Parenting Forward

Latest Episodes:

099: Cultivating Sacred Moments with Kids w/ Traci Smith Nov 02, 2020

Show notes

The way I think is very big picture. I am an abstract thinker who’s great with ideas, but not so much with concrete practices. Because of this, I try to bring guests onto the show who will compensate for this weakness of mine. While I give you big frameworks and better narratives within which to nurture your kids’ spirituality, I rely on other people’s content and resources when it comes down to what to actually do or say. One of these people is Traci Smith.

Traci provides actionable rituals and practices for families who want to build a foundation of healthy spirituality. She creates resources that help parents incorporate spiritual practices into everyday life. In this episode, we talk about how to cultivate sacred moments for our kids even if you’re not an expert yourself yet. Tune in to learn some practices that you can try today.

Show Highlights:

Traci’s spiritual background and theological transition later in life.
The biggest barriers to cultivating sacred moments for our kids and families.
How to make time for spirituality in your family.
What healthy spirituality looks like and the signs of spiritual deprivation.
How to create moments of connection and sacred moments for our kids when we have religious trauma.
Practices from her book Faithful Families for Advent that we can try.
What it means to become more conscious of what’s happening in our bodies when they are doing so many things.

Links (affiliates included):

Traci Smith’s website: http://www.traci-smith.com

Faithful Families for Advent & Christmas - https://amzn.to/3j4glQB

Join us at the Parenting Forward Patreon Team - https://www.patreon.com/cindywangbrandt

Parenting Forward, the Book - https://amzn.to/3g0LJPn

***

EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

098: Elections and Political Engagement with Kids w/ John Shallman Oct 26, 2020

Show notes

Those of you who listen to this podcast are people who are very active and engaged in the political process. I tend to be a political junkie myself. However, the 2016 election devastated me and I wasn’t interested in dragging my mental health through that ordeal again. So I haven’t been as engaged this time around.

That being said, I’m still a firm believer in being engaged in responsible citizenship and I know that journey begins at home. That sense of empowerment for the political process has to start when our kids are young. That is why I brought special guest John Shallman onto the podcast.

John is a political campaign strategist. He is also the author of the debut novel, Return From Siberia, a story about politics and family. I was so honored to have John join me for this conversation. Tune in to hear incredible advice from someone with many years of experience in politics and campaigning.

Show Highlights:

How John’s career as a campaign strategist intersects with his novel.
His experience growing up in a tight-knit political community.
How he ended up becoming a consultant.
How to enfranchise children for the political process while also telling them they can’t vote.
Practical tips for how parents and schools can engage children in the political process.
How to explain to kids that not everyone thinks the same way.
How to encourage healthy debate when the national discourse sets a bad example.
How to help our kids consume media and discern fake news.
The balance in raising skeptics who still have a sense of wonder about the world.
How to engage kids in politics in a way that fits their personality.

Links (affiliates included):

Return from Siberia - https://amzn.to/2HhDFNJ

Join us at the Parenting Forward Patreon Team - https://www.patreon.com/cindywangbrandt

Parenting Forward, the Book - https://amzn.to/3g0LJPn

***

EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

097: Don’t Simplify Theology for Kids w/ Katey Hage Oct 19, 2020

Show notes

Resistance is spiritual. However, what’s spiritual is spiritual too. That’s why I brought on someone whose career vocation it is to invest in the spirituality of children.

Katey Hage is the children’s pastor of Quest Church, a diverse church in Seattle founded by my friend Eugene Cho. Katey and I have vocational passions that intersect. Having grown up in a predominately white Christian church environment, when she first experienced God in diverse communities, something shifted inside of her. She was deeply drawn to the image of the multi-cultural Kingdom of God.

Today, Katey and I are talking all things kids, ministry, and spirituality. Tune in to hear her origin story and how she gives the children she ministers to spiritual agency.

Show Highlights:

What made Katey want to become a children’s pastor.
How she has wrestled with feeling subversive in her role.
How she defines healthy spirituality.
Why spontaneous authentic spirituality is better.
Advice for religious people who want to honor their children’s spiritual agency and quest.
How to raise your kids with healthy spirituality when you have religious triggers.
The most important issues facing children’s ministry today.
How the church can do better at respecting kids and treating them as fully human.
The new curriculum they’re developing at Quest.

Links (affiliates included):

We referenced David’s episode several times: https://cindywangbrandt.com/podcast/episode-94-children-making-theological-meaning-w-david-csinos/

Join us at the Parenting Forward Patreon Team - https://www.patreon.com/cindywangbrandt

Parenting Forward, the Book - https://amzn.to/3g0LJPn

***

EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

096: Activist, You! with Lindz Amer Oct 12, 2020

Show notes

It’s never too early to talk to kids about equality. From an early age, we should give them the tools and language to see themselves and interact with the actual realities of the people they will encounter in their lives. This is incredibly important work and something that Lindz Amer does so well.

Lindz Amer is the creator of Queer Kid Stuff. They create media for all kids with queer representation. There is abundant queer representation and resources for teens, but it’s very scarce for young children, so I love that Lindz speaks to that demographic. In this episode, we are talking about Queer Kid Stuff as well as their new podcast, Activist, You!

Show Highlights:

How Queer Kid Stuff and Activist, You! overlap and interact with each other.
How Lindz identifies and the work they do.
The lenses we put on to clarify how we see the world as we grow up.
What it means to be an activist.
The interview that was the most impactful for Lindz.
The parenting patterns that have made the kids on Activist, You! who they are.
Why thinking about the long game is the best parenting practice.

Links (affiliates included):

Queer Kid Stuff - http://queerkidstuff.com

Activist, You! - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/activist-you/id1495721988

Join us at the Parenting Forward Patreon Team - https://www.patreon.com/cindywangbrandt

Parenting Forward, the Book - https://amzn.to/3g0LJPn

***

EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

095: Keeping Families Together w/ Heather Askew Oct 05, 2020

Show notes

A few episodes ago, I hosted a show with Cam Lee, a transracial adoptee and mental health professional. We talked about issues surrounding transracial adoption, white saviorism, and the movement to adopt from orphanages internationally. Heather Askew, one of my listeners, reached out to me and she works with NGOs that are trying to make the shift from orphanages to family based-care. I don't know very much about this. But I feel like for those of us who advocate for the well-being of children, not just in our own communities, but worldwide, it would be good for us to learn more about how we can be better advocates.

Heather Askew grew up in the US and moved to Thailand just over nine years ago to work at an after school program for kids who lived in the slums and the red light district of Chiang Mai, Thailand. But over the years, she and her teammates saw issues that were not being met by their work. They started a new organization that is developing a foster care system in Thailand and helping shift the Thai system from being dependent on orphanages to being more family-based that supports children living with relatives or their biological parents.

Show Highlights:

The misconceptions of orphanages.
Why building more orphanages is not a solution to the social problems vulnerable children face.
Why it’s important to transition children back into their own families.
The differences between family-based care and orphanages.
How Heather is working with churches and Western Christians to change their narratives.

Links (affiliates included):

Jojo’s Sanctuary - https://jojosthailand.org

Faith to Action - https://www.faithtoaction.org

Christian Alliance for Orphans - https://cafo.org

Join us at the Parenting Forward Patreon Team - https://www.patreon.com/cindywangbrandt

Parenting Forward, the Book - https://amzn.to/3g0LJPn

***

EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

094: Children Making Theological Meaning w/ David Csinos Sep 28, 2020

Show notes

It’s a great moment when we find kindred spirits whose views align closely with our own. It’s just an amazing feeling to know we’re not alone in pushing an idea forward and so wonderful to collaborate with like-minded individuals. When I was writing my book, Parenting Forward, I did a lot of research that led me to many like-minded individuals such as these. One of these people was David Csinos.

David curated a collection of essays on the topic of progressive theology that was a huge part of my research. He has a new book coming out now called Little Theologians: Children, Culture, and the Making of Theological Meaning. The prevailing narrative out there is that children just parrot theology and don’t actively think about God, the universe, or the other transcendent things of life. However, they are actually theological agents of meaning-making. This is what David’s book is all about. Tune in to hear our discussion on this and how to successfully talk to children about theological issues.

Show Highlights:

Why the spiritual blank slate narrative persists.
Why authoritative environments are so harmful to children.
How he leveled the power dynamic and genuinely listened to the kids he interviewed without mining them for ideas that fit his narrative.
Understanding the concrete thinking of children.
The spiritual child protection policies David would instate.
The value of children’s ministers.
What he would do as a VBS curriculum writer.

Links (affiliates included):

Little Theologians: Children, Culture, and the Making of Theological Meaning - https://amzn.to/3hPNEqe

Faith Forward - https://amzn.to/3mAvs7w

Spiritual Child Protection Policies Episode - https://cindywangbrandt.com/podcast/episode-15-7-spiritual-child-protection-policies/

Join us at the Parenting Forward Patreon Team - https://www.patreon.com/cindywangbrandt

Parenting Forward, the Book - https://amzn.to/3g0LJPn

***

EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

093: Decolonizing Parenting w/ Jo Luehmann Sep 21, 2020

Show notes

In past episodes, I’ve used the term faith deconstruction a lot. Some of you might be sick of hearing it, while others of you might be confused. To get us all on the same page, faith deconstruction implies that we’re tearing down some of the structures of faith we used to have. I really prefer the term faith-shifting because the process isn’t a destructive force, but rather a life-giving path that helps us find our way towards truer versions of ourselves.

