Discipling Kids
Where practical parenting meets practiced theology for families and ministries discipling kids for Christ.
Discipling Kids
Healthy Habits for Families: Why the Body Matters for Discipleship (with Dr. RoseAnn Scheller)
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How do everyday habits like sleep, screen time, and physical activity shape not just our kids’ health—but their discipleship?
In this episode, I’m joined by pediatrician Dr. RoseAnn Scheller to talk about the importance of healthy habits in the home. From sleep and nutrition to movement, screen time, and discipline, we explore how caring for the body is an important part of raising kids to follow Christ.
We discuss:
- Why the body matters in discipleship
- Healthy rhythms for sleep, eating, and physical activity
- How screen time impacts kids’ development
- The connection between discipline, habits, and long-term formation
🎥 Watch Dr. Scheller’s full lecture, Healthy Habits of the Household:
https://youtu.be/Anu14B6gc54
If you’re looking to build healthier rhythms in your home that support both the body and the soul, this conversation will give you practical guidance and encouragement.
🔗 Learn more about Dr. RoseAnn Scheller’s pediatric practice:
https://www.cincinnatipediatrics.com/about/staff/roseann-scheller
Welcome to Discipling Kids Podcast, where practical parenting meets practiced theology for families and ministries of discipling kids for Christ. I'm your host, Pastor John Scheller. Hey everyone, welcome back to Discipling Kids Podcast. I am so pumped to have a very special guest with me here today. Someone I know quite well, my wife, Dr. Roseanne Scheller. Roseanne, so glad to have you. Glad to be here. And today we're going to dive into something that's been really impactful for our own family and how our everyday habits, our physical bodies, and our faith are all deeply connected. So obviously I know you, but for our listeners who may not know you, can you share a little bit about who you are and what you do?
SPEAKER_01Sure. So just to recap, my name is Roseanne Sheller. I am the wife of John Sheller, the pastor of children and families here at Kenwood Baptist Church, and the host of this HOP podcast, which is really fantastic.
SPEAKER_00Thanks.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I am a currently a pediatrician at a practice in Cincinnati called Northeast Cincinnati Pediatric Associates, and um have been in that role for about two years. Prior to that, I actually worked as a pediatric emergency medicine physician for 10 years. And so this topic is actually really important for me because I have had to relearn um the habits that are important to health and life, but also that God put those rhythms in our creation and in ourselves. And part of these habits is actually recognizing and accepting and glorifying the way that God made us.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. And to give us a little more context before we really dive in, so our church recently went through a series on habits of the household and the common rule by Justin Whitmill early. And you also, Roseanne, gave a lecture on his book, The Body Teaches the Soul. And we'll have that uh linked in the show notes be uh below so that you'll be able to watch if you would like. And so talking about this idea of embodied faith. So let's start there. So why is this important to talk about that, especially from your perspective as a physician?
SPEAKER_01I have always felt like that science is just an observation of the world that God created. And I think that's very much true of our own bodies. And what I think is fascinating is the more I look at the what the research is about different types of habits on sleep and movement and eating, that actually really lines up closely with biblical wisdom. Um, and so, you know, there's a lot of information out in the world and social media about people not gatekeeping information. But truthfully, there's not a need to because the truths about our bodies and how we are made to be have been in us the whole time. And so the truth that we're talking about today, in a way, we all sort of know um how we are made and how God created us to be. Um, and so science is just observing that world and we find that when we actually um rediscover the rhythms that were there all along, we are more able to flourish the way we were meant to. The only challenge is that we live in a world of what's and um without a deeper meaning of why, it's really hard to stay grounded. And if you don't have a why, you'll end up chasing whatever what comes next. And that's especially true for how we build habits as a family.
SPEAKER_00So, why is the idea of embodied faith important?
