If you’ve ever sat through professional development as an educator, you’ve heard of Angela Duckworth. Both her research and personal experience in the classroom suggests that IQ isn’t always helpful in determining successful outcomes for students. Rather, a more important predictor of success is “grit,” a growth mindset, and feeling like you have a purpose that’s bigger than yourself. So how do we unlock grit and resilience in our kids, especially when the world is so uncertain and unpredictable? And what kind of impact will this period in our history have on our kids in the longterm? “Both the very recent events of the last few weeks and the still recent events of the last few months in the pandemic are all exactly what I study…this is historic.” 

Great British Bake Off and Food Unwrapped star Briony May Williams reflects on the COVID19 pandemic and recent Black Lives Matter uprising, and what she can do as the parent of a young child to have these uncomfortable conversations in a way that feels safe and loving. Also, baking! She talks about baking. “It’s uncomfortable and it’s awkward, but it’s so important…and I think it’s finding that moment where it’s appropriate to have that conversation. It’s so important to have it because we can’t just sit in our bubble anymore and say, ‘It’s fine, nothing’s going on.’”

Stay-at-home dad Peter Rider shares his experience–the good, the bad, and the funny–with being detailed and clear when talking to his kids about all sorts of things. From having two gay dads to contracting head lice and more, he believes being explicit is the way to go. “One thing that I’ve been thinking about a lot over the past year, especially as my kids get a little older, is the balance between modeling behaviors vs. being really explicit and explaining things. I think I started out thinking that when it comes to values, kids really learn by seeing. But I think increasingly I’ve thought…about how you actually have to be really explicit about some things.”

Brit Prawat, host of Crime Junkie podcast, talks candidly about being adopted and how the emotions and even loss around that never really goes away. However, she had an incredibly positive experience as a child and always felt loved, supported, and chosen. Ultimately, the experience influenced her to adopt and foster children of her own when it came time to build her own family. For those who may be interested in doing the same, she pulls the curtain back and gives listeners tons of good information about the process.