Zen Pop

Cathy and Todd talk REAL love vs SPIDER love (taken from Martha Beck’s book, Steering by Starlight ) – do you love authentically or do you “make” people love you by controlling their behavior OR altering your behavior so you don’t “bother” them? REAL love is about sharing your true self and setting the ones you love free so they can be their true selves.  ...

How exactly are we teaching our sons “to be a man”?  Have you ever used the phrase- “You throw like a girl.” Most have and we explain why it’s the little things that add up to make your son less of a man and create your sons’ overall perception of women.  1 in 5 women in America will report that they were sexually assaulted.  We discuss Colin Stokes Ted Talk reg...

Dr. Kelly from Tree of Life Chiropractic joins Todd and Cathy for a discussion about the flu and the flu shot.  There’s a lot of panic right now, but there are many effective ways to take care of you and your family.  Dr. Kelly shares information and resources that may ease your mind.  And Cathy and Todd discuss the Lance Armstrong interview – are we practicing forgiveness or do we fee...

Cathy and Todd discuss the importance of listening, inside and out. How yoga/quiet time can help our kids, and how listening to what our kids have to say (instead of being punishing and punitive) can help us be better parents.  They specifically discuss a San Diego school that has incorporated yoga into their curriculum – certain parents aren’t happy about it, what do you think?  They...

Why was the Violence Against Women Act , initially passed in 1994, allowed to expire?  Todd and Cathy discuss this, women’s safety, and how India is peacefully protesting violence against women .  They also discuss the key to keeping a relationship alive and healthy, and they reference the movie Hope Springs .

Are you ready to shine this year? Are you ready to help your kids shine this year?  Todd and Cathy discuss three simple ways to make this a possibility.  They also discuss an article in The New York Times by David Brooks about a dad who tells his kids he’s ashamed and disappointed in them so they change – does he think shame and guilt will work and does  he understand his role in their...

Cathy and  Todd discuss this quote they found on Dr. Christiane Northrup’s Facebook page .  Sounds  harsh, but is it true? Does your family tend to tip-toe around one person during the holidays? Does one person’s difficulties become everybody’s difficulties? They discuss setting appropriate boundaries with a bah humbug relative so you can hold on to your Christmas Spirit.  They a...

Cathy and Todd discuss the importance of personal responsibility in the wake of a tragedy. You can do something, you can make a change. Focus on what you are doing, giving, saying on an everyday basis – what kind of ripples are you putting out into the world? Are you focused on love or anger? Giving or taking? Being “right” or making a connection? They also discuss the importance...

How do we teach our sons to respect women?  It starts with women loving themselves.  Todd and Cathy discuss Jada Pinkett Smith’ s Facebook post and how degrading women hurts men just as much.  They also discuss Cathy’s latest blog about self love, how to talk to our kids about death, and how much they love the original Karate Kid.  

Einstein said the most important question we can ask ourselves is whether the universe is kind.  What do you think?  Cathy and Todd discuss universal principles, faith, miracles, and how these belief systems effect our parenting.  They also discuss Debbie Downers , why negative thinking can be harmful, and Marianne Williamson’s new book .  

The battle you have all been waiting for- ZPR vs Parenting Unplugged.  This is a “no holds barred” cage match to decide who is the better show… and the better parents for that matter.  This is one that you won’t want to miss.

Cathy and Todd had the honor of talking with Rev Ed Bacon , author of the 8 Habits of Love and host of Oprah’s Soul Series on XM Radio.  They discuss everything from forgiveness, to self awareness, and why choosing love over fear is an essential decision when it comes to your partner, your kids, or even yourself.  In true ZP style, they even talk about the best movie, the best candy bar, and...

Cathy has been emailing Todd articles about being “too busy” and today they talk about it.  Why is this the social norm and why are we so comfortable with busyness? (Best two articles Article- Are you as busy as you think by Dr. Laura Vanderkam and  Simple Yet Astounding Ways to Calm Down by Norman Fisher).  They also discuss Ed Bacon’s  8 Habits of Love  (Ed will be a guest on Z...