SPEAKER_01I'd say the idea of embodied faith is important um because our faith isn't just something we think about, it's something we live through our bodies and our daily lives. Our bodies actually matter to God. You see all that through scripture from creation um where we were made in a body in his image to Jesus coming down in a physical body to the promise of a resurrection in new bodies. Our bodies are not separate from our spiritual life, they're actually one of the primary ways God shapes us. They're a place where the Holy Spirit Spirit dwells, and they're also a tool that God uses to train up our hearts and our souls. And finally, they're also a means that we can serve others.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, the body is massively important. And even for the early church, they had to battle against what I call nasty Gnosticism, uh, which viewed the soul as being far more important than the body, and the body was something bad and it needed to be shed. And so the Bible doesn't teach that as you pointed out, but in fact, the hope of our faith is that we will one day have new resurrected bodies. Not that we will just be disembodied souls in heaven, but that we will have body and soul on a new heaven and a new earth. So, yeah, very important. And Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter chapter 9, beginning in verse 24, you know, he talks about athletes and training and comparing his spiritual walk as like a training athlete. And he says, so I do not run aimlessly in verse 26, I do not box as one beating the air, but I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. So to your point, Roseanne, so our bodies are not something we want to separate ourselves from, but to conform them into the image of Jesus Christ. So how how does our how does our physical body help us understand our spiritual lives?
SPEAKER_01I think our bodies are constantly teaching us things about God, whether we realize it or not. For example, we have to eat every day. That is a physical reminder that we are dependent, not self-sufficient, on God. We experience sickness and limitations and injuries, which reminds us that the world is broken in sin and points us back towards a hope of restoration. Um, as we all know we will die uh in our physical bodies one day. And even things like our need for rest, they remind us that we are not in control and we're invited to trust God. In a lot of ways, our physical lives are like built-in training ground for our spiritual lives. And I think that's even important as we think about health. What is our goal for health? Is it to live forever when we know we cannot? Or is it really to understand God to become more spiritually um formative in his image and to serve others? And so how we view health in that lens is so much more important.
SPEAKER_00So, how do rhythms relate to God's design?
SPEAKER_01God designed the world with rhythm from the very beginning: day and night and work and rest. And you see that pattern continue throughout scripture. Even the way that God that Jesus lived, he regularly stopped, stepped away to take rest, to pray, to be alone with the Father. And a medical standpoint, we know the same things are true for our bodies. Our bodies function best when we have consistent rhythms, sleep cycles, eating patterns, daily routines. When those things are staple, people tend to be healthier physically and mentally. So again, then again, we see that overlap on how God designed us and what science observes. And we know that all of these rhythms um make us not only healthier physically, but mentally, I know in times that we've been in stressful situations, just having a sense of rhythm restores our ability to function. Um and it's been huge to realize that over time.
SPEAKER_00So, how do habits relate to routines and rhythms?
SPEAKER_01So habits are really just patterns that get wired into our brain over time through repetition. That's what we call a neuroplasticity, um, which is encouraging because that can change at any point of our life. And so, in a way, our brains are just trying to understand what we want to do and make it easier for us. And we can either unintentionally form habits by repeating habits and behaviors that are not great for us, or we can intentionally reshape our habits to align with what is important to us. And over time, you can actually change your behavior and then you can reinforce it with your thoughts. You actually start to rewire your brain. And Justin Early's book he says, but habits are not just neurologically formative, habits are also spiritually formative because when our hearts go heads go one way, our habits go another. Guess which way that our heart follows? The heart always follows the habit.
SPEAKER_00Well, let's talk about some healthy habits then. Um let's begin with uh sleep. Why does sleep matter?
SPEAKER_01Sleep is one of the clearest examples of both physical and spiritual health overlapping. Physically, we know that kids and adults do best when they have consistent bedtime routines, like a consistent bedtime, um not using screen before bedtime, and um calming things that can help them go to sleep. Um spiritually, we know that sleep is an act of trust. When we go to sleep, we're letting go of control for a period of time. And this is a way of teaching our kids to trust God. And all of these things that we talk about in um root bedtime routines are us uh being able to have an opportunity for sleep, but they're actually a gift, uh it's a gift from God that we actually can have rest.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. And that as we hear in Isaiah 28, verse 12, uh he who said to them, God who said to them, Here is rest, give rest to the weary, and here is repose, but they would not listen. You know, this like you're saying, this gift from God of rest and repose. But in our sinfulness, we often reject that. And you and I, we we kind of have some bedtime routines as well. I know for me, um, as you have experienced as well, the the prayer that I like to do that was written out by John Calvin. Um, and it begins with, O Lord God, now grant me the grace not only to rest my body this night, but to have my spiritual repose in soul and conscience in your grace and love, that I may let go of our earthly cares, so I might be comforted and eased in all ways. Just to have a prayer like that before my head hits the pillow, it really just prepares my soul for trusting in the Lord for rest. But even you, like like tell us about some of the newer things that you're trying uh right before bed for a routine.
