All the Ways We Mess Up Our Kids with Seth Jay King
Social media has opened up new ways for parents to be creative and share the inner workings of family life. But when you go viral, how does that affect your kids? Today, Andrea is talking to Seth Jay King, mastermind of @latenotes on Instagram. He talks anxiety, pressures of parenting in the spotlight, and how to parent with humor.
Parenting is a grind so any opportunity to make it more fun and creative is one you should take. Seth Jay King went viral a few years back with his hilarious @latenotes account on Instagram. On the account he posted photos of witty notes he wrote for his chronically late daughter. This week on the Dope Ass Podcast, Seth is talking to Andrea about what it’s like being a viral dad.
Seth and Andrea discuss living with anxiety, how to avoid the comparison trap, how to effectively parent with social media, as well as the hilarious origin story of @latenotes.
[02:20] - Ridiculous exercises of fun
[04:05] - Silly Wonka
[05:42] - You're not in trouble if it's funny
[08:11] - Social media: job or addiction?
[13:25] - How to Break Up With Your Phone
[17:23] - Late Notes
[23:47] - Creating democracy on an island of misfit toys
[31:30] - Not everything is drudgery
[33:47] - Messy memories
[36:35] - Favorite movies and television shows
[42:05] - Instagram inspirations
[45:06] - Continuing to spread positivity
[49:43] - Teaching healthy social media habits
IF IT’S FUNNY YOU’RE NOT IN TROUBLE...
And other parenting hacks that Seth Jay King and I covered on this week’s episode of The Dope Ass Podcast.
*If you’re feeling nostalgic for what life before, Coronavirus looked like, take a walk down memory lane with Seth and myself as we talk what now seems like the good old days of parenting and comedic challenges*
Seth has a day job, but he also has @latenotes, an Instagram account that started off as a tribute to the hilarious apology notes he used to write on behalf of his daughter’s tardiness. It’s since grown into a full-out comedy account where he chronicles life as a father of FIVE.
Seeing that he’s highly qualified to speak on the matter, I decided to pick Seth’s brain on all things parenting. His hottest tip — we’re all just human beings, trying our best to figure this shit out.
Which is something I cannot “amen!” hard enough; the amount of times I’ve done something and wondered “Wait, am I even allowed to be doing this right now?!?” is unreal. But that’s just what parenting is — it’s deciding that “leaving” your 10-year-old at home while you drive around the block is an appropriate response to getting her to learn time management. It’s also deciding when you’ve made some umm...questionable... decisions it’s ok to let your kiddos know that you messed up and you’re going to do better next time, too. But most of all, it’s getting the chance to understand your parents a little better, learn from what they did well and not-so-well and make up your own rules as a response.
A rule that Seth and I both live by? If it’s funny, you don’t get in trouble. And while he’s got a practical jury to vote in on that, I get to be the ultimate decider in my home, which is a power trip like none other. On the subject of power, Seth and I talked about the role our kids play in our content creation and how the power we have over their Internet appearances is one we don’t take lightly.
It’s a hot button issue in mommy-blogging right now, and Seth and I both agree that nothing goes up without our kids’ consent. But outside of the clear lines around that, we do have a lot of fun showing our kids up on the platforms. There’s something about being on the same apps as them that provides insight to their lives, and helps us bond a little with them (even if they think our growth and engagement tactics are #CRINGE).
But, going off of that is the challenge of telling our kids to get off their phones, while we build our platforms on ours. It’s no secret that being on social media 24/7 isn’t great for anyone, but teens and tweens especially. I guess it’s on us, as parents—*sigh*—to come up with a way to set a good example while still doing what we love to do.
For me that’s living in the moment and not posting when I’m having a really good time and trying to stay off the phone before bed. For both Seth and me, it’s not falling into the comparison game that is being a comedian on social. It’s easy to hop online and think “WOW, I’m not funny or creative” but the truth is, we’re all killing the game in our own way.
Like I’ll never be able get into a hilarious character like Seth will (while also working a 9-5, seriously this guy is IMPRESSIVE) and that’s OK. I love the sick rush of maybe having your joke flop in front of a room of 50 people that is stand up. That’s my lane, I’m sticking to it. And if all else fails, at least I still get to decide what’s funny or not in my own household.
On the Dope Ass Podcast, Andrea Levoff and her roster of hilarious, inspirational, and always-opinionated guests are tackling everything from motherhood to fashion to travel and spirituality---with a seriously dope ass lens. But don’t take our word for it. Learn more about your dope ass host and her mission to make everyone see the world through hot pink-colored glasses at https://www.andrealevoff.com/.
This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.