Family guilt and drama around the holidays is an annual source dread for many people. For some, it’s the logistical problem of seeing many people (and sometimes traveling) on a compressed timeline. For others, the holidays come with baggage and expectations, especially with extended family. In Episode 17 of Edit Your Life, Asha and I share about our family get-together rituals pre- and post-kids + 9 tips for getting over the guilt and shaping your own family traditions.Family guilt and drama around the holidays is an annual source dread for many people. For some, it’s the logistical problem of seeing many people (and sometimes traveling) on a compressed timeline. For others, the holidays come with baggage and expectations, especially with extended family. In Episode 17 of Edit Your Life, Asha and I share about our family get-together rituals pre- and post-kids + 9 tips for getting over the guilt and shaping your own family traditions.
Do you struggle with fear and self-doubt? Do you want to feel braver and stronger in life? Do you want to edit away the things that hold you back? In Episode 15 of Edit Your Life, I interview Erin Dullea, life coach and founder of 52 Dares. Erin and I talk about bringing consciousness to life choices, how to move towards a fuller (not busier) life, what holds women back, the overthinking muscle, how to bring accountability and self-compassion to your life, the power of saying you’re sorry, and how to edit your life of shame and other barriers so you can move forward.
Modern day dinners are far from Rockwellian. More typically, they involve a revolving door of family members tired and hungry after a busy day, with parents who likely are lacking in motivation or sheer minutes to do a ton of prep work. Fear not! In Episode 14 of Edit Your Life, Asha and I share 9 tips for weekday dinner solutions, related to planning (don’t be afraid, this is totally minimalist planning!), efficiency, execution, outsourcing, and general mindshifts about what a modern day dinner really looks like.
A conversation with a friend reminded me that it's time for another round of Podcasts I'm Digging (see part 1 for the first batch of 5 recommendations). As I've mentioned, podcasts are so great for listening on the go or around the house and today's picks have accompanied me during many running miles. I hope you'll check them out and also tune into Asha and my weekly Edit Your Life podcast! Enjoy, and feel free to share your recommendations via the comments!
Reading ought to be fun, but can sometimes be a stressful topic for parents. In Episode 13 of Edit Your Life, I interview Amy Mascott, co-author of Raising a Rock-Star Reader, a nonjudgmental book loaded with quick tips for busy parents. Listen in to hear: why you need not correct your kids’ speech, a clever way to teach kids literacy using your phone (what?), how to help reluctant readers, how to balance your own reading time and reading with older kids, and whether or not to monitor content.
Ah, e-mail. I still remember the excitement around discovering e-mail in college (and printing out e-mails on the dot matrix printer...what?!). E-mail is so convenient in many ways and yet so overwhelming in others (these two things are most certainly related). In Episode 12 of Edit Your Life, Asha and I share 10 tips to get a handle on your inbox, become more efficient at managing your e-mail, and free yourself of digital and emotional clutter.
Birthday parties ought to be fun, but for many parents, kids birthday parties have evolved into expensive, exhausting, and grump-inducing events. (I'm speaking from experience as a recovering grumped out, giant birthday party hostess!) In Episode 9 of Edit Your Life, Asha and I share 8 tips to help you get past the birthday party “shoulds,” tune into what you and your kids actually enjoy, and keep celebrations focused on the fun, not the stress.
Amy Cody (Parent Education Manager at Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts) has been incredibly generous in sharing her educational expertise over the last few months (be sure to read her articles on how to talk to kids/teens about sex and relationships, pornography, and consensual sex) and I'm thrilled that she was receptive to sharing her wisdom about how to talk to kids about sexual orientation and gender identity.
The task of finding time for yourself can seem daunting, particularly when it can be challenging to -- well -- pee without the company of your children. One of the keys to shifting your perspective and daily experience is to find your fringe hours. In Episode 8 of Edit Your Life, I interview Jessica Turner about how to edit guilt and comparison out of your life, the elusive struggle for balance, why it’s hard to ask for help (and how to get over that!), and mindreading (or lack thereof) -- all to the effect of making room for the things in life that bring you joy.
Social calendar overwhelm is a common problem for many people, and the problem can grow as you get older and your social circle -- and family -- expands. In Episode 7 of Edit Your Life, Asha and I share 7 tips for how to juggle existing social commitments, including why it’s worth making room to explore new relationships, and why it’s perfectly OK to let old relationships drift. It's super easy to listen -- right here through this blog post or via an app on your device. Enjoy!
If your schedule is jam-packed to the max, there’s no room for unexpected awesome to happen. In Episode 6 of Edit Your Life, Asha and I introduce the concept of surrounding work and play with “serendipity space,” including 5 strategies for creating serendipity space in your life. And if you haven't done so yet, listen to our episodes on simplifying back to school, conquering procrastination, why it's awesome to edit your life, school lunch solutions, and how to deal with devices! We'd love to keep you company while you commute, do laundry, etc.!
My dear friend Heather and I were talking about devices recently and Heather shared the brilliant idea of a phone “contract” for kids, including the one she customized for her daughter. Below is my edited version; I trimmed, added some elements, and reorganized. I hope this is helpful to you if you’re thinking about a device for your kid, or as a chance to set some ground rules on existing usage. Feel free to copy and tweak for your own use!
