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Create a Better New Normal
In this return appearance on the Impact Learning podcast, my friend and host Maria Xenidou wanted to know about supporting parents, teachers, and guiding families to get back on track amid a global pandemic.
Maria takes a deep dive into Learning Superpowers, the tool that I share from positive psychology, that parents can use to identify their children’s character strengths to prepare them for better livelihoods. We also discuss the tension between parents and teachers during distance learning and I provide guidance and insights to help rebuild trust as we return to the ‘new normal’ at home and in the classroom.
Laugh More, Yell Less
In a powerful interview just months after publishing my first book “Laugh More, Yell Less: A Guide to Raising Kick-Ass Kids,” Life of Dad podcast hosts Art Eddy and Ryan Hamilton dig deeper into the way the book speaks to parents about what the future holds and what we can’t predict.
In this wide-ranging conversation with these two conscientious dads, we obviously talk about parenting a lot but we also hit on class clowns, parenting kids with special needs, and… ultimate frisbee!
Back to School?
Joining host Laurie Palau on her fantastic podcast This Organized Life, we talk about how parents can help kids to navigate through some of the toughest times without a roadmap. I provide Laurie with tools to help parents communicate with their children more effectively with specific examples of how we can be more intentional and impactful with our words and actions. Whether you are a parent of toddlers, elementary, middle or high schoolers, this is a great conversation that you won’t want to miss!
The Future is Trust
The In Trust podcast is a fantastic project from two altMBA Head Coaches, Lisa Lambert and Rick Kitigawa. Our team has had the pleasure to work with their consultancy, Spotlight Trust (which came about because of this interview!). In this episode, we discussed how tough it is to be a conscientious parent in a pandemic, let alone three different pandemics (virus, stress, and time).
How do you manage your kids while you’re managing the changing format of your job? How do employees, regardless of parenting status, deal with outdated management philosophies in this new world of work? Rick and Lisa and I time travel, cover practical tips for managing the winter holidays in this time of triple pandemic, and offer ways to discern your intuition from the distractions emanating from your lizard brain. We even get into a reimagination of what a school can be!
The Messy Parts of Parenting
I love that my friend and fellow altMBA alum Laura Tyson invited me onto her new podcast, All the Feels. I also love that she learned that “positive psychology may not be what you think it is.” Are you smack in the middle of the messy parts of parenting, when you find yourself exasperated and losing your cool? We candidly discussed how to make those meltdown moments more manageable.
Laura’s favorite quote from our conversation: “What’s the math problem? Is the math problem just the answer you get at the bottom? Or is it the actually working through of the problem? Is life something you do on your own time and then you come up with the perfect mic drop moment? Because that’s only part of the answer – there’s much more to it. As much as we’re in the mess and we think we’re not ready for prime time, we’re in it actually. The mess is part of it.”
How to Get More Parent Involvement in Schools
Erich, a public school administrator in Kansas, wanted to know how he can help parents feel connected at school. We talked about Restorative Practices, meeting parents where they are, and my new book, “But I’m Not a Teacher! A Parent’s Guide to Learning Under Lockdown.”
We talked about the role that parents can play in their kids’ learning journey, resisting the pressure to treat them like robots, clearing the way to rekindle a love of learning rather than complying with an emphasis on grades and pleasing teachers, and taking care of themselves (parents as models) in a holistic, 360 degrees way (sleep, mindfulness, movement, screen time, etc.) in order to handle the challenges of working from home/virtual learning.
Navigating Life with a Teen
I LOVED being a part of The Cute Monster podcast. Host Vincent Daly wanted to know how to navigate uncharted waters as the parent of a new adolescent.
In this lightning round of an interview, we covered a LOT: adolescence, smartphone use, social media, and a few other parenting tips.
Men Who Listen
Scott Perry is one of the hardest working, most consistently productive change agents that I know. Scott and I “came up together” in the 6th cohort (altMBA6) of Seth Godin’s intensive personal development program in 2016. It was such an honor to be featured on his podcast, Creative on Purpose.
As two fathers who pay close attention to the #MeToo movement and the tectonic shifts in our society, we get deep into what it would take to help men and boys to get off the sidelines in this movement by listening better. We also talk about the value of curiosity and courage in solving interesting problems, how prototyping and iteration have served our best interests as creatives, and the limitations of the control we really have over our creative energy. Scott and I discuss our progress in allowing productivity to ebb and flow without wasting energy “pushing the river.”
The Comedy of Parenting
As the host of the podcast The Pratfalls of Parenting, Levi Weinhagen couldn’t pass up the opportunity to interview me as the author of a book called, “Laugh More, Yell Less: A Guide to Raising Kick-Ass Kids.” In addition to talking about my book, we discuss working with adolescents, how parents can balance their busy schedules with raising kick-ass kids, and how hard it can be to stay in dad mode rather than putting on our professional hats when parenting our own children. Levi also digs into the ways that the psychology of the parent and the psychology of young people can bump up against one another.
Dads with Daughters
After I published the 2020 Stuck-at-Home edition of “Laugh More, Yell Less: A Guide to Raising Kick-Ass Kids,” Christopher Lewis of Fathering Together hosted me on his Dads with Daughters podcast. During the COVID-19 health crisis, I felt the need to update my book to help parents to better know what they could do to make the most of this unique situation we are all in.
Christopher and I discussed the challenges for everyone in the family of parenting and managing learning while sharing one small space. Having met Christopher at the Dad 2.0 Summit, he and I spoke about the challenges of “being with” our daughters while they go through the challenges that give them the learning and “calluses” that they will need for later in life. We also discuss the joy and lessons from parenting an adult daughter, including trekking together in the Andes.
Create Impact with Positive Psychology
During my first visit on the Impact Learning podcast, dear friend and fellow altMBA alumni Maria Xenidou inquires about my learning and life journey from a clinical and school psychologist, and business owner, to a parent, to positive psychologist, blogger, author, and podcaster. We explore the forks in the road and the adventures that led me to the powerful work I am doing today with parents, kids and Wonder Women!
The Power of Authentic Connection
As a guest on the Get Published Podcast, host bestselling author Paul G. Brodie administered a lightning round of questions about my journey as an author and a creative and about the power of authentic connection.