In this episode, I had the privilege and the pleasure of sitting down with my friend and fellow parent, Alex Watkins to dive into The Gardener and the Carpenter, a book by Alison Gopnik that takes a humorous yet heartfelt look at the reality of modern parenting. Navigating the “gardener” vs. “carpenter,” approach to parenting, we discuss the struggle between curating experiences for young people and letting go of our expectations. We share personal stories—unexpected car lockouts, the painful art of traditional oyster stew, and the simple delights of mortifying our kids with “brain rot.” We also wrestle with modern parenting dilemmas around how to embrace the beautiful chaos of raising young humans, creating meaningful family traditions, fostering independence, and the tightrope of kids and tech. Our conversation around this book helped me see the role of childhood in the broader context of the human enterprise and how important it is to effectively hold that space for them to innovate and learn through play…and all in a way that focuses on the richness of our relationships with our kiddos, rather than the “outcomes” of our “parenting”...which is something that I think we all yearn for in the end. So grab a coffee (or a glass of wine in my case) and tune in to laugh, reflect, and (maybe even) feel seen. Let’s go.
RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:
- The Gardener and the Carpenter by Alison Gopnik
- #BookClub Collection - check out our growing list of other books that we've enjoyed!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review – we’d love your feedback!
Curious about our school or looking for an innovative learning environment for your child? Check out Acton Academy Northwest Austin, where we’re redefining education with a learner-driven approach or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn for updates, tips, and behind-the-scenes fun.
Got questions or a topic you'd like us to explore? Shoot us a message. Until next time, stay curious and keep learning!
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
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.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com