Archive for the ‘Podcasts’ Category

Podcast: Mothering by the Book with Jennifer Pepito

Brave Writer Podcast

Today’s guest on the Brave Writer podcast: Jennifer Pepito!

Jenn and I have had many wonderful conversations on the WILD + FREE podcast, a community of moms seeking to give their children a beautiful childhood—whether that’s through homeschooling or not.

She has a new book out now: Mothering by the Book: The Power of Reading Aloud to Overcome Fear and Recapture Joy. As parents, it’s common for us to feel afraid of things both big and small. You can read all of the self-help books out there, but one of the surest ways to overcome our fears is to hear the real stories of other moms navigating their own hardships and conquering them.

Show Notes

There is no perfect parenting

As a young parent, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea of “the perfect childhood.” We may imagine what we think the childhood our kids deserve is, but fixating on that vision is actually quite harmful. Not only is so much outside of our control, but if we become obsessed with the ideal, perfect scenario, we lose touch with the present moment and everything that is magical about it.

Don’t worry if you’ve fallen into this trap yourselves: it’s nearly impossible to avoid, no matter how much of a warning you have. It may take some humbling moments before you let go of the idea that you can do everything perfectly. And yet, as you strive anyway, don’t forget to show gratitude for what you have.

The impact of reading others’ mothering journeys

Our world is full of variety. There are an infinite number of ways to approach parenting, and nearly every one of them produces a healthy, competent adult. By reading the stories of other mothers, we can see different parenting philosophies, as well as their effects and impacts on children. We get insights into what went wrong, what didn’t, and ultimately what didn’t really matter all that much.

Resources

Connect with Julie

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Podcast: Emotional Safety in Writing

Brave Writer Podcast

I am recording some of my Tea with Julie emails for the podcast for those of you who prefer to listen. These are brief messages of support for parents and educators. If you’d like to receive the weekly emails, they are free. Sign up at bravewriter.com/tea

Continuing our podcast series on the Four Forces of Enchantment, let’s talk more about risk-taking.

Some writing programs don’t address the key condition needed to take risks in writing: emotional safety.

That’s why writing a diary or a journal has been popular for centuries. The tradition of daily writing away from readers allows people to:

  • discover their own thoughts,
  • externalize their feelings,
  • process what happens to them.

In our “educator” hunger to create writers of our children, sometimes we skip the step that allows them to write without our prying eyes.

Show Notes

Complete Tea with Julie notes can be found HERE.

Resources

Connect with Julie
● Instagram: instagram.com/juliebravewriter
● Twitter: twitter.com/bravewriter
● Facebook: facebook.com/bravewriter

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Podcast: Critically Thinking about the News with Mosheh Oinounou Pt. 2

Brave Writer Podcast

We’re continuing our conversation (here’s part one) with Mosheh Oinounou, a journalist who breaks down daily headlines of the biggest, most relevant news stories on his Instagram. He also publishes a newsletter that aims to share real, verified news sources and hosts a daily news podcast as part of his Mo News Network.

In today’s Brave Writer podcast, we discuss:

  • how to come together despite our division,
  • how to handle differences of opinion within our communities,
  • and what to do about our political polarization.

Show Notes

Coming together as a divided world

In an increasingly polarized political landscape, it can be tempting to hold your opinions close to your chest. We don’t want to push people away, after all. But that would be a mistake. What we really need is for people to share their opinions and beliefs even more. But how we do that matters.

Debating only drags us deeper into our individual belief systems—it inspires us to aim for victory, not solve problems.

Instead, we need to hear from as many people as possible, from as many different situations as we can. When our problem solving accounts for more people we are better for it. Part of what Mosheh does with his network is try and represent the variety of voices out there so that we can all come to better solutions instead of simply validating our own perspectives.

Handling differences of opinion within a community

How do you hold your own beliefs in a polarized world—not hiding them, but engaging with them?

We need to bring everyone into the discussion and make them feel that their experience matters.

People have to be working off of the same facts, even if their opinions on those facts are different.

At some point we stop debating facts. For instance, climate change: we know the climate is changing. It’s undeniable. But the question that we need to focus on is how we deal with that.

