episodes

Before our kids were born we had an idea of the mothers we would be— and definitely knew the mothers we would NEVER be. (And then we became parents.) We asked our listeners to tell us the mothers they swore they’d never be— and yet somehow are.

While we grade our husbands’ household contributions against our own, the world grades them against Don Draper— which means any guy with a Baby Bjorn gets a ticker tape parade. But guest Kevin Madsen of HeyDad says that’s not as good as it sounds.

Successful travel as a family doesn’t mean your choice of destination needs to revolve around your kids. But you may need to keep your expectations flexible. This episode is full of ideas for creating family vacations with appeal for all ages.

The best partnerships are symbiotic, so in this episode we give a shout-out to all the things our spouses handle way better than we do, such as: broken dishwashers. Broken bones. Successful repurposing of leftovers. Pancake-making. Thanks guys!

The princess phase feels pretty inescapable. But does every Royal Sparkle tutu a Honey Boo Boo make? Or is our princess paranoia a bit misguided? Here’s why we say you can ease up and let your kids be anything they want. Even if it’s princesses.

Our kids have been left behind by once-best friends. They’ve also struggled with creating space between themselves and playmates they have simply outgrown. Whatever side they’re on, here’s how to make it a little less painful for all concerned.

So many good ideas, we made a Part Two! Here’s dozens of small changes parents have made that turned out to make a big difference in their lives— thanks to our listeners plus some of the top content creators for parents from the 2018 Mom 2.0 Summit.

It takes a lot of juggling to schedule 10 weeks of summer freedom- not to mention cash. America spends about $18 billion dollars on “summer enrichment” every year. Here’s how to keep your kids the right amount of occupied without breaking the bank.

We always figured “tween” was marketing speak for stuff with glitter on it. But 9-12 year olds actually have different brains than younger kids. And then sometimes they like stuffed animals still. Here’s how parents can deal with the whiplash.

We asked our listeners to tell us the small changes you've made in your lives (as parents and as people) that have turned out to make a big difference. This episode is full of game-changing ideas for your home, your school mornings, and your sanity.

We won’t lie to you- we probably spend more time than we should thinking about what we weigh. Which is, admittedly, variable. But while we think about what we weigh plenty when we’re unhappy with what the scale says,

Why do our kids bicker so incessantly? Are they actually intending to drive us batty, or is there more at work? If parents are supposed to “ignore it” until just before the face-scratching starts, how can we sense the perfect moment to intervene?

We’ve all done things as parents that, looking back, we can’t believe. Breastfeeding twins. Writing thank you notes in the baby’s voice. Here’s some of our (and our listeners’) supermom accomplishments— and more than a few super-foolish notions.

It's the battle of the calendars! Margaret loves her paper planner but tends to forget stuff. Amy swears by digital, until her phone switches all the events to Greenwich Mean Time. We talk best strategies for managing our families’ busy lives.

Getting our kids to talk to us is never easy (unless we’re 15 minutes late for an appointment, car keys in hand). Since “How was school today?” is apparently the worst thing Mom can ask, here’s what actually works to get kids talking- at every age.

From touching perspective-givers to why-didn’t-I-think-of-that timesavers, our listeners told us the best mom advice they ever received for parenting babies, toddlers, kids and teens. Example: wash *all* the clothes in the baby detergent. Genius!

Must our children either be tied to a piano bench or forgo their dreams of the Ivy League? Must we battle with our children daily to make them practice and then have to listen to 15 minutes of what sounds like a dying moose? Probably. Here’s why.

Are audio books cheating? Must every kids’ book feature Poopy Man and The Toilet King? Are reluctant readers doomed to fall behind their peers? We’ve got ideas to get everyone in your family reading, plus books your kids will drop everything to read.

We’d all love a school morning where everyone gets out the door without Mom  yelling or feeling stressed. And by “all” we mean all mothers. Our children seem blithely indifferent to all the hollering and pleading and bargaining we do each morning in or...

Are your child’s most annoying personality traits super-familiar, because they are also yours? And is there anything to be done? We discuss whether those qualities are baked in the cake- or whether our kids learn how to be impossible by watching us.

Why are today’s girls exhibiting “relational aggression” in pre-K? How can you help a daughter who’s being bullied? And what do you do when your daughter’s the one doing the bullying? Guest: Katie Hurley, author of the new book No More Mean Girls.

What’s a “go-to dinner”? One pot is good. 30 minutes or less is better. But we’ll use every cookie sheet and pot in the house if it’s 1) not pizza and 2) all of our kids will actually eat it. Here are the recipes that work for us- and our listeners.

One sick day? Fine, here’s the remote. But by day 4 of a low-grade fever most of us are desperate for ideas. Here’s what to have ready for such moments, what keeps sick kids happily busy, and how to tell when they’re actually well enough for school.

Have you a short fat dictator in your home? Do you cower before a 24-pound child demanding pizza– no, not THAT kind of pizza! the other kind, the kind she likes NOW, which apparently has neither sauce nor cheese?  What is *UP* with toddlers?