Zen Pop

Todd and Cathy discuss the three different types of perfectionism and why trying to perfect actually backfires and leads to fragility. They discuss why our culture has overvalued the idea of being perfect, the importance of humanizing over humiliating, and they answer a follow-up question about highly sensitive children.

Cathy and Todd discuss the concept of being a highly sensitive person, and they explore how it feels to be a highly sensitive kid. They also address "ASK US ANYTHING" questions from listeners, offering guidance on how to talk to your kids about behavior modification charts in school (when they're not used at home) and providing advice on how to relate to an irritable and uncooperative child.

Cathy and Todd discuss Jack Kornfield’s advice for reducing anxiety, and how fear, history, and programming can make it more difficult. They process why back-to-school is particularly challenging for parents, and the simultaneous presence of joy and grief as children grow and transition. They are joined by Millie Hsi, a friend and member of their Team Zen virtual community, who shares her personal...

Todd and Cathy welcome Shaun Emerson and Chris Lozier, hosts of the If You’ve Come This Far podcast. They discuss why it can be difficult to discuss men and women’s issues without getting defensive, and why statistics may point toward progress, but reality still feels imbalanced. They debate the effectiveness of frameworks and personality tests in personal growth, and how labels can be freeing but...

Cathy and Todd discuss the many layers of Barbie and why it has become such a phenomenon and lightning rod when it comes to discussing gender differences. They share candidly about seeing each other’s perspectives, how to think critically, and how to bring our 'whole' selves into the viewing experience. They discuss why the movie is an existential crisis, a representation of girlhood and womanhood...

Todd & Cathy talk with Hunter Clarke-Fields , Author of Raising Good Humans Every Day- 50 Simple Ways to Press Pause, Stay Present, and Connect with Your Kids .  They discuss Beginning Anew, find a thread, playing your own music, mindfulness, the messy, and not parentifying our kids. For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com . 3 Ways to support us Subscribe to our YouTube Page Join Te...

Cathy & Todd discuss how our early experiences dictate our life patterns, and how we can recognize these patterns and decide what helps and what hurts. It's all about honoring the memories and traditions that mean something to us, while also letting go of what no longer serves us. They also discuss the legacy of Madonna and how she shifted the musical landscape for women, and Todd’s hot take on th...

Todd & Cathy talk with John O’Sullivan, Founder of the Changing the Game Project and host of the Way of Champions Podcast about his new book, The Champion Teammate: Timeless Lessons to Connect, Compete and Lead in Sports and Life. They discuss how to be a valued teammate, what it means to be a champion, and what it takes to connect, compete, and thrive in sports and life. What’s shared is applicab...

Todd and Cathy discuss how co-opted therapy speak can make “love” more like control. They specifically discuss Jonah Hill’s ex-girlfriend sharing texts where he says he is enforcing his “boundaries” when he is actually giving her rules and ultimatums. They discuss how life is messy and everything is nuanced, and how Maya Angelou taught that love liberates, it doesn’t hold.

Todd and Cathy discuss the difficult, but also transformational quality of change and how it teaches us to grow and trust life’s patterns. They answer a listener question about how to view their daughter’s outbursts and challenging behavior, and they share and process three quotes from Season 2 of The Bear – starting with Richie’s thought-provoking quote, “I'm not like this because I'm in Van Hale...

Cathy and Todd discuss how to experience parenting challenges as part of the story rather than the entire story. They discuss how to zoom out and see the big picture, but also how to zoom in and experience compassion and connection with your kids. They process how to not take things personally, and how to recognize that we are all just watching our own movie.

Todd and Cathy discuss how we can talk to our kids about spirituality and self-trust, and why role modeling and patience can be the most effective tools. They discuss how to deal with anger, how to talk to our kids about anger, and how to utilize difficult emotions for deeper self awareness.

Todd and Cathy Adams explore the themes of wonder, father-son relationships, vulnerability in parenting, and the enduring appeal of baseball in their heartfelt analysis of the movie “Field of Dreams,” emphasizing the importance of understanding and empathizing with parental figures and embracing the wonders of life. For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com . Connect with us!...

Cathy & Todd answer listener questions (about the practice of self-awareness, highly sensitive kids, and how to talk to our kids about every important thing before they graduate…) and they also discuss Taylor Swift, her popularity, and how she is connected to Full Catastrophe Living.

Cathy and Todd discuss how codependency, enmeshment, narcissism, and lack of boundaries are weaved into Succession and the Logan family, and how we can be more self-aware about what we are role modeling and teaching our children. They also discuss the importance of internal and external validation and why no matter what happens to the Logan children, they will never be satisfied.

Cathy and Todd discuss how it’s not our kids’ job to support us, but we can encourage them to understand us. They also discuss the importance of self-compassion when parenting, why our boys need more male role models, and how to deal with change as our kids grow and graduate.

In the Part 2 of our conversation with Mike Domitrz, Founder of the Center for Respect, returns to discuss how to talk to our kids about porn, consent, and sexual assault. He shares how to simplify difficult topics and how to offer our kids a “lens” when it comes to porn and sex on television. He also shares why talking about sex becomes even more important as we age, why he doesn’t use statistics...

Mike Domitrz, Founder of the Center for Respect, returns to discuss how to talk to our kids about porn, consent, and sexual assault. He shares how to simplify difficult topics and how to offer our kids a “lens” when it comes to porn and sex on television. He also shares why talking about sex becomes even more important as we age, why he doesn’t use statistics when talking to groups, and how the bo...

Cathy & Todd discuss swearing, its origins, and how to talk to your kids about its usage. They also discuss when and how to offer a heartfelt apology, and how to relate and understand other people’s experiences.

In this episode of Zen Parenting Radio, Todd and Cathy discuss their favorite movies across various genres, exploring how films can provide insight into their children's values and interests. Highlights include their shared love for Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz, differing opinions on Tom Hanks films, and the emotional impact of Dead Poets Society and Billy Elliot. They reminisce about 80s class...

Todd & Cathy discuss evidence-based ways to be an effective leader and how to teach and demonstrate leadership to your children. They discuss the importance of early and ongoing social emotional learning, and how everything begins with self-awareness. They also process Adam Grant’s research around give and take, why knowing your “why” is important, and why feedback hits differently depending on yo...

Cathy and Todd discuss the research behind parenting styles and how it affects our communication and even our politics. They also discuss the “Tennessee Three” and how it relates to the difference between generations and how we are evolving (or not evolving) as people and as a country. They share a viral TikTok post from GradSchoolGramma that demonstrates what it really looks like parent in a self...

Cathy & Todd talk with author and educator Jessica Lahey about her book The Addiction Inoculation and the importance of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) when it comes to substance-use disorders, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence and regulation. They discuss the risk factors surrounding addiction and how genetics and culture play a role. Jessica shares what kids most need to hear from us an...

Cathy and Todd answer listeners question about what to do when life gets messy, unpredictable, and uncertain. They discuss movies to bring the family together, how to support our children who are dealing with friend issues, and how to figure out what “fair” means over and over again.

Todd & Cathy talk with Michelle Anderson and Lauren Massarella from The Sister Project. They discuss the hygge lifestyle (a Danish word that loosely translates as cozy, comfy, and overall wellness), parenting, birth, and women’s health. Cathy, Michelle and Lauren lost their moms to dementia, so they discuss what it’s like to care for someone with dementia and how to support them through the proces...