This drives me nuts...

Plus, a sneak peak into Season 5!

July 28, 2025

Hi friends!

How is August just a few days away? 

For my household, that means school starts in exactly ONE WEEK. And that also means I’ll have a senior in high school!

My sweet Caroline took her Senior School Photos this past week and I’ve got all the feels. It’s getting all too real.

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I have to admit, I’m a bit emotional about it all. No, I’m not sad. But I am very reflective and proud and shocked at how fast it’s all gone. 

Honestly, one of the worst things we’ve done to parents, is gaslight them to believe they have “ONLY 18 SUMMERS” with their kids. This sentiment drives me nuts!

It creates unnecessary guilt and perpetuates a false narrative, that our relationship with our kids (or our parents) is finite. The reality is this: the relationship changes, but it never ends. 

Because I’m so passionate about this, it’s how I’ll be kicking off the next season of my podcast, talking about the MYTH of 18 SUMMERS. I’m changing things up for my podcast this season, a bit. Each month, I’m tackling one overarching theme and I’ll have the same guests/experts for that entire month. We’ll look at the hottest topics within that theme from a myriad of angles and perspectives. 

You’re hearing about it first, here! So, what’s on tap for the podcast this season? I’m so glad you asked. :) 

AUGUST= TEENS and PARENTING is the overarching theme. The topics within will be the myth of 18 summers,  the mental health crisis and its link to tech, how to raise resilient kids, plus how to talk about dating/friendship with our teens. My guests are therapists Sissy Goff and Niro Feliciano, plus hubby John will be joining a few of the episodes. You DON’T WANT TO MISS this series. I’m so excited to bring it to you. 

As far as the rest of the year…

SEPTEMBER= MENOPAUSE and WOMEN'S HEALTH.

OCTOBER=MIDLIFE

NOVEMBER=GRIEF and LOSS

That last series is one that I’m desperately in need of exploring. I’ve mentioned to you that I took all of July off from the podcast and have intentionally been quiet this month, trying to move through the grief of losing my mother this past February. Honestly, I haven’t felt like myself since she passed and her death has affected me so much differently than losing my dad back in 2019. 

I hope through these podcast conversations we can talk about things we’re all dealing with, knowing we’re not alone and there is always hope. 

You are valued and you are seen, friends!

Paula xo

FARIS FAVORITES 🤎

1. Movie Night: HAPPY GILMORE 2

John and I took our kids down memory lane and watched the original Happy Gilmore movie, prepping them for Happy Gilmore 2, which was just released on NETFLIX. We laughed so hard! Definitely a great movie night for families (ages 12+), watching both back-to-back. It’s still the same stupid humor but with a TON of cameos. In fact, I read there are FORTY EIGHT (48!) celeb cameos throughout the movie.

2. Plan Your Next Family Vacation With… ChatGPT!

If you haven’t used CHATGPT to help you plan your next family vacation, you’re missing out. We decided to use it to plan a trip we’re hoping to take next year and it BLEW OUR MINDS. Granted, it’s not going to get into the nitty gritty, but we gave it our parameters and our minds were blown by its output! Here’s a sample of what you can put in as your parameters: “plan a 7-day vacation for an adventurous family of five that wants to explore 2-3 national parks out west.” If nothing else, it gives you a fantastic place to start!

3. The Most DELICIOUS High-Protein Chicken Patties!

Not sure about your text threads with friends, but most of ours either involve a high-protein recipe or something funny and inappropriate. It’s hit or miss with a lot of the recipes, but one that I LOVE making routinely is THIS high-protein chicken patty.

THE PAULA FARIS SHOW 🎙️

Should You Be Best Friend’s With Your Partner? (With Hubby John)

If you missed June’s series on FRIENDSHIP, my husband John and I dove into the evolving expectations of modern relationships, including whether you should be Best Friends with your partner. From the latest research to personal stories (and a few laughs along the way), we explore the pros and cons of being BFFs with your partner.  You’ll hear how relationships have shifted over time, why we’re now looking for emotional connection and romantic love, and whether being best friends really is the secret to a long-lasting partnership. Spoiler alert: we don’t always agree—and that’s what makes it fun. 

Should You Be Friends With Your Family? (Featuring Professor Arthur Brooks)

If you missed June’s series on FRIENDSHIP, I capped it with a conversation about family and friendship. Should you be Friends with your Family? Should you keep trying when it gets hard? Harvard professor, bestselling author, and happiness expert Arthur Brooks joins me for a surprising and eye-opening conversation on what truly makes us happy—and why family plays a bigger role than most of us realize. It’s the finale of our friendship series, and this conversation is packed with insight that could shift how you show up in your closest relationships.

Join the Conversation!

If you’ve made it this far, I invite you to join (or start) the conversation in our comments section. What would you like to share? -Paula

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