021 – Minimalist Parenting and Cultivating a Family Dynamic with Christine Koh

by Swanson

021 - Minimalist Parenting and Cultivating a Family Dynamic with Christine Koh

Christine Koh is a music and brain scientist turned multimedia creative via channels as a speaker, writer, designer and consultant. She spent a decade in academia, during which time she was awarded prestigious fellowships from the National Institutes of Health to fund her Ph.D. research at Queen’s University and joint-appointment postdoctoral fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Massachusetts Institutes of Technology. Christine was about to become a professor when she decided to hang up her academic spurs in favor of more flexible and independent ventures.

Since leaving academia in 2006, Christine has forged a new career as a lifestyle expert and influencer. The threads that run through her work are quality and simplicity and common descriptors of Christine and her work are “smart, streamlined, and stylish.” Christine is the co-author of Minimalist Parenting: Enjoy Modern Family Life More by Doing Less. Christine lives in the Boston area with her husband Jonathan and daughters Laurel and Violet. (from ChristineKoh.com)

In this episode, we explore the importance of families’ naming their values, creating ample time for boredom and the significance of self-care being built into your parenting style.

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EPISODE SHOW NOTES

Resources by Christine Koh

Resources Mentioned

  • The Minimalists
  • The Minimalist documentary
  • One Campaign
  • The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
  • The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
  • The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting by Brene Brown (Online Course)
  • Maria Montessori

People

  • Maria Montessori
  • Brene Brown
  • Asha Dornfest
  • Bono

Drinks Pairings

Highlights

2m When you hear the word “contemplative”, how does that moniker relate to you or your work, if at all?

6m40s How do you use the term ‘minimalism’ in relation to parenting?

9m40s How did your family system and your upbringing influence your parenting?

11m30s What are the core values that your family lives by?

14m30s Did you are your husband have any differing values?

17m How did you go about decluttering toxic people from your life?

19m45s How have gone about creating positive community?

22m30s How did you first conceive of Minimalist Parenting?

26m How do you go about creating a family schedule in alignment with the chao and openness of life?

30m Do you think that minimalist parenting is a choice of the privileged who already have a comfortable life or do you think it can also work for a single parent working full-time?

32m If you were able to teach a high school class on the meaning of life, what would 3 resources be on the syllabus?

36m20s How do you reconcile parenting differences with your husband?

41m45s Where do you see your key area of growth as a parent?

43m30s What from this book do you hope your readers walk away with?

45m50s Where do you see the growing edges of your journey?

49m30 What drink would you pair with this conversation?

 

Photo credit: Death To Stock Photo