episodes

Everyone needs an ‘Attaboy!’ every once in a while. When you’re a mom, you usually have to give it to yourself. Whether it’s super-scheduling prowess or the ability to soothe a bleeding toddler in 10 seconds, here are our listeners’ …

Margaret answers a question from a listener whose "bonus daughter" shows zero enthusiasm when opening gifts.

Katherine May is the author of the new book WINTERING: THE POWER OF REST AND RETREAT IN DIFFICULT TIMES. May explains how the natural world prepares for and survives winter, and how we can apply those lessons to the metaphorical …

For the last 1.8 million years or so, children were raised village-style. But 2020 has meant a lot of us raising our kids without the usual help of grandparents or schools or caregivers or friends. Whatever community you can create …

A listener asks whether, and how, she can discipline a 1-year-old who pulls hair and throws food on the floor.

Things that make life easier, things that keep kids improbably happily occupied, things you didn’t know you want but absolutely need to have: these are some super-secret awesome things that we (and our listeners) want to tell the world about.

A listener asks how to help her preschooler be less frightened of trips to see the pediatrician.

We talk to Ali Wentworth, host of the "Go Ask Ali" podcast, all about raising teens during a pandemic. Ali tells us about having Covid, how she and spouse George Stephanopoulos split the lockdown workload, and how she’s giving her …

Parenting as a team is an ongoing challenge even when your relationship is pretty harmonious. But constantly matching headspaces with your co-parent isn’t the goal– for us, parenting as a team has often meant taking turns. Here’s how that works.

A listener asks how to get her early-rising toddler to sleep later in the mornings.

Is there a path for reluctant home cooks to become joyful ones? How do we create “food memories” with our children and encourage healthy eating, even when dealing with food allergies and restrictions? Guest: Calysta Watson of Epicurean Therapy.

There are quite a few things we’ve changed our minds about over our years as parents. From minivans to Minecraft, moms on phones to kindergarten dress codes, focus meds to front-yard holiday inflatables, in this episode we talk about them …

A listener has two little boys who clamor to be "first" in all things, from juice boxes to car-seat-buckling.

Are we different parents in public than we are in private? Does good parenting sometimes look like bad manners? We discuss with Sarah Davis, co-author of Modern Manners for Moms and Dads: Practical Parenting Solutions for Sticky Social Situations.

What does it mean to be ‘that mom’? How should we pick our battles? How do we enter tough conversations prepared for combat but ready to listen? Here’s when that we (and our listeners) went full mama bear, how we …

A listener wonders if her 13-year-old son is old enough for a cell phone and the constant internet access it would grant him.

Do you love crunchy leaves and chunky sweaters? Or do shortening, darkening days fill you with nothing but pumpkin-spiced dread- especially this year? We talk about our Halloween and Thanksgiving plans- and how we can use them to fight off …

A listener who has very little familiarity with gaming wonders how to keep kids safe while playing online.

Bonus Episode! We told you to ask us anything. You kept it PG (thank you) and we’re giving you the answers: What shows are we binging? What gets us dancing in our kitchens? What do our kids think of this …

“Don’t you dare hug Grandma.” “Stop playing on the floor and get on screen.” “Yes, we can go to the playground, but you may not play with the other children.” We discuss all the things we (and our listeners) never …

A listener's first-grader is already totally burned out on homework. Amy offers tips on motivation (and a little pandemic compassion).

Dr. Jill Stoddard is the author of BE MIGHTY: A Woman's Guide to Liberation from Anxiety, Worry & Stress Using Mindfulness and Acceptance. Jill explains why trying to suppress anxiety is counterproductive and how getting clear about our values helps.

Saying ‘no’ doesn’t come easily to a lot of us. (The world likes it that way.) But when you’re seething with resentment because you’re running the school auction by yourself, AGAIN, might there be a better way? Here’s how to …

Margaret answers a question from a listener who is worried she is hurting her husband's feelings by rejecting his attempts to snuggle.