The Lasting Impact of Parental Beliefs
EPISODE 19 / 04.08.2025
Ever wondered why you flinch at wasting food or feel guilty throwing away birthday cards? You can probably thank your parents. In this episode, Todd and Bettijo inspect the invisible fingerprints our parents leave on how we see the world—and how we (intentionally or not) pass that baggage along to the next generation.
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Show Notes
Todd and Bettijo are unpacking the fascinating (and occasionally bizarre) ways our parents shape who we become—from the small stuff, like always finishing your plate, to the bigger things, like how we handle money, relationships, and even religion. Todd shares how his mom’s faith and values stayed with him—even through the wildest parts of his Hollywood life—and how Bettijo’s childhood family rules made her a stickler for “saving things” (possibly too many things).
They also talk about raising their own kids in a blended family, navigating which values to keep, which ones to ditch, and how parenting today is wildly different from the ‘70s. There’s plenty of laughter, a few deep thoughts, and a whole lot of “Wait, did our parents really do that?”
Highlights
- Childhood rules that still haunt (or help) us as adults.
- “Mom Said It, So It Must Be True”—that mind-blowing moment you realize she might’ve been wrong.
- How Todd’s mom shaped his moral compass—even during his rebellious years.
- Bettijo’s journey to becoming “practically impractical”—including that over-the-top Egyptian Birthday Party.
- Bettijo’s clever Pinterest hack for escaping inspiration overload and actually doing the thing.
- Real-life ideas for raising self-reliant kids—including a chore list you didn’t know you needed (from The Parenting Breakthrough, page 27).
- “Respect” isn’t just a song! Todd, Bettijo, and her kids all believe respect matters, they just can’t agree on what it means.
LISTEN to learn
- How to spot your own inherited behaviors.
- How parenting today compares to the wild west of the past.
- Tips for raising kids without (totally) repeating your parents’ mistakes.
- Why being a mindful parent means checking your own baggage first.
Whether you’re a parent, a child, or someone who’s ever heard the phrase, “because I said so,” this episode is for you. Hit play now and laugh (or cringe) along as we explore how our past shapes our parenting present.
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