Raising Up Copts: Recent Episodes
Coptic Dad and Mom
Madona and Laura sit down with Andrew Ishak to talk about his new short film (and pilot episode) Abouna, which is being screened across the globe!
You can learn more about the film by listening to the episode and visiting Andrew on his YouTube channel and Instagram account.
Did you agree or disagree with our points? Send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
Madona and I discuss the idea that children mirror the behavior of their parents and how parents can hold themselves accountable for their actions. We also talk about the essential role of prayer and relying on God's guidance in parenting.
Did you agree or disagree with our points? Send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
Madona shares her amazing idea for making the most of this holiday season, even if the budget is a little tight or if the priorities are a little different.
Did you agree or disagree with our points? Send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
How do you approach current events with your kids? Do you tell it like it is? Keep them focused on what they can control? Or some other approach?
Did you agree or disagree with our points? Send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
What are the guidelines for giving advice? How can we do a better job giving—and receiving—advice?
Did you agree or disagree with our points? Send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
Is there a right way and a wrong way to deal with your kids? Is there a way to avoid sibling resentment and keep the family unit cohesive (instead of competitive)?
Did you agree or disagree with our points? Send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
Of all the advice and options and opportunities we have as parents, what really makes a difference? When it comes down to it, what do we really need to do?
Did you agree or disagree with our points? Send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
I asked my Instagram followers for advice they would give teens. Madona and I examine the results and tell our own stories to illustrate the best of the wisdom.
Did you agree or disagree with our points? Send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
Do you ever watch TV with the kids? How do you handle inappropriate scenes and topics? Listen in as Madona and I discuss how we handle family screen time with our kids.
Don’t forget to send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
In this episode, Madona and I explore the topic of anxiety in ourselves and in our kids! We share hilarious personal stories and real-world advice for handling those anxious moments with a lighter heart.
Don’t forget to send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
Today, Tina Kozman joins us on the podcast to share her tips for more energy and better health management. Have trouble getting your kids to try veggies? Tina has a great tip for that, too!
You can find Tina on Instagram at @trinityhealth20
Don’t forget to send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
Madona came across this article which posits that there are only two types of school: Elon Musk or Mother Teresa. Intrigued, she and I try to unpack what the authors meant and the implications for our own kids.
You can read the article on the Institute for Family Studies page.
Don’t forget to send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
We received an email asking, in essence, if it was okay to supplement our Coptic Orthodox Faith with services from other churches.
It’s a complex question, and Madona and I did our best. But we’d love to hear from YOU… what do you think about the conclusions we came to? This topic may need a part 2!
Don’t forget to send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
Planet Earth has completed another rotation around the sun, and we’re gearing up for Holy Week again.
But the kids have grown and changed—and so have our life situations. Madona and I discuss what’s good, what’s new, and what’s different, and how we’re going to bring it all together.
Be sure to check out the Holy Week Guide!
And if you’d like, pick up a copy of the Holy Week Journal.
Do you have any tips for Holy Week? Let us know!
Don’t forget to send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
We received an email from a listener asking if she was still worthy to serve despite her situation. Listen in as Madona and I weigh in on who is worthy to serve.
What do you think? What makes someone worthy to serve?
Don’t forget to send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
This week, Madona brings up a great topic about how committed servants (in some churches called volunteers) are (or aren’t!) to their service these days. Have levels of commitment dropped off? Listen in and then let us know!
Don’t forget to send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
The Atlantic published an article called “Why American Teens Are So Sad.” Madona and I unpack some of the ideas in the piece and how we can course-correct in our own parenting.
Read the article.
Don’t forget to send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @raisingupcopts, @madona_writes, or @copticlaura
I found us a Buzzfeed article about Controversial parenting decisions, and woooo did Madona and I have fun picking away at these!! Listen and let us know if you agree or if we’re way off course.
Don’t forget to send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @madona_writes or @copticlaura
We’re just coming off the holiday season where we—and our kids—were exposed to a lot of different opinions and approaches to life. Madona and I unpack healthy boundaries with others’ opinions and how we can learn from positive examples (without trampling on our own self-esteem).
Don’t forget to send us your opinions via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @madona_writes or @copticlaura
While Madona’s out this week, I make a special request of you!
Would you please fill out the survey at raisingupcopts.com/survey to help us plan for the next year and next season of Raising Up Copts?
Heads up, this episode was recorded nearly a month after 44, so we are just having WAY too much fun here!
