Care and Feeding | Slate's parenting show

On this week’s episode: Aymann, Elizabeth, and guest-host Amber Smith discuss their triumphs and fails for the week. Then they answer a question from a listener whose child has become deeply afraid of the dentist and other medical procedures. How can she help prevent her daughter’s fears from becoming phobias?Later, they share some advice on how to politely deter other parents' from making comparisons of your children. In Slate Plus: Hiding from your kids. Because sometimes, parents just need a break! The tricky part can be in explaining this to your kids.  Recommendations:Jamilah recommends the incredibly precious book, Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson for your child.Amber recommends 2Harts24 Baby Bottom Cream to help rescue your baby from diaper rash. Aymann recommends The Wonder Weeks App to help you keep track of your baby’s major milestones!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 Jamilah Lemieux is a writer, cultural critic, and communications strategist based in Brooklyn, New York.Aymann Ismail is an award winning staff writer at Slate whose work focuses on identity and religion. Amber Smith is Slate’s senior audience development manager and mama to sweet baby Marley. 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

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 baby has received a lot of monetary gifts. At 5 months old, does her baby need a bank account?Later, they share some tips to help you evaluate schools. Beyond testing scores, how do you determine which school you should send your child to? In Slate Plus: When to take a hands off approach vs. a hands on approach with your kids when you see them making a mistake. Recommendations:Elizabeth recommends listening to the Greeking Out podcast with your family. It’s a fun, kid-friendly podcast about Greek mythology!Aymann recommends taking a break now and then to go stay with your relatives. Especially to those who have very young kids.  Jamilah recommends making your own bone broth. All you need are chicken bones, water, some veggies, add a few spices and let it simmer. It’s easy, healthy and delicious! 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

