Author Interview with Shelly Radic

I feel so lucky to be able to have email interviewed Shelly Radic, Chief of Staff of MOPS International, and author of Momology: A Mom's Guide to Shaping Great Kids. She's also a mom to four kids, so she gets it. Enjoy!


Can you share a little bit about the research that went into Momology?

The research being done on parenting and families is extensive. To shape the content and better understand what moms are most concerned about, I spent several months reviewing research done by agencies and organizations such as the YMCA, Search Institute and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as reviewing the thinking of multiple parenting experts, current university and government research as well as mom websites and blogs. About 1,800 moms of preschoolers also responded to surveys specifically for Momology. Momology is also based on what MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers, Intl.) has learned in over 35 years of working with moms.


What are some of the daily practices a mother can do to intentionally develop finesse as a mother?

First and foremost a mom can be intentional about spending time loving her children and getting to know them. Attentive listening and watching, first to baby’s cries and expressions, later to a preschooler’s dialogue and body language in describing how sprinklers work provide clues to who our children are. Finesse is personalized for each child and knowing your child is important in every situation.

Second, listen to your intuition. If you think something seems wrong for your child or your situation, think long and hard before saying yes. Even if it means making a different choice from all your mom friends…or your mom.

Third, be willing to try and fail without beating yourself up. Often it takes several tries to find the right technique or solution for a situation. Decide ahead of time that every failure provides opportunity to learn and moves you closer to a solution. Keep trying until you find something that works.



Why do you urge mothers to be lifelong learners? How does that relate to their parenting?

Four reasons.

Moms who are lifelong learners better understand and interact within the complex, ever-changing world we mother in.

Moms have children who are constantly learning and changing. This requires that moms constantly assimilate new information about and for them into our mothering repertoire.

Moms are gifted with amazing mom brains and we should steward that gift by honing skills, diving into topics we’re passionate about and developing something new. Lifelong learning opens up options for our own future and fortifies a resilient mom core.

Moms who model lifelong learning to their kids are more likely to have kids who are lifelong learners.


Your statement about how easy it is to let cultivating relationships drop to the bottom of the to-do list really struck me. As a mom to four children, what were some successful strategies you used to cultivate and maintain friendships while mothering young children?

Routine. For instance, when my younger two daughters were in kindergarten, I met with a mom friend every Monday after we dropped our girls off.

Join. One of the best things I did as a young mom was meet with other moms on a regular basis. I was part of a MOPS group and a stroller walking club, but it could also be joining a gym with another mom or organizing a neighborhood play date.

Volunteer. Some of my deepest friendships were formed as I volunteered. Work with another mom in the church nursery or organize a group of moms to visit a senior center once a month.


I love your chart on engaging young kids spiritually. What types of things does your family do as you are raising your children? What are some of your favorite family traditions that also help your family grow spiritually?

For many, many years, we had a designated family night. Often (but not always) that included time to pray for others- our Compassion child, a missionary family, friends with specific needs. It also included a Bible story or concept. Wrapped around that was time to have fun together.

Holidays were also opportunities for spiritual development, especially Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving. We read books and enjoyed Advent calendars and Easter eggs which offered opportunity to engage with the Bible stories. At Thanksgiving we still share what we’re thankful for, but when my kids were little we made a Thanksgiving tree, writing those things on the leaves.

We also prayed together in the mornings, at meals and before bedtime. It was part of our routine. As we read books, Bible stories were included in the mix on a regular basis.

Church attendance is a priority, above sleep-overs, sports and other activities.

We also engaged our children in service from an early age, delivering meals, collecting canned goods, filling shoe boxes with small gifts; small, hands-on opportunities to do good for others.

Intentionally incorporate the spiritual into every aspect of life. That’s where it belongs. I do wish I had been more intentional about one-on-one spiritual mentoring, especially as my kids got older. Faith is unique to each person and in retrospect I can see my kids were dealing with unique faith challenges that I wasn’t addressing with them.