This week, Madona and I wonder “where have the years gone by” and “why does everything ache so much”?
Bring your sense of humor because we are cracking up!
This week, our special guest is university student Teresa Michael (who also happens to be my baby sister) who nearly got cornered in a college class when she shared a little about the Coptic faith.
Listen in to our VERY complex conversation about this issue. We got on all kinds of tangents and were very real throughout. Be sure to stick around when you think it’s over because there’s a MAJOR story in the P.S. that you won’t want to miss!
You can reach Teresa on Instagram @teresa_michael!
All things being equal, what can a family do to raise children rooted in Christ and in the Church? We bring them to church services regularly, and we serve to show our example. Is that enough?
Madona and I unpack this complex topic and try to see what factors make for faithful kids.
Don’t forget to send us your opinion via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @madona_writes or @copticlaura
When a teachable moment happens, we have a few options as parents for how to deal with it. There’s a range of choices from ignoring it completely and letting it slide to sitting our kids down for a formal conversation.
Recently, Madona had a strange experience at Wal-mart that she couldn’t let slide. She felt compelled to process it with her kids—but not directly. Listen in to see how the conversation went and our takeaways.
Don’t forget to send us your opinion via email at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or via IG @madona_writes or @copticlaura
As parents, especially parents on social media, we’re constantly bombarded with tidbits of advice about how to be better parents—and the mental health damage we could be inflicting on our kids with things we say. In this episode, Madona and I talk about when enough is enough.
Madona just came back from a long and, in many ways exhausting, vacation… We chat about whether it’s worth it to take our kids with us on our adventures.
This week, Raising Up Copts gets two special guests, the hosts of the Australian-based MAMI podcast, Mirette and Marina. We talk about the surprisingly confusing and controversial terrain of self-care—from a Christian perspective.
Madona and I reflect on our episodes last year about Holy Week. We also take a close look at how our week is shaping up quite differently this year.
Resources We Love:
Joy in Play Life: https://campsite.bio/joyinplaylife and https://www.instagram.com/joyinplaylife/
Kids Christian Prints: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/kidschristianprints and https://www.instagram.com/kidschristianprints/
We the Copts
Anastasis: The Harrowing of Hades (affiliate link)
Mireille’s Newest Book (affiliate link)
This week, Phoebe Farag Mikhail, author of Putting Joy into Practice, joins us to talk about how we can truly love our neighbors and obey the Golden Rule. There are a lot of great resources mentioned in this episode, and you can find the links to them below!
Great Lent Children’s Picture Book Guide
Film: St. Abraam, Friend of the Poor (Arabic)
Kids Show: Emergency Q (Arabic)
Article: Lessons From Marie Bassili Assaad and Mother Irene
Book: A Ride to Remember (affiliate link)
Book: Desmond and the Very Mean Word (affiliate link)
Oriental Orthodox Solidarity Project
Michelle Sous Foundation
Are there any family traditions you DON’T want to pass on to your kids? Madona and I discuss a few we’re hoping to shed in this generation.
Share your responses with us at raisingupcopts@gmail.com
Madona and I are joined by Mary Attallah of @unclutteryourworld. This instagram decluttering guru shares her best tips for a neat space! You won’t want to miss this episode full of great ideas and shortcuts to making decluttering more fun for the whole family!
Are there ways to bulletproof your marriage? To sidestep divorce? Can you tell how people’s marriages are going from the outside? Are there things to watch out for in your own relationship?
Madona and Laura have an open conversation about their fears and (mis)perceptions around successful marriages.
If you have advice or want to add something to this conversation, this is a part 1 with a promised future part 2 and we would love to hear from you. Email us at raisingupcopts@gmail.com
Listen in while Madona and I answer questions about ourselves—both serious and quirky—to set us up for the new year!
You can follow us on Instagram @copticlaura and @madona_writes
Do we OWE our extended family (our parents, siblings, cousins, and the like) time with them for the holidays? Madona and I tackle this loaded and complex question, while considering how our own family dynamics affect our point of view.
You can reach us at raisingupcopts@gmail.com
Madona and Laura discuss the benefits and struggles of having strong-willed, opinionated children.
Find us at raisingupcopts.com and email us at raisingupcopts@gmail.com
This week marks the one year anniversary of Raising Up Copts! We’re celebrating with a roundup of our favorite episodes from this past year, and the lessons we’ve learned along the way.
What was your childhood Sunday School experience like? What could Sunday School look like in the future? Madona and I explore different ideas around Sunday School and envision a (radically) different path forward.
Find more episodes at raisingupcopts.com or reach us at raisingupcopts@gmail.com
Do your kids fast before Divine Liturgy? When did you start? How did you encourage them to do it?
This week, Madona reveals the struggle she’s having balancing the rule of law and the spirit of law in teaching her daughter to fast for Holy Communion.
She and I discuss ways to approach it and weigh the benefits.
You can find more episodes at raisingupcopts.com or reach us at raisingupcopts@gmail.com.
A special guest comes to Raising Up Copts! Sherry Ibrahim has been homeschooling her three boys for four years now. She joins us to tell us what made helped her and her husband make that decision for their family and tips for families considering homeschooling their own kids.
You can find more at raisingupcopts.com and reach us at raisingupcopts@gmail.com
On behalf of your own teachers, Madona and I (both teachers) wanted to share with our younger listeners things five things we wish you knew!
raisingupcopts.com
With school nearly back in session, Madona and I wanted to share what we know about motivating your kids—whether elementary age or in their teens—to do their best. In this episode, we explore a few common issues you might face in getting your kids to complete their schoolwork based on their personalities.
Email us at raisingupcopts@gmail.com or visit our site raisingupcopts.com
Connect with us on Instagram:
Laura @copticlaura
Madona @madona_writes
Madona and I are taking this week to gear up for a new school year. We have two important announcements for you.
The first is about how we can all help the congregation of St. George in Surrey, BC to rebuild. Visit copt.me/rebuild to give directly to their PayPal account. You can also visit copt.me/fund to sponsor icons and altar vessels!.
The second is how you can guide next week’s episode all about setting up for a fantastic school year. Send your burning questions about how to make sure your kids (from elementary to high school!) have a wonderful and successful school year to our email raisingupcopts@gmail.com or contact us on Instagram @copticlaura and @madona_writes.
You can find more show notes at raisingupcopts.com/b1
Madona and I asked our listeners what the top worries of parents were. We compiled the answers into this list of top five worries. While we may yell at the kids for sitting in front of the TV or their devices, for their bad grades, or other such day-to-day things, what we’re really praying about are much deeper, long terms hopes and fears for their future.
To answer our polls and to give your insight, be sure to follow us on Instagram @copticlaura and @madona_writes!
You can see all our episodes on our page raisingupcopts.com and contact us at raisingupcopts@gmail.com.
Madona and I pick Shereen Marcus’s brain for ways to keep Coptic kids in the faith while living immersed in Western culture. She shares with us her five-pronged approach to raising kids in the faith.
Shereen is a U.S. federal judge who holds a masters degree in Orthodox Theology. Her book An Immigrant Church No Longer and her dissertation explore the transformation of youth ministry as the Coptic Orthodox Church becomes more established in North America.
Shereen also writes and publishes a fully fleshed out curriculum for teens which you can find at Bridges to Orthodoxy. Madona helps with proofreading and edits, and I have helped in the past with graphic design!
You can find us at raisingupcopts.com, on Instagram as @copticlaura and @madona_writes, and reach us by email raisingupcopts@gmail.com
Madona and I bring on blogger and life coach Lilyan Andrews of Lilies and Thorns to talk about a complex and sometimes controversial topic: modesty in church. We polled our listeners and share their responses and experiences, as well as our own.
If you want to participate in future polls, be sure to follow me on Instagram: @copticlaura
Other people’s kids—woo!—they are quite a conundrum. You might love them like your own, but when is okay to correct them?
In today’s podcast episode, Madona and I talk about when it’s NOT okay to step and and when it is—and all the factors that go into those decisions. We also share the perspective of our listeners who weighed in through polls, comments and direct messages.
Remember you can reach us with your insights and input at raisingupcopts@gmail.com
Madona and Laura interview poet and pediatrician Dr. Sherry Shenoda about her upcoming novel The Lightkeeper, published by Ancient Faith Publishing. Sherry wrote the book while raising her two boys and working a full-time job. She tells us how she made time for her talents—and how we can do the same.
Pick up a copy at copt.me/lightkeeper
How did Holy Week really go? Madona and Laura talk about the ups and downs of the week—what worked and what didn’t—and the blessings of attending.
