episodes

What's the absolutely dumbest thing that you fully believed as a child? We asked our listeners, and share some of their—and our—most deeply held misbeliefs.

Parenting coach Danielle Bettmann shares how positive discipline can help parents of strong-willed or neurodivergent kids avoid power struggles and find calm, connection, and consistency.

Amy and Margaret offer five important topics to discuss with your kids this summer, from online safety to growth mindset. We also provide you with plenty of other episodes we've done on these topics for further listening.

Here are the mom lies that totally worked on our kids– or worked on us *as* kids. Whether it's the ice cream truck's “all gone” jingle, the "just sleeping” goldfish, or the broccoli factory field trip for kids who act up, these are our favorite fibs.

It can feel scary to discuss racism with our kids. But it’s the best way for us to protect them from its harms– and as Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, author of HOW TO RAISE AN ANTIRACIST, explains, kids can approach this work more easily than we might expect.

We asked our listeners to tell us about their pettiest and most long-held grudges. From spelling-bee unfairness to pumpkin-farm price gouging, we spill the tea on our own petty grudges and share some of your most hilarious answers.

Francesca Royster, author of the memoir CHOOSING FAMILY: A Memoir of Queer Motherhood and Black Resistance, explains what it means to build a “chosen family” of friends, and how to parent while yearning for the world that we want, but don’t have yet.

Ramit Sethi, author of the book MONEY FOR COUPLES, joins Margaret to talk finances in marriages: why we avoid it, how to reframe it, and how to design a rich life together.

Sometimes we never learn things because we think they're too hard. But we (and our listeners) are here to say that some of them aren't hard at all!

Ellen Kahn is an expert on LGBTQ youth and family life. She tells us how parents can create a home environment that affirms and accepts LGBTQ children, and how we can advocate for LGBTQ kids in the larger world, whether they're our own kids or not.

Relationship expert Dr. Morgan Cutlip, author of the new book A BETTER SHARE, offers practical tools for reducing the mental load, improving intimacy, and creating a more equitable home—without the resentment.

We explore the core messages of the trad mom trend. Why does this aesthetic captivate us, and why does it drive so many of us crazy?

Jessica Zucker's new book "Normalize It" is a compassionate exploration of the stories of women's lives, rooted in her own experience with miscarriage and breast cancer, and her work as a psychologist specializing in women's mental health. In this episode she explains how to challenge the stigma an…

Parenting writer Meagan Francis joins Amy to discuss her new book, THE LAST PARENTING BOOK YOU'LL EVER READ, and how to embrace life after hands-on motherhood. A must-listen for parents facing empty nests, identity shifts, and new beginnings.

A new study on maternal mental health reveals "significant declines" in the well-being of mothers. Margaret and Amy discuss the latest data, potential causes, and how to prioritize our own well-being at every stage of motherhood.

Amber Briggle is an activist, speaker, and proud parent of her transgender son. In this episode, she discusses how to support trans kids in today’s political climate as well as her own journey parenting her son through his transition.

How can we prepare our children to navigate the ups and downs of adult life? Melinda Wenner Moyer, author of the new book HELLO CRUEL WORLD, discusses how parents can model cultivating skills for emotional intelligence and resilience to their children.

How can we keep track of the millions of tasks that kids, work, and a household require without letting important things slip through the cracks? Amy and Margaret discuss practical systems to help families manage their daily routines and scheduling challenges.

Can we become more inclusive as parents? We discuss how to get more intentionally welcoming in our family lives and communities, how to bring our kids into that conversation, and how inclusivity benefits us just as much as the one we’re welcoming.

How can we maintain a creative practice as busy parents? Loryn Brantz, author of the new collection of poetry POEMS OF PARENTING, discusses balancing motherhood with her creative pursuits.

As summer travel looms large, what can we do to keep the family chaos to a minimum as we hop in a car or on a plane? Here are some useful family travel tips from Amy, Margaret, and our listeners.

Is it really our "maternal gatekeeping" and too-high standards that are preventing a more equitable distribution of household tasks? We discuss the minimum standard of care and how that can be determined.

Do we have to learn life's hardest lessons over and over, or is there a way to easily access the important advice we've heard before? Gretchen Rubin, author of the new book SECRETS OF ADULTHOOD, discusses the power of the aphorism.

Is parenting harder today—or just different? We explore 125 years of parenting trends, from strict rules to gentle parenting, and why modern moms feel more pressure than ever.