The answer to that question—”How do we deal with this?”—is going to be very different depending on who you ask. But when we’re coming up with a solution that is going to affect everyone involved, we need to hear all voices instead of believing that our solution, the one that benefits us the most, is the right one. That is how we bridge our differences.

Our political polarization

In the United States, our elected officials are meant to be representatives of the majority of the people who voted them into office—even when they go against an official’s personal beliefs. We are in an era where breaking party lines as a representative is not respected. It’s not rewarded. And yet, despite how broken our politics are, there is proof that democracy works. When people cause enough noise to get their voices heard, we can change our government.

If we can respectfully disagree with each other, the world will be a better place. Things will get done, and the actions we take will positively affect more people and leave fewer behind. But it’s going to take work to get there, and that work starts with you.

If you’re looking for tools and support in raising kids in a media-saturated environment, consider reading Raising Critical Thinkers. It is designed to raise kids who are mindful and know how to vet their own sources and think for themselves. In the world we live in today, I can hardly think of anything more important than that.

Resources

Connect with Julie

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Podcast: Critically Thinking about the News with Mosheh Oinounou Pt. 1

Brave Writer Podcast

We’ve been discussing the importance of critical thinking lately, and today’s guest on the Brave Writer podcast is a perfect example of why it’s so important—and also incredibly difficult.

I’m speaking with Mosheh Oinounou, a journalist who has risen to fame on Instagram for his neutral:

  • approach to the news,
  • digging into headlines,
  • and discussing social issues.

On top of that, he is a fabulous conversationalist, which shines through in this interview. He focuses on verified headlines and is interested in facts above all else.

Show Notes

The confirmation bias trap

Mosheh’s news-neutral platform welcomes a variety of opinions and is a place for people to learn from each other and recognize where we each come from. We have historic levels of access to information, but it’s through filtering all of that information that we see biases come up. And yes, the truth is that everyone has biases. There are so many elements of your upbringing that shape who you are and how you see the world. Because of this, nobody is truly unbiased. Simply being an American shapes your worldview in a way that is remarkably different from people in other countries.

To Mosheh, what makes something newsworthy is determined by relevancy, interest, and whether or not it impacts people’s lives. It’s through that lens that he filters information and tries to present things in a neutral manner.

How we are reclaiming diversity of opinion through social media

Social media was not designed as a tool for news delivery—and yet it’s the primary way most of us are informed, whether we like it or not. “The algorithm” you may have heard so much about just means that the goal of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and the like is to keep you on the platform as long as possible—which inherently skews the kinds of news that gets shared and seen by more people to be more inflammatory and sensationalist. They know you will spend more time on that platform if you are mad than if you were happy.

Investigating our biases

We all live busy lives, which can make it hard to vet and verify sources on our own. But in a world where mainstream media is losing trust, why are so many people quick to trust a random website they’ve never heard of before? It may come down to confirmation bias: the innate desire to find—and believe—information that confirms and lines up with our current worldview. So how do we combat that?

One metric is to be aware of when a news article makes you happy. If you feel a slight sense of smugness when reading that headline, that’s a sign you may be experiencing confirmation bias and it’s time to double-check and verify your sources.

If you’re looking for tools and support in raising kids in a media-saturated environment, consider reading Raising Critical Thinkers. It is designed to raise kids who are mindful and know how to vet their own sources and think for themselves. In the world we live in today, I can hardly think of anything more important than that.

Listen to Part Two.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Brave Writer Podcast

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Podcast: Breaking the Rules

Brave Writer Podcast

I am recording some of my Tea with Julie emails for the podcast for those of you who prefer to listen. These are brief messages of support for parents and educators. If you’d like to receive the weekly emails, they are free. Sign up at bravewriter.com/tea

Continuing our series on the Four Forces of Enchantment, it’s time to look at the third force: RISK. Get ready to break the rules—it can be good for you!

Let go! Declare this week as “getting it wrong on purpose” week.

  • Push boundaries.
  • Break rules.
  • Make messes.
  • Play.
  • Open the space for creativity, not just accuracy.

All the teaching you want to do is possible when children know the space is safe for risk-taking.

Show Notes

Complete Tea with Julie notes can be found HERE.

Resources

Connect with Julie

Brave Writer Podcast

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