Raising Thinkers: Navigating Goals, Giving, and Growing Together

Raising Thinkers: Navigating Goals, Giving, and Growing Together

01:01
Carrie Aguilar
Hi, everyone, and welcome back to In Her Land, the podcast where we explore the stories, struggles, and strengths of women, building lives of meaning, leadership, and courage. I'm Carrie.

01:13
Mara Kamat
And I'm Mara. And today we're doing something really special. We've invited our girls to join us on the podcast.

01:21
Carrie Aguilar
The holidays felt like the perfect time to slow down, have some laughs, and hear from the people who see us up close every day.

01:29
Mara Kamat
They keep us humble and they're fully honest. So here we go. Girls, will you go ahead and introduce yourselves? Tell everyone your name, age, and maybe one fun fact about you. How about we start with Penelope, Carrie's daughter.

01:45
Penelope Aguilar
My Name's Penelope. I'm 10 years old and I like dogs.

‍

01:51
Carrie Aguilar
Great.

01:53
Ari Kamat
Hi, I'm Arie. I'm 10 and I do gymnastics.

01:59
Olivia Kamat
Hi, I'm Olivia. I'm 12 years old and I really like to ski.

02:08
Carrie Aguilar
Cool.

02:08
Mara Kamat
Great.

02:09
Carrie Aguilar
Love that.

02:10
Mara Kamat
Since this is our holiday episode, what's your favorite thing about this time of year?

02:15
Olivia Kamat
Like, definitely around this Thanksgiving and holiday time. The food for sure. And being with your family.

02:23
Ari Kamat
My favorite thing to do around this time of year is hang out with family and.

02:28
Mara Kamat
Yeah, what else do we do in the winter that you absolutely love to do?

02:32
Olivia Kamat
Skiing.

02:35
Carrie Aguilar
That was adorable. Okay, what about you, Penelope? What's your favorite thing to do this time of year?

02:41
Penelope Aguilar
I like Christmas decorating and Christmas music.

02:45
Carrie Aguilar
That's true. I love that. Yeah. Starting literally November 1st.

02:50
Penelope Aguilar
Hey, don't judge.

02:51
Carrie Aguilar
Love that. No judgment.

02:53
Olivia Kamat
Love that. All my friends put their Christmas trees up the day after Thanksgiving too.

02:57
Carrie Aguilar
Oh, wow. I love that. Is there something that your family does that you really love around the holidays?

03:04
Ari Kamat
I like making latkes and celebrating Hanukkah with my family.

03:08
Carrie Aguilar
Do you guys make your latkes outside or inside?

03:11
Ari Kamat
Inside.

03:11
Olivia Kamat
Inside.

03:12
Carrie Aguilar
Inside.

03:12
Mara Kamat
And then what is the result of making the latkes inside the house?

03:16
Olivia Kamat
It's really messy. Because of all the stuff we use.

03:18
Ari Kamat
And it smells so good.

03:19
Olivia Kamat
And it smells good. But also there's a lot of oil everywhere.

03:22
Mara Kamat
Yeah. So then everything in the vicinity, like if you leave your jacket sitting in the kitchen, it smells like a lot in one year.

03:31
Olivia Kamat
Sometimes when you. After you throw the trash away, like it's so like my dad takes it out right away because everything was so oily, so many paper towels. We're like cloth for it.

03:44
Carrie Aguilar
So in Arizona, like all the Jews that I know in Arizona, they all have to do their latkes outside. And it's just like what. That's like the tradition there is they have parties and they sit outside and.

03:55
Mara Kamat
They make latkes, which totally makes sense because it's warm enough. Right. It's beautiful weather, there's no snow. But if we make latkes outside in Cleveland, Ohio, it's freeze.

04:06
Olivia Kamat
That's true.

04:06
Carrie Aguilar
That's true. And they're going to be like super cold when they're done. Immediately, it sounds like. Penelope, what would you like to say is your favorite holiday tradition?

04:14
Penelope Aguilar
I like the book flood. I think it's called Chakabaka Book flood.

04:22
Carrie Aguilar
So a couple years ago my husband James did some research and in.

‍

04:30
Mara Kamat
I.

04:30
Carrie Aguilar
Don'T know, Norway maybe, or Finland. There is a Finland around the solstice and Christmas, I think it's actually on Christmas Eve. The they have this thing called a book flood where you come over to someone's house and you're gifted a book and you read a book by the fire and you eat food.

04:47
Olivia Kamat
That sounds so fun.

04:50
Carrie Aguilar
It is super fun.

04:51
Penelope Aguilar
Chakabakka book flood.

04:52
Carrie Aguilar
That's right. Chakabaka book flood. I don't think that's actually what it's called. So we have one every year where we gift books and we read books with people and James takes it very like he gets peeved. If people aren't reading, who comes?

05:09
Mara Kamat
Is it over in every.

05:11
Carrie Aguilar
I would say that it has. It's tough when the person who hosts it really wants everyone to read. So.

05:19
Ari Kamat
Yeah.

05:20
Carrie Aguilar
So the invite list is very specific to like if the person can.

05:26
Penelope Aguilar
Read or not read or not.

05:27
Mara Kamat
Like they're gonna socialize.

05:29
Carrie Aguilar
Yes.

05:30
Mara Kamat
They're not invited. It's not appropriate. Do you think you get invited, love?

05:34
Olivia Kamat
Sometimes, like, sometimes that's mean.

05:37
Mara Kamat
It could go either way. Sometimes.

05:39
Olivia Kamat
Like when I'm really into one book, like the other day I was reading like, and I like read a 600 page book in like a day. What book was it keeping 13. It was the second book of a series I was reading, and, like, I was, like, locked in and I was reading. But, like, sometimes, like, I just need to, like, talk to people and.

06:00
Mara Kamat
Yeah, so it could go either way. She could be, like, a great candidate or a not so good candidate, just depending on the day. That's okay.

06:08
Carrie Aguilar
I'm afraid that I'm sometimes not invited to my own book club.

06:11
Ari Kamat
I would not be a good candidate. I don't like to read that much. Well, I only like certain books.

06:16
Olivia Kamat
I like reading when I get to pick the book and when it's a book I like. Like, when I was, like, younger, like, and were forced to read specific books, like, assigned books, I did not like it. But, like, now that I get to pick my book and pick what I read, I really like reading.

06:31
Mara Kamat
So, Penelope, do you know what book you're gonna read for the book flood?

06:35
Carrie Aguilar
If it's up to you, what are you gonna read?

06:38
Penelope Aguilar
The 14th book in Wings of Fire or a graphic novel.

06:42
Mara Kamat
So fun. Is it possible that it might not be up to you what book you're reading during the book flood?

06:47
Carrie Aguilar
Well, it could be.

06:50
Penelope Aguilar
What?

06:51
Carrie Aguilar
No, I'm just kidding. I don't know. Like, your dad's gonna get you a book, so.

06:55
Penelope Aguilar
Oh, yeah, but I don't have to read it.

06:57
Carrie Aguilar
Oh, right. You don't have to read that one for sure.

07:00
Ari Kamat
But I have to read it, like.

07:02
Penelope Aguilar
In that space because he's very serious about it.

07:06
Ari Kamat
Yeah, like, very.

07:07
Mara Kamat
It's very important, James. And you're gonna show up and support him. And what do you serve for food at this event?

07:14
Penelope Aguilar
I don't really know. Tater tots?

07:18
Carrie Aguilar
How about white milk?

07:20
Mara Kamat
So the.

07:21
Carrie Aguilar
What is it? The goy latkes, tater tots, or some hot milk?

07:30
Ari Kamat
How about we tell it the hot milk story? So we're ordering Starbucks. We get.

07:35
Mara Kamat
We.

07:35
Ari Kamat
They want hot chocolate, and we. So we order hot chocolate. Olivia's like, do you want this mocha drizzle?

07:41
Penelope Aguilar
Drizzle?

07:42
Olivia Kamat
I said, do you want mocha drizzle on it? And they said, my mom said, no, I don't need the extra caffeine in carbs. I said, okay. So I put no mocha drizzle, guys. The mocha drizzle is what the hot chocolate is.

07:55
Penelope Aguilar
It was literally hot milk. I never knew I would say that in my life.

08:01
Mara Kamat
Penelope and I expected hot chocolate. Olivia had the role of ordering it.

08:05
Ari Kamat
For us, and it turned out hot chocolate.

08:07
Olivia Kamat
Well, she told me no mocha drizzle. So, like, it was like.

08:11
Ari Kamat
It was like Olivia and Me got both different drinks and then they got hot chocolate and it turned out hot milk. I never thought I'd say that in my life.

08:19
Penelope Aguilar
When I opened it, I thought there was like melted whipped cream because it was white.

08:24
Ari Kamat
Oh, yeah.

08:25
Penelope Aguilar
So I thought I was gonna mix it around with my finger and then I was like, is the whole thing white? And then I was like, it doesn't taste like hot chocolate. Guess it's hot milk.

08:37
Mara Kamat
It was sad for Penelope and I. All right, one thing that we really need your help with and we wanna help all of our listeners and our families that listen. Holiday break is long and sometimes it feels like school might never ever start again. So tell us, what can adults do to make holiday break fun while also staying sane?

09:01
Olivia Kamat
So I think that. I think it's a well needed break. Cause I'm definitely ready for winter break. But I think like one thing is like, if we can be with friends. Love being with friends and family. Like that's something to keep them entertained sometimes. Like crafts, playing in the snow. If there's snow. Hopefully there is, but. Yeah.

09:25
Penelope Aguilar
Well, in my mind, I think that you would just put them to bed and then you would say. And then you would just leave them with somebody. And then you would go sledding.

‍09:38

Carrie Aguilar
Just so we can stay sane.

09:40
Olivia Kamat
Yeah.

09:40
Carrie Aguilar
So parents can stay safe.

09:43
Mara Kamat
We should leave you at home, go sledding without you.

09:46
Ari Kamat
Yeah.

09:47
Mara Kamat
Okay. That's an idea.

09:49
Carrie Aguilar
I think that's a wonderful idea. I love this so much.

09:52
Penelope Aguilar
Well, in my mind, I think that people are like, okay, go to bed and then they leave you with like.

09:57
Carrie Aguilar
Oh, that's like what somebody.

09:59
Penelope Aguilar
And then you go, okay, bye. I'm going to walk the dog. And then you let the dog run free. And then you say bye. And then get the sled and then go and sled.

10:12
Carrie Aguilar
I think that's a wonderful idea.

10:15
Mara Kamat
How would you guys feel if I went sledding without you?

10:18
Olivia Kamat
I'd be very upset because sledding is my favorite thing. So I think I'd be upset.

10:22
Ari Kamat
I'd be mad at you guys.

10:24
Carrie Aguilar
Do you guys set up like jumps and stuff when you go sledding at school?

10:29
Penelope Aguilar
We make ramps.

10:30
Olivia Kamat
Oh, at school?

10:31
Ari Kamat
Yeah.

10:31
Mara Kamat
Oh. Tell us about what you do at school. Sledding.

