The Mom Hour

Meagan’s family is full of cousins and Sarah’s more sparsely “cousined”, but we both have a lot to say about the cousins we grew up with as well as the cousins our kids have. Join us as we discuss these unique and meaningful extended family relationships, and how to make the most of them.PLUS, Meagan’s kids Owen and Clara appear in a special kid segment at the end of the show–take a listen!LINKS MENTIONED:Raising Siblings Who Like Each Other (Episode 29)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.

Too early to make meaningful progress on holiday to-do lists? Sarah says no, and Meagan is curious but skeptical. Whether you’re a plan-ahead type or not, we’ve got some practical tips for making December less hectic by doing a little planning right now. Join us! (For clarity’s sake, we are Team NO Decorations/Music Until After Thanksgiving…but that doesn’t mean we can’t make lists and plans, right?)LINKS MENTIONED:Chatbooks–one of our favorite photo book options (affiliate link)On Greed and Gratitude (Episode 76 where we talk about kids wanting all the things this time of year)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.

It’s been a rough few weeks and we want to talk about it. Join Meagan and Sarah for an honest discussion about how we manage our media intake when the headlines are heartbreaking, how to identify the feelings that come up when we’re triggered in some way by the news, and how to help when we feel totally helpless.This episode was inspired in part by fellow podcasters Asha and Christine of the Edit Your Life show, Kristen and Liz of Spawned, and Sarah and Kristen of Selfie, all of whom have tackled tough subjects related to the news in recent episodes.LINKS MENTIONED:Edit Your Life Show Ep97: Moving Forward Under StressSpawned Ep89: Harvey Weinstein and Sexual HarassmentSelfie Ep03: Self-Care in the Face of TragedyKaren Walrond of the Make Light podcast, who continues to bring light and even humor to the very personal issue of her family’s Harvey loss (here’s her Harvey story on the podcast)Other episodes of The Mom Hour on related topics:Your Media Diet: Is it Healthy? (Episode 03)Talking To Kids About Tragic Events (Sarah’s interview with Dr. Jennifer Freed)Motherhood, Politics & Nuance (Sarah’s interview with Sarah Stewart Holland)Self Care as Self Preservation (Episode 104)Radical Self Care & Cultivating Creativity (Sarah’s interview with Doña Bumgarner)Sarah mentioned the always-helpful “ways to help” posts from Cool Mom Picks, like this one about Puerto Rico relief effortsNPR’s Up First podcastMORE 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.

When to start giving kids an allowance, paying for chores, getting mentally psyched up for baby #2, and dealing with kids’ annoying habits–these are the parenting challenges and motherhood topics we’re tackling in the latest Listener Questions episode of The Mom Hour. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Episode 15 on Chores & Delegation (which has more discussion on allowances and paying for chores)The Opposite of Spoiled by Ron Leiber, where Sarah’s husband got the Powers family spend/save/give systemEpisode 7 on How To Know When You’re Done Having BabiesIgnore It by Catherine PearlmanCrunchy Cocktail Hour, Life Listened’s newest podcast!WinCo (Katie’s new favorite grocery store) locationsSarah’s interview with teacher-mama Elizabeth Chapman of Teaching Sam & ScoutMORE 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.

Helping kids navigate friendships and social dynamics is one of the most commonly-requested topics from our listeners. That’s why we’re so thrilled to welcome Dr. Eileen Kennedy-Moore, an author, psychologist, and expert on children’s friendships, to this special episode of The Mom Hour Voices series.Sarah asks Dr. Eileen about helping kids who feel left out a school, how to handle the emotional ups and downs of elementary school friendships, and why playdates are so much more important than we might think. Dr. Eileen also talks about the new book she co-authored, Growing Friendships: A Kids’ Guide To Making And Keeping Friends, and even answers questions submitted by our listener community. Enjoy!LINKS MENTIONED:Dr. Eileen’s websiteGrowing Friendships: A Kids’ Guide to Making and Keeping Friends The Growing Friendships blog on Psychology TodayWhen Your Child Says, “Nobody Likes Me!” (Growing Friendships blog, Psychology Today)Can You Be Too Supportive of Your Child’s Negative Feelings? (Growing Friendships blog, Psychology Today)Dr. Friendtastic, Dr. Eileen’s site geared toward kidsMORE 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.

Closely spaced babies, tips on room-sharing, helping siblings get along, and dealing with super-shy toddlers. These are the topics we cover in this week’s episode–all of which are inspired by listeners’ real lives and kids. Join us as we hear from YOU and then offer our advice (which is as usual, mostly “hang in there…it gets better…that’s totally normal…you’re doing great”). Enjoy!LINKS MENTIONED:Facebook thread about closely spaced babiesMORE 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.

Sarah’s the Type-A, detailed one; Meagan’s the free spirit who’s super laid-back. Right? Or is there more? In Episode 121 we share the ways in which we break type from our typical molds–go figure! we’re not two-dimensional!–and challenge the idea that any one mom is either totally chill or totally stressed. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:CTFD? Dear Parents: it’s OK to care. (Meagan on The Happiest Home)Sometimes It’s OK To Be A Control Freak (Meagan on The Happiest Home)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.

How much do we pay our babysitters? (Yes, we get real about numbers.) Do we expect sitters to do the dishes? (One of us gets super weird about this.) And what’s the best way to get the potentially awkward conversations out of the way and start building great relationships with the people caring for your kids? (Early, often, and as clearly as possible.) Join Meagan and Sarah for Part 2 in our discussion about sitters and caregivers (Part 1 aired September 12 and you can listen right here).LINKS MENTIONED:Last week’s episode, Sitters & Caregivers, Part 1Choosing The Right School (Not As Scary As It Seems) (which may be helpful for those of you looking for a full-time daycare or childcare center)4 tips for creating a social media policy for your babysitter, nanny, or childcare provider (Cool Mom Tech)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.

We’ve learned a lot from our own mistakes over the years about finding, hiring, and building relationships with non-family caregivers. In Episodes 119 and 120 we’ll go on a deep dive into this topic, starting with general tips today for finding great sitters and making sure your childcare needs are covered–even if you’re the primary parent at home. Next week we’ll get into the details of the parent-caregiver relationship–everything from how much we pay to how to communicate expectations. Check back for that episode on 9/19! PLUS Katie is back to talk with Sarah about a struggle, a success and a discovery in her life as a mom of two little ones. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:What Fresh Hell, Episode 24: Finding Good BabysittersThe Founder movie on Netflix (mentioned by Katie)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.

Sarah sits down with fellow writer-turned-podcaster, mom of three, and California girl Lesley Miller in this month’s episode in our Mom Hour Voices series. Join them as they talk about their semi-parallel lives, the process of adjusting to life as a mom of school-aged kids, being a sorta-working/sorta-staying-home mom, and more.LINKS MENTIONED:Choosing The Right School (Not As Scary As It Seems) (Episode 16)Sarah’s interview on The Coffee + Crumbs PodcastThe Magic of Motherhood (the book!)Coffee + Crumbs blog, Instagram, Facebook, and TwitterLesley’s blog and InstagramMORE 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.