Zen Parenting Radio

Todd and Cathy continue discussing Julie Lythcott-Haims’ book, How to Raise an Adult, specifically focusing on what our kids should know before they venture out on their own. They share a clip from Luvvie Ajayi’s TED Talk about the importance of speaking up, even when it’s uncomfortable, and why “keeping the peace” can keep us stuck in time. Todd shares a clip from a highly emotionally-intelligent father who understands how to reach his daughter, even while she’s under duress.

Todd and Cathy discuss a practical checklist of what kids need before they go to college written by Julie Lythcott-Haims, author of How to Raise an Adult. The checklist offers intention and clarity, and recognizes that skills develop over time in a child-developmentally appropriate way. They also discuss why Todd wanted to play Cashflow for his birthday, and why financial awareness is necessary education for our kids.

Cathy and Todd discuss the Super Soul Podcast conversation between Amy Schumer and Oprah about her new movie, I Feel Pretty. They talk about trusting your intention, why emotional labor is vital to the health of the family, and why accepting yourself leads to real confidence and a deeper connection with others.

Todd and Cathy discuss the emotional challenges of American men and why this impacts every part of our society. Their guests, Frank Naugo and Shaun Emerson, discuss why men struggle with intimacy, vulnerability, and friendship, and why anger or numbness can become a default setting. They share clips from the Hidden Brain podcast titled How American Masculinity Creates Lonely Men, and discuss how we can redefine what it means to be a man.

Todd and Cathy discuss “moral outrage” and how to use it to create positive change. They explain how society tends to value a clean and concise way of thinking, but how thinking out of the box or seeing the bigger picture can lead to greater compassion and connection. They discuss how to support a child who doesn’t want to share, why spaghetti thinking is as important as waffle thinking, and why archetypes can help us understand ourselves better.

Todd and Cathy welcome their friends John and Julie Duffy, hosts of the Better Podcast (formerly titled Undue Anxiety). They talk about Tony Robbins, the #MeToo movement, and why listening and respecting others is essential for real change. They discuss couplehood, family dynamics, and how we can live in joy but always leave room for the dark.

Cathy and Todd discuss how to recognize when we are showing up authentically rather than performing. They also discuss how to deal with a child who seems consistently disappointed, and why taking responsibility for our own behavior is key. Todd shares a clip about investing from Freakonomics, Cathy discusses the joy of Funko characters, and they offer some wisdom from Tommy Boy.

Todd & Cathy Discuss the 4 different types of fears as described by Iyanla Vanzandt, Dierk's Bentley, Bruce Willis' wine cooler commercial, Eddie Murphy's single "Party All The Time", and how we've all already done the hardest thing we will ever do.  

Todd shares a story of a softball coach who proclaims "boys are stronger than girls" and what happened after that statement was made. They also discuss why focusing on too many things makes us feel overwhelmed and paralyzed, and why choosing one thing helps us take action and create real change (they share examples from MOMS Demand Action and from A Wrinkle in Time). They share how they created their women’s circle/men’s group, why we should speak up for others, and they play a new song by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt called Found/Tonight (some proceeds go toward the March For Our Lives).

Cathy and Todd discuss the question that they hear the most – “How can I get my partner to….” - they discuss why this question is multi-layered, messy, and not easily answered. They discuss why wanting to change others feels easier than changing ourselves, why true wisdom comes from quiet, and the life-changing advice Oprah has for all people.

Todd and Cathy discuss Cheryl Strayed, MILCK, Mike Domitrz and all the goodness from the 2018 Zen Parenting Conference. They discuss the most frequently asked question ZPR question, the Oscars, and how we can all become forces for good.

Todd and Cathy discuss The Gentle Warrior’s Manifesto to Reduce Busyness from Courtney Carver’s book, Soulful Simplicity, and they discuss a Freakonomic’s podcast titled After the Glass Ceiling, A Glass Cliff, about why only 5% of Fortune 500 companies are run by women. They share why men and women eat Doritos differently, why we need to linger longer, and why Cathy loves Lionel Richie.

Todd and Cathy discuss the Parkland tragedy, and talk about why it’s time to take action to keep our kids safe at school. They explain how we can take on all pieces of the puzzle – common sense laws, mental wellness, and community/parent/school support – rather than fight about which one matters the most. They also discuss Dr. Dan Siegel’s book Brainstorm, and process how the teenage brain works and why it’s necessary for teenagers to take risks.

Cathy and Todd discuss why we are always evolving, and share a clip from The Robcast about why humility is essential. They discuss why it’s never too late to excel at sports or other activities, why procrastination may not be such a bad thing, and why Slow TV on Netflix is so soothing.

Todd and Cathy share some of the touching and funny Superbowl commercials, and they discuss a video of Will Smith explaining why fault and responsibility are two different things. Cathy shares some of her favorite self-compassion quotes, and they discuss why some quotes wake us up or resonate so strongly. Todd discusses his gullibility, he defends Taylor Swift, and he shares an aha from our Zen Parenting Conference keynote speaker Mike Domitrz.