"I don't want my kids to grow up and feel it's all dread and doom," she says. Her son has a part-time job at 7-Eleven, but one of his new hires was held up by gunpoint two weeks ago. "There are a lot of good people out there ... But that's where my optimism is deflated."
Keith prides himself on being a good dad to his three sons. But in a post-pandemic world with looming student debt and uncertain opportunities, the future can be really scary. He’s especially worried about his middle son Ben, an introvert who doesn't know what to do after he graduates high school this year. On this episode of How To! host Carvell Wallace brings on Rebecca Lavoie. She’s a versatile podcaster and former co-host on Slate’s parenting show Mom and Dad are Fighting. She’s also a recent empty nester, and has some tough love for Keith about how he can stop fretting and find more joy in his own life.
If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Fill an Empty Nest”
Do you have a question without an answer? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to help support our work.
Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices