June 18, 2025 • 42 mins
Searching for meaningful summer reading that might transform your relationship with your college student? Look no further than this curated collection of parent-focused book recommendations from higher education professionals Vicki Nelson and Lynn Abrahams.
The hosts dive deep into six powerful books that address crucial aspects of the college parenting journey. "Sleep Deprived Teen" reveals the shocking impact of sleep deprivation on everything from academic performance to athletic abilities, with teens biologically requiring 8-10 hours of sleep yet averaging only 6-7 hours nightly. Meanwhile, "How to Raise a Citizen" fills the critical gap left by diminishing civics education in schools, providing parents with accessible tools to teach citizenship regardless of their own political knowledge.
For families with athletes, "Raising Empowered Athletes" offers a refreshing perspective focused on developing resilience rather than just athletic achievement. The standout chapter on "The Mindset Toolbox" introduces the five C's of building grit that benefit both young athletes and their parents. "Is This Autism?" takes a groundbreaking approach by incorporating the voices of autistic individuals as experts, shifting away from deficit-focused models toward understanding neurodiversity as a natural variation in human experience.
Parents dreading the college admissions process will find solace in "The Truth About College Admission," which uniquely focuses on preserving family relationships throughout the journey rather than just "getting in." Starting with the fundamental question "Why are you going to college?", the book provides practical exercises and conversation starters that strengthen family bonds during this potentially stressful time. Finally, Brené Brown's "Braving the Wilderness" explores authenticity and belonging, offering profound wisdom about self-worth applicable to both parents and students navigating the college transition.
Whether you're just beginning the college journey or supporting a current student, these thoughtfully selected books provide invaluable insights for strengthening your parent-student relationship while navigating the complexities of higher education. Which one will you read first?
Thank you for listening!
- Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
- Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
- Sign up for our newsletter for ongoing information
- Please leave us a review at “Love the Podcast” to help others find us.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Welcome to the College Parent Central podcast.
Whether your child is justbeginning the college admission
process or is already in college, this podcast is for you.
You'll find food for thoughtand information about college
and about navigating thatdelicate balance of guidance,
involvement and knowing when toget out of the way.
(00:31):
Join your hosts, vicki Nelsonand Lynn Abrahams, as they share
support and a celebration ofthe amazing experience of having
a child in college child incollege.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Welcome to the College Parent Central podcast.
This is the podcast where wetalk about all sorts of things
that have to do with college andwith being the parent of
someone who is in college, orthinking about college or headed
to college or just leavingcollege, college or headed to
college or just leaving college,and we like to talk about it as
parents and also asprofessionals that work in the
(01:13):
field of higher education.
My name is Vicki Nelson, and Iam a professor of communication
at a small liberal arts college,and I'm also the parent of
three daughters who have gone tocollege and have finished
college, and so I come to thistopic with two hats one as a
professor who works withstudents every day, and one as a
(01:37):
parent.
And I am here, as I so often am, with one of my favorite
co-hosts.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Oh, that's so nice to hear, vicki.
Thank you, hi everyone.
My name's Lynn Abrahams and Ialso am here with those same two
hats.
I'm a mom of two sons who havebeen in and out and through and
around college, through andaround college, and I actually
(02:10):
have just retired from a careerworking with college students
who have learning differences.
So I've worked pretty closelywith families of students and
the students, so I come at thisfrom both angles.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
And we are today going to do what I think is one
of our favorite kinds ofepisodes.
We are in season six, so this isthe sixth time we've done a
podcast on a couple of ourfavorite books.
It's getting to be summer, it'sa good time to sit on the beach
, maybe with a romance novel,but if you get tired of reading
(02:50):
those, or mysteries, maybe you'dlike to pick up one of these
books.
They're great books for parents, for food for thought, and
we'll put in the show noteslinks to the ones we've talked
about other years, but we liketo give you some idea of some
(03:13):
things to maybe think about.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
New books.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
We've each picked a couple of our favorites and
we'll share a little informationabout them and maybe you'll be
inspired to pick one up.
So I'm going to start, and thefirst book that I wanted to talk
about today is called the SleepDeprived Teen why our teenagers
are so tired and how parentsand schools can help them thrive
(03:39):
and it's by Lisa L Lewis.
Sleep deprived teen.
I mean, I mean, if you have ateen, you know about
sleep-deprived teens.
We also had an interview withLisa Lewis back in episode 119.
So if this inspires you to pickup the book, that's great.
(04:01):
That's what we want to do.
But if you just want to hear alittle bit more, you might want
to check out episode 119, wherewe had a chance to talk to Lisa
Lewis.
But you know and, lynn, you knowthis, we see this in the
classroom every day is studentswho are just they're tired and
they're falling asleep, asleep,or they're just not thinking
(04:23):
that clearly as college students.
It's true in high school as wellthat they're just not getting
the sleep that they need, and itmakes a difference and we've
known that.
But this book really brought ithome to me that it was even much
(04:44):
more important than I realizedExcuse me, the book talks about
one important issue if you havea high school student or middle
school student and that is themovement that is looking at
start times for high school andmiddle schools that they say
(05:07):
that these early, a lot of thesekids have to be at school at
7.30, and that means for some ofthem they have to be on the bus
at 7 or 6.45 or so, and thatfor teenagers that's just plain
too early, not just because it'scutting their sleep short, but
(05:29):
their internal clocks aredifferent as teenagers, and so
the fact that they want to stayup later and sleep later isn't
just because that's the way theyare.
It's the way they're made, thatthey need to.
They're on a different schedule, and so when I'm when I'm worn
(05:51):
out and heading for bed at nineo'clock, teenagers just waking
up.
Yes, exactly, and.
And then the the.
The problem is that and some ofthis information is in the book
teens up to the age of 18should be getting 8 to 10 hours
of sleep a night, and theaverage is 6 to 7 of what
(06:12):
they're getting.
So they may look like adults,but their sleep needs are really
different than they are for us,and so in the book, lewis
spends a little bit of the firstpart talking about some of the
history in the background andwhy this matters and why it's a
(06:33):
problem in terms of school times.
But then she also talks aboutwhat's preventing students from
getting the sleep they need, notjust their internal clock, but
in terms of their lives.
So she talks about theinfluence of light and dark on
(06:54):
sleep and electronic devices,which is huge, and keeping them
out of the bedroom.
She talks about the role of youknow, the importance of role
modeling as parents in terms ofputting, you know, maybe putting
the devices away a littlebefore bedtime, and that sort of
thing.
And she talks about the linksbetween sleep and mental health,
(07:18):
between sleep, lack of sleepand risky behaviors and grades.
Um, it was just, it affects somany things.
Um, it affects their athleticability, their grades,
graduation rates um students whoget less sleep don't graduate
(07:39):
at the same rate.
