Dad

Our guest today is Anna Seewald, M. Ed, a wife, a mom, an author, a speaker, a photographer, a podcaster, an educator, a lifelong learner and the founder of Authentic Parenting. Authentic Parenting is her business and podcast and it's all about parenting from the heart.

Anna lost her mother in a severe earthquake in Armenia in 1988 when she was only 13, and her father became her sole caregiver. She always had a great relationship with her father who was very emotional, encouraging, and understanding, but through this tragedy, they grew even closer.

Anna came to America when she was 27 with her father's full blessing, after receiving a scholarship from the U.S. State Department. Her father remains a supportive champion in her life to this day.

She described her father's parenting style as authentic and from him and through her studies and casework Anna developed her business and podcast, Authentic Parenting, where she is a divorce mediator who also teaches parenting classes, both selective and court-ordered.

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Our guest today is Karen Lock Kolp, a child development expert, and parent coach. Her podcast, We Turned Out Okay, has been downloaded more than 300,000 times by parents who just want to know that, really, everything is going to be alright. Jonathan and Karen talk about her upbringing and the role her father played in her life. They also talk about modern parenting and how we adopt some of the traits of our parents while simultaneously learning to trust our own instincts. Karen opens up about a difficult childhood memory, her own chronic illness, and how almost losing her father helped bring even more perspective to her life.

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This week we get a more up close and personal glimpse into our host Jonathan's life. He shares his background as a son and father, the passion behind this podcast, and why he wanted to pay homage to his own parents and open up the discussion to encompass all aspects of fatherhood, family life, and even difficult topics such as loss and grief. He shares how fatherhood compares to his expectations and visions of how it would be, and the differences between how he grew up and the way he is raising his own children.

Key Takeaways

[1:31] Dads are more than welcome to enjoy the podcast of course, but this show is not just for men or fathers. It's an exploration of the meaning of parenthood, loss, expectations and much more, and the guests will range from mothers, daughters, fathers, grandfathers, etc.

[1:58] Jonathan is the single father of two teenagers — one 16-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter. He is now working full-time as a writer and podcaster and enjoys the freedom of a flexible schedule.

[9:22] Jonathan has always wanted to be a father and still looks at his teens with amazement that he was one half of creating them.

[12:16] One of Jonathan's favorite things about being a parent is giving and receiving unconditional love.

[17:00] Jonathan's favorite piece of his advice from his father was to not rush life and miss the special moments in front of you.

[21:39] Really listening to our children can sometimes be a lost art. Practice putting the phone away, turning off the laptop and giving them your undivided attention.

[27:30] Jonathan recaps the past six episodes and their individual running themes and takeaways. He also gives us a tease of the guests in upcoming episodes.

Quotes:

- "What does fatherhood mean to me? Everything."

- "My dad was an unbelievable friend, and unbelievable father and I hope I provide that to my children."

- "If you want to have a conversation with your kid and your phone is out, that's not a conversation."

Mentioned in this Episode:

Today's guest is Craig Johnson, an old camp buddy of Jonathan's. Craig has an extremely busy and full life; he and his wife Liz have been married for 20 years and are both attorneys. Together they have three children — Ben, 16; Sam, 13; and Lucy, 8. Craig shares the lessons he has learned from coaching his own kids, how his career experience as an attorney, lobbyist, and State Senator has shaped his approach towards parenting, the challenge of balance and enjoyment of his kids' success and the evolution of Craig's own father as a grandfather. The guys also admit to being a little overeager when texting their kids, and why they can't be too upset when there is empty ice cream in the fridge.

Key Takeaways:

[1:24] Jonathan and Craig met at Camp Taconic. Here they learned a lot about independence (for both the children and the parents) and he now sends his own kids to camp.

[3:20] He and his wife Liz have been married for 20 years and he is very grateful for their partnership both as husband and wife and as co-parents. They are both attorneys, with Craig in lobbying and public policy, and Liz in the courtroom as a defense attorney and former prosecutor. And yes, Craig loses all the arguments in the house. Craig was a former State Senator in New York from 2007-2010.

[4:49] Craig and Jonathan both have sons named Ben who are teens learning to drive while terrifying their parents.

[8:37] Craig finds coaching a rewarding experience and found a great way to bond with his kids while taking part in something they love.

[19:16] Both Jonathan and Craig allow their kids to use phones and social media apps, but monitor them to make sure there isn't any shady business going on. Craig's wife Liz teaches a class for parents to help them understand and deal with their children using social technology.

[27:35] Bar and Bat Mitzvah season is underway, and while it can get expensive and time-consuming, it's an amazing accomplishment and Craig is extremely proud of how much his sons' bar mitzvahs got their family together.

[36:28] Craig's dad lives in the very same house that he grew up in, only about a mile and a half away. He had the model attitude as a grandfather where he was there if Craig needed him but trusted him to make the right decisions and learn on his own.

[43:31] Craig finds one of the biggest challenges is balancing his dedication to being a father, a husband, and to his career.

[45:02] The best part of parenting for Craig is sharing in their successes, whether it's something big, such as a sports team win or an everyday moment of them memorizing a vocabulary word.

[51:29] Karma has come back around for all the years that Craig left an empty ice cream container in the fridge, as his kids to that to him now.

[55:47] Both dads are puzzled why their sons don't have the same rush of getting their driver's license as they did as teens.

[58:52] Craig has a lot of interesting work in his pipeline, including Uber, AirBnB, and cryptocurrency.

[59:42] Craig is extremely appreciative of his wife's ability to be a stand out counselor, lawyer, and mother. She is a fantastic example of showing his children the importance of work and responsibility.

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