Abbie: Hello and welcome to the CosmoParenting Podcast brought to you by the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution. My name is Abbie and I help people use better communication to make better social worlds. In this space, we invite you to see yourself as someone who is curious about and actively participating in creating your own meaning around parenting.
This is the first of 52 episodes that will be released once a week for the next year. Over the course of this year, we will explore 12 universal themes, one per month, with each month consisting of 4 bite-sized episodes. The hope is that this is something short and sweet, but still rich and meaningful, that is easy to squeeze into your already busy life. In week one of each month we will appreciate- introducing the month’s theme and offering questions for reflection; in week 2, we validate, by sharing stories first hand from parents; in week 3 we animate by learning some best practices that we can use to put what we have learned into action; and in week 4 we communicate with some prompts to engage your family and support systems in meaningful conversation. So, let’s jump into our first episode.
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This month we are beginning by exploring the theme of stories. We want to start by thinking of some true statements about stories to help us contextualize these next four episodes- just so we can all be on the same page. Two truths that we want to acknowledge about stories are that (1) stories are how we make meaning and that (2) there are many kinds of stories that shape us- both told and untold. I invite you to take some time after this episode to consider what you know to be true about stories and their role in your life.
First, though, let’s talk more about stories and parenting. When you think of stories and parenting, you might be thinking of fairy tales and bedtime stories, and while fictional stories do shape us, I’m talking about the stories we live and the stories tell ourselves about our world. For example, you may have a story about what it means to be a quote-unquote “good” parent. It’s important to think about where these stories come from. How did you learn what it means to be a “good” parent? Maybe you developed this story based on how you were parented or how you saw others parent, growing up. This is a great example of what I mean when I say that stories are how we make meaning- What I think it means to be an effective parent might be different than what it means to you. And the stories we both hold might be very different, but they can all be true, or real, at the same time even if they feel contradictory.
The second claim we made about stories is that there are many different stories that shape us- both told and untold. And this is just to say that the stories we don’t hear, or the things we don’t say, also shape us. For example, if, growing up, your family never talked about things like money, alcohol, or sex, then that lack still taught you something- perhaps that these are taboo things, not to be talked about, or that they are shameful.
As we wrap up this first episode, I want to offer some questions for you to reflect on for yourself. I am going to ask the questions here, but you can also find them written in the show notes of this episode, or on our Substack.
What stories about family were you told (or not told) growing up?
What is the story you are telling about yourself as a parent now?
What kind of story about family do you hope to pass on to your children?
Okay, those are the questions I will leave you with today. I invite you to spend some time in reflection after this episode ends and throughout your week thinking about these questions. I’ll also point you toward the additional resources we have at www.cosmoactivities.com and encourage you to do some of your reflecting on the CosmoParenting Substack so you can be in dialogue with our community! Thank you so much for joining us for this episode of the CosmoParenting Podcast. We are so grateful to be with you on this journey. See you next week to hear a parenting story.
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