The Mom Hour

There’s no time like bedtime to institute a few house rules that help diffuse power struggles, ease negotiation tensions, and shorten that long list of stalling techniques we’ve all come to know and fear. Today’s latest House Rules episode brings together our community’s best shortcuts and hacks for easier bedtimes, along with Meagan’s and Sarah’s personal experiences with evening shenanigans at every age and stage. Enjoy!Helpful LinksClick to see the Facebook Thread with all of your wonderful bedtime advice!Meagan uses her Hatch Clock to dim the lights before bed, helping to cue her to get sleepy.Did you enjoy this House Rules episode? Here are a few more from the archives:House Rules For Tidying Up: Episode 413House Rules For Gifting & Giving: Episode 393House Rules For After School: Episode 380House Rules for Playdates: Episode 340For more on bedtimes check out Bedtime Routines at Every Stage: Episode 80Other Helpful LinksVisit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Feeling overwhelmed, or like the season is passing too quickly? Let today’s episode – a classic from the archives – help you pause, reflect, and reset. Meagan and Sarah offer our thoughts on how memories really “get made,” why simply changing what we notice around us can shift our mood, and what busy moms can do to capture the fleeting season to look back upon later. Join us!This conversation originally aired as three separate mini-episodes, so you’ll hear us reference “yesterday” and “tomorrow” a few times – rest assured, that whole series has been edited into one full-length experience, all here for you today!HELPFUL LINKS:Sarah’s essay about noticing holiday decorations with little kids: Comet, The Red-Nosed MinivanMeagan mentioned dating in this episode. For an update on her love life check out More Than Mom: WeddingsSarah’s calendar planning essay referenced in this episode.How To Take Better Photos of Your Kids: Episode 81 and Family Photography & Capturing Moments with Amy Tripple: Voices 19 pair nicely with this episodeMeagan mentioned her love of blogging. You can view her current writing on Substack6 Things You Can Do To Get Dreamy Holiday Photos On Your SmartphoneOTHER HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It feels good to complain once in a while – especially during the holidays. Today Meagan and Sarah laugh our way through a “vent sesh,” sharing mostly inconsequential gripes about what’s bugging us this year. While we often appreciate a positive reframe, we also know the cathartic power of airing a petty vent (or six). Plus, we share what’s new this holiday season for each of us. Join us!Helpful Links:Here’s a post on Meagan’s instagram more about holiday decorating in her new home.If you are struggling to find a decent store-bought pumpkin pie like Sarah is this season, check out Meagan’s pie-from-scratch Substack article.Email Sarah if you have advice for managing mice habitants in your holiday stuff!Episodes you may enjoy from the archives:Honoring Cultural & Faith Traditions At The Holidays: Voices 82Home For The Holidays With Little Kids & Big Kids: Episode 341A Charcuterie Of Holiday EmotionsWe both welcome your petty holiday gripes at any time. Promise we will read them!Other Helpful Links:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Who came before us, and what can we learn from them? We think there’s a reason that ancestry research, genealogy, and discovering family stories holds a special interest for midlife women, and we’re here to talk about it. Meagan shares her journey back through time (and up to the UP!) to better understand her family’s roots. She shares what resources she used, her process for uncovering the unknowns, and what she’s discovered so far. Sarah has less direct experience but lots of curiosity. Join us!Helpful LinksMeagan is utilizing 23andme and Ancestry for filling in some unknowns about her family.Megan mentioned the start of her ancestry journey over the summer in this episode.www.Newspapers.com is helpful to learn about homes, buildings, and other historical data.Sarah had her parents preserve meaningful stories and memories in a keepsake book for her children.Meagan wrote a few posts about her Genealogy Journey: I Found My Biological Grandfather. Now What? Family history, genealogy, and the complicated concept of “cycle-breaking”Other Helpful LinksVisit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

While we try not to kick ourselves when we’re down and generally avoid second-guessing our parenting choices, we are human. And sometimes that means we experience regret. Today Meagan and Sarah reflect on some big and small choices we’ve made (or not made) throughout our parenting journeys, and why we’d do things differently if given the chance. We also reflect on regret as an emotion, and why sharing regrets can bring about connection with others. Join us!(You may not want to listen to this episode with little ears close by as we touch on some magic making topics.)Helpful LinksThe Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward by Dan Pink (affiliate link.)Sarah listened to this Dan Pink episode of Armchair Expert and loved it.This article summarizes the book and some of the research we mentioned: What Is the Power of Regret? A Conversation with Daniel PinkOur Worst #MomFail Moments: Episode 157Other Helpful Links:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you have to identify as a musical person to nurture a love of music in your family? We think not. Meagan and Sarah look back at parenting babies, small kids, big kids and teens, reflecting on the role music has played in everything from bedtime to playtime, nurturing kids’ passions and finding shared interests as a family. We talk about what it means to “be musical,” how we thought our kids’ music learning would happen vs. how it actually played out, and what we’ve learned from our kids as their tastes and appreciation develop. Join us!HELPFUL LINKS:Sarah loved Music Together classes when her kids were babies through preschoolersMusical Episodes From The ArchivesMore Than Mom: Musical TheaterMore Than Mom: Movie MusicalsStepping Into Your True Self with Musician Sarah Sample: Voices 24OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kassidi wants to become a more confident home cook and asks us where to begin. Natalie needs strategies for easing the long wind-down at bedtime for her co-sleeping toddler. Joy is considering traveling with young kids on her own but wonders what age is best to go for it, what activities to partake in and what to avoid when you’re on a mom-only trip with kids. In Episode 439, Meagan and Sarah take these questions from our community and offer tips and validation. Enjoy!HELPFUL LINKS:Listener Question episodes from the archivesThe Laundry Awards: Episode 398 was mentioned by listener KassidyCookbooks/Kitchen Books/ Podcasts mentioned (Bookshop.org links are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you purchase AND your purchases help support independent booksellers):The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (10th Anniversary Edition)Meagan and Sarah share foundational cookbooks they remember from growing up and young adulthood, which have pros and cons for the modern beginner: Joy Of Cooking and Better Homes & Gardens New Cook BookHalf Baked HarvestMelissa D’Arabian cookbookDidn’t I just Feed You (Podcast)The Lazy Genius KitchenNew York Times CookingMeagan mentioned Mom Meltdowns, Oh No! Episode 01, about traveling solo with young kids.OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Spending time with extended family can bring on parenting challenges that don’t come up as often in our day-to-day routines. If you’re anticipating some uncomfortable situations this holiday season, don’t fret! Meagan and Sarah have your back with this episode’s round-up of some of your best listener questions and our advice, focused on traveling for the holidays (or not), surviving group events with different parenting styles, handling criticism (and unwanted advice) and much more. Enjoy!HELPFUL LINKS:Listener question episodes from the archivesIf we shared your listener question today, we’d love to hear from you about how things turned out!Meagan mentioned this episode about handling judgement.OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At what age are kids ready for team sports? How do kids respond when parents volunteer to coach? (And what about the other parents?) How much is too much and what’s the deal with travel teams? The Mom Hour contributors Jayme and Jennifer share their experience as one-time competitive athletes who now have sporty kids. Listen to find out what they love, what gives them pause, and what they look forward to in the realm of youth sports. Enjoy!HELPFUL LINKS:Follow Jayme Sherrod from The Mom Hour team on InstagramFollow Jennifer Carrol from The Mom Hour team on InstagramJennifer wrote the blog post Yes, YOU Can Coach Youth Sports! which inspired this episode.Listen to the Stuff, Junk & Things, an episode from the archives featuring Jayme and Jennifer in July 2023.Here are more episodes about Sports from the archives:Sports Fandom & Family Culture: Episode 225How To Be A Happier Sports Parent: Episode 117Let’s Discuss “Sports Parenting”: Episode 18Here is the Facebook Community post referenced in this episode about wanting to skip extracurriculars altogether.OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Learn practical ideas for relieving stress during the winter holidays. Discover strategies for holiday planning and prioritizing. Complete tasks early to fully enjoy the busy holiday season. Plan ahead for family activities and navigate saying no to family members. Remember gift ideas and enjoy hands-on projects for kids. Explore maker crates, Vionic boots, and a calm Christmas recommendation. Get practical tips for enjoying the winter season. Stay organized with reminders and bonus episodes.