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The EXTRAORDINARY Family Life Podcast

The EXTRAORDINARY Family Life Podcast

By: Greg and Rachel Denning
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 THE podcast for parents with big dreams who want to create an EXTRAORDINARY lifestyle but feel stuck. Greg and Rachel Denning are parents of 7 children whom they've traveled with to 60+ countries on 5 continents -- all while homeschooling and building a multi-six-figure location independent biz. Let them show you how to finally break through what's holding you back so you can achieve your biggest dreams -- even with a family!Greg and Rachel Denning Parenting & Families Relationships
Episodes
  • 3 Strategies to Stop Family Drama in 3 Days (Seriously)

    3 Strategies to Stop Family Drama in 3 Days (Seriously)
    Dec 17 2025
    Do you feel like the same family conflicts keep resurfacing—no matter how many times you “deal with them”?What if the problem isn’t the conflict… but the drama patterns you’re unknowingly participating in?In this episode of the Extraordinary Family Life Podcast, Greg and Rachel break down the drama triangle—a destructive cycle made up of three familiar roles: victim, rescuer, and persecutor. These roles keep families stuck in emotional reactivity, resentment, and zero real resolution.Here’s the truth most parents never hear: you can face conflict head-on without making it dramatic.Stepping out of drama doesn’t mean avoiding problems, disengaging, or “letting things slide.” It means learning how to handle disagreement with clarity, courage, and love—so issues actually get resolved instead of endlessly repeated.In this conversation, you’ll learn:Why drama is not the same thing as conflict—and how to tell the differenceThe three roles that silently keep family arguments loopingHow one conscious person can interrupt the entire patternThe exact three steps to exit the drama triangle—starting immediatelyHow to shift from victim → creator, rescuer → coach, and persecutor → challengerWhy inner work and emotional awareness are essential to peaceful parentingHow these tools don’t just change today’s arguments—but transform family legaciesIf you’re exhausted from emotional blowups, silent treatments, or constantly playing referee, this episode offers a practical, empowering path forward—one that leads to real resolution, stronger relationships, and a calmer family culture.Key Takeaways✅ Drama is optional—even when conflict is unavoidable.✅ The drama triangle keeps families stuck without resolution.✅ You only need one person to change the pattern.✅ Stopping your automatic reaction is the first powerful step.✅ Awareness creates choice—and choice creates change.✅ Creator, coach, and challenger roles lead to lasting solutions.✅ Inner work is the gateway to calmer, more effective parenting.Memorable Quotes🗣 “Conflict can be uncomfortable without being dramatic.”🗣 “Drama repeats. Conflict resolves.”🗣 “People treat you the way you train them to treat you.”🗣 “You don’t need everyone to change—just one conscious person.”🗣 “This doesn’t just change family dynamics. It changes family legacies.”Chapters00:00 Introduction to Family Dynamics and Drama03:55 Understanding the Drama Triangle06:04 Roles in the Drama Triangle09:24 Breaking Free from the Drama Triangle12:16 Stepping Out of the Drama Triangle14:24 Awareness and Naming Roles17:49 Transitioning to Empowered Roles17:57 The Creator, Coach, and Challenger Roles37:06 Transforming Family DynamicsRESOURCES:Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)Rachel’s ⁠⁠Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms⁠⁠Greg's ⁠⁠Recommended Reading List for Parents & Youth⁠⁠Join the 12-Week Habits Challenge for parents of kids 13+Don’t miss out on the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method class!Get Greg’s NEW Formidable Family Man BOOK!Get Rachel's ⁠⁠Family Systems & Charts⁠⁠Get Rachel’s Extraordinary Family Life PlannerFollow us on Instagram: ⁠@worldschoolfamily⁠ or ⁠@greg.denning⁠
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    40 mins
  • Stop the 18-and-Out Myth: Why Teens Don’t Need to Leave to Launch

    Stop the 18-and-Out Myth: Why Teens Don’t Need to Leave to Launch
    Dec 10 2025
    What if the whole idea that your teen “must move out at 18” is one of the biggest parenting myths of our generation?In this episode, Greg and Rachel challenge the cultural belief that independence = separation. They explain why forcing teens into adult life at 18 isn’t just unnecessary—it’s often harmful, developmentally inappropriate, and rooted in a modern social experiment that has produced more loneliness, more mental illness, weaker families, and generations of underprepared young adults.Greg and Rachel reveal the truth: If your child will only become capable, confident, mature, and contributing after you kick them out… that’s a parenting problem—not a launching strategy.Instead, they show how the teen years (16–25) are the prime window for deep mentoring, skill-building, emotional development, and world-class education. And that staying home longer—in a healthy, high-skill, high-expectation family—creates stronger adults, stronger marriages, and stronger generational wealth.You’ll hear:Why the “18 equals adulthood” idea is culturally manufactured—not biologicalHow incomplete brain development (until 25!) radically changes how we should guide young adultsWhy independence begins at age 2, not 18… and how to train kids long before the teen yearsWhy most failure-to-launch cases come from lack of parenting skills, not lack of kid motivationIf you’ve ever wondered why today’s teens struggle—or how to help your kids become confident, competent adults without pushing them out prematurely—this conversation will completely reframe your parenting vision.🎉 Enrollment is now open for our Winter 2026Habits for a Successful Life Online Class for Teens → Learn More HereKey Takeaways✅ If a child needs to be kicked out to mature, the issue is parenting skills—not the child.✅ Independence should be trained from early childhood—not suddenly expected at 18.✅ Teens can stay home longer and become more capable, confident, and successful.✅ The nuclear-family model is new, modern, and failing—intergenerational families thrive.✅ Failure to launch has nothing to do with age 18—and everything to do with training, skills, and relationship quality.Memorable Quotes🗣 “If your kids only become competent when you kick them out, you’ve already failed as a parent.”🗣 “Independence is developed long before 18—but it doesn’t require separation.”🗣 “The U.S. is one of the most emotionally broken societies on Earth. Stop copying what’s not working.”🗣 “Teen chaos isn’t normal. It’s common because it’s done wrong.”🗣 “The goal is teens who could leave at any moment—and thrive—but choose to stay close because they love being with you.”Chapters00:00 Epic Adventures and Homecomings00:28 Rethinking the 18-Year-Old Move-Out Myth00:57 Parenting Skills and the Failure to Launch03:04 The Role of Education in Young Adulthood05:51 Cultural Perspectives on Family Dynamics09:23 The Dangers of Social Media Influence09:41 Reframing Independence and Parenting Strategies16:21 Empowering Children with Life Skills19:09 The Importance of Parenting Techniques26:11 Building a Family Legacy and Financial StabilityRESOURCES:Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)Rachel’s ⁠⁠Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms⁠⁠Greg's ⁠⁠Recommended Reading List for Parents & Youth⁠⁠Join the 12-Week Habits Challenge for parents of kids 13+Don’t miss out on the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method class!Get Greg’s NEW Formidable Family Man BOOK!Get Rachel's ⁠⁠Family Systems & Charts⁠⁠Get Rachel’s Extraordinary Family Life PlannerFollow us on Instagram: ⁠@worldschoolfamily⁠ or ⁠@greg.denning⁠Gather with us at the ⁠World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort⁠ in Portugal
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    36 mins
  • Raising Resilient Teens in a Soft, Comfortable World