10:35
Ari Kamat
We had like the sledding hill because we're moving into the new building. Only fourth grade might be able to sled because they said we're not going up to the sledding hill after we move.

10:44
Mara Kamat
Yeah. That's so sad.

10:47
Ari Kamat
They said they tried to find us a New sledding hill. Oh, that's nice. So sad.

10:52
Penelope Aguilar
There's not. Like, the sleds are, like, limited, and everybody's in the.

10:57
Carrie Aguilar
You guys sledding on trays or, like, trash bags?

11:01
Penelope Aguilar
There's, like. There's, like, magic carpet ones where it's just. Just a piece of plastic that you go on and then just go down.

11:09
Carrie Aguilar
Really?

11:10
Ari Kamat
Yeah. But there are actual slides.

11:12
Olivia Kamat
Like, wait, why we don't go outside?

11:13
Mara Kamat
Magic carpet.

11:14
Olivia Kamat
Because it's like a.

11:15
Ari Kamat
It's like a piece of plastic that.

11:17
Olivia Kamat
Looks like a rug.

11:18
Ari Kamat
It's like a flat.

11:19
Olivia Kamat
Like, we don't go outside.

11:20
Carrie Aguilar
Did you guys sing the song?

11:22
Olivia Kamat
What's. Oh, a magic carpet ride. That's my favorite.

11:27
Carrie Aguilar
I think that's what I would say.

11:28
Olivia Kamat
That's my favorite Disney movie. When you're mine.

11:31
Carrie Aguilar
I had such a crush on Aladdin. For sure.

11:34
Olivia Kamat
My dad loves Aladdin. We don't.

11:37
Carrie Aguilar
Your dad kind of looks like Aladdin.

11:40
Olivia Kamat
I miss going outside a lot because, like, once you transition back to the main school, like, three through five is at Butler, which is outdoor campus, which is our outdoor campus. But when you switch back to Lyman, like, in middle school and high school, you don't really go outside because, like, you're in your. In the winter. Like, in the spring and fall, we do, but, like, we're in our skirts, and they don't really want to send us outside in the very cold weather, so, like, we don't usually go out. And I, like, miss sledding at school with all my friends because, like, I remember it being really fun.

12:12
Carrie Aguilar
That made me irrationally sad.

12:14
Mara Kamat
But I heard the word magic carpet when you said that, Penelope, right away, what I thought of was the magic carpets when you ski. So, like, on bunny hills, you'll be wearing the skis, the baby hills. And you get on this, like, electronic conveyor belt.

12:36
Olivia Kamat
The babies take you up on. Like, they take the babies up on it or.

12:40
Carrie Aguilar
Or adults that are just learning to ski.

12:43
Olivia Kamat
I wish they had a magic carpet at school. That'd be fun.

12:45
Carrie Aguilar
That'd be really cool. Yeah, because then you wouldn't have to worry about getting up.

12:48
Olivia Kamat
You know that.

12:52
Penelope Aguilar
At school one time last year, the ice was this thick. Thick, like, on it.

12:57
Carrie Aguilar
So you didn't need a sled, like, three inches thick. That's. Penelope has her fingers up.

13:03
Penelope Aguilar
No.

13:03
Ari Kamat
And I would, like, always slip and fall going up this sledding hill.

13:07
Olivia Kamat
I remember that from when I was.

13:09
Ari Kamat
And then, honestly, at one point, I just started going. There's a little entrance to the track and field because it's right by the track and field.

13:15
Olivia Kamat
Oh, yeah.

13:15
Ari Kamat
I go up the track and field entrance because I couldn't get up without slipping and falling.

13:20
Mara Kamat
Can you get up without slipping and falling, Penelope?

13:23
Penelope Aguilar
Yes.

13:26
Mara Kamat
Maybe you have better traction in your boots than Ari does.

13:29
Carrie Aguilar
Okay, let's switch gears a little bit. Let's talk about what you guys think we do for a living.

13:36
Penelope Aguilar
I think she's, like, almost like a business therapist. She helps businesses rise to the occasion.

13:49
Carrie Aguilar
Oh, thanks so much. I'll pay it later. That's so great.

13:55
Olivia Kamat
I think my mom. Well, I know what my mom does. My mom is an HR consultant for other companies. Yeah. She is her own boss, and she does what she wants, and she works with the company she wants. She's like the boss lady of the boss ladies, if you know what I mean.

14:16
Mara Kamat
Ari, what do you think mommy does?

14:18
Ari Kamat
Okay, so she's an HR consultant, and she does a lot of work with charities. We do Belfair for the holidays, and then we volunteer at the food bank.

14:29
Mara Kamat
But.

14:31
Ari Kamat
They do the podcast and.

14:33
Penelope Aguilar
Yeah, my mom, like, yeah. Is a therapist.

14:38
Olivia Kamat
I think they spend a lot of.

14:39
Penelope Aguilar
Businesses and also always goes to Heartwood for meetings, and it's always like, hey.

14:46
Ari Kamat
Oh, my gosh, I got a new.

14:48
Penelope Aguilar
Job, a new client.

14:51
Olivia Kamat
Yeah, my mom goes to Luna for that also. I think, like, they spend a lot of time doing this and, like, making who they want to go next or who they want to be with. Like, beyond the podcast with.

15:04
Mara Kamat
What is the value of our podcast?

15:07
Olivia Kamat
To uplift women and, like, show the leadership of different women and Cleveland and all over and show their, like, their journey through. Not journey, like, their business journey. And show, like, how, like, they're strong, resilient women.

15:24
Carrie Aguilar
I love that. Thanks, Liv.

15:26
Penelope Aguilar
Okay, so. So I read. I heard the, like, start. So, like, there's three rules, and. Yeah. And they listen to their triumphs, and it's a conversation for every season.

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Carrie Aguilar
Yeah, that's great. I love that P. I love the P rules.

15:47
Ari Kamat
They lift women up and get them to talk about their life story and what they do for a living.

15:55
Mara Kamat
That's perfect. You guys definitely captured it. One of the things you said, Ari, that I thought was really beautiful, that as we think about this time of year is really important, and I think is really important that our fellow parents think about is, you know, how do you inspire the next generation or the three of you to do good in the world and to give back? And so Ari, for a moment, reflected one of the projects that we do every year.

16:23
Olivia Kamat
Belfair my favorite.

16:25
Mara Kamat
Could you maybe tell our listeners, Ari, about what the project is and what we're doing?

16:30
Ari Kamat
Belfair is basically where they send out wish lists. It's an orphanage one, but they send out wish lists and the kids for, like, the kids for what they want for, like, the holidays, because the orphanage can't, like, do that for them. But other people donate to it. And we get, like, 20 kids. Yeah, we got about 20 kids. And we've been, like, buying and making the bags of stuff that they wanted on their wish list.

16:59
Olivia Kamat
And we've done it for, like, since I was. There's a video of me and kinder since I was, like, 4 or 5. We do it every year, and it's like our favorite thing. Like, I. Like, I always. It usually come out right before Thanksgiving or, like, around Thanksgiving time. It used to come out on Thanksgiving, but now it comes out, like, a little before, a little after. And every time, like, oh, my God, mom, we have to do it. Like, it's literally, like, it's so fun for us, and it's, like, meaningful towards us. And, like, another thing we like to do is, like, work with the food bank. Like, I know we've done some events with my grade to work with the food bank. Cause we think it's really. My grade enjoys it, and we enjoy.

17:39
Mara Kamat
It, and it's an opportunity to help the community.

17:42
Carrie Aguilar
Yeah. So, ladies, we always talk about growth. What's one thing you learned this year at school, at home, or in life that made you proud?

17:52
Olivia Kamat
Definitely, like, at home and in life in general. My bat mitzvah. I thought, like, people told me I would do really well, and it was very fun.

18:01
Carrie Aguilar
Heck, yeah.

18:02
Olivia Kamat
I was happy that all my friends were there to support me.

18:04
Carrie Aguilar
You did very well.

18:05
Olivia Kamat
Thank you.

18:06
Carrie Aguilar
Like, incredibly well.

18:07
Ari Kamat
I don't want to say this, but I learned over off season how to stay on the beam. Guys, I'm gonna win beam this season.

18:15
Olivia Kamat
You're gonna win beam this season?

18:17
Ari Kamat
Growth mindset. I'm gonna win beam this season.

18:18
Penelope Aguilar
Yes.

18:19
Olivia Kamat
Ari, Strong mindset.

18:21
Carrie Aguilar
Win rate. For those who don't know about gymnastics, when is the season?

18:27
Ari Kamat
Starts in some. Like, the start of January. Oh, wow. I do 16 hours a week of gymnastics, so.

18:34
Carrie Aguilar
Oh, that's casual.

18:36
Olivia Kamat
Yes, very casual.

18:37
Penelope Aguilar
Very casual.

18:38
Olivia Kamat
She'll just, like, say it like it's the most normal thing in the world.

18:42
Carrie Aguilar
Wow.

18:43
Mara Kamat
So she's been working very hard.

18:44
Penelope Aguilar
I don't know.

18:45
Ari Kamat
It's, like, part of my life.

18:47
Mara Kamat
Yep. It's a key part of your life. We've been working Very hard to train. So our goal is to stay on the beam this season.

18:55
Olivia Kamat
Some really cool tricks over the years, so I'm very excited to see her do that and. Yeah, yeah.

19:01
Mara Kamat
And let's be clear, it's not just like walking on the beam. She's like doing flips on the beam.

19:05
Ari Kamat
I wasn't thinking competing about walkover.

19:07
Mara Kamat
Yeah. So it isn't easy to stay on.

19:09
Ari Kamat
No. So I'm not competing at cartwheel. Don't worry.

19:12
Olivia Kamat
Good.

19:13
Ari Kamat
That's where I fall last year.

19:15
Carrie Aguilar
What is your dismount?

19:16
Ari Kamat
A front tuck off the beam?

19:17
Carrie Aguilar
Heck yes.

19:18
Mara Kamat
Woo. Woo.

19:19
Carrie Aguilar
That's awesome, Ari.

19:21
Mara Kamat
How about you, Penelope? What are you proud of this year? Tell us about your Jiu Jitsu.

19:26
Penelope Aguilar
Well, Jiu Jitsu is a martial art that is very like. It's like grappling, which means getting on the floor and doing jokes on people.

19:38
Ari Kamat
And stuff like that.

19:41
Mara Kamat
Self defense. You got it, girl.

19:42
Penelope Aguilar
And I'm a white belt with four strike.

19:46
Carrie Aguilar
Woohoo.

19:48
Penelope Aguilar
And I just got that.

19:49
Carrie Aguilar
So she does. So she does Jiu jitsu like two to three times a week.

19:53
Penelope Aguilar
Oh, yeah. Jiu jitsu is very fun. It's very fun.

19:57
Carrie Aguilar
I love that.

19:58
Mara Kamat
And it's something you do with your dad as well, right? Which is in the kitchen.

20:02
Carrie Aguilar
Yeah. On the ground in the kitchen.

20:03
Mara Kamat
Yeah.

20:04
Olivia Kamat
You both train.

20:05
Mara Kamat
I mean, he also loves Jiu jitsu and so you train together in the same space or whatever it might be. It's as common.

20:14
Penelope Aguilar
Yeah.

20:15
Carrie Aguilar
And next year I do the same thing. But Penelope and I are gonna do tennis together.

20:22
Penelope Aguilar
We are.

20:22
Olivia Kamat
That's fun.

20:23
Penelope Aguilar
We are.

20:24
Ari Kamat
She tried to do. And he tried to tennis with me and it did not work out.

20:28
Olivia Kamat
I are.

20:29
Carrie Aguilar
I just love the fact that you have this amazing thing with your dad and that everything I try and get you into, you're like, no, mom, no.

20:36
Olivia Kamat
That's another one to rest.

20:38
Penelope Aguilar
Tennis is just not my sport. It's like same.

20:43
Ari Kamat
I'm actually good at tennis. I choose not to do it. And she tried to make me do tennis.

20:47
Olivia Kamat
I like golfing and tennis, so I chose golf over tennis.

20:51
Penelope Aguilar
Why don't we do something together? Like, that's more my style.

20:55
Carrie Aguilar
What's your style?

20:57
Penelope Aguilar
Jiu jitsu, but something that's not jujitsu. What do you think you would want?

21:03
Carrie Aguilar
I don't know. Does it have to be martial art or something like that? Or can it be like taekwondo?

21:11
Mara Kamat
Okay, what about bocce ball?

21:14
Carrie Aguilar
Oh, yeah, bocce. We can go to Little Italy and play at Alta House.

21:21
Mara Kamat
Now we're Going a little deeper, because this is in her land, and leadership is the core of our podcast. You all go to a school that teaches confidence, courage, and what it means to be a strong young woman. So tell us, when you think about the future and eventually entering the workforce, what do you hope the world looks like?

21:42
Ari Kamat
I feel like the world is gonna have more AI and technology that's gonna be very advanced and very intimate and running the world.

21:53
Mara Kamat
Interesting.

21:55
Olivia Kamat
I agree with Ari. I think that it's gonna. I think that it needs to become more almost, like, I think there's gonna be a lot of, like, robots by then and, like, stuff like that. But I also think that it needs to build, like, more equal, like, equality for, like, women and men. So, like, everybody's equal and everybody can work in the same workforce, like, as equal. And I think there needs to be more women leaders also. I think that, like. I think that, like, we need to use. I think that, like Ari said, AI is gonna be such a big thing, and, like, we still need to have those people doing stuff and, like, have leaders and leaders, but, like, also learn how to use it, right? That, like, we can't just fully get rid of it.

22:49
Carrie Aguilar
That was very impressive.

22:50
Mara Kamat
What do you think, Penelope?

22:52
Penelope Aguilar
I think that AI is gonna take over, and when somebody asks you, ask you a simple question, people like, are.

23:03
Carrie Aguilar
You saying that people get dumb?

23:05
Mara Kamat
Yeah. I hope that does not happen.

23:08
Penelope Aguilar
And, like, AI is going to answer the question, and then you like, oh, look on my phone. Oh, it's two. Who knew that?

23:19
Mara Kamat
Well, what you're outlining is truly a very large risk. Right. That people lose the ability to think strategically and thoughtfully for themselves to be able to answer basic questions that they're looking on their phone. So, like, chatgpt in the spirit of that, when were on vacation over Thanksgiving break, we did a digital detox.

23:42
Ari Kamat
Olivia got.

23:42
Olivia Kamat
So basically, she took my phone for a week and said, we're detoxing.

23:46
Mara Kamat
How was it? I didn't do it because she got in trouble.

23:49
Olivia Kamat
No, like, she did it because she had the right mind, like, she wanted. She said, like, hey, let's take a break from.

23:55
Ari Kamat
But it was either way, really fun.

23:56
Olivia Kamat
And technology, like, we don't need it. It's not needed. We're with our family. Like, everybody here that's important to you is here. I don't.

24:03
Carrie Aguilar
Gosh, that's so true. So did you have a good time?

24:05
Olivia Kamat
I had a great time, and I read so much more than I would have if I had my phone. I mean, like, I Mean, like, not our.

24:13
Ari Kamat
Whoa.

24:13
Olivia Kamat
I mean, like, I usually. I think, like, I read a lot, but I read so much more than I would if I had my phone. And I think it was a very good break coming from the only person.

24:26
Ari Kamat
In our family that doesn't have a phone. It was great to be able to hang out with everyone with no phones.

24:31
Carrie Aguilar
I love that.

24:32
Mara Kamat
And the other thing we did is I always travel with a bag of games. Like, a little games.

24:37
Olivia Kamat
We played Uno. It's like question cards to get to know each other.

24:42
Ari Kamat
We have Uno. We have this game called Pass the Pigs.

24:45
Olivia Kamat
No, it's just pigs. It's like you roll a pig and it has all different things on it, and. And, like, it's for points. And, like, it's really fun. And we love playing as a family. It gets really competitive for some reason. Even though it's, like, the silliest little.

24:57
Mara Kamat
Game, there's a mix of math and strategy that goes into it.

25:01
Carrie Aguilar
Cool. It's called Pigs.

25:02
Mara Kamat
You said it's called Pigs.

25:04
Olivia Kamat
Amazon.

25:04
Carrie Aguilar
I'll just have to look it up.

25:05
Mara Kamat
Amazon. All to say, like, back to what you were saying, Penelope, is that we all can take these moments, right, to be mindful and to, like, shut down technology and. And to make sure that we are able to reset and think thoughtfully and mindfully about how we wanna respond so we aren't empty in there and we don't depend on just technology or just ChatGPT or just our cell phones, but that we're building ourselves and our minds and our leadership capabilities.

25:41
Penelope Aguilar
I agree. So I think that, like, people college will just be on computers and there'll be robots that go to class and. Yeah.

25:56
Olivia Kamat
AI generated classes. Like, I've. My dad. Yeah.

25:59
Penelope Aguilar
Like a robot teaching.

26:00
Olivia Kamat
Yeah. My dad keeps showing me this AI thing that, like, kids in college are, like, recording on this AI app their classes. And, like, it gives them a summary of what they need to study and what they need to do, which I kind of think is interesting, but also, like, can, like, Penelope saying in the future, is it just gonna be a robot doing that? Like, what the kids do today?

26:23
Ari Kamat
I think at one point there's gonna be, like, robot teachers, and you might not have actual teacher. You'll have, like, a robot teacher. And then students will come.

26:31
Mara Kamat
People, do you want to go learn from a robot?

26:33
Penelope Aguilar
No.

26:34
Ari Kamat
No, that'd scare me.

26:36
Penelope Aguilar
I think I would be. I think if it showed any emo, like, anything that was weird, I think I would.

26:46
Ari Kamat
I think. I think I just freak out. Like, seeing a robot teaching and Like.

26:51
Olivia Kamat
AI is not always correct. I mean, like, most times it is, but it's not always like, if you know what I mean. And I think that, like, having that as a teacher would be kind of, like, not interesting, but, like, different kind of learning.

27:07
Ari Kamat
This, like, is relevant, but not. So Olivia had Civi. Olivia had his dress down day this morning.

27:13
Penelope Aguilar
But.

27:14
Ari Kamat
And I asked my Alexa, does Laurel school have dress down day today? And it's like, AI from the 1900s said this. They have a dress down day half. When you have half a day of school for a price of $1, it's like the 1900s. It feels like it was very wrong, but it's my Alexa's AI.

27:32
Mara Kamat
Oh, Alexa's AI was wrong.

27:35
Olivia Kamat
But why would you ask Alexa? Alexa wouldn't know. Alexa.

27:37
Ari Kamat
No, it's like, I.

27:39
Olivia Kamat
School calendar.

27:39
Ari Kamat
No, I said, like, in Laurel school, Ohio. Yeah, it would.

27:41
Olivia Kamat
I know. No, it wouldn't have the school calendar.

27:44
Carrie Aguilar
I don't know. I don't know what Alexa has. All I just know is every night I have to tell it to delete notifications or it still, like, hovers in Penelope's room, and that freaks me out.

27:54
Penelope Aguilar
No, it, like, does the blue green.

27:57
Mara Kamat
Yeah.

27:58
Carrie Aguilar
So you have to say, delete notifications, and then it will stop.

28:01
Olivia Kamat
Good to know.

28:02
Carrie Aguilar
Yeah.

28:03
Penelope Aguilar
I thought there was gonna be an alien apocalypse, and it was just like calling aliens. I asked Alexa, I literally asked, are you calling an alien army?

28:16
Ari Kamat
And then.

28:17
Penelope Aguilar
And then Alexa said, I have no answer for that.

28:20
Olivia Kamat
Ari keeps asking Alexa, like, he's doing 67, and, like, what year of the word.

28:26
Ari Kamat
I asked, what's the word of the year? And she says 67. But it's a slang word that kids.

28:32
Carrie Aguilar
Oh, my gosh.

28:32
Ari Kamat
That kids use. And it says it is promptly pronounced 6, 7.

28:36
Olivia Kamat
Also, she keeps asking my dad. My dad and Alexa, my dad and her, every night before they go to bed, they ask Alexa a random Alexa.

28:46
Ari Kamat
What six plus seven was? Six plus seven plus six plus seven plus 41. And she said, 67. What are you, a gen Alpha kid now? It looks so funny.

28:58
Olivia Kamat
That's so weird.

28:59
Carrie Aguilar
You ask Alexa questions every day.

29:01
Penelope Aguilar
Yeah, I know. I ask, like, how old are you? And then she says, a cheesy joke, no pun intended. She says. She says, I'm nine years old, but I don't think. But I heard age doesn't matter unless you're a cheese.

29:18
Olivia Kamat
She does do that.

29:19
Ari Kamat
She does do that.

29:20
Penelope Aguilar
She's British. She's British.

29:22
Ari Kamat
Mine will go to a British accent, but it's also like the new One. And it's, like, bothered me. I tried to change it so many times.

‍29:28
Mara Kamat

Can I just say something? This blows my mind. Like, pause for a second. Like, Alexa didn't exist when were kids. Cell phones didn't exist when were young.

29:40
Olivia Kamat
You guys, no offense, but, like, you guys, like, none Take it you guys learned how to use cell phones.

29:45
Carrie Aguilar
Kick the can outside.

29:47
Olivia Kamat
I know, like, sometimes, like, you guys say, like, phones are bad, devices are bad for us, but then I see my mom or dad doomschooling, and they're like, you shouldn't be doomschooling. You shouldn't be on your phone. But then they're doomscrolling.

29:59
Carrie Aguilar
That's why when. When Ari made the comment about how she doesn't have a phone, and it was nice that everyone else didn't have a. I have been very. I have been very in tune to times when James and I are on our phones and Penelope's just hanging out, and I'm like, wow, this is, like, really awful.

30:17
Olivia Kamat
Do you know the thing, though, for me, about, like, this, they're, like, saying, social media is bad for you. It's not gonna help you. But then, like, you see, you guys are like, saying, like, oh, what about phones, AI, all this stuff? And, like, we're like, hey, you use it too. Like, why can't we?

30:31
Mara Kamat
And I think there's a balance to it, right?

30:33
Olivia Kamat
Six or seven?

30:34
Ari Kamat
Seven. We did the six, seven hand motion.

30:37
Mara Kamat
There is a B to how we use our cell phones, which, when you took a detox, we all kind of took a detox. And that was really nice. And we did not grow up in a world where we learned how to do those things because cell phones didn't exist when were at kids.

30:54
Olivia Kamat
It was very nice. I felt like were very in.

30:56
Carrie Aguilar
Tune to everybody, and I think it's a reason why learning and leadership and growth, mindset and fill in. Anything that you guys are working on in school is so important, because even though AI is around and it will become a huge part of our lives, the strategy, the thought leadership, that piece comes from us. The AI is built off of our knowledge and. And us create. So we need to be leaders. We need to have the strategy. We need to. To feed it.

31:33
Olivia Kamat
We still need those people.

31:35
Carrie Aguilar
Yeah, exactly.

31:36
Mara Kamat
So as you all settle into looking into 2026, what are you most looking forward to in 2026 and what are you working on over the next couple months?

31:48
Olivia Kamat
I have three words. I'm excited to be a teenager for sure.

31:53
Carrie Aguilar
Oh, yeah. Big one.

31:55
Mara Kamat
Three In February.

31:57
Olivia Kamat
And I'm also excited cause I've been. I really want good grades this year. I'm really trying to work hard. I work hard in general. I have good grades in general. Pretty good grades.

32:07
Mara Kamat
Would you say you have great grades, Livia?

32:09
Olivia Kamat
And I would say I'm really trying to keep those there and really trying to work on my work because I want to stay focused and I want to do the things I can do and I want to focus on myself and what I want to do before high school kind of. Cause that's coming up.

32:28
Mara Kamat
I feel okay. But it's also. We're coming into your favorite season.

32:32
Olivia Kamat
I know, Winter. Yeah, I love winter. It's definitely my favorite season. I really also, I think that like out of school and like sports wise, I really want to not be afraid to jump off the cliffs while skiing. Cause like literally my sister will like full on, just shoot straight for them.

32:50
Ari Kamat
And jump off a cliff. And then Lev video and I'm at sky.

32:53
Olivia Kamat
I just want, I don't want. I know it's like I have a good reason. Like I don't want to get hurt, but I want to like learn to do those because like it would help, like not help by skiing, but it would improve like things I can do.

33:06
Ari Kamat
I did this one jump last year and I landed in two feet of powder. And I like it was a full yard sale, but it was so fun.

33:14
Olivia Kamat
It was like a cliff.

33:15
Carrie Aguilar
What does a full yard sale?

33:17
Ari Kamat
I pronounce my poles and my skateboard. Oh yeah, my skis falls off.

33:22
Olivia Kamat
Giant explosion sound.

33:25
Carrie Aguilar
That's so funny.

33:26
Ari Kamat
And Liv just videoing it. And I'm just like laughing at the end of it.

33:29
Olivia Kamat
It's a hilarious video.

33:31
Mara Kamat
How about you, Penelope? As you think about this upcoming year.

33:35
Penelope Aguilar
Finally be inner camp for Camp Taconic.

33:39
Mara Kamat
Oh, what does that mean? Can you share with our listeners what it means to be inner camp?

33:43
Penelope Aguilar
So at Camp Taconic there are. There are three sections. Lower camp which is 8, 9, 10, and then inter camp which is 11, 12, and then upper camp which is 13, 14, 15 and then lits.

34:05
Mara Kamat
What do you love about camp?

34:08
Penelope Aguilar
I think I like my friends. My friends are really nice, but they all live in New York.

34:15
Carrie Aguilar
That's a bummer.

34:16
Mara Kamat
Yeah, but how many days till camp do you know?

34:20
Penelope Aguilar
So when I went to the reunion. 211.

34:23
Mara Kamat
I know. So you're getting close. Probably about 200 now.

34:27
Penelope Aguilar
200? Yeah.

34:28
Carrie Aguilar
Yeah.

34:28
Mara Kamat
Almost 200 days till camp.

34:31
Carrie Aguilar
Woo hoo. Woo.

34:33
Mara Kamat
How about you, Ariana?

34:35
Ari Kamat
When I'm working Turret toward is. I'm going to stay on the beam this whole season, guys.

34:39
Mara Kamat
We know that.

34:40
Ari Kamat
It's gonna make me very mad if I don't.

34:42
Mara Kamat
You're gonna do it also.

34:45
Ari Kamat
I'm looking forward to skiing.

34:48
Olivia Kamat
Yeah, I agree with Penelope. Like, I'm excited for camp. Cause I like the activities there.

34:54
Penelope Aguilar
Same.

34:56
Carrie Aguilar
That's fun.

34:56
Mara Kamat
It is unique. All three of you go to away camp. Penelope goes the longest. She does. How long do you go for, Penelope?

35:06
Penelope Aguilar
I go for seven weeks.

35:08
Ari Kamat
Yeah, went for seven weeks last year. We're going for four weeks this year.

35:13
Olivia Kamat
But you're lucky you get to have your parents there.

35:16
Mara Kamat
I don't know if she thinks it's as lucky as you do.

35:19
Olivia Kamat
I mean, like, if I had my parents, I mean, sometimes I feel like it would get annoying, but I kind of would like seeing them, because seven weeks from them is a long time.

35:29
Carrie Aguilar
So last question. We like to ask this for. To all of our guests. What is one thing that's bringing you joy right now? Ari, why don't you start?

35:40
Ari Kamat
I, like, just in this very moment, I like that we're all just laughing here on camera.

35:47
Carrie Aguilar
I love that.

35:48
Ari Kamat
And then just in general, going to gymnastics.

35:52
Carrie Aguilar
The beam.

35:53
Ari Kamat
No, not my favorite. But we're gonna live with it, and we're gonna stay on.

35:59
Penelope Aguilar
I think I love Jiu Jitsu right now. I'm working really hard in it, and I have, like, three prompts. Show up, work hard, have fun. And that's. And I try and do all of that.

36:15
Mara Kamat
That's beautiful, Penelope.

36:16
Penelope Aguilar
Thank you.

36:17
Olivia Kamat
Okay, this is a little funny, but snow is my favorite thing in the entire world. And snow is bringing me a lot of joy right now. Also, like the. In the holidays. Like, definitely, like, the family time and being with your family all the time. So definitely that. Also, like, yeah, like, the snow and like, being with your families during the holiday times.

36:40
Carrie Aguilar
And then there's a question, but I want to, like, switch it up. So we always ask question about, like, if you could give your younger self advice. So we're going to switch it up. And we would say, if you could give your parents advice or people listening advice about kids, what would you say?

36:59
Olivia Kamat
Okay. Can I start?

37:00
Carrie Aguilar
Yeah.

37:01
Olivia Kamat
Okay. So definitely, like, so two things. One, like, let. Let them be. Like, let them try stuff. Don't hold them back. Like, let them experience mistakes. Let them do what you might think they make a mistake, but let them learn that from themselves. Let them learn from the mistakes also. And also, I would tell my parents this right now. Social media is not always bad.

37:30
Mara Kamat
How much social media do you have, Liv?

37:32
Olivia Kamat
0Zelch, zippo, nada. Which I think, same with me. From their point of view, I see why they think it's bad and why they think it's bad, but sometimes for me, it's more that I feel left out from what my friends are.

37:46
Ari Kamat
My friends, everyone in my grade except for a couple people, the Snapchat group chat.

37:50
Olivia Kamat
I just feel left out. Mostly because, like, I actually don't care if I have it or not. I just mostly feel left out. And, like I said earlier, like, you guys have it. Like, what are. What are you guys learning that we're not. What are you guys? Nothing. My dad's going on tick tock, but then he's saying, like, you're gonna school on tick tock doom school. You don't need it. Like, for me, it's like, more like, why are you letting experience it, but we can't.

38:15
Mara Kamat
I love you so much. I love you. That's why you don't have social media. I go on Instagram.

38:21
Carrie Aguilar
She wants you to like snow some more.

38:23
Mara Kamat
Oh.

38:25
Carrie Aguilar
For a while longer. She wants you to get joy from snow.

38:28
Olivia Kamat
Oh, I still do. Ever stop that.

38:31
Penelope Aguilar
One time she was watching a video, and I was with my friend, and then I came down and I thought she was crying and she was laughing, and she was like.

38:43
Olivia Kamat
Oh, my God, my mom does that too.

38:46
Ari Kamat
And I was like, are you okay? And she's like, oh.

38:49
Olivia Kamat
But I just saw this.

38:50
Ari Kamat
Really? Really.

38:52
Olivia Kamat
I'm just laughing.

38:57
Ari Kamat
Penelope has a perfect imitation.

38:59
Olivia Kamat
So good. Penelope, we should do a comedy show one day.

39:03
Carrie Aguilar
This is awful.

39:05
Mara Kamat
All right, Penelope, how about you? What advice do you have?

39:10
Penelope Aguilar
Kids are smarter than you think.

39:12
Olivia Kamat
Yeah, for sure.

39:13
Ari Kamat
Exactly.

39:14
Olivia Kamat
Might be smart.

39:15
Penelope Aguilar
Don't like. Yeah, that's my advice.

39:19
Carrie Aguilar
Cool.

39:20
Olivia Kamat
How about you r. Let your kids.

39:22
Ari Kamat
Go a little bit? Let them do what they want to do. Good.

39:27
Carrie Aguilar
I like that.

39:28
Penelope Aguilar
I like that too.

39:29
Mara Kamat
I do, too.

39:29
Ari Kamat
Just sometimes I don't want to be mean, but sometimes I feel like parents are overprotective and don't let their kids.

39:34
Mara Kamat
Like, jump off of the side of mountains.

39:37
Penelope Aguilar
Hey, don't be mean.

39:39
Olivia Kamat
They don't know. They don't? No.

39:42
Ari Kamat
Olivia videos me jumping off the sides of mountains.

39:44
Penelope Aguilar
Okay.

39:45
Olivia Kamat
And send this to dad, and then dad shows it to mom, and then.

39:48
Ari Kamat
Mom freaks out, and then Olivia texts she's alive.

39:51
Mara Kamat
Thank God you're alive.

39:54
Carrie Aguilar
Thank you for listening to this special holiday episode, and thank you to our girls for being thoughtful, honest, and brave.

40:02
Mara Kamat
We hope this brought some warmth and maybe a reminder to see the world and the holidays through younger eyes. Curious, confident and full of possibility. And, of course, laughter. Happy Holidays from In Her Land.

40:19
Ari Kamat
Yay. We did it.

40:22
Carrie Aguilar
So we'll be taking some time off for the holidays, but we will see you guys back in 2026.

40:28
Mara Kamat
Happy New Year.

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