Mental health, health for sure,risky behavior, safety things
like drowsy driving andaccidents.
I mean it's huge.
One of the things that wasinteresting in the book if you
happen to have an athlete or aretalking to athletes because I
have talked about this in myclasses that she shares a couple
(08:03):
of studies where getting moresleep made a huge difference in
athletic ability and individualsand as teams, and she's got
some statistics in the book thatmake it clear that that getting
enough sleep really gives you acompetitive advantage.
And one study was with theStanford basketball team and
(08:32):
they did a study where they madeasked the athletes to spend 10,
you know, we said 8 to 10 hoursof sleep is what you should get
.
So they made the athletes spend10 hours a night in bed.
They didn't have to sleep, butthey just had to be in bed for
(08:52):
10 hours.
This was, you know, for a littlewhile for this study and first
of all, the athletes went froman average of about six and a
half to seven hours a night ofsleep to eight and a half hours
just because they were there inbed and they fell asleep when
their body told them to fallasleep.
So they started getting moresleep.
(09:13):
But then their abilities as anathlete improved.
It.
It they, they did better on.
It was a basketball team, sothey did better on free throws.
It increased by I think it wasnine percent just because they
(09:37):
were getting more sleep and, um,their sprint times were faster.
I mean just thinking that justgetting a little sleep could do
that.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
So I go ahead.
I just.
I think it impacts your brainas well, and if you know our
students are in a classroom andthey're well rested, then
they're open to you know what'scoming at them, yeah, and you
know I'm not surprised aboutthat in terms of grades and
academics, but the fact that theathletics.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
So I you know, I kind of include that just because I,
for me, that was an eye-openerand um, and so she really she
talks about that in the book.
And then the last third of thebook is all strategies for how
to help your teen get more sleep.
What are the things you can do.
So it's not just a bunch ofstudies and it's not just
(10:32):
talking about it.
But okay, if you buy into this,if you understand this, then
the last part of the book is allabout how to do it, about how
to do it.
I found it really fascinatingand it would be really helpful
to talk about some of thesethings with your student to help
your student understand whysleep is so important.
(10:55):
So it's a great book.
Sleep Deprived Teen why OurTeenagers Are so Tired and how
Parents and Schools Can Helpthem Thrive.
By Lisa Lewis.
I highly recommend it.
Great your turn teenagers areso tired and how parents and
schools can help them thrive.
By lisa lewis.
I highly recommend it great.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Your turn, my turn, um.
So my first book is called howto raise a citizen and why it's
up to you to do it.
It's by lindsey cormack, and wealso had the honor of
interviewing her last I think itwas November-ish episode 123.
(11:35):
Lindsay is an associateprofessor of political science
at Stevens Institute ofTechnology and she has her
doctorate in government from NewYork University, and when we
talked to her first of all, shewas so engaging.
She's passionate about theimportance of this topic and the
(11:57):
topic is teaching our kids howto be a citizen, how to Be a
Citizen.
She talks about why our highschools are no longer the key
(12:17):
place for civic education thatthey used to be, and so you
wonder who's teaching this stuffto our kids?
You wonder who's teaching thisstuff to our kids.
She does a lot of talking abouthow parents can play a role, a
really important role, inlearning together with their
kids.
I know for me, you know,government is not.
(12:39):
You know, a topic that I know aton about.
I know about elections andthat's pretty much it.
But my kids actually both ofthem are a little bit interested
in this.
And so there were lots ofconversations about you know,
about government and how itworks and how it affects our
(13:02):
lives, but I think in generalthat's not something we talk
about with our kids it's not,and and I think sometimes,
sometimes it's because we don'tfeel we know enough exactly to
talk about it.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
And and I know you're going to I don't want to steal
your thunder and talk about thebook but part of the, a big part
of the book is where she, she,it's a you know, a little course
on on the things and you could,you and your student can, learn
the things together.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
So she goes over the basics in ways that make sense,
um, and then she goes overstrategies for you to use to
talk to your kids yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
And one of the things I liked because I, you know, we
talked to her and we've bothread the book is it's not a
political book, right?
It doesn't matter who yousupport or what you think, it's
just you know how to be engagedand how to be a citizen.
It's not, it's not telling youyou should think this or you
(14:06):
should think that, but how doesgovernment work?
Why does it matter on the locallevel?
Sometimes I think studentsdon't realize how their lives,
their daily lives, are impactedby local government and things
like that and how to getinvolved.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
And she talks about very concrete things like how to
register to vote.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
You know really some basic things that are really
approachable for all ages.
Also, you know she talks abouttalking to little kids, to
middle kids, to adolescents, toyoung adults.
She shares a lot of informationabout the current state of, you
(14:53):
know, our, of Americancitizenry that's a funny word,
citizenry and she talks a littlebit about the risks of civic
disengagement what happens whenpeople are not involved, what
are some of the repercussionsthere she talks about.
She gives a framework forstarting up important political
(15:17):
discussions and differentstrategies for all parts of
government, from local, stateand federal.
So the most important thing Iwould say about this book is
that it's very supportive ofparenting about this issue.
It's very supportive of parentswho want to learn together with
(15:42):
their kids about this issue.
It is an issue that we tend toignore.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Yeah, and she does talk too about why the schools
aren't doing this as muchanymore as they used to.
That you know back in the dayyou took civics and you learned
civics in the classroom.
But there are lots of reasonsand she talks about them in the
(16:12):
book why that doesn't happenanymore Exactly, and so the only
place students are getting itis if they get it at home or the
internet or the internet andthey may not be getting correct
information Correct information.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
So much is biased and leans all different directions,
so she gives you a map for howto do it in a non-political way.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
It's really, really a good book and it's never too
late, because if you have acollege-age student, you just
have different kinds ofconversations than if you have a
middle schooler or evenelementary school.
And so she's, she's.
She sort of talks about therange and um and it, and Parents
(16:58):
shouldn't think, oh, my kid'salready in college, it's too
late for me to try to do any ofthis.
I learned a lot by reading thebook.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
So, if you're interested, look back at our
episodes, episode 123, and hername is Lindsay Cormack and the
book is how to Raise a Citizenand why it's Up to you to Do it.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
And we also have a review of the book on the
website, so we'll put that.
We'll put the link to that, um,both the link to our interview
with her and to the review, uh,and you can find out a little
bit more and then go out and getthe book okay, next one is
yours, next one's mine, so so wetalked a little bit about
(17:43):
athletes earlier and this one isRaising Empowered Athletes a
Youth Sports Parenting Guide forRaising Happy, brave and
Resilient Kids by Kirsten Jones.
And again, I would encourageparents not to think well, I
already have a college student,so this you know, I'm past all
(18:03):
of this because if you haveanyone that's interested in
athletics of any kind and it wasa great read and it's not about
a particular sport, it's reallymore about raising students to
be empowered human beings whojust happen to be athletes.
