episodes

Kneecaps? Tiny holes? Freeform jazz? We've all got something that gives us the heebie jeebies, even if no one else understands. We asked our listeners to send us their most oddly specific fears - here's what they said.

Does your child clam up when other adults try to have a conversation with them or even say hello? That's perfectly normal for young kids, but there are also ways you can help break the ice, as Amy explains.

Do you feel like your health, well-being, and sanity as a mom always comes after your family’s needs– which means there’s no room left to consider such things? Guest Leslie Forde, CEO of Mom's Hierarchy of Needs, explains how to get more intentional.

Pinterest promised us picturesque family photos at golden hour and meaningful conversations around the dinner table every night. No one told us parenting would be easy, but is it supposed to be this hard? Here’s how to inject more fun into parenting.

Do you worry that your kids are headed towards learned helplessness if you do too many things for them on the regular? Margaret explains you can reciprocate the help your kids give you around the house without letting them off the hook too easily.

Do you feel guilty that you're not at work when you're parenting and not parenting when you're at work? Dr. Yael Schonbrun, author of the new book WORK, PARENT, THRIVE, tells us how we can view work and family as connected rather than in competition.

Are our kids growing up more slowly than we did? Is that necessarily a bad thing? Can we encourage our late bloomers to pick up the pace?

Does your kid ask for your help with homework, then snarl at you? Does your kid procrastinate and then panic, blaming you while he spirals? Is there a middle ground between letting a kid like this fail, or continuing the fight about doing the work?

Think there’s an expiration date on dream-chasing? Think you’re too old to make bold choices? Wendi Aarons, author of I’M WEARING TUNICS NOW, tells us about second acts, self-acceptance, and celebrating what happens when we get older and wiser.

What did you grow up believing would be a consistent presence in your adult life? Quicksand? Dinner parties? The Bermuda Triangle? Movies, TV, and certain bubble bath ads definitely led us astray when it came to the realities of adult life.

Does your child have a mouth you wouldn't want him to kiss you with? If your child is on a swearing streak at home, here are some tips for handling it.

Society has held that maternal instinct kicks in as soon as a baby is born, and that women are wired to be superior caretakers. Chelsea Conaboy, author of MOTHER BRAIN, tells us that the parental brain is real- but far more complicated than we think.

When it’s time to pivot, it’s easy to focus on what doors are closed. That’s when it’s important to remember that with one foot planted firmly in place, we still have 360 degrees of choice on where to head next. Here’s how we’ve pivoted in our lives.

Does your kid like to punish himself whenever he performs poorly at something and insist that he's the worst at it? A listener struggles with her son's constant negativity when it comes to his own abilities.

Have you ever lost it with your kids and then felt really guilty about it? So has Hunter Clarke-Fields, so she started a mindfulness practice, and then the “Mindful Mama” podcast, too. Now she’s sharing what she’s learned with moms everywhere.

If patience is a virtue, it’s not one often practiced by preschoolers. There are reasons why very small children have a hard time waiting. Sometimes very big kids as well. As in grownups. Here’s why being patient matters, and how to introduce it.

Is your kid great at finding loopholes in the rules you set? Like, "Law and Order" good? A listener wrote in to ask about her child's wise guy streak.

Feel like you work all day and still get nothing done? Time management expert Laura Vanderkam, author of "Tranquility By Tuesday," shares nine simple rules for creating the time we want for the truly important things in our busy lives.

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.

Does your child receive unwanted attention from another child that they just can't shake? Here's how to help your child establish healthy boundaries with other kids.

Think you're the only garbage parent on the face of the Earth? So does every other parent on the face of the Earth. Dr. Carla Naumburg, author of You Are Not a Sh*tty Parent, shares ways to practice self-compassion, even on our darkest days.

We love our kids' teachers! We asked our listeners about the teachers in their kids' lives who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, and the answers came flooding in.

Have you ever thought about doing an RV trip with your family? If not you might be saner than Margaret - who did one with her three kids, but if so - here are all of Margaret's know-before-you-go tips.

How can we teach our kids self-regulation? And how is it different from self-control? Dr. Stuart Shanker, author of “Reframed: Self-Reg for a Just Society,” takes us through his five-step process for helping kids regulate themselves.