Technology is such a huge part of our kids’ lives, especially at school, that we don’t always stop to ask: Is all of it actually helping them learn? This week, neuroscientist and educator Jared Cooney Horvath gave us a lot to think about. (And considering I haven’t been able to help with our kids’ math homework since elementary school, I definitely had some questions.)

Jared joins us to explain what happens when screens replace handwriting, textbooks, and face-to-face interaction. We talk about the difference between using technology to “offload” work versus “outsourcing” skills we haven’t learned yet, why preparing kids for a digital future might actually mean less tech in the classroom, and whether AI is taking things one step too far. But the best news? No one is stuck. Attention, memory, and learning can improve, and there are changes parents and schools can make right now.

Penn and I also lean all the way into our Gen X roots, including the rotary phone (aka the original fidget spinner.) Turns out we may be advocating for less tech while being extremely entertained by very old tech. We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

00:00 Welcome to Laugh Lines

4:57 Schooled By Gen Z

12:28 Welcome, Jared Cooney Horvath

15:33 Too Much School Tech?

20:06 The Power of Handwriting

24:22 Change In Schools

28:55 The Use of AI

35:05 When To Use Tech

39:03 How To Make Change

42:01 How Teachers Feel

46:10 Deep Note Taking

53:!2 The Good News

57:10 Knowledge & Creativity

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My mom passed away last week after a very long battle with Alzheimer’s and dementia. If you’ve ever loved someone through this disease, you probably understand how complicated that grief can be. There is sadness and loss, but there can also be relief (and guilt for feeling that relief.) I’ve been around Alzheimer’s for almost 40 years, and I’m still learning that all of those feelings can exist at the same time.

My Mom was a doer, a giver, and someone who spent her life serving her family and her community. And in one final act of service, she donated her brain to Alzheimer’s research. Knowing that her gift could help families like ours someday is an incredible source of hope.

We talked about all of this in the show and we also found ourselves laughing through grief. We discovered that writing an obituary can really make you question your own life accomplishments, discussed what food should be served in our memory, and learned that the preferred vehicle for riding into the great beyond is a Chrysler Pacifica.

One of the greatest gifts my mom left us was her detailed “death wishes.” She made her choices known so we didn’t have to make them for her. It made me realize that talking about what you want after you’re gone doesn’t have to be morbid. It can actually be an incredible act of love for the people you leave behind.

Thank you for the outpouring of love you’ve given us since this news broke. We are so lucky to have you here. We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

00:00 Welcome to Laugh Lines

3:04 Complicated Feelings

11:21 Make A Death Wish

15:53 Our Death Wishes

28:22 Mary's Final Act

37:12 Men Supporting Men

41:42 Dropping Lola Off

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even when everything is going right, parenting a neurodivergent kid can be emotional. (And yes, I cry this episode... twice.) This week, Penn and I are joined by our friend, child psychologist, and author Dr. Emily King, to help teach us what our neurodivergent kids need to learn and be successful.

We talk about why “just try harder” doesn’t work, how to know when to push your kid, why girls can fly under the radar, and how small systems like checklists can make a huge difference. We also get emotional talking about our own experiences navigating school accommodations, and Dr. Emily gives some words of encouragement we can use with our own children.

Not only does Dr. Emily King help kids with ADHD, autism, learning differences, and giftedness... she also had an incredible voice. So obviously, we couldn't leave without a surprise song parody to summarize the show. (And she even sings it with us! Should we do more of these?) This conversation left us feeling less overwhelmed, and reminded that success doesn’t have to look the same for every kid. I hope it does the same for you.

We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

Get Emily’s new book, The Neurodivergent Learner

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

00:00 Welcome to Laugh Lines!