(18:23):
It's not about gender, it's notabout socioeconomics becoming a
professional athlete or aDivision One athlete.
It's really just kind of aparent friendly book about
parenting athletes and theauthor, kirsten Jones, is a
(18:48):
former Division I volleyballathlete from William Mary and
she's also a coach and she'salso the parent of athletes.
So she's sort of wearing abunch of hats and coming at it
and it's not saying do push yourchild into athletics or don't
push your child into athletics,it's just um, it's really just
(19:12):
putting athletics a little bit,I want to say, in perspective,
um, and so you know, I think theeasiest way to sort of describe
it is just.
Here are some of the section andchapter titles from the book
which give you a sense of whatkinds of things she talks about.
So there's how and when didyouth sports get so crazy?
(19:35):
Because they really aresometimes a little out of hand
now.
So she talks about that.
There's a chapter that's whosedream is it, you know, really
asking parents to think is itwho?
Who is it that really wants tobe the athlete?
Pressure versus support?
How to find that balance,enjoying the ride, how, how you
(19:55):
as a parent and how your athletecan both enjoy the experience
is.
Is it wise to specialize, youknow?
Should students focus on onething?
Mental health, a nation incrisis, keeping your kids'
bodies, minds and souls healthy,safe and thriving really
(20:16):
important topic Appreciatingteam and coach dynamics.
Thinking about, you know,what's it like for coaches and
how do coaches work with withstudents?
Push through or pivot,partnering with a coach to help
find what's best for your youngathlete.
So, you know, do you push themthrough or do you say no, let's
(20:40):
either switch to another sportor become a musician or
something?
And then there is a chapterabout recruiting.
If you have a student who wantsto try to get recruited for
college athletes.
My favorite, my favorite chapter, though, is called the mindset
toolbox, and it's about theimportance of building
(21:02):
resilience and and not justtrying to avoid burnout you know
, we talked about kids burningout, but it's it's really more
about building resistance.
It's the longest chapter in thebook, and she says in the book
if you only read one chapter,this is the one to read, and she
(21:24):
talks about this idea ofbuilding resilience, not just
for your athlete, but forparents too.
So I think it's sort of nice tothink about how these things
apply to us as well.
She gives you some tools toimprove your mental outlook and
become grittier, and then how toimplement them, and just one
(21:47):
way that she talks about that.
She talks about what she callsthe five C's, like ABC, the five
C's of growing grit, and shetalks about clarity, care that
would be self-care contribution,feeling you're giving something
, paying it forward, create howto, how to tap into your mind
(22:09):
and be creative and capabilitieshow to how to feel that you're
capable of and have skills.
Um, so that's a you.
It's worth the book for thatchapter.
It's a great chapter, but ifyou have anyone who is an
(22:29):
athlete, who is younger andlooking toward athletics.
This is a great book to readand it just gives you lots of
food for thought of how to keepit all into perspective, and the
earlier you start the better,but it's not too late.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
That sounds good.
I want to read that chapter inparticular.
I really do.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
So again, that is Raising Empowered Athletes.
A Youth Sports Parenting Guidefor Raising Happy, brave and
Resilient Kids by Kirsten Jones,and we'll put all these in the
show notes.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Okay, my second book I'm very excited to talk about.
This book is called Is thisAutism?
It's a guide for clinicians andeveryone else.
I love that they say everyoneelse, because that means us as
parents and that means all of usis just curious.
You know people who areinterested in in other people,
(23:30):
so I you know I mentioned beforethat I've worked with students
with learning differences and Ireally am fascinated by our
brains and how different each ofus are.
So this is right down my alley.
The book is by Donna Hendersonand Sarah Whalen and with help
(23:56):
from Jamel White, and it waswritten fairly recently.
It was 2023.
I really couldn't put it down.
The book is easy to read.
It's a mixture of, yes, someresearch, but also they draw on
a hundred different what theycall expert contributors, and
(24:17):
these are autistic folks, sothey are called the experts and
they are talking about what it'slike for them.
So you really get an insideview of how people feel about
themselves.
Basically.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
That's really an interesting way to approach it.
Yeah, cool.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Donna Henderson's a clinical psychologist, um Sarah
Wayland, um she's the founder ofthis um a website called
guiding exceptional parentswebsite, and she offers um
support and coaching for parentsof of kids who have a
(25:02):
neurodiversity and it's veryaffirmative support.
It's very positive.
There's a companion guide tothis book.
Same name is this Autism, andthis companion is for diagnosing
, so this might be moreapplicable to teachers and
(25:26):
professionals in the world.
What I like most about this bookis that they talk about some of
the less obvious presentationsof autism.
They talk about some of theareas that have not been
researched that much.
Like girls, A lot of theresearch has been on boys.
(25:50):
They focus on people who learnhow to camouflage their traits
and despite how much we knowabout autism, many folks are
either misdiagnosed or missedtotally because they're very,
very good at blending in andworking at that.
(26:11):
You know, this book is morethan just an update on the field
.
It is a whole shift.
It's like a fresh perspectiveand it reigned true for me in
terms of the work that I've donewith many different kinds of
students.
(26:39):
Work in learning, learning,disabilities have sort of
shifted from the medical model,which is the model where you're
sick, you know, you're not well,you're, you're different,
you're different, but in anegative way, um, to more of a
well she.
They call it the neurodiversitymodel, but it's basically says
that there are biologicalvariants.
In other words, it's part ofhuman diversity that there are
(27:03):
different brains.
One psychiatrist who read thisbook wrote and I want to read
this because it says a lot aboutthe book.
He says one phrase struck withme in this book in particular a
sense of belonging.
This desire to be validated forwho we are, no matter how we
(27:27):
show up in the world, lies atthe deepest core of every
human's longing.
Henderson and Whelan show uswith compassion and inclusivity,
not only how to be informedabout autistics, but also how to
be wise as well.
So the book is such a blend ofinformation and it just opened
(27:52):
my eyes to so many, many topics.
Some of the topics they coverare different kinds of empathy,
different types of sensorysystems.
You know some of the commontraits and challenges that are
not currently part of thediagnostic criteria.
So it's, it's just.
(28:13):
It's a really wonderful,wonderful book.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
It sounds as though it would be a good one for
parents, but also just foranyone to understand the people
we encounter in the world, inour lives absolutely, absolutely
.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
It's a book about human development and if you're
curious about how we're alldifferent, it's a book to read
yeah great so what's the titleagain?
The title is is this autism?
A guide for clinicians andeveryone else, and it's by donna
(28:50):
henderson and sarah waylandokay, so we'll add that to the
show notes too.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
All right, I have one last one, and then you have one
last one.
So the last one I wanted to talkabout is the truth about
college admission a family guideto getting in and staying
together by Brennan Barnard andRick Clark.
