Throughout my life (especially during COVID) I have learned that when life gets heavy, my defense mechanism is Christmas. Something about burying yourself in holiday cheer makes everything better. It has taken a long time for Penn to understand and embrace my need for Christmas. As soon as Halloween ends, Christmas begins. This week we invite our producer Ann Marie Taepke onto the show for some laughs. We play some games around Hallmark movies, decide what the best Thanksgiving side is, and...

We are releasing this podcast on Election Day 2024, because we need some political therapy. Over the past couple presidential elections, the stakes are feeling higher and higher. I personally don't believe our bodies were made to handle all the constant information and stress in American politics. (Don't you remember when politics used to be boring?) This week we invited back Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers from the top-rated podcast, Pantsuit Politics, to discuss the state of our...

When Penn and I were on The Amazing Race, they took away our phones, tablets, laptops… anything we could use to access the outside world or the internet. If we had a question, we couldn’t Google it to get the answer like we can now. We had to wonder. I remember when we got back I told everyone I wasn’t going to be on my phone as much as a result. (That lasted probably one week.) Our phones are amazing pieces of technology, but is having so much at our fingertips good for us?  This week, we...

This week is a very special episode to celebrate the fact that... PENN IS 50! Cue Sally O'Malley! (Those of you who are old enough get the reference.) To commemorate the occasion, Penn shares a bunch of lists with me: Things that mean a lot more at 50, thing that mean a lot less at 50, things he is cranky about at 50, and goals for the next 50! (Yay, goals... my favorite!) We also end the episode with some roasts from Taylor Calmus of Dude Dad, Myles Montplaisir of You Betcha, comedian...

The last two weeks have been a lot in the Holderness house. First, Hurricane Helene has devastated the western part of North Carolina, where some of Penn's family still lives. So many people lost their lives and whole towns were wiped out. Before we could even wrap our minds around it, Hurricane Milton was barreling towards my hometown in Florida. Enter an ill-timed panic attack. This week we talk about how to have grace for someone living with anxiety, what professions we would have been if...

Earlier this year, we were invited to join Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden on their podcast “Really, No Really” to promote our new book, ADHD Is Awesome. It was an amazing experience, and the whole time I was in awe of their friendship. Jason and Peter have been best friends for decades, and it's apparent that they admire and care about each other deeply. So we invited them on the show to talk about the secret to building strong male friendships. Penn and I fall into gender stereotypes...

When we wrote our book, ADHD Is Awesome, one of the areas we wanted to cover more was the under-diagnosis of ADHD amongst minority populations. White children get diagnosed with ADHD at a rate of 11.5% while Black children get diagnosed at a rate of 8.9%. Additionally, studies have shown that Black children with symptoms of ADHD are treated more negatively by teachers and other adults. This week, we talk to Dr. Damon Tweedy, a professor of psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine (and...

It's been a while since we've done a Q&A podcast. The world is very serious right now and while it is important to engage in that seriousness, sometimes you need a diversion. So this is some cotton candy for your brain, and a big thank you to everyone who sent in questions for the show. We answer personal questions, questions around The Amazing Race, and some just for fun! Stick around for a special Top 5 from our producer, Ann Marie, and the most unhinged close to a podcast ever. (Sorry...

Penn and I have had a lot of funny moments in our marriage that are signposts we are getting older. (Personally I feel like I've been "middle-aged" since age 12...) So we decided to ask YOU to help complete the sentence: "You know you're middle-aged when..." and you did not disappoint. The most middle-aged thing to happen during the making of this podcast? Penn having a back issue so bad he had to join us horizontally from our very firm IKEA couch. (You know you're almost 50 when...) Are you...

Over the last couple of years, the political climate has gotten contentious. That sentiment has caused people to shy away from discussing politics and government with their children. Despite that, teens still think it’s important to follow current events, politics included. A recent survey of teens aged 13–17 found that 1/3 of respondents relied on their parents, family members, or teachers for information. We need to do the work to help guide them and make them feel safe talking to us. This...

Recently, I’ve been craving a project. With Lola starting her senior year of high school, I feel like maybe this craving is just a distraction (but, still a craving nonetheless!) There’s something about losing myself in organizing a closet that is therapeutic. So this week, we bring our favorite organizational friends, Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin of The Home Edit, on our podcast. Clea and Joanna have two new books out now. They have a children’s book and a teen book both about...

Somehow, Penn and I will have been married for 20 years next year (what?!) It's an incredible feat, but with experiencing such a busy season of parenting, I can see how couples fall out of "like" with each other. This week, we give each of our own Top 5 tips on how to stay in like. Our producer, Ann Marie Taepke, also joins to play a fun game we call "Then" where we (you guessed it) get way too competitive. Very important: Tell us whether you think a Frosty is a milkshake or not and if Penn...

