

The Mom Hour
Mom Hour Media
Co-hosts Meagan Francis and Sarah Powers offer practical tips and real-life encouragement for moms who want to enjoy motherhood more, and cut back on comparison, worry, and stress. We’re not experts, we’re moms who’ve been there. We’re not perfect, we’re real. Welcome to The Mom Hour, where you'll find more than 800 episodes on parenting and motherhood at every stage. Production of new episodes ended in June 2025; enjoy the back catalog!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 18, 2019 • 55min
Adventure As A Family Value: Episode 213
It can be as small as trying a new food or as big as starring in the school play; helping our kids feel the thrill of adventure doesn’t have to mean putting them at risk or forcing an indoor-loving kid outside. In Episode 213 Meagan and Sarah talk about why creating a family culture around adventure is important to us AND tackle some of the obstacles to living a life of adventure when you have small children, including nudging anxious kids out of their shells and getting over our own hangups in the process. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Listen to our More Than Mom episode on adventureMeagan mentioned two movies about stories of adventure that are good to watch with kids; Big Fishand The Secret Life of Walter MittyWe mentioned our episodes on helicopter parenting, Episode 194 and Episode 195Sarah referenced the book The Gift of Failure by Jessica Lahey (affiliate link)MORE 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.

Jun 11, 2019 • 60min
Parenting Siblings (Host Swap With Edit Your Life’s Asha Dornfest): Episode 212
Introducing a new baby to a freshly-minted big sibling can be daunting, and it’s only the beginning of parenting siblings. Join Meagan and Edit Your Life’s Asha Dornfest, who are both now parenting teens and young adults, for a look back at how they managed new baby transitions with older siblings and how sibling relationships continue to evolve in new ways.This episode is part of a host swap with our friends Asha and Christine of the Edit Your Life podcast. Hear Sarah talk about work-from-home productivity hacks in Episode 167 of Edit Your Life, available wherever you get your podcasts.LINKS MENTIONED:Check out Sarah on Edit Your Life, chatting with Christine Koh about work-from-home productivityHear Asha talk with Meagan about parenting older kids in Voices 31Asha was also a guest on our VERY FIRST Voices episodeAsha referenced two books on parenting siblings, Siblings Without Rivalry, and How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk, both by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish (affiliate links)Check out Edit Your Life wherever you get your podcasts, or at edityourlifeshow.com. They’re also on Instagram and FacebookAsha’s website, ashadornfest.com and her book, Parent HacksMORE 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.

Jun 9, 2019 • 43min
More Than Mom: The Search For The Perfect Thing
That product you’ve been searching for to do just that thing you need? We found it. Okay, well, we found a few of them…and we’re still on the hunt for a few more. In this More Than Mom episode, Meagan and Sarah share a few “perfect things” and a few more that we’d love to find. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:This episode was inspired by an episode on the same topic on The Girl Next Door Podcast, who got the idea from this 2017 episode of FriendlierHydro Flask 12oz Coffee Travel Mug (affiliate link)J. Crew Classic Hair ClipNative Shoes, specifically the Jefferson style slip on (affiliate link)Madewell Medium Transport ToteMeagan’s Kitchenaid Electric Kettle (affiliate link)KTM Valley Rucksack from EST/WSTFabletics Devore Seamless Sports BraMORE 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.

Jun 7, 2019 • 37min
Having Kids Young & Building A Creative Business With Camp Climb Founder Emma Hicks: Voices 37
Take a girl with a great eye for design and an entrepreneurial streak, add a just-out-of-high-school introduction to motherhood, and sprinkle with some good-old Midwestern pluck and determination, and you’ve got a great reinvention story.Our guest on today’s Voices episode is Emma Hicks, founder of Camp Climb, a gathering for women entrepreneurs and creatives. Emma and Meagan talk about their similar backgrounds (having babies really young and raising a business alongside a family), the unconventional career Emma launched when her kids were small, and how she continues to pivot her career while building a community of creative entrepreneurs. LINKS MENTIONED:The retreat Emma Hicks founded for female entrepreneurs, Camp ClimbEmma Hicks’ blog, Main + SecondErin Loechner will be speaking at Camp Climb, hear her interview on Voices 09Find Emma Hicks on Instagram at @hicks__emmaMORE 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.