And barnard and rick clark, whoare both um, very involved as a
(29:24):
dean and director of admissionand and college consultants, um,
and they also have a podcastcalled the truth about college
admission.
So if people are podcastlisteners and we were able to
interview them on episode 135,just a recent episode so the
Truth About College Admission AFamily Guide to Getting In and
(29:45):
Staying Together.
And what I like best is thepart of the subtitle that says
Family Guide to getting in andstaying together.
Because there is so much outthere now podcasts and websites
(30:06):
and books and consultants abouthow to get into college, about
admissions, that this book.
So I tend to be honest, I tendto sort of stay away from that
whole admissions thing becausethere's so much out there and
(30:26):
there's not that much that'sthat's new that I can add.
But this book, I think, isdifferent because it focuses on
the family.
It focuses on how the family asa family unit is going to work
their way through the collegeadmission process, the family
dynamics as much as getting in.
(30:49):
Yes, there's information aboutcollege admissions and what to
do, but they say in the bookthat it's about the idea that
that family matters and that howyou approach conversations and
decisions in your family haslong term implications.
So you know it's about we weare always talking about have a
(31:13):
conversation, talk to yourstudent, build that relationship
, and that's what this book isabout.
In the context of collegeadmissions, and they say
sometimes there is just too muchfocus on the getting in part
and that this book focuses onstaying together through the
(31:36):
process, focuses on stayingtogether through the process.
A quote from the book they saythere's no shortage of how-to
books out there that claim todiscover the secret to getting
into college.
The guidebook you now hold,hopefully, is one for the rest
of us, parents and students whoare intent on putting family
(31:57):
first by engaging in real,healthy, balanced conversations.
Oh, I love it, yeah it really isa different focus on admission,
that the admission process is afamily process, not just
because you have to live throughit when your student is
spinning out of control, butbecause you also are working on
(32:20):
it.
But you know, the other part ofthe title is the Truth, the
Truth About College Admission,and they also, in this book,
work a lot to combat some of themyths that people have, all
those people who say they havethe key.
You know, here's the secret togetting in, the secret to
getting in, and they've workedin this field for a long time.
(32:42):
So it's a reality check, Ithink for a lot of people and
one of the things that I knowyou will agree with me that you
like the title of the firstchapter is why Are you Going to
College, which for years we havebeen saying.
The first thing you need to askyour student is why are you
(33:03):
going?
Why college?
If you can't answer that, thenmaybe you're not ready to go to
college.
So that's where they starttheir book.
It's the first chapter that, asa family, you need to talk
about why is your student goingto college?
Why do they think, why do youthink and do that?
And it also contains the bookhas a ton of resources for
(33:31):
parents and exercises to usealong the way, things to do.
So each chapter ends with alittle box that says try this
and talk about this, and thenthere's some bonus activities to
do.
So it's not just theorizing andtelling you, but then there's a
okay, here's the conversationyou should have as a family if
(33:55):
you're going to go through thistogether.
I mentioned that they have apodcast.
They also have a workbook thatgoes along with this, and I'm
not sure if that's out yet.
That might be just coming out,so you might want to look for
that.
So it talks about all kinds oftalks about finances, how to
(34:16):
build a college list, collegevisits, how to make plans and
applications.
It talks about deadlines.
It talks about collegeinterviews, getting
recommendations, admissionsdecisions, making the choice
once you get accepted.
But all of those topics withthe family focus.
(34:37):
How does the family worktogether at each of those steps
along the way.
So I think it's a great bookabout admissions, but with a
family focus that I think a lotof families would find very
helpful because it's a stressfultime.
So that's the truth AboutCollege Admission A Family Guide
(35:00):
to Getting In and StayingTogether by Brennan Barnard and
Rick Clark Excellent Yep Goodbook.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
So my last book is called Braving the Wilderness
the Quest for True Belonging andthe Courage to Stand Alone.
It's by Brene Brown.
This book was written, I think,around 2017.
And I just reread it.
(35:29):
And it's an absolute classic,and I see this as more of a
general parenting book, but alsoa book you could share with
your kids and have them read atthe same time, because the book
is really about how do you wantto show up in the world and how,
(35:51):
um, what you have to go throughto get there.
Um, dr Brown is a.
She's a research professor atthe University of Houston.
Her general field is socialwork, but she studies courage
and shame and vulnerability andempathy.
Those are some of the topics.
(36:12):
Her TED Talk, the Power ofVulner, of vulnerability, is one
of the top five most viewed Tedtalks in the world.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
It's a great one.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
And it really is, and it it also shows that she's
funny, she's personable, uh, andshe's very wise.
Um, so the topic of the bookreally is how you know again,
how we're all searching for whatshe calls true belonging, and
the book is, you know, it'sreally accessible.
(36:45):
She starts with her own story,she talks about her research,
but she talks about her researchlike a curious person, not like
an academic.
Good not like an academic Good.
At the time she wrote this book, her son was in middle school
and her daughter just left forher first year in college, and I
(37:07):
think that informed some of thewriting of the book as well.
She describes this book as abook to help her own parenting.
She wrote it so that she couldbe a better parent and she had
great conversations with herdaughter about the topics of the
book in the book.
(37:27):
So I just want to give onequote from the book.
And it gives it gives such agood flavor.
Here we go.
She says stop walking throughthe world looking for
confirmation that you don'tbelong.
You will always find it becauseyou've made that your mission.
(37:49):
Stop scouring people's facesfor evidence that you're not
enough.
You will always find it becauseyou've made that your goal.
True belonging and self-worthare not goods.
We don't negotiate their valuewith the world.
The truth about who we arelives in our hearts.
Our call to courage is toprotect our wild heart against
(38:14):
evaluation, especially your own.
No one belongs here more thanyou.
It's just a good book aboutfiguring out who you are and
sharing these conversations withkids.
It's a good start for some goodtalks, yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
I think the idea of co-reading a book over the
summer, where everybody maybehas a little more time to talk
about what you're reading, reada couple of chapters and talk
about it, and a book like thismight be something that students
are willing to read and can getintrigued by and really could
(38:57):
prompt some interestingconversations.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
I love reading books with.
My kids Love it and I even readbooks with my mom when she was
you know when it just gave us aplace to begin conversations.
So, yeah, good, it's a good.
So the book is called Bravingthe Wilderness the Quest for
True Belonging and the Courageto Stand Alone, by Brene Brown.
Yeah, good, it's a good.
So the book is called bravingthe wilderness the quest for
true belonging and the courageto stand alone, by bernie brown
(39:22):
okay so lots of good books, lotsof good books.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Yes, we've given, given you quite a reading list
for the summer and we know notevery book is going to be right
for everyone right um, but it's,it's sort of a variety and um.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
They've passed muster with us, we think, we think
they're they're worthy of a read.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
Um good, and, and as I said at the beginning, this is
the sixth year we've done somesummer reads, so in the show
notes we're going to put thelinks to our other episodes with
and you could just, you know,read a book a day all summer
long with the list.
