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"The universe provides us lures to beauty... if we pause long enough to notice."

When was the last time something moved you to tears? Not from sadness, but from experiencing the pure, unexpected beauty we are surrounded by?

Raised in Missouri, I saw my sensitivity as a weakness. Embarrassed by a deep empathy and tears that came easily. But when my mother whispered, "Etch this in your memory," during moments of beauty, I later discovered she was teaching me to treasure what others often miss.

"Things of Beauty Make Me Cry" is an invitation and a collection of stories from the Legit Parenting Podcast. I share the moments that have pierced through my armor while also exploring the paradoxes that make beauty so powerful: how it emerges from vulnerability, transcends tragedy, and hides in plain sight, among others.

Trust has reached historic lows in our modern world; these stories remind us that beauty exists alongside our deepest pain. The invitation is transformative yet straightforward: slow down and seek beauty daily.

Carry these moments with you. Let them remind you to see the beauty in being human.

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The modern digital world has influenced childhood in ways we could have never imagined. The days are gone when our biggest parental worry is a skinned knee or missed curfew. Today, our kids navigate a virtual world filled with sophisticated predators, AI-powered deception, and platforms designed to exploit their developing brains.

Craig Knippenberg has spent decades helping families navigate parenting challenges, but even he is stunned by what today's research reveals about online dangers. One-fourth of all internet searches globally are for pornography. Meta's AI chatbots engage children in explicit conversations while promising to keep secrets from parents. Teen boys are six times more likely to be victims of sextortion than adults. These aren't distant threats—they're happening on devices we've placed in our children's hands.

What makes this particularly challenging is the teen brain itself. With underdeveloped impulse control and natural risk-taking tendencies, adolescents are neurologically primed to make quick decisions without considering consequences. Digital natives aren't immune either; studies show 82% of young adults have fallen for suspicious links at least once—the platforms designed to connect them socially become vectors for exploitation.

In this episode, Craig explores practical strategies for protecting children online without smothering their independence. Most importantly, we discuss how to maintain open conversations about online dangers while giving kids the confidence to navigate increasingly complex virtual environments.

As parents, we provide both roots through unconditional love and wings for independence. In today's world, those wings need extra reinforcement to withstand digital headwinds.

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Craig shares the deeply personal story of his 98-year-old mother's final days and the powerful lessons her passing taught him about the true essence of parenting legacy. Through tender moments of feeding his mother her favorite St. Louis treats and witnessing what remained in her mind despite dementia, Craig reflects on how parents' love and values soak into children over decades.

Remember, just like Craig's mother would say: "Relax, you just have to be good enough. Life works out in the wash."