Play Huge Podcast

Lets not get caught thinking that legalization of weed is the issue - which would be easy to do.  Lets work to focus on our kids and their struggles (even the ones who you don't think are struggling). A letter from a HS dropout after the Columbine school shooting:In high school I had dreams of destruction every day I was there.  After the shootings I never heard one word about reforming the school system. The main message I received over and over again is that it is not the system that is f--ked up, it is you.  Your unhappiness and resentment is your fault.  We are not diseased, you are. Read the rest of the letter...(it's really powerful!)The invitation with this episode is to step out from behind the curtain of what we hope/pretend is happening with our young people and start to pay attention to what is really happening. Our kids feel undervalued, not taken care of, not motivated, under stimulated (by meaningful things), and then blamed for it. Please do come along to look/listen/feel fo

There is an elephant in the room and we're going to talk about it. Actually there are elephants all over the place that modern culture is really good at ignoring and we're tired of ignoring them, but we're also scared to face them.  The problem with talking about these elephants is that it's uncomfortable and inconvenient. They're about what is really happening at college, why it's so hard to answer "How are you?", the trap of modern culture, and more. In the movie the Breakfast Club a bunch of very different students spend the day together in detention. It turns out they have a lot in common, but would never talk with each other on a regular school day. In this is a deep desire to be connected to people and a deep vulnerability about what it takes to get connected to people. This episode is our first try to break down the barriers that keep us from the connections we so desperately want, but are afraid of actually making happen.

  It’s exciting hearing about recent graduates going for their life and out in the world trying to figure it out. They’re courageous, confident, and making all kinds of mistakes. In other words, they’re getting into the right trouble.  On the other hand, the calls I get from parents asking how to help their kid who is done with high school, but is stuck not being able to leave home are tough.  Waiting, waiting, and waiting for the magical moment This week, I’m trying again to find the words, the story, the moment that inspires action and that rattles the (self-described) laziness and difficulty showing up for life some teens have these days. I share about my experience playing hockey in high school, my dad dying, and several success stories of fighting through the barriers.   “It took my dad dying for me to wake up. How can I make it so the wake up call for others isn’t as painful and devastating as losing my dad was for me?”- that’s me, Morg

Our first interview episode! What is it like when you're out of high school? When you finally get to that day you were supposed to be preparing for, but didn't? The hope is that by hearing what it's like to really be in the world, that the HS seniors out there will stop playing the I'll do it "later" game. As you'll hear, we're not sure there is anything that can be said to provide the motivation if you're not feeling the motivation. But, that doesn't mean I won't try. Enjoy. "I wish I had done thing right away and not always waited 'til later. Now I know, later never arrives."  - Jenn, 18, and a recent HS graduate Important Points: Avoiding regret - get stuff done when it's time to get stuff done (even though you don't want to) There are costs when you wait until later - real money costs and it feels crappy to not be on top of stuff Sometimes specific communication really helps, especially when it comes with accountability The bottom line is don't wait. Do the things that you know

The white fog is the confusion, uncertainty, stress and pressure, and feeling like “I am not enough” that can happen when you grow up with resources and safety. I grew up in a white fog. The image in my head about how my life would happen was clear and positive. I’d go to school, then after high school would come college and all the fun, and after college would be working at a job and having a good life. It wasn’t anything anyone ever said to me, it was just an assumption (probably from the school I went to and the people I knew) in my mental image of how life worked. Just to draw a contrast for you, there is a different image for my friends Oliver and Esteban. It’s not a given that they’ll be around when they're 20. If they finish 8th grade, aren’t in a gang, and have parents it’d be a big deal. If they finished high school and stayed out of jail, it’d be absolutely amazing. And going to college for them would be defying the odds and writing one of those

Solved: the mystery of the missing homework Where does the homework go? How is it possible that she's doing all her HW, but not handing it in?  That seems crazy, and stupid. Well, not really. It shocked me at first, but then as more and more parents shared the confusion about why HW doesn't get handed in, the answer became clear and I'm here to share it with you. Peeing while the bully is in the bathroom It takes courage to show up at school everyday, to navigate the social dynamics, to worry the teacher will call on you, you'll get an erection at the chalkboard or at the worst moment, that someone will make fun of you or your clothes, that no one will talk to you, etc. When class starts there are at least 50 possible things your brain is processing, and all of them seem more significant than the HW sitting completed and ready to hand in right there inside your binder. This is classic Executive Function (EF) - that thing that is an issue with kids who have ADHD. But it's way more than just kids who

