Podcast Summary: "College Drop Off Reflections & Distractions"

Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness
Release Date: September 2, 2025

Episode Overview

In this emotionally charged and laughter-filled episode, Kim and Penn Holderness process the milestone of dropping their daughter off at college. They touch on the anxieties, grief, pride, and new freedoms that come with this stage of parenting. Joined briefly by their producer, Anne Marie Taepke, they share personal anecdotes, read and listen to heartfelt and hilarious messages from listeners, and discuss coping mechanisms for adjusting to an "emptier" nest. The episode blends humor and vulnerability, making it both a source of comfort and comic relief for anyone navigating a similar transition.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Milestone of College Drop Off (03:25–12:00)

• Starting the Journey

  • Kim and Penn reflect on anticipating college drop off since Kim’s pregnancy, prompted by the intensity of the New York City preschool system.
  • “There’s just been this looming, you know, just awareness of a college drop off. And we did it.” – Kim (04:38)

• "Healthy Birds Leave the Nest"

  • The phrase, suggested by a commenter, serves as Kim’s mantra: raising a healthy, independent child means they will leave—and that’s the goal, though it’s bittersweet.
  • “We have a beautiful, healthy, determined, driven daughter who has left the nest and that is exactly what we wanted. And. But it still sucked. Saying goodbye.” – Kim (06:02)

• Emotional Family Goodbyes

  • Penn shares a raw family moment where their children, PC and Lola, had their last "secret chat" before moving out—both breaking down emotionally together with their parents.
  • “All I could think of was, this is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen...but man, yes, it’s… it sucked.” – Penn (08:06)

2. Navigating the First Days After (08:18–12:00)

• Coping and "Wallowing"

  • Kim schedules “wallowing days” post-drop off, per a friend’s advice, and encourages others to do the same.
  • She finds solace in dance classes as a diversion and self-care.

• Mixed Emotions and Unexpected Perks

  • Both hosts share humorous relief at no longer needing to attend marathon tennis matches.
  • “We don’t have to go to tennis matches anymore. That’s...unhealthy how much time we had to spend in a tennis court.” – Kim (09:45)

3. Parenting Styles and Saying Goodbye (10:00–11:55)

• Sports Parenting Woes

  • The challenges of being tennis parents: inability to cheer, high parental anxiety, learning to say (or not say) the right things to their daughter.
  • “You only say you got this when you don’t got it.” – Kim (10:50)

• Healthy Birds and Mantras

  • Kim reiterates the importance of using mantras and community support: “Roots and wings,” and being a “bird launcher,” not an empty nester.

4. Listener Messages: Shared Experiences (15:20–25:45)

• Heartfelt Calls and Comments

  • Listeners share how the transition hit them at unexpected times, like crying in supermarkets over expiration dates on milk (22:04).
  • "I stood in the aisle of the Kroger and cried my eyeballs out." – Kaya, listener (22:33)

• Positive Mindset Shift

  • Lily from Bellevue, WA offers the reframing question: “What’s the best thing that could happen?” for anxious overthinkers (24:00).
  • “That forces a complete mindset shift.” – Lily (24:40)

5. Coping Mechanisms & Distractions (25:45–38:00)

• “Airport Rules” Coping

  • The family copes with unhealthy comfort food and wine (“airport rules”), then decides to “reset.”
  • “Do you know that they’ll just give you a cookie cake if you give them money?” – Kim (26:42)

• Healthy Distractions: Penn’s Top 5 Non-Destructive Coping Strategies (30:53)

  1. Discovering a new music radio station with ’90s–2000s bangers (“Banger, banger, banger!” – Penn, 31:21)
  2. Watching comforting/funny TV (Leanne Morgan sitcom, “cotton candy for the brain,” 33:09)
  3. Playing quick group games (Myrtle/Clue-like)
  4. Engaging in football with their son—embracing his passion for sports stats and the "Quarterback" Netflix series (35:14)
  5. Taking (and teaching) dance classes for exercise and emotional release

• Shifting Parent Focus

  • The “fire hose” of attention now directed at their son, who both appreciates and resists the extra scrutiny.
  • “He is gonna hate this. He’s getting it all.” – Penn (39:10)

6. Listener Participation & Community Wisdom (21:16–53:00)

• Voicemails and Generational Humor

  • Listeners from across the country share support, life advice, and ask if the show is relevant for Gen Z (Wedley from Washington, 45:03).
  • Generational disconnects and “You Know You’re Old When…” moments are shared (“Have you ever heard of a band named U2?” – Kate, 46:47)

• Brains and Aging

  • Kim reads a listener’s hilarious story about brain fog (“Turn where the dead people are” instead of “cemetery”, 43:00), discussing perimenopause brain lapses.

7. "Are We Done With..." and Lightening the Mood (52:41–54:25)

• Are We Done With: Drive-In Theaters?
  • Listener Mosh complains about triple-feature drive-ins starting at 1:30 am.
  • Penn hilariously theorizes drive-ins existed only for making out, now obsolete due to modern car seats.
  • “I don’t think that’s true, honey.” – Kim (54:00)

8. Reflections & Gratitude (55:36–56:42)

• Emotional Summary

  • Penn encapsulates the experience as “gut wrenching,” yet an immense privilege to feel so much love, pride, and hope.
  • “What a gift to feel that much...you don’t want to go through life and not feel things. And boy, are we feeling things right now.” – Penn (56:42)

• Community Support

  • Both hosts thank their audience for messages and support, noting the comfort in having a parent community “network” for their daughter in her new city.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Parenting Milestones:
  “We did it. We lived.” – Kim (04:41)
  “This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen...but man, yes, it’s…it sucked.” – Penn (08:06)

• On Sports Parenting:
  “You only say you got this when you definitely don’t got this.” – Kim (10:50)

• Listener’s Grocery Store Epiphany:
  "I stood in the aisle of the Kroger and cried my eyeballs out." – Kaya (22:33)

• On Coping Mechanisms:
  "Do you know that they’ll just give you a cookie cake if you give them money?" – Kim (26:42)
  "Airport rules...eating and drinking like an asshole." – Penn (26:11)

• Generational Humor:
  "Mom, you ever heard of a band named U2?" – Kate’s daughter (46:47)

• On Resilience and Parenting:
  "You’re not an empty nester, you’re a bird launcher." – Listener (15:20)
  “But I found I really got a funny email…turn where the dead people are.” – Kim (43:19)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Emotional Goodbye Story: 06:13–08:18
• Packing & Drop-Off Logistics: 04:40–06:13
• Listener Messages on Letting Go: 21:16–24:47
• Penn’s Top 5 Coping Strategies: 30:53–38:01
• Funny Listener Stories (Perimenopause/“Dead People” Road Directions): 43:00
• "Are We Done With" Drive-In Theaters: 52:41–54:25
• Community Gratitude & Emotional Summary: 55:36–56:42

Tone & Language

Consistently conversational, empathetic, and humorous. Kim and Penn are honest about their feelings, self-deprecating about their struggles, and quick to bond with listeners through shared experiences and lighthearted banter. The episode balances deep emotion with levity, underscoring the universal experience of parenting milestones.

Summary

This episode offers validation, laughter, and practical suggestions for parents undergoing significant changes, especially those sending kids off to college. It’s a must-listen if you want solidarity, some big belly laughs about parenting through change, and heartfelt community advice on how to move through—and even celebrate—the messiness of life’s transitions.