love — An unofficial parenting guide to raising successful humans

241. Own your crazy spots + how to love your teenager well, featuring Lisa Damour

The secret is out we don’t really know what we’re doing - “Parents are only people that had kids!”

Truly, I think teenagers have it rough because they’re going through massive developmental changes, which is similar to parents navigating their kiddo as well as their own personal changes throughout the parenting journey.

Bottom line, we all need MORE SUPPORT + MORE GRACE because it’s pretty stressful at times.

We also have limitations and blind spots - or crazy spots as @lisa.damour calls them - which makes it easy to get wrapped up in our own heads, leaving us feeling stuck or alone.

As adults, we need people to both call us out on our craziness and be our biggest fan—and our teenagers are no different. They also need to be seen, understood, and accepted.

Dr. Lisa Damour shares why it’s important to recognize and talk about our “crazy spots,” and how to actually help our kiddos mature, rather than simply age into adolescence and adulthood.

240. The journey of loving others, featuring Lisa Nichols

Why is it so hard to make friends as adults?

Maybe it’s because you’re not always in situations where you automatically meet people in the same life stage as you. But also, maybe it’s because you close yourself off, quick to judge others and afraid of being judged yourself, and unwilling to take a chance.

Building community takes time, not to mention vulnerability.

Today, motivational speaker Lisa Nichols reminds us that kindness matters, and being receptive to new friendships could actually change your view of yourself and of the world. You just have to be open to it.

235. Children can't be what they can't see, featuring Lael Stone

Do you ever feel like you manage life well…until the small people in your life don't want to go along with your plans? That’s when the heat turns on, when they find the most inopportune moments to lose it. But the truth is that their cries and outbursts are a way to be seen and heard.

Parenting educator Lael Stone nudges you back to your kids’ side, reminding you that your level of compassion and nurturing and how you regulate your emotions in these early years has an impact on who they become. You have the power in how you show up to teach either anxiety and depression, or kindness and compassion.

231. Don't regret your regrets, featuring Dan Pink

Do you find yourself sometimes blaming your current unhappiness and dissatisfaction on past choices? While that’s a common sentiment, regret can actually have a positive effect on your life. The trick is to find the gift in your regret, and learn from it as you move forward. Author Dan Pink has collected over 16,000 regrets from people around the globe, and today he shares the four core regrets we all face, and explains how to transform your regrets into a life you enjoy more.

227. Refuse to die an unlived life, featuring Les Brown

Most parenting advice is all about how to get your kid to follow your rules and your schedule. But the real secret to parenting that most people won’t tell you? Work on yourself. Of course, that’s much easier said than done, because introspection is tough to fit on your to-do list amid parenting, working, cooking, cleaning, and all the things that life requires.

Renowned motivational speaker Les Brown shares that you have greatness inside of you, and taking the time to understand what you really want and the impact you want to make is of first importance. Listen as he gives a few tips on how to upgrade your life in big ways.

225. The blueprint for relationships, featuring Philippa Perry

Recently I noticed myself trying to tame my child’s complaining by teaching a big lesson on gratitude. Anyone relate to this? Now of course teaching gratitude is important, but not at the cost of shutting down communication about honest feelings and potentially damaging our relationship.

Today’s throwback episode (Episode 168) is truly the Cliffs Notes on how to be a parent, and how to cultivate healthy relationships with your kiddos. Philippa Perry is a psychotherapist and author who is passionate about helping parents navigate their own past in order to change their patterns of parent-child dynamics. She explains how to be authentic, why we need to define ourselves and our own needs to our kids, and how to build a positive blueprint for every future relationship they will have.

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Watch the full clip.
Read The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read: (And Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did).

218. Become the one you’re waiting for, featuring Valarie Kaur

Today’s episode is speaking specifically to moms. Today is a reminder that your power as a mother (or woman, for that matter) can change the world. Your emotions are valid and important, especially your act of love. Day after day you continue to labor and choose love, even when it’s hard.

Valarie Kaur, a renowned civil rights leader and best-selling author, reminds us that real love is a choice. Together we can choose to shift the culture as we continue to tell our stories and lean into love, which can truly be a force for justice.

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