On today’s episode Dr. Rick and Forrest focus on one of the most important decisions we’ll make in life: the choice to become a parent. They focus on what good parenting looks like in practice, the key difference in thinking of a child as a “means” or an “end,” and how to know whether becoming a parent is the right path for you. 

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You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

2:20: The significance (and uniqueness) of this choice

4:50: Being aware of your motivations for having a child

16:55: The influence of primal biology

20:50: Qualities of a good parent

30:30: Mirroring, idealizing, twinship, and the process of differentiation

36:35: Optimal frustration, and a healthy parental work ethic

41:25: The rewards of being a parent

46:45: If you don’t like __ you shouldn’t become a parent

48:50: A word for current parents who wish things had been different 

53:00: Community, partnership, and resources

55:10: Meaning and fulfillment with or without a child

1:00:50: Recap

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