    Raising Resilient Teens in a Soft, Comfortable World
    Dec 3 2025
    Do you ever look around and think, “Why are teens today so fragile when life is easier than ever?”In this conversation, Greg and Rachel break down why so many young people are anxious, avoidant, and overwhelmed by normal life—and how to raise resilient teens who can actually handle hard things. They unpack the impact of comfort culture, overprotection, and screen-based living, then share practical ways to “microdose” and “macrodose” challenge through workouts, travel, projects, and real-life responsibility. You’ll learn how to build holistic toughness—physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, and even financial—without shaming your kids or recreating the harshness of past generations.🎉 Enrollment is now open for our Winter 2026Habits for a Successful Life Online Class for Teens → Learn More HereKey Takeaways✅ Today’s teens are collapsing under normal life stress because they’ve been overprotected from real challenges and underprotected from digital harm.✅ Things feel hard because we are soft—capacity hasn’t been built through repeated, meaningful difficulty.✅ True toughness must be holistic: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, and financial resilience.✅ Comfort culture (DoorDash, AC, screens, easy entertainment) removes the friction that used to naturally build grit.✅ Microdosing difficulty (workouts, cold, chores, outdoor time) builds daily resilience without drama.✅ Macrodosing difficulty (big trips, adventures, demanding projects, races) resets perspective and capacity.✅ Real-life experience beats virtual experience—social media, porn, and games rewire the brain without building real-world skills.✅ Kids need challenge and emotional validation—not “toughen up” coldness, and not bubble-wrap fragility.✅ You can’t force hard things; you must invite kids into them and sell them on the benefits so they buy in.✅ The goal is a family culture where hard things feel “normal,” not heroic—“This isn’t that bad. We can do it.”Memorable Quotes🗣 “Things seem hard because we are soft.”🗣 “We want to be doing things so insanely difficult that hard things that come along are like, ‘No big deal.’”🗣 “Our kids are living in a bubble from real life—but being poisoned by virtual life.”🗣 “The only way to become tough is to do hard things.”🗣 “Your body can be in pain while your mind and spirit are in joy.”🗣 “We need to be holistically tough so we can handle whatever life throws at us.”Chapters00:00 The Importance of Grit in Parenting00:34 The Crisis of Modern Youth01:53 Resilience and Emotional Intelligence04:32 The Comfort Crisis: A Modern Dilemma07:03 Building Grit Through Experience08:10 The Role of Family in Developing Strength08:57 Micro and Macro Dosing Hardship10:19 The Value of Challenging Experiences11:29 The Dangers of Overprotection14:37 Holistic Development in Families17:13 Creating a Supportive Community19:49 The Role of Perspective in Parenting20:56 Navigating Modern Challenges21:16 The Importance of Real Experiences23:09 The Impact of Virtual Reality on Youth25:37 Choosing Discomfort for Growth26:50 Strategic Parenting for Resilience27:07 Building a Legacy of StrengthRESOURCES:Let us help you in your extraordinary family life journey.How We Raised 7 Well-Adjusted Kids - Without Yelling, Tantrums, Punishments or Power Struggles (+ get THE CHECKLIST: Things We Do Every Day to Raise Well-Adjusted Kids)Rachel’s ⁠⁠Must-Read Booklist for Well-Read Moms⁠⁠Greg's ⁠⁠Recommended Reading List for Parents & Youth⁠⁠Join the 12-Week Habits Challenge for parents of kids 13+Don’t miss out on the Extraordinary Parent Mentoring Method class!Get Greg’s NEW Formidable Family Man BOOK!Get Rachel's ⁠⁠Family Systems & Charts⁠⁠Get Rachel’s Extraordinary Family Life PlannerFollow us on Instagram: ⁠@worldschoolfamily⁠ or ⁠@greg.denning⁠Gather with us at the ⁠World School Family (Beach & Farm) Resort⁠ in Portugal
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    31 mins
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