On this week’s episode: Elizabeth, Aymann and guest-host Michaela Smith discuss their triumphs and fails for the week. Then they answer a question from a listener whose 4 year old daughter has recently become obsessed with wearing makeup. Should her mother be worried about this new development or just let it play out naturally?Later, they have some advice for a parent whose toddler is dealing with some separation anxiety. What can she do to help support her daughter through these difficult feelings?In Slate Plus: It’s almost officially fall! So we’re discussing what we’re most looking forward to and some of our favorite fall activities to do with the family. Recommendations:Elizabeth recommends reading Wet Cement: A Mix of Concrete Poems with your kids.  Aymann recommends giving out compliments more often! It’s been a saving grace for him and his wife during the stressful first few months of parenthood.  Michaela recommends getting ahead of your child’s anxiety or other big feelings by consulting your pediatrician about counseling. Learning coping skills early on can really help us later in life!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. Michaela Smith is the mom to her three littles based out of Colorado Springs, CO. Social@dutchdutchgoose on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dutchdutchgoose/@aymanndotcom on Twitter https://twitter.com/aymanndotcomSlate 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 week’s episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth and Aymann discuss their triumphs and fails for the week. Then they answer a question from a listener whose first grader is bored at school. Should her mother have a talk with her daughter’s teacher or wait and see if things change in a few weeks?  Later, they have some advice for a parent whose 11-almost-12-year-old son is campaigning hard for a cell phone. Would a phone serve as a helpful tool or a terrible distraction? In Slate Plus: We’re getting into the “why’s” of it all! Why? Because it’s the favorite and sometimes very annoying question of many young children. What can parents do to answer their kids' endless “why’s” without losing their cool? Recommendations:Elizabeth recommends Wise Owl Hammock & Straps for easy comfort when you’re camping with the family. Aymann recommends the Self Cleaning LARQ Water Bottle for purifying water for you and your baby on the go. Jamilah recommends making your own bootleg sangria! Using grand marnier and/or rum, wine (red or white), kids fruit cups, fresh fruit, sugar and orange juice. Cheers!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.Jamilah Lemieux is a writer, cultural critic, and communications strategist based in Brooklyn, New York.Aymann Ismail is an award winning staff writer at Slate whose work focuses on identity and religion. Social@JamilahLemieux on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamilahLemieux@dutchdutchgoose on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dutchdutchgoose/@aymanndotcom on Twitter https://twitter.com/aymanndotcomSlate 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 week’s episode: Elizabeth and Aymann discuss their triumphs and fails for the week. Then they answer a question from a listener who feels she’s being borderline ghosted by other parents after their children’s playdates. Later, they have some advice for a parent whose 12 year old son is very set in his views as they pertain to religion but his mom worries that this may cause problems down the line for one of his new friendships. How can she help her son navigate this potential conflict? In Slate Plus: Free-range parenting: what is it and is it for you?Recommendations:Elizabeth recommends Perler Bead Craft Bead Sweeper to help you clean up all of those pesky beads in one quick sweep. Aymann recommends getting a Kodak Photo Printer so that you can join him in instantly printing out all of those adorable photos of your kids that you have stored on your iPhone. 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.Jamilah Lemieux is a writer, cultural critic, and communications strategist based in Brooklyn, New York.Aymann Ismail is an award winning staff writer at Slate whose work focuses on identity and religion. Social@JamilahLemieux on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamilahLemieux@dutchdutchgoose on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dutchdutchgoose/@aymanndotcom on Twitter https://twitter.com/aymanndotcomSlate 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 week’s episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth, and Aymann discuss their triumphs and fails for the week. Then they answer a question from a listener whose 4-year-old daughter has developed some attention-seeking behaviors with the arrival of a newborn sibling.Later, they have some advice for someone whose 6-year-old is struggling to learn table manners. How long will mealtimes be a struggle before the constant and repetitive “chew with your mouth shut and sit at the table” bears fruit?In Slate Plus: What to do with keepsakes and mementos that cause physical and emotional clutter? The group discusses their strategies for preserving, or tossing, those letters, drawings, and awards that accumulate over childhood.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.Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis and Asha Saluja.RecommendationsAymann recommends  the subreddit for Dads called Daddit.Jamilah recommends Shantrelle P. Lewis’ documentary, In Our Mothers’ Gardens on Netflix.Elizabeth recommends the book American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang.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.Jamilah Lemieux is a writer, cultural critic, and communications strategist based in Brooklyn, New York.Aymann Ismail is an award winning staff writer at Slate whose work focuses on identity and religion. Social@JamilahLemieux on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamilahLemieux@dutchdutchgoose on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dutchdutchgoose/@aymanndotcom on Twitter https://twitter.com/aymanndotcom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth, and Aymann discuss their triumphs and fails for the week. Then they answer a question from a listener whose 6 year old daughter has become fixated on finding a cure for death. Later, they have some advice for a parent whose own parents are excellent grandparents to her children but who often cross some boundary lines. In Slate Plus: The latest UN report on climate change. How can we discuss this with our children without scaring the crap out of them? Recommendations:Jamilah recommends AND8 Fitness for people who love to have fun during their workouts. Elizabeth recommends Kids Quip -- an electric toothbrush for kids that will help you get them out the door a little faster in the mornings. Aymann recommends buying an INSTAX Polaroid Camera to hand out polaroid pictures in place of party favors. 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.Jamilah Lemieux is a writer, cultural critic, and communications strategist based in Brooklyn, New York.Aymann Ismail is an award winning staff writer at Slate whose work focuses on identity and religion. Social@JamilahLemieux on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamilahLemieux@dutchdutchgoose on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dutchdutchgoose/@aymanndotcom on Twitter https://twitter.com/aymanndotcomSlate 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 week’s episode: It’s Dan’s last show before book leave! Jamilah, Elizabeth, and Dan discuss their triumphs and fails for the week. Then they answer a question from a listener who is wondering how she should help her son navigate a friendship that’s not so friendly. Later, they have some advice for a mother who would like to avoid talking about her daughter right in front of her, but that’s hard to do when you’re a single parent.In Slate Plus: Summer jobs, entrepreneurial kids, and Dan’s crushing camp counselor file secrets are revealed! Recommendations:Jamilah recommends the graphic novel Twins by Varian Johnson & Shannon Wright.Elizabeth recommends you pack your kids lunches using the PackIt Freezable Classic Lunchbox, the Yumbox and Bee's Wrap!Dan recommends watching Netflix’s teen show Never Have I Ever with your older kids. 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.Jamilah Lemieux is a writer, cultural critic, and communications strategist based in Brooklyn, New York.Dan Kois is an editor and writer at Slate. He’s the author of How to Be a Family and the co-author of The World Only Spins Forward.Social@JamilahLemieux on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamilahLemieux@dutchdutchgoose on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dutchdutchgoose/@dankois on Twitter https://twitter.com/DanKoisSlate 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 week’s episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth, and guest host Courtney Martin discuss triumphs and fails, co-housing and Courtney’s new book, Learning in Public: Lessons for a Racially Divided America from My Daughter's School. Then they answer a question from a listener who is wondering how to help her child adapt to wearing a uniform at school while still encouraging self-expression. Jamilah suggested to mix things up by adding in fun ties, like this one she dressed her daughter in a few years ago.In Slate Plus: When should we talk to our kids about sex? According to researchers, much earlier than you may think!NY Times - Sex Talks Should Start Earlier Than You Think Recommendations:Jamilah recommends online vintage shopping. And if you’re worried about sizing, pay attention to the fabric! Stretch is key. Elizabeth recommends pelvic floor PT to help with pelvic weakness. One resource she mentioned is this instagram page.Courtney recommends subscribing to the Substack Newsletter by Sarah Wheeler called Momspreading.You can read Courtney’s piece in The Nation here. Jamilah’s piece in The Nation can be found here.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.Jamilah Lemieux is a writer, cultural critic, and communications strategist based in Brooklyn, New York.Courtney Martin is an author and political activist. She’s the author of four books, including Learning in Public and The New Better Off. You can find out more about her at her website: https://www.courtneyemartin.comSocial@JamilahLemieux on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamilahLemieux@dutchdutchgoose on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dutchdutchgoose/@courtwrites on Twitter https://twitter.com/courtwritesSlate 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 week’s episode: Elizabeth, Dan, and Jamilah discuss how we should be talking to our kids about Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from the Olympics. Then, they answer a question from a listener who is wondering how to deal with their bad babysitter. The problem is, the babysitter is grandma.  In Slate Plus: Is it a faux pas to request no gifts at a child’s birthday party? Or is it OK? Recommendations:Elizabeth recommends Draw Your World, a sketch book for kids (or adults!) that helps familiarize you with world maps. Dan recommends the Cat Video Festival, now playing in theaters around the country.Jamilah recommends quarantine, whether you’re sick or not. 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.Dan Kois is an editor and writer at Slate. He’s the author of How to Be a Family and the co-author of The World Only Spins Forward.Jamilah Lemieux is a writer, cultural critic, and communications strategist based in Brooklyn, New York.Social@JamilahLemieux on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamilahLemieux@dankois on Twitter https://twitter.com/DanKois@dutchdutchgoose on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dutchdutchgoose/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