Hello and welcome to the Dr. Nurse Mama show, prescribing Hope for healthy families here on American Family Radio. Here's your host, professor, pediatric nurse practitioner and mom of four, Dr. Jessica Peck.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, hey there, friends, and Merry Christmas. Merry, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I can still say that we are in the week between Christmas, ah, and New Year, where all of the chaos hopefully has happened. Maybe you still have family visiting, maybe you're not quite home. Maybe, maybe you're trying to recover from having a toddler, a teenager. Whatever it is, however your Christmas was, I pray that it was a merry one. And I pray that God was Emmanuel. God with, us. I'm so grateful for the birth of Jesus, the greatest story that was ever told and the greatest time of year. And today we are here in that kind of space in between times, in between, Christmas and NewSong Year's where we're just kind of waiting. You, maybe you're looking at your. What do you need to make for your year end donations. Maybe you're thinking about cleaning out stuff. Maybe you're just not thinking about anything but relaxing before you have to go back to work. Wherever you are, whatever you're thinking, I'm glad that you're here. And on the horizon, we have New Year's, which people start talking about New Year's resolutions. And I'm going to talk about that today. Am I a fan of New Year's resolutions or not? You've probably heard me talk about it before if you are a regular listener.
Dr. Jessica Peck: But we'll talk about that. But really that it is my joy and my honor to introduce my most favorite guest I've ever had on the show. Now, I know that is a really big buildup, but you will understand when I say that we are once again joined by none other than my oldest daughter, Shelby. She is joining us today and we're going to have a mother daughter conversation about New Year's. What does it mean? What is it about rhythms and resolutions and all of those kinds of things. And we're just going to let you listen in to our conversation. These are talks that we have all the time and we just wanted to share that with you and hopefully it will be an encouragement to you. So, Shelby, I am so glad to have you back. Thank you so much for joining me today. This is a gift for me and I know it is a gift for those who are listening.
Shelby Peck: Thank you for trusting me again.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Of course I trust you. You are so wise and I really look forward to hearing your perspective. I think it's great just to model. I learned so much generationally from you. And I think it's kind of fun because you're at the stage of life now where you're. You actually, you know, think that I know something. I think, what was a Mark Twain?
Shelby Peck: I think you know a lot of things.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Okay, well, I think it was Mark Twain. I'm. I'm going to butcher the quote, but it was something like, my parents knew nothing when I was a teenager, and by the time I became a young adult, I was shocked at how much they'd learned. And we can share perspective, which is really great. But first of all, let's talk about Christmas. We said that we were going to talk about the one gift it seems like every child in the world got. And I'll let you tell everybody what it is, although I'm sure the listeners are already guessing.
Shelby Peck: It is an E bike.
Dr. Jessica Peck: An E bike. And how do we feel about that, Shelby? I don't know.
Shelby Peck: I just was on a walk with my sister Yesterday. my 18 year old brother has four friends couch surfing with us right now, which has been really fun, but we just, you know, wanted some girl time. So we're on a walk through the neighborhood and all of a sudden there's children with no shoes on and no helmets on zooming around us on their E bikes, showing their very impressive tricks, but tricks that I'm not sure should be done near a, four lane road.
Dr. Jessica Peck: I guess this is where I have to apologize because I've clearly jaded your perspective. You were raised by a pediatric nurse and we were talking about this how. I can't help it, Shelby. I can't help it. I am not here. Don't worry, I'm not here. If you bought your kid an E bike, I'm not here to rail against that. I'm just here to provide some help and caution and making sure that we're using those safely. Because as a pediatric nurse, I feel like I do see the best families on their worst days when things happen. And so it impacts the way that I see it and the way that I always say it is. I know it's like a zebra, you know, somebody you know, getting hurt, but I'm the zebra keeper, so I can't help that. So let's talk. Shelby, tell me about, like, the it gifts and how. What's the best way to approach like, okay, yes, you got this great gift, but I also want to tell you to be safe with it. What perspective could you offer parents on.
Shelby Peck: That in all transparency. We had a nurse for a mom, so I think we were protected from a lot of injuries. But we were still four kids growing up on a cul de sac with a creek behind our house, so we had our fair share of injuries. And, you know, as a kid, I thought wearing a helmet was the most embarrassing thing in the world. but you know what? Those guidelines are there for a reason. And it saved us a few trips to the ER and going. Granted, we still had to take a few trips to the er, but I think just having proper precautions and guidelines and I think the mentality of, no, that could never happen to me, doesn't always serve us the best well.
Dr. Jessica Peck: So here it is right here on the other side. You know, Shelby's an adult now, and we survived those safety regulations.
E bikes are reported as the reason for 53,000 emergency department visits
And so before we dive in and talk a little bit about New Year's, let me give you some information just about E bikes, because E bike. E bikes look like regular bikes. And I'm going to be fully transparent with you and tell you that all of my students, all of my friends who work in nursing, who work in medicine, who work in the emergency room, they will tell you that they have concern. and it's because this bike has an electric motor and a rechargeable battery. Electric bike is much faster. It's heavier than a regular bike. And it comes actually in different classes. I didn't know this. It comes as Class 1, where it goes only up to 20 miles an hour. Class 2, it allows the rider to use the bike motor without pedaling or with pedaling. So you can pedal or not. It goes up to 20 miles per hour. And then class three may or may not have a throttle, but can reach speeds up to 28 miles or more. So really, just as kids learn to. This is from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the guidance that they put out on this. Just as the kids learn to walk and bike safely, they need to know how to safely operate an E bike before they go off on their own. And so the first step is to find out, are there laws in your state, are, there regulations in your city about operating an E bike, how old you have to be, what roads you can be on, whether or not you have to wear a helmet. Make sure that you are looking at all of the rules for all classes of E bikes. And some areas have stricter laws for the Class 3e bikes for those faster ones. And so that is really important. And it's important to know that the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that children ages 9 through 12 not operate any product that travels faster than 10 miles per hour. I know. Womp, womp. That's the fun killer, right? But it is. It is very true. So really, I, You need to wear shoes and a helmet. I cannot tell you how many feet I have seen that have been severely injured from not wearing shoes on an E bike. And E bikes are reported as the reason for 53,000 emergency department visits and actually 104 deaths. So that's sobering. Again, 141 is not okay. And so that is really important. Making sure that they know and I know my. Our social media and the community has been all about the E bikes. Either leave the kids alone, let them have fun, or these are so dangerous. Don't do this at all. We've gotta have good godly communication about it. And communication that honors Christ. Another thing to know, though, is that E bike batteries can cause fires. So make sure that you don't charge that battery while you're sleeping. Only use the charger that's recommended. There are a lot more safety tips that you can find. I got from the American Academy of Pediatrics, who did publish some comprehensive guidance about that, but that is important. Okay. Now that. Anything else that I forgot about that I should say.
Shelby Peck: I mean, like Solomon says, nothing new under the sun. It's like hoverboards from a couple years ago, so.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Exactly. Hoverboards. Maybe it was chariots. You know, I don't know what it was back in Bible times, but I'm sure that kids have been trying to do dangerous things for all of time. But one gift that actually can't is not as dangerous, but can be really dangerous, for adults is Legos. You do not know the pain of stepping on a Lego in the middle of the night without your shoes on. And Legos were popular when you were growing up, and they're still popular now.
Shelby Peck: Yeah. Because you can kind of create whatever you want. To my siblings and I, for hours, because we were a little bit before iPads. yep. You know, entertained ourselves and could really just use our imagination and run free.
Shelby writes for the Stand magazine about faith, family and culture
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, Shelby, you write for the Stand magazine, and you actually wrote an article about Legos, and I thought it was really interesting. Tell us what you learned.
Shelby Peck: Yes. So if you're not familiar, AFA actually has a print publication called the Stand magazine. It's different from their email and it comes out every month. There's a joint January, February issue, but we write about everything revolving faith, family, culture. So I kind of combined all three, a couple months ago and wrote an article about Legos and about child evangelism fellowship and how Legos are a tool that are being used all over the world to share the gospel in a way without screens, that's kinetic, that kids can touch and play with and have fun and be led by mentors in creating biblical scenes or in honestly just spending time in conversation, sitting across a table from an adult who cares about them and is invested in their life.
Dr. Jessica Peck: And it was interesting too because you talked about the origin of Legos and how it was founded by a Christian during a time of family tragedy. Is that right?
Shelby Peck: Yeah, I feel like most, long lasting legacies are founded during a time of tragedy, which is really interesting. At Christmas, I always think of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, that famous poem, and how that was written out of family tragedy. So something interesting to note. When we're looking at so many things in our culture and finding out their backstories, they're always a lot deeper than we seem.
Dr. Jessica Peck: And we did, we watched that movie together. There was a movie recently about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. For those who aren't familiar with the story. He was very, devoted to his wife and her dress caught fire from a candle and she actually died from her injuries, which was so sad. But he talked about his faith journey and, oh, it gives me goosebumps even to think about it. And from that he wrote the poem which became the well beloved Christmas song. I heard the bells on Christmas Day. And so it's, I feel like you can, you can find spiritual application in everything. And as we're looking at, you know, the gifts that we got for Christmas and those that were hits and those that weren't, we're starting to look towards the new year and everybody everywhere is talking about NewSong Year's resolutions. And I have my own feelings about this, but I'm interested in Gen Z perspective on NewSong Year's resolutions. Do they think about this? Do they not? Is this something that's, you know, Trey Posay, it's just like it's not, it's not cool anymore. Or is this like trendy? What is Gen Z perspective on NewSong Year's resolutions?
Shelby Peck: Social media, Everything you see. And what's hard with social media is that you see other people set these resolutions for you, but you only get to see a snapshot of their life. So in your perspective, watching it from your screen, it seems like you're the only one who can't catch up. So it can Be really hard. And a lot of comparison and a lot of feelings of guilt when you don't set, meet the standards you've set for yourself or you've had some stranger on the Internet set for you.
Dr. Jessica Peck: What do you think are the most common New Year's resolutions that you see your generation aspiring to make or keep?
Shelby Peck: So the two that I've seen this year on social media, because full transparency, being home for the holidays, sometimes I fall into the scroll rhythm. But one of them is called 75 hard. And it's basically where you work out two times a day and you have to read a business or like self improvement book and you can't eat any refined sugars. All these types of things. and the other one I've seen that I'm interested in is something the phrase is that 2026 is the year we go analog. So basically saying we're going back to analog clocks, we're going back to handmade things, leaving screens behind and searching for something kind of like, you know, the 90s has become trendy and aesthetic now.
Dr. Jessica Peck: So I don't know how to feel about that. The 90s has become trendy. I know you tell me that as in literally the previous century, but I don't know whether to feel proud or like a little deflated because it's that long ago. I don't know.
Shelby Peck: I think you should be proud of everything except the pants you were talking about that you made in home, ec
Dr. Jessica Peck: Oh, the hammer pants. Yes, yes. Okay. I should not be proud of those.
I'm concerned about young people setting themselves up for failure with New Year's resolutions
Well, okay, so let's talk about that first resolution and that really, that goes with resolution. Like I'm going to do this and I, I really get concerned about young people and older people setting themselves up for failure with something that is that rigid because it takes a lot of discipline to do something like that. And I think, you know, you know, you're right. This, the social media piece, adding into it, it makes it really more complicated. Cause if you fail, you're going to fail on a public stage. So what do you think about, what do you think about resolutions in general?
Shelby Peck: It's tricky and it's hard because we want to push ourselves. And as Christians, part of sanctification, growing to be more like Christ, sometimes that requires a lot of discipline because in my flesh I'm not going to wake up at 5:00am and read my Bible for three hours before I go on an eight mile run and you know, then come back to make my kale smoothie and all these things. You know, those things are good in moderation. But if we, like, are so hard on ourselves every time we stumble, that's not gonna get us anywhere. And I don't have a scientific study from the American association of Pediatrics to quote like you so graciously did. But I have heard in common lore that resolutions don't work. And starting out in January with this really high standard, it's just not sustainable to make it all the way to December.
Dr. Jessica Peck: I think that it really plays into your generation's feelings of, perfection. It reminds me of that time that I was speaking at a suicide, suicide prevention event in the community and I gave, I've told this story before, but I gave all of the kids who are walking in a little post it note and said, what do you see on social media that your parents don't know about? And the parents were there and I asked them their own question. Oh, and they run over because they think they're going to see violence or, you know, explicit content. But the word that was all over all of those papers was some variation of the word perfect. Perfection. Just, they're perfect. And I'm not. And I feel like resolutions lean into this. But you and I have a healthy alternative that we've talked about and that we've really adopted in our own life. And that is not resolutions, it is rhythms. And we'll talk about that when we come back. What are some healthy rhythms? We'll talk about it related to technology and nutrition specifically when we come back. Don't go away. We'll be right back after this break. Candace talks about finding out she was pregnant. Thankfully, an ultrasound provided by preborn allowed her to hear her baby's heartbeat. The sonogram sealed the deal for me. My baby was like this tiny little spectrum of hope. And I saw his heart beating on the screen and knowing that there's life growing inside, I mean, that sonogram changed my life. I went from just Candace to mom. Thank you to everybody that has given these gifts. You guys are giving more than money. You guys are giving love.
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Honestly, We Just Need Jesus by Terrian: I take a step back, I can see it. All the pain, all the fear we've been feeling, losing sight of the thing that we're needing that. We're needing. Honestly, I think we just need Jesus. honestly, I think we just need Jesus. Have we all gone mad? Have we lost our, minds? What used to be wrong? We say that is right. Honestly, I think we just need Jesus. Dr. Jessica Peck Welcome back, friends. That is honestly, we just need Jesus by Terrian and, you know, as I'm starting we're getting to the end of the year, I'm starting to see all of these news stories of recaps of things that have happened in 2025. And I'm going to be honest with you, I opened about three of them and I thought, oh, I don't want to look at this, because I thought, oh, yeah, that happened this year. Oh, yeah, that was terrible. Oh, yeah. Oh, that was awful. There are all of these terrible things that happen, and sometimes you just think, okay, we just need Jesus to return quickly. It can be easy to be carried away by fear, by anxiety, by depression, discouragement, just a feeling of defeat. And as we approach the new year, I think what a lot of people do is they have a resolution like, okay, these were the bad things in this year. This is what I'm going to do on my power, and I'm going to start this as a resolution. And today is a special treat. I have my favorite guest in the history of ever, my oldest daughter, Shelby, who is a recent college graduate, graduated with a degree in journalism and religion. Outstanding journalism student of the. Of the college. I have to say that as. As a mom, a proud mom. Moment there. And writes for the Stand magazine, which, by the way, is a publication of the American Family Association. And I really recommend that you check it out. They have a print version, an online version. They have a digital radio program that goes along to accompany it. Really great resources talking about family, faith and culture.
We were talking about rhythms versus resolutions for your generation
And so, Shelby, we were talking about rhythms versus resolutions, and I have some perspective. I think you and I share the same view. What is your perspective on this for your generation?
Shelby Peck: It's hard to resolution. Even the word itself just seems so stringent and rigid. And we're already really hard on ourselves, especially again with social media. We can mention that a hundred times, and I don't think it'll ever convey the emphasis and the impact it has on our life because we live other people's lives that we don't even know, and we just see their perfection and get so frustrated with our own imperfections. So I think the word rhythm, it connotes a lot more deeply with the Bible and with the rest that is offered by Jesus and with the grace that he gives to us every day. And that's not an excuse to be lax and to be lukewarm in our faith, but instead it's encouragement that we have a net of grace that catches us.
Dr. Jessica Peck: I think that's so true because it is like we were talking about with social media. Your generation feels so much pressure. And then if you put your resolution out on social media, which kids will often do, you know, because it is normalized now to live in a fishbowl and to live very publicly, it makes it harder to say, no, I'm not doing that. But I think one of the differences for me is that the resolution is really focused on the outcome. This is what I want to happen. I want to lose this much weight. I want to, you know, have read this much, this many books or whatever that is, is. A rhythm is really more based on a process. A rhythm is more. This is going to be the normal process of my life and it's much more gentle and give and take. And so, okay, you get out of rhythm, you just get back into rhythm. It's not a resolution. You break. And that even to me, you know, just connotes like such a, it's really a demotivator. You know, I don't even know if that's a word, but it just feels like it is very judgmental in that. And. But a rhythm is sustainable and it's also adaptable. You can adapt it over time. It's more forgiving. So I feel like a resolution is really like with your eye on the destination, a rhythm is saying, okay, I'm going to choose this path and then you're going to arrive at that destination. And you said something earlier about that a rhythm is more biblically aligned. And I think that is true because it aligns more closely with the stewardship of body, mind and soul. Now that first resolution you shared, what did you say it was called? 75 hard.
Shelby Peck: Yes, I've seen that all over Instagram. A lot of influencers, and it basically involves working out twice a day, eating whole foods. This is probably the crowd that drinks raw milk and you know, reading a self improvement book for at least 10 pages a day.
Dr. Jessica Peck: And, you know, some of that is admirable. We want people, young people, to have goals. And I think. And the other thing that I like about it is that it's holistic. They're talking about their body, mind and spirit. So there's some recognition of that. But what do you see in your generation when people try to make it only that when there's no faith element, there's no gospel grounding in it. It's just like the self help kind of genre. Like I'm going to be the best version of myself I can, but on my own power, where do you see that letting young people down?
Shelby Peck: It's all about sustainability because our bodies change, our minds change, our careers change. And again, this is not an excuse to settle or to just allow apathy and complacency to rule our lives, but instead it's a reminder, that we seek the kingdom of God above all else and that we seek him first because at the end of the day, any earthly success that we chase is going to let us down. Which sounds really sad, but Ecclesiastes shows us, you know, that's nothing new under the sun. But there is hope found in Jesus when we seek his kingdom and store up our treasures in heaven.
The resolution that moms see most often is dieting or exercise
So what is your motivation in doing those things? Is it to look better, to feel better? Is it to improve your status among your peers or among people online that you've never even met? Or is it to steward what God's given you and to be better equipped and fit to love and serve others?
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, well, you talked about the resolution that you see most often. The resolution I see for moms and even dads, if I'm being honest, even if they're not as vocal about it, is something to do with dieting or exercise. And you can see it because you walk in the stores and, and all the treadmills are on the floor or you know, we're seeing advertisements that are coming. And I don't know about, about other moms out there, but if I, I'm not on social media very much, I've made a decision to step back from that. But whenever I do open it, it's some little catchy song saying, are you a 40 something year old mom? Join this little sing songy voice. Like, join me on Monday, we're gonna lose weight together. Yeah, that's really. I'm cringing for myself, but I'm like, okay, how does this even know me? This creeps me out like thinking, okay, what, what that, that message that it's giving, it just feels like I'm instantly marketed to. But one thing that I have learned as a mom is that, you know, I, I tend to be tended to be inwardly focused. And I just thought about like, okay, well this, I want to be stronger, I want to be healthier, you know, those kinds of things. But I didn't realize I Don't think how much you listened to me, how much you watched me, how much you, observed that, and how much girls especially, but even boys now, too, are observing the messages that adults are giving them about that. Even when we think, well, this isn't about you, this is about me. What did you observe? What are some things that you learned growing up about some of that messaging that wasn't unintentionally harmful, but maybe was potentially harmful?
Shelby Peck: One of the things that has most impacted me, honestly, in our relationship was pictures, which sounds so, funny. But anytime we traveled together or, you.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Know, we convicts me.
Shelby Peck: No, me too, me too. Or, you know, me and my sister and my mom were all going to lunch or something, take a picture. You one day were convicted. I truly believe by the Holy Spirit to not critique yourself, because you knew that, Savannah, my sister and I were listening, and we saw everything you picked apart about yourselves. And those things are what we have too. You know, my sister and, shares the same eye color with you. And we shared not so much looks, but other things. You know, we share characteristics and traits that I love, like our smiles and the ways that we're similar, and God has allowed us to be similar. And so whenever you pick apart yourself, or even I pick apart myself, it reflects on the other person. And I've seen so many of my friends struggle with that and their moms struggle with that. Mom's trying to hide in the back of pictures, or my friends taking a million because they're not happy. Even if they're not posting on social media, even if it's just going to live in their camera roll forever, they see something that they don't like, that God has uniquely given them and embodied them with. And even myself, I still struggle with this, too, but I think just deciding to enjoy the moment and embrace the moment and God's design of you has been really formational in the way that I view myself and my body.
Dr. Jessica Peck: It's so hard to do. And that is, one of the healthy habits we talked about this year. I was absolutely convicted because there was a time where, you know, you would give the phone back to me and say, like, oh, you won't like that picture. And I think, how can you already know that? But you just watched intuitively, like, you knew all my insecurities. And everybody has them. Everybody has them, you know, because when you get the group family picture, there's always the one person who's trying not to be in the picture, the one person who's trying to Hide in the back. The one person who doesn't care, who's all out in the front, which I want to be more like that person. But you're right when we're, especially as moms, when we're saying, oh, I don't. I don't like that. I don't like the way my arm looks or whatever, they're thinking, well, great, I look just like you. And that is really hard. That's really hard. And you actually just, interviewed a nutritionist for an article for some research for the stand, and you had some really good insights for that, and I'd love for you to share them.
Shelby Peck: Yeah, I. I'm a big proponent for getting her on here, so hopefully you guys can all hear from her as well. But she's registered dietitian, nutritionist, who works with teen girls out in the California San Francisco Bay area. And our conversation was really, really deep. There's just those people you connect with spiritually. And I truly believe that she is one of those people because she also has a mom or she also is a mom of girls. And so she had this very similar conviction that I want to talk about my body in a way that I want my girls to talk about theirs. And so she wrote a children's book. It's called He Created Everything About Me, if you want to look it up. And I think that everyone should read it, not just children. I think as parents read it to their kids, they learn something about it, because God has uniquely embodied us as we are, and we come in different sizes. But another NewSong Year's trend that I think will come around and that I've seen among my generation is just an emphasis on losing weight. And a lot of celebrities that we look up to or that young teenagers and young adults look up to, it's just become the trend to not eat and to look very unhealthy, which is hard to compare yourself to that. And it's hard for people who maybe are naturally more on the thin side. Their grass is always greener. And so, you know, people have insecurities that spur from everything from the size of their bodies to also the way that their smiles look or their teeth. There's just an endless list. And so I think we have to stop assuming others insecurities and stop trying to fix it with verbal cliches such as, oh, but you're so beautiful. Why can't you just view yourself the way other people view? And instead, I think we could do a really good job about looking at ourselves not with a Critical eye, but just in a holistic way of accountability and just searching for God's voice in our lives and seeing how we view ourselves under his truth.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, it's been really interesting. You mentioned the 90s, which I was alive during, for sure, and growing up in the 90s. And it's really interesting to see how the cultural narrative has completely, swung, you know, from one way back to the other. Because when I was growing up in the 90s, it was, you know, very thin, was the aesthetic and fad diets were all the rage, whether it was like living on cabbage soup or taking diet pills that were really dangerous. And then we saw this Russian of body positivity of, you know, really going too far the other way and saying, like, hey, however I am is how I am. And, and then, you know, not some, to some extent, in some ways, to an extreme. Anything to an extreme can be dangerous. Talking about, like, okay, yes, this is, this is fine. Let's just set me way. I am. But now we see with all of the medication options that have come, you know, people losing weight, and we see it swinging back the other way. I see it in the headlines, everywhere that I'm looking, all these celebrities, and I wonder what it's like to live in the, in the real, full part of that swing, you know, where we've seen such a dramatic difference and, and celebrities who, I won't, you know, call it any specific names, but there are celebrities who have made a career and a brand of body positivity who all of a sudden are like, yeah, but I, I like my body like this. Why can't you like. And how do you make that messaging stick? And I think the underlying message in all of that is exactly what you're getting at. When we base our self worth and our self image on, what culture projects as beautiful. Because you and I are both history buffs. I mean, you can look back and see, like, women used to shave their heads back to have a bigger forehead and then the big forehead. No, that's not. I mean, beauty standards are always, always changing. But what doesn't change, the only thing that change is that doesn't change is God's word and the character of God and who he is. And it's not until you know who God is that you know who you are. So how do you think that we as adults could do a better job of giving messaging to your generation about that? Instead of, like you said, just, oh, kind of the cliches, you know, or, or things that are really well intentioned, but maybe not helpful.
Shelby Peck: Yeah. So one of the things that kind of surprised me when I was talking to the nutritionist is that the best way to talk about it is not talk about it. And a lot of times kids, they're very blunt. And so maybe you've had a kid. I've had kids come up to me and make comments about my body or about the way I look, or they'll, you know, in their candid honesty, which is something I think we lose as adults. But there's just little faces. Thank the Lord for there's sweet little faces will look up at you and be like, oh, you're so squishy, or all these things. And, you know, the best way to talk about it sometimes is not talking about it and not commenting on other people's bodies or not commenting on your own, and instead just creating healthy rhythms and cooking together as a family or centering fellowship around a meal. Because in the Bible, so many times in the New Testament, with the early church, they broke bread together and they're eating together. And food is not something to fear and it's not something to fret or obsess over, but it can be a gift and something to celebrate, something that is good and that God has given us. So I think it's just all about rhythm and all about centering. It. everything goes back to scripture, everything. And I think that's really amazing how God has created us with that innate longing for spiritual wholeness.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, for me, the two practical ways that I know that I really. Working on rhythms and making changes in that ways is one, not critiquing myself, you know, not saying, you know, oh, I don't like that. or watching what I say, you know, just the, the, the words that I say, even about other people. You know, when you make commentary about other people, just really watching the words that I say about myself or other people. The second thing I think is really evaluating my relationship with food, because we do that we. We label foods as good or bad. Like, oh, I'm going to be bad. I'm going to eat ice cream. Well, eating ice cream in and of.
Shelby Peck: I love ice cream.
Dr. Jessica Peck: It's so good.
Shelby Peck: We're from Texas. We have BlueBell, so.
Dr. Jessica Peck: That's right, exactly. And so I think just making sure that we're not labeling foods as good or bad, but we're just talking about healthy choices and healthy moderation and looking at how we celebrate with food. There's some opportunities that we have, and I've learned a lot about that, actually, especially from kids who have allergies, who are not able to celebrate with foods. They're so creative and they think of other ways that they can celebrate. But a good NewSong Year's rhythm is to have positive body image. And that is in the image of Christ, in the image that we. That God made us. And we've talked about that on the show this year. Well, when we come back, I want to dive into some screen time and talk about that because that's another common resolution that I see is I'm only going to have this much screen time and maybe some rhythms would be better for us to adopt than strict resolutions. We'll be back after this break talking about New year's resolutions versus rhythms and invite you to join us on our 52 Habits for Healthy families journey. We'll see you on the other side of this break. And my father, your great grandfather fought in World War II. Really? He was a gunner on the big ship out in the Pacific Ocean. Wow. Your great grandmother did her part. Was she on a ship?
Jeff Chamblee: Oh, no, she stayed back home. She and a lot of her friends worked really hard in a factory because the men had gone off to war and they held scrap metal drives to help in the war effort. The folks back home were heroes, too. Here at the American Family association, we consider you the heroes back home as you fulfill your responsibility of caring for your family day to day. Your partnership with us is crucial as we fight the enemies of freedom in America. Thank you for your commitment to the American Family Association. Grandpa, what's a scrap metal drive? Let's get some cookies and I'll tell you all about it.
Your Way's Better by Forrest Frank: Oh Lord, I need you now more than ever Would you put my heart, back together? I searched the world 'til my head hurt just to find out your ways better oh, you're always better oh, you're always better oh Lord, you're always better Jesus.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Welcome back, friends. That is your way's Better by Forrest Frank. And that is one message that we can say from this year. We can look at the way of the world and I think we can all say that God's way is better. And it's been so encouraging to me that's been one of the bright spots in this year is to see the message of that song from the artist force, Frank. Making its way all around the world. And to have people saying, your way is better. Because we know that that is true. And the way of the world tells us that we can help ourselves. And there are some ways that God has Encouraged, equipped and even commanded us to be obedient. But I believe that we will never be smart enough, strong enough, just wise enough to be able to help ourselves out of the situation we have got ourselves in. And for those of you who are in vacation Bible school and maybe have been in for a long time, I always think of that song. Sin messed everything up. That's what I see now. Those of you who know it are singing it in your head. Yep, it did. But God made everything right. He sent his son to die for us. And we're talking about how do we embrace that truth? Looking at 2026, it is a completely blank slate. There is nothing written on any day of 2026. And there is something really beautiful about the opportunity for fresh start and for new beginnings. And, and we know ever since the worldwide pandemic, it just seems like the world is so eager to turn the page. Maybe tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow is not going to be better. 2026 is going to have its share of disturbing headlines. We are going to see things that we wish that we hadn't seen. But we know that God's word tells us in this world we will have trouble. And I, feel like, you know, again, I'm thinking I'm showing my musical side today here. I'm feeling like that's a capital T. So P, that stands for pool. That's from the Music man. But. But I digress. We are going to have trouble in this world. But we can take heart because God has already overcome the world. We can be of good cheer. And today we're talking about looking at the new year. And I am not going to be upset if anybody's made a resolution, if they have a goal. If you feel like the Lord has called you to set a resolution, maybe that's not to drink alcohol. We'll be talking about that in January. Maybe that is to go to church. And that is a resolution that you've set. Those things can be honoring to the Lord.
We're talking about the pitfalls of resolution and versus rhythms
But we're also talking about the pitfalls of resolution. And I'm here with my favorite guest in the whole wide world in the history of ever, my oldest daughter, Shelby, who's a recent college graduate and journalist and is here to talk. We're just inviting you to listen in on our conversation today about resolutions and versus rhythms, which we've talked about how rhythms are generally just a more subtle, sustainable approach to life and looks at just. It really reflects discipleship. Right? That's really what we should be about. And you talked about two resolutions that you're seeing most in Gen Z. One is like the really regimented. I'm going to be fit, I'm going to be smart, I'm going to be successful, like I'm going to you know, basically rule m the world. Exactly. And the other is, what did you call it? Analog.
Shelby Peck: What is it called? Oh yes. Well I'm on the more crafty side of social media so I don't know but I've seen a lot of of people saying that 2026 we're going analog so we're going less screens and more crafty and hands on and sourdough super trendy. So who knows where it'll take us.
Dr. Jessica Peck: I actually, I have a friend on social media who just did this and took all of the screens out of her home except for one little old school TV with a VCR VHS tape that like you stick into the T is actually one unit of the TV and that's the only screen there. And talk about but you know, when you look at how much screens have invaded our everyday life, there are some good things about the way that it can be technology. But somehow we are continually told, oh we need this digital solution because it's going to be so much more convenient and save us time and yet we're busier and more stressed out than ever. And I'm encouraged by seeing the pushback to say okay, you know what, maybe we shouldn't do this without even thinking about it. Because the thing that concerns me most about the pervasive nature of screens is the use of AI and how it's taken away our thinking and it's really impacting our biblical worldview because it's it, you see that in suggested videos that you have or suggested movies or if you like these books, you'll like these books. Then all of a sudden we have this. It's kind of like a science fiction movie telling us how to think. And that's what scares me. What, what is your generation's perspective on it?
Shelby Peck: Yeah, I think I forget whenever I am scrolling that it knows me, which sounds so freaky but it does because you can watch a video or if I buy something with my credit card it's like my, in my Instagram account just knows and it will feed me more of what I'm looking for. Which is scary because you're right, it is reshaping our world view. So I think you have to be really intentional about not believing everything you see on the Internet. You know, for all of my fellow Gen Z or maybe Gen Xers out there. This might be a good time of year if you got your grandparent a new tablet or a, you know, laptop to teach them about AI, who my grandma thinks is named Al because it's hard. They might see something that. It's really confusing even. I get tripped up. So I can't imagine, you know, the next generation. That's just normal for them growing up. And you don't even know if a video or someone's voice is even real. It's crazy.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Yes. I have kids telling me now that it's getting really hard. It was easy at first to spot AI, but now it's really hard to spot. And we see ethical conversations coming out. Like the top Christian. One of the top songs on the Christian, you know, playlist. I don't know exactly what the word is, but. But it. One of the top trending songs, worship songs, was made by AI. And so it brings up all these questions like, is that ethical? Is that not? And we see disagreement even within the Christian community about AI and what that's like.
Dr. Jessica Peck: A lot of resolutions revolve around screen time
And I think when you're looking at resolutions, you know, there's a lot of times resolutions that revolve around screen time, which in and of itself is good. But what do you see as the pitfalls of a screen time resolution and what would be a better rhythm to adopt, do you think?
Shelby Peck: So my sister and I actually talked about this a couple weeks ago because we both had finals, because I'm in grad school and she's in nursing school. And between, we're about to sound like total Gen Z, but between, between our laptops, iPads and phones which I use, all for studying, all for work, my screen time's crazy sometimes. In the midst of final season, it was like 14 hours a day. Do I want to be sitting for 14 hours a day on a screen? No. But with work, with school, with you, use it to manage my brother's sports teams and their grades and communicating with teachers and maps. And by the time you FaceTime long distance friends, it really adds up. So I think having an expectation to say, okay, I'm only going to be on my phone for 45 minutes a day might not be super helpful. Or if you set a limit on Instagram that you can only scroll for 15 minutes, I would say most people that I've seen set that limit, know the passcode to override that limit. So I think there's other ways. What we're doing is not working. And so what the alternative to that is. I don't know exactly. I know that there's lots of great Christian companies out there that are trying to create ways for families to be more intentional in the time they spend together. There's a box you can buy that your family can put all your phones in. It has charging stations, and you can kind of have a competition to see who can keep your phone in there the longest. But some days that's not practical. And I think on those days we need to give ourselves grace and again, go back to the heart behind things. I'm using social media sometimes at work because I'm using it ultimately to bring glory to God and not myself. Or not just to mindlessly scroll. So some days our resolutions are not going to be realistic, and that's okay. What matters is that we just continue falling into grace and using that grace to be spurred on to good deeds.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Yeah, I, I think that is really hard. And then when you look at the screen time, I feel like it is a very common point of tension between parents and kids. Get off your phone. Get off your phone, your screen time. And you can kind of adopt. It's easy to fall into this kind of legalistic view of it. And I've seen that professionally, just for me working in pediatrics, because when screens first came out, like, we'd have very specific guidelines like, oh, under this age, you know, none from this age, maybe one hour a day. But that is so hard to manage because as you said, there are some things that you, you really have to do. And I think it really, it goes so much more to the intent of why are you using social media? Are you using it for a reason that is beneficial? That's edifying to your learning, that's edifying to your relationships, that's edify. Edifying to your spiritual walk? Or are you using it just to numb out? Are you using it to watch things that are not glorifying to God? Are you using it to escape reality and avoid conflict that needs to be resolved? Those things are hard. What do you say? And you, you work with kids now, Shelby. Even younger kids, which I'm enjoying seeing. You know, them kind of the Gen Alpha kids come up behind and make Gen Z feel old. That's kind of fun for me.
Shelby Peck: They do. Here's a term that you can use. They call, they say unk, which means like, you're kind of old or.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Out of style, but not quite like a. Like it's not a grandparents boomer. Yeah. It's like you're. You're kind of sort of like just Old.
Shelby Peck: Yeah. I was like, okay, that one hurts, but it's fine. They all call me, they all call me miss or ma' am now. And that one really hurts.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, what advice do you have for, for parents who maybe are trying to navigate this? Because what I see is, it's a lot of times a default for punishment. Like you do anything wrong, I'm taking your phone. I'm taking your phone. It's just the, the kind of the, the tension that's there that we don't know how to navigate. How, how do we have a healthy relationship with that and not default to that being the punishment for every offense.
Shelby Peck: I think something that really hurt as a teenager, but I am abundantly grateful for. And I just feel like this is a good rule if your kid under 18 living in your house, no phones in their room because that's just a gateway to disaster. And in my own life, you know, the very few times I was really rebellious and brought it upstairs, nothing good ever happened. And I think it's just really important to have that separation between the digital and real life space. That way when they come home from school, their classmates aren't following them and they don't have the entire Internet and world and volumes of not great material just at their fingertips. Because really good kids just sometimes encounter really bad stuff on the Internet and they don't know what to do about it because it is traumatizing. It is traumatizing. And I think in 2025, we all, no matter your age, lived through a lot of traumatic events via the Internet. We all feel like we were there are a part of what happened because we saw it with our eyes. And so I think just having space like parents can model that too. One of the things I'm really bad at is getting on my phone when I first wake up. And for a long time I say, oh, I need my alarm next to my bed. But I got an alarm clock without a screen for Christmas, so.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Oh my goodness, it's amazing they make such a, you know, high tech, such a contraption.
Shelby Peck: Yeah, exactly. So hold me accountable to that. maybe I'll come back in a few months and we can talk about how that's going.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Okay.
Shelby Peck: But I think just parents modeling that too is really good. Just have separation and to, instead of just stopping saying, oh, stop that, stop that, give me your phone, stop that. Provide helpful alternatives. So every night as a family, we try to go on a walk together and just talk to each other or no phones at the dinner table. Or just, you know, we've been into puzzles a lot recently, but it's a fun way. We can all just sit across from each other and look at each other and do a puzzle and just talk in a way that doesn't involve a screen. And that's not entirely cutting out movie nights or scrolling sometimes with my sister, because we like to laugh at the same things, but instead it's just happening. Us form rhythms of rest and finding ways to disconnect from the entire world. Because your home is a safe space, and it's where you're. As a kid, it's where I grew up and where I formed my worldview. And so it was really important to have spaces where to silence. To silence the distractions of the world.
Dr. Jessica Peck: I, like that concept of boundaries. And that's one thing I've definitely carried over and shared with, you know, our audience and listeners is having boundaries. And sometimes that is a time boundary that may be, you know, only, this much time per day scrolling and putting those limits on there. But like you said, I mean, it's so easy. Do you want to go around this? Yes, sure, I want to go around this.
Shelby Peck: 15 more minutes.
Dr. Jessica Peck: 15 more minutes. 15. 5 more minutes, whatever it is. But I found space, boundaries to be so much more effective. And then if everybody in the family is doing it, especially the parents, who shouldn't be exempt from this. And that is something that we talked about, you know, before, that parents shouldn't be exempt from those boundaries and rhythms. We can't put ourselves in another category of saying, like, oh, well, this is for work, and we've got to have the boundaries by that.
Sit down, talk about that as a family
Sit down, talk about that as a family. And what are the rhythms that you have? And so one of the things I remember is talking to, Wesley Wildmon, who was one of the vice presidents here at AFA and helps me co host during shareathon. And he talked about his rhythm being, when he gets home from work, putting his phone away for an hour, not having it in his pocket where it is, you know, notifications or you're tempted to answer an email or answer a phone call. It's his kids know, this is our time with daddy. And he puts that phone away. And I think those kinds of rhythms are so much more sustainable than a legalistic approach of, just, oh, I'm only going to have this many minutes. So we're already at the end. I cannot believe this. See, we talk about this for hours. We. We're good at talking. That's one thing we're really, really good at. We both have the gift of gab.
You give one last encouragement to Gen Z about the new year
But what would you like to give one last encouragement out there to maybe any Gen Z who are listening? Because we know we have some Gen Z listeners about, about the new year.
Shelby Peck: Yeah, I think the last year, just me and my siblings, a lot of my friends, it was just scary. And there's a lot of unknowns, especially if you're going off to college or starting a career or trying to figure out what God has for you in this next stage of life. And I would just say even more than you or the world knows, God knows, which is so. It can sound cliche and it has been hard, but those two words have been something I've had to hold on to for dear life with over the past year. That God knows. And he sees my future. He sees where we're gonna be a year from now, even if I don't. And so our job is just to take tiny steps of faithfulness every day. And so if my tiny step of faithfulness is to wake up 20 minutes earlier to read my Bible or to hit 10,000 steps a day, I'm gonna do it because it's honoring to God and it ultimately helps me fulfill my purpose that he has set out for me.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Those are two great words to hold on to. God knows. That's something I've been saying a lot. And I find myself telling myself and others, God is not pacing the throne room of heaven saying, oh no, what's going to happen next? What now? What will happen? God knows, he sees. And most of all, God cares and he loves you very deeply. And wherever you are. And thinking about the new year, it is a brand new blank slate with no mistakes in it yet. And we can choose how we steward it. And as, you're praying about that, I pray that you'll join us on Fridays for our 52 habits for healthy Families, where we'll explore these rhythms and may the Lord bless you and keep you and make his face shine upon you. And we'll see you right back here tomorrow.
Jeff Chamblee: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
