← Good Inside with Dr. Becky
Good Inside with Dr. Becky
The Funny Kid Becomes the Dad: How We’re Raised with Kenan Thompson
00:31:30
We all grow up playing a role in our family — the responsible one, the easy one, the funny one.For Kenan Thompson, that role started early.In this episode of How We’re Raised, Dr. Becky talks with Kenan about how becoming “the funny one” shaped the way he connects with people — and what it looks like to parent with more intention today.
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- [00:00]
Dr. Becky
I recently traveled to Switzerland for work, and I have to say, the home I booked on Airbnb really shaped the whole trip. It overlooked the mountaintops and there was this sweet little porch where I could sit in the morning and drink my coffee. If you were following me during that time on Instagram, you saw me post from that exact location. Also, there was just this incredible coffee machine that somehow made my morning routine feel intact even across the ocean. And I was also just able to get sunshine before a full day of conversations. All those quiet moments in the morning, they grounded me. Oh, and this touch I just loved was I got three bars of Swiss chocolate left by my host, and I can confirm they were all gone by the end of my three day stay. When I travel, I don't just want a place to sleep. I want a place to land. A living room where I can decompress and a space where I can do bedtime over facetime and feel at home when I'm away from home. That's why I book homes on Airbnb. It helps me find places that feel grounding, not just convenient. Because when where you stay feels good, everything else feels a little better too.
- [01:03]
Keenan Thompson
One of the biggest kind of ironic situations that a lot of comics are dark people. But I want to be a light person. You know what I mean? I want to be a person that provides joy, but also has joy. And, like, what are we going to do? Are we going to dwell on, you know, negativities? Like, I would much rather try to spin towards the light.
- [01:26]
Dr. Becky
Here's something I think about a lot. The roles we play as kids. The funny one, the responsible one, the easy one. These roles don't just disappear and we grow up. They often become the traits the world sees us as or rewards us for. And when all this happens early enough, it can shape how we move through every room we enter. My guest today is someone a lot of us feel like we grew up with. Kenan Thompson started performing as a kid in Atlanta and became a household name on Nickelodeon shows like all that and Kenan and Cal. Today, he's the longest serving cast member in history of Saturday Night Live. For decades now, he's been the person who can walk into a scene and make it funnier, lighter. But what interests me most isn't just that Kenan is funny. He's also incredibly steady. In an industry that's known for chewing people up, especially people who start young, Kenan has built a career defined by consistency, generosity, and longevity. And he's also the dad of two daughters which means he's in a very different role now. Not just performing for a room, but shaping the environment. His kids grow up inside. Today we're continuing a series called How We're Raised Conversations about the homes we grew up in and how those early experiences shape the way we live, lead, and parent today. This isn't about celebrity or comedy. It's about the kid underneath, the performer. The roles we learned early, the gifts those roles gave us, and sometimes the pressure that came with them. I'm Dr. Becky, and this is good inside. I'm so glad you're here.
- [03:08]
Keenan Thompson
I mean, I. I feel like second kids are a little more, like, wild and free of, like, a lot of the pressures of being, like, a firstborn child. And just like, that firstborn child, for some reason, just has the mentality of, like, I have to get it all right, basically, you know what I mean? And I think, like, a second child is somewhat free of that a little bit and kind of, you know, got a little bit of a cheat code with an older sibling to be able to just kind of, like, either ask questions or watch and observe and learn, you know, much faster and kind of take or leave the pressure a little bit and be a little bit of the tension breaker, honestly, because you have that perspective where it's like, why are you guys arguing? What happened? You know, like, okay, they didn't read one assignment. Like, is it worth all this, like, anger and stress? Like, I remember kind of being in that position when it wasn't my fault. It's just like, all right, well, you know, let's all just kind of, you know, figure out a way to turn his energy another kind of way or something, or try to tell a joke. But, you know, at a young age, you don't really, you know, overly identify with what's happening necessarily. You just kind of want everybody to feel better. So, yeah, I remember kind of just being witnesses to, you know, tensions and wanting to break it, basically, or send it in another direction.
- [04:25]
Dr. Becky
Let's zoom out or maybe zoom back before we come back here. So one of the things I think a lot about in families and why I love working with parents and kids is I think about a family a lot as a system.
- [04:37]
Keenan Thompson
Yeah.
- [04:37]
Dr. Becky
And I feel like within a system, we all act individually, but we're all really impacted by the system we're in. And we can take on roles, and we kind of with our siblings, we'll see what's left over, we'll pick up what's left over. So if I go back your identity as someone who I don't even know how you would describe it is. It is funny, seeks humor, creates humor, can find a nuance in a moment. When did that start?
- [05:04]
Keenan Thompson
I mean, I guess my sense of humor came along with my brothers, us watching a lot of TV early because we're cable generation kids. So.
- [05:13]
Dr. Becky
Same.
- [05:13]
Keenan Thompson
Yeah, we grew up watching, you know, movies over and over and over again because, I mean, latchkey ish. Kind of just being in one place where your parents kind of know you're safe or whatever, you know, TV was a companion.
- [05:27]
Dr. Becky
So what'd you watch?
- [05:29]
Keenan Thompson
Pretty much in those days, it was Coming to America's and Trading Places and things like that. But like, also like Spies Like Us and Ghostbusters and a lot of SNL people's work in general, basically. Because I think those are the main kind of comedy, you know, powerhouses that were actually, you know, putting movies out and like Spies Like Us. I don't think, you know, no names could have gotten that done. Just because it's such a crazy story. It was just like a story. But, you know, since it was, you know, Chase and Aykroyd, it got done kind of thing. So. Yeah, it started early, you know, and like, we used to take road trips because my parents are from, you know, Virginia and we grew up in Atlanta. So to pass the time. This is before anything, you know, kind of electronic was concerned, like. Yeah, maybe. What was it? It's like C and say or something. Like, what was the most lo fi digital thing back in the day? Those road trips were long and boring, you know what I mean? And we used to just quote, coming to America, back and forth.
- [06:28]
Dr. Becky
Wipers. Yep, exactly.
- [06:31]
Keenan Thompson
Yes. It is my birthday. Yeah. From. From moment one. Yeah.
- [06:36]
Dr. Becky
And so did you. Was it then were you like, all my brothers were kind of funny or were you like. No, I kind of had a knack for the moment. I kind of was one. Making everyone laugh.
- [06:44]
Keenan Thompson
A bit of both. Like, my dad, for sure. My dad's a joke teller. My mother's side of the family were like country people. They were out in the woods kind of thing. And they stayed in the house at night. Like once the sun went down, it was dark out there. So it's like five o' clock still, you know, so. So many hours in the night. And we're all just gathered around kind of like the stove to keep everybody warm. Who's going to entertain us? You know, not these three channels that they have on tv. Someone's got to be kind of like the, you know, the. The Party person. Like, my dad had that personality, so it was nice to be able to relate to that and also not necessarily have to be that kind of thing. And then, yeah, me and my brother just had this bond of, you know, our senses of humor being very, very similar. Like what we were struck by in those movies were very similar.
- [07:33]
Dr. Becky
Yeah, did, did your sense of humor being funny, is that ever anything that you feel like worked against you?
- [07:41]
Keenan Thompson
Only in times where I was naive to how other people were taking it. You know, like I was, I've been, you know, kind of confidently naive in, in, you know, certain circumstances where it works in my favor, like auditioning for things and not being afraid to, you know, throw a joke out there and then, you know, pretty much just assume people are going to laugh at it kind of thing in auditions or assume that I was coming across in a charming kind of fashion or anything like that. Like, I was very kind of naively confident like that in that sense. But I wasn't necessarily too aware of, in normal settings that someone might be like getting annoyed by this or, you know, I'm being, you know, I'm pestering them in some sort of way. Like once I started going on a tangent, I couldn't tell if it was annoying until I actually would have a reaction, you know what I mean? So I didn't know where the finish line was until that person responded kind of thing. And yeah, it was usually a negative response. That was the teacher, basically.
