Episode Details

How Do We Shape Future Generations Well?

Nancy French returns to The Good Faith Podcast with host Curtis Chang for a heartfelt, funny, and surprisingly practical conversation about how grandparenting reshapes your view of hope, kids and screens, grief, and what's worth doing with the time you have—even is that just means "robbing a bank with a Barbie." This conversation isn't just for grandparents: it's for anyone mentoring, parenting, teaching, or influencing the next generation, with practical wisdom on choosing connection, naming loss honestly, and creating space for kids to grow "analog" and resilient. Nancy also explains why legacy and being remembered aren't the point—what matters is faithfully loving the people in front of you and passing on stability, courage, and hope that outlasts you.

02:05 - Why Did Nancy Choose a Year as Primary Caregiver To Her Grandpkids?

07:44 - No screens and the value of analog, imaginative play.

13:15 - Preserving Children's Natural Hope

14:26 - Navigating Difficult Topics with Children

17:14 - The Value of Letting Children Experience Loss

23:09 - Creativity and Storytelling with Grandchildren

25:51 - Introducing Real-World Conflicts in Play

29:19 - Grandparents as Links to Family Legacy

34:53 - George Eliot: The Value of Unremembered Acts

36:18 - Living with Cancer and Embracing the Present

42:30 - Grandparenting from a Distance

45:27 - Encouragement to Focus on fun, connection, and Presence Rather Than Legacy

Episode Companion: A Guide for Grandparents & All Those Influencing The Next Generation

Mentioned In This Episode:

• Demographic research: Grandchildren's spatial proximity to grandparents and intergenerational support in the United States
• Jennifer F. Cross, M.D.: Why screen time should be limited for kids

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