Parents Making Time with Anthony & Jennifer Craiker | Intentional Parenting for Busy Parents cover art

Parents Making Time with Anthony & Jennifer Craiker | Intentional Parenting for Busy Parents

Parents Making Time with Anthony & Jennifer Craiker | Intentional Parenting for Busy Parents

By: Anthony & Jennifer Craiker | Parents Making Time
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Summary

Parents! Feel like you’re missing out on your kids’ lives while also never having enough time for yourself? Want to embrace intentional parenting but don't quite know how? Career pressures, shuttling kids around, volunteer commitments, and the endless tasks of caring for your home all place enormous demands on your time and energy, leading to mom guilt, dad guilt, stress, and ultimately regret. And while you’re trying to tend to your own self-care while also being a present parent who prioritizes family connection, your kids are growing up way too fast.


Sound familiar? If so—help is here! Unlike other parenting podcasts that just give you techniques for raising children or tips on childhood development, Parents Making Time focuses on helping YOU, the parent, prioritize YOUR life so that your parenting aligns with your values. Motherhood, fatherhood, marriage, and family are what we are all about. In 15-minutes or less, this weekly podcast helps busy parents like you learn to prioritize their relationships, be more present and intentional with family time, and build a lasting legacy of love—without neglecting their own well-being or feeling regret later in life. It's not just about learning to prioritize tasks or mastering time management, it's about becoming the parent you want to be so that you can stop feeling overwhelmed, learn how to have more time, and create lasting family memories.


Leveraging their 20+ years of parenting experience raising three thriving kids and leading and mentoring hundreds of children, youth, and families in volunteer church positions, hosts Anthony and Jennifer Craiker teach parents on a tight schedule how to balance work and family, create unbreakable family bonds, prevent parent burnout, and find JOY in parenting. In other words, we help you stop being busy and start actually applying the concept of intentional living.


If you’re ready to prioritize family time each day without feeling overwhelmed, you can count on this show to teach you how to be fully present with your kids, build lasting memories, prioritize your spouse, make dinner time count, connect with your kids after work, stop missing precious moments, savor family time, discover intentional parenting ideas, and so much more—all while learning how to implement quick self-care tips, create an intentional family legacy, and parent with no regret. So, hit PLAY, and let’s get started!


Popular Topics Include:


Intentional parenting

Present parenting

Self-care for parents

How to have meaningful connections with your kids

Work life balance

Mom guilt and Dad guilt

Building family bonds

Parenting anxiety

Time management

Motherhood

Fatherhood

Family life and routines

Tips for busy parents

Parenting in a digital world

Leaving a legacy

© 2026 Parents Making Time
Parenting & Families Relationships Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Motherhood | An Interview with Jennifer Craiker
    May 8 2026

    Have you ever wondered how motherhood changes you over time?

    Not just through the sleepless nights, busy schedules, teenage struggles, and constant responsibilities, but deep down, in the person you become along the way?

    In this deeply personal episode Anthony sits down with Jennifer for an honest conversation about more than 22 years of motherhood, parenting teenagers, building strong family relationships, and preparing for the empty nest season.

    Together, they talk about the emotional highs and lows of raising children, the pressure many moms place on themselves, the challenges of the teenage years, and why connection matters more than parenting perfection.

    From late-night talks with teenagers to the bittersweet process of letting children become independent, this episode is filled with encouragement for busy parents navigating every stage of family life.

    By The Time You Finish Listening, You’ll Learn:

    • Why strong parent-child relationships matter more than perfection
    • Encouragement for moms who feel like they’re failing
    • How parenting and motherhood can deepen your faith and perspective
    • Why letting go of your children is both joyful and painful

    If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by busy parenting, questioned whether you’re doing enough, or struggled with the changing seasons of motherhood, this conversation will remind you that love, presence, and connection matter far more than getting everything right.

    Easily improve your intentional parenting efforts at mealtime with our FREE resource, Dinner Conversation Starters.

    Download our FREE resource, 30-Second Micro Moments of Intention with Your Kids, created for busy parents like you who need easy, actionable ways to have daily meaningful connections with their kids in less than a minute!

    Parenting Questions? Email us at parentsmakingtime@gmail.com (Please note, your question may be featured on the show).

