Episode 322: When you Struggle with the Practical in Parenting / Enneagram 4's with Jon McLaughlin & Kendra Allen

Raising Boys & Girls

That Sounds Fun Network

Kids & Family, Parenting, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.9 • 1.9K Ratings

🗓️ 4 November 2025

⏱️ 64 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What a heartfelt and deeply human conversation with two incredible Enneagram Fours—therapist Kendra Allen and artist Jon McLaughlin. Jon McLaughlin is a Nashville-based recording artist, songwriter, and pianist who also co-hosts a parenting podcast with his friend Dave Barnes. Kendra Allen is a therapist and mom whose work centers on authenticity, emotional health, and helping people grow with self-awareness and compassion. Both bring such insight into what it means to live and parent from a place of depth, emotion, and authenticity. Together, they explore the gifts and challenges of being a Four—the ability to sit with sadness and create beauty from it, as well as the struggle to focus on what’s missing instead of what’s present. They share moving stories from their own parenting journeys—how empathy can sometimes become over-identification, how creativity and authenticity shape their homes, and how they’re learning to hold both depth and lightness in their relationships with their kids. From Jon’s tender story about his daughter saying, “I like being with you when I’m sad,” to Kendra’s reminder that “your work is a gift,” this episode is full of grace, honesty, and hope for every parent seeking connection. We’d also think you’d like: Ep.170 Parenting through Infertility, Loss and Adolescence with Kendra Allen and Ep. 119 Parenting with Vulnerability with Jon and Amy McLaughlin. . . . . . . Sign up to receive the⁠ bi-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠monthly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Connect with David, Sissy, and Melissa at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠raisingboysandgirls.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Owen Learns He Has What it Takes: A Lesson in Resilience⁠ ⁠Lucy Learns to Be Brave: A Lesson in Courage⁠⁠ . . . . . . If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Advertise With Us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ form. A special thank you to our sponsors: QUINCE: Go to ⁠Quince.com/rbg⁠ for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns. THRIVE MARKET: Head over to ⁠ThriveMarket.com/rbg⁠ to get 30% off your first order and a FREE $60 gift. NIV APPLICATION BIBLE: Save an additional 10% on any NIV Application Bible and NIV Application Commentary Resources by visiting faithgateway.com/nivab and using promo code RBG. OUR PLACE: Stop cooking with toxic cookware, and upgrade to Our Place today. Visit fromourplace.com/RBG and use code RBG for 10% off sitewide. HIYA: Visit hiyahealth.com/RBG to get 50% off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Between school runs after school clubs and endless errands, the dinner time juggle is real.
0:05.5	But thanks to Deliveroo, you can tick one thing off the list with Family Dinneroo.
0:10.3	Enjoy a range of family-sized meals for £25 or less from favourites like Wagamma, Pizza Express, Bills and more.
0:17.9	Available Monday to Thursday, 4.30 to 6 p.m. Order now. Selected restaurants subject to
0:24.4	availability, geographical restrictions and terms of prior prices exclude fees, c delivery.co.uk for
0:29.5	details.
0:33.9	Hey friends. Welcome to the Raising Boys and Girls podcast.
0:42.4	I'm Sissy Goff.
0:43.5	And I'm David Thomas, and we're so glad you've joined us for this conversation.
0:48.1	Let's dive in.
0:59.1	Okay, we have been looking so forward to this conversation.
1:05.7	One of the most fun things about this series is not just talking about a topic that we all love and are deeply interested in, but the excuse to get to sit down with people, we love, enjoy, admire, and
1:12.8	respect.
1:13.2	And we are in the room with two of those today.
1:15.9	Amen to that.
1:16.8	Who we are so excited to learn from about being a four.
1:21.7	And so where we'd love to start is to ask you both what you would say you love the most about your number
1:28.7	and what do you love the least.
1:33.6	Just a little intro question.
1:36.0	I know that you're diving right in.
1:37.6	Diving right in.
1:39.0	And I had to think about the part that I loved the most.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from That Sounds Fun Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of That Sounds Fun Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.