I imagine you have moments when you wonder if your kid even cares about being successful. You watch them waste their potential with laziness and no motivation. They won't accept your help or even listen. It just seems like they're settling for a mediocre life. It's important to remember that the teen years are hard. All kinds of crazy changes are happening for them - puberty, expectations, social connections, and more. And deep in them is an aliveness and hope that is showing up like never before. It's big, intense, and full of wanting to make a difference and do something that matters in the world. But, it's also confusing and disorienting, because no one really talks about this deep Self that is emerging. Today I want to share about why this makes things very hard for teens and what we can do about it. It's time to start talking about the Biggest Self and learn how to honor it. Better to pay attention to your Soul now before it collapses back to the darkness inside. Waiting until a mid-life crisis was

Are you frustrated that your kid isn't using their potential? That they aren't as motivated as the could/should be? I know that I find if frustrating when my kids aren't appreciating the opportunities that we provide for them. When they make an effort it makes a huge difference, but that doesn't always happen. Then I remember, they're young. They're still learning, so my expecting them to have it all figured out isn't realistic. It's me putting my adult level expectations on someone just gaining life experience. It's also super, super clear that when a kid feels encouraged they do way, way better than if they're feeling discouraged, unsupported, and bad about who they are (check out Shawn Achor's TED talk about this, or Brene Brown's TED talk about shame).  A big challenge that lots of parents find difficult is seeing the positives in the middle of the struggles and meltdowns. In this Play Huge podcast, I share the essential skill of how to see the positive things that your kid is doing, even a

Ever have the desire to protect your kids from difficulty? I'd be surprised if not. It's so tempting, but sorry to say, often not helpful in the long run. You want them to be successful. You don't want them to feel pain. You want things to be easy for them. These are such natural instincts, but the most significant learning experiences come from the hard moments in life. Difficult times bring the quality of cutting through the BS and exposing the important stuff. Showing up, Courage and Creativity, being Resilient, using your Intuition and Instinct. These are qualities we all need to survive and they aren't things that can get turned on like a light switch. They take time to develop. In this episode of the Play Huge podcast, I'll share with you the importance of allowing them to fall down and give you ways to occupy yourself and how to support them in the difficulty, so you don't go crazy. Believe in your kids (even, maybe especially, when it's hard) so they can believe in themselves.  Things

The obvious thing to think is that trouble is bad and something to be avoided. It looks bad, you feel bad about yourself, and there are consequences - your health, the police, not getting into THE college, getting grounded, losing friends, etc. But, I want to introduce you to a different a couple different perspectives on the Right Trouble First, no matter how privileged you are, how many resources you have, or how much you try, you are headed for trouble. Part of being alive is dealing with difficulty. Everybody gets an ordeal and usually more than just one. Difficult things can't be avoided and the only way to get good at dealing with difficulty is by dealing with difficulty. You can't learn about it in a classroom or in a book, you've got to experience it and learn that you can handle yourself when things get uncomfortable. Getting into and out of the right trouble helps you build valuable life skills. For example, going away to college takes a huge amount of courage. You head off to a new place, have to m

Honoring the old (and wise) tradition of celebrating and acknowledging traditions  Big ass ceremonies and rituals weren’t just for fun, they carry with them something that we are sorely missing in the modern world. Things shifting can create some big waves. A new school, new relationship, the end of a connection with a place or […] The post Getting less sucky at honoring Transitions appeared first on PlayHuge Coaching | Morgan Rich, MA, PCC.

It’s easy to want your kid to stop doing that thing you don’t want them to be doing and to try to make them stop. My guess is you will be more successful if you work to have the decision come from them. To do so takes practice. In this short episode, I share about a […] The post Deep down they want to stop, but can a teen pull it off appeared first on PlayHuge Coaching | Morgan Rich, MA, PCC.

I imagine you have moments when you wonder if your kid even cares about being successful. You watch them waste their potential with laziness and no motivation. They won’t accept your help or even listen. It just seems like they’re settling for a mediocre life. It’s important to remember that the teen years are hard. […] The post What to do when the soul comes alive in adolescence appeared first on PlayHuge Coaching | Morgan Rich, MA, PCC.

Getting off to a good start is almost always better than getting off to a bad start, unless you’re really practicing the life skills called ownership and commitment (and catching up, or not). Hope is around at the beginning of the year and it’s a great time to capture it. I wrote a blog post […] The post When a good start is better than a bad start appeared first on PlayHuge Coaching | Morgan Rich, MA, PCC.

Do you worry that your kid isn’t going to be prepared when it’s time to head off into the world? That you’ll be supporting them beyond high school? That maybe they’ll be living with you? I know many recent graduates, capable students, who are really struggling because they don’t have the life skills they need […] The post Good grades won’t keep them out of your basement after high school, but being scrappy will appeared first on PlayHuge Coaching | Morgan Rich, MA, PCC.