Stoicism for Parents with Brittany Polat – Ep. 23

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Episode Summary:

Brittany Polat, author of 'Tranquility Parenting', discusses how she became interested in Stoicism and how it relates to parenting. She explains the importance of having a philosophy of life and how Stoicism can help manage emotions and provide a good upbringing for children.

She also introduces the concept of Tranquility Parenting, which is applying Stoic principles to parenting. Brittany emphasizes the need for a balance between giving children autonomy and providing a sense of security.

She discusses the challenges of parenting in today's culture and the importance of resilience over happiness. She also explores the trichotomy of control and the concept of preferred indifference in Stoicism.

Stoicism is a philosophy that can be applied to parenting and everyday life. It teaches us to focus on what is within our control, to accept the things we cannot change, and to cultivate virtues such as resilience, compassion, and self-discipline. Stoicism helps us navigate challenges, manage our emotions, and find meaning and fulfillment in our lives.

It emphasizes the importance of living in accordance with our values and treating others with kindness and respect. Stoicism is not about suppressing emotions or denying our humanity, but rather about developing a mindset that allows us to thrive in the face of adversity.

What You Will Learn:

  • The Dichotomy of Control: Learn to focus on what you can control and let go of what you can't.
  • Preferred Indifference: Discover the power of not being attached to external outcomes.
  • Living in Accordance with Virtue: Understand how Stoicism encourages values like compassion, self-discipline, and resilience.

About Brittany Polat:

Brittany is a writer and presenter on Stoicism as a way of life. She is a steering committee member for Modern Stoicism, board member of The Stoic Fellowship, and author of the book Tranquility Parenting: A Guide to Staying Calm, Mindful, and Engaged. Her newest book is Journal Like a Stoic: A 90-Day Stoicism Program to Live with Greater Acceptance, Less Judgment, and Deeper Intentionality. Brittany holds a Ph.D. in applied linguistics but currently writes about Stoic psychology and philosophy on her Substack, Stoicism for Humans. 

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Memorable Quotes:

  • "I became a Stoic...soon after I became a parent. And you might say that my kids are what made me a Stoic. I was looking for kind of a life philosophy that could help me, like you said, manage my own emotions and provide a good upbringing for my children."
  • "So I would say most parents, even affluent parents, don't want their kids to be spoiled, right? We may not always know how to achieve that,but we don't want our kids to be that spoiled brat...who pitches a fit every time they can't get what they want. So I would say... When your kidsareold enough, explicitly talk to them about your values toward money and say, money is something that we use to buy things that we need.It's what we use to help other people. It's not something that we use to get everything we want."
  • "I would say probably 90% of my success in being calm with my kids is done before I ever need it. It's that important. So if you don't already have a morning practice, a morning routine, excuse me, where you can prepare your mind for the day and do that pre meditatio malorum, I would definitely recommend that.

 

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