Asha Dornfest

Episode 160: Real-life Meal Planning with Jane Maynard

Posted on April 18, 2019

Meal planning can feel relentless, especially when you’re dealing with multiple dietary preferences or needs. In theory, planning ahead makes sense, but when the rubber hits the road of real life, well, it’s cereal for dinner. In Episode 160 of the Edit Your Life podcast, Christine interviews Jane Maynard, veteran food blogger and creator of This Week for Dinner (the blog and the podcast). Christine and Jane talk about the nitty gritty of meal planning, a tool to make meal planning and grocery shopping easier, dealing with different nutritional needs, the benefits of getting kids in the kitchen, and Jane’s must-have cookbook recommendations.

Long days, short years

Posted on April 13, 2019

Enjoy it, because they grow up so fast.

Wait, did I just say that?

Episode 159: Multicultural Parenting

Posted on April 11, 2019

Many of us have multiple racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds in our families. How do we share these rich cultural traditions with our kids while also enjoying the mainstream observations and celebrations of day-to-day American life?

In Episode 159 of the Edit Your Life podcast, we respond to a listener’s question by sharing our own thoughts and experiences about growing up—and now parenting—in multicultural families. We talk about the gifts and complexities of identity, and then go on to share simple ways to increase cultural awareness in everyday life.

Must we be “nice” parents?

Posted on April 10, 2019

Years ago, my son and I were on a walk. He complained about being tired from our “hike” (a thirty-minute stroll through a forest-y nature area), so I cocked an eyebrow and told him stories that began with “When I was a kid…”

When I was a kid, my parents didn’t put up with any crap. They never let me get away with whining about the weather or being tired while on a walk. They usually pointed out they were over 30 years older than me and were handling the hardship just fine.

His response: “Wow, they weren’t very nice to you growing up, were they?”

Huh. That’s your takeaway, kid?

Episode 158: Untangling Overparenting with Jessica Lahey [Rebroadcast]

Posted on April 4, 2019

Overparenting can take many forms—the extreme being, say, bribing and cheating your kid’s way into college. And while the college bribery scandal is an over-the-top example, it does bring up the overarching issue of all the ways kids are undermined when parents go overboard smoothing the road for them.

In Episode 158 of the Edit Your Life podcast, Christine and I share fresh commentary on overparenting, then rebroadcast an interview with Jessica Lahey, author of The Gift of Failure. Christine and Jessica talk about letting go of control, how ignoring the grade portal actually encourages learning, and how lovingly stepping back doesn’t have to feel like walking away.