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.

Cathy and Todd discuss the road to wellness and why shame, judgment, anxiety, and hope all play a role. They also discuss why asking for help is so essential, and why asking for help is an act of bravery and strength. They discuss what it means to be a strength-based parent and play a clip from Lea Waters, author of The Strength Switch. Todd plays a clip from the TED Talk podcast about how people with less money actually give more to those in need, and how exposure and empathy are the keys to greater giving.

Cathy and Todd discuss the challenges of healing and why honesty and support are essential. They talk about how each of us are challenged to do hard things, and how not doing our own work leads to projection. They discuss how to talk to your kids about difficult topics like sex, and how living a “healthy life” means something different to everyone depending on their circumstances.

Todd+Cathy discuss Cathy's recovery of the flu as well as an inspirational exchange between Sarah Silverman and one of her followers.  

Yup- Cathy has the flu :(  We're gonna shoot for another one at the end of the week.  if not, next Tuesday for sure.  Sorry for the inconvenience.  Keep truckin' Todd

Todd+Cathy discuss how to “let go” and “bring in” for the new year, and how to wake up to our lives in 2018. They discuss how Steve Bartman and Bill Buckner became the scapegoats for their perspective cities pain, and how we tend to project all blame on one person or event in our own lives. They explain why the science of achievement and the art of fulfillment work well together, and why humor is essential in the midst of challenges.