    For parenting inspiration, time management ideas, and encouragement for families, follow the hosts' individual accounts:

    Anthony Craiker: Instagram | LinkedIn

    Jennifer Craiker: Instagram

    Interested in joining our free online parenting community? Send us a DM to receive an invite!

    VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://www.parentsmakingtime.com/

    Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review: Apple | Spotify


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    Show More Show Less
    20 mins
  • The Importance of Parenting with High Love & High Expectations
    Apr 24 2026

    What if the very thing you think is “loving” your kids… is actually holding them back?

    As busy parents, it’s easy to fall into the trap of making life easier for our kids. We may step in when things get hard, lower expectations to avoid conflict, or prioritize their happiness over their growth. But over time, this well-intentioned approach can leave kids unprepared, less resilient, and unsure of what they’re truly capable of.

    The truth? Many of us unknowingly separate love and expectations, believing we can’t fully do both at the same time. But that imbalance is exactly what creates frustration in parenting and limits our children’s long-term growth.

    In this episode of Parents Making Time, we explore the powerful parenting framework of high love and high expectations and how finding that balance can transform your relationship with your kids and help them become confident, capable individuals.

    BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

    • How the four parenting styles impact your child’s confidence, behavior, and long-term success
    • Why busy parenting often leads to lower expectations and how to shift that pattern
    • What it really looks like to combine deep love with meaningful expectations in everyday family life

    If you’ve ever felt torn between being a “nice” parent and holding firm boundaries, this episode will help you see that you don’t have to choose. You can raise kids who feel deeply loved and are prepared for the real world.

    Because real parenting isn’t about making life easier for your kids, it’s about helping them become who they’re meant to be.

    Easily improve your intentional parenting efforts at mealtime with our FREE resource, Dinner Conversation Starters.

    Download our FREE resource, 30-Second Micro Moments of Intention with Your Kids, created for busy parents like you who need easy, actionable ways to have daily meaningful connections with their kids in less than a minute!

    Parenting Questions? Email us at parentsmakingtime@gmail.com (Please note, your question may be featured on the show).

    For parenting inspiration, time management ideas, and encouragement for families, follow the hosts' individual accounts:

    Anthony Craiker: Instagram | LinkedIn

    Jennifer Craiker: Instagram

    Interested in joining our free online parenting community? Send us a DM to receive an invite!

    VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://www.parentsmakingtime.com/

    Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review: Apple | Spotify


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    Show More Show Less
    14 mins
  • How to Overcome Marital Dissatisfaction While Raising Kids
    Apr 10 2026

    Is your marriage getting lost in the rhythm of everyday life?

    In the middle of busy parenting, managing schedules, responsibilities, and constant demands, it’s easy for your marriage to slowly shift into the background.

    Not because anything is “wrong.”
    But because everything else feels more urgent.

    That’s the mistake many couples don’t even realize they’re making:
    Letting their relationship run on autopilot while they focus on being great parents.

    Over time, conversations become about logistics. Time together becomes rare. And connection starts to fade, not from lack of love, but from lack of intention.

    In this episode of Parents Making Time, we explore the reality that many couples experience a dip in marriage satisfaction during the parenting years, and more importantly, what you can do about it. Because strong families don’t happen by accident. Strong families are built on strong, intentional marriages.

    BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

    • Why a dip in marriage satisfaction during the parenting years is normal, but doesn’t mean your relationship is in trouble
    • Practical, realistic ways to stay connected to your spouse in the middle of busy parenting
    • How small, intentional habits can strengthen your marriage and create a healthier foundation for your family

    If you want a marriage that not only survives the parenting years, but grows stronger through them, this episode will give you simple ways to start today.

    Easily improve your intentional parenting efforts at mealtime with our FREE resource, Dinner Conversation Starters.

    Download our FREE resource, 30-Second Micro Moments of Intention with Your Kids, created for busy parents like you who need easy, actionable ways to have daily meaningful connections with their kids in less than a minute!

    Parenting Questions? Email us at parentsmakingtime@gmail.com (Please note, your question may be featured on the show).

    For parenting inspiration, time management ideas, and encouragement for families, follow the hosts' individual accounts:

    Anthony Craiker: Instagram | LinkedIn

    Jennifer Craiker: Instagram

    Interested in joining our free online parenting community? Send us a DM to receive an invite!

    VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://www.parentsmakingtime.com/

    Enjoy the show? Leave a rating & review: Apple | Spotify


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    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
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