When you’re in the early parenting weeds, the prospect of your kids eventually moving out seems approximately a million years away. In Episode 245, I provide a look into the enormous juncture of parenting that is the transition to the empty nest.

Finding the right words to say is one of the ongoing challenges in parenting. In Episode 244, Christine chats with Ned Johnson, co-author of the recently released What Do You Say?: How to Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home. Ned and Christine talk about communication challenges in the time of the pandemic, empathy pitfalls, the power of no-force, stress tolerance, and more.

Seasonal transition is the name of the game right now. In Episode 243, Christine and I talk about what is happening for us in terms of self, family, work, home, and more…all within the context of the pandemic, of course.

Summer is winding down, which means that college application stress is winding up. High school seniors and their families face unique challenges this second COVID-touched school year, so I wanted to share my perspective. In Episode 242, I offer an inside look at what it was like to support two very different kids through the college application process (the youngest of whom is days away from starting as a college freshman). Listen now for tips, perspective, and, hopefully, comfort, as you embark on this sometimes-maddening, exciting ride with your almost-flown kid.

Like so much else during this pandemic, peoples’ experiences of vaccinated life are all over the map. In Episode 240 Christine and I talk about how to handle summer socializing in a way that brings joyful human connection while also staying true to what feels right for you and the people in your household.

There are obvious reasons why it’s a good thing to teach kids to be functional human beings. But learning how to do things and how to be helpful and kind has deeper importance, impacts relationships, and is backed by science. In Episode 239, Christine talks to Catherine Newman, author of How to Be a Person: 65 Hugely Useful, Super-Important Skills to Learn Before You’re Grown Up. Christine and Catherine talk about the connection between happiness and being a functional human being, why it matters for relationships and community, and more.