I am having mixed feelings about having a kid going into her senior year of high school. The biggest feeling I have is excitement for her - closing one chapter and about to open the next. But big changes bring big feelings. This week, Penn and I talk about my senior year goals and your best advice (thank you for writing in on Instagram and leaving us voicemails!) Additionally, Penn comes up with four Top 5 Lists about senior year songs, movies, and a few others that made us giggle. (Don't...

Penn has never been prouder of Team USA than this Olympics. He has watched every Olympics Games since 1984 and he watches everything – racewalking, speed climbing, archery, you name it. He says that regardless of medals, Paris 2024 is the best that Team USA has ever been. These kids (I’ll say kids, because most are young enough to be my children) have been extraordinary role models for our country. Today we talk about five life lessons we've learned from Team USA that can apply to anyone. We...

When life turns out differently, it’s all about how you perceive it. For our friend, Raquel Moore (who you may remember from our season of The Amazing Race) life has turned out very differently than she expected. She never thought she’d meet the love of her life. She never thought she’d live in the suburbs of Cleveland. She never thought she’d be a mother to a wonderful little boy, Nico, who has a rare genetic disorder called FOXG1 Syndrome. We asked Raquel to come on the show to talk more...

The 2024 Olympics have started! Today, we talk to our friend, Olympic Silver Medalist, and a U.S. pole vault record holder, Sandi Morris. Sandi barely missed going to the games in Paris this year (she placed 4th in qualifying) but she isn't letting that stop her. She offers words of encouragement on how to keep going and stay positive when you're doing something you love. (We're in awe of her mental and physical toughness.) You can learn more about Sandi and her journey here:...

Every now and then, there are times when I really just need to laugh. The world can feel so heavy, it’s nice to have an escape from time to time. On this week’s show, we play the game Wrong Answers Only with our producer, Ann Marie Taepke. In the game, we are given a piece of obscure trivia and we have to give the wrong answer on purpose. What transpired were a ton of laughs and some knowledge that will probably help us the next time we watch Jeopardy. Also, learn about our secret mission...

As someone who has said one of their family’s values is resilience, I have a hard time with seeing my kids quit something. If something isn’t serving me or isn’t something I am interested in, I have no problem saying no. (This took years to master, by the way.) So why do I have a problem with my kids wanting to quit something? This week, we invited our dear friend and parenting coach, Dr. Hope Seidel, on the podcast to talk about quitting. To start off the discussion, she mentioned that...

Penn here. The other day I drove home from rural North Carolina after yet another youth basketball tournament. There are moments I question my sanity for agreeing to coach my son’s basketball team. It’s a time and energy commitment that can be draining. But there’s something else too. Coaching his team has taught me a great deal and I believe has made me a better parent. Kim and I discuss the lessons that I’ve learned in this week’s podcast and how they translate to parenting in general....

Hoping you all are enjoying your summer so far. Happy to say that Penn and I are currently in full-on summer mode. After a very busy spring with our book tour, we’ve been lucky enough to squeeze in some beach time in between work, sports, camps, and college prep for Lola. Penn Charles capped off his busy spring with a celebration for graduating from 8th grade. PC was quick to remind us that this was “no big deal,” but we were excited to celebrate him. This sparked a conversation between Penn...

Emotions are hard. Teen emotions are VERY hard. We brought in one of our favorite people to talk to us about the new Pixar movie, Inside Out 2. For the past four years, Dr. Lisa Damour has worked with the writers as they explore how becoming a teenager changes Riley’s emotional world. The author of three New York Times bestsellers, she helps highlight some of the uncomfortable emotions that are part of our everyday lives. Shop Our Merch Join Our Newsletter Follow us on YouTube Follow us on...

I have fond memories of riding bikes and walking around the mall, with my biggest worry being how to avoid the intense southern heat. Fast forward to today, my 17-year-old daughter’s summer is planned out to the minute. Between college applications, tennis, and being a normal social teenager, her schedule is could be compared to a complex military operation. It made me start to think about how summer experiences have changed since I was a kid, but also since becoming a mom of littles vs teens...

Penn and I do lots of things together. We work together, we live together, we travel together, and now we… dream together? (No, like literally the same dream. What do dreams mean?!) On this week’s podcast, we brought in expert dream analyst Jane Teresa Anderson to see if she could unravel that dream for us (and she also unraveled some of yours from those who called in!) Jane Teresa defines dreams as: “The experience that you have when your brain and your mind are processing the last one to...

What a journey this past month has been. Kim and I finished up our final book tour appearance last week in Minneapolis - and we loved meeting all of you! ADHD Is Awesome is research-based and we interviewed many doctors, psychologists, and psychiatrists to get as broad a perspective as possible. But in the end, it's written from my perspective. When I look back at the process of writing this book, I wish I'd had the opportunity to talk more about other perspectives than my own. In particular,...