Got a question or a future episode idea? Email me: julie@parentforward.com

Criticism often sounds reasonable, but it can quietly teach our kids a story about who they are. I explore how timing, labels, and a critical spirit can break connection and how we can begin again with grace.

• the moment where correction pulls in history and becomes personal
• how repeated criticism forms identity rather than growth
• Dr Gary Chapman’s story about affirmation first
• why timing determines meaning in parent feedback
• my “bad at math” label and how it changed
• Eli’s “troublemaker” identity and what naming goodness did
• the critical spirit as a posture that spreads
• how our view of God’s voice shapes our parenting voice

If this episode was helpful to you, you can rate the podcast, leave a review, or share it with somebody who would benefit.

You can also come hang out with me on Instagram at @JulieLuse or at @ParentForwardPodcast. And on my website, parentforward.com, where I share additional resources for parents who want to grow in this work.

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Got a question or a future episode idea? Email me: julie@parentforward.com

We name the “Parenting Apocalypse” as an unveiling of the small communication patterns that quietly shape our homes over time. We connect Gottman’s Four Horsemen with parenting and spiritual formation so we can notice what is happening beneath the surface and choose a better way with our kids.
• defining “apocalypse” as an unveiling that brings hidden patterns into the light
• introducing Gottman’s Four Horsemen as predictors of relationship breakdown
• translating criticism defensiveness contempt and stonewalling into everyday parenting moments
• explaining why repeated patterns are formational for children and shape identity and safety
• connecting relational neuroscience with scripture on the power of words
• practicing “name it to tame it” as the first step toward real change
• reflecting on a story of a stressed moment that lands as shame
• inviting gentle noticing this week and previewing criticism as the next focus
If this episode resonated with you, it would mean a lot if you rated the podcast, left a review, or shared it with a friend.

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Let’s Stay Connected:

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

This episode is a little different.

Instead of teaching or offering a framework, I’m inviting you into the story behind the voice you’ve been listening to.

Because what you’re hearing on this podcast isn’t just ideas or strategies. It’s a lens. A way of seeing parenting, formation, and people that has been shaped over time through real experiences, questions, loss, and growth.

And the truth is, if you’re going to trust me to walk with you in your parenting, you deserve to know where that lens comes from.

I’ll be honest, this isn’t the easiest thing for me to do. Talking about myself has never been natural. But I’m learning that this might actually be one of the most important gifts I can offer you. Not a polished version of parenting, but an honest one.

If you’ve noticed some gaps in recent episodes, this will also help you understand why. A lot has shifted in my life since last August. New seasons, new roles, new questions about who I’m becoming and how I want to show up.

Along the way, two words found me. Resilience and reflection. Or maybe even remembering. Looking back in order to move forward.

And what I began to realize is that the work God does in us doesn’t stay contained. It shows up in how we parent, how we listen, how we respond, and how we see our kids.

So today, I want to walk you through some of the stories that have shaped the way I see parenting and spiritual formation.

THE STORIES THAT SHAPED MY VOICE

1. The Rule Follower - If rules don’t create a good life… what does?

2. The Non-Readers - Who we believe we are shapes who we become.

3. The Hitchhiker - Every person carries a story.

4. Stepping Into Stories - God meets me there and takes it somewhere I never could have planned on my own.

5. A Tension in Faith - Have we hit a ceiling in how we understand spiritual life?

6. Friends University and an Unexpected Invitation - That’s where I asked God for two things that felt almost impossible.

7. Loss, Redemption, and Trust - Sometimes trust is the only thing we have to hold onto.

8. Finding Language for What I Knew All Along - It finally had language.

And that’s what eventually became Parent Forward.

In This Episode:

David Benner's Book: The Gift of Being Yourself

The Next Right Thing Podcast by Emily P Freeman - Episode 382: A Reset List for your Soul

You can reach out on Instagram @julieluse or @parentforwardpodcast or connect with me directly. Can always email me julie@parentforward.com

Support the show

Let’s Stay Connected:

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