This Is 50
5 Podcasts for Women In Their 50s
Shows created and hosted by Gen X women are making a mark in the once male-dominated podcasting industry. They focus on everything from pop culture to food to navigating middle age. Here are five shows worth checking out.
Good Hang with Amy Poehler
Earlier this year, Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler won the first-ever Golden Globe for best podcast. She’s described the show as filling an unkind world with a “little bit more love and laughter.” Guests have included Michelle Obama, Tina Fey and Paul Rudd.
The Mel Robbins Podcast
Best-selling author Mel Robbins translates science-backed tools into down-to-earth discussions about personal growth. Topics include navigating family dynamics, overcoming anxiety and building confidence. Guests include experts in science and human behavior.
Momma’s Motivational Messages
Host Peggie Kirkland is a life coach who wants women 40-plus to put their own needs first. Her tips are focused on self-care—which, in times of crisis and stress, can help make women stronger mentally, physically, financially, spiritually and socially.
GenX Stories
This podcast, hosted by Eve Simon, brims with personal stories about aging, caregiving for parents and making friends in midlife. Mixed in are nostalgic looks at subjects like 1980s music and classic video games.
Radio Cherry Bombe
Hosted by indie magazine editor Kerry Diamond, this show features restaurant owners, cookbook authors and pastry chefs. Topics include global cuisine and cooking tips. —Candy Schulman
Adapted from The Girlfriend, AARP’s free e-newsletter for Gen X women. Go to girlfriend.aarp.org to subscribe.
FAMILY
Caring for a Difficult Parent
IF YOU’RE a caregiver for a parent who pushes your buttons, how do you keep your cool? Some advice:
• Change expectations. Your parent probably won’t change because you’re caring for them, so don’t expect them to, says Kimberly Best, a conflict resolution expert and author of How to Live Forever: A Guide to Writing the Final Chapter of Your Life Story. A productive path is forgiveness. Let go of the belief that the past could have been different, Best advises. Accept the present.
• Build empathy. Put yourself in your parent’s place, says Carol Bradley Bursack, author of Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. Remind yourself that you might have similar issues of your body or brain failing you one day. And focus on the example you’re setting for your kids, Best urges, “about how people show up when it’s hard.”
• Avoid triggers. Reflect on past clashes and what led to them, then steer clear of those patterns, Bursack says. And think about what sets you off. Just leave the room when your temper rises.
• Allow for autonomy. Your parent is still an adult, so don’t baby them. If possible, let them do their own laundry, make meals, select outfits and dress themselves. “If we become too controlling, they will become impossible to deal with,” Bursack says.
• Choose your battles. If they argue about something irrational, don’t argue back. “If you don’t try to correct them, they have nowhere to go with their anger,” Bursack says. This isn’t the same as giving in. It’s deciding not to throw logs on the emotional fire. —Bruce Horovitz
49% of Gen Xers report doing most of their shopping in brick-and-mortar stores. Only 13% say they make most purchases over the internet; 38% do both.
SOURCE: MCKINSEY & COMPANY