Better.

This time of year is always a tough one for families, as back-to-school bumps in the road collide with a myriad of challenging family dynamics. It's even tougher this year as we hardly know what normal is anymore. This week we are back with a little chat about how we might all support each other. The struggle is real.

Second week in a row for us! We're here talking about the mind-blowing experience we had at the Banksy exhibit and how it reminded John of his brother Tom's artwork, how great art can inspire and move us to emotions, updates on Julie's studio, and more!

We're back in the studio! This week we're talking about the amazing view we had of the Chicago Air & Water show from our balcony, and some thoughts on death-defying stunts, getting back to school, and staying connected to good friends and important moments in these strange times we live in.

Somewhere between Delta variants and Julie having to unexpectedly relocate her new studio, we've had a bit of a week. While unforeseen setbacks can be frustrating and even devastating at times, within that is a tremendous opportunity to create an even better circumstance if we are willing to see it that way. We're talking about that, Simone Biles, and more - this week on Better!

Today we are podcasting from our downtown closet talking about everything from the power of dance to why we watch and read what we do. We end with a few back to school tips. Enjoy!

In this episode, we wrap up pride week as we talk about the amazing parenting opportunities that present themselves when your child is different you maybe thought. And how we all can be better at turning toward the unique qualities in each other - and prevent a lot of heartbreak.

Today we are talking about our pandemic take-aways and the importance of taking the time to process all that we've experienced. As things return to "normal" we realize many of the memories, good and bad, feel like they're slipping away. So take a beat and talk it all through. We're all changed. "Let's get back to normal as soon as possible...as if normal was anything to aspire to." - Russell Brand, on "Armchair Expert"  

Today we are talking about a couple of John's new articles for CNN. We are breaking down the new gray divorce trend - a topic sparked by the Bill & Melinda Gates divorce and also discussing the stress of moving out of Covid restrictions.

Julie just opened a new art studio in the city and we were back in the stands for a Cubs game. Finding hope and joy as spring springs.

Jessica Lahey is the NYT best-selling author of a brilliant new book, "The Addiction Inoculation," out this week. Here, she has a LOT to share about her own addiction and recovery, the science of addiction, and ways in which we can truly mitigate substance use and abuse in our kids. There are revelations in here. This is a must-listen.

It's been a year since we first locked down. Today we are talking about the "wall" we've all hit and Julie shares her wake up call.

Today on the podcast we have Sue Borison of Your Teen Media, who is here to talk with John about all things raising teenagers. They discuss how to navigate the biggest problems affecting teenagers today, the importance of open communication, the role fear plays in parenting, and more!

We finally took the quiz and today we are discussing what we learned about our "love" priorities. Spoiler alert: don't touch John.

This week, John is joined by Dr. Helen Odessky to talk all about her new book, "Stop Fear From Stopping You." They talk about the difference between fear and anxiety, how to tell the difference between good fear and bad fear, and much more!

Today, we are talking about a little bit of everything - inauguration, insurrection, Bridgerton...but mainly, when you set an intention, the amazing things you can find and learn while out walking in the city.

Today, we are doing a quick holiday review and discussing our takeaways from 2020 and how we can realistically and intentionally move into 2021. Reminder to everyone to find out how and when you can get your vaccine.

This week we're podcasting from our brand new groovy downtown Chicago live/work pad and weighing options for how to spend the holidays in 2020. Can you believe John doesn't like to play games?!? or Thanksgiving food?!? or PIE?!?!?! (except for June's, which is objectively the best). Enjoy!

We're back! Alas, we are at the home stretch of this ever-eventful rotation around the sun. We attempt to avoid talking about the pandemic, but cannot resist the allure and hope of the vaccine that can return us to the promised land of normalcy. In the meantime, keep your nose tucked neatly into your mask, and we challenge you all to look for a little "light" in the coming weeks. Nama-freakin-ste!

This week, John sits down with David Kamp, author of the new book "Sunny Days," a history of the Sesame Street/Mister Rogers era of enlightened children's television. We talk about how counter-culture this type of programming was at the time, activism in the media during times of unrest, and more!

