Do you ever feel like motherhood has you stuck in serious mode—managing meltdowns, meals, and messes—while joy takes the backseat? In this episode of Intentional Motherhood, Kelsey Redd, mental health counselor turned stay-at-home mom of four, unpacks why playfulness isn’t optional—it’s essential for your mental health and your family’s connection.

Through a simple story of jumping off the dock with her kids, Kelsey reveals how present, playful moments can:
🌊 Reset your nervous system and shift you out of stress mode
💖 Reconnect you with your own joy and inner child
🌱 Transform family dynamics by modeling presence and “yes” energy
📖 Invite you into deeper reflection through her new Purposeful Living Journal HERE.

Motherhood doesn’t have to feel like constant “no’s,” endless productivity, or autopilot survival. When we choose purposeful play—even just 5 minutes of silliness, barefoot nature time, or role-reversal games—we create moments of alignment that help us and our kids thrive.

👉 Tune in to learn how to bring more play, presence, and purpose into your everyday life with your little ones.

Connect with Kelsey: @creating.intentional.mothers

🔗 Grab Your Guides

In this special first-ever interview episode, Kelsey sits down with her older sister and role model mom, Alyssa Redfearn, to talk about the intentional choices that shape family culture. Alyssa—mom of four and co-founder of her family’s Wild Boys Sourdough Company—shares how she and her husband are raising kids with strong values around faith, hard work, and contribution.

You’ll hear how their family motto “Jesus has my back and I’ve got His” guides their kids’ personal faith, why they see work as a gift instead of a burden, and how entrepreneurship has become a hands-on way to teach accountability, teamwork, and generosity. From baking sourdough to delivering loaves around their neighborhood, Alyssa’s kids are learning real-world skills and discovering the joy of building something together.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration to define your own family culture, or just curious how another mom is approaching motherhood with intention, this episode will give you fresh ideas and encouragement.

Subscribe now, share this show with a mom friend, and join the conversation!

Local Utah County listeners can order Wild Boys Sourdough @wildboyssourdoughco

Connect with Kelsey:

Grab Your Guides

@creating.intentional.mothers

What if the meltdowns, hyper energy, or constant battles you’re having with your child weren’t actually discipline problems—but sensory needs you didn’t even know existed?

In this episode of Intentional Motherhood, Kelsey unpacks the powerful yet often-overlooked vestibular system—our internal sense of balance and spatial awareness that lives in the inner ear. While you might not think about it much, the vestibular system is working behind the scenes every time your child spins, jumps, rocks, swings, or rolls across the floor. And here’s the game-changer: these movements aren’t “just play.” They’re your child’s way of regulating their nervous system, building focus, and finding emotional balance.

Episode Freebie! Download your cheat sheet for Helping Kids Regulate through Vestibular System Activation!

You’ll learn:

• What the vestibular system is, how it communicates with the brain, and why God designed it to be such a central hub for regulation.
• The fascinating way this system is connected to both the brainstem (which controls automatic functions like heart rate and breath) and the limbic system (the emotional center of the brain).
• Why certain movements—especially slow, rhythmic ones like swinging or rocking—can calm anxiety, reduce overwhelm, and even prevent meltdowns.
• The surprising link between vestibular input and improved focus, sleep, coordination, and emotional flexibility.
• Two simple tools you can bring into your home (a swing and a trampoline) that will give your children healthy ways to regulate themselves—without you always stepping in.

If you’ve ever wondered why rocking calms a baby, why your kids can spin for hours without feeling sick, or how to help your child reset when they’re overstimulated, this episode will give you fresh insight and practical strategies.

It’s not about doing more or controlling more—it’s about understanding more. And once you see your child’s play through the lens of the vestibular system, you’ll begin to recognize their incredible built-in ability to meet their own needs.

This episode is packed with both science and heart—and it just might transform the way you view your child’s behavior forever.

Subscribe now, share this show with a mom friend, and join the conversation!

Connect with Kelsey:

Grab Your Guides

@creating.intentional.mothers