Live Q+R from the Motherhood Retreat: Fostering Vulnerability, Receiving Criticism + Parenting Without a Healthy Model
The Intentional Parents Podcast
Intentional
4.9 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 20 May 2026
⏱️ 42 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Live from the Intentional Motherhood Retreat in Franklin, this episode is a candid Q&R conversation around marriage, communication, parenting, and healing from the past. We respond to questions from attendees about how to cultivate deeper vulnerability with your spouse and parenting when you don't have a healthy model to follow.
We talk about practical ways to help a spouse open up emotionally, including asking thoughtful questions like “What do you think about this?” instead of “How do you feel?” We also discuss the importance of paying attention to the environment, timing, and tone of hard conversations, recognizing how much those factors shape whether someone feels safe to engage.
We also explore what it looks like to stay honest and vulnerable in marriage when feedback is often heard as criticism. Encouragement and affirmation matter deeply, especially when your spouse’s story includes wounds from a lack of affirmation growing up. Knowing your spouse’s story helps you become an agent of healing rather than hurt.
The conversation closes with an honest discussion about parenting when you didn’t have healthy examples yourself. We talk about the importance of finding strong models, building a network of support, and acknowledging the pain you may have experienced in your own family before you can begin to relearn healthier patterns. Ultimately, we reflect on the importance of parenting the specific family God has entrusted to you in this season, while remaining open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit instead of trying to control every outcome.
Scripture Mentioned: James 1:19-20, 2 Corinthians 5:17 + 1 Corinthians 11:1
Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from.
Follow Us on Instagram:
FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF
FREE Text Message Daily Devotional
Raising Passionate Jesus Followers
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hey friends, we wanted to take a quick minute and personally invite you to two really special gatherings coming this fall. |
| 0:06.6 | First, our intentional motherhood retreat in Portland, Oregon, October 15th through the 17th, |
| 0:12.0 | and then our intentional fatherhood retreat in Austin, Texas, November 12th through the 14th. |
| 0:18.0 | Honestly, these retreats have become so much more than events for us. |
| 0:22.0 | They've become spaces where people encounter God, experience healing, honesty, friendship, |
| 0:27.4 | freedom, and real transformation. We live in a world that is full of information. We have |
| 0:32.5 | podcasts, books, content, advice, but transformation requires more than information. |
| 0:38.3 | Sometimes you need space, you need community, you need honesty, you need the presence of God, |
| 0:44.3 | and you need to get around other people who are fighting for the same things you are. |
| 0:48.3 | At these events, we've watched marriages soften again, we've watched fathers come out of hiding, |
| 0:53.3 | we've watched mothers breathe deeply again, we've watched fathers come out of hiding. We've watched mothers breathe |
| 0:54.5 | deeply again. We've watched people feel seen, known, challenged, and deeply encourage. And we |
| 1:00.9 | would genuinely love for you to join us. You can learn more and grab tickets at |
| 1:05.0 | Intentionalparents.org. And for all things, fatherhood, you can visit Intentionalfatherhood.org. |
| 1:11.2 | We hope to see you there. |
| 1:14.8 | You're listening to the Intentional Parents podcast, brought to you by Intentional. |
| 1:19.9 | Intentional is all about spiritual formation in the family. |
| 1:23.8 | We desire to bring biblical hope and practical hope. |
| 1:27.2 | Enjoy this week's conversation. |
| 1:34.4 | Welcome back to the Intentional Parents podcast from Franklin, Tennessee, live, |
| 1:38.3 | Motherhood Retreat, 2026. |
| 1:39.8 | Ladies, make some noise. |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 9 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Intentional, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Intentional and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.