Today we are talking about how we are navigating everything 2020 and offering a couple ideas about how to tend to our collective mental health.

We found a way to joyfully gather with Julie's family over the weekend to celebrate her dad's 87th b-day. We also lost a national treasure and a personal mentor. Good news/bad news. Discussing it all on today's episode.

John has somehow stumbled upon a sacred reservoir of generalized contentment that's been getting him through his days. We retrace some of our recent steps in an attempt to understand how this phenomenon came to be, and if its replicable for us all, this week on Better!

Today we are talking about why it is important sometimes to focus back in on the smaller picture and how to ground yourself and keep things moving and positive.

Fresh from John's bday getaway, today we are talking about what we are hearing from some kiddos on campus. It's heavy out there. We need to make it better. We eke out an upbeat takeaway at the end!

Today we are talking about ways to re-frame and refresh what might seem a bit bleak - and how to look with some optimism at your options and next steps.

John is answering your questions about everything back-to-school in these very complicated and stressful times.

Today we are weighing in on the super complicated upcoming school year and also talking about how to remember our sense of humor and lean into it in the coming days!

On today's episode we are doing a check-in on the stress and anxiety of these unprecedented, complicated, often discouraging times and how we all need to step up for each other. We laugh a little, too.

Today we are doing our best to join the conversation, speak up, chime in. We are talking about our experience at the Chatham Peace Walk over the weekend and how we can move forward and contribute to positive change.

It’s been a tense week. In this brief episode, John would like to take a few minutes to share his thoughts on white privilege and the current situation in America.    RESOURCES:   MY HOOD MY BLOCK MY CITY — Chicago Small Business Relief Fund https://www.formyblock.org/   “It’s Not Regular” — An incredible speech from MHMBMC Founder Jahmal Cole https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDG691lZNy0   Ant-Racism Resources For White People (Books/Articles/Films/Organizations, etc.) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BRlF2_zhNe86SGgHa6-VlBO-QgirITwCTugSfKie5Fs/mobilebasic?fbclid=IwAR38-lKSbRIAew4Xrc8H7OWBOn7b8cNjBXFPHW5AalElHEExPf6zKw3Gtm0   Bail Funds/Legal Help By City https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X4-YS3vFn5CLL9QtJSU0xqmTh_h8XilXgOqGAjZISBI/edit?usp=sharing&fbclid=IwAR3vI-0_7fNiJ8gx0h2jHFcI8x7Pn1bW0ZEalrhcwGGqC1loY3pda9KL90Y

Today, we are catching up on our quarantine experience so far and what it might look like with the next steps.

We're posting John's weekly IG Live Q&A from last Thursday, 5/7. We're talking about kids who happen to be thriving right now and what they're doing differently, why you might want to consider renovating a room right now, resolving bullying issues between siblings, how to strike a balance between modeling grit and grievance for your kids, and more. Most important thing to remember: YOU set the emotional tone of your home. Please submit your questions for next week if you have any!

"You are the emotional leaders of your home whether you want the title or not." Here is John's Instagram Live Q&A from last Thursday, 4/30, for anyone who might have missed it. Some topics discussed include handling teenagers who seem depressed about what the future might look like, time management in regards to schoolwork, incentivizing productivity and peacekeeping in your home, and anticipating a rise in social anxiety as restrictions begin to ease in your area.

In this lighthearted episode, Julie catches up with her friend Judy, a personal trainer, amazing mom, and Trader Joes warrior. They talk about the frontline life of essential employees, their mutual love of Trader Joes, staying healthy during quarantine, and much much more. Some practical tips and a few laughs. Enjoy!

Bonus Episode: In case you missed it, here's John's Instagram Live Parenting During Quarantine Q&A. 2:48: Opening thoughts. Why am I doing this?   Questions/comments -    5:19: People feeling bad about feeling bad.  So many others have it so much worse - out of work, sick, etc. but that doesn’t mean people in general aren’t struggling with this. But then they feel bad for it.    8:12: Please talk about college kids giving up their newfound independence on campus and returning home to be confined with their parents amidst uncertainty about their future, with all the accompanying stresses, anxieties and momentary temptations to throw chairs for all concerned.   11:18: E-learning is a struggle for my kids, and for me. It’s messy, inconsistent and disorganized. And my kids seem disconnected from it.    14:24: Discuss those shelter at home situations that are not so positive, where families are not making the best of it and playing games together and having stimulating conversations, where teenage doors are shut and they are unapproachable despite all best efforts.  That happy home quarantine life is not everyone’s reality, it might be helpful to hear advice on how to navigate the not so positive situations.    19:00: My 16 yo son doesn’t seem to care about any of this, and it kind of worries me. Is he repressing his feelings, or have we raised someone who has no empathy?   22:26: How about college seniors crushed about their remaining time on campus cancelled due to coronavirus? I'd love to be directed to useful ways I can help my daughter move through the grief.    25:40: My daughter is in 5th and missing her last elementary year. Our son is so sad he may not see his current 8th grad friends again.   27:46: To what degree should we be planning our days, instead of letting our teenagers play video games and social media, and monitor their own bed times and wake times?    30:19: Should I expect my high school son to be mastering all of his classes?   32:50: My 13 yo son want’s TikTok. I would never have said yes but then this happened.   34:55: Thoughts on a 4 yo who is scared to go outside because of Covid?   38:33: My daughter is an only child, 11 yo, she does FaceTime and such but what impact will this have on her socially? Any other suggestions?   40:43: How do I manage my own anxiety? I go to the grocery stored I come home and we disinfect everything! How do I continue to keep our family safe BUT also keep the kids safe emotionally?   43:16: My son says he can only make it through his boredom is he smokes pot. Should we look the other way on this throughout the quarantine?   45:10: Do you have thoughts on technology limits? I understand we are in a pandemic but my kids seem to get very quickly addicted to games.   46:15: Closing thoughts.

Today we are talking to our good friend Mark Collins, who is a village trustee and oversees the food pantry in Skokie, IL. We are discussing what's in place for people who need some help, how many in need are "slipping through the cracks," and what we can do to help.

Checking in on all things quarantine. How we are coping, why we keep spilling, and the art of over-disinfecting. Spolier alert: George and Lauren and Lucy the dog have joined us!

While we're all social distancing and doing our part to flatten the curve, we wanted to talk about the second curve that's going to become of increasing importance in the coming weeks, and that's our emotional wellness. So join us in this slightly slap happy episode where we are checking in with all of you and trying to make things a bit better during this unprecedented time.

With a nod to the fact that a few things have changed since we recorded this, here are some thoughts on navigating this very unfamiliar and anxiety-inducing time.

Today we are talking about our love and appreciation of the Zen Parenting Conference, the enlightening and connecting experience, and some of the lessons we learned.

We've been hearing a lot of stories about strife, drama, disconnect and heartbreak in adult families. And we can wholeheartedly relate. It's so complicated. We are talking about this today and how to make it better.

Today we are talking about some people, places and things that have recently given us hope.

Today we are taking a moment to process this sudden loss of lives.

Today we are talking about the joy and hope that comes with making new and unexpected moves in life.

Today we are talking about how expansive and enriching it is to notice, create, and be in our moments.

Today, we are talking to our friend Hunter about her new book that teaches us how mindfulness can make us less reactive, more connected and joyful parents.

Today we are talking about the ways we are missing the boat with our boys. They are too often over-judged, over-diagnosed, over-medicated, over-shamed, and wholly misunderstood, all as they are trying to form their individual core identities. And spoiler alert: they need more hugs.

Today, Julie and 2 special guests sit down for a mid-semester check in about how things our going with our kiddos in high school, college, and the workforce.

9 years ago, our family went to The Rally To Restore Sanity in DC. Today, we are talking about what each of us might do to restore it again.

Today we are talking about the loss of Julie's friend, Darwin, and what we can all learn about upping our joy and laughter game. It's really what matters.

This week is a brief solo episode from Dr. John Duffy, who wanted to take a minute to talk about the fragility of young life in today's world. It has never been more important for parents to understand that they were essentially "never a teenager" in today's world, that their world is full of perils that are very different from what we experienced growing up, and how leading with empathy is perhaps the best thing we can do for them.