4:56 Welcome, Dr. Emily King

7:40 Defining Neurodivergence

12:35 Uneven Development

14:08 Neurodivergent Translations

17:08 The School System

25:53 Gender Differences

32:23 Getting Diagnosed

42:30 Verbal Doesn't Work

48:36 Celebrating Wins

55:14 Surprise Instant Parody

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently, Penn and I asked you to tell us about your weirdest summer jobs. From working in customer service for the WOW Chips debacle to a stripping gorilla, you really showed up for this episode! Your calls and messages had us laughing, cringing, and repeatedly asking one very important question: Where were the child labor laws?! (I guess it was the 90s…)

Every weird job teaches you a lesson along the way. We not only heard from you, we call Kim’s old roommate, and even our producers Sam and Ann Marie weigh in. We discuss why it's so much harder for teens to get that first job today, how I became a "crossbody bag with legs”, and we pitch our dream challenges if we ever got a weird job as producers for The Amazing Race. (Spoiler: The college move-in day challenge where you cram 800 things into half a dorm room and then your child leaves you forever. FUN!)

This episode was SO much fun because of all of you. Thank you to everyone who called, wrote, commented, and shared your questionable employment history with us. Please keep it coming because next we want to hear what unhinged things you did in the 80s/90s that would never fly today. (We did WHAT?!) You truly make this show better and much, much weirder. We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

00:00 Welcome to Laugh Lines!

3:!5 Kim Went to Puerto Rico

10:53 Today Is About Weird Jobs

16:37 Sam's Weird Job

20:27 Ann Marie's Weird Job

21:53 Daryl the Talking Reindeer

23:25 Gen X Retirement Homes

26:31 Cynthia Sold Karaoke

32:10 More Weird Jobs

41:25 Send Us Your Stories

42:24 Amazing Race Challenges

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently, a dear friend asked me: "Do you and your husband actually get along all the time? Tell me the truth." So this week on Laugh Lines, we are pulling back the curtain on what it’s actually like to be married, raise kids, AND work together every single day. We talk about the things we’ll probably never agree on, why I have decision fatigue, and how sometimes it’s okay to go to bed angry.

We also get an update on Penn’s Alzheimer’s prevention journey. He recently overdid it at the gym and developed rhabdomyolysis, but what doctors learn from his bloodwork could have important implications for how new Alzheimer’s blood tests are interpreted. Plus, we hear from you about the Gen X movies that hit VERY differently when you watch them with your kids. Clueless, Spaceballs, and Stand By Me. (Listen, it was a different time!)

Finally, one thing we don't always agree on is what videos we make. So we also ask our Laugh Liners to let us know: Should we publish Penn's "Peeing In The Pool" parody? Buckle up for the world premiere right here on Laugh Lines. The decision is up to you! We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

Pre-order Get It Done & Have Fun

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

00:00 Welcome to Laugh Lines!

2:57 Do We Get Along

16:01 Creative Differences

20:08 Should We Post This?

25:41 Things We Never Agree On

30:45 Penn's Gonna Talk About Alzheimer's

41:20 Reflecting On Gen X Movies

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever replayed a conversation in your head for three days because someone might have been upset with you? Friend... same. This week on Laugh Lines, Penn and I sit down with psychiatrist and ADHD expert Dr. Sasha Hamdani to talk about something that completely changed the way we understand ourselves: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD).

If you've ever been called "too sensitive," taken criticism way too personally, or apologized a hundred times a day, this conversation might explain why. Dr. Hamdani shares the science behind why so many people with ADHD experience emotions so intensely, why hormonal changes like perimenopause can make it even harder, and what we can actually do about it.

We also talk about the surprising upside of feeling things deeply, because the same brain that feels rejection so intensely also experiences joy, awe, empathy, and connection in a really beautiful way. (And somehow we end up talking about WikiFeet. Because of course we do.)

Whether you have ADHD or you've simply spent your life feeling "too sensitive," this conversation is for you. We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. (Also send us your weird summer jobs!) You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

Learn more about Dr. Sasha Hamdani

Get Dr. Sasha Hamdani's book, Too Sensitive

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

00:00 Welcome to Laugh Lines!

2:41 Growing Up Sensitive

8:17 Welcome Dr. Hamdani

11:24 What is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria?

20:32 RSD Without ADHD

26:36 Dealing With Criticism

30:43 RSD & Perimenopause

33:37 Best Practices for RSD

40:08 Movement Is Effective

44:48 Chronic Apologizing

47:59 RSD Advantages

51:17 RSD Calls from the Laugh Line

1:00:45 RSD Relationship Hack

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penn and I have joked about gentle parenting on this podcast more than once. As Gen X parents, it always sounded a little... soft. So when parenting coach Jon Fogel joined us, we figured we'd have a lively debate. Instead, about halfway through the conversation, we looked at each other and thought, "Wait... have we been gentle parenting this whole time?" Also, what is gentle parenting? (Apologies in advance for the many references to Penn getting hit in the balls by a pool noodle.)

Jon helped us untangle why so much of what gets labeled "gentle parenting" online isn't really gentle parenting at all, and why kids actually learn better through connection than fear. We even put Jon through a round of our "Hill You'll Die On" game to find out where he stands on everything from pajamas at school and homework to smartphones and curfews.

Whether you're raising toddlers, teenagers, or just trying to recover from how you were parented yourself, this conversation might make you rethink a few things. It definitely did for us. We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. (Also send us your weird summer jobs!) You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

Learn more about Jon Fogel

Get Jon's book, Punishment-Free Parenting

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Laugh Lines, Penn and I not only strip down due to our A/C being out... AGAIN! We also tackle two things I never expected to happen in the same podcast: Becoming an (almost) empty nester and hunting down an estrogen patch like it was contraband due to a recent shortage.

We discuss my hormones going on strike, and a voicemail from a mom preparing to send her child to college inspired us to share the biggest lessons we've learned after Lola's first year away. We also revisit "Father of the Bride" through Gen Z eyes (Spoiler: George Banks was making a lot of sense), realize that 1991 was somehow 35 years ago, play a very heated game of The Price Is Right, and give a spirited tribute to the late Bonnie Tyler. Yes, Penn got out the recorder.

If you're navigating hormones, parenting grown kids, or simply trying to figure out how we all got this old, come laugh with us. We promise you'll leave feeling a little less alone. We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube. And thanks to our partner, OLLY, for sponsoring this episode!

Pre-order Get It Done & Have Fun

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do Blockbuster cards, Duke basketball, and a lifelong dream of writing a novel have in common? Somehow they all end up in this episode! This week, Penn and I are joined by #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin, whose books have defined the modern "beach read" for millions of readers. (And I love a beach read, y'all.) Her latest book, Love You More, just came out this month.

Emily shares the path that took her from practicing law to becoming a beloved novelist, and how she creates the messy, relatable characters we can't stop rooting for. Along the way, Emily joins Penn in encouraging me to write my own novel and we explore why there are no truly original ideas - only original voices.

Of course, this wouldn't be Laugh Lines without a healthy dose of Gen X nostalgia. We reminisce about Encyclopedia Brown, Blockbuster late fees, and play a game called "Plot Twist," where Emily turns the most ordinary situations into bestselling novels on the spot. We also answer your Laugh Line questions about pickleball etiquette, marriage with ADHD, and the mottos that have shaped our lives.

If you learned something from our conversation with Emily, share it with an aspiring writer or somebody who just has a dream that they have wanted to chase. We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

Learn more about Emily's new book, Love You More

Pre-order Get It Done & Have Fun

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, I was the mom crying in the Target parking lot while buying dorm room supplies. This year? Our daughter Lola is back home after her freshman year of college, and apparently... she knows things. So we handed her the microphone.

In this episode of Laugh Lines, Lola shares everything she wishes she'd known before moving into her dorm - from making friends in those first overwhelming weeks to building good study habits, surviving finals, handling competitive clubs, and why you definitely do NOT need twenty athletic tops (I would like the record to show I tried to say this while we were packing). We also asked Lola your questions from Instagram about homesickness, roommates, calling your parents, transferring schools, ADHD organization, dorm must-haves, and what actually matters when you're preparing for college.

Whether you're sending your first kid to college, heading there yourself, or just wondering how someone can get hit by a car and still make it to a meeting on time (yes, that happened), we hope this conversation makes the whole transition feel a little less scary. If you have more college questions, let us know - we may have to bring Lola back for another round. We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at [email protected]. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

Pre-order Get It Done & Have Fun

Visit Our Shop

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.