episodes

Why is it that when we are struggling, other people feel the need to put a silver lining on all of our rain clouds? In this episode we unearth the psychology behind toxic positivity, and how focusing on staying positive at all costs can actually hurt us in the long run.

What are the important differences, both obvious and hidden, in the way we raise boys and the way we raise girls? Ruth Whippman, author of the new book BOYMOM, explains where modern parenting advice for raising boys often misses the mark.

Is your kid being bullied? Should you as the parent get involved? Will that only make things worse? It's easy to feel helpless at these times. Getting clear about what's happening can help.

Ah, summer! Time for relaxing. Just as soon as we get through the end-of-year craziness and sign each of our kids up for ten camps.

“Other countries have social safety nets. The U.S. has women.” Sociologist Jessica Calarco, author of the new book HOLDING IT TOGETHER: How Women Became America's Safety Net, explains how we can start changing that narrative.

Traveling with siblings and in-laws and parents and cousins can be an incredible experience. It can also lead to unexpected conflict. Here's what to agree upon ahead of time.

Why do all mothers feel like failures sometimes? Is it the 24/7 job description? The high stakes of nurturing small humans? A culture which tells us no matter how hard we try, there’s another mom doing it better? All of the above. Here’s what works.

Historian Sarah Gristwood studied 400 years of women's diaries and found many common threads. Her book SECRET VOICES highlights the stories that women have traditionally kept to themselves, and why those stories matter.

How can we help kids who aren't great at making friends—who don't pick up on the subtle social rules that make friendships work? Here's how to teach kids to make—and keep—peer connections.

We tend to hold our Bad Mom Moments close, deeply certain no other mother has ever temporarily forgotten her baby in the Target LEGO aisle. Spoiler alert– you’re not alone. Guest: Arianna Bradford, author of SHAME ON YOU: BIG TRUTHS FROM A BAD MOM.

How can working women attain wage equity in a modern workplace that is stacked against them? Naomi Cahn and June Carbone, authors of FAIR SHAKE: WOMEN AND THE FIGHT TO BUILD A JUST ECONOMY, discuss the factors that contribute to an unjust economy and how to build a better one.

When should kids be able to walk to school by themselves? What about have a smartphone? We hash out what we think the best ages are for certain activities and privileges—and how our answers now may differ from when we started the podcast.

JoAnn Crohn is the creator of “No Guilt Mom” and a former middle-school teacher. She believes that some of the behavioral control strategies she learned in teacher training can be counterproductive, and especially at home. Here’s what to try instead.

How can step-parents smoothly transition into being part of their new families? What happens when the kids are not on board with having a new parent? Cameron Normand, founder of Stepfamily Solutions, tells us what she's learned.

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.

Dr. Pooja Lakshmin is a psychiatrist, author, and founder of gemmawomen.com, the first digital education platform dedicated exclusively to women’s mental health. We discuss mom guilt, burnout, true self-care, and finding ways to reclaim ourselves.

How do we make new female friends as adults, and how do we hold onto friendships that matter to us? Danielle Bayard Jackson, author of the new book FIGHTING FOR OUR FRIENDSHIPS, gives tips for making new friends and for keeping the ones we love, too.

It's test day. In our May bonus episode, we take the famous Myers-Briggs personality test—and turns out we're not complete opposites in some important ways!

Why do moms have mixed feelings about Mother's Day? Turns out Anna Jarvis, the holiday's founder, had second thoughts. Perhaps for good reason. We talk the ups and downs of Mother's Day.

"Mom guilt" might be universal and inescapable. It's also often misplaced, and can sabotage not just our own happiness, but our ability to parent effectively.

How can we determine if our child is addicted to video games, and what can we do about it? Dr. Alok Kanojia, author of HOW TO RAISE A HEALTHY GAMER, explains what a video game addiction looks like and parenting tips for talking to our kids about it.

Are you convinced your child will never eat a vegetable and that their picky eating is a reflection of your parenting? Here's how to get your picky eater to expand their palate—and why it's usually not the end of the world.

Parenting as a team is an ongoing challenge even when your relationship is pretty harmonious. But constantly matching headspaces with your co-parent isn’t the goal– for us, parenting as a team has often meant taking turns. Here’s how that works.

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