But you know, even evensomething we talked about five
(40:09):
years ago doesn't mean youshouldn't read it now.
We've covered a lot of, a lotof great books, so try to pick
up one or two and see what itdoes for you and enjoy some
summer reading.
So thanks for sticking with usthrough all six books and we
(40:30):
hope that we've intrigued youwith a little bit and that you
will pick them up and share theinformation with your student
and maybe read together and seewhat happens.
So thanks a lot, and if youknow someone else who would
value this information, pleasepass along the podcast to them.
(40:53):
That word of mouth is the bestadvertising we can get.
We like to share with as manypeople as we can.
So thanks for sticking with usto the end and we'll see you
next time.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
See you later.
Welcome to the College Parent Central podcast.
Whether your child is justbeginning the college admission
process or is already in college, this podcast is for you.
You'll find food for thoughtand information about college
and about navigating thatdelicate balance of guidance,
involvement and knowing when toget out of the way.
(00:31):
Join your hosts, vicki Nelsonand Lynn Abrahams, as they share
support and a celebration ofthe amazing experience of having
a child in college child incollege.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Welcome to the College Parent Central podcast.
This is the podcast where wetalk about all sorts of things
that have to do with college andwith being the parent of
someone who is in college, orthinking about college or headed
to college or just leavingcollege, college or headed to
college or just leaving college,and we like to talk about it as
parents and also asprofessionals that work in the
(01:13):
field of higher education.
My name is Vicki Nelson, and Iam a professor of communication
at a small liberal arts college,and I'm also the parent of
three daughters who have gone tocollege and have finished
college, and so I come to thistopic with two hats one as a
professor who works withstudents every day, and one as a
(01:37):
parent.
And I am here, as I so often am, with one of my favorite
co-hosts.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Oh, that's so nice to hear, vicki.
Thank you, hi everyone.
My name's Lynn Abrahams and Ialso am here with those same two
hats.
I'm a mom of two sons who havebeen in and out and through and
around college, through andaround college, and I actually
(02:10):
have just retired from a careerworking with college students
who have learning differences.
So I've worked pretty closelywith families of students and
the students, so I come at thisfrom both angles.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
And we are today going to do what I think is one
of our favorite kinds ofepisodes.
We are in season six, so this isthe sixth time we've done a
podcast on a couple of ourfavorite books.
It's getting to be summer, it'sa good time to sit on the beach
, maybe with a romance novel,but if you get tired of reading
(02:50):
those, or mysteries, maybe you'dlike to pick up one of these
books.
They're great books for parents, for food for thought, and
we'll put in the show noteslinks to the ones we've talked
about other years, but we liketo give you some idea of some
(03:13):
things to maybe think about.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
New books.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
We've each picked a couple of our favorites and
we'll share a little informationabout them and maybe you'll be
inspired to pick one up.
So I'm going to start, and thefirst book that I wanted to talk
about today is called the SleepDeprived Teen why our teenagers
are so tired and how parentsand schools can help them thrive
(03:39):
and it's by Lisa L Lewis.
Sleep deprived teen.
I mean, I mean, if you have ateen, you know about
sleep-deprived teens.
We also had an interview withLisa Lewis back in episode 119.
So if this inspires you to pickup the book, that's great.
(04:01):
That's what we want to do.
But if you just want to hear alittle bit more, you might want
to check out episode 119, wherewe had a chance to talk to Lisa
Lewis.
But you know and, lynn, you knowthis, we see this in the
classroom every day is studentswho are just they're tired and
they're falling asleep, asleep,or they're just not thinking
(04:23):
that clearly as college students.
It's true in high school as wellthat they're just not getting
the sleep that they need, and itmakes a difference and we've
known that.
But this book really brought ithome to me that it was even much
(04:44):
more important than I realizedExcuse me, the book talks about
one important issue if you havea high school student or middle
school student and that is themovement that is looking at
start times for high school andmiddle schools that they say
(05:07):
that these early, a lot of thesekids have to be at school at
7.30, and that means for some ofthem they have to be on the bus
at 7 or 6.45 or so, and thatfor teenagers that's just plain
too early, not just because it'scutting their sleep short, but
(05:29):
their internal clocks aredifferent as teenagers, and so
the fact that they want to stayup later and sleep later isn't
just because that's the way theyare.
It's the way they're made, thatthey need to.
They're on a different schedule, and so when I'm when I'm worn
(05:51):
out and heading for bed at nineo'clock, teenagers just waking
up.
Yes, exactly, and.
And then the the.
The problem is that and some ofthis information is in the book
teens up to the age of 18should be getting 8 to 10 hours
of sleep a night, and theaverage is 6 to 7 of what
(06:12):
they're getting.
So they may look like adults,but their sleep needs are really
different than they are for us,and so in the book, lewis
spends a little bit of the firstpart talking about some of the
history in the background andwhy this matters and why it's a
(06:33):
problem in terms of school times.
But then she also talks aboutwhat's preventing students from
getting the sleep they need, notjust their internal clock, but
in terms of their lives.
So she talks about theinfluence of light and dark on
(06:54):
sleep and electronic devices,which is huge, and keeping them
out of the bedroom.
She talks about the role of youknow, the importance of role
modeling as parents in terms ofputting, you know, maybe putting
the devices away a littlebefore bedtime, and that sort of
thing.
And she talks about the linksbetween sleep and mental health,
(07:18):
between sleep, lack of sleepand risky behaviors and grades.
Um, it was just, it affects somany things.
Um, it affects their athleticability, their grades,
graduation rates um students whoget less sleep don't graduate
(07:39):
at the same rate.
Mental health, health for sure,risky behavior, safety things
like drowsy driving andaccidents.
I mean it's huge.
One of the things that wasinteresting in the book if you
happen to have an athlete or aretalking to athletes because I
have talked about this in myclasses that she shares a couple
(08:03):
of studies where getting moresleep made a huge difference in
athletic ability and individualsand as teams, and she's got
some statistics in the book thatmake it clear that that getting
enough sleep really gives you acompetitive advantage.
And one study was with theStanford basketball team and
(08:32):
they did a study where they madeasked the athletes to spend 10,
you know, we said 8 to 10 hoursof sleep is what you should get
.
So they made the athletes spend10 hours a night in bed.
They didn't have to sleep, butthey just had to be in bed for
(08:52):
10 hours.
This was, you know, for a littlewhile for this study and first
of all, the athletes went froman average of about six and a
half to seven hours a night ofsleep to eight and a half hours
just because they were there inbed and they fell asleep when
their body told them to fallasleep.
So they started getting moresleep.
(09:13):
But then their abilities as anathlete improved.
It.
It they, they did better on.
It was a basketball team, sothey did better on free throws.
It increased by I think it wasnine percent just because they
(09:37):
were getting more sleep and, um,their sprint times were faster.
I mean just thinking that justgetting a little sleep could do
that.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
So I go ahead.
I just.
I think it impacts your brainas well, and if you know our
students are in a classroom andthey're well rested, then
they're open to you know what'scoming at them, yeah, and you
know I'm not surprised aboutthat in terms of grades and
academics, but the fact that theathletics.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
So I you know, I kind of include that just because I,
for me, that was an eye-openerand um, and so she really she
talks about that in the book.
And then the last third of thebook is all strategies for how
to help your teen get more sleep.
What are the things you can do.
So it's not just a bunch ofstudies and it's not just
(10:32):
talking about it.
But okay, if you buy into this,if you understand this, then
the last part of the book is allabout how to do it, about how
to do it.
I found it really fascinatingand it would be really helpful
to talk about some of thesethings with your student to help
your student understand whysleep is so important.
(10:55):
So it's a great book.
Sleep Deprived Teen why OurTeenagers Are so Tired and how
Parents and Schools Can Helpthem Thrive.
By Lisa Lewis.
I highly recommend it.
Great your turn teenagers areso tired and how parents and
schools can help them thrive.
By lisa lewis.
I highly recommend it great.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Your turn, my turn, um.
So my first book is called howto raise a citizen and why it's
up to you to do it.
It's by lindsey cormack, and wealso had the honor of
interviewing her last I think itwas November-ish episode 123.
(11:35):
Lindsay is an associateprofessor of political science
at Stevens Institute ofTechnology and she has her
doctorate in government from NewYork University, and when we
talked to her first of all, shewas so engaging.
She's passionate about theimportance of this topic and the
(11:57):
topic is teaching our kids howto be a citizen, how to Be a
Citizen.
She talks about why our highschools are no longer the key
(12:17):
place for civic education thatthey used to be, and so you
wonder who's teaching this stuffto our kids?
You wonder who's teaching thisstuff to our kids.
She does a lot of talking abouthow parents can play a role, a
really important role, inlearning together with their
kids.
I know for me, you know,government is not.
(12:39):
You know, a topic that I know aton about.
I know about elections andthat's pretty much it.
But my kids actually both ofthem are a little bit interested
in this.
And so there were lots ofconversations about you know,
about government and how itworks and how it affects our
(13:02):
lives, but I think in generalthat's not something we talk
about with our kids it's not,and and I think sometimes,
sometimes it's because we don'tfeel we know enough exactly to
talk about it.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
And and I know you're going to I don't want to steal
your thunder and talk about thebook but part of the, a big part
of the book is where she, she,it's a you know, a little course
on on the things and you could,you and your student can, learn
the things together.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
So she goes over the basics in ways that make sense,
um, and then she goes overstrategies for you to use to
talk to your kids yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
And one of the things I liked because I, you know, we
talked to her and we've bothread the book is it's not a
political book, right?
It doesn't matter who yousupport or what you think, it's
just you know how to be engagedand how to be a citizen.
It's not, it's not telling youyou should think this or you
(14:06):
should think that, but how doesgovernment work?
Why does it matter on the locallevel?
Sometimes I think studentsdon't realize how their lives,
their daily lives, are impactedby local government and things
like that and how to getinvolved.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
And she talks about very concrete things like how to
register to vote.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
You know really some basic things that are really
approachable for all ages.
Also, you know she talks abouttalking to little kids, to
middle kids, to adolescents, toyoung adults.
She shares a lot of informationabout the current state of, you
(14:53):
know, our, of Americancitizenry that's a funny word,
citizenry and she talks a littlebit about the risks of civic
disengagement what happens whenpeople are not involved, what
are some of the repercussionsthere she talks about.
She gives a framework forstarting up important political
(15:17):
discussions and differentstrategies for all parts of
government, from local, stateand federal.
So the most important thing Iwould say about this book is
that it's very supportive ofparenting about this issue.
It's very supportive of parentswho want to learn together with
(15:42):
their kids about this issue.
It is an issue that we tend toignore.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Yeah, and she does talk too about why the schools
aren't doing this as muchanymore as they used to.
That you know back in the dayyou took civics and you learned
civics in the classroom.
But there are lots of reasonsand she talks about them in the
(16:12):
book why that doesn't happenanymore Exactly, and so the only
place students are getting itis if they get it at home or the
internet or the internet andthey may not be getting correct
information Correct information.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
So much is biased and leans all different directions,
so she gives you a map for howto do it in a non-political way.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
It's really, really a good book and it's never too
late, because if you have acollege-age student, you just
have different kinds ofconversations than if you have a
middle schooler or evenelementary school.
And so she's, she's.
She sort of talks about therange and um and it, and Parents
(16:58):
shouldn't think, oh, my kid'salready in college, it's too
late for me to try to do any ofthis.
I learned a lot by reading thebook.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
So, if you're interested, look back at our
episodes, episode 123, and hername is Lindsay Cormack and the
book is how to Raise a Citizenand why it's Up to you to Do it.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
And we also have a review of the book on the
website, so we'll put that.
We'll put the link to that, um,both the link to our interview
with her and to the review, uh,and you can find out a little
bit more and then go out and getthe book okay, next one is
yours, next one's mine, so so wetalked a little bit about
(17:43):
athletes earlier and this one isRaising Empowered Athletes a
Youth Sports Parenting Guide forRaising Happy, brave and
Resilient Kids by Kirsten Jones.
And again, I would encourageparents not to think well, I
already have a college student,so this you know, I'm past all
(18:03):
of this because if you haveanyone that's interested in
athletics of any kind and it wasa great read and it's not about
a particular sport, it's reallymore about raising students to
be empowered human beings whojust happen to be athletes.
(18:23):
It's not about gender, it's notabout socioeconomics becoming a
professional athlete or aDivision One athlete.
It's really just kind of aparent friendly book about
parenting athletes and theauthor, kirsten Jones, is a
(18:48):
former Division I volleyballathlete from William Mary and
she's also a coach and she'salso the parent of athletes.
So she's sort of wearing abunch of hats and coming at it
and it's not saying do push yourchild into athletics or don't
push your child into athletics,it's just um, it's really just
(19:12):
putting athletics a little bit,I want to say, in perspective,
um, and so you know, I think theeasiest way to sort of describe
it is just.
Here are some of the section andchapter titles from the book
which give you a sense of whatkinds of things she talks about.
So there's how and when didyouth sports get so crazy?
(19:35):
Because they really aresometimes a little out of hand
now.
So she talks about that.
There's a chapter that's whosedream is it, you know, really
asking parents to think is itwho?
Who is it that really wants tobe the athlete?
Pressure versus support?
How to find that balance,enjoying the ride, how, how you
(19:55):
as a parent and how your athletecan both enjoy the experience
is.
Is it wise to specialize, youknow?
Should students focus on onething?
Mental health, a nation incrisis, keeping your kids'
bodies, minds and souls healthy,safe and thriving really
(20:16):
important topic Appreciatingteam and coach dynamics.
Thinking about, you know,what's it like for coaches and
how do coaches work with withstudents?
Push through or pivot,partnering with a coach to help
find what's best for your youngathlete.
So, you know, do you push themthrough or do you say no, let's
(20:40):
either switch to another sportor become a musician or
something?
And then there is a chapterabout recruiting.
If you have a student who wantsto try to get recruited for
college athletes.
My favorite, my favorite chapter, though, is called the mindset
toolbox, and it's about theimportance of building
(21:02):
resilience and and not justtrying to avoid burnout you know
, we talked about kids burningout, but it's it's really more
about building resistance.
It's the longest chapter in thebook, and she says in the book
if you only read one chapter,this is the one to read, and she
(21:24):
talks about this idea ofbuilding resilience, not just
for your athlete, but forparents too.
So I think it's sort of nice tothink about how these things
apply to us as well.
She gives you some tools toimprove your mental outlook and
become grittier, and then how toimplement them, and just one
(21:47):
way that she talks about that.
She talks about what she callsthe five C's, like ABC, the five
C's of growing grit, and shetalks about clarity, care that
would be self-care contribution,feeling you're giving something
, paying it forward, create howto, how to tap into your mind
(22:09):
and be creative and capabilitieshow to how to feel that you're
capable of and have skills.
Um, so that's a you.
It's worth the book for thatchapter.
It's a great chapter, but ifyou have anyone who is an
(22:29):
athlete, who is younger andlooking toward athletics.
This is a great book to readand it just gives you lots of
food for thought of how to keepit all into perspective, and the
earlier you start the better,but it's not too late.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
That sounds good.
I want to read that chapter inparticular.
I really do.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
So again, that is Raising Empowered Athletes.
A Youth Sports Parenting Guidefor Raising Happy, brave and
Resilient Kids by Kirsten Jones,and we'll put all these in the
show notes.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Okay, my second book I'm very excited to talk about.
This book is called Is thisAutism?
It's a guide for clinicians andeveryone else.
I love that they say everyoneelse, because that means us as
parents and that means all of usis just curious.
You know people who areinterested in in other people,
(23:30):
so I you know I mentioned beforethat I've worked with students
with learning differences and Ireally am fascinated by our
brains and how different each ofus are.
So this is right down my alley.
The book is by Donna Hendersonand Sarah Whalen and with help
(23:56):
from Jamel White, and it waswritten fairly recently.
It was 2023.
I really couldn't put it down.
The book is easy to read.
It's a mixture of, yes, someresearch, but also they draw on
a hundred different what theycall expert contributors, and
(24:17):
these are autistic folks, sothey are called the experts and
they are talking about what it'slike for them.
So you really get an insideview of how people feel about
themselves.
Basically.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
That's really an interesting way to approach it.
Yeah, cool.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Donna Henderson's a clinical psychologist, um Sarah
Wayland, um she's the founder ofthis um a website called
guiding exceptional parentswebsite, and she offers um
support and coaching for parentsof of kids who have a
(25:02):
neurodiversity and it's veryaffirmative support.
It's very positive.
There's a companion guide tothis book.
Same name is this Autism, andthis companion is for diagnosing
, so this might be moreapplicable to teachers and
(25:26):
professionals in the world.
What I like most about this bookis that they talk about some of
the less obvious presentationsof autism.
They talk about some of theareas that have not been
researched that much.
Like girls, A lot of theresearch has been on boys.
(25:50):
They focus on people who learnhow to camouflage their traits
and despite how much we knowabout autism, many folks are
either misdiagnosed or missedtotally because they're very,
very good at blending in andworking at that.
(26:11):
You know, this book is morethan just an update on the field
.
It is a whole shift.
It's like a fresh perspectiveand it reigned true for me in
terms of the work that I've donewith many different kinds of
students.
(26:39):
Work in learning, learning,disabilities have sort of
shifted from the medical model,which is the model where you're
sick, you know, you're not well,you're, you're different,
you're different, but in anegative way, um, to more of a
well she.
They call it the neurodiversitymodel, but it's basically says
that there are biologicalvariants.
In other words, it's part ofhuman diversity that there are
(27:03):
different brains.
One psychiatrist who read thisbook wrote and I want to read
this because it says a lot aboutthe book.
He says one phrase struck withme in this book in particular a
sense of belonging.
This desire to be validated forwho we are, no matter how we
(27:27):
show up in the world, lies atthe deepest core of every
human's longing.
Henderson and Whelan show uswith compassion and inclusivity,
not only how to be informedabout autistics, but also how to
be wise as well.
So the book is such a blend ofinformation and it just opened
(27:52):
my eyes to so many, many topics.
Some of the topics they coverare different kinds of empathy,
different types of sensorysystems.
You know some of the commontraits and challenges that are
not currently part of thediagnostic criteria.
So it's, it's just.
(28:13):
It's a really wonderful,wonderful book.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
It sounds as though it would be a good one for
parents, but also just foranyone to understand the people
we encounter in the world, inour lives absolutely, absolutely
.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
It's a book about human development and if you're
curious about how we're alldifferent, it's a book to read
yeah great so what's the titleagain?
The title is is this autism?
A guide for clinicians andeveryone else, and it's by donna
(28:50):
henderson and sarah waylandokay, so we'll add that to the
show notes too.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
All right, I have one last one, and then you have one
last one.
So the last one I wanted to talkabout is the truth about
college admission a family guideto getting in and staying
together by Brennan Barnard andRick Clark.
And barnard and rick clark, whoare both um, very involved as a
(29:24):
dean and director of admissionand and college consultants, um,
and they also have a podcastcalled the truth about college
admission.
So if people are podcastlisteners and we were able to
interview them on episode 135,just a recent episode so the
Truth About College Admission AFamily Guide to Getting In and
(29:45):
Staying Together.
And what I like best is thepart of the subtitle that says
Family Guide to getting in andstaying together.
Because there is so much outthere now podcasts and websites
(30:06):
and books and consultants abouthow to get into college, about
admissions, that this book.
So I tend to be honest, I tendto sort of stay away from that
whole admissions thing becausethere's so much out there and
(30:26):
there's not that much that'sthat's new that I can add.
But this book, I think, isdifferent because it focuses on
the family.
It focuses on how the family asa family unit is going to work
their way through the collegeadmission process, the family
dynamics as much as getting in.
(30:49):
Yes, there's information aboutcollege admissions and what to
do, but they say in the bookthat it's about the idea that
that family matters and that howyou approach conversations and
decisions in your family haslong term implications.
So you know it's about we weare always talking about have a
(31:13):
conversation, talk to yourstudent, build that relationship
, and that's what this book isabout.
In the context of collegeadmissions, and they say
sometimes there is just too muchfocus on the getting in part
and that this book focuses onstaying together through the
(31:36):
process, focuses on stayingtogether through the process.
A quote from the book they saythere's no shortage of how-to
books out there that claim todiscover the secret to getting
into college.
The guidebook you now hold,hopefully, is one for the rest
of us, parents and students whoare intent on putting family
(31:57):
first by engaging in real,healthy, balanced conversations.
Oh, I love it, yeah it really isa different focus on admission,
that the admission process is afamily process, not just
because you have to live throughit when your student is
spinning out of control, butbecause you also are working on
(32:20):
it.
But you know, the other part ofthe title is the Truth, the
Truth About College Admission,and they also, in this book,
work a lot to combat some of themyths that people have, all
those people who say they havethe key.
You know, here's the secret togetting in, the secret to
getting in, and they've workedin this field for a long time.
(32:42):
So it's a reality check, Ithink for a lot of people and
one of the things that I knowyou will agree with me that you
like the title of the firstchapter is why Are you Going to
College, which for years we havebeen saying.
The first thing you need to askyour student is why are you
(33:03):
going?
Why college?
If you can't answer that, thenmaybe you're not ready to go to
college.
So that's where they starttheir book.
It's the first chapter that, asa family, you need to talk
about why is your student goingto college?
Why do they think, why do youthink and do that?
And it also contains the bookhas a ton of resources for
(33:31):
parents and exercises to usealong the way, things to do.
So each chapter ends with alittle box that says try this
and talk about this, and thenthere's some bonus activities to
do.
So it's not just theorizing andtelling you, but then there's a
okay, here's the conversationyou should have as a family if
(33:55):
you're going to go through thistogether.
I mentioned that they have apodcast.
They also have a workbook thatgoes along with this, and I'm
not sure if that's out yet.
That might be just coming out,so you might want to look for
that.
So it talks about all kinds oftalks about finances, how to
(34:16):
build a college list, collegevisits, how to make plans and
applications.
It talks about deadlines.
It talks about collegeinterviews, getting
recommendations, admissionsdecisions, making the choice
once you get accepted.
But all of those topics withthe family focus.
(34:37):
How does the family worktogether at each of those steps
along the way.
So I think it's a great bookabout admissions, but with a
family focus that I think a lotof families would find very
helpful because it's a stressfultime.
So that's the truth AboutCollege Admission A Family Guide
(35:00):
to Getting In and StayingTogether by Brennan Barnard and
Rick Clark Excellent Yep Goodbook.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
So my last book is called Braving the Wilderness
the Quest for True Belonging andthe Courage to Stand Alone.
It's by Brene Brown.
This book was written, I think,around 2017.
And I just reread it.
(35:29):
And it's an absolute classic,and I see this as more of a
general parenting book, but alsoa book you could share with
your kids and have them read atthe same time, because the book
is really about how do you wantto show up in the world and how,
(35:51):
um, what you have to go throughto get there.
Um, dr Brown is a.
She's a research professor atthe University of Houston.
Her general field is socialwork, but she studies courage
and shame and vulnerability andempathy.
Those are some of the topics.
(36:12):
Her TED Talk, the Power ofVulner, of vulnerability, is one
of the top five most viewed Tedtalks in the world.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
It's a great one.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
And it really is, and it it also shows that she's
funny, she's personable, uh, andshe's very wise.
Um, so the topic of the bookreally is how you know again,
how we're all searching for whatshe calls true belonging, and
the book is, you know, it'sreally accessible.
(36:45):
She starts with her own story,she talks about her research,
but she talks about her researchlike a curious person, not like
an academic.
Good not like an academic Good.
At the time she wrote this book, her son was in middle school
and her daughter just left forher first year in college, and I
(37:07):
think that informed some of thewriting of the book as well.
She describes this book as abook to help her own parenting.
She wrote it so that she couldbe a better parent and she had
great conversations with herdaughter about the topics of the
book in the book.
(37:27):
So I just want to give onequote from the book.
And it gives it gives such agood flavor.
Here we go.
She says stop walking throughthe world looking for
confirmation that you don'tbelong.
You will always find it becauseyou've made that your mission.
(37:49):
Stop scouring people's facesfor evidence that you're not
enough.
You will always find it becauseyou've made that your goal.
True belonging and self-worthare not goods.
We don't negotiate their valuewith the world.
The truth about who we arelives in our hearts.
Our call to courage is toprotect our wild heart against
(38:14):
evaluation, especially your own.
No one belongs here more thanyou.
It's just a good book aboutfiguring out who you are and
sharing these conversations withkids.
It's a good start for some goodtalks, yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
I think the idea of co-reading a book over the
summer, where everybody maybehas a little more time to talk
about what you're reading, reada couple of chapters and talk
about it, and a book like thismight be something that students
are willing to read and can getintrigued by and really could
(38:57):
prompt some interestingconversations.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
I love reading books with.
My kids Love it and I even readbooks with my mom when she was
you know when it just gave us aplace to begin conversations.
So, yeah, good, it's a good.
So the book is called Bravingthe Wilderness the Quest for
True Belonging and the Courageto Stand Alone, by Brene Brown.
Yeah, good, it's a good.
So the book is called bravingthe wilderness the quest for
true belonging and the courageto stand alone, by bernie brown
(39:22):
okay so lots of good books, lotsof good books.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Yes, we've given, given you quite a reading list
for the summer and we know notevery book is going to be right
for everyone right um, but it's,it's sort of a variety and um.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
They've passed muster with us, we think, we think
they're they're worthy of a read.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
Um good, and, and as I said at the beginning, this is
the sixth year we've done somesummer reads, so in the show
notes we're going to put thelinks to our other episodes with
and you could just, you know,read a book a day all summer
long with the list.
But you know, even evensomething we talked about five
(40:09):
years ago doesn't mean youshouldn't read it now.
We've covered a lot of, a lotof great books, so try to pick
up one or two and see what itdoes for you and enjoy some
summer reading.
So thanks for sticking with usthrough all six books and we
(40:30):
hope that we've intrigued youwith a little bit and that you
will pick them up and share theinformation with your student
and maybe read together and seewhat happens.
So thanks a lot, and if youknow someone else who would
value this information, pleasepass along the podcast to them.
(40:53):
That word of mouth is the bestadvertising we can get.
We like to share with as manypeople as we can.
So thanks for sticking with usto the end and we'll see you
next time.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
See you later.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.