episodes

Does keeping track of our kids' hygiene have to be another thing on our list of stuff to worry about? Setting rules and parameters around how and when your kids need to groom themselves is better than daily fights about …

Nikki Weiner explains what’s changed in the college admissions landscape. Is test-optional here to stay? Why are schools suddenly so much harder to get into? What makes an application stand out? How can a student and her parent get through …

The news is hard for anyone to escape these days– even our kids, who might see a stray notification on our phones or overhear a TV that was left on. A lot of us struggle with what to tell our …

All kids lose stuff sometimes. Some kids lose stuff all the time. Sometimes it's ADHD or general inattention. Sometimes it's just a slower development of executive function. No matter what, it's frustrating (and expensive). What's a parent to do?

Heidi Murkoff is the author of the legendary What to Expect When You’re Expecting. She’s also the creator of the What to Expect Project, a nonprofit dedicated to helping all mothers expect healthy pregnancies, safe deliveries, and healthy babies.

Youth is wasted on the young. We wasted our youth taking the wrong classes in college and layering imaginary agendas onto other people's dopey behavior. Here's the best advice we (and our listeners) learned from doing things the wrong way.

We love the freedom of summer, but with it comes the familiar complaint of "We're bored!” The simplest solution to kid boredom may be to do less. Structure the day with basic categories of activities, but leave lots of free …

Olivia Martinez-Hauge is a mom of three kids, two with neurodiversity. She’s also a therapist who treats individuals and families who caregive. We talk parenting special-needs kids, plus how to be better allies to friends who might be on that …

Time for some easy wins! Here of some of our (and our listeners') favorite hacks for naptime, diapers, laundry, cooking, snow days, sibling squabbles, and General Sanity Preservation. This stuff really works!

Some kids are more expressive than others. And a child’s ability to discuss feelings might be frustrated by their vocabulary or emotional maturity. How can we encourage kids to open up? Is there a point at which we should be …

What kind of monster listens to videos on speaker? Or keeps the keyboard clicks on their phone? What kind of monster takes up two parking spots? Puts empty cereal boxes back in the cabinet? (Disclaimer: we may have been just …

We can see clearly the effects of birth order both in our own families and in our families of origin. But is that a bad thing? Is it a thing to fight back against? And is it a problem if …

We sometimes worry about kids keeping secrets, but some level of secrecy is appropriate for kids. It’s important to help kids learn which secrets are OK (like surprises). Here’s how to talk about keeping other people's confidences, early and often.

Dr. Dawn Huebner’s latest book is The Sibling Survival Guide: Surefire Ways to Solve Conflicts, Reduce Rivalry, and Have More Fun with Your Brothers and Sisters, which gives kids the power to "stop feeling so bothered and start having more …

Can we become more inclusive as parents? We discuss how to get more intentionally welcoming in our family lives and communities, how to bring our kids into that conversation, and how inclusivity benefits us just as much as the one …

Stuttering occurs when a child's speech development lags behind what they want to say. It's best not to finish their sentences or focus on it. But "ignore it" doesn't necessarily mean "never get a professional opinion or seek therapeutic support."

Margaret Quinlan and Bethany Johnson are co-authors of You’re Doing it Wrong! Mothering, Media and Medical Expertise. which investigates the history of mothering advice from the 1800s to now. Turns out, perfectionism in motherhood is an old dictate.

It's hard to admit things aren't perfect.It's especially hard for moms. "Socially mediated" perfectionism happens when a culture has unrealistic demands for a person or group, then punishes them when they falls short.Sound familiar?Here’s what to do.

Is your little one a Danger Baby who jumps from the top of the slide? Or a Safety Baby who hides behind you? How can we find the balance of keeping our little ones safe and building their courage? And …

As long as there have been grandparents there have been grandparents who say "I would love to give you this brownie but your mom won't let me". How much does this undermining hurt our parenting? If we address this behavior …

Ellen Kahn is an expert on LGBTQ youth and family life. She tells us how parents can create a home environment that affirms and accepts LGBTQ children, and how we can advocate for LGBTQ kids in the larger world, whether …

An "Achilles Heel" is a weakness in spite of overall strength that when exploited by our enemies can lead to our tragic downfalls. From whistling to growth spurts to the constant, constant talking, here are our greatest weaknesses as moms …

How can a mom feel okay about protecting her newborn in a post-pandemic world? Take advantage of warmer weather to do things outside; keep masks on if that makes you more comfortable; and don't accept the burden of Other People's …

Kira Dorrian and Deana Thayer are the co-founders of Future Focused Parenting, the philosophy that starts with the end in mind. They explain how future-focused parenting can make daily parenting decisions clearer, both for ourselves and for our kids.