What I am watching

iPhone Baby: How 15 Years of Apple’s iPhone Shaped A Generation. 

This 21-minute video by the Wall Street Journal intercuts the story of a family whose son was born the same day Steve Jobs announced the first iPhone. It features people in the tech world, such as Apple employees, discussing the evolution of the iPhone over time. 

Kids will likely get a kick out of hearing how the front-facing camera came to be and how Steve Jobs held his iPhone the first time he looked at this feature. 

Not surprisingly, I was happy the video discusses how the parents have tried to handle the incessant pull of their iPhones, especially what they have worked on with their teen children.

What I am reading

I have been enjoying Kelly Corrigan’s Tell Me More: Stories About The 12 Hardest Things I’m Learning To Say. Corrigan gained prominence with her first book, The Middle Place. In Tell Me More, she shares stories from her family life and friendships, which explore themes such as setting boundaries, struggling with truly listening, and owning up to her parenting mishaps. 

There’s a laugh-out-loud section in the book where Corrigan shares a story of when she disastrously loses her cool with her kids around dog poop and a toilet. By the way, you can find Corrigan interviewing celebrities and thought leaders in the PBS series titled Tell Me More. 

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What I am listening to

The Final Say is a new podcast that is surprisingly life-affirming. It is surprising because it is a podcast in which chaplain Debra Jarvis talks to people facing the end of their lives.

Besides being a chaplain, Debra is an author and contributor to NPR. She is wise and funny, and her episodes have a lightness about them along with moving moments. Each time I listen to one, I take a tiny inventory of my life and what I can do that day to live with a bit more presence and intention. 

Co-listening to an episode with our kids is a fabulous way to open up the topic of end of life-a topics that we so often evade as a society. I’d suggest the episodes, Live Like You’re Dying and Inhabit Your Life. 

(As an aside, my Screenagers Podcasts are great to listen to with your kids and teens, and none are longer than 20 minutes.)

What I am talking with my kids about

I’ve been discussing relationships with them and how to navigate feelings when a romantic or friendship gets messy. For instance, if you do not hear from someone over the summer, it doesn’t mean those core feelings of caring and respect are gone.

It is so easy to get lost in feelings of anger or unworthiness when people we care about pull back from us. It is key, however, that we stop and reflect on the positives in ourselves and know that when people withdraw, it does not mean they no longer appreciate our many good qualities that drew them to us in the first place. 

What I am exercising to

Online classes, I take via my excellent community fitness center. They have offered free online sample classes since the pandemic's beginning, which I recommend. They offer a small monthly subscription to take all their online classes, which I do — there are many new classes each week. 

There are many excellent teachers in the Strength and Cardio Sample sample section.

I love Sue Gallas’ HIIT (high-intensity interval training) class for a heart-pounding fun time.  Also, check out Amanda’s wonderful Barre sample class. I have been taking Amanda’s class for years, and no other Barre class is like it.  Bonus points--see if your kid will try at least 10 minutes of a class with you!