TPP 423: Cathy Adams on Navigating the Complexities of Raising Daughters

TILT Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children

Debbie Reber

Education, Parenting, Kids & Family

4.8 • 983 Ratings

🗓️ 14 January 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today, we’re diving into a complex and nuanced topic—raising daughters in today’s world. Joining me for this conversation is Cathy Adams, a longtime friend of the pod, powerhouse in the parenting space, and champion of mindful, connected parenting. Her latest book, which takes center stage in today’s discussion, is Restoring Our Girls: How Real Conversations Shape Our Daughters' Lives, Help Them with Teen Challenges, and Remind Them That They Matter. With her background as a clinical social worker, certified parent coach, and former child and family therapist—as well as her experience as a mom of three daughters and university professor—Cathy brings a rich, multifaceted perspective to this important topic. In this episode, Cathy and I explore the unique challenges girls face today, from societal pressures and cultural conditioning to navigating a fast-paced, often judgmental world. We discuss the importance of parents addressing their own emotional baggage, being mindful of their reactions, and recognizing how fear can hold us back from having the messy but meaningful conversations our daughters need. Cathy also shares strategies for creating judgment-free spaces where girls feel heard, validated, and supported in becoming their authentic selves. About Cathy Adams Cathy Cassani Adams, LCSW, co-hosts the long-running Zen Parenting Radio podcast and founded the Zen Parenting Conference in Chicago. She is the author of Zen Parenting and Living What You Want Your Kids to Learn (both Nautilus Award and International Book Award winners) and her upcoming 2025 release, Restoring Our Girls. Cathy is a clinical social worker, certified parent coach, former elementary school educator, and yoga teacher. She was a blogger for The Huffington Post and a former columnist for Chicago Parent Magazine. She previously worked as a Child and Family Therapist and Clinical Educator at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and now teaches in the Sociology and Criminology Department at Dominican University. She lives outside Chicago with her husband, Todd, and their three daughters. Things you'll learn How cultural conditioning and societal expectations on girls can impact them (and what we need to know about it) Why parents must address their own emotional baggage to avoid projecting it onto their children How being mindful of our own reactions in the moment will help us communicate more effectively with our children The role fear plays in preventing meaningful conversations which leads to missed connection opportunities The benefits of engaging in messy and imperfect conversations for promoting authenticity How to create a judgment-free space where girls feel heard and validated to support their emotional growth Resources Zen Parenting website and resources Restoring Our Girls: How Real Conversations Shape Our Daughters' Lives, Help Them with Teen Challenges, and Remind Them That They Matter by Cathy Adams Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable World by Cathy Adams Zen Parenting 2025 Summit Zen Parenting on Instagram Cathy Adams on Zen Parenting & Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable World (Tilt Parenting podcast) Zen Parenting on Facebook Zen Parenting Radio podcast Getting Aligned Through Parenting and Marriage Challenges, with Zen Parenting’s Cathy and Todd Adams (Tilt Parenting podcast) Pop Culturing Podcast Rescuing Our Sons: 8 Solutions to Our Crisis of Disaffected Teen Boys by Dr. John Duffy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	So here we are in that season of the year, shorter days, colder weather, and of course,
0:05.3	all the illnesses and effects of dry winter air. But I've learned that keeping indoor humidity
0:09.9	at 40 to 60% can help relieve symptoms like stuffy noses, dry skin, and chapped lips. So this
0:16.6	year, I'm tackling the dry air, congestion, and the rest of it with VIX humidifiers plus
0:21.5	vapo steam and vapo pads throughout the winter months, the only humidifier brand that combines
0:26.6	a cough suppressant, menthol vapors, and hydrating mists. I got to say Vix vapopads totally take
0:32.6	me back to my childhood, in a good way. There's something so comforting and calming about the
0:37.4	scent of Vicks
0:37.9	menthol. And it's not just about soothing dry skin and nasal congestion. If you've got a cough,
0:43.5	Vix Faposteam with camphor delivers therapeutic mist throughout the night for lasting relief.
0:48.5	I haven't used a humidifier since I was a little girl. Back then, I remember having this
0:52.1	massive machine in the corner of our dining room, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But the VIX Cool Relief Humidifier is super easy to use,
0:59.7	and it doesn't require much attention at all. Just fill it up when it's empty and replace the Vapo pads
1:04.7	as needed. Find the Vix Cool Relief along with VAPO steam and a variety of VAPO pads on Amazon. There's a special
1:12.0	offer on Amazon on the VIX Cool Relief Humidifier where you can get 20% off your purchase. Just go to
1:17.7	Amazon.com and search VX V-U-L-600 Cool Relief Humidifier. It has a blue tank with white in the center.
1:26.1	Be sure to click the coupon to get the discount.
1:28.3	You'll need this for wintertime comfort.
1:30.4	I'm afraid that she may be perceived a certain way by other people when really that's not her
1:36.2	intention at all.
1:37.3	I'm afraid of all these things that have happened to me.
1:40.2	Let me just be clear.
	...

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