SPEAKER_01Well, I'll even start with our kids. John does a really great job of reading lots of books to them, which they really enjoy. Um, we get them ready for bedtime with a brushing their teeth.
SPEAKER_00We read more books and then Yeah, the book reading is getting a little extensive. You kind of have to start cutting it off.
SPEAKER_01Well, when you have a father that used to be a Shakespearean actor, in case anyone didn't know that about John, you can understand why the kids would like you to read books to them a lot. He's quite good at it.
SPEAKER_00Very dramatic time.
SPEAKER_01Um, but I think that really calms them before bedtime. And then um, as they're going to sleep, we pray for them, um, just making sure that they know that prayer um is how we end our days and that we're giving um all our thanks and um needs to God. Uh personally, I like to um do some calming things for myself, like stretching. Um, I like to listen to some worship music just to prepare my body for rest. Sometimes I'll have some tea to help calm me down. Um, and then every time we go to sleep, um, we also say a quick prayer about being thankful for each other and our family.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and what that actually sounds like, and I I don't even know when we started this, but it was soon after we were married. Um, just lying there in bed and just saying, thank you, God, for my wife.
SPEAKER_01Thank you, God, for my husband and my family.
SPEAKER_00And that, yeah, you add the family part. I think I need to start adding that. I'm grateful for my family, I swear. But we do. It's just it's a prayer of gratitude, like the last thing we say before sleep. So that's going to sleep, but what about mornings? What are some habits for the morning time?
SPEAKER_01I think we've all kind of felt that you know how we start the day actually sets up how the rest of the day will go. And physically, we know that um research shows that early light exposure in the day can help regulate our circadian rhythm, um, which improves our energy and focus. Um, but spiritually, it's also an opportunity to begin the day with gratitude, with prayer, with perspective, before everything else competes for our attention.
SPEAKER_00Okay. So what are some habits that you like to do kicking off the day?
SPEAKER_01We um like to do um some Bible studies in the morning. I um I actually often get up and go right to the gym. And then when I come back, I will do a kind of prayer um journal. And then um John has been really good about doing a Bible study with our boys before we all eat breakfast. So I like that Bible before breakfast idea. Um, I try to minimize my screen time. I also think that's really important for your circadian rhythm, not to introduce that cool lighting too early in the day, kind of slowly um getting your body um adjusted for your circadian rhythm. That's true with the screen time at nighttime as well. If you have that cool lighting, it keeps you up longer. Um, so we try to do a little bit more kind of warm lighting, low lighting early on, and then increase it with some daylight.
SPEAKER_00And you've been adding to that even recently, right before bed. I mean, you keep your phone and uh your Apple Watch kind of on the other side of the room, so it's it's removed from the bed. And then also you've been doing some stretches and other things just to help you get ready for sleep. You know, it's so easy for us to just go till we're completely exhausted and then go fall down in bed, hopefully fall asleep. But that, you know, that's not always the case. Sometimes we're having disrupted disrupted sleep then. So I've been noticing you having that routine just to help you to be restful, and then having a routine to be wakeful in the morning. Well, you mentioned Bible before breakfast, but let's talk about breakfast. What about meals, uh, breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Why are family meals important?
SPEAKER_01Family meals are one of those really simple things, but very powerful habits. We know that they're there's a lot of great data that show that kids who eat regularly with their families tend to have better physical health, less obesity, they have better eating habits when they're not just eating in front of a screen. They um are mindfully eating and enjoying their food better. And we even see that they have better emotional and academic outcomes. Um, and then when you remove distractions like devices, it actually creates a space for a conversation, connection, and even things like gratitude and prayer. And so John um does a really good job in our family of trying to have a prayer of gratitude before we eat meals uh that looks different from time to time, but we tried to do that. Sometimes it can be a song as well. Um, and then you know, making sure that meal has that connection piece. And so a lot of times we can um have these discussions of what the high points and the low points of the day were, things that might be surprising. Sometimes we actually even pick a member of the family that we want to uh honor. Um, but I think those those discussions um around a meal time are very biblical as um meals are provided by God.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and there have been studies that have shown a correlation between family meals and like you were saying, improved um emotional health, even academic improvement, um, just improvements across the board. But that's because having family meals can also show things like a more stable home environment, more parental involvement, that there's open communication between children and parents, and all those things can really be on display and practiced at the table. Well, as we're talking about family meals, the dinner table, so what should we be feeding our kids?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I actually uh feel like this is also something that God has made clear to us in the Bible. He gave us uh green things in the garden to eat. And so God's provided um what we needed um to nourish us as well. And I think what's really cool about that is that we like to get our have our children eat fruits and vegetables right from the earth he created.