Madona and Laura discuss how to make Holy Week special for kids of all ages and how to manage our expectations and still benefit spiritually.
Visit our website at raisingupcopts.com!
Is there a right way to apologize to our kids? This week, Madona and Laura share listener responses on apologizing, as well as some tips on how to do it well.
You can learn more about us at raisingupcopts.com and reach us at raisingupcopts@gmail.com
Laura and Madona explore some parenting myths shared by listeners! Which ones did you fall for?
Visit us at raisingupcopts.com for more
How can we eat healthily and comfortably during Lent—the strictest fast of the Coptic faith? Today, Madona and Laura are joined by pharmacist and nutritionist Dr. Sandra Mathoslah Sayegh to talk about what to eat, how to make sure our kids get the right nutrients, and the secret superfood you may have been eating all along without realizing!
Go to raisingupcopts.com/15 for Dr. Sandra’s resources
Today, Madona and Laura share interviews with a mom with a child on the autism spectrum, a sibling of a woman with Down Syndrome, and get the experiences and insights of a school psychologist.
Listen in to learn how to support families who have children with disabilities in your church community. If you have a child with special needs, make sure to hear the advice about dealing with schools and teachers—and when you might need a lawyer.
If you want to learn more about the special needs convention (whether to serve or to attend), go to copticangel.org.
Today, Madona and Laura share an interview Laura did with her friend Donna whose nine-year-old has severe disabilities.
You will not want miss Donna’s stories about hurricanes, 911 close calls, and the advice she has for parents wanting to connect with families with children with special needs..
Madona and Laura talk about the value of spending intentional time with their kids, what kinds of activities they do, and the guiding principles behind that time. This week, our kids are our special guests, weighing on how they like to spend that quality time.
Our scripture for this week is Ephesians 5:15-16.
You can find us at raisingupcopts.com
Madona shares the experiences of three Coptic families who chose to adopt, while Laura touches on the legal and cultural background of our community’s hesitations about adoption.
Correction: On this episode, we mistakenly stated that a birth mother has up to a year to change her mind, but we received some clarification on this point: Birth families have 2 days (in certain states) and up to 14 in other states from the birth of the baby, depending on the state laws, to change their minds. However, they can come back and say they made the decision to place for adoption under duress and take the adoptive family to court. For this reason, adoptions take place with the guidance and input of a lawyer.
Madona and Laura explore the role of wonder in raising our kids. What is wonder? How do we find it and instill it? What ways might we accidentally quash it?
Our scripture for today is from Romans 15:13
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Our site: raisingupcopts.com
Madona and Laura share postpartum listener experiences, and Madona opens up about her own struggle with postpartum depression.
Our verse for today is John 16:21.
In this episode, Madona and Laura’s husbands join them to continue the conversation about parental roles.
What are the differences in expectations between fathers and mothers in church and in society? How do you handle it in your family?
This week, Laura and Madona talk about perceived expectations and the reality in today’s households.
Our scripture this week comes from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.
You can find more on our website: raisingupcopts.com
Did you set some parenting resolutions or goals for this new year? Listen in as Madona and Laura discuss their parenting resolutions and share listener submitted ideas.
We’ve also go some tips to make your resolutions stick and a freebie to help you plan and track your goal.
Our verse this week is Philippians 1:6!
You can download the Goal Action Plan + Tracking freebie at raisingupcopts.com/6
Listen as Madona and Laura share some listener responses about how Coptic families celebrate.
You can find the Nativity Advent Calendar mentioned on We the Copts: https://www.wethecopts.com/product-page/nativity-advent-calendar
Do you do Santa? Elf on the Shelf? What are the ways you include or adapt American Christmas traditions into your Advent?
Laura and Madona talk about traditions around Santa in their own homes and share some of the experiences of others.
Our passage this week is John 17:6-12.
Laura and Madona talk about how much they share on social media about their kids and what our listeners think, too.
Our verse for today is 1 Corinthians 10:23-24.
Madona shares an experience her daughter recently had in school that left us all scratching our heads for a good approach.
Visit our site raisingupcopts.com
Remember to subscribe to the podcast!
Welcome to our new podcast Raising Up Copts featuring Madona Lawindy (and me—Laura Michael)!
We can’t wait to get to know all of you through this and to air out all our concerns about parenting “in the lands of immigration”
Our scripture for this week comes from Deuteronomy 6:4-10.
Visit our site raisingupcopts.com to see more episodes!