Do you talk about politics in front of your kids? Of course you share your perspective, but do you also say the other side is bad, evil, or whatever negative word you can find?  We discuss Dr. Peggy Drexler’s blog titled “ Talking to Kids about Politics” – Talking to our kids about our viewpoint is great, but showing compassion for the other side is even better.  Cathy and...

Do you want one child, two, three, four?  Everybody has an opinion, but what’s right for you? Cathy and Todd share their decision making process and discuss why it’s important to  respect other people’s choices when it comes to family size.  Ann Coulter made news when she decided to tweet the r-word, and John Franklin Stephens made bigger news when he wrote an open letter explain...

We talk about the brave and beautiful Malala and her strength and determination to speak up for education. We discuss how teach our children how lucky they are to have access to education and other human rights. We also share thoughts on how to deal when you kids make friends with difficult kids (and start mimicking their behavior…). Join us!

Did you read Allison Tate’s blog titled, The Mom Stays in the Picture ?  Cathy and Todd discuss why moms step out of photographs and therefore aren’t captured in the memories.  Yes, there’s the vanity issue, but Cathy thinks there are deeper issues, too (shocking!).  Todd also shares a lot of hangover stories – once upon a time he was the life of the party, but having kids...

Would you make your kids wear a sign that says, “I’m a thief?”  Or would you shoot your child’s computer and then post it on Facebook?  Maybe not, but have you ever humiliated your child in front of their friends or family?  Cathy and Todd discuss the shame involved in humiliation and why we need to “wake up” before making a choice that could negatively effect o...

Are you the only parent who has to stay at the party or the sports practice?  Do you feel like your kid needs your support all the time, but other kids don’t seem to need their parents?  Cathy and Todd discuss “needy” kids and why listening to their needs is important today, and in the long run (and they discuss Cathy’s recent blog about this very experience).  They also di...

Did you know that our first impulse is to be generous?  But if we sit and think about it too long, we often change our mind.  Cathy and Todd discuss this research  and also Ed Bacon’s new book called The Eight Habits of Love (#1 being generosity!).  They also discuss attachment parenting and what some call detachment parenting (taken from a Huffington Post article ), birthday parties, and wh...

Judging is normal.  All humans judge situations so they can better assess what to do next.  BUT, we have to notice when we are judging and realize that our assessments aren’t always correct.  Cathy and Todd discuss how to assess whether something is true by using Byron Katie’s method titled The Work .  Todd also decides that you can’t say you love your children unless you are pra...

When it comes to sports, do you encourage or push? Cathy and Todd discuss why supportive encouragement is great, but pushing can be harmful.  Do you want your kids to play your sport and live your dream, or do you want them to figure out what they enjoy?  They also discuss the obsession with sports and Todd’s three fantasy football teams – you read that right, THREE.  

Are girls “meaner” than boys? A lot of parents say this, but is it really true?  Cathy and Todd discuss this and refer to Cathy’s latest blog about why calling girls mean can be harmful.  They also discuss three things that every man should know about women – ladies, make sure your husband listens to this podcast!   It can open up great conversations about what you need and...

What do you do when your toddlers (or older kids) come into your bed in the middle of the night?  Are you used to it? Does it drive you crazy? Todd and Cathy discuss night-time options and their own personal experiences.  They also discuss why making casual negative remarks about your kids in front of your kids (i.e. “I can’t wait until this guy goes back to school…”) may b...

Are your kids interrupting you all the time?  Is it causing you to feel annoyed or resentful?  Cathy and Todd discuss setting boundaries on interruptions while simultaneously treating your children with respect.  If you want them to respect you, you need to role model what this means.  This is an EXTENDED show (about 15 minutes longer than usual) thanks to listeners saying they wanted MORE.  So we...