- [08:51]
Dr. Becky
So we kind of know what your Saturday nights look like, but your Sunday, your weekend, an ordinary Tuesday. Give me a sense.
- [08:58]
Keenan Thompson
Yeah, I mean, I'm all about like chasing the family around, you know, when I'm not working, that's just like, that's my happy place. Just knowing what the little ones are up to, they're so busy, you know, I want to be around them as much as possible, basically.
- [09:13]
Dr. Becky
They're not that little. Right.
- [09:14]
Keenan Thompson
Well, how old are you? There's 7 and 11 now and it is going way too fast. Like I just had a two week break and I can't believe it's over already.
- [09:23]
Dr. Becky
And what is. Yeah, what, what is, let's say a Sunday in your house? Your kids like.
- [09:28]
Keenan Thompson
Yeah, I mean, New York is such a good place to like just be out, basically. So we go to dinners or we go to, you know, museums, ice cream museum. The other day was a lot of fun.
- [09:43]
Dr. Becky
What might people maybe expect of you as a father based on at least the version of you they know, you know, from tv? Or maybe what might someone not expect
- [09:52]
Keenan Thompson
I mean, I guess, like, people don't see me in, like, the disciplinarian role because they don't know me like that. You know what I mean? But I'm a father, so, like, I have to, you know, show where the boundaries really are kind of thing. You know what I mean? And I don't want to raise irresponsible citizens, basically, and I don't want society to correct them. So I think that's one of the more surprising things, you know, when I'm just like, straight. Straight face dad mode kind of thing or whatever. But, you know, we still have a good time.
- [10:23]
Dr. Becky
Do you think about that? Especially in the context of, I don't know, raising kids with fame around them, like, do the boundaries matter that much more? Trying to avoid that classic entitlement around that.
- [10:34]
Keenan Thompson
Yeah. I mean, in the beginning, like, when they were. When they were young, I was very, you know, kind of territorial around, you know, picture taking and stuff like that, you know, out in public or whatever. And then they got to a point where they kind of were just like, dad, why don't you just take the picture kind of thing. So, like, once they felt fine about it, you know, it didn't bother me as much because I just wanted to protect, you know, their childhood. You know, you only get, you know, your one childhood kind of thing. So I wanted our time together to kind of be pure of that, if you will, kind of thing and just have it be as normal as possible. Like, you know, at home, I'm just Dad, basically, as opposed to, like, you know, Keenan. Like, it's so funny when people call me by my first and last name, I'm like, you don't know me very well. You know what I mean? Like, no one just, like, calls their friend by their first and last name.
- [11:29]
Dr. Becky
Yup.
- [11:30]
Keenan Thompson
It's a pretty, like, immediate indicator that you're a stranger.
- [11:33]
Dr. Becky
Kenny Thompson.
- [11:34]
Keenan Thompson
And I remember it went from Keenan and Kale to Keenan and Thompson.
- [11:38]
Dr. Becky
People called you Keenan.
- [11:40]
Keenan Thompson
People used to call me Keenan. And Kale. People used to call me Kale. People call me Tracy Morgan a lot. Like, people call me a lot of. A lot of different things. And then once people started, like, calling my last name, I was like, oh, wow, I'm really out here.
- [11:53]
Dr. Becky
Basically, you know, I'll have people call me my whole Instagram handle On the street, Dr. Becky at good Inside.
- [11:57]
Keenan Thompson
You know what I mean? Okay. Okay. All right. Thank you. Thank you. And I'll take a quick picture. But.
- [12:04]
Dr. Becky
But I'm thinking for what you do, you know, one of the things I think about a lot is something I call porousness. Like, how porous are we to our environment? How much do we notice things and take it in versus how much are we kind of a little more self focused and one's not better than the other. They both kind of matter. But being attentive to your audience, wanting to get their reaction versus really kind of paying attention to your own line of thought and like, allowing a kind of a pause to not totally throw you. I'm trying to think where you are in that spectrum. Cause I'd imagine both matter in your line of work. You can't be totally taken by the audience's immediate reaction, but you're probably also needing to kind of track it.
- [12:47]
Keenan Thompson
Yeah. And before snl, I think I was always like, well, that's not my responsibility. You know what I mean? Like, I didn't write this or whatever. I'm just kind of just doing whatever someone else asked me to. So if it's rubbing you wrong, you know, it's not on me. Like, I think we all apologize together kind of thing or whatever. And then SNL is when, you know, that relationship between, you know, call and response was real, basically because it's like, oh, no, they want you to write and they want you to write well. Not just the people at the show, the audience, you know what I mean? This is an audience of people. There's people out there that have watched every single show, you know what I mean? And you have the audacity to come in and try to present what you think is funny. But good luck with that because it's a pressure cooker. And it's also everybody's dream job is doing comedy or voices or sketch, you know what I mean? There's a lot of people that want to be in that position kind of thing. So it's not like you can just assume everybody's going to let you figure it out for the sake of being fair, you know what I mean? I got very lucky, but I was able, I think, to service the shows in other ways while I figured out the writing part of it all. Thank God. So, yeah, no, it's. It's intense.
- [14:00]
Dr. Becky
Yeah. People have described you as kind of calm, unflappable. Is that something that you've always.
- [14:06]
Keenan Thompson
I get flappable.
- [14:07]
Dr. Becky
You get fl. You're flappable.
- [14:08]
Keenan Thompson
I'm flappable.
- [14:08]
Dr. Becky
Okay, we're now describe you as flappable.
- [14:10]
Keenan Thompson
I can get flappable, though. I get very concerned, you know, like,
- [14:13]
Dr. Becky
what's the hardest part of your job for you.
- [14:17]
Keenan Thompson
It's funny. Marcelo. I was just reading something Marcelo said. He's like, the most annoying part of the show is coming up with the next funny thing, doing comedy, as far as comedy is concerned, on that part of my job, that is. I think the hardest thing is just to constantly find new things.
- [14:36]
Dr. Becky
You know, it's tough when you have success. Does that. Does that kind of, I don't know, make the stakes. It can feel like it can make the stakes even higher for the next time. Yeah.
- [14:49]
Keenan Thompson
Because it's like, now you have to validate this success, but it's like the success was the validation in the first place, and people miss that part, you know what I mean? Because they're like, all right, well, let me just reestablish. And on the next one and on the next one and on the next one, and it's like you're kind of competing with an infinity mirror. Like, you'll never see the point where you're gonna actually catch it and then actually legitimately, like, transfer to the next level of appreciation from people, if you will. So take the success at the moment, you know what I mean? And then remove, I guess, the pressures for the next one, and then the success on the next one starts with you. How do you feel about it? You know what I mean? Did you enjoy that sketch that you put up and blah, blah, blah. And you can't lie to yourself. You're gonna be like, yeah, I'm the one that liked it, but the room didn't laugh. Like, that's not a success. You know what I mean? Like, you can't be naive in that way, but you can kind of let the finish line be with yourself. If you.
- [15:54]
Dr. Becky
Okay, parents, quick check in. If your brain feels like it's holding everyone's schedule except your own, you're not doing it wrong. You're carrying a lot. I see this all the time. School, emails, activities, chores, dinner plans. And somehow it all lives in one person's head, usually Mom's. And that gets exhausting. That's why I love Skylight Calendar. It's a smart touchscreen calendar that takes everything swirling around in your brain. Schedules, chores, meals, grocery lists. And puts it in one place where the whole family can actually see it and participate. It syncs with Google, Apple, Outlook, all of it. And you can color code each family member, so there's a lot less. Wait, I didn't know. In your house. Plus, with the free Skylight companion app, you can add or update events, lists, and more on the go. And I appreciate this. If after 120 days you're not 100% happy, you can return it for a full refund, no questions asked. Right now you can get $30 off a 15 inch Skylight calendar at myskylight.com Becky that's my S K-Y-L-I G-H-T.com Becky parents make so many decisions every day. What's for dinner? Where are the shoes? Did anyone brush their teeth? It feels like it never stops. So anytime something small can become a fun routine instead of a decision, it makes a real difference. It's why I love what Haya does with kids. Vitamins. The first box comes with a refillable bottle. Kids decorate with stickers, so taking their vitamins becomes something they look forward to, not something you have to remind them about. The vitamins themselves are chewable, not gummy, with no artificial dyes and zero sugar. And they're packed with essential nutrients to support growing bodies. And refills show up at your door, which means one less decision and a big win for you. If you want a healthier option your kids will actually be excited about. Use the code drbecky for 50% off your first order@Hiyahealth.com. Something I talk to parents a lot about is we have to gaze out in the world and notice something. I did had it at land and how did my boss think about my project or whatever it is. But we live in a world now where I think we gaze out at the complete absence of gazing in. Yeah, like gazing in and be like, did I like it?
- [18:28]
Keenan Thompson
That doesn't mean we forget about itself.
- [18:30]
Dr. Becky
Yeah, right. That's not the whole truth either. But without that, you completely, completely lose yourself.
- [18:36]
Keenan Thompson
Yes. Because you're starting with your sense of humor or your idea or what you think is humorous about any given specific subject matter. You know what I mean? So why leave yourself out of it at the end? You know what I mean? It's like, no, like, keep yourself kind of involved. It's not necessarily about you, but your instincts, your taste, you know what I mean? Is a large part of this, you know? And you shouldn't like gloss over that just for the sake of trying to please the audience, if you will.
- [19:09]
Dr. Becky
That's right. I guess I'm picturing a circle of kind of what I think is funny. No one really cares what I think is funny.
- [19:15]
Keenan Thompson
Oh, come on. Of course it's funny.
- [19:17]
Dr. Becky
And then the other circle is like, what the audience thinks is funny. And obviously kind of success probably happens at the intersection. But it is something that happens. And it's not just in comedy. I think it's with sports, right. Or with anything we start to do as a performance is we start to have success because we do have something inside of us. The taste, the unique perspective. And it has an overlap with an audience. But if we completely lose that focus internally and we start to just focus on externally, I think we drive ourselves into the ground and we don't know
- [19:51]
Keenan Thompson
a good example of it going that way. You know what I mean? When everybody starts micro focusing on everyone else except for themselves.
- [19:58]
Dr. Becky
Right.
- [19:59]
Keenan Thompson
You know what I mean?
- [20:00]
Dr. Becky
Yeah.
- [20:00]
Keenan Thompson
You just. It's unfair to yourself. And I think at some point, subconsciously, you start to acknowledge that, like. Like, hello, I would love to be acknowledged in this whole thing. Like, everybody else is feeling good about something, but I'm just stressed and tired.
- [20:15]
Dr. Becky
Right.
- [20:15]
Keenan Thompson
You know what I mean? And, like, now I have to come up with something else. And I didn't even get a chance to, like, really understand why or just have a moment, you know what I mean? Like, when we did Electric Shoes, I got a DM from someone showing me their mute autistic child singing along to it, just humming it, you know, and humming the notes. And like, they were like in Chick Fil a or something. And then, like, he watches this every day, you know what I mean? And it brings him so much joy. And this is kind of the only time he makes noise, if you will. And it's like, wow, that's just our silly little idea, you know what I mean? Like, bringing so much light into, you know, these people's lives, basically. So that was when it was like, all right, that's the power of what we're doing here, basically. So don't let that, like, other side you know, bring you too far down, because the upside is so high. Like, being, you know, a gift to others is such a high thing to be involved with, in my opinion.
- [21:16]
Dr. Becky
Has. Has comedy taught you how to deal with failure? Maybe? Failure, I don't love that word. It feels so final. But struggle, something not landing. Oh, I thought that was going to go well. Turns out it didn't.
- [21:27]
Keenan Thompson
I think comedy. But, like, also, like, you know, being in the business or like, working young, you know, kind of taught me that, you know, there's always more opportunities, you know what I mean? So I don't necessarily have to wallow in failure too much. Like, okay, I failed there, you know, but here comes another opportunity where it's like, you might succeed on this, you know, based on what you learned from this previous situation or whatever. If you can look back at failures without too much emotion and try to find a lesson in it. Yeah, it's not a lesson in everything, you know, I mean, sometimes the lesson is that I wasn't funny. But, you know, if you can find tools for the next kind of thing, it's great. And SNL especially, is another kind of like, don't dwell on this one specific show. There's another show coming. Opportunity will continue to come, you know, as the sun rises kind of thing.
- [22:21]
Dr. Becky
So the show will go on.
- [22:23]
Keenan Thompson
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's definitely helped with not wallowing.
- [22:27]
Dr. Becky
Is that perspective helpful in your parenting, like, with your kids?
- [22:30]
Keenan Thompson
Yeah, absolutely. Especially trying to convey that message, you know, And I guess there's no better example than by leading by example. It's like, all right, if you need an example, look at what I do. You know what I mean? Like, I've done so many different kinds of projects. Not every one of them is great. But if I dwelled on the fact that I did a bad one, I wouldn't have been able to do a good one following behind it, you know what I mean? Like, yeah, Peter Cottontail is not gonna be the same as Trolls, but we try the hardest, you know, and do our best each time. And things turn out to. Not to say that Peter Cottontail was bad. It's just different, you know what I mean? And success wise, it's like night and day, you know, Like, Trolls is a ginormous global thing kind of thing. And Peter Cottontail, I think, was on dvd, you know, so very specific kind of audience. But we have to be careful how you look at your successes and failures and stuff like that. Not micro focus on either one of them and just kind of continue building and continue being creative and continue servicing as long as it is servicing both yourself and the audience. You know, it's a lot like, yeah, we're preaching to the choir, you know, with this kind of, like, balanced talk in life. But that's really what it is in so many different ways. It really is.
- [23:54]
Dr. Becky
Yeah. When your daughters are upset or having a hard moment, what shows up for you?
- [24:02]
Keenan Thompson
Panic. And also like, wow, you know what I mean? Like, okay, because I'm not. I guess over. I'm not a big crier. So to see tears come from me was like, yo, like, why? What's that? Like, let's pull back and like, stop the tears, please, by. By any means, you know what I'm saying, kind of thing, and get to a place where we can discuss the differences between what you would like to have happen and what, you know, a parent's discipline, you know, should allow to happen kind of thing and just find a middle ground without so much crying, but not necessarily diminishing, you know, them going there emotionally and like, it's a reminder of me, like we're all human, you know what I mean? Like, maybe I should allow myself to be more emotional, but, you know, I've been blessed, you know.
- [24:57]
Dr. Becky
You're not a very emotional. Were you an emotional kid?
- [24:59]
Keenan Thompson
No, not really. I mean, I'm just kind of like even killed, like. Yes, I get, you know, more like upset, angry wise about things when they don't, you know, when they. I guess it's a sad thing because it's like I'm such a logical thinker. Anything sad makes me mad. So, you know, I try to like not get so temperamental, kind of like taurusy temper, kind of whatever and just, you know, stay even. So when bad things happen, it's like, all right, well that happened and like, what are we going to do? Like we're going to move, figure out ways to move forward or are we going to like dwell on, you know, negativities? Like, I would much rather try to spin towards the light, you know, if. If possible. Like not necessarily not feel the moments, you know, but.
- [25:50]
Dr. Becky
But you're oriented.
- [25:52]
Keenan Thompson
Yeah, I don't want to engage in sadness, you know, I don't want to engage in, you know, being angry. I don't want to engage in none of that. I want to engage in the good times. Like I do comedy for a living, you know. Yes, it's the toughest thing in the world and it's one of the biggest kind of ironic situations that a lot of comics are dark people. But I want to be a light person, you know what I mean? I want to be a person that provides joy, but also has joy.
- [26:18]
Dr. Becky
Yeah. Are there things you want to do differently as a dad for your girls than what was true in your childhood?
- [26:25]
Keenan Thompson
Yeah, we used to get whoopings, man. You know, so start there. We've already been doing that. Like very, like no hands, you know, hands off of everyone, feet to yourself kind of thing, you know, and can use your words, if you will. That's four. If you will. I have to stop it. But yeah, that's kind of the approach these days and it's a huge one because, I mean, there's arguments for being straightened out traumatically, unfortunately, but you feel me. But at the same time, like, no, we could Definitely raise children without switches and belts and. And, you know, spankings and stuff like that or whatever. And, you know, there's plenty of cases to. To prove it, so, like, why not. Yeah, go that route. And, like, yes, you may have to have a little more patience or say things a little more often or be a little more on top of situations when they do arise, but that's your responsibility. Yeah.
- [27:30]
Dr. Becky
Are you proud of yourself for that?
- [27:32]
Keenan Thompson
I am very, you know, for being open to learning that approach, you know, and not just doing everything that, you know, I was raised around. Not to say that it was a negative, but it was just, you know, probably my parents were raised 10 times worse than that kind of thing, you know, and just gets less and less and less as the generations go on or as generations learn or evolve or whatever it is.
- [27:56]
Dr. Becky
Yeah.
- [27:57]
Keenan Thompson
But, yeah, I'm very proud of myself for that approach because it's just more loving, you know, it's just. It's warmer and it's, you know, I feel like it's a closer knit bonding experience to kind of go through the rights and wrongs of raising a child or raising a child to see right and wrong.
- [28:17]
Dr. Becky
What role? Maybe now, maybe when your kids are younger, did children's books play in your home?
- [28:23]
Keenan Thompson
I mean, I feel like they go hand in hand with childhood. Like, there's nothing better than things that are for you, for your world. And that's kind of what, you know, kids books, you know, kind of glow in the dark, toys, anything, you know, it just felt very much for me and my time.
- [28:41]
Dr. Becky
And what prompted Unfunny Bunny?
- [28:44]
Keenan Thompson
Unfunny Bunny came from wanting to do, always kind of wanting to do a kid's book. When I did my first memoir book, I was like, well, I want to make a book, you know, for readers. That would be fun. But along that journey, I learned about kind of. My colleagues all had done memoirs and a kid's book, you know, and it was such a fun space, and the titles were so good. Like, you know, this book has no pictures and, you know, there's a monster at the end of this book and blah, blah, blah. And I was like, this is such a fun world. And I had such a good time growing up in an environment where it was like, kids rule kind of thing. That's what, like, the Nickelodeon kind of overall theme was, like, this is our world kind of thing.
- [29:31]
Dr. Becky
And what do you hope the book does between parents and kids when they read it?
- [29:34]
Keenan Thompson
This sort of thing? You know, let's all put a kid Here, put it, you know, maybe where you're at your lake house, or you're sitting by a fire and it's a Christmas tree, or you're in the. You know, in the car or you're on a train. You know, just any sort of time passing together is, you know, my main goal with that.
- [29:54]
Dr. Becky
But you're also doing something powerful in your body movements. Like, a children's book has a way of literally bringing a kid and a parent together. Like, you're usually on the lap. There's touching, there's closeness. It's like, this is our moment. I always love the conversations that happen after I read a book, because I think even with this one, to be able to. Whether you've told jokes publicly or not, we all take risks. We all try something, you know, it doesn't go the way we want. Such a nice opportunity to share a moment. You did that with your kid. I always find kids are amazed to hear the stories of us when we were younger. Like, I tried out for this play. I didn't get it. Or, you know, I tried out for the soccer team, and I was cut. And every time I tell that to
- [30:34]
Keenan Thompson
my kid, they're like, what?
- [30:36]
Dr. Becky
Because we forget that we're so capable. Like, we put on our shoes. Well, yeah, we pour milk without spilling.
- [30:42]
Keenan Thompson
Like, I haven't spilled milk in years.
- [30:45]
Dr. Becky
Years. You. No one gives us credit for that, but our kids see that, and they're like, wow, you are amazing. And it's really hard to learn anything from someone who seems like an expert in anything. Like, if I did want to get better at comedy, no offense, Like, I'm not calling you. Like, you're just not my first call. I'm like, you've made it. Like, I'm not learning cooking from a professional chef. And we're so good at so many things that we don't even realize to our kids that to have a book where there's a little bit of a struggle and share your own moment after. I just.
- [31:17]
Keenan Thompson
And also find out who your kids are, you know, because we always see them as little people. They see themselves just as themselves.
- [31:25]
Dr. Becky
Yeah.
- [31:26]
Keenan Thompson
So when you get a little glimpse of, like, who they really are, what their personalities are, kind of, and they just come out in certain preferences and things like that. It's fascinating. Yeah, it really is. Because they stay true to it. Like, the things that they like, they like. And if they don't like it, it'll be a pattern of, like, anything in that world. I don't like it. Like, how many times. Do I have to tell? Do I have to tell you? Like, I don't like that?
- [31:49]
Dr. Becky
Yep.
- [31:49]
Keenan Thompson
And it's like, okay, you are your own person.
- [31:51]
Dr. Becky
You know who you are.
- [31:52]
Keenan Thompson
Yes.
- [31:53]
Dr. Becky
Right. Here's something I keep thinking about after talking with Keenan. Parenting is so hard. There are so many moments that are heavy and things that live in our brain and we have to figure out and problems we have to work through. And sometimes there are more opportunities to introduce humor than we realize. Sometimes we can laugh, sometimes we can add a silly move. Sometimes we can read a book that brings a smile to our face with our kid. And sometimes that moment of humor is the exact thing we need to kind of break tension. I know I'll be thinking about that. Before we go, I want to zoom out for a moment. This conversation is part of a series we're calling How We're Raised, where we explore how the homes we grew up in shape, the way we show up as adults and leaders and parents. Every couple of weeks, we'll be bringing you another conversation like this one. Every day in the good inside community, parents are having honest conversations like this, exploring the things they inherited and the things they're trying to change. I encourage you to check it out@goodinside.com if this interview resonated with you, let us know. If there's someone whose story you'd be curious to hear in this series, we'd love to know that, too. You can reach out to us@podcastoodinside.com now let's end the way we always do. Place your feet on the ground and a hand on your heart. And let's remind ourselves, even as we struggle on the outside, we remain good inside. I'll see you soon. Before we wrap up, I want to name something important. Needing help doesn't mean you're failing. It means you're human. Parenting and caregiving take so much, and none of us are meant to do it alone. Care.com makes it easier to find trusted background checked support, whether that's care for your kids before or after school, help activities, or even support for an aging parent. Right now, you can use the code Good35 to save 35% on a Care.com Premium membership. Because when you have support, you don't just get relief, you get more space to show up as yourself.