisdom, kids and screens, modern parenting, family vocation