episodes

Life can get better when you stop caring. Whether it’s celebrity culture, making our kids dress appropriately for the weather, rinsing rice, or checking the scale in the morning, here are things that are no longer interesting to us and our listeners.

Talking about the invisible workload isn't one and done. If the default parent doesn’t make it visible, who is going to see what they do? But in order to keep these conversations peaceful and productive, start by considering what you hope to gain.

There’s a Russian saying: You can’t sit on two chairs with one butt. Guest Masha Rumer, author of PARENTING WITH AN ACCENT, explains the experiences of immigrant parents raising kids in America while trying to maintain a relationship to their pasts.

Our kids get older, and so do we. That’s Just Facts. And that our relationships with our kids will therefore change as they grow? Truth. But does that mean you have to therefore cherish every moment, because it’s all less wonderful each day? Nope.

We picture after school as a time to reunite with our kids and discuss the day, maybe over some homemade cookies. In reality it’s more like wrangling a bunch of escaped zoo creatures. How can we create a routine that serves everyone in our homes?

Making friends as adults? Hard work. Seeing the friends we already have? Weirdly difficult. Post-pandemic social stamina? Not exactly helping. Kat Vellos, author of WE SHOULD GET TOGETHER, explains how to get intentional about the connection we need.

Tired of setting New Year’s goals every January? How about some “back to ones” in February? No expectation of perfection, no frustration you didn’t get it all right, no exasperation that what you’re trying to fix is always the same. Of course it is.

The more screen time toddlers have, the crankier they get when you try to take the screens away. The good news is that a reset around screens really is possible with little ones, thanks to their still-limited short and long term memories. Here’s how.

Getting more done isn’t about hustling harder, wanting it more, or stuffing more errands on our calendars. Cara Harvey, author of THE 15-MINUTE FORMULA, says it’s about becoming specific about goals, then aligning our productivity with what matters.

As parents we can feel like uncertainty is something we have to solve, especially where our kids are concerned. We’re supposed to have the answers. But how do we reassure them when we’re not certain either? How do we manage “uncertainty distress”?

It's not unusual for our "little besties" to grow into eye-rolling rude tweens and teens who can't seem to tolerate our existence - but that doesn't mean we have to put up with it.

Ever felt like things are going pretty well, but that happiness is somehow missing from your parenting and your relationships? Dr. Lynyetta Willis calls that feeling “stable misery,” and explains how we can create more joyful harmony in our lives.

What’s getting you through right now? A TV show? A candle? A coffee mug warmer? A podcast and a brisk walk? We asked our listeners for one thing that’s working for them right now, and from workouts to pets to Hallmark movies,...

What’s it really like to have a kid away at college? Sure, drop-off day is hard, but there are also real benefits to this shift in the parent/child relationship. If you’re dreading an upcoming transition, Amy’s perspective will improve your outlook.

Meghan Leahy is the "On Parenting" columnist for The Washington Post and a certified parenting coach. In her work, she has found that parenting problems usually come less from a lack of awareness than from a lack of connection.

In a recent study 47% of parents reported being so stressed about the pandemic that they struggle to make basic decisions like what’s for dinner. Sound familiar? We discuss our own pandemic decision fatigue, and where we’re finding peace right now.

If you've got boys you probably have a bathroom in your house that no one dares walk into, but this doesn't have to be a permanent state! Here are some tips and tricks for how to keep the bathrooms in your house at least passable, if not perfect.

These days, our kids are getting the message that being selfish, obnoxious and cruel is not only okay– it’s how people in power behave. How do we teach them that it actually matters to be kind, ethical, and nice to be around? Guest: Melinda Wenner Moyer, author of HOW TO RAISE KIDS WHO AREN’T A**HO…

Part Two! We asked our listeners: What's something you tried thinking it would go great, and instead it spectacularly backfired?

Toddlers don’t possess "theory of mind"– the ability to understand other people's mental states, and that those emotions can differ from their own. If smacking Mommy's face makes a 2-year-old feel curious, he really might not know it’s inappropriate.

Katherine May is the author of WINTERING: THE POWER OF REST AND RETREAT IN DIFFICULT TIMES. In this episode, which originally aired in December 2020, May explains how we can apply the lessons of nature’s actual winters to our metaphorical ones.

We look back on the year that was and discuss the episodes that were our favorites: the ones that surprised us, taught us the most, and made us laugh. Check the show notes for the one-click playlist of all our favorites!

When our kids tell us about their elementary school crushes– or we find out thanks to notes in their backpack– it can be exciting, confusing, or hilarious. Here’s how to talk about crushes with our younger kids and why it might be best to ‘lean out.’

Kids are hardwired to push our buttons. We’re hardwired to freak out when they do. Carla Naumburg, author of HOW TO STOP LOSING YOUR SH*T WITH YOUR KIDS, explains in this "Best Of" episode how managing our triggers can help.