episodes

A listener Asks Amy what to do about keeping up with all her kids' LEGOs

Sometimes it’s the little things that make us the craziest: the plastic thingies on juice box straws. The never-ending “Mom?” with that question mark at the end. Here’s all the teeny-tiny things about mom life that still manage to drive …

Margaret answers a question from a listener who is getting stressed out by her nursery school's group chat.

Why do kids tell lies? How do we know when it’s a problem? Making kids admit their lies isn’t always necessary, as long as we parent in ways that focus less on those falsehoods and more on our kids making …

Today Amy tackles the question, "How do I stop my toddler from hitting us?"

Anyone old enough to remember New Coke thinks things were better in the free-wheeling, “come home when it’s dark” days of our childhood. But were they really? We decide whether the things we loved are better then or better now- …

Today Margaret tackles the question "What can I do about my boys destroying their bathroom?"

If you make a list of all the stuff you do that your spouse has no idea happens, it will probably be very long and rage-inducing. So don’t stop there! Here’s how to redistribute the household workload for good. Guest …

Amy answers a question from a listener whose 8-year-old has been asked on a date.

When kids need rescuing, they look to Mom. Whether we do so or not, we’re left second-guessing whatever it is we just did. Here’s when we should step in, and when we should hang back— and how to give our …

Margaret answers the question, "When is the right time for my kids to start sharing a room?"

Have you ever felt coerced into parenting in a way you usually wouldn’t because you were in public? Is the disapproval of Aunt Joan even worse than eyerolls from strangers? Here’s how to stay focused even when it’s YOUR kid …

Amy answers the question "What do I do about my kids who won't stop fighting?"

What is it about the kid who throws sand that other kids find so irresistible? How do we keep our kids away from bad influences in their lives, especially as they get older? And why do parents sometimes peg exactly …

Margaret answers the question "How can we stop the grandparents from constantly giving our kids plastic toys?"

We asked all of you for your hot takes and unpopular opinions. From athleisure to mayonnaise to french-fry consistency to the enduring fame of Coldplay, these are your extremely fervent feelings about things most of us hadn’t seriously considered.

This week Amy tackles the question, "When should I start letting my kids have sleepovers?"

There are a lot of reasons that one kid might be hogging our bandwidth. Some are positive; some not so much. Sometimes it’s temporary; sometimes it's a “new normal” that can reshape family dynamics. Here’s how to keep our other …

This week Margaret tackles the question, "What do I do with a kiddo who absolutely hates baths?"

What do we do when our parents overindulge our kids? Or undermine our parenting choices in front of them? What about when our parents don't seem interested in our kids at all? Here’s how to create grandparent relationships that work …

Amy tackles the question, "What do I do with my child who is terrified of bugs?"

Our kids are pretty happy being dependent on us. Doesn’t a grilled cheese taste so much better when Mom makes it? So how do we start the nest-leaving process early and often? Guest: Mary Dell Harrington, co-author of the new …

This week Margaret tackles the question, "What are reasonable rules for when our parents visit?"

Today Amy tackles the question "How Do I Deal with Meltdowns at School Drop-Off?"