Jun 4, 2019 • 55min
Listener Questions, Vacation Edition: Episode 211
Creating family culture around vacations, whether we let our kids skip school for family trips, how to (and whether to) stick to sleep routines on the road, dealing with kid meltdowns while traveling, and budgeting tips for family travel–we’re taking your vacation-related listener questions in Episode 211. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:All our Listener Questions episodes are on this pageJoin our Patreon group to get access to our The Mom Hour Patreon Facebook CommunityHear more about budgeting for vacation in Sarah’s interview with Natalie Taylor on Voices 36MORE 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.

May 28, 2019 • 48min
Listener Questions (Vol. 19): Episode 210
Coping tips for a mom whose husband travels for several weeks at a time, our thoughts on whether traditional preschool is “necessary” when a four-year-old’s needs are being met at home, Sarah’s detailed response to a listener anticipating a planned Caesarian birth, and encouragement for a mom of three who wonders when her family will all be able to enjoy the same activities together. Join us for a jam-packed Listener Questions episode!LINKS MENTIONED: All our Listener Questions episodes are on this pageMeagan mentioned the conversations about sibling sets (in the context of friendships) we had recently in Episode 207MORE 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.

May 26, 2019 • 49min
More Than Mom: Adventures Great & Small
What makes an experience an adventure, and how has motherhood changed our willingness to be up for it? Are Meagan and Sarah adventure-seekers, adventure-avoiders, or somewhere in the middle? And what types of adventures are our favorites? Join us for a More Than Mom episode all about living a life of adventure…even when (and especially if) you’re in the trenches of motherhood.LINKS MENTIONED:Why I Bought A Camper (On Moving On After Divorce)Becoming The Mom Who Does ThingsMORE 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.

May 21, 2019 • 54min
Screen Time Strategies Through The Years: Episode 209
Whether you’re more structured like Sarah or intuitive like Meagan, your parenting decisions around screen media will likely evolve as kids get older, new tech emerges, and expert recommendations shift again (and again). Here’s a look at how our own feelings and approaches to screen time have changed over the years–and how you can lose the guilt and accept the journey for your own family. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Cool Mom Tech, from the ladies of CoolMomPicks.com, always has great app roundupsThe CMP ladies are also behind the Facebook group Out Tech Your Kids, where Sarah lurks to get a sneak peek at the screen time issues facing parents of tweens and teensAlthough much of the info is dated now, Sarah loves the book The Case for Make-Believe: Saving Play in a Commercialized World by Susan Linn (affiliate link)Sarah also loves The Importance of Being Little: What Young Children Really Need From Grownups by Erika Christakis (affiliate link)Voices Episode 13: Becoming Screenwise with Devorah HeitnerDevorah Heitner’s book Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World (affiliate link)MORE 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.

May 17, 2019 • 27min
BONUS: Teachers Respond To May Madness
May is so crazy for parents that it has a new internet nickname: MAYcember (like December, without the presents). We covered the parenting side of things in Episode 206 (listen here if you missed it), and in this special bonus episode, we hear from three teachers about what it’s like from their perspective. Take a listen!LINKS MENTIONED:Elizabeth’s blog Teaching Sam and ScoutElizabeth is also a guest in our Voices Episode 2: Inside The Lives of 3 Working MomsKelly Hiltz is a guest in Voices Episode 23: Kindergarten Readiness & Parent-Teacher Relationships with Kelly HiltzKelly’s podcast The Chatty Sisters PodcastKelly’s blog Ask A Teacher MomMORE 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.

May 14, 2019 • 47min
Royal Baby & Celebrity Parenting Culture: Episode 208
Archie is seventh in line to the crown, and we have thoughts about it all: the royals, our cultural obsession with celebrity parents, and how becoming a new mom in the spotlight would be both harder and easier than for the rest of us. Sarah also shares her personal connection to the Duchess of Sussex (true story!), we talk about our celebrity pregnancy buddies, and more. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Archie, the newest British royal family member, has no title. Here’s why (we think) – LA TimesJennifer Garner on InstagramOur episode about postpartum symptoms & surprisesWe talked about this adorable photo of the duchess and Archie surrounded by mom and familyMore information about moist wound healingMORE 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.