SPEAKER_00Um eating the rainbow.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. Eating rainbow. We say, you know, trying to got get different types of fruits and vegetables, different colors actually mean different vitamins, which is I think one of the coolest things about God's design. And so we know that purple things can have blue and purple things can have antioxidants in them, green can have vitamin K in them. Um, you know, uh probably everyone's heard about the bit of carotene being in carrot.
SPEAKER_00I'm sitting here shaking my head, like, have I heard about that? I I don't know. Did I miss something?
SPEAKER_01That it's in it's in carrots. Um carrots are good for your eyesight.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, everyone knows that. But like I love it when you talk smart.
SPEAKER_01You know, vitamin A. And so there's just it's amazing to really think that not only did God give us food that meets our needs and what our body needs, but he also made it beautiful so that we can enjoy it in his creation because he made it good.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So how does discipline fit into all of this?
SPEAKER_01I like that you bring this topic up. Obviously, this is a topic you have talked about in your podcast before, and it's always kind of funny when you even type in the word disciple. A lot of times it auto-corrects to discipline. And um, I think those those concepts are really uh related in in God's hearts too. Um we know that we should really try to think about discipline in a way of shaping heart, not just trying to control behavior. It's easy to act out of um frustration or desire to control, but really our goal is to help guide our children towards wisdom and maturity. So some of the things that we know um show to be most effective for children in the research are having clear boundaries, um, being consistent. I think that's probably one of the harder parts for parents is being consistent between them, having positive reinforcement. But I think the most part is modeling patience and love, and that um that these things can be hard for children as they're learning, but we're here to help them.
SPEAKER_00So I was just talking to a young dad this morning just to give you a case study on the spot, and he was saying that his 19-month old keeps hitting his mom with a particular toy, and it's getting really annoying. How should they approach that, kind of given on what you're talking about, how should they approach that uh in terms of disciplining this 19-month-old?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I think, you know, part of it is establishing that clear boundary. Like we don't hit in our family. This is not what we do in our home. Um, and being really consistent about how you intervene in that in that time period um kind of depends on how the child's doing. You know, if this is like a particular toy, maybe that toy is just showing that it's not a great object for that child right now. And so maybe that toy gets taken away. Um, maybe that toy can be reintroduced, but maybe it may not be until we're we're able to show that we're able to use that toy. Um, I think the other part is that if the child seems like they're having a hard time emotionally regulating, which we as adults have a hard time as well, maybe helping and that child know how to get in a better um regulated state, taking deep breaths. Um, some kids like um like to be physically active, you know, doing jumping jacks or, you know, listening to music. Some kids just need to be alone for a period of time. So trying to understand what your child needs in that moment, and then you know, ultimately, you know, coming back. later and um just making sure that they know that that you love them no matter what the behavior was and that you're here to help them through it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah and I remember that even with our kids this idea of if I didn't want them to to throw a certain object redirecting them by saying hey we you can throw a ball but you we don't throw this so it's like yeah you can you can hit this pillow you don't hit mom in the face.
SPEAKER_01Right. Yeah and I think those behaviors when we allow them um kids don't understand what the boundary is and so they can continue to push it as we're when we try to understand what boundaries are and we're not told what they are we push boundaries too and so we just need to help children understand what those boundaries are and to help them succeed in those situations by sometimes just removing them or the objects.
SPEAKER_00So removing them does that is that meaning a timeout or just hey we need to we're gonna change rooms we're gonna change scenario or both I think it all depends on the situation.
SPEAKER_01So you know we have definitely used timeouts effectively in our home but you know I we have had situations where we had um a child that had some behaviors in a restaurant and that meant that we had to take a break outside the restaurant um so you know I think it all depends on what's going on and and I think every child's different um as well and so I don't think that every family and every child can have a this is the solution for every situation um because everything's needs to be adjusted for that child and that family.
SPEAKER_00Well you mentioned at the dinner table it being screen free. So talk to us more about technology.
SPEAKER_01How should families approach technology and screens um so I think the goal isn't just restriction um because we also want our children to be able to live in the world that they're in um so it's being intentional technology we want them to be able to listen to the podcast we are recording for them one day. No technology can be something that is used with purpose uh I think it's easy as things are changing that we just kind of passively be shaped by it. But just like we're talking about intentionality on how we do anything with these habits, we need to think about what is the purpose um having like boundaries and limits around how we use it, where it's used, ideally with each other as opposed to isolation. This is a real concern from a pediatric standpoint because too much screen time is linked to things like poor sleep, behavior issues and developmental delays. I have definitely seen children have speech delays from too much screen time. So I think it's about creating rhythms that prioritize what's really important in your family.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely and we'll actually I'll have um Chris McKenna from Protect Young Eyes will be interviewing him soon and he makes a point also about doing technology together. So setting a habit that it's not just something that we as parents or children are doing in isolation but how how can we be include not just avoiding it but making it so it's this is a family experience.
SPEAKER_01I also think that technology um because it's so rapidly changing um and you know I feel like it's in human nature to be um very interested in uh all the changing kind of uh environment of technology we have to be really careful about how we model it and so you know I uh have definitely uh um after working in the emergency department had bad habits with my screen time um as a way of escapism um distraction um just kind of like that energetic um kind of use and um I have definitely had to think about like how do I store my technology during things like mealtime putting it away um I have even bought things to help me not use it during certain times. And so part of what I think you talk about in your podcast is like um how kids are get ideas from their parents more about how they see them um act and how they behave more than what they're told. And so you know I think that um that's one thing as a parent we have to be extra careful about especially you know um people like us where we've kind of experienced all sorts of um changes in technology and if we're not being careful about it we can kind of get swept in by it why does movement matter for children and families um so movement is essential for physical health um it has a great impact on mood focus and overall well-being um I can say that for kids there are lots of recommendations on daily movements and that can range from as little babies um 30 minutes a day with tummy time um up to like even two three hours for toddlers and at least two hours for school age kids and beyond and I think what that shows is that um our bodies were made to move and how we move actually is great for our whole body um and how it functions but also um how it affects how we think and how we function as well. So for example we as a family actually try to go on walks after dinner um weather permitting um which is not only physically helpful but it's also another time as a family where we can talk and connect um I also think there's a spiritual component that when we move our bodies we engage with how God made us and we recognize his strength within us. As John knows I have been being more involved in um my local gym and um I find that it has been really exciting to get stronger but at the same time the workouts are hard and I feel exhausted and then I give that up to God and there are times where I become injured and I know that in my weakness um he is strong.
SPEAKER_00So why are things like work and play important for kids?
SPEAKER_01Kids are designed to grow through a balance of responsibility play and connection so they actually have um showed really good information about work like chores um you know not only is it important for a child to understand responsibility um but having a role in the home um that they are responsible for actually builds confidence and so kids who participate in family chores actually have higher levels of constant confidence in their life which is really exciting. But play is also super critical that's actually when um they're basically testing out their world a little bit and so having those physical social emotional um interactions help them kind of understand how the world works and and how they work in it. And um relationships obviously are how both of those things function. And so you know we know that relationships and conversations with adults adults are the one of the strongest predictors of long-term outcomes for kids. And so you know I know John you probably will be talking more about this in podcasts but um even on a faith basis we know that children that have um multiple uh adult relationships that encourage their faith creates a lasting faith in them um and so I think that part of our our relationship with our kids is to make sure they have relationship with other adults that can encourage them. And if that is encouraging their faith as well then that's an important aspect as well.
SPEAKER_00Can you help boil down for us what are some big takeaways today?
SPEAKER_01I think the big picture is that our everyday lives matter more than we think. The small habits on how we sleep, how we eat, rest, move our bodies these are ways that are shaping ourselves and our kids over time. Even in the brokenness of life, our limitations, our struggles they remind us that we are not meant to find everything here and that there's a deeper hope that we are being shaped for. So if you're listening right now you're not behind. Just start small one moment one habit one shift this week can really shape the trajectory of you and your family's lives thank you for listening to Discipling Kids Podcast.
SPEAKER_00If you enjoyed today's episode please subscribe so you can receive the latest updates about new episodes and other events