Care and Feeding | Slate's parenting show

On this week’s episode: Dan, Jamilah, and Elizabeth talk to Elmo about his new show, The Not-Too-Late Show, and how life at home is going for him and his family. Parents, if you want to listen to the family-friendly Elmo segment with your kids, zip ahead to 14:30. Autumn Zitani, curriculum producer for Sesame Street and the Not-Too-Late Show, joins the show to talk about what kids will learn from the new show and how this will fit into evening routines. They also answer a listener question from a mom worried her independent yet introverted preschooler is enjoying being home during the pandemic a little too much. For Slate Plus, Dan discusses using emergency paid leave through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our work.Recommendations:Elizabeth recommends signing up for the summer reading program at your local library, since quite a few libraries are running virtual programs.Jamilah recommends the book Help Your Dragon Deal with Anxiety by Steve Herman. Dan recommends Netflix Party, as a way to facilitate the quintessential childhood experience of watching TV with your friends. Emergency paid leave reading and resources mentioned: https://www.militaryfamily.orgEmergency Paid Leave Helps Some Families, Leaves Others Adrift by Rebecca GalePaid Leave Law Tries to Help Millions in Crisis. Many Haven’t Heard of It by Claire Cain Miller and Jim TankersleyJoin 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 for what we should talk about in future episodes.  Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode: Dan, Jamilah, and Elizabeth answer a question from a listener who really wants to celebrate her son’s graduation. But her senior wants zero acknowledgement of the milestone. They also answer a question from a mother whose 9-year-old has a name that sounds vulgar when said aloud. For Slate Plus, beloved former Mom and Dad are Fighting co-host Allison Benedikt tells a wild story about a questionable neighborhood raccoon, a heartfelt shower song, and makeshift trap. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our work.Please take our quick survey about the show: https://forms.gle/HnicihbGDaegWYoU9Recommendations:Dan recommends You Must Remember This, a podcast about forgotten Hollywood history by Karina Longworth. Elizabeth recommends a free app called Seek by iNaturalist. Jamilah recommends cooking with Coconut Liquid Aminos Garlic Sauce. 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 for what we should talk about in future episodes.  Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode: Dan, Jamilah, and Elizabeth answer a question from a parent worried about pretend play that involves imagined violence. Plus, we have personalized game recommendations with Jessica Waldock from the homeschool and parent blog, The Waldock Way. It’s our Everyone Is Fighting Now segment this week, and it’s for all ages. To listen to Everyone Is Fighting Now, zoom ahead to about 35:50.For Slate Plus, Slate’s Heather Schwedel explains the baby name that stumped the world. Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our work.Recommendations:Dan recommends signing up your kids for Outschool, which has Zoom classes for different age levels. Plus, the classes are really cheap! Jamilah recommends revisiting the classic, and relatively progressive, show: The Golden Girls. Elizabeth recommends ordering the Gottwals Books Survival Packs, from Gottwals Books in Georgia. Here's the order form for the personalized pack. Game Recommendations:The Waldock Way’s Gameschool guide.The 40 Greatest Family Games by Noel MurrayThe Waldock Way’s printable family Game Night in a Bag.  Dragonwood and the new edition, Dragonrealm. Hero Kids Race to the Treasure! Wildcraft! An Herbal Adventure Game Yahtzee  Rummikub  Qwirkle Blokus or Blokus Duo Skip-Bo Las Vegas  Carcassonne Stone Age Hedbanz  Chess Mastermind Guess Who? Charades  Hangman Qwixx Words With Friends Tsuro  Board Game Arena  Codenames and the unofficial online version.  Online cards  Telestrations  Apples to Apples Rush Hour Chocolate Fix Balance Beans Kanoodle SmartGames Herbaceous  Spot It! Bears vs Babies  Monopoly Deal  Suspend   Count Your Chickens Hoot Owl Hoot Mermaid Island Dinosaur Escape Red Light Green Light  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 for what we should talk about in future episodes.  Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode: Dan, Jamilah, and Elizabeth answer a question from a listener whose stepmother wants to be called grandma. While the letter writer is thrilled her stepmother wants to be so involved with her granddaughters, how will she explain to her daughters that their grandmother isn’t her biological mother?On our Everyone Is Fighting Now segment this week: is it finally time to attempt an at-home haircut? The hosts talk to 9-year-old barber Neijae Graham-Henries and her mother Jamie. To listen to Everyone Is Fighting Now, zoom ahead to about 32 minutes.For Slate Plus, how are systems like adoption and foster care are faring during the pandemic?Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our work.Recommendations:Dan recommends Zoom Pranks on Professors, Wild PowerPoint Parties, and a Billion Memes by Laura Bennett.Elizabeth recommends reaching out to seniors in your community by sending cards. You can find a local organization or an organization like Love for the Elderly. Jamilah recommends I Don't Want to Die Poor: Essays by Michael Arceneaux Extra reading recommendations: How Coronavirus Is Affecting Surrogacy, Foster Care and Adoption by David DodgeJoin 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 for what we should talk about in future episodes.  Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode: Dan, Jamilah, and Elizabeth revisit last week’s quarantine pod discussion and talk to Dr. Saskia Popescu about the risks of being in contact with another family during stay-at-home orders. Plus, LEGO Masters contestant Boone Langston joins to talk about awesome builds, the show and how kids can up their LEGO game. It’s our Everyone Is Fighting Now segment this week, and it’s for all ages. To listen to Everyone Is Fighting Now, zoom ahead to about 51:00. Or if you are listening to the Plus episode, go to 45:13.For Slate Plus, are some kids happier during quarantine?Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our work.Recommendations:Elizabeth recommends being on top of your Mother’s Day plans. If you need an idea, this questionnaire is a great, free project to do with your young ones. Jamilah recommends What's the Big Secret?: Talking about Sex with Girls and Boys by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown. Dan recommends Anomia, a card game similar to Scattergories on speed.  Extra reading recommendations:You’re single. You live alone. Are you allowed to have a coronavirus buddy? By Sigal SamuelWhy some kids are happier right now, and other unexpected effects of quarantine by Elissa Strauss.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 for what we should talk about in future episodes.  Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode: Dan, Jamilah, and Elizabeth debate the advantages and risks of adding families into their quarantine bubble. Social distancing guidelines and epidemiologists have warned about increased risk of catching Covid-19 with increased exposure to others. But what if absolute social distancing isn’t working for your family? For the Everyone is Fighting Now segment, the hosts answer a question from a listener who is worried her daughter is more convinced than ever that her imaginary dragon friend is real. Dr. Stephanie Carlson, Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Director of Research at the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota, joins the hosts to determine if the letter writer should keep interacting with the dragon. If you’d like to listen with kids that can handle a conversation about make-believe friends, zip ahead to about 41:00. Or if you are listening to the Plus episode, go to 35:45.For Slate Plus, how helpful are coronavirus specials, like Elmo’s virtual playdate, in helping kids understand what’s going on?Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our work.Recommendations:Dan recommends An Embarrassment of Witches by Sophie Goldstein and Jenn Jordan. It’s a young adult comic, best suited for 13+, and you can order it on Bookshop.org as an alternative to Amazon that benefits independent bookstores. Jamilah recommends The Anger Management Workbook for Kids by Samantha Snowden, which has lots of activities for when young ones are trying to work through complex emotions. Elizabeth recommends The Big Life Journal for Kids, an interactive book that helps children develop growth mindsets. Extra reading recommendations: You’re single. You live alone. Are you allowed to have a coronavirus buddy? By Sigal Samuel. 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 for what we should talk about in future episodes.  Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode: Dan, Jamilah, and Elizabeth advise a mom whose son’s “mommy-only” phase isn’t helped by the fact that her husband doesn’t like little-kid games. How can he engage while being entertained? Plus, Dan tells a story about theater, college decisions, and the importance—or unimportance—of due diligence. It’s our Everyone Is Fighting Now segment this week, and it’s best for teenagers. To listen to Everyone Is Fighting Now, zoom ahead to 33:30. Or if you are listening to the Plus episode, go to 27:37.For Slate Plus, how do you respond when your child calls you stupid for the first time?Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our work.Recommendations:Elizabeth recommends creating a Covid-19 time capsule with your kids so, years from now, they can reflect on this period. Jamilah recommends EasyWash Mobile Washer to help remove dirt when you are hand washing your clothes. Dan recommends hanging a hammock, perfect for when you want to be alone. Extra reading recommendations: The Way I Feel and The Way I Act by Janan Cain.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 for what we should talk about in future episodes.  Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson. Special appearance by Johanna Morrison. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode: Jamilah and Elizabeth are joined by Rumaan Alam to discuss splitting custody during coronavirus. Can one parent, concerned about safety, keep the child without first discussing it with their co-parent? How can this issue be resolved without escalation? For our new family-friendly segment, Everyone Is Fighting Now, the hosts are joined by Megan Ryder Sanders, a zookeeper at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado. Megan answers questions from kids, including: how the animals are doing, if zookeepers are being paid, and how much elephants eat. To listen to the family-friendly segment zoom ahead to 39:00. Or if you are listening to the Plus episode, go to 34:30.For Slate Plus, we answer a question from a listener whose three year old is NOT warming up to her new baby brother.Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our work.Recommendations:Jamilah recommends ensuring that the actions you take while staying at home benefits you in your current situation; instead of quarantine-free future you. Elizabeth recommends The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld.Rumaan recommends Making Comics by Lynda Barry.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 for what we should talk about in future episodes.  Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode: Dan, Jamilah, and Elizabeth discuss updating your will. It’s important to have an updated contingency plan in these uncertain times. But how can you be sure if you are leaving your kids to the right people? They also answer a letter from a mom who is going stir crazy after a few days at home with her child. How can parents be stimulated while playing, sometimes boring, games with their kids? For Slate Plus, we have quarantine schedule mutiny! We’ll hear from the mom who received a three page letter of protest AND the son who wrote the manifesto.Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our work.Recommendations:Dan recommends A Hard Day’s Night, the 1964 Beatles documentary.Jamilah recommends dating apps, especially if you are looking for a male partner. Quarantine is forcing them to up their convo game. But steer clear of those looking for quarantine buddies.Elizabeth recommends raising caterpillars, ladybugs, and praying mantises, oh my!Additional Links:“Yeah, We Should Have Our Wills Ready”: What Happens When Both Parents Get COVID-19 by Ruth GrahamDeath Over Dinner, a resource for having difficult conversations. 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 for what we should talk about in future episodes. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode: Dan, Jamilah, and Elizabeth discuss parenting anxiety. Is it OK for a letter writer not to be overprotective? Or does parenting anxiety keep children safe? They also answer a letter from a woman whose stepdaughter is struggling on the other side of the country. How can you help when you’re so far apart? For Slate Plus: Dan, Jamilah, and Elizabeth turn their host mics over to THEIR KIDS! The mini-hosts tell us what they like and don’t like about staying home with their parents.Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now to listen and support our work.Recommendations:Jamilah recommends requests that you stay in the house and pay attention to the news. Please, please, stay in the house.Elizabeth recommends A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers by Fred Rogers and Luke Flowers. Perfect for poetry tea time in your house.Dan recommends reading to your kids, even if they may seem a smidge too old. He’s reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. 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 for what we should talk about in future episodes. Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices