Podcast Summary: More Than Reality with Adam and Danielle — EP 47

Title: When Our Kids Struggle With Change: What We’ve Learned as Parents
Date: August 28, 2025
Hosts: Adam and Danielle Busby

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt episode, Adam and Danielle Busby open up about the challenges their family faces when navigating seasons of change—especially as parents helping their six daughters, including quintuplets, deal with transitions like moving homes and starting new schools. The couple share personal stories, strategies for supporting children through anxiety, and reflect on lessons learned as both individuals and as a team. The episode is rich with advice for parenting through tough times, emphasizing empathy, adaptability, and faith.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Life in Transition: Moving Houses, New Schools, and Daily Chaos

• The Busbys are in the midst of moving, living out of boxes, and juggling arranging two homes (03:35).
• Danielle describes the ongoing struggle to stay organized amid the move:

  "Literally, like one day at a time, like, trying to slowly, like, tackle a section of the house… then the kids are like at school now and so it's a little easier during the day..." (02:43)

• The start of a new school year brings new routines and challenges for the kids, particularly Riley, who is sensitive to changes (07:21).

2. Kids and Their Varied Responses to Change

• The quintuplets, despite being born moments apart, each react to situations in completely different ways:

  "We see on a broad span one action that we might do in six different feelings in six different ways." (12:45)

• Riley is highlighted as the child who finds change particularly difficult. Danielle notes how her anxiety manifested as physical symptoms:

  "She just had these major, like, stomach pains... she's clearly experiencing some anxiety." (09:32)

• Riley needs reassurance and clear, thorough answers about the future:

  "She's that kid that has to have everything figured out. She's gonna have a million questions…and you got to make sure you answer them right." (34:54)

3. Parental Emotional Struggles & Growth

• Danielle reflects on not having grown up talking about feelings, making it harder to comfort her children:

  "I don't talk about feelings or emotions…so it was kind of like a breakthrough for me and her." (11:11)

• Adam discusses the parental instinct to "fix" things, versus equipping children to handle struggles themselves:

  "Your instinct is…want to get in there and just fix it. But that's not necessarily the right thing to do. It's how do you equip your kid in order to be able to overcome that on their own?" (11:51)

• They emphasize teaching emotional tools and self-sufficiency:

  "We're raising kids to be able to do things on their own because…we can't just keep putting band aids [on] and just telling them that that doesn't matter..." (16:42)

4. Faith as Foundation

• The Busbys root their family life, coping mechanisms, and decision-making in their Christian faith:

  "We're a Jesus family…our foundation is Jesus. And that is what keeps everything together, no matter what fights, arguments, whatever is going to come in between." (50:29)

• Adam reads from 1 Corinthians to explain how their faith informs decisions outsiders may not understand:

  "People that haven't got God's spirit can never understand…But the Holy Spirit is in us, so we can think the same way that Jesus Christ thinks." (41:47)

• They express hope that their openness might spark curiosity and faith in others:

  "My hope would be…you don't bash it, but you say, I wonder what they're talking about and go look it up and go seek the Bible." (44:57)

5. Modeling Vulnerability & Healthy Relationships

• The couple discusses the importance of being real with their kids—owning mistakes, apologizing, and showing that disagreements happen, but are resolved with love and faith:

  "Telling your kids like you mess up and when you mess up, that you apologize…being perfect is a lie." (22:31)

• They recall specific incidents where Riley overheard arguments, and how they used those moments to reassure her and model conflict resolution:

  "Just because you hear that…and you hear, you know, we're having a disagreement doesn't mean…you have to worry about that." (26:50)

6. Present Parenting & Supporting Through Milestones

• As the children near pre-teen years, Danielle acknowledges the increased need for parental presence:

  "Presentness is needed more than anything…they need us more present as they're going through…the big phase of life change." (38:44)

• Danielle shares a touching story of simply sitting and crying with a daughter who couldn’t articulate her feelings:

  "I just said, what's wrong? She's like, I don't know. And I said, okay, well, that's okay. Like, do we just want to cry? And she says, yes. And I was like, then let's just cry." (39:04)

• They reiterate the importance of daily quality time with each child, even if it’s just a few minutes:

  "You’ve got to give your kids some quality time every day... it's important because…giving your child quality time is going to really build security in their little comfort zone of, you know, the house." (30:09)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Parenting Through Change:

  "You want your kids to feel safe...but you also want to prepare them for situations and set them up for success." (14:00, Adam)

• On Not Having All the Answers:

  "We don't have to have it figured out right now...No matter what, this family will always be enough." (36:00, Danielle)

• On Honest Parenting:

  "Being perfect is a lie. And I think that we have to do better at being more real." (23:41, Danielle)

• On Faith and Outsiders:

  "People that haven't got God's spirit can never understand the people that…have got his spirit." (41:47, Adam)

• On Seeking God’s Direction:

  "If we are obedient to stay on that path, it will be beautiful and better than we can expect on the end. So we're in that walking phase. I don't have it figured out, but we lean on him…for how do we do this?" (41:23, Danielle)

• On Parenting a Child with Anxiety:

  "When she starts to feel calmer…we've talked about this. We've prayed through this. Reminding her, like, maybe, like, no matter what, you are never alone." (19:13, Danielle)

• On Vulnerability With Kids:

  "Leading through vulnerability...unless you become vulnerable and you open up and you tell about your struggles…that's whenever those walls start to come down." (23:45, Adam)

• On Navigating Sibling Differences:

  "We all process differently. Like, you are you…she is she." (25:32, Adam)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:35 — Moving struggles and chaos at home
• 07:21 — Riley’s challenges with change & new school
• 09:32 — Recognizing child anxiety & emotional symptoms
• 11:51 — Instinct to "fix" vs. empowering kids
• 14:00 — Parenting six unique personalities
• 19:13 — Comforting Riley & parenting through faith
• 22:31 — Modeling apologies & real relationships
• 26:50 — Explaining parental conflict & reassurance
• 30:09 — Importance of daily quality time
• 34:54 — Riley’s need to “have it all figured out”
• 36:00 — Letting go of the need for answers, faith in uncertainty
• 38:44–40:00 — Presentness in pre-teen years & emotional support
• 41:47 — Faith, criticism, and following God’s guidance
• 44:57 — Inviting open-mindedness in listeners
• 50:29 — Jesus as family foundation (“But God”)

Final Thoughts

This episode is a masterclass in transparent, faith-driven parenting during uncertain times. Adam and Danielle Busby don’t shy away from their children’s struggles—or their own. Instead, they share real stories, admit their mistakes, and model how to nurture resilience, self-advocacy, and faith in kids. Their honesty, humility, and humor make their insights as practical as they are inspiring.

For parents facing seasons of change—or anyone seeking encouragement in uncertainty—this episode provides practical wisdom, emotional comfort, and a reminder of the importance of both presence and grace.