

Care and Feeding | Slate's parenting show
Slate Podcasts
Jamilah Lemieux, Zak Rosen, Elizabeth Newcamp, and Lucy Lopez share triumphs and fails and offer advice on parenting kids from toddler to teens.Want more Care and Feeding? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive advice. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Care and Feeding show page. Or, visit slate.com/careplus to get access wherever you listen.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 9, 2021 • 38min
The “Snoopy Phone” Edition
On this week’s episode: Elizabeth, Jamilah, and Zak help a parent who has been monitoring their teenage daughter’s text messages. Have they crossed a line, or are they doing their due diligence to ensure their child is safe? Then they answer a question from a parent whose 2 year-old daughter wants her ears pierced. How early is too early, and who should be making this kind of decision? On Slate Plus, the hosts talk about how one Black mother’s video about her night doula went viral, sparking a debate about privilege, luxury, and the expectation that mothers, particularly Black mothers, must be suffering to succeed at motherhood. Recommendations:Zak recommends calling your kids' creative hobbies an art practice.Jamilah recommends Passing on NetflixElizabeth recommends the book Letters From Father ChristmasJoin 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 Zak Rosen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 2, 2021 • 43min
The “Toys or Trash” Edition
On this week’s episode: Elizabeth, Jamilah, and Zak help a parent who is sick of their generous neighbors constantly sending over hand-me-down toys. The letter writer is already running out of space in their house. Is it OK to simply refuse? Can they donate the toys? Would tossing the toys crush the neighbors’ generous spirit? Then they answer a question from a dad whose daughter needs surgery. How can he explain the procedure without frightening her?On Slate Plus, the hosts talk about how this time of year forces families to really figure out how they’re celebrating the holidays and, in turn, how religion operates within their family. 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:Zak recommends @MenWithThePot on InstagramJamilah recommends Love Life on HBOElizabeth recommends a printable Christmas reading calendar. 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 25, 2021 • 47min
The “Real Thanksgiving” Edition
On this week’s episode: Zak, Jamilah, and Amber Smith advise a listener who wants to provide their preschooler with a less whitewashed history of Thanksgiving. They have some helpful tips for explaining the real thanksgiving in a more realistic, age-appropriate manner. Zak then sits down with Jenny Rosenstrach, bestselling author and creator of Dinner: A Love Story, to strategize how to include your child in holiday cooking and avoid Empty Celebration Syndrome. If you want to hear more of Zak’s conversation with Jenny, check out The Best Advice Show. On Slate Plus, Zak, Jamilah, and Amber recount some Turkey nightmares and share their attempts at tricky new dishes.Recommendations:Jamilah recommends taking time to pause and play with your child this holiday season.Amber recommends baby sock-shoes, Grookz.Zak recommends bringing your child to the bookstore and supporting your local book sellers.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 Kevin Bendis and Rosemary Belson.Don't miss the member-exclusive segment on MADAF every week. Sign up for Slate Plus now at slate.com/momanddadplus and you'll also get to skip the ads, read everything on Slate.com, and support this show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 18, 2021 • 42min
The “Vaccinated For the Holidays” Edition
On this week’s episode: Elizabeth, Jamilah, and Zak help a parent who is in over her head when it comes to bath time. Her little one used to love taking baths but has since changed her mind. Now bath time is a nightmare for both of them. Then they’re joined by Dr. Syra Madad, an infectious disease epidemiologist with New York City Health + Hospitals and Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. She shares how parents can keep their family, especially kids who are still too young to be vaccinated, safe during the holiday season. On Slate Plus, the hosts talk about how they’re approaching the holidays this year. Recommendations:Jamilah recommends Root Magic by Eden Royce. Zak recommends unsubscribing to EVERYTHING! Elizabeth recommends the Back to the Roots Organic Mushroom Grow Kit. 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. 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

Nov 11, 2021 • 43min
The “Screen Time Semantics” Edition
On this week’s episode: Zak, Elizabeth, and Greg Lavallee advise a listener whose rambunctious little one is on his third visit to the emergency room. How can our listener teach him that he can get hurt if he keeps up with the daredevil antics? They also debate how to talk to kids about screen time and how to set up healthy boundaries with devices. On Slate Plus, they lament the impending winter clothes chaos. Recommendations:Greg recommends asking your cool adult friends to give your kids compliments. Elizabeth recommends Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beaty. Zak recommends taking yourself to the movies. The new Wes Anderson film, The French Dispatch, is a great pick-me-up. 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.Don't miss the member-exclusive segment on MADAF every week. Sign up for Slate Plus now at slate.com/momanddadplus and you'll also get to skip the ads, read everything on Slate.com, and support this show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 4, 2021 • 51min
The “Out the Door or Bust” Edition
On this week’s episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth, and Zak help a listener whose kid just will not get out the door in the mornings. Next, they dive into a debate about the purpose of homework and who gets to decide how much homework a child is required to do. On Slate Plus, they discuss an interesting package from Romper called Parenting at the End Of the World. Recommendations:Elizabeth recommends the card game Boom Goes the Dynamite.Zak recommends the musician Caspar Babypants. Jamilah recommends the show Wu-Tang: An American Saga. Additional reading:The History Of Homework: Why Was It Invented and Who Was Behind It? Never Mind the Students; Homework Divides ParentsAsk a Teacher: Slacker or Genius?Ask a Teacher: Homework: Who Needs It?Ask a Teacher: Homework Is a Constant Battle in Our HouseCare and FeedingJoin 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. 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

Oct 28, 2021 • 42min
The “Temperamental Toddler” Edition
On this week’s episode: Elizabeth, Jamilah, and Zak debate if a distracted toddler deserves to be pulled out of their gymnastics class. Next, they advise a mother who is nervous about a long flight with her toddler. From getting a toddler to wear a mask to entertaining snacks, the hosts have tips for all aspects of the flight. We’re playing a round of hot takes in Slate Plus. So stick around for some spicy parenting opinions. Recommendations:Jamilah recommends Popeyes’ hottie sauce collab with Megan Thee Stallion. Zak recommends making or buying a fire pit to polong the outdoor season. Elizabeth recommends the DragonBox Elements: Geometry AppJoin 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. Don't miss the member-exclusive segment on MADAF every week. Sign up for Slate Plus now at slate.com/momanddadplus and you'll also get to skip the ads, read everything on Slate.com, and support this show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 21, 2021 • 1h
The “All Things Green” Edition
On this week’s episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth, and Aymann hotly debate a question about a kid who is vegan but decides to eat meat at their friend’s house. Is 13 mature enough to make their own dietary decisions or should the kid’s parents be told? Then, Jamilah talks with Lauren Linder, mom and attorney for a cannabis company, about how they incorporate cannabis into their parenting. In Slate Plus: Aymann talks about the effect of toxic masculinity on paternity leave. If you want to hear more from Aymann on masculinity, check out his podcast Man Up. Recommendations:Elizabeth recommends Simple Modern insulated cups with straws. Aymann recommends starting a garden. Jamilah recommends the Instant Pot Duo.Additional Links: Check out Elizabeth's great tips for finding (and keeping friends) on Slate’s How To! podcast: How To Make Friends as an Adult. It's Just a Plant: A Children's Story about Marijuana by Ricardo Cortés. 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. Don't miss the member-exclusive segment on MADAF every week. Sign up for Slate Plus now at slate.com/momanddadplus and you'll also get to skip the ads, read everything on Slate.com, and support this show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 14, 2021 • 47min
The “Poopin’ In the Closet” Edition
On this week’s episode: Aymann, Jamilah, and Elizabeth tackle a desperate dispatch from a parent who just wants their kid to go to bed. Instead he is pooping in the closet. Then they take on the case of the threenage temper tantrums. How can you calm a kid who is being completely irrational? In Slate Plus: They’re talkin’ tech. Specifically, the gadgets that have transformed their parenting. If you love recommendations, you’ll definitely want to stick around for that discussion. Recommendations:Elizabeth recommends Sharice’s Big Voice by Sharice Davids and Nancy K. Mays. Plus, check out Erika McLemore’s Instagram for more great book recommendations. Jamilah recommends Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence by Anita Hill.Aymann recommends Elif by G. Willow Wilson and buying a new case for your old phone, especially if you’re itching to get your hands on a new phone. 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.Don't miss the member-exclusive segment on MADAF every week. Sign up for Slate Plus now at slate.com/momanddadplus and you'll also get to skip the ads, read everything on Slate.com, and support this show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 7, 2021 • 57min
Bad Behavior Edition
On this week’s episode: Aymann, Elizabeth, and Jamilah discuss their triumphs and fails for the week. Then they answer a question from a listener whose 5 year old has been acting out at school recently. How can she encourage her child to change his behavior?Later, they share some advice with a listener whose 16 year old has not taken kindly to her mother’s boyfriend of 3 years. What can she do to bridge the divide between her partner and her daughter?In Slate Plus: We’re discussing movies and TV shows we’ve been enjoying with our families lately. Recommendations:Elizabeth recommends finding a race series through your local track club for your kids to run a race! Some races even have baby races. So cute and fun!Aymann recommends potato chip bags for babies -- wash it out first and you get an amazing toy for a baby!Jamilah recommends Blazy Susan Pre Rolled Cones for the cannabis-enthusiastic parents out there. They’re slow-burning, vegan, GMO-free and PINK!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 Morgan Flannery. Hosts Elizabeth Newcamp is a co-host of Mom and Dad Are Fighting. She's a traveling mother of three boys who chronicles her misadventures at Dutch, Dutch, Goose.Aymann Ismail is an award winning staff writer at Slate whose work focuses on identity and religion. Jamilah Lemieux is a writer, cultural critic, and communications strategist based in Brooklyn, New York.Social@dutchdutchgoose on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dutchdutchgoose/@aymanndotcom on Twitter https://twitter.com/aymanndotcom@JamilahLemieux on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamilahLemieuxSlate 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