Zen Pop

We interview Matt Theodores who is the director of Maine Boys To Men . Boys To Men supports the happy, healthy, non-violent development of boys and those who help raise them. By working with parents, teachers, coaches, boys and girls, Boys to Men challenges the pervasive messaging that defines masculinity in terms of violence, harassment, apathy and sexual conquest. Their programs support empathy,...

We’ve made it to 200! We celebrate by hearing from our listeners and by listening to some of our “greatest hits”. We also talk about the intention of Zen Parenting and why self awareness leads to more connected families and eventually, a more connected world. Thanks for listening, we appreciate you! We announce the release of Cathy’s new book, Living What You Want Your Kids...

Do you get annoyed by your fear? Are you tired of being afraid? We discuss how to shift the way we look at fear. Pema Chodron said, Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the trut h , so maybe our fear is trying to help us, heal us, push us closer to who reall y are. We never stop being afraid , but we can begin to have a gentler relationship with the discomfort. We discuss how to talk to...

Our guest Alfie Kohn , author of  The Myth of the Spoiled Child, says that the negativity thrown at parents and the supposedly narcissistic kids they are raising is unfounded. Kohn says parents should work to raise kids with high self esteem, and that the fashionable belief that kids must develop grit and self-discipline through failure and suffering is unproven and often counterproductive. A few...

We are always told to avoid “toxic” people, but sometimes it’s difficult to completely cut ties. This is when we learn to set boundaries. Cathy shares a metaphor she found in Glennon Melton’s latest blog – the reason we can see the beauty of a tiger behind bars is that we are safe from being devoured. If we don’t set up our own boundaries (bars), then we risk al...

Are you supporting your partner instead of listening to your own internal knowing? Are you choosing to support rather than voice your opinion? Supporting your partner and kids is important, but if you do it by hurting yourself, it can create resentment and disconnection. Cathy and Todd go deep on this one (think Zen Parenting grad school) and ask listeners to practice extreme self awareness. If yo...

Our friend Shawn Bowen tells her story about her son Matthew who was diagnosed with down syndrome in the hospital 4 days after he was born. Matthew is now 7 and is amazing as he was when he showed up seven years ago.  Shawn talks about her initial reaction to Matthew’s diagnoses, advocating for her son in a school system, Matthew’s health challenges, and how the perception of down synd...

Do your kids love to dance, or play sports, or be artistic at home? Do you keep insisting that they need to take a class?  We all want what is “best” for our kids, and that often means getting them into the “best” class with the “best” teacher at the “best” facility  The intention is based in love, but what if your kid doesn’t want to take a cl...

Time-outs are typically viewed as an effective parenting technique, but the latest brain research suggests that they may be making things worse. Instead of using time-outs as a break, parents have used them as punishment. This isolates the child and eliminates the possibility for connection and compassion at a time when they need it most.  We discuss the blog written by Dr. Daniel Siegel and Dr. T...

Have you heard of He for She ?   This campaign, headed by the UN,  is asking men to stand up and support gender equality – not just for the sake of women, but also for their own freedo m s and for the welfare of our nation. Emma Watson is the Ambassador for He for She, and she gave an amazing speech yesterday in front of the UN .  She was given a well-deserved standing ovation.  Click here t...

In this “special edition” episode of ZPR, we discuss spanking and hitting, especially how it relates to the Adrian Peterson case. Three-fourths of our country still believes in spanking as an appropriate method of discipline, so instead of pointing fingers and demonizing, let’s discuss, understand, and pay attention to why and how this became acceptable. Emotions, outbursts, and...

as they try to change their worlds….are immune to your consultations, they’re quite aware of what they’re going through – David Bowie’s famous line from the song “Changes” sums up our misunderstanding of children today. Todd is sick of hearing people say kids are more spoiled than ever  or kids are narcissistic, it was never like that when I was young&#823...

Our daughter was struggling to get out of bed this morning – struggling to get dressed, struggling to eat breakfast.  The trick to dealing with a scenario like this is to check yourself before responding (even if you have to fake that you are not frustrated). If we meet this situation with a sense of calm and trust natural consequences, we may be able to sidestep some possible landmines. We...

Instead of posting a new podcast, we are reposting one of our favorites, the one where we interview our moms. Unfortunately, Todd’s mom passed away last weekend, and we wanted to share this to honor her. We share some great stories, have some great laughs, and near the end, Sharon (we call her GG) shares how at peace she is with her family. Please listen and enjoy – and even more important, be goo...

We lost our “Zen Bunny” Greeley last week and it was a shock to our family.  How do we deal with the grieving process, and how do we help our children deal with their sadness?  As parents we need to allow our children to grieve, and respect that it’s an individual process. We also discuss how to handle “disrespect” from our children – are they trying to be mean,...

We discuss the newly revised version of  “ Stop Teaching Our Kids To Kill ” a book written by Lt. Dave Grossman and Gloria DeGateano,  Founder and CEO of the Parent Coaching Institute. Originally published in 1999, the book is updated and includes even more indisputable research that demonstrates the affects of violence on the child and adolescent brain. We also talk about the “...

Robin Williams’ death prompts a discussion about mental illness and depression.  We play some clips from his most meaningful roles as well as some of his stand-up. Mental illness carries a stigma that makes asking for help difficult.  We support a group called NAMI (National Association of Mental Illness) and we discuss the importance of removing the stigma from mental illness.  A few other...

Sometimes we make decisions based on old patterns from childhood, even though they are unnecessary or unhelpful today. The first step toward understanding why we make certain decisions is to become more self aware and introspective. It also necessitates listening to other viewpoints and being conscious of our own defensiveness. Our children, spouse, and friends can all act as mirrors – allow...

The NFL and Comissioner Roger Goodell handed down a punishment to NFL player Ray Rice for allegedly knocking out his fiance in an Atlantic City Casino.  Some players have been suspended for 5 games for memorabilia violations, others 4 games for violating the league’s drug policy.  Ray Rice received a suspension of ….. wait for it ….. 2 games!  We discuss the inconsistencies of th...

Is there a difference between a happy life and a meaningful life?  We explore the subtle differences and why this understanding can change your life.  We discuss a blog by Jed Diamond (Founder of the health program “Men Alive”) titled  How the Science of a Meaningful Life Can Help Us Live Joyfully and Well : Happy people satisfy their wants and needs, but that seems largely irrelevant...

The topic of contraception and women’s rights can be so emotionally charged, it often leads to to yelling and judgment. But our listener, Charles, left us a respectful and informative message sharing his viewpoint. Can we disagree but still listen to each other in a respectful manner? It takes awareness and compassion, but it’s always possible. We also talk about listening with an &#82...

Have you ever heard of Kawasaki Disease?  Chris and Monisha Lozier’s daughter Mae was a healthy and happy 4 year old until she got swollen glands and a fever. They found themselves living in a hospital for the next 9 days and eventually discovered their daughter had Kawasaki Disease. This is is an immune disease in which the medium-sized blood vessels throughout the body become inflamed. It&...

We discuss a blog by Gayle Allen and Deborah Farmer Kris called  “Why It’s Important To Teach Empathy To Boys” .  They define empathy as the ability to sense other people’s emotions coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling.  How does this relate to parenting?  We discuss three benefits of raising an empathetic child: It breeds courage- this will help your...

We discuss Hobby Lobby and the supreme court decision affecting contraception and women’s rights. Cathy gets all riled up, so watch out! We also remind you to put that bathing suit on and get in the pool – your children are watching you! Cathy explains what it means to be an empath, and we also answer a listener question about bossiness and bullying. At the end we have a conversation w...

We discuss Dr. Daniel Siegel’s new book titled “Brainstorm- The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain”. Dr. Siegel explains that adolescence has an ESSENCE that is often overlooked. ESSENCE stands for: ES: An Emotional Spark is revealed in the enhanced way emotion generated from sub-cortical areas washes over the cortical circuits of reasoning. The downsides are emotional storms...