Zen Parenting Radio

By Todd and Cathy Adams

Society & Culture Education Philosophy Kids & Family

What's Zen Parenting Radio about?

Zen Parenting is a weekly podcast discussion between a spiritual and emotional mom (Cathy Cassani Adams) and a logical and practical dad (Todd Adams). Every episode is a reminder to wake up to our lives; to be ever more mindful, self-aware, and compassionate in how we parent and how we treat ourselves and others.

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Gender Norms- Truth or Fict...

12.05.2023

Todd and Cathy discuss gender norms and explore ways to validate, acknowledge, and challenge them. They also dive into the comedy of Nate Bargatze, highlighting its observational nature that prompts thought and reflection.

Zen Parenting Radio episodes:

12.05.2023 Gender Norms- Truth or Fiction?- Episode #739 Todd and Cathy discuss gender norms and explore ways to validate, acknowledge, and challenge them. They also dive into the comedy of Nate Bargatze, highlighting its observational nature that prompts thought and reflection.
11.28.2023 Support Systems for our Kids- Episode #738 Cathy and Todd discuss how to create strong support systems for our kids, allowing them to have new and unique experiences and build relationships that contribute to their self-understanding. Teaching them about boundaries, encouraging them to ask for help, and ...
11.21.2023 Developing a Grateful Mindset- Episode #737 Todd and Cathy dive deep into some quotes about gratitude and explore how to incorporate gratitude into our everyday and ordinary lives. They also answer some listener’s questions and play clips from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (the best Thanksgiving movie!) ...
11.14.2023 Fentanyl- What You Need to Know- A Conversation with Patrice Lenowitz -Episode #736 Cathy and Todd talk with Patrice Lenowitz, Executive Director of The Nurtured Parent, domestic abuse survivor, victims’ rights advocate, activist, and mother of Max, who tragically died of fentanyl poisoning in 2022. Patrice is now on a mission to raise ...
11.07.2023 Raising Non-Entitled Children-Episode #735 Cathy and Todd discuss entitlement and how to better relate and understand our kids. They talk about the importance of intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation, why it takes kids time to change their behavior, and how to avoid using shame when ...
10.31.2023 The One About Anxiety and FRIENDS-Episode #734 Cathy and Todd discuss the loss of Matthew Perry and the significance of Chandler and the TV show "FRIENDS" for our generation. They also share strategies for addressing anxiety with children, focusing on normalizing, accepting, and preventing emotions from becoming ...
10.24.2023 Listen Listen Learn Learn-Episode #733 Todd and Cathy discuss empathic listening and how to respond with curiosity and non-judgment when our kids ask difficult questions. Whether it pertains to conflicts abroad or everyday challenges, the capacity to listen to our children is something we can ...
10.17.2023 Our Favorite Quotes & Mantras- Podcast #732 Cathy and Todd exchange quotes and mantras that remind them to stay in the moment, alleviate their anxiety, and prompt them to center their thoughts on gratitude. They discuss how they use these phrases and explore why our brains tend ...
10.10.2023 Love Every Day- A Conversation with Dr. Alexandra Solomon- Podcast #731 In this episode of Zen Parenting Radio, Todd and Cathy have a thoughtful conversation with Dr. Alexandra Solomon, a relationship expert and clinical psychologist. They discuss Dr. Solomon's upcoming book, "Love Every Day," providing listeners with helpful insights into love, ...
10.03.2023 Revisiting The 7 Habits- Podcast #730 Cathy and Todd revisit Stephen Covey's “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” (1989) and discuss how each habit can help us improve our relationships with ourselves and our loved ones. They also explore why a paradigm shift is the ...
09.26.2023 Never Enough- A Conversation About Toxic Achievement Culture with Jennifer Wallace- Podcast #729 Cathy and Todd talk with Jennifer Wallace about her New York Times Bestseller Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic – and What We Can Do About It. They discuss the definition of happiness and why parents feel so pressured ...
09.19.2023 ADHD By Gender- Podcast #728 Cathy and Todd discuss the differences between ADHD in men and women and the reasons why so many adult women are getting diagnosed today. They do a follow up about highly sensitive people (HSP), discuss the #GRWM craze, and share ...
09.12.2023 Growing Up in Public-A Conversation with Dr. Devorah Heitner #727 Todd and Cathy converse with Dr. Devorah Heitner, the author of "Screenwise" and her NEW book "Growing Up in Public." They discuss the downsides and benefits of tracking your kids, whether it's a good idea to read your kids' texts, ...
09.05.2023 Tantrums & Perfectionism- Podcast #726 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 ...
08.29.2023 Highly Sensitive People- Podcast #725 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 ...
08.22.2023 6 Steps to Reduce Anxiety Podcast #724 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 ...
08.15.2023 Difficult Conversations between Women & Men #723 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 ...
08.08.2023 What is Barbie Really About?- Podcast #722 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 ...
08.01.2023 Raising Good Humans Every Day- A Conversation with Hunter Clarke-Fields- Podcast #721 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 ...
07.25.2023 Shifting Life Patterns- Podcast #720 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 ...
07.18.2023 The Champion Teammate- A Conversation with John O’Sullivan- Podcast #719 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. ...
07.11.2023 Love is Not Control- Podcast #718 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 ...
07.04.2023 Better, Not Perfect- Podcast #717 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 ...
06.27.2023 The Outcome is Not the Outcome- Podcast #716 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 ...
06.20.2023 Nurturing our Kids Spiritual Growth & Self-Understanding- Podcast #715 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 ...
06.13.2023 Field of Dreams- Podcast#714 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 ...
06.06.2023 Ask Us Anything- Podcast#713 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 ...
05.30.2023 What Succession Teaches Us About Family Systems- Podcast#712 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 ...
05.23.2023 Do Your Kids Understand You?–Podcast #711 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 ...
05.16.2023 Part 2- Porn, Consent, and Sexual Assault- A Conversation with Mike Domitrz, Founder of The Center for Respect–Podcast #710 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 ...
05.09.2023 Part 1-Porn, Consent, and Sexual Assault- A Conversation with Mike Domitrz, Founder of The Center for Respect-Podcast #709 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 ...
05.02.2023 How to Talk to Your Kids About Swearing- Podcast #708 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.
04.25.2023 The Movies that Matter- Podcast #707 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 ...
04.18.2023 How to Raise Leaders- Podcast #706 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 ...
04.11.2023 What’s Your Parenting Style?- Podcast #705 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 ...
04.04.2023 The Addiction Inoculation & SEL with Author Jessica Lahey- Podcast #704 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 ...
03.28.2023 What To Do When Life Is Messy- Podcast #703 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 ...
03.21.2023 Birth, Death, & Hygge- A Conversation with Michelle and Lauren from The Sister Project- Podcast #702 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 ...
03.14.2023 What Is Zen Parenting? Part 2- Podcast #701 Cathy & Todd discuss 4 invitations to being a positive parent. They discuss 1) What do we want for our kids? 2) Relationship b/w EQ (Emotional intelligence) IQ (Intelligence Quotient) & BQ (Body Intelligence) 3) When we cop out 4) ...
03.07.2023 What Is Zen Parenting? Part 1- Podcast #700 Cathy & Todd celebrate their 700th episode by discussing the universal principles of Zen Parenting, the importance of civil conversation, and what has remained the same for the last 12 years. Part 1 of 2.
02.27.2023 Practicing Self-Compassion- Podcast #699 Todd & Cathy discuss the different aspects of self-compassion and take the quiz to see who is more self-compassionate. They also talk about the movie Grease & Mr. Rogers.
02.21.2023 Who Does What? Podcast #698 Todd & Cathy share how their roles have changed over the years and who does what around the house. They discuss the importance of communication around household expectations, and how roles are supposed to evolve and change as the kids ...
02.14.2023 Dr. Shefali Tsabary & The Parenting Map- Podcast #697 Dr. Shefali returns to ZPR to discuss her new book The Parenting Map: Step-by-Step Solutions to Consciously Create the Ultimate Parent-Child Relationship (available for preorder NOW, released on 2/28). They discuss how to check our own egos, recognize our children’s ...
02.07.2023 How to Role Model Emotional Wellness- Podcast #696 Cathy & Todd discuss how our children learn by watching how we live and how we react, and why owning our emotional responses creates connection and opportunity for learning. They discuss the difference between responding and reacting (especially when it ...
01.31.2023 How To Listen To Each Other- Podcast #695 Cathy & Todd discuss how we handle trauma, why boys are falling behind in school, and why the emotional intelligence of fathers is essential for cultural change. They also share a personal example of conflict, listening, and repair, and why ...
01.24.2023 Teenage Boys- Creating Deeper Conversations- Podcast #694 Todd & Cathy discuss ways to engage in deeper conversation with teenage boys, and how every suggestion is helpful to all relationships and conversations. They also discuss Prince Harry’s new book Spare, and how he learned to deal with “hover ...
01.17.2023 Adult Decision Making- Podcast #693 Cathy and Todd discuss the passing of Cathy’s mom, Cathy’s recent diagnosis and surgery, and how they support each other in a crisis. They discuss their patterns of behavior, what they need from each other, and why showing up for ...
01.10.2023 Todd & Cathy’s Moms Set the Record Straight- Podcast #692 (Rebroadcast) Instead of posting a new podcast, we are reposting one of our favorites, the one where we interview our moms. Unfortunately, Cathy's mom passed away yesterday, and we wanted to share this to honor her. We share some great stories ...
01.03.2023 Good, True, & Beautiful- Podcast #691 Todd & Cathy share their experiences of what they find good, true and beautiful, and why finding and discussing these things makes life more meaningful. They talk about the joy of feeding the birds and squirrels, creating a comfortable sleeping ...
12.27.2022 8 Peaceful Things in 2022- Podcast# 690 Cathy & Todd discuss 8 peaceful things from 2022 and how to incorporate more peace and joy into 2023. They discuss the importance of music, why we need to embrace our creativity, and the TV shows they are watching with ...

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