Zen Parenting Radio

Cathy and Todd discuss why we “force” our children to try new things, and why this is usually about our fear rather than theirs.

Todd and Cathy talk with Georgia DeClark, preschool teacher and parent coach who’s life took a dramatic turn when she decided to come out at 60.

…so you can be content when you achieve your goals. Cathy and Todd talk about why striving and goal-setting can keep us from contentment, and why money doesn’t equal happiness. They discuss why actor Tony Hale didn’t feel any happier after getting a major role on Arrested Development (hint: he realized he wasn’t living in the moment), and how Lady Gaga found peace and reconnected to her authentic self.

Todd and Cathy talk with entrepreneur Jill Salzman about Founding Moms, a collective of offline meetups and online resources (based all over the world) where mom entrepreneurs can exchange, connect and learn from one another. Jill shares her authentic take on work and mothering and how women are changing the workplace and supporting each other. Check out Foundingmoms.com and listen to Jill’s podcast, Breaking Down Your Business for more.

Cathy and Todd discuss Orlando, gun legislation, and how we can better communicate about our differences. Todd shares why not hearing “Happy Father’s Day” led to a two-hour conversation about the energy we bring to a room and what we really want for our kids. They also discuss why we must continuously wake up while parenting, why parenting is a one-way-giving situation, and how our homes can become places of unconditional support and acceptance. They discuss this blog by Roseanne Cash and they announce the screening of Screenagers at York Theater on Sept 26, 2016.

Cathy and Todd discuss the Stanford rape case, the presidential campaign, and why embracing healthy masculinity and femininity is the key to meaningful change. They also discuss how anger can be paralyzing, why we should be supporting each other rather than fighting each other, and why we need to use our individual voices to create more love and compassion. They reference Tara Mohr’s Playing Big, Marianne Williamson’s A Woman’s Worth, The Hunting Ground, The Mask You Live In, Miss Representation, and The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal.

Cathy and Todd discuss talking to kids about fear - how to notice it, normalize, and get creative with it. They process why parents need to acknowledge their own fear so they can authentically talk with their kids about being afraid. They share why fear is not always bad and why it gets us closer to the truth. They answer listener questions about religion and music in family culture, and how a pregnant busy mom can find some quiet. They also reference Pema Chodron and Byron Katie.

Cathy and Todd discuss some listener questions about toddler sleep issues, a 6-year-old who wants to know more about sex, and why work jargon can be so annoying.   Other Resources Cathy’s 3rd book, Living What You Want Your Kids To Learn won the National Indie Excellence Award!Go here to order your book. Click the following links to purchase Cathy’s books The Self-Aware Parent Part 1  & and Part 2 The Tribe Men's group   Tree of Life Chiropractic Care have some interesting workshops planned. If you shop Amazon by going through our website first (there is an amazon link on the bottom right hand of our home page), a portion of your sale will help fund future Zen Parenting programming. How important is a good smile?  Just ask our new partner John J Kelly DDS.  They are located on the northwest side of Chicago and will meet all of your family’s dental needs. Painting or remodeling?  Don’t forget about our parnter Avid Co. Looking for a Vitamix blender?  Don’t forget to use our coupon

Todd and Cathy talk with Maureen Blaha, Executive Director of the National Runaway Safeline, a support and intervention system for youth and parents. Maureen shares why teens runaway and how families can be more open to the emotional needs of kids. The safeline is based in Chicago but helps kids and families nationwide. http://www.1800runaway.org/

[powerpress] Cathy and Todd discuss the need for validation, why it’s important to become aware of our needs, and sometimes put them aside, to connect with our kids, and how we can better support each other as we become more self-aware and conscious. Zen Parenting is part of the Education: Next Generation virtual conference – click here to register and read more about it. The Zen Parenting Conference will be held on Feb 24+25, 2017 – more information coming this summer!

Cathy and Todd discuss their difficult conversation and how they went “in and out of child” – is your present-time self talking or is it your 7-year-old? Your inner 7-year-old has a right to be there, and he/she may have some valid points, but the adult needs to manage the conversation so it doesn’t go off the rails. They also discuss why learning and healing through relationship can be more powerful than individual work. While both are important, the goal is to take self-awareness and apply it to all relationships. You may be calm and loving when you are alone, but can you bring these practices into a difficult conversation?

Have you seen the movie or stage production of Once? The movie starred musician Glen Hansard, and his interview on Sam Jone’s Off Camera podcast led to a deep discussion about education, parenting, friendship and why it’s so important to create our own life story. Cathy and Todd also discuss mom guilt and how to become more clear about how your true feelings.

Cathy and Todd talk about suffering and why we either transform it, or we transmit it (quote taken from Richard Rohr). They also discuss why it’s important to celebrate young women, why talking about sexuality is so important, why tampons and pads have a “luxury” tax, and what it means to be in the “8:30 club”. The first three people to purchase Cathy’s award–winning book, Living What You Want Your Kids to Learn through the Zen Parenting website will also receive a free copy of The Conscious Parent by Dr. Shefali Tsabary. Other Resources Cathy’s 3rd book, Living What You Want Your Kids To Learn won the National Indie Excellence Award!Go here to order your book. Click the following links to purchase Cathy’s books The Self-Aware Parent Part 1  & and Part 2 The Tribe Men's group Tree of Life Chiropractic Care have some interesting workshops planned. If you shop Amazon by going through our website first (there is an amazon link on the bottom right hand of our home page), a portion of your sale will

We've been inundated with listener questions so we decided to dedicate an entire show to answering them. Below are the topics as well as the time stamps for each question: 3:15 Chakras and toddlerhood 14:42 Step-parents and an 8 year old with a huge personality 23:52 Preschool drop-off 30:22 Spanking 36:28 2 year old son with tantrums 43:25 Top 10 books We also mentioned a podcast that would be helpful for step parents which can be found @ http://www.wbur.org/2016/03/25/dear-sugar-episode-forty-eight

Cathy and Todd discuss an article from the Chicago Tribune about getting rid of emotional and mental clutter. They process the devastation around Prince’s death, but Todd thinks he has alexithemia because he’s not as sad as everyone else. They also talk travel sports, small breakdowns, and Caddyshack.

In the second part of our interview with Dr. Therese Rowley, Therese says Cathy has "clairsentience", she challenges me to remove love some of the walls i have built up, and gives parents of hyper-active children some holistic things you can do to help them. You can learn more about Therese by going to http://thereserowley.com/

Cathy and Todd explain how negative experiences stick immediately, but it takes 15 seconds of savoring a positive experience for it to imprint on the brain. They also discuss why judging or fighting someone doesn’t create change. Instead, we can recognize negative behavior and then role model a more rational and kind way to interact. A listener asks a question about work/life balance and they provide insight and resources.

Does your child seem intuitive, gifted, or sensitive? Cathy and Todd talk with Dr. Therese Rowley, author, consultant, skilled intuitive and innovative educator who challenges us to see sensitive children through a new lens. This is part one of a two-part interview (part two will be posted next Friday).

Cathy and Todd discuss the importance of “emotional hygiene” (as explained by the Dalai Lama) and why boundaries lead to more compassion (as explained by Brenè Brown). They also discuss how we can subtlety (and often unconsciously) shame our kids, and how to become more aware of why and how we say things.

Cathy and Todd discuss the 60 Minutes report about the prison system in Germany and how they put rehabilitation above retribution. They also discuss the article in The Atlantic about punish-free parenting, Rocky Balboa’s great advice, and Tim McGraw’s Humble and Kind performance.