SHOW NOTES: https://parentforward.com/sacredplayseries-whenplaygrowsup/

Remember when play came naturally? When laughter flowed freely with your little ones? Then something shifted. The sidewalk chalk disappeared, games became "dorky," and eye rolls replaced giggles. What happened to that sacred sense of wonder we once shared with our children?

This episode explores the beautiful tension of parenting older kids while trying to maintain—or recover—our capacity for sacred play. We dive into the neuroscience behind why imagination fades (it's called synaptic pruning) and the hopeful reality that our brains can build new pathways back to joy through intentional practice. We challenge common myths about teenagers: they don't actually want to be left alone; they crave meaningful connection beyond screens; and yes, they still want moments of silliness and delight—just in different forms.

Looking to Jesus as our model, we find someone who embodied playful spirituality through questions, stories, and inviting people to notice the world around them. His posture of curiosity reminds us that God delights in questions rather than fearing mystery. What blocks us from embracing this divine playfulness? Often it's shame, exhaustion, or the persistent feeling that we haven't earned joy yet—that we don't deserve delight until the to-do list is complete. But what if play isn't a luxury but a spiritual discipline essential for our wholeness?

Whether your children are toddlers, teens, or somewhere in between, this episode offers gentle permission to start small: one moment of shared delight this week. Because it's not too late to rebuild wonder—for your children's sake and your own. Join me on Instagram @parentforwardpodcast to share how it goes, and tune in next week for a special behind-the-scenes episode about the heart behind Parent Forward, plus a giveaway of my favorite parenting tools!

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SHOW NOTES: https://parentforward.com/sacredplayseries-sacredimagination/

The spiritual life of children doesn't look like adult faith—it's wilder, more embodied, and deeply imaginative. When my daughter gathered her stuffed animals and announced "Jesus is here and we're going to listen with our hearts," I realized she wasn't just playing—she was creating sacred space in her own intuitive way.

Decades of research by experts like Catherine Stonehouse and Scotty May confirm what many parents have glimpsed: children naturally encounter God through creativity and play long before they can articulate faith in adult language. Their book "Listening to Children on the Spiritual Journey" documents countless moments where kids express profound spiritual insights through art, storytelling, and imaginative exploration. One child described feeling Jesus's love while painting; another built a LEGO church and experienced it as genuine worship.

This isn't coincidental. Jesus himself taught primarily through parables and metaphors—he didn't offer three-point sermons but invited listeners into imaginative participation through stories about seeds, coins, and lost sheep. When our children ask if God has wings or what heaven smells like, they're engaging in precisely the kind of imaginative theology Jesus modeled. Eugene Peterson captures this beautifully in "Christ Plays in 10,000 Places," suggesting that divine presence saturates our ordinary world—not just in church but in cardboard castles and backyard adventures.

The challenge for parents is simple but profound: can we set aside our need to control and correct, stepping instead into our children's worlds with reverence and curiosity? This week, try joining your child in play without leading. Ask open-ended questions like "Where do you think God is in this story?" or provide gentle prompts such as "Can you draw what it feels like when God is close?" Your presence—not your perfection—is what creates space for sacred play.

Something beautiful happens when we enter our children's imaginative worlds: we remember what our souls have forgotten. We rediscover wonder, mystery, and a faith that breathes and moves. Join us next week as we explore what gets in the way when play feels hard, and how to gently find our way back to joy. Subscribe now and become part of our community of parents seeking faithful formation, one imaginative step at a time.

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• Instagram: @parentforwardpodcast
• Website: www.parentforward.com

SHOW NOTES: https://parentforward.com/sacredplayseries-theplayfulparent/

What happens when a parent chooses to be ridiculous on purpose? Something sacred emerges in those unguarded moments of laughter and play.

Through a story about a tension-filled dinner transformed by an impromptu Sound of Music performance, we discover how play creates connection beyond what words could achieve. That moment of shared silliness didn't just lighten the mood—it created a sanctuary where everyone belonged, where even a resistant three-year-old found her way back to joy.

We've been taught that adulthood means productivity and emotional efficiency. Play gets labeled as childish or optional, something we outgrow when "real life" begins. But researchers like Dr. Stuart Brown and Dr. Karen Purvis have discovered something profound: play isn't decorative—it's developmental. "The opposite of play isn't work," Brown notes after decades of study, "it's depression." When play fades, confusion and emotional disconnection take its place.

Even Jesus modeled this playful approach to transformation. His stories about camels squeezing through needle eyes and people with logs protruding from their eyes weren't dry theological points—they were vivid, sometimes absurd windows into the kingdom. What if Jesus told them with the joy of a campfire storyteller, using humor not to entertain but to invite?

This week's spiritual practice is beautifully simple: be silly. Use a funny voice. Make up a secret handshake. Narrate bedtime like a nature documentary. For some of us, this feels harder than it sounds, especially if we were raised where play wasn't safe. But when we meet our children in the absurd, we're communicating something profound: this space is safe, you are free here, joy doesn't need to be earned.

Join our Parent Forward community by visiting parentforward.com where the conversation continues with weekly insights and resources. Has this episode stirred something in you? Share it on Instagram @parentforwardpodcast and leave a review to help others discover this soul-nourishing approach to family life.

Let’s Stay Connected:

• Instagram: @parentforwardpodcast
• Website: www.parentforward.com