For our Parenting Forward community, deconstruction applies beyond faith spaces as well. Anyone who feels that the way they were parented was toxic or problematic is engaging in the same type of work as faith deconstructors. Today on the podcast we have Jo Luehmann, a fellow cycle-breaker and faith deconstructor. In the episode, she teaches us how to dismantle oppressive structures for the flourishing of ourselves and the next generation.

Show Highlights:

The timeline of Jo’s faith evolution and how that intersects with parenting.
What decolonizing is and how it goes hand in hand with faith deconstruction.
How deconstruction heals society.
How to decolonize parenting spaces.
How to better think about the idea of obedience.
The power of really listening to our kids’ words that we interpret as lies.
What healthy spirituality looks like for Jo and her children and how she’s living that out in her parenting.

Links (affiliates included):

Jo on Twitter - https://twitter.com/JoLuehmann

Jo on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joluehmann/

Join us at the Parenting Forward Patreon Team - https://www.patreon.com/cindywangbrandt

Parenting Forward, the Book - https://amzn.to/3g0LJPn

***

EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

092: V is for Voting w/ Kate Farrell Sep 14, 2020

Show notes

Kids are affected just as much as adults are by the government and the decisions that are being made by our leaders. However, they aren’t given a say in choosing who those leaders will be. They’re going to inherit the world that we are making, so the government needs to represent them, as well. They need to have a voice.

Today’s guest believes in empowering children in this way, as well. She is the author of the brand new children’s book, V is for Voting. This ABC book introduces progressive families to concepts like social justice and civil rights. It reminds readers that every vote counts. Here at Parenting Forward, we are very interested in kids and activism, so this book is a perfect fit. In today’s episode, Kate and I talk about V is for Voting and why she believes it is so important to get into the hands of our kids.

Show Highlights:

How to explain to kids why voting is so important when the world is telling them they’re not important enough to vote.
What stood out to Kate when researching the history of voting rights.
How we can integrate lessons of citizenship to our kids.
Why families who say they aren’t political still need this book.
What Kate would say to kids who want to get involved but feel like they’re shy, ordinary, or not smart enough.
How we can help our kids believe that they deserve to be a part of the conversation about things that happen in their lives.

Links (affiliates included):

V is for Voting - https://amzn.to/3bF1lGX

Join us at the Parenting Forward Patreon Team - https://www.patreon.com/cindywangbrandt

Parenting Forward, the Book - https://amzn.to/3g0LJPn

***

EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

091: We Bare Bears: The Movie w/ Daniel Chong Sep 04, 2020

Show notes

I am amazed at how our kids are so much more woke than we were at their age or even than we are now. They take things like demanding equality for granted. This is because of children’s media and stories that aren’t afraid to show them the world as it is. One media influencer who does this brilliantly is Daniel Chong.

Daniel Chong is the creator of We Bare Bears, a popular Cartoon Network television series. He is releasing a new TV movie on Monday, Sept. 7 at 6pmET/PT, We Bare Bears: The Movie. Not only are there loveable bears in this movie, but there are also themes of belonging, identity, loyalty, equality, and justice--all things we like to talk about here at Parenting Forward. In this episode, Daniel and I talk about the movie and the challenges he has encountered in getting it out into the world.

Show Highlights:

Daniel’s response to those who say We Bare Bears is too political.
What he wants kids to know about celebrity culture and how to find a sense of identity in the current climate.
How he overcame stereotypes and owned his vocation as a creative.
The positives and negatives of the influx of media for our kids.
How he understands what will resonate with kids.

Links (affiliates included):

Join us at the Parenting Forward Patreon Team - https://www.patreon.com/cindywangbrandt

Parenting Forward, the Book - https://amzn.to/3g0LJPn

***

EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

090: Parenting After Purity Culture Tweet Thread Aug 31, 2020

Show notes

Recently, I posted a Twitter thread about recovering from purity culture. I wasn’t specifically addressing the parenting audience, but it easily applies and is very important to the parenting conversation. Just like how the sex talk should not be a one-time conversation with our kids, recovery requires ongoing conversations. So, I wanted to expand upon my Twitter thread here on the podcast.

There are so many prerequisites for recovery before a good, healthy sex talk can happen. These are the very issues I’m delving into today. If you were raised in purity culture or simply want to learn from the perspective of those who were, tune in. You’ll hear a thorough discussion on the fears and confusion from which those of us recovering from purity culture must be healed in order to be the best parents we can be.

Show Highlights: