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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 Five: Supporting Curiosity and Safe Connection
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In this episode of Childhood and the Enneagram: Stories That Shape Us, we step into the inner world of the Emerging Type Five child—the Observer, or what I often call the child who learns to stay safe by needing less.
Emerging Type Five children are thoughtful, curious, and wise beyond their years. They watch closely, think deeply, and often retreat inward when the world feels overwhelming. Beneath their independence, many Fives wrestle with a quiet fear of depletion and an unspoken belief that their needs might be “too much.”
We’ll explore how early childhood experiences shape a Five’s relationship with safety, energy, and connection, and how well-meaning adults can sometimes misinterpret withdrawal as self-sufficiency. Using the Harmony Triad model, I’ll share how Type Five children can learn to reconnect with their emotions and embodied strength—without losing the brilliance of their minds.
Whether you’re raising an Emerging Five, teaching or counseling one, or recognizing these patterns in yourself, this episode offers language, insight, and reassurance. You’ll learn how to invite a Five into connection without overwhelm, how to affirm their inner world, and how to remind them that they don’t have to disappear to belong—they are safe to need, safe to receive, and already enough.