Care and Feeding | Slate's parenting show

On this episode: Elizabeth, Zak, and Jamilah have some relatable parenting triumphs and fails. Then Elizabeth is joined by Dr. Rebecca Spencer, principal investigator at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Somneurolab. Dr. Spencer shares some wonderful insight for creating a good sleep environment, navigating napping, and what your kids should (or shouldn’t) be doing right before bed. On Slate Plus, they discuss how even the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge can’t avoid the “f*ck you fours.” Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to listen and support our work.Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Jasmine Ellis. Production help from Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Zak and Jamilah are joined by Cheyna Roth, Slate senior producer and occasional host of The Waves. They speak with Dr. Erin Flynn-Evans about all things sleep for parents and kids. She worked in the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital for over 10 years and she’s the co-founder of Baby Sleep Science. Dr. Flynn-Evans is here to answer some questions that will hopefully help you and your kids sleep better. RecommendationsJamilah: NYT article Cheyna: Keeping with the sleep theme, The Happiest Baby on the BlockZak: White Noise app for adults to drown out their kids crying during the night + The Nap MinistryJoin us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Jasmine Ellis. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this bonus episode from our friends at Slate's How To! podcast: Elizabeth’s son Lucas is a talented athlete who wants to compete in track and field at an NCAA Division One school. But so far he’s been running away from doing any research or planning. His mother, Elizabeth, wants to help him be recruited and maybe even get a scholarship. On this episode of How To!, we bring on Steve Magness, performance expert, former track coach for the University of Houston, and author of Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness. He’s navigated both sides of the recruitment process and has some hard-earned wisdom about what it takes to be noticed by college recruiters and why the system itself needs to be reformed. If you liked this episode, check out “How To Coach Squirrelly Kids (and Screaming Parents).”Do you have a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Zak and Elizabeth are joined by Scott Hershovitz, author of the book Nasty, Brutish and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with My Kids and the director of the Law and Ethics Program and professor of law and philosophy at the University of Michigan. They discuss why you shouldn’t shy away from big questions, how to foster open mindedness in teens, and perhaps the biggest question of all—what’s a “floofer doofer.”On Slate Plus, they have a round of graduation-themed Triumphs and Fails. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to listen and support our work.Recommendations:Elizabeth recommends the Sipsey Wilder hip packScott recommends Teaching Children PhilosophyZak recommends Julie’s Library. Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Jasmine Ellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Zak and Elizabeth are joined by Scott Hershovitz, author of the book Nasty, Brutish and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with My Kids and the director of the Law and Ethics Program and professor of law and philosophy at the University of Michigan. They answer a question from a father who doesn’t know how to answer his curious daughter’s constant questions about everything from the meaning of life to if ants feel pain. How can he foster her curiosity while also helping her maintain a sense of mental peace? On Slate Plus, Zak, Elizabeth, and Scott share some of the funniest things their kids have said. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to listen and support our work.Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Jasmine Ellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth, and Zak answer a question from a listener who is in her second trimester and throughout her pregnancy she’s been sick and tired. This is her first pregnancy, and she and her husband agreed that they should try to stay in shape during it in order to help them be active parents. But despite her tiredness, her husband has been relentlessly pushing her to workout. She swears that he has good intentions. But is there a way to get him to back off? RecommendationsJamilah recommends Hacks on HBO.Elizabeth recommends the Every Kid Outdoors program.Zak recommends checking out Stephen Root’s acting.Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Jasmine Ellis.Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth, and Zak talk about the baby formula shortage. Then they are joined by Dr. Christine Stephenson, pediatric physical therapist and author of The Constipation Game Plan, to help a four year old who refuses to use the restroom when he’s not at home. On Slate Plus, Jamilah, Elizabeth, and Zak talk about the highly annoying time gap between school pickup and work ending. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to listen and support our work.Recommendations: The Constipation Game PlanThe Poo in You Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Jasmine Ellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Elizabeth and Zak are joined by Amber O’Neal Johnston. She’s the author of A Place to Belong: Celebrating Diversity and Kinship in the Home and Beyond and has a blog called Heritage Mom. They talk about how families can celebrate their own identities while learning about and appreciating other people’s races and cultural differences. What does it mean to teach kids about “hard history,” but also celebrate cultural heritage? And, why do so many parents find it difficult to talk about culture and race? RecommendationsElizabeth recommends: Read Aloud Those Kids from Fawn Creek by Erin Entrada Kelly Zak recommends: Make your own pestoAmber recommends: Get a good knifeResourcesA Place to Belong: Celebrating Diversity and Kinship in the Home and Beyond by Amber O’Neal JohnstonAmber’s blog: Heritage MomJoin us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Jasmine Ellis. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to listen and support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this bonus episode from our friends at Slate's What Next podcast: As the country awaits a final decision on whether the Supreme Court will overturn Roe. v Wade, fertility doctors are sounding the alarm about what that could mean for the future procedures like IVF.Guests: Dr. Natalie Crawford, OBGYN and reproductive endocrinologist at Fora Fertility in Austin, Texas.Emily, an IVF patient in West Virginia. Emily asked Slate to withhold her last name so she could speak freely about her fertility treatments.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Elena Schwartz, Carmel Delshad, Anna Rubanova, and Sam Kim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Elizabeth and Zak are joined by Amber O’Neal Johnston, author of A Place to Belong and she blogs at heritagemom.com. Together they tackle a question from a nanny who is fed up with preteen attitude. The boy she looks after takes his bad moods out on everyone around him, including her. She’s wondering if she can help him change his behavior or if she should find another place to work.  On Slate Plus, Elizabeth, Zak, and Amber start strategizing their summer plans. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to listen and support our work.Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Jasmine Ellis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices