Dear Queue Tips,

My only daughter is going off to college and I am not handling it gracefully. I think I need a heartwarming father-daughter movie or series so I can just cry it out. Please help.

Queue Tips says:

It’s totally normal to miss our kids when they leave home, but it’s also something to be proud of. Ask yourself: Why is she taking this next step in life? In huge part, because of the support, guidance, and love you’ve given her. Revel in that and take time to rediscover who you are as a person (not just as a dad), but also let yourself feel all the feels you need to feel. 

One way to do that: By watching Old Enough!, the reality TV series that follows toddlers as they take on tasks like going to the grocery store, helping their parents at work, and running errands for the family. As you watch, cry over the little girl you raised who is now taking on bigger challenges than she ever could have imagined back then. 

Or, if you want something that’s more specifically father-daughter, check out the three movies in the To All The Boys series. Each of the films follows a teenage girl as she comes of age — and in two of the installments goes to college — and makes mistakes, always with the unwavering support of her single dad. And if you, like so many others, end up craving more stories about the Covey family, a spin-off series about the youngest daughter is coming soon.

Dear Queue Tips,

I have a lifelong habit of losing interest in hobbies and skills before I really hone them. I get really enthusiastic about things for a few weeks or even years and then one day, I’m just done. How do you stay interested or make it a habit to keep developing your skills? 

Queue Tips says:

First and foremost, I encourage you to enjoy the fact that you’re a jack-of-all-trades. So many of us get trapped in tunnel vision with our hobbies and fail to appreciate the wider world the way you do. It truly is a gift to find joy in so many things!

But if you really and truly want to stick with one interest longer, I have a few recommendations. First, consider joining a community of learners to support you, have fun with you, and keep you accountable as you grow. 

Second, consider approaching things differently with the help of comedy series Grace and Frankie. The show follows two enemies-turned-best friends in their seventies, as they date, get up to no good, and enjoy their passions — which they approach differently.

Frankie’s approach is to see everything as potentially interesting and worth dabbling in, from food to political activism to talking with strangers. At a certain point, though, one thing stands out above all others, and that’s making art. Perhaps try being like Frankie: Enjoy the fact that you find so many things interesting, and wait for that one thing to speak to you so deeply that you must proclaim it, as Frankie does when she says, “I am an artist.”

Or, you might try your hand at Grace’s approach. Grace identifies as a businesswoman and entrepreneur, but under that umbrella, she doesn’t limit herself to what kinds of businesses she pursues. For most of her life, it’s cosmetics. Later in life, it’s sex aids. Still later, it’s assistive toilets for older people. So, if you were to follow Grace’s angle, you might, for example, identify broadly as a crafter, but your crafts may vary from knitting to painting to cross-stitch to plating food — there are no limits!

Dear Queue Tips,

The good news: I just found out that Squid Game has been greenlit for a second season. I could not be more excited! I was obsessed with the first season and binged the entire thing in a weekend. The bad news: It’s not on Netflix yet. As I await the second season of my favorite show in years, what should I watch next?

Queue Tips says:

Oh, dear reader, I’m right there with you! I can hardly wait until Squid Game returns, but fortunately, I’ve found lots of supplemental watching to keep me entertained until then. First and foremost, I’d recommend the highly bingeable Korean series All of Us Are Dead. It follows a group of students who are trapped in their high school during a zombie virus outbreak. Much like Squid Game, it explores real issues like economic class and social hierarchies and is impossible not to watch in one sitting. Or, if you just want that high-suspense, dystopian Squid Game feeling, but need a break from binging, I suggest watching Black Mirror. Each episode is a different stand-alone story that blurs the line between sci-fi and reality, all while tapping into our collective unease about the modern world.