episodes

What does it mean for kids to grow up online? Fortesa Latifi, author of the new book LIKE, FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBE, explores influencer families, the ethics of sharing children’s lives, and the hidden costs of turning everyday parenting into content.

The last day you pick up your child is emotional. But what about the last day you have to wipe their butt? We asked our listeners what small yet significant parenting milestones made their lives ten times easier.

Meg Zucker is the author of the book BORN EXTRAORDINARY: Empowering Children with Differences and Disabilities. We talk about the work all parents can do to empower all kids.

How do we make sure our kids know life's most important lessons before they leave the nest? Christina Geist shares heartfelt advice on preparing kids for independence, balancing practical and emotional lessons, and navigating the college transition.

Why do we fear uncertainty? Far more, as it turns out, than we fear actual risk? We explore the psychology behind fear of the unknown, and how it fuels anxiety and complicates our decision-making.

Janice Johnson Dias is a professor of sociology whose work focuses on the mental and physical health of girls, Black girls in particular. We discuss change-making, joy, and her book PARENT LIKE IT MATTERS: HOW TO RAISE JOYFUL, CHANGE-MAKING GIRLS.

Wishing you read more? Wondering why you don't? Meredith Monday Schwartz, co-host of "The Currently Reading Podcast," has advice for rebuilding a joyful reading life.

Struggling to get your kids to read? This episode explores why kids become reluctant readers, how screens impact habits, and practical, pressure-free ways to make reading part of everyday family life—without forcing a love of books.

Stress affects the female brain very differently from the male brain, especially at puberty. Donna Jackson Nakazawa tells us about the increased rates of anxiety and depression in girls–and what we can do about it– in GIRLS ON THE BRINK.

Parenting neurodivergent kids can come with uncertainty and isolation. Jessica Shaw, host of the podcast "Everyone Gets a Juice Box," shares insights on seeking diagnoses, finding community support, and fostering independence in neurodiverse kids.

Is “aging gracefully” really something we should aspire to? We unpack beauty standards, body image, and the pressure to stay young, and how we can try and avoid passing on these messages to our kids.

What would our teenage girls tell us if they believed we were truly listening to what they had to say? Chelsey Goodan, author of UNDERESTIMATED, explains what teenage girls need most from their parents and how we can offer them agency.

Science reporter Michaeleen Doucleff, author of the new book DOPAMINE KIDS, explains how dopamine drives our addictions to our phones and to ultra-processed foods—and how to help ourselves, and our kids, build healthier habits.

Psychologists say we parents transfer our own unfulfilled ambitions onto our children. (Sing out, Louise!) Are we living through our kids? Is that bad? How do we stop? Here’s how to take a step back if you find yourself a little too overinvested.

How should we prepare our daughters for the sexism and bias they will encounter out there in the world? Dr. Jo-Ann Finkelstein, author of SEXISM AND SENSIBILITY, tells us how to give our girls a sense of agency.

Margaret talks with cultural critic Jamilah Lemieux about her book Black Single Mother. They discuss stigma, stereotypes, healing through storytelling, and the complex realities of Black single motherhood in America.

Is social media ruining childhood? Or is TikTok merely this decade's version of a moral panic? We explore the long history of social panics, and whether change must always be scary.

Anxious kids don’t always behave like anxious adults. What works to help anxious kids also differs. Dr. Lisa Damour, host of “Ask Dr. Lisa” and author of UNDER PRESSURE, gives strategies to help kids “settle their glitter.”

Susan Sutton discusses the systemic and generational barriers teen moms face when trying to succeed, and how her nonprofit, The Ember Project, helps them overcome those barriers.

Emotional dysregulation is a type of reactivity where someone's reactions are out of proportion to whatever might have provoked them. Teenagers and toddlers are like that. Sometimes parents are too.

We often get anxious when our kids deviate from what we've all been told is the one path to success and happiness. Gabrielle Blair, author of the book THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, explains how to help our kids become themselves.

Health and science journalist Catherine Price discusses her book THE AMAZING GENERATION, a bold guide empowering kids to resist Big Tech, and to choose real friendship and fun over screens.

Do siblings need to be close? We explore why closeness doesn’t mean low conflict, how rivalry shapes identity, and what parents can—and can’t—control about sibling relationships over a lifetime.

Can we get bored teens excited about school—or anything at all? Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, authors of the book THE DISENGAGED TEEN, explain how we can encourage our kids' enthusiasm.