Gen X Pop Culture Meets Real-Life Reflection- Episode #817
Zen Pop
Todd and Cathy Adams
4.9 • 637 Ratings
🗓️ 27 May 2025
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Todd and Cathy share the upcoming changes to their podcast, Zen Parenting Radio, which will be renamed Zen POP Parenting starting June 1st! Cathy and Todd share the story behind Zen Parenting Radio’s evolution into Zen Pop Parenting—a podcast where mindful living, emotional awareness, and Gen X pop culture come together. From the music, movies, and moments that shaped them to the real-life experiences of parenting kids (young or grown), they explore how connection and communication help people better understand themselves and each other.
For longtime listeners of Zen Parenting Radio, there’s no need to worry, they’re still the same Cathy and Todd. They’ve kept a strong focus on parenting and self-awareness, continuing to explore how to stay connected to their kids and true to themselves. This is simply an update—a way to build on what’s always worked and view it through a fresh lens.
Some Ways to Support Us
Time Stamp
Links shared in this episode:
11 mistakes I have made as a husband (and why I’m better for it)
Listen, Allow, Support, Repeat Podcast #244
Listen To This One With Your Partner- Podcast #378
Real-Time Emotional Labor- Podcast #440
The Profound Loneliness of American Men- Podcast #429
How Do I Get My Partner To….- Podcast# 423
The Gift Of Failure- Podcast #407
The Five Invitations- Podcast #406
Emotional Labor is an Unpaid Job- Podcast #405
Connection Is Everything Podcast # 483 (Gottman)
Wounds & Triggers- Podcast #528
Emotional Neglect: What Your Feelings Are Saying- Podcast #512
Managing Screen Time Part 1- Podcast #558
Managing Screen Time Part 2- Podcast #559
Spiritual Bypassing & Race- Podcast #551
Women’s Rights are Human Rights- Podcast #616
Getting To Zero- An Interview With Jayson Gaddis- Podcast #621
Dr. Dan Siegel- The Power of Showing UP- Podcast #526
A Discussion With Dr. Shefali Tsabary (Replay) Podcast #289
“All Teenagers Are Amazing” – Dr. John Duffy Podcast #264
“All Teenagers Are Amazing” Part 2- Dr. John Duffy Podcast #266
Outliving Cancer with Tears, Wit, and Grace
10 Habits To Turn Your Marriage Around
10 Mistakes I Made as a Wife (And Why I’m Better For it)
For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com.
This week’s sponsor(s):
- Avid Co DuPage County Area Decorating, Painting, Remodeling by Avid Co includes kitchens, basements, bathrooms, flooring, tiling, fire and flood restoration.
- David Serrano- Certified Financial Planner- 815-370-3780
- MenLiving – A virtual and in-person community of guys connecting deeply and living fully. No requirements, no creeds, no gurus, no judgements
- Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys
Other Ways to Support Us
- Ask Us Anything!
- Follow us on social media
- Find everything ZPR on our Resources Page
- Guys- Complete a MenLiving Connect profile
AI Summary
Zen Pop Parenting Podcast Launch
Todd and Kathy introduce their new podcast format, Zen Pop Parenting, which will blend pop culture discussions with their existing focus on self-awareness, mindfulness, and parenting. They reflect on their 15-year journey with Zen Parenting Radio, sharing statistics on listenership and international reach. The hosts express excitement about the new direction, emphasizing that it will maintain their core values while incorporating more fun, nostalgia, and pop culture references to better connect with their audience and their children’s experiences.
Reflecting on Podcast Themes
Todd and Kathy reminisce about various podcast episodes they’ve recorded over the years. They recall a story about a young ballet dancer named Soren, whose father was inspired by their “Zen parenting” approach. They also discuss episodes on understanding women, emotional labor, loneliness in men, and the importance of connection in relationships. The conversation touches on personal experiences, including dealing with perimenopause and losing parents, as well as their discussions on death and analyzing song lyrics.
Understanding Emotional Neglect in Relationships
Todd discusses several relationship and psychological concepts. He mentions the “Four Horsemen” in relationships: criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling, with contempt being the most detrimental. Todd also talks about emotional neglect, explaining how it can affect children’s development when their feelings are ignored or dismissed by parents. He references the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) test, which includes questions about various forms of childhood trauma, including emotional neglect. Todd emphasizes the importance of recognizing and naming these experiences to understand personal struggles, particularly for Generation X who may have experienced emotional neglect in their upbringing.
Zen Parenting Podcast Evolution
Todd and Cathy discuss their previous podcast, Zen Parenting Radio, and their new podcast, Zen Pop Parenting. They reminisce about past episodes, including discussions on the Enneagram, Buddhism’s eightfold path, and interviews with various guests. The couple explains that their new podcast, Zen Pop Parenting, has a more structured format with specific categories, but still maintains their conversational style. They also mention Team Zen, a subscription-based community where they continue to engage with listeners through discussions and Q&A sessions on parenting topics.
Zen Pop Parenting Podcast Structure
Todd and Kathy discuss the structure of their new podcast series called “Zen Pop Parenting.” They outline various categories for each episode, including “Set the Scene,” “Remember When,” “Random Fact,” “WTF,” and several Zen parenting-related segments. The podcast will explore how pop culture has shaped their generation and parenting, using sound effects and music clips to introduce each category. They plan to cover topics such as MTV’s influence, iconic movies, and 90s music. The hosts also mention upcoming episodes and their daughters’ future participation in a Hunger Games-themed episode.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | do do do do to do do do do do do do here we go my name's todd this is kathy welcome back to another |
| 0:08.0 | episode of zen parenting radio this is podcast number 817 why listen to zen parenting radio |
| 0:16.4 | because you'll feel outstanding and always remember our motto which is that the best predictor of a child's well-being |
| 0:22.8 | is, in fact, a parent's self-understanding. |
| 0:26.4 | If you've been paying attention to the shows this last month, |
| 0:30.6 | as we record this since May 26, 2025, |
| 0:34.3 | you heard a two-minute kind of intro |
| 0:36.3 | in each of the last three weekly podcasts, and that |
| 0:39.9 | intro was an announcement that Kathy and I are not going anywhere yet. We are switching things up a |
| 0:48.8 | little bit. So for our 817th podcast, next week's podcast will be 818. |
| 0:54.9 | We're not going anywhere. |
| 0:56.0 | You don't have to change anything in your feed. |
| 0:57.6 | Everything's the same, but everything's different. |
| 1:00.1 | Sweetie, say what's different. |
| 1:02.5 | Well, first of all, I think what he means is you're already subscribed to us so you don't have to resubscribe. |
| 1:07.0 | Correct. |
| 1:08.0 | But next week, we are starting with Zen Pop Parenting, which is, as Todd said, I told him to |
| 1:17.7 | like tone it down and to not be like super sad about like, oh, this is going to be the final |
| 1:22.3 | because there is no final. |
| 1:24.1 | There is this. It's still us, man. We're coming back next week. It's still us, man. |
| 1:29.5 | We're coming back next week. |
| 1:30.8 | It's just a little different, and it's got a different vibe. |
... |
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