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Childhood and the Enneagram : The Stories that Shape Us
Childhood and the Enneagram: Stories That Shape Us is a podcast for parents, educators, therapists, and anyone ready to heal their story and help others do the same.
Hosted by licensed therapist, Enneagram practitioner, and author Susan Parker Jones, this series explores how our earliest experiences shape the way we see ourselves, relate to others, and show up for the next generation.
Grounded in attachment theory, trauma-informed care, and the Harmony Model of the Enneagram, each episode unpacks the unconscious narratives we carry from childhood — and how those stories show up in our parenting, leadership, and self-talk.
Through real-life reflections, practical tools, and compassionate insight, you’ll learn how to:
- Recognize and rewrite your Inner Childhood Narrative (ICN)
- Understand children’s behavior through the lens of connection and nervous system safety
- Use Enneagram wisdom to foster emotional growth and secure relationships
- Break generational patterns with clarity, presence, and grace
Because healing your story is where generational change begins — and every small shift has the power to create lasting transformation.
Childhood and the Enneagram : The Stories that Shape Us
Type 6: Supporting the Child Who Lives on High Alert
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In this episode of Childhood and the Enneagram: Stories That Shape Us, we explore the emotional landscape of the Type Six child—the Loyalist, or what I often call the watchful child who is always scanning for safety.
Emerging Type Six children are deeply perceptive, loyal, and attuned to the emotional climate around them. They long for security, trust, and belonging, and often wrestle with persistent questions like: Who can I trust? and Am I safe? Beneath their questions and worries lies a brave heart trying to prepare for every possible outcome.
We’ll look at how childhood experiences—especially inconsistency, unpredictability, or emotional stress—shape a Six’s inner narrative, and how their fear can sometimes be mistaken for defiance, neediness, or overthinking. Through the lens of the Harmony Triad, I’ll share how Emerging Type Six children can find grounding, confidence, and calm without losing their natural loyalty and courage.
Whether you’re parenting an Emerging Six, working with one professionally, or recognizing these patterns in yourself, this episode offers clarity and compassion. You’ll learn how to create felt safety through consistency and honesty, how to support a Six without reinforcing anxiety, and how to remind them that fear doesn’t define them—courage does.