When we decided to celebrate Thanksgiving in Ensenada, Mexico this year, people thought we were nuts. I thought maybe we were, too, but we ended up having one of the best family vacations ever. Instead of turkey, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie, and possible awkward conversations about politics around the dinner table, we went for the freshest seafood I've ever had, digging holes in the sand, getting slayed by Devin in Monopoly, and having just a charming, relaxing time. Having this kind of unconventional celebration made me think about the ways people celebrate their different religions and cultures during the month of December, especially when a large percentage of Americans celebrate Christmas.  

This episode delves into several multicultural celebrations that occur in December, beyond the well-known Christmas festivities. I cover the historical significance and traditions of Hanukkah, Bodhi Day, and Pancha Ganapati, and also explores non-religious observances such as Kwanzaa and Yule rooted in the winter solstice. You would be surprised at the intersections of the different religions and cultures in how they celebrate the different occasions--lots of lights, decorating, singing, and giving gifts. 

I also talk about Season 2, which will premier in mid to late January. I am shifting gears and will cover more journalistic topics like immigration, vigilante justice and the phenomenon of deja vu, to start. 

Enjoy, and I will see you next year!

#decembercelebrations #happyholidays #bodhiday #kwanzaa #panchaganapati #yule #wintersolstice

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Kathleen Nadeau, a dynamic clinical psychologist and leading expert on ADHD in women and girls. She is the Founder and Co-Owner of The Chesapeake Center, and has her Bachelor's, Master's and PhD in Psychology from the University of Florida (Go Gators!). Women in our society have been given an impossible role to play in that they generally work full-time outside of the home while also being expected to do the bulk of household duties. For neurotypical women, this is a tremendous and unreasonable expectation. For women with ADHD, they are operating in emergency mode all of the time, feeling like something is wrong with them because it is so much more difficult. 

Women who are diagnosed with ADHD as adults often look back and see how they masked their symptoms in order to fit in--to make friends, to do well in school, to please their parents, and to do what is expected of them by society in general. ADHD in women is often misdiagnosed as anxiety due to all of these pressures, and all of their masking. 

This will be the last episode in my ADHD Series, as I just can not improve upon Dr. Kathleen Nadeau's insight into ADHD. You will not be sorry you listened!

#ADHD #ADHDEpisode #ADHDinWomen #ADHDinMothers #UnreasonableExpectations #NeurodivergentWomen #KathleenNadeau #TheChesapeakeCenter

In Episode 23: "A Closet Full of Participation Trophies,"  I delve into the topic of participation trophies and the generational debate surrounding them, with a focus on our hardcore Gen X experiences. We are the forgotten generation, the latchkey kids. We drank out of water hoses. We ate dirt. We were largely unsupervised. We lived through recessions, the AIDS epidemic, The Cold War. The Boomers and Millenials point fingers at each other, and we are, yet again, overlooked.

As GEN X gets older, we have hung on to the notion that our incredible work ethic was the result of NOT receiving participation trophies as kids. Apparently, kids that are given participation trophies become lazy, entitled, soft and weak. Here's the thing, GEN X. We did get them. Check your parents' closets. Check your childhood bedrooms. And though we want to compare ourselves to younger generations and consider ourselves superior due to not being coddled, the truth is that younger generations are doing just fine with softer encouragement. 

Participation trophies have been handed out for over 100 years, and can improve young children's self-esteem, teamwork, and overall personal development. While there is an age that they become less effective, any token to encourage kids to play sports or engage in extracurriculars will benefit their overall growth. 

#45LeftToRightPodcast #GenX #ParticipationTrophies #LatchkeyKids #SportsParenting #YouthSports  #MillennialsVsGenX #GenXLife #EncouragingYoungKids

Episode 22: "What is Executive Function? Parenting ADHD with Michael McCleod" is Part III in the ADHD Series for 45 Left or Right Podcast. In this episode, I spoke with Michael McLeod, an expert in ADHD and Executive Function. Michael has 17 years of experience with youth, and travels all over the world educating parents, kids, teachers and school districts on well-researched methods for improving Executive Function and Social Executive Function in kids and adolescents with ADHD. We dive deep into understanding executive function and it impacts children with ADHD, and practical strategies for parents to help their kids not just cope, but THRIVE.

Whether you’re a parent, educator, or just curious about ADHD, this episode is packed with valuable information and actionable advice. Don’t miss it!

#ADHD #ADHDSeries #ExecutiveFunction #ParentingKidsWithADHD #ParentingTeensWithADHD #GrowNOWADHD #ADHDExpert #MichaelMcCleod

Part II of my ADHD Series, "Oh, She's Just Flighty" talks about the traits of girls who have ADHD. They can be aloof, daydreamers, be overly emotional, be fidgety, have trouble focusing, be disorganized, or messy...and these traits are attributed as a personality rather than a collection of symptoms for a girl with undiagnosed ADHD. I talk to my friend, Amy, whose 8 year old daughter, Alex, was just diagnosed with ADHD. Amy talks about their process for getting Alex a diagnosis, as well as the grace she tries to give Alex for her sometimes unpredictable moods. Alex is a lucky young lady because she had teachers who readily recognized her inability to focus in school as being ADHD. Many girls struggle for years without realizing that they actually have ADHD, and subsequently can struggle with significant mood disorders, especially depression and anxiety, because they can't figure out the source as ADHD.

"She's Just Flighty" is a comparison companion to Part I, "Boys With ADHD--Not Just Hyperactivity." Boys and girls with ADHD generally presently differently--boys can be hyperactive and impulsive, while girls can be excessively talkative and disorganized, just as examples. ADHD offers a spectrum of traits and behaviors that would surprise most people. Enjoy this episode, and look out for future episodes in my series on ADHD.

#ADHD #ADHDInGirls #ADHDInBoys #LateADHDDiagnosis #MoodDisordersOrADHD #ADHDPodcastSeries #ADHDPodcast #45LeftOrRightPodcast

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This is Part 1 of my ADHD Series! I hear the term, "ADHD" all of the time, but I only knew it to be what hyperactive, disruptive and impulsive boys were like when I was growing up. I've heard grumpy adults cry that it isn't a thing, and that kids who were unruly just need stronger parents. Well, it is in fact a thing, a thing that can disrupt the social, academic and emotional functioning of kids, teens and adults.

In this particular episode, I interviewed my son's friend, Alex, who is 12 years old, and very aware of his ADHD, and how it has affected him. He openly shares his experience, all whilst eating BBQ Chips in my new car. I cover some fundamental facts about ADHD, and also some more trademark traits of ADHD as it shows up in boys.  

In future episodes of this series, I'm going to cover ADHD in Girls, Parenting Kids with ADHD, and then ADHD in Women, and in Men. 

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Jeff and I celebrated our 22nd Wedding Anniversary on September 1st, so I thought it was a perfect time to record an episode not only about the history of marriages and how wedding anniversaries have been celebrated since the Middle Ages, but it is the ideal time for us to tell the tale of our first little airplane flight together before our 1st Wedding Anniversary. A story that ends with us landing in a landfill in the small town of Andalusia, Alabama, and meeting a really nice couple who fulfilled every stereotype of an Alabama resident. This story kills at parties and social gatherings, so we decided to share it with the world. Or, at least, the dozens of people who listen to the podcast each week. 

#AirplaneMishap #EngineFailure #LandfillLove #WomenAsProperty #WeddingCeremonySuperstitions #WeddingCeremonyTraditions #WeddingAnniversaryGifts 

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I have been asked many times what it was like to be a woman in the military, and this episode is a small sample of what it was like. I tell stories of discrimination, judgement, glory, and, also being treated equally. It was a challenging, sometimes enraging, empowering, and sometimes, lonely time. I tell stories that include all of these things!

Did you know that woman have been serving in the military, even in combat, since the Revolutionary War? While Congress has been debating women and their role in combat for decades, women have been serving in combat from the very beginning. And as per usual in my podcast episodes, I look into some research that demonstrates why women actually improve performance for groups in high pressure situations.

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After a few weeks off for "vacation," I'm back with a new episode! I put vacation in quotes because it was a lot of traveling, and hectic, but we also did a lot of fun things. This episode is about back to school, and how some kids struggle more than others with this kind of transition. I interview my friend, Nicole, who has taught everything from 1st Grade to Middle School, and has seen hundreds of students come through her classrooms. She talks about some ways that kids show they are having trouble, like crying, or hiding under their desks, and what we as parents can do about it. I tell the story of my first anxiety-inducing day at a new school in the 7th Grade, and how lost and lonely I initially felt. I had bad hair, knew no one, and thought the middle school boys were weird! 

#Back to School #ParentingKids #Parenting Teens #ToughTransitions #45leftorrightpodcast #NewPodcastAlert

Recently, we traveled to Colorado and went whitewater rafting, and though we had a great time, I found myself more hesitant to get in the raft. In my 20s, I would not even thought about it--"Let's go rafting! Woo hoo!" I looked back into the risky things I did earlier in my life, and wondered whether or not I would do them now. On this episode, I tell some stories about the risks I have taken in my life, like flying a helicopter, and look into the research behind how we change our outlook on taking risks as we get older. Do we become more cautious because of wisdom and life experience? Is there something changing in our brains? Does it have to do with our personalities, as they can change? Expect several stories in this episode, especially how helicopters fly, how difficult it is to fly, and a thrilling story about a pirate ship tour. 

#analyzingrisk #riskybehavior #arewemorecautious #teachingriskmanagement #middleagepodcast #midlifecrisis

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