Hi friends,

We’re doing something a little different this week. 

For the past few months, we’ve explored the bright side of family culture—joy, belonging, compassion, and connection. All great stuff and worthwhile, but if our goal isn’t just to raise kind kids, but wise and resilient ones, then we also have to be willing to look at the less polished stuff. The murkier emotions. The shadows.

This week’s episode, “Read the Room, Kid!”, is the start of that exploration. It’s about shrewdness and envy—two words that can sound uncomfortable, but actually hold a lot of opportunity once we bring them into the light.

Because here’s the truth: Envy isn’t a character flaw, it’s fundamentally human. And shrewdness is a beautiful balance between cynicism and naivete.

When we normalize envy and cultivate shrewdness, we help our kids stay kind and protected in the real world.

What we talk about

Why this side of family culture matters

It’s easy to focus on joy, kindness, and connection. But resilience grows from understanding the full picture—learning to name and navigate the harder emotions, too.

What shrewdness really means

Shrewdness lives between two extremes: being overly trusting and being overly skeptical. It’s seeing reality clearly and responding with wisdom instead of wishful thinking.

The difference between envy and jealousy

• Envy: “I want what they have.” (two people)
  

• Jealousy: “I’m afraid of losing what I have to someone else.” (three+ people)

Helping our family learn this difference gives us language for what we each already feel.

The power of naming envy

When we can say, “I feel envious of ___,” it takes the sting out of it. Envy loses its grip when we bring it into the open. Moreover, when we recognize it in ourselves, we can more easily identify it in others. And this is an essential step in reading the room.  

A few stories we share

• Danielle’s committee story — how a painful moment of being blindsided taught her what it means to “read the room.”
  

• Hunter’s classroom win — why it’s okay when others don’t clap, and how to stay proud without dimming your light.
  

• Greg’s childhood lessons — growing up with older kids and learning (the hard way) how to spot motives and stay grounded.

Each story ultimately returns to the same idea: seeing the world as it is, not just as we wish it were or think it should be.

We encourage you to start discussing envy, jealousy & cultivating shrewdness as a family. Short, honest conversations build awareness, normalization, and emotional strength—three things that quietly shape a resilient family culture.

👇 Check out the episode:

TMIT 34: “Read the Room, Kid!” — Cultivating Shrewdness as a Family
Spotify | Apple | YouTube

Thank you for being here with us as we wade into the murkier waters.

It’s not always pretty, but this, too, is where the real growth happens.

With clear eyes & full hearts,
Danielle & Greg

Another one of the Neufitos 🎃 

Greg’s advice for new dads

Danielle has officially quit parenting