episodes

Why is your child an angel at school but melts down at home—or vice versa? Here are the developmental, emotional, and environmental reasons kids behave differently in different settings, and how parents can respond with insight and calm.

We asked our listeners about the things that make them unreasonably happy. From petrichor to butter cubes to sausage dogs in sweaters, the weirdness certainly abounded.

Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action and author of FIRED UP, shares how she reignited her life—and how listeners can too.

From odd birthday traditions to showtunes in 8-part harmony, each family has their own quirks! We asked our listeners about the things they used to think everyone else's family did too.

When were you the mom-ster in your household? Leaving out cups? Forbidding video games on a school night? Here are our most harrowing tales of mom misbehavior, as reported by the people we live with.

How do we deal with the hard things in life that will inevitably come our way? Jessica N. Turner, author of I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER THAN THIS, tells us how she faced the worst time of her own life.

It's mostly on us default parents to make Christmas bright (or whatever holiday our family may celebrate, including all of them). How do we also maintain our sanity?

From bikinis for six-year-olds to leprechaun traps to over-the-top holiday traditions, there are so many trends and traditions that shouldn’t exist. We asked our listeners what shouldn’t be a thing anymore, and they responded in force…

Baby naming expert Sophie Kihm of Nameberry joins Amy to break down the biggest baby name trends for 2026—from ancient civilization names and showgirl glamour to Utah baby names and Boomer comebacks.

Why do kids melt down at the holidays—often at the worst possible moments? Amy and Margaret break down the science behind disrupted routines, emotional overload, sensory stressors, and expectations, plus practical strategies to prevent holiday blowups.

Anyone old enough to have enjoyed the Super Bowl halftime show also has strong opinions about what other things were definitely better Back in the Day. In this episode we decide whether some things are better then or better now- for kids AND parents.

Writer and illustrator Sophie Lucido Johnson, author of author of ⁠KIN: THE FUTURE OF FAMILY⁠, discusses building real friendship networks, creating interdependence, embracing community care, and why small, everyday connections matter.

In this episode, Amy and Margaret unpack classic parables — from the empty boat to the two wolves — and explore how these stories can help us handle frustration, anxiety, family dynamics, and everyday parenting bumps with more clarity and compassion.

Kids today spend 11 more hours a week on school and homework than we did. That means a lot less time to play. A new study theorizes that this decline is directly related to the decline in kids' mental health.

There's no place like home for the holidays—but that doesn't mean being with extended family is always easy. In this interview, family counselor Erin Cox offers advice for travel stress, hosting burnout, difficult relatives, and the pressure to “make it magical.”

Amy and Margaret break down why saying no is real work with real consequences and practical ways to set boundaries without guilt, protecting your time, energy, and sanity.

No one wants to be a helicopter parent. Every parent needs to be helpful. But how much, how often, and how can we find the best overall balance?

Amy and Margaret talk with Glen Henry, author of the new book FATHER YOURSELF FIRST, about breaking cycles, parenting with intention, and healing your inner child.

Mothers would do anything for their families, but they would also like them to stop saying and doing some things that drive them absolutely bonkers. Here are some of the things our mom friends can't stand.

When anxiety is part of family systems, our well-meaning attempts to assuage kids can instead serve to further reinforce it. Psychologist Lynn Lyons and Robin Hutson, co-hosts of the podcast Flusterclux, explain what actually works for anxiety.

Dr. Michael Milobsky, host of the podcast "Your Kids Will Be Fine," offers his pediatrician expert advice to our listener questions.

Amy and Margaret share listeners' most practical holiday hacks—and a few of their own—for simplifying meals, traditions, and expectations for a saner, happier holiday season.

Society tells us that it's both unavoidable and appropriate for kids to shift their focus from their parents to their peers as they grow. In their book HOLD ON TO YOUR KIDS, Dr. Gabor Maté and Dr. Gordon Neufeld explain why we should push back on "peer orientation."

Kate Baer tells us about her new poetry collection HOW ABOUT NOW—written through illness, motherhood, and major life changes—and how poetry helps her make sense of time, the body, marriage, and what it means to keep going.