We’re back with another installment of our Being Seen and Heard series, and we think this one is going to strike a nerve with many of you out there who are looking for a better, stronger, fairer, narrative when it comes to the balance of work in your home and toward raising children. Are you the one in your relationship who is handling the lion’s share of the care and feeding of your littles PLUS taking care of their pickups and dropoffs to school, daycare, sports, bathtimes, bedtimes, wiping noses, butts PLUS managing the domestic front of grocery shopping, cleaning, organizing, handling the social calendar, vacations, PLUS working a 40 hour a week job either inside or outside the home? We see you and are asking a question that maybe you ask every day; why are women still, in a day and age where we make up 55.9 percent of the workforce and where 40 percent are the main breadwinner in the home, still responsible for so much when it comes to child rearing and domestic workload? Our guest this week has created a national conversation about greater equality on the home front with a system she created through intense research that helps couples create balance, by understanding that women are doing what she calls almost all of the “invisible labor” in the home, with at least two thirds of them having a job outside the home as well. Eve Rodsky is a Harvard Law School grad with years of training in organizational management When she had her first child (and began to see her identity at her job being stripped away because of it) and then began the dance of balancing her job with all of her duties as a mother (for which she bore the lion’s share of the domestic and child rearing responsibilities, as so many women do) she started to wonder: what would it be like if couples could reimagine their relationships as to how it relates to rebalancing the work it takes to run a home? So began her “Fair Play” system, where she sets couples up for success in relationship and parenting by helping them change the way they think and talk about their home life.
Jen and Eve discuss:
The patriarchal history that has been around for centuries that informs why the imbalance of domestic workload still exists when so many other categories for women have been elevated
How important it is to invite men into their full power into the home, removing barriers and stereotypes as to what men’s and women’s strengths are there
Changing the notion that women’s time is somehow less important than men’s–and that the “invisible work” women do is toward guarding the time of men
How the overwhelming pace of work, child rearing and home management eventually ends up making us sick and damaging our relationships, and what we can do about it
BONUS: Eve puts Jen to the test with a question from her Fair Play card deck where we dive deep into Jen’s family values–a question that is illuminating to all of us in understanding each other in relationship.
We close out with a last laugh in our “For the Love of Laughter” series with none other than one of our own. We asked you: “Who’s funny? Who is that funny person we should absolutely have on the podcast?” And you responded–Melissa Radke! Melissa is that funny friend who wryly observes all the things in life that we face as women and moms, and takes them to task–hilariously head on. Whether it’s struggling with “Mom Guilt,” or trying to make logical the complexities of “Red Ribbon Week”–140 million viewers of her videos can’t get enough of her side-splitting soliloquies. You’ll also hear Melissa’s amazing mom hacks for everything from kids’ costumes to a “nutritious” lunch. If you’ve been labeled as “too” much of something–too big, too loud, too vocal, too much–you’ll find courage in Melissa’s message of pushing aside what some people might say you are, and believing in who you’re made to be.
John Crist has a gift for making us laugh at ourselves. John was the middle child in a family of 8 kids and found his comedic sensibilities while growing up in the church. His humor gently pokes fun at some of our religious “sacred cows,” and gives us permission to laugh at our foibles. His videos (which collectively have garnered over 150 million views) around these topics are spot on, including: “Millennial International” and “Church Hunters.” John doesn’t reserve his brand of humor just for the church, however, and has been playing comedy clubs with the likes of Dave Chappelle, Jeff Foxworthy, Trevor Noah and other comedy legends. He was also a finalist in Comedy Central’s “Up Next” Comedy Competition. John and Jen discuss when jokes are amazing and when they are hilariously bad, why comedy is more important than just making people laugh, and why it’s okay—even when our world seems pulled apart at the seams—to find some humor in the midst of it.
Anjelah Johnson didn’t always want to be a comedian. Her dream was to be an actress, and after a short stint as an Oakland Raiders cheerleader, she followed that path to L.A. With a lot of time on her hands, and no leads in sight, she did a lot of praying and a lot of waiting. Persuaded by a friend to take a free joke-telling class they were offering at her church, Anjelah tried her hand at her first comedy bit called “Nail Salon,” and suddenly found herself to be an overnight YouTube sensation. Gigs with MadTV, the advent of another viral character “Bon Qui Qui,” comedy specials on Netflix, and multiple tours around the world have become Anjelah’s “new normal,” but she believes wholeheartedly that faith and being open to what was in front of her led her to where she is today.
Episode 2 of our “For the Love of Laughter” series features “Chewbacca Mom” herself – Candace Payne! You may remember a little video of a mom in her car who bought a Star Wars Chewbacca Mask (presumably for her kids), but was so entertained by it herself, she couldn’t stop laughing! Candace and her infectious laugh went on to capture America’s hearts (with over 175 million views), and she has since been on a slew of talk shows including Good Morning America, The Late, Late Show with James Corden, and Entertainment Tonight. It wasn’t always easy for Candace to laugh unabashedly. Emerging from a tough childhood that included a period of homelessness, she battled depression and self-image issues. Today, she is resolute to recognize and appreciate the simple joys of life. She and Jen discuss everything from their favorite comedians, to why tacos are an all-important food group, to why everyone should have a crazy sock collection.
This week we start a brand new series – For the Love of Laughter! Jen’s love for comedy inspired this series, and with all we have going in our world today, it seemed like the perfect time for a good guffaw. Our guests this week are comedian and SNL alum Kevin Nealon and his wife, Parks & Rec actress Susan Yeagley. Kevin and Susan discuss how they got into the business of comedy, and the heart behind their love of laughter. We’ll also hear what it’s like when two funny people are married (and the story of how Matt Damon was infamously not at their wedding). AND, as an FTL exclusive, we’ll also hear the joke Susan forbade Kevin to tell, until now, where she’s granted him permission to tell it right here on the show (and you’ll understand why